Roman and Jewel

by Dana L. Davis

Overview

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 Now
The Voice in My Head
Roman and Jewel

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781335070623
Publisher:	Inkyard Press
Publication date:	01/05/2021
Edition description:	Original
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	620,774
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.40(h) x 3.10(d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

DANA L. DAVIS is an actress who lives and works in LA. She has starred in Heroes, Prom Night, Franklin & Bash and 10 Things I Hate About You. Dana is a classically trained violist and the founder of the Los Angeles–based nonprofit Culture for Kids LA, which provides inner-city children with free tickets and transportation to attend performing-arts shows around LA County. She currently appears in the animated series Star vs. the Forces of Evil. Tiffany Sly Lives Here Now is her debut novel.

Editorial Reviews

01/11/2021

All Black 16-year-old Jerzie Jhames wants is to become a Broadway actor—and maybe to change her name (a nod to her home state) to something “more amazing than ever.” After seven auditions for Roman and Jewel, the upcoming Broadway “hip-hopera” reinterpretation of Romeo and Juliet, Jerzie is informed by the creative team that she’s the best Jewel they have seen—but she’ll have to play standby to “R&B sensation, double platinum, Grammy award winner” Cinny if she wants to join the production. When a dark-haired, blue-eyed white “pretty boy” accidentally smacks a door into her face at rehearsal, Jerzie discovers that the initiator of her awkward-yet-flirty encounter is actually the 19-year-old leading man, Zeppelin Reid. But their instant chemistry and growing bond is put to the test when a secretly recorded video of Jerzie outperforming Cinny in a romantic scene with Zepp goes viral. Tensions begin rising between Cinny and Jerzie as the latter tries to resist the intriguing, Broadway-quoting Zepp at Cinny’s orders while navigating her newfound fame. While inclusive, most of the cast doesn’t feel fully fleshed out, but this is a fun romp for Broadway buffs and contemporary romance fans alike. Ages 13–up. Agent: Uwe Stender, Triada US. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

An entirely showstopping story of star-crossed love on the modern stage.”—Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka, authors of If I’m Being Honest

From the Publisher

2020-10-12
A teenage singer gets a backup role on Broadway and lessons in fame and love.

Sixteen-year-old Jerzie Jhames is a Black singer from New Jersey who dreams of being a Broadway star. She auditions for the role of Jewel in Roman and Jewel, a hip-hopera retelling of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, and is disappointed when she only gets the part of standby to superstar Cinny, who plays the lead. On her first day of rehearsals Jerzie meets Zeppelin, the musical’s Roman, and declares it love at first sight. When a video of Jerzie and Zeppelin singing a duet goes viral, Jerzie begins to realize that she may be in for more than she anticipated. Conflict arises when Cinny stakes her claim on Zeppelin and warns Jerzie to stay away from him. Despite her occasional resistance, Jerzie comes to find that she will need the support of her friends and family to help her navigate both Broadway and first love. Unfortunately Davis’ prose feels heavy-handed at points, and her execution of the story, restricted by attempts to create parallels with the classic tragedy; Jerzie’s love of musicals comes across as more intriguing than the insta-love storyline. Many characters read as one-dimensional, making it hard to get invested in the outcome. The cast of characters is racially and ethnically diverse.

Like its inspiration, Romeo and Juliet, this love story contains much drama and unfulfilled potential. (Fiction. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews