In this second book in the series there’s a sense of familiarity to some of the components, but the changing book focus and new characters stops it seeming repetitive.
In this story we focus on aspiring artist Aurora who’s had a crush on her next door neighbour Toby since she was five. Unfortunately, he seems to be in love with Aurora’s sister even though she’s unaware of it.
This could have been irritating beyond belief, and there were moments that I wanted to smack heads together because people were being so dense, but the warmth of Aurora and her friends Clara and Huck kept it entertaining. When the focus was on The Great Gatsby I was uncertain if this was the book for me - but after a false start a new book becomes the focus and this is much more pertinent.
This was no easy ride love story, but everything turned out nicely and kept me entertained along the way. A great bookish journey, and I must thank NetGalley for granting me access to this prior to publication.

This book was so fun. It was cute, and sweet, and everything you would want in a YA book. I am so excited to share this book with my teens.

I have to say I really disliked this book! It was horrible. The dynamics between the characters was one sided and it made the main character look stupid and self inflicted hurt from constantly wanting someone she shouldn’t. Tells girls it’s ok to be a back up or a place saver

Love, love this story! Rory's character is super cute and a girl that many can relate. She is fun and artistic! This book of course was modeled after little women, which is not one of my favorite stories since I think the sisters are spoiled and not very lovable. However this book made me see the sisterly bond in a different way. I was so enthralled with this book that I stayed up all night to finished it.

Surprisingly, it's better than the first installment. The author was able to use the reviews/feedbacks/suggestions she got from the first book and that's why this book turned out better. She listened to her readers about explaining the book reference she has in the story "The Gatsby" instead of assuming that all readers know it.

Unlike before, in the A Date with Darcy, the author assumed that everyone has read Romeo and Juliet AND Pride and Prejudice. Yes, some have read, but some were just familiar. It is still better to give a background rather than just assuming.

Which is what I got from this story, I felt like the author instilled knowledge first on the book, The Gatsby, before telling us what it means for the characters - which I appreciate a lot.

The heroine is spunky and has real talent unlike her sister Merilee who seem to consistently irritate me not just from book one but here as well as she makes a lot of appearances in this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC of The Boy Next Story by Tiffany Schmidt. This was a sweet story of crushes, love, family, and friendship. I enjoyed how the classic "Little Women" was tied to this story. I think this would be an enjoyable read for students.

The Boy Next Story is a super cute guilty pleasure of a read. This title centers around fourteen year old Aurora and her crush. I don't want to give too much away but this book has a sweet yet funny centering around Little Women.

I know that I read Little Women when I was quite young, but I really don’t remember much except that there were four sisters, and one almost dies. And there was a boy next door with a funny name. I thought that more might come back to me as I was reading this book, but it didn’t. But that didn’t interfere with my enjoyment of this story. Although I do think that if Little Women was one of your favorite books as a child you will love this adaptation of the story.

This book is told from Rory’s point of view, the youngest sister in the Campbell family. I liked her, though she was not as fun as Merrilee. She is the quiet serious sister, who is very artistic. I could relate to her and her issues with her siblings. Although you can tell that the sisters love each other, they do have their conflicts. Their whole family felt very authentic in all of their relationships.

And then there is Toby. What a complex boy he is. I found him just as frustrating as Rory did, but he really was a sweetie that was just very confused about his feelings. I really did enjoy all of their interactions though, even when he was pining after Merrilee.

Rory has some great friends in this book as well. They are all supportive of her and her art. Although they do sometimes get her into minor trouble with Toby. I especially liked Huck, who pretends to be her boyfriend in order to make Toby jealous. He was such a nice guy.

So, because I can’t remember the plot of Little Women, I can’t really speak to how well it plays out in this remake. But I did think that the plot was pretty good. It has a lot going on though, and there were some slow spots in it as well. But I really did like the slow development of Toby and Rory’s relationship from friends to more than friends. I would still like to see more of Mrs. Gregoire, the teacher that gives her the book to read in the first place. Although we see a bit more of her in this book than the first one, I still want a bit more.

My final verdict is that if you liked the first book, or if you liked Little Women, you will find this an enjoyable read as well. It is a sweet and innocent romance that will steal the hearts of many young teens.

Tiffany Schmidt continues the story of the Campbell girls and their magical literature teach Ms Gregoire in The Boy Next Story. This time Rory, Merrilee's little sister, narrates, telling the story of a girl in love with a boy who is in love with her sister (sound familiar to anyone yet?). When Rory begins The Great Gatsby in English class, she just doesn't get it. Unlike her sister who lives and breathes books, Rory can't find anyway to connect with the story. All she wants to do is paint and try not to flunk math. But lessons come in the strangest of places and Rory's life is going to be complicated until she can figure out what she truly wants.

For those looking for a little bit of romance, a little bit of magic and a light teen read.

Thisis the second book I've read in the series and all I can say is "Keep them coming!" The way that Tiffany Schmidt incorporates the themes and situations from classic stories and weaves them into modern day is truly genius! I can't wait to share it with the students in my media center. :-)

A funny and sweet series that will have you giggling. I think teens will enjoy to adaptations of other novels into something more contemporary.

This was a wonderful new take on a fun classic! The characters were witty and were so well developed that I didn’t want to leave them at the end!

I adored "A date with Darcy" it was everything I love in a new retelling of a favourite classic. This latest instalment is no different. I devoured the adorable situations and love how the author was able to make a classic come alive and into this generation.

I really enjoyed this. Schmidt does a great job with authentic teen voice without sounding self-centered, whiny, or overly angsty. I thought Rory sounded real and sweet and sincere throughout -- plus, there was some nice humor. Toby is adorable, and I loved how many aspects of the plot echoed LITTLE WOMEN -- very clever and nicely done. My only minor complaint was how quickly Rory forgave her sisters...I get that she loved them, but I thought she let them off pretty easily. Still, the relationship between the three of them was one of the best parts of the story. Overall, I will definitely keep an eye open for more of Schmidt's books (and I'm hoping she finishes her black-market-organ books too).

This is a really sweet story and creative premise! If you are a fan of the first in the Bookish Boyfriends series, A Date with Darcy, you will likely enjoy this one, too. It is a clever, lighthearted contemporary romance for the oft-overlooked younger YA/older MG readers. Schmidt clearly has a good command of the literary "classics" and with this series, introduces them deftly to the next generation of readers. I look forward to more in the Bookish Boyfriends series!