Don't Kiss the Messenger by Katie Ray, Katie Kacvinsky on April 10th 2017
Genres: Contemporary, Love & Romance, Music, Re-Telling, Sports, Young Adult
Pages: 285
Format: eBook, Paperback
Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo
I voluntarily reviewed an advance review copy of this book I received for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my open and honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
~A modern retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac~
For most of her teenage life, CeCe Edmonds has been dealing with the stares and the not-so-polite whispers that follow her around Edgelake High. So she has a large scar on her face—Harry Potter had one on his forehead and people still liked him.
CeCe never cared about her looks—until Emmett Brady, transfer student and football darling, becomes her literature critique partner. The only problem? Emmett is blindsided by Bryn DeNeuville, CeCe’s gorgeous and suddenly shy volleyball teammate.
Bryn asks CeCe to help her compose messages that’ll charm Emmett. CeCe isn’t sure there’s anything in his head worth charming but agrees anyway—she’s a sucker for a good romance. Unfortunately, the more messages she sends and the more they run into each other, the more she realizes there’s plenty in his head, from food to literature. Too bad Emmett seems to be falling for the wrong girl…
Disclaimer: This Entangled Teen Crush book involves one fiercely scarred girl who wants the new guy in town, the new guy who thinks he wants the new girl, and the new girl who really isn’t sure what she wants, and the misunderstanding that brings them all together. You’ll laugh, you’ll swoon, you’ll fall in love.
Congrats to Katie Ray on her new release, Don’t Kiss the Messenger! (Released April 10, 2017). I’m excited to be one of the stops on the Don’t Kiss the Messenger blog tour, hosted by Chapter by Chapter Blog Tours. Thank you to Entangled Teen Crush and Chapter by Chapter Blog Tours for including Read. Eat. Love.
Now off to my review of this wonderful story where one learns to love oneself just as you are, no matter the outer shell and before you go check out the great giveaway from Entangled Teen, where you can enter to win a signed copy of Don’t Kiss the Messenger by Katie Ray. Enjoy!
Arys’ Review
Don’t Kiss the Messenger by Katie Ray is a YA contemporary re-telling of the play, Cyrano de Bergerac. In Ray’s novel, CeCe Edmonds (this version’s Cyrano) has been left with a large scar on her face after being in a car accident as a child. Teased and whispered about growing up, she has formed a hard and tough persona as her shield. Now a senior in high school, she’s never cared about her looks at least until the new transfer student, Emmett Brady, becomes her new literature critique partner. CeCe may be attracted to him, but to her dismay, he seems to have eyes for her beautiful volleyball teammate Bryn DeNeuville, who seems to clam up when talking to boys, specifically Emmett.
So Bryn asks CeCe to help her talk to Emmett via emails and texts, which CeCe agrees to do. And just like in Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac this good deed definitely does not bode well for the players, especially as CeCe begins to fall more and more for Emmett, while he’s falling for the wrong girl!
Don’t Kiss the Messenger by Katie Ray follows Cyrano de Bergerac in regards to the highlights from the play like the deception, the love interest Emmett (Roxanne character) falling for the wrong person and not realizing who the messages are really coming from, and the ending with the revelation. So if you’re familiar with Cyrano de Bergerac, the tale fits that well worn narrative, but Ms. Ray gives us a story filled with humor and characters who are both endearing and interesting, in their own modern setting and situations.
While reading, I was completely reminded of the 1996 movie The Truth about Cats and Dogs with Janeane Garofalo and Uma Thurman. And just like with that movie that I loved, I felt Emmett really should have been able to tell the difference between CeCe and Bryn especially after talking with Bryn in person! The connection and chemistry between CeCe and Emmett was so palatable that it drove me crazy how CeCe was not telling Emmett the truth and how Emmett was completely blind to who really was the girl behind the emails and texts.
All in all, Don’t Kiss the Messenger by Katie Ray was a well-written novel, of a timeless tale, filled with romance, laughter, and learning to love oneself just as you are, no matter the outer shell. I happily recommend.
Giveaway Details
About Katie Ray
Katie writes teen and new adult fiction novels. Her latest book, Don't Kiss the Messenger, is published under her new pen name, Katie Ray. She also has six books published under her legal name, Katie Kacvinsky (First Comes Love, Second Chance, Finally Forever, Awaken, Middle Ground, and Still Point).
Her books have been nominated for YALSA awards, and First Comes Love was a finalist for the Oregon Book Award. She lives in beautiful Ashland, Wisconsin, on the shores of Lake Superior, with her husband, two kids, and a very high-energy dog.
