Blog Tour- Roman and Jewel by Dana L. Davis

Hello everyone! I am thrilled for my stop on blog tour for Roman and Jewel by Dana L. Davis hosted by Turn the Page Tours.

You can find the schedule for the other tours here.

About the Book

Roman and Jewel by Dana L. Davis
Published by Inkyard Press on January 5, 2021
Pages: 336
Goodreads

If Romeo and Juliet got the Hamilton treatment...who would play the leads? This vividly funny, honest, and charming romantic novel by Dana L. Davis is the story of a girl who thinks she has what it takes...and the world thinks so, too.
Jerzie Jhames will do anything to land the lead role in Broadway's hottest new show, Roman and Jewel, a Romeo and Juliet inspired hip-hopera featuring a diverse cast and modern twists on the play. But her hopes are crushed when she learns mega-star Cinny won the lead...and Jerzie is her understudy.
Falling for male lead Zeppelin Reid is a terrible idea--especially once Jerzie learns Cinny wants him for herself. Star-crossed love always ends badly. But when a video of Jerzie and Zepp practicing goes viral and the entire world weighs in on who should play Jewel, Jerzie learns that while the price of fame is high, friendship, family, and love are priceless.
Books by Dana L. Davis: Tiffany Sly Lives Here NowThe Voice in My HeadRoman and Jewel

About the Author

Dana L. Davis is a novelist and Hollywood actress with previous series regular roles as: Carmen Phillips on TNT’s Franklin and Bash and modern day mimic Monica Dawson on NBC’s cult series Heroes.

She currently stars on the animated series Star Vs. the Forces of Evil, Craig of the Creek, and She-Ra. Dana has guest-starred in over 20 prestigious primetime series, including 911, Scorpion, Code Black, Grey’s Anatomy, and CSI. She made her film debut in Coach Carter with Samuel Jackson.

In addition to her work on screen, Dana has become a motivational speaker for teens. Her stirring assemblies empower and encourage youth, helping them to redefine what it means to win and lose.

Extremely versatile, Dana is a screenwriter and a trained Violist with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music from Loyola Marymount University. She volunteers for nonprofits like Empowering Lives International, an organization which provides training, resources, and encouragement to underprivileged East African children.

Dana also created her own nonprofit organization Culture For Kids, LA, an organization which gifts inner city children tickets and transportation to see performing arts shows around the Los Angeles area.

Dana was raised in the Midwest and currently resides in Los Angeles with her 9-year-old daughter.

My Thoughts

Roman and Jewel is a Romeo and Juliet retelling set on Broadway in New York City. I was initially drawn to this book because of the premise. While I wasn’t necessarily a theatre nerd, I was a band geek and a theatre nerd by association. In short, this book was an utter delight.

The only thing that matters is that I genuinely care about someone. I feel. That’s all I’ve ever wanted. To make people feel.

This fast paced story centers on a hip hop retelling of Roman and Jewel and, while I wish the author had provided an even more in depth look at what life doing a Broadway show is like, I appreciated the brief glimpse that the novel provided. I think the setting created a nice backdrop to the story as a whole and lent itself well to a contemporary love story.

The road less traveled? That road is a nightmare. It’s less traveled for good reason.

Jerzie is a fun, flawed and confident character who makes plenty of mistakes. I enjoyed her voice even if it felt a little young in some situations. Jerzie is your average teenager who catches the kind of break that so many of us dreamed about at that age.

I think you’re perfect. Just hope I don’t fuck things up. I have a way of fucking things up.

At the heart of the novel is an insta-love romance that moved pretty quick but I still enjoyed it. While insta-love is my least favorite romance trope, it felt well placed in a Romeo and Juliet retelling. I will say that there were when Zeppalin treated Jerzie rather childishly which is why I am ultimately giving this YA rom com 4 instead of 5 stars.

Overall I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a sweet YA romance or who likes book centered around theatre and musicals.

What About You?

Have you read this book? What did you think? Let me know in the comments!