Kristina Forest

A YA novel about searching for answers, love, and your eccentric grandma in all the wrong places. Following in the footsteps of her überfamous grandma, eighteen-year-old Evie Jones is poised to be Hollywood’s next big star. That is until a close friend’s betrayal leads to her being blacklisted . . . Fortunately, Evie knows just the thing to save her floundering career: a public appearance with America’s most beloved actress—her grandma Gigi, aka the Evelyn Conaway. The only problem? Gigi is a recluse who’s been out of the limelight for almost twenty years. Days before Evie plans to present her grandma with an honorary award in front of Hollywood’s elite, Gigi does the unthinkable: she disappears. With time running out and her comeback on the line, Evie reluctantly enlists the help of the last person to see Gigi before she vanished: Milo Williams, a cute musician Evie isn’t sure she can trust. As Evie and Milo conduct a wild manhunt across New York City, romance and adventure abound while Evie makes some surprising discoveries about her grandma—and herself.

Now That I've Found You

"Through this pitch-perfect rom-com, Kristina Forest explores the legacy of family and what it means to be young and full of artistic passion. I was utterly charmed from start to finish." —Maurene Goo, author of Somewhere Only We Know Now That I've Found You is a YA novel about searching for answers, love, and your eccentric grandma in all the wrong places. Following in the footsteps of her überfamous grandma, eighteen-year-old Evie Jones is poised to be Hollywood’s next big star. That is until a close friend’s betrayal leads to her being blacklisted . . . Fortunately, Evie knows just the thing to save her floundering career: a public appearance with America’s most beloved actress—her grandma Gigi, aka the Evelyn Conaway. The only problem? Gigi is a recluse who’s been out of the limelight for almost twenty years. Days before Evie plans to present her grandma with an honorary award in front of Hollywood’s elite, Gigi does the unthinkable: she disappears. With time running out and her comeback on the line, Evie reluctantly enlists the help of the last person to see Gigi before she vanished: Milo Williams, a cute musician Evie isn’t sure she can trust. As Evie and Milo conduct a wild manhunt across New York City, romance and adventure abound while Evie makes some surprising discoveries about her grandma—and herself.

Marz 

Now That I've Found You was a quick lighthearted read. While it was easy to read I found it quite simplistic in both theme and execution. Despite being marketed as a romance, there was only a suggestion of it occurring within the book. The story instead follows the character growth of Evie who I honestly did not like very much at all. The characterisation of most of the people made me feel like I was watching a Disney show or reading a Wattpad story. However, since the book is aimed for a younger audience I can overlook this aspect. The plot was a bit unexpected and it held my interest well but the ending was unsatisfying. Overall this book was a little meh, not terrible but not noteworthy either.

Sarah Sammis

I realize this novel is supposed to be a romance but I didn't feel any chemistry between Evie and Milo. If anything, I'd rather have read more about Gigi's career and her on again off again marriage to her co-star. She was interesting. Evie was just too young and too busy feeling entitled to be interesting.

http://pussreboots.com/blog/2020/comm...

Steph L 

This book was so good! I love books with actors, and this was an excellent book following an actress and a musician. I loved it because there was a mystery in it and the romance was sweet. The characters were flawed, but this is what made them great. The plot was interesting, and I loved it. The writing told the story so well and I loved it. I had a great time reading this.

ivan

For anyone looking for a nice and light hearted read to get out of a reading slump, this is definitely the book for you.

The story follows Evie Jones as she rose to stardom... until she isn't. Betrayed by a close friend, she's forced to lie low until the ordeal blows over. Luckily, she's got just the thing to safe her career. But what happens when her only savior is lost to the winds, and she's only got a few days to make things right?

Stories within stories are one of my favorite tropes, and this book captures that essence quite well! The way the movie that the entire world in this book that everyone and their mother has watched and raved about becomes a central part of the romance aspect of the protagonist is a nice touch, bridging the fiction within fiction to the readers.

As it is told through Evie's perspective, you see the shift in her thoughts as the story progressed. The perfect word to use would probably be unravelling, as the tension that's wound up so tight in her chest begins to slowly unravel as she lets herself open up to the people around her.

Her chemistry with Milo is just *chef's kiss*. There is physical attraction from the get-go as both of them are two very attractive young adults, but it is in the way they play this will they won't they keep each other at a distance game that really sucks you in. The last bit was also a very very nice touch to their romance.

The minor characters bring a lot of light into the mix, and I find myself intrigued at their dynamic. Raf is hilarious, and I love the solidarity between them so much. The party scene was probably my favorite as everyone let loose and became probably the most authentic versions of themselves.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend this to people who are interested in contemporary / young adult romance.

megan

I'm not usually one for contemporary romance novels, but wow. This book drew me in from the first page and wouldn't let me go. I loved every second of it, and I might just read it again.
I saw so much of myself in Evie. Forest was able to capture the struggles of being a young woman better than almost every other author I've read. I related to her struggles, even though I've never had my acting career ruined by a viral video. Her experiences were so authentic, and even if I didn't agree with her actions, I understood her motivations.
I loved that this novel was part mystery and part romance, with the main storyline still being Evie's journey of self discovery. She didn't need a man or anyone else to feel fulfilled, and that's not a lesson I see in a lot of YA and new adult books. Sure, she ends up with Milo in the end, but it's on her own terms. Her character development isn't because of a man, a man just happens to be involved in her story.
This novel told a great story, with great characters, and great diversity. I loved every second of this book, and can't wait to see more from Forest.

Paige Green

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Now That I’ve Found You

Author: Kristina Forest

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: Black main character and Black/POC cast! 

Recommended For...: ya contemporary, grandparent relationship, fame

Publication Date: August 25, 2020

Genre: YA Contemporary

Recommended Age: 14+ (depression, slight sexual content)

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

Pages: 336

Synopsis: Following in the footsteps of her überfamous grandma, eighteen-year-old Evie Jones is poised to be Hollywood’s next big star. That is until a close friend’s betrayal leads to her being blacklisted . . .

Fortunately, Evie knows just the thing to save her floundering career: a public appearance with America’s most beloved actress—her grandma Gigi, aka the Evelyn Conaway. The only problem? Gigi is a recluse who’s been out of the limelight for almost twenty years. Days before Evie plans to present her grandma with an honorary award in front of Hollywood’s elite, Gigi does the unthinkable: she disappears.

With time running out and her comeback on the line, Evie reluctantly enlists the help of the last person to see Gigi before she vanished: Milo Williams, a cute musician Evie isn’t sure she can trust. As Evie and Milo conduct a wild manhunt across New York City, romance and adventure abound while Evie makes some surprising discoveries about her grandma—and herself.

Review: I really loved this book! I loved that the book focused on the grandmother/granddaughter relationship (which I don’t see a lot in YA books) and I loved the message about self worth and approval in a viral world. The book also had a great message about happiness and finding your inner strength and generally not giving an eff about what others think. The book was well written, had amazing character development, and awesome pacing. The book is a fast read that will be perfect for summer!

The only issue I had was that I wished that the world building was a bit better, but otherwise this was an amazing book and I can’t recommend it enough!

Verdict: Highly recommend and read it with your grandparents or parents!

izzy

'now that i've found you' by kristina forest is a fast-paced contemporary romance that centers around an up-and-coming young hollywood star. evie jones thought she had her career mapped out, with a huge movie deal and plans to follow in the footsteps of her grandmother, the famous evelyn conway. however, when her best friend simone betrays her, evie's world comes crashing down, friendless and career seemingly over. to save her career, evie catches a plane to new york to visit her grandmother, who vanishes a few nights later. lost in an unfamiliar big city, evie must learn to trust milo, the young musician she thinks is using her grandmother for career gain, in order to find her grandmother. 

i blew through this book rather quickly and enjoyed the lighter contemporary reading experience! i loved forest's deep exploration of the characters and their personal growths, even the supporting cast, as well as the romantic subplot between evie and milo. in addition, the character of simone was really intriguing to me and i'd love to know more about her if forest decides to write a sequel of any sort. i also loved unraveling the mysteries surrounding evelyn conway's past.

however, my criticisms of this book is that i did think that ending was a little bit rushed and was a little bit too predictable. while reading, i easily predicted a lot of the small 'twists' in the plot and the general trajectory of particularly the romantic subplot. i do think that even if 'now that i've found you' was somewhat predictable it was still enjoyable. the book does a really good job of still keeping you hooked with the lovable characters and i definitely loved seeing everything through evie's eyes. in addition, i absolutely loved how forest balances comedic scenes and serious, emotional ones. i would recommend this book to anyone who's looking for a quick light read or enjoyed shannon hale's kind of a big deal.

thank you to BookishFirst for providing me with a copy of this book!
look for more of my reviews at @bookishizzy on goodreads, instagram

Leelynn Brady

AHHH STAY TUNED FOR MY REVIEW ON THE HEAR OUR VOICES BOOK TOUR!!

EDIT 8/17/2020: See my full post on my blog Sometimes Leelynn Reads

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Hear Our Voices Book Tours and Roaring Brook Press for this free copy. All quotes in this review are taken from the Advanced Reader Copy and may change in final publication.



Okay first of all. This book was one of the best contemporary novels that I’ve read in a while, and it made me remember why I like to sometimes take a break from the fantasy/sci-fi universe. This also made me super jealous that I didn’t live in NYC, or at least have a family member that I could visit that lived in NYC so that I didn’t have to deal with the traffic that I remember, but could also feel like I was living my Gossip Girl dreams.



Second of all, I’m still mad at the fact that Simone never got what she deserved for what she did to Evie. I’m still hella mad about that, and I don’t know what that says about me as a person, but I felt terrible for Evie. I mean, it’s not a spoiler as much since it’s in the synopsis, but I’m not saying what Simone DID to Evie. But still, when you read it and you see what she did, I think you would be pretty pissed for Evie too.

Even if you *think* that you aren’t a huge contemporary fan, I would say that this one is one that you would want to read. It was so cute, so fun to read, emotional and well-rounded. It didn’t feel “typical” which I don’t even know what would be a typical contemporary but whatever, but I absolutely enjoyed my experience with this novel.

Elise Riley

Now That I’ve Found You is Kristina Forest’s sophomore novel about a young Black actress looking for her big break in all wrong places. Evie Jones is the granddaughter of renown screen diva extraordinaire, Evelyn Conaway aka Gigi. After an online scandal resulting in the loss of a huge role, Evie is trying to dust of her career and get it off the ground

The solution?

Make a deal with a family enemy and fly to New York to get her grandmother’s blessing. But Evie’s trials and tribulations are far from over because Gigi disappears and the only person around to help is Milo, a young musician Gigi randomly befriended. The result is a mad dash around NYC as Evie chases down the one person who can help get her dream.

Evie is a character you immediately root for. She’s genuine in her excitement and love for acting and sweetly awkward when extending her trust to Milo and his friends. Forest does an excellent job of seating us right next to Evie on the rollercoaster this story takes us on. You ache at her lows and soar at her highs.

Yes there’s some romance and hilarious moments and awesome outfits but at the core of this book is Evie’s relationship with Gigi. While Evie idolizes her grandmother, Gigi wants Evie to learn from the mistakes of her media filled career. This tension creates an imbalance that spurs both of their actions towards reconciliation.

Bursting with elegant gowns, wigs, leather pants, and a grumpy bouncer Now That I’ve Found You is the journey of Miss Evie Jones finding her true path forward amongst the chaos of fame.

Kate

4.5* My heart loved this book so much. 

From the wonderful, messy characters to their equally wonderful and messy relationships to the NYC setting to the discussions surrounding fame, race, family, passion, friendships and the pressure to know who you are and what you want from life, there wasn't a thing I'd change. 

The countless swoon worthy movie moments (this would make the BEST movie) made my heart very happy and I adored the easy flow Kristina Forest has to her writing. I instantly fell for the characters she created and was easily pulled into their story. I couldn't and wouldn't put it down.

This was definitely a standout 2020 contemporary read for me. It was simply a joy from start to finish. I can't wait to read more from Forest asap.

Kimmy Hobden

Martha F.

Rhionna

Estefani 

libby k

Kristina Forest's Now That I've Found You is a YA novel about searching for answers, love, and your eccentric grandma in all the wrong places. Following in the footsteps of her überfamous grandma, eighteen-year-old Evie Jones is poised to be Hollywood’s next big star. That is until a close friend’s betrayal leads to her being blacklisted . . . Fortunately, Evie knows just the thing to save her floundering career: a public appearance with America’s most beloved actress—her grandma Gigi, aka the Evelyn Conaway. The only problem? Gigi is a recluse who’s been out of the limelight for almost twenty years. Days before Evie plans to present her grandma with an honorary award in front of Hollywood’s elite, Gigi does the unthinkable: she disappears. With time running out and her comeback on the line, Evie reluctantly enlists the help of the last person to see Gigi before she vanished: Milo Williams, a cute musician Evie isn’t sure she can trust. As Evie and Milo conduct a wild manhunt across New York City, romance and adventure abound while Evie makes some surprising discoveries about her grandma—and herself.

Now That I've Found You

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