Review: This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

If fate sent you an email, would you answer?

When teenage movie star Graham Larkin accidentally sends small town girl Ellie O'Neill an email about his pet pig, the two seventeen-year-olds strike up a witty and unforgettable correspondence, discussing everything under the sun, except for their names or backgrounds.

Then Graham finds out that Ellie's Maine hometown is the perfect location for his latest film, and he decides to take their relationship from online to in-person. But can a star as famous as Graham really start a relationship with an ordinary girl like Ellie? And why does Ellie want to avoid the media's spotlight at all costs? 

My Review:

This book is a sweet story filled with romance, family, and friendship.  It is a quick and cute read.  I think it make a good, light and summery book to read on vacation.

POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD

Ellie is a nice girl who lives in a small town in Maine.  She lives with her mom, and her dad is a Senator, Paul Whitman, not that anyone else knows that.  There was a scandal a few years after her birth about her mom and her dad, since he was married to someone else.  It was never confirmed in the news if he had an illegitimate daughter or not.  Ellie is smart and was able to get into a summer poetry course at Harvard.  The only problem is, the program is too expensive, so she can't afford it.  She tries to get the money by working, but there is no way she will get enough money in time for the class.

Graham Larkin is a teen movie star that all the teenage girls in America love.  While he enjoys acting and being in the movies, he may not always want the all the attention from the media.  He is constantly followed by the paparazzi.  His manager even tries to tell him that he should date the girl who plays the love interest in his movie.  Despite his fame, he is also just a teenage guy.  He has a pet pig that he cares about, and he named the pig Wilbur.  He also has his own house, and he doesn't live with his parents.

The romance between Graham and Ellie is very sweet.  They first start talking through email, and then he decides to have his newest movie filmed in her hometown.  I loved how Ellie wasn't some huge fan of Graham Larkin.  She hadn't even seen his other movies.  She liked him for the guy she meet over email, and she didn't even know that guy's name.  Their relationship doesn't always have an easy road to travel since Ellie and her mom don't want her to get press attention.  In the end, their romance ends up being very adorable.

If you like YA contemporary, read this book.

Katie