The Trouble with Flirting

by Claire LaZebnik

Franny's supposed to be working this summer, not flirting. But you can't blame her when guys like Alex and Harry are around. . . .

Franny Pearson never dreamed she'd be attending the prestigious Mansfield Summer Theater Program. And she's not, exactly. She's working for her aunt, the resident costume designer. But sewing her fingers to the bone does give her an opportunity to spend time with her crush, Alex Braverman. If only he were as taken with the girl hemming his trousers as he is with his new leading lady.

When Harry Cartwright, a notorious flirt, shows more than a friendly interest in Franny, she figures it can't hurt to have a little fun. But as their breezy romance grows more complicated, can Franny keep pretending that Harry is just a carefree fling? And why is Alex suddenly giving her those deep, meaningful looks? In this charming tale of mixed messages and romantic near-misses, one thing is clear: Flirting might be more trouble than Franny ever expected.

Genres: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Retellings, Young Adult Contemporary, Young Adult Romance

336 pages, Paperback

First published February 26, 2013

About the author

HIDDEN BRILLIANCE: UNLOCKING THE INTELLIGENCE OF AUTISM is out! We set out to write a loving, respectful, helpful and supportive book for parents and educators, one that never forgets the value and importance of diversity in our community, and I'd like to think that we succeeded. Please check it out https://hidden-brilliance.org/

The Washington Post says: "But even those outside of that audience who would also benefit from reading it, including autistic former children (present), parents of autistic adults and, for that matter, autistic adults who have thought about having children."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/books/...

Reviews

[Anesha †Curious & Obsessive Bookworm† · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blah...May contain spoiler and rambling(of course)

I really, really wish today was a weekend

I started reading this book late last night and didn't go to sleep until 3AM...knowing I had to wake up at SIX to get ready for work (since I take forever to get ready - i usually have to get an extra early start xD)

This book had me going:


And then...BAM it was over...and then when it ended - something in me broke..I became an emotional wreck dammit!!!


AND IT WAS NOT PRETTY!! It deprived me of even MORE sleeping!

Ugh...But this book is soooo freakin' good. I was honestly craving some YA books - not to mention am a huge Jane Austin fan so any kind of adaption out there, I'd give it a try just for the sake of trying and this book was no exception.

It was so good, it hurt just thinking about it. Aside from the humor (which i fucking love), the mild drama and simply the feel of high school was nostalgic.

Franny is an amazing character - instant love her way, and she reminds me so much of me when I was in high school (except for the whole acting bit lol... i hate acting o.o) But damn, she is so sarcastic and just don't care what others think and I love when the lead is strong - not the whiny, bitchy kind some authors think is "cute"...Like fuck me...no one likes a blaring horn RIGHT next to their ears <__<

The crush was sweet, and I honestly didn't want her to be with him...This could just be me, because Harry reminds me so much of my Bryan...Omg, I was swooning over him, but hated him all the same, and in the end am like "Gosh he reminds me so much of Brybry"... So if my emotions were escalated because of that idiot Harry then name it on a certain idiot boy name Bryan. Though truthfully - I love that I got to feel more in this book - my love just intensified and I DIDN'T ARGUE!!!

Franny wasn't perfect - hell no one was perfect...But the fact that she acknowledged that and made a change, fought for what she wanted, just proves how awesome and well deserving she was. She was like any normal teen who'd swoon over her first crush because it was familiar, and I couldn't blame her because at one point in life - everyone gets scared to go into the unknown and settle for that familiarity.

Then we enter Harry.


Hold on, one sec....


......

Ok..I think am good now.

So yeah...HARRY is amazing. He's so laid back (yes he's a player too - at first)..Just easy going and he doesn't let little things bother him, rarely freaks out. But when he begins getting interested in Franny? When he sheds his outer exterior, showing something deeper, that just makes you clutch your reading device and swoon like an idiot for about 2-3mins effectively. His actions (even when you didn't know at first just makes you wonder where the hell is a Harry like that? *kicks Bryan* <_<) haha Um...Anyways....

The slight bump in the book, when he got hurt - I GOT HURT . It was so...Idk - i swore I was on the verge of crying, my tears where right there, and yh shut up, I'm an emotional wreck atm ok??


It's just my personal matter pushing through more because of this freakin awesome book...It's...Awesome dammit.

So read it...

HARRY SAYS TO READ IT!!!

*sighs..

I can't wait til lunch break...am deprived of slumber.

[Lexy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good it made me cry.

[Muse-ic ♬ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

Overall, that was pretty lame. But I still liked it.
Why, do you ask?
BECAUSE CHICK LIT! And I am unashamed to admit that I LOVE chick lit!
It's pure brain candy, which is exactly what I need right now, because after Empire of Storms and college, my brain really cannot handle much more hard coreness.

That being said, the love triangle was kind of annoying. I didn't really ship anyone until the end. That's how little I was attached to the love interests.
However, SARCASM GALORE! I absolutely loved the hilarity of this book.
Franny (I feel like that's such an old lady name! If your name is Franny, I'm sorry if I offended you) is the queen of sarcasm and is constantly tearing people (mainly Harry) down with her sarcasm. Which is funny, because I love doing the same thing haha ;)

“Well I'm not going to hope that you get hurt, but if you do, remember that you're my damsel in distress, and no one is allowed to carry you."

"I don't remember signing a contract."

"All the more reason to promise me now."

"What if you're not around when I get hurt?"

"Send word, I`ll come running."

"How big an injury does it have to be? Because sometimes I do this thing when I stand up too quickly and my ankle kind of twists a little---"

"Sounds serious. You don't want to put any weight on that. I`d better carry you the next time that happens."

"What if I skin my knee?"

"I`ll carry you."

"Charley horse?"

"I`ll carry you."

"Chipped toenail?"

"Not worth taking a risk. I`ll carry you.”

I grin at him [...] I have to admit -- he's funnier and smarter than I've given him credit for.”

Actually I changed my mind. I like Harry better. He responded to Franny's sarcasm with his own and it was awesome, as you can see from the selection I just gave you!

Marie was so clichéd, I can't even. She's exactly like every other jealous snobby girl you seen in a book. Every. Single. One.

This is pretty much your typical chick lit. It's cute. It's cheesy. It's lame. It makes you smile :)

[Marga · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Isabella: "Why are you being so mean to me?"
Harry: "Because i love you"
Isabella: "Does that ever work?"
Harry: "On my mother it does."
Isabella: "I'm not your mother."
Harry: "I know that already, because I'm enjoying your company.”

Well, that was fun.

Maybe you've had enough of books with complicated world building and stuffs. Or perhaps you're having a really stressful day in school or at work. Well, this is the book for you. I don't even know how many times this book made me laugh out loud or grin like an idiot.

This is a good contemporary read. Why is that so? First, it was funny without even trying. The humor wasn't forced at all. Second, there are genuine friendships without pulling each other down. Third, Harry, of course. I mean, there's no way that you wouldn't find him adorable. Last, the romance was really well done. I don't find it overly cheesy. It didn't made me vomit or something. The feels were just great. This book was definitely written for teens and adults that are young at heart.

The only thing that I didn't find to my liking much is some of Franny's (the MC) attitude. She was actually a little bit quick to judge. Anyway, besides all that and after she finally learned her lesson, she was actually a good narrator. She was quirky and awkward and it's good to read her thoughts.

So there you go. Looking for a funny, light read? I can't recommend this book quite hard enough.

[Meredith (Austenesque Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Relevant and Fresh Takes on Jane Austen!

To date, Claire LaZebnik has published four refreshing and clever Young Adult retellings of Jane Austen’s novels – Epic Fail (Pride and Prejudice), The Trouble With Flirting (Mansfield Park), The Last Best Kiss (Persuasion) and Wrong About the Guy (Emma) – and I sincerely hope she continues to write more! In this insightful and authentic retelling of Mansfield Park, Franny Pearson is a rising high school senior from a non-wealthy, divorced family looking for a summer job. Her mom arranges for her to assist her aunt with making and altering costumes for a summer theatre program at Mansfield College.

Upon arrival Franny recognizes some familiar thespians – Julia Braverman, a friend she lost touch with, and her brother Alex, who she had a monster-crush on several years ago. Franny hopes a little romance might finally happen between her and Alex this summer, but her hopes are dashed as he seems to be immediately attracted to the sophisticated and gorgeous Isabella Zevallos. Franny feelings of disappointment and dejection start to disappear when super-flirtatious and fun Harry Cartwright starts paying her some serious attention over the other girls, the question is are his intentions as serious…

Claire LaZebnik has a wonderful talent for adapting Jane Austen’s characters and themes into a story that is relevant, current, and accessible to Young Adult audiences today. It never feels forced or as if she is trying too hard. Her characters embody the right blend of maturity and youthfulness, sincerity and blitheness, seriousness and irresponsibility and I am overall impressed with the language and intimate understanding she revealed. Just like Amy Heckerling (Clueless) astutely understood high school students in 1995, Claire LaZebnik gets high school students of this generation.

One aspect of this story I greatly enjoyed was seeing the contemporary reincarnations of Jane Austen’s characters. I liked seeing a flirtatious Henry (Harry) with questionable sincerity, a “good-guy” Edmund (Alex) who is guilty of being indecisive and sending mixed signals, a Marie and Isabella (Maria and Mary) who are appropriately desperate for male attention, and a Julia (Julia) who is unsurprisingly insecure and selfish. Readers who haven’t read Mansfield Park may not pick up how wonderfully these modern updates emulate their Regency counterparts, but I did, and I greatly appreciate the author’s creativity. I especially loved that Harry’s character had an extra special twist to it! As with many people who exude a strong and loud persona, there is always more hidden behind their mask…

Those who cannot abide Fanny Price and find her priggish and dull will be delighted to find this representation of Fanny a little different. Franny is quirky, witty, unaffected and charmingly sarcastic. But, since she is at the theatre program as an employee and not a student, she still is an outsider looking in. While I have no issue with Jane Austen’s timid and virtuous heroine, I did find myself, for the most part, enjoying this alternate spunky version of Fanny. However, one aspect of her character that I wasn’t too fond of is her relationship with her aunt, (who is more of a complainer than a cruel shrew). Franny spoke negatively about her aunt several times and didn’t seem to appreciate anything her aunt did for her – such as her job, requests for time-off, free room and board. I know teenagers are often self-centered at this stage, but I found Franny lack of consideration and appreciation towards her aunt to be disappointing and uncalled for.

These modern-day retellings by Claire LaZebnik are very deserving of praise and attention in both the Austenesque and Young Adult communities! I love the creative and perceptive ways she updates Jane Austen’s novels and brings out a story that is captivating and real to young audiences! I cannot wait to get my hands on The Last Best Kiss and Wrong About the Guy!

[Rahmi · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 fabulous stars
So far this is the best LaZebnik's book that I've read. It was cute, sweet, and funny.

I know I have this love-hate relationship with love triangle and the love triangle in this book (Alex - Franny - Harry) was one of the love triangle that I love.

[Gillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

That just put me in the absolute BEST mood. Such fun dialogue and a super-de-duper-dy cute ship. This is more a twist on Mansfield Park than a retelling, but since MP is definitely least favorite Jane Austen novel, I'm not mad at it. There are a lot of significant changes to the character dynamics (and one ginormous change in the end result, which again, I AIN'T MAD AT because Harry Cartwright is just the more adorable witty banterflirtmuffin EVER oh my GOD marry me, and Alex Braverman completely sucks), and really the only thread that stays absolutely true through both novels is the theme of sincerity, constancy, trustworthinessm and shallow characters though again, LaZebnik takes...if not so much a different stance as Jane, than a totally different take on it, and having Fanny be the fallible judge, rather than Edmund/Alex (who still totally sucks).

Obviously, you do not need to know anything about Mansfield Park to like this book, since they're quite different and this book is just fun on it's own. All you need to like are summer romances and flirty boys. I read that in one sitting and I just enjoyed it tremendously. Probably my only negatives are that it is, ironically enough, a mildly shallow read, a badly dated/in poor taste "tranny" joke, and that I just immediately hated one of the dudes/he was so lacking in character that it took some of the fun out of the triangley, harem-y, Midsummer's Night-clusterfuck of crushery going on. Like I kept hissing at the book NO, FRANNY, HIIIIM FLIRT WITH HIIIIIIM SO CUUUUUTE but then again whatever, I guess that's the point, FLIRTY FLIRT BANTER KISS SWOON SHIP YAY

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I was excited to read this book and then I found out it was a Mansfield Park retelling and I wasn't so sure, but then I asked Jess to spoil me a little and then I knew I definitely wanted to read it. While I'm not a big Mansfield Park fan, my biggest concern was that I wouldn't like the romance if it followed along with the book, but, as the description says, it's an adaptation "with a twist!"

Anyway, I really like Claire LaZebnik's writing. I've read this and Epic Fail and The Smart One and the Pretty One and they were all just really well done and enjoyable. And her teenagers just FEEL like teenagers. Like, some of the romantic behavior was really not that admirable, but, uh, very realistic for teenagers.

And YES. Nice guys AREN'T always good guys. I know there's an attitude out there that books glorify the "bad boy," but, frankly, a lot of the nice guys out there aren't that good.

Re-Read April 2020

So this didn't ENTIRELY hold up. There's a few jokes that don't fall well on 2020 ears and Franny is meaner to Harry than I remembered. But I still enjoyed it.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rating: 1.5 stars

It took me a while to write up this review, I don’t know, it’s just... this book made me pretty mad. So yeah, you may find me ranting a bit in this review.
So finding that this book was a Mansfield Park adaptation had originally gotten me really excited, since there are scarcely any around - and was in fact the first I’d come across, but it ripped out a lot of the main themes (and my soul), leaving behind a rather bland clichéd romance. I really did want to like this novel because I’d read Epic Fail by the same author before and found it a credible adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, and hoped The Trouble with Flirting would be just as enjoyable. But alas, ‘twas not meant to be.


The characters:
Franny: I really disliked Franny, this girl wasn’t anything like the Fanny Price I knew and (sort of) liked. The thing is, this character is supposed to be almost impossibly good, the only character who doesn’t stray from her morals and is like a perfect judge of people. But then you made her cheat on her boyfriend?!??


Fanny would be turning over in her grave right now if she found out that one of her incarnations was committing such a heinous crime.
Franny was pathetic, for almost half of the novel she was pining after this Alex guy - even when he already had a girlfriend; then proceeded to hope that something would happen between her and said guy, even when she had a boyfriend person; and when something finally did happen and chaos reigned supreme, she decided that she was actually in love with the boyfriend she’d cheated on. And how did she try to get him back? By threatening to walk on broken glass in front of him... No no Franny dear, that is something a crazy person does. I mean what sort of guy likes that a girl would seriously injure herself to get with him? Well apparently Harry Cartwright, who actually says, “You’d really walk barefoot through broken glass for me?”.


No Harry, don’t get all flattered over that, girls aren't supposed to try to hurt themselves to try to get with you. Please stop.

Harry: Harry was quite annoying I found, but was also quite witty at times - I’ll admit this book does have some funny bits. I even chuckled. Seriously though, all of the flirting was a little too much to handle, it seemed every second sentence directed towards a girl had some sort of innuendo attached to it (and probably a serious case of come hither eyes). That bothered me, it just made for an extremely shallow character with which I couldn't connect with at all, and therefore couldn't like all that much. In fact a lot of the characters were the same, I felt an incredible amount of apathy towards most of them. Oh yeah, one thing Harry said puzzled me, do people actually get offended if you call them sweet? I don’t know, to me that would be a compliment.


Alex: Meh, he was alright up until the whole cheating debacle - which (as you might’ve guessed) I had a major issue with. It’s just wrong, Edmund and Fanny were the best characters in Mansfield Park - as in always concerned with doing what was right - but here that’s just thrown out of the window and Alex is made out to be this terrible person who played the two girls against each other. This is not befitting of a clergyman though, I say, dear Edmund would simply be horrified! I did enjoy the parallel between Alex and his duke character though.

Julia: There’s not much to say about her, I felt she was just really there for Franny to have someone to talk to about her feelings, and also of course to be slighted by Harry.

I don’t really know what to say about the other characters, so I think I’ll just stop with Julia. I will say though, I thought Maria was quite a good modernised Maria Bertram - despite being the most annoying person ever. I also liked Vanessa, she was fun and supportive, although I don’t see why her and every other person in this book had to be so exceptionally beautiful. There are actors/actresses out there who don’t look like the gods have graced them with perfectness in almost every physical way.

Now I’ll try to wrap up because this has gone on for much longer than I expected. This book was quite well written, but the plot and character development let it down unfortunately. It seemed LaZebnik was trying to write a kind of version of Mansfield Park where Fanny ended up with Henry - which wouldn’t have put me off if I’d known before starting actually, because every time I read Mansfield Park I like to imagine what would’ve happened if Henry didn’t run off with silly Maria and had won over Fanny - but this book just made me realise that Fanny and Edmund have to end up together, it just feels really wrong otherwise. By the end I just started feeling like this was another Pride and Prejudice adaptation, especially when Franny said, “Our moral: the guy who sends smouldering glances your way may turn out to be kind of lame, and the guy who seems like a shallow pretty boy may actually be kind of wonderful”. Come on, that’s like Wickham with his smouldering glances and Darcy if he was actually a playboy type, which is pretty disconcerting.

Oh yeah, one more thing. The part that broke my heart in two. It’s a very difficult subject for me. OK, so at first when I saw the words, “I choose you, Pikachu.”, I was absolutely delighted. Pokémon is my all-time favourite cartoon - when I was younger I was obsessed with it, so I was just sitting there like:


But then, in the next sentence, “The nonsense words - from some stupid old animated show William used to watch”... WHAT. She called Pokémon stupid?!? I swear, I teared up for a moment when I read that. It took everything in me not to fling the damn book across the room.

Look at poor pikachu...

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Guys, I LOVED this book! I am familiar with the author's previous YA work, Epic Fail, but haven't read it. And I have never read Mansfield Park, the Jane Austen novel on which The Trouble with Flirting is loosely based. But I loved the short description of this book. And I loved that it was a contemporary romance because I was badly in need of one. I had been reading a lot of paranormal and dystopian YA when this book arrived in the mail and it was such a welcome break for me. And The Trouble With Flirting did not disappoint. It was clever, funny, and very romantic. I will most definitely be reading Epic Fail now (another Austen retelling) and any books Claire LeZebnik puts out in the future because if The Trouble With Flirting is any indication, I am going to enjoy them.

The best thing about The Trouble With Flirting is the main character, Franny. I adore Franny and her cynical, sarcastic attitude. Franny is a very no nonsense kind of girl. She comes from a close knit family comprised of her mom and older brother William. Since her parents divorce, Franny's family has fallen on tough economic times. The first few pages of the book cracked me up as Franny compares her families personal wealth with most of her classmates who travel to Europe during the summer and get brand new BMW's for their 16th birthdays.

William is away at college and Franny longs to go to college too. But she knows that an academic scholarship is her only way or she will be facing a mountain of student loan debt. The book begins the summer before her senior year and Franny is looking for a summer job to help her pad her college fund. When her mom arranges for her to go work with her aunt, who is the costume designer for a high school summer drama camp at Mansfield University in Oregon, Franny is less than thrilled. You see Franny used to love drama, she was in all her middle school productions. But in high school she was sat down by her parents and given the talk that drama wasn't a great career choice and perhaps her time would be better spent pursuing more academic extracurricular activities. Attending the camp would be one thing. But sewing costumes for the camp attendees is another. And honestly, Franny doesn't want to be cooped up in a sewing room for the next 6 weeks with a crotchety aunt watching her every move. But Franny is a reasonable and realistic girl so she acquiesces and agrees to to take the job. When she arrives she unexpectedly runs into Julia, an old middle school friend, who is attending the camp. And guess what? Her hot twin brother, the one that Franny had a secret crush on years earlier, is also there. Score!

What is so great about Franny is she is totally self deprecating and reads like your normal teenage girl. Especially when compared to all of the other kids she encounters at the camp. These aren't just your typical drama geeks. This is the cream of the country's high school crop, all the kids enrolled not only had to pay a pretty penny to attend, but had to audition to win a spot. These are kids that are serious about becoming actors, and boy, do they act like it. Over the top personalities, showboating and spotlight hogging is the norm. And in this sea of craziness is Franny, quietly observing from the sidelines. It is such a fun world LaZebnik has thrown us into and I loved witnessing it from Franny's sardonic perspective.

As you can surmise from the summary above, there are two love interests in The Trouble With Flirting: Franny's secret childhood crush, Alex; and the camp's most eligible catch, L.A. native Harry. Oh boy, are these two great characters. And two very DIFFERENT characters. Like Franny, in the beginning I was all Team Alex. Alex was kind, sweet, and such a nice guy. It was easy to see why Franny had such a serious crush on him. But by the middle of the book I was really beginning to see the merit of flirty, funny, engaging Harry. As I said, having not read Mansfield Park I truly had no idea what was going to happen in the story and which guy Franny was going to choose in the end. I'm not going to spoil but I love the way the romance between Franny and both of these guys played out. And I LOVE that Franny, who readily admits to not being as glamorous, as pretty, or as flirty as the other female characters in the story, is the one that theguys are chasing after. YAY! for nice girls NOT always finishing last:)

I also love the theater setting of the book. This is the second book I've read recently that featured a theater theme and as someone who loved drama (I took Drama I, II, AND III in high school,) I thoroughly enjoyed all the behind the scenes stuff that goes down in the book. I did some summer drama camps when I was younger and this book totally took me back and made me smile as I remembered my own experiences (which were not NEAR as cool as the ones in this book unfortunately:)

The writing was just awesome. LaZebnik has a knack for writing humorous, authentic dialogue. Her characters sounded like real teenagers, some are over the top ACTOR teenagers, but teenagers nonetheless. I was totally immersed in the story and unable to put it down, dying to see how it was all going to turn out in the end.

The Trouble with Flirting is a quick read, TOO QUICK, I wanted more Franny, Alex and Harry. It's a standalone, which is refreshing and awesome. But gosh, I wouldn't mind running into these characters again in the future. Maybe in college? How cool would that be? (Pretty please, Ms. LeZebnik??)

So if you are looking for a great contemporary romance; like reading retelling's of literary classics; enjoy books with funny and endearing characters; and love books where a likable protagonist wins in the end you should definitely check out The Trouble With Flirting when it releases next February.

And if you have read Mansfield Park and get a chance to read this one, I would love to hear your thoughts on the similarities and differences between the two. Is the Franny in this updated version more likable? Does it end the same way and what do you think of the ending? I read the crib notes for Mansfield Park after finishing The Trouble With Flirting so I have my own thoughts regarding those questions, but I would love to hear yours!

4.5/ 5 Stars

[malayna · Rating 5 out of 5]

MY OPINION: *****

This book was yet another one of those quick summer reads, despite the fact that it basically isn't summer anymore.

Today will be an uber short review because I have loads of homework after this :D

Anyways, this book is about a girl named Franny who goes to work with her aunt at a "theater camp" of sorts that sounds SO AMAZING that I am jealous. Anyways, she meets up with an old friend, as well as that friend's bro, who was her old middle school crush.

At the camp, she makes a lot of friends and she soon forms a relationship of sorts with this amazing dude, Harry. His last name, Cartwright, made me swoon when Franny said it. I just love it when couples call each other by their last names, especially if their last names are unique and almost-romantic.

She still has feelings for Alex though, who is dating a girl named Isabella that he also met at the camp.

I HATED ALEX. He was in the way, his romantic gestures weren't romantic, and he was a player and a jerk. He probably didn't even look all that great.

And Harry. I loved him, or at least I loved my image of him. He was so sweet and I just loved it. And the things that Franny said to him and his reactions made me cry.

Legit. CRY

And Marie. WHY WAS SHE SO ANNOYING??? SHE WAS ALWAYS IN THE WAY AND SHE WAS SO MADDENING, IRRITATING, AND EXASPERATING AND I JUST CANNOT DO IT ANYMORE. SHE MADE ME SCREAM

And Julia. She was sweet but she was way too boy-crazy. Actually, all of the girls were boy-crazy which was a little sexist as well as annoying. There should have been a tomboy or someone who just didn't really care about the boys and cared about the acting.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I plan to read more of Claire LaZebnik's books ASAP.

I would recommend this book to contemporary romance lovers.

Main Character: Franny
Sidekick(s): Harry, Julia, etc
Villain(s): Marie, Alex, etc
Realistic Fiction Elements: This was all very real to life.

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked "Epic Fail," so when my friend asked me if I wanted to read this with her, I was more than eager to give it a try. And I was far from disappointed. This was a really great read - cute and fun. Yes, it was predicable, but I really like the way LaZebnik always manages to make me smile. There were some really great lines, and even the cheesy ones made me chuckle with delight.

My only big issue was that Franny made such a big deal about her family being less fortunate at the beginning of the book, and she really has no problems with it at all (except for at the bookstore) until the end of the book.

I really liked Franny - even when she was being stupid. She was witty, and I loved her carefree attitude. And unlike a lot of characters in similar situation who had me pulling my hair out and screaming at my book, I thought it was quite endearing that she was so naive about everything.

And even though all of the characters had their cliche roles, I really liked everyone in this book. Alex because he is SUCH a guy that it's really cute. Harry because he's so adorably witty, and I love his corniness just because it never did come across as arrogant. Isabelle because she never came off as fake, even though it may have seemed that way. Lawrence and Vanessa for their devotion. Julia because even though she's pretty self-absorbed, it worked on her. And yes, even Marie because she's so desperate.

Overall, it really was a cute, fun read that's sure to leave a smile on your face.

[Maria Isabel Samonte · Rating 3 out of 5]

I still like Epic Fail better. I just do not understand the actions and decision of the character in this book. This retelling is also a little off the mark for me. I also did not like Franny here. She complains a lot but does not do anything to resolve her problems. If only did the characters communicate better they would be able to avoid the conflicts.

[Cee · Rating 2 out of 5]

After reading Mansfield Park with some other bloggers, we thought it would be fun to read a modern YA retelling of Mansfield Park, The Trouble with Flirting.

Sadly, this show again why I don't read YA contemporary. I'm sure there are great contemporary books out there - but usually I can't stand the main character. If the biggest problem in your life is what shirt to wear to school, I just can't relate to you, even though at nineteen I'm still fairly close to the intended audience for these books.

The main character in Jane Austen's Mansfield Park Fanny is a loving, nervous, sweet and self-deprecating girl with the softest temper you've ever seen. Franny, The Trouble with Flirting is absolutely nothing like Fanny. She struts around life, being judgemental inside but nice on the outside, feeling sorry for herself for all the wrong reasons.

To be very honest here, I quit reading at 16%, which would translate into page 53 of a paperback version. It's not even that I hate this book so much, it's just that I see where this is going and I know I'm not going to enjoy this. I gave The Trouble with Flirting a chance to hook me, and it failed to do that.

My main problem with this book is the main character Franny. She's mean, and sometimes just plain weird. When she's on a plane we're told

I haven't flown much on my own - okay, the truth is I've never flown at all - and I get a little thrill looking out the window when we take off and land and smiling mysteriously at the middle-aged man sitting next to me. I wonder if he thinks I'm cute and is glad he's sitting next to me and not someone old and fat. We don't ever talk, other than "excuse me" when our elbows bump, so I never find out.

When I hear "middle-aged", I'm seeing her sitting next to this.



Ehm... YOU'RE FLIRTING WITH SOME GUY THAT COULD BE YOUR GRANDFATHER.

THIS IS NOT OKAY.

Also, "glad he's sitting next to me and not someone old and fat". Really? My grandmother is very old and used to be quite fat. She was one of the sweetest people ever, and every Stallone should be glad for sitting next to her. STOP BEING SO JUDGEMENTAL and just plain mean.

More meanness ensues.

Of course, it's possible she leads a much more exciting personal life than we're aware of, but after spending today with her, I kind of doubt it.
Which makes me feel tender toward her. Poor Aunt Amelia. Stuck in this small, plain apartment, sewing costumes for other people to wear all day long. (Emphasis mine)

No. Just no. What the hell is this? Franny is dissing about 90% of humanity in a few sentences. You know, this is what people call working . Sitting somewhere, doing stuff for other people and at the end of the month get money. Franny should try it sometime - but she doesn't. On her first day at her summer job, she takes the first chance to run away from her aunt to smooch with some other teens. I can't believe someone would actually think of paying Franny for being there.

Couple that with some bad writing, including this gem.

I feel funny, though: I'm not one of them. But I'm sort of one of them. But I'm not one of them.
Like that.

Well, if that wouldn't give Austen a coronary, I have no idea what would.

So nope, The Trouble with Flirting isn't for me. I should have known when at page five Franny started complaining about how all the rich kids at her school did all these fancy programs during summer, while Franny had to work (yuck!). I went to a high-school too where all the lawyer's and doctor's kids went, and I never once felt sorry for myself that I had less money. I can't identify with Franny even if my life depended on it, and if I knew her in real life I'd think her a total bitch.

[Ty · Rating 4 out of 5]

OMG... I seriously considered DNF this for a moment there... IT IS SO FRUSTRATING!
I just want to state that I was fairly team Harry and did not care much about Alex from the begining, until Harry went off and probably got himself an STD from Marie (my best friend's name is Marie... sucks), not that Franny's attitude helped or anything, she's the QUEEN OF FRUSTRATION AND INDECISIVENESS! That girl... THAT GIRL...


Alex didn't even looked at Franny, unless Isabella was doing something else rather than him (har har) (don't get me wrong, I LIKE Isabella, and Vanessa, and Lawrence and Julia, and Amelia and Charles and Harry, duh. I don't like Marie, nor Alex though) and the moment the selfish prick gets Franny to a dark place in the woods and sort of kisses her, she throws everything to the wind and goes stoopid, of course it didn't take Harry more than two nanoseconds to make himself take it out on Marie (at this point I'm strongly suspecting he's trying to play the jealous card, because I don't think he's half bad, hurt? yes. asshole? not so much.) and Franny to actually realise that she might've hurt someone plus not have made the wisest choice. (Pikachu? For real, Franny? It's insulting for people that actually grew up with POKÉMON that you call Alex Pikachu.)
And she started wallowing...



And I was like "Seriously, gurl?! What did you think would happen?!"



And she goes on and ooooon about Alex...

And then she finally decided that the stoopid girl ping-pong Alex was playing was not cool and I was like :


And when she said Alex's eyes were sort of frog-like I almost made a victory dance because I just knew they wouldn't end up together. Actually...


AND I WAS RIGHT! MUEHEHE! Just so you know, I'm smiling smugly to every person that looks my way right now.
Well,it was good, and the last part of the book was sweet, and goofy-smile provoking and I liked it.

[M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember reading Epic Fail when it first came out and I love Jane Austen retellings, so I was happy to give The Trouble With Flirting a try. It was a very cute, fun book that told a great story!

The Trouble With Flirting centered around Franny’s summer at theater camp. While there, she reunites with her childhood crush, Alex, and also starts flirting with another camper, Harry.

Franny was an awesome main character. I think all the great different characters definitely contributed to what made this book so good. She was working with her aunt on wardrobe for summer, and was a very down-to-earth, friendly person. At first, I did like Alex. Then, he just became too wishy-washy, with him never seeming to figure out which girl he wanted. Over time, he definitely lost his appeal. Harry, on the other hand, was someone I didn’t even consider at first. I eventually realized just how funny and nice of a guy he was. I hoped Fanny would also grow to realize that, too ;)

Their was so much humor in the plot. That’s part of what I think made this book great. I loved the jokes, and the drama between various characters and people. Certain quotes had me laughing out loud. Also, the relationships between the characters were very realistic and relatable to read about.

Their were some side characters that I didn’t like too much, but overall, The Trouble With Flirting was great. I’d give it 3 1/2 out of 5 flowers.

Review to be posted at http://www.thebookbelles.blogspot.com closer to release date.

[Tellulah Darling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gotta love Twitter. After sending out an admittedly self-professed whiny but whiny nonetheless tweet that I couldn't find something awesome to read after the Anne Bishop books, I got turned on to The Trouble With Flirting. A light, fluffy, funny adorable retelling of Mansfield Park. Was there any character growth? Not really. It was all about the romance and the love triangle but it was funny and sweet enough that it did exactly what I wanted from a story like this.

And Harry is adorable. Just saying.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hee. Suck it Edmund Bertram, I mean Alex Braverman.

[Georgiana 1792 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Se Jane Austen fosse vissuta ai giorni nostri...

Ho gradito moltissimo questa trasposizione Young Adult di Mansfield Park, in primis perché molte delle sue situazioni mi hanno fatto vedere il romanzo austeniano sotto una luce diversa.
Ebbene sì, non so se la LaZebnik abbia avuto un'illuminazione o se sia stato un caso che, nel tentativo di far vivere a personaggi dei giorni nostri le situazioni di Mansfield Park, questi abbiano messo in evidenza dei piccoli dettagli importantissimi che nel romanzo di Jane Austen restano celati.
Fatto sta che grazie a The Trouble with Flirting ho avuto delle piccole folgorazioni su quello che per molti è il più ermetico dei romanzi austeniani.

Franny Pearson è in tutto e per tutto uguale a Fanny Price: è una brava ragazza, ma vive in un ambiente che è al di sopra delle proprie possibilità e nutre una tacita invidia per tutti i suoi coetanei più fortunati. Non è Miss Simpatia, dunque.
Il divorzio dei genitori l'ha costretta a molti cambiamenti, tra cui una situazione economica più problematica. La ragazza aveva un certo talento per la recitazione, ma è stata costretta a rinunciare al programma di teatro della sua scuola per puntare a un'attività che le consenta di ottenere una borsa di studio per l'università.
E mentre i suoi coetanei, durante l'estate tra il penultimo e l'ultimo anno di scuola superiore, svolgono delle attività che serviranno ad acquisire esperienze e punteggi per accedere all'università, Franny è costretta a lavorare.
Farà da assistente sarta alla costumista di un programma estivo di teatro nel prestigioso Mansfield Summer Theatre Program, un programma che Franny avrebbe voluto frequentare passando dall'ingresso principale e non dai camerini. La costumista è zia Amelia, la sorella della madre di Frannie, proprio come zia Norris (che, se ricordate, la costringeva a cucire il sipario in previsione della rappresentazione teatrale). Amelia è altrettanto draconiana ma, in fondo, non è irredimibile come la sua collega austeniana.

Al Mansfield Summer Theatre Program Frannie incontra la sua cara amica Julia Braverman, con cui frequentava nella vecchia scuola, prima della separazione dei genitori, il corso di teatro. Frannie ha sempre avuto un debole per il fratello di Julia, Alex, che è sempre stato molto carino con lei. Ritrovarsi a Mansfield, anche se in condizioni diverse, fa riallacciare i rapporti tra i fratelli Braverman e Frannie.
Quando poi iniziano ad arrivare nuovi studenti, la compagnia di Mansfield Park si riforma con delle piccole ma necessarie variazioni, che la rendono più credibile nell'ambientazione del XXI secolo.
Soprattutto sarà l'arrivo di Isabella Zevallos e Harry Cartwright a portare scompiglio nel piccolo gruppo dei nostri amici. Harry flirta quasi come se respirasse: è la sua natura e forse una forma di insicurezza. Isabella è la sua amica del cuore, praticamente una sorella, sicurissima della sua bellezza e del suo fascino: sa di poter conquistare qualsiasi uomo le interessi, e i suoi occhi sono puntati su Alex Braverman.

Si viene a formare così una tripletta di triangoli amorosi in cui l'Henry Crawford della situazione non è il più colpevole, anzi. Frannie flirta sia con Harry che con Alex. Alex gioca sporco sia con Isabella che con Frannie. Harry flirta... con tutte, ma in fondo è tutto fumo e niente arrosto.

E questo mi ha fatto riflettere sul romanzo austeniano. Edmund non è forse più colpevole di Henry Crawford? In fondo anche lui sembra tenere il piede in due scarpe. Il suo affetto per Fanny è così evidente che quando Mary Crawford cerca di conquistare l'amicizia della ragazza sembra seguire le orme di Lucy Steele quando cerca la confidenza di Elinor Dashwood per studiarla e tenerla alla larga da Edward Ferrars.
D'altro canto Fanny non è mai chiara: anche se rifiuta Henry Crawford non gli rivela mai che per lui non c'è speranza perché è innamorata di un altro.
E infine, Henry Crawford fa il cascamorto con tutte, ma siamo sicuri che sia irrecuperabile? Se Fanny non l'avesse rifiutato, avrebbe finito comunque col fare quello che tutti si aspettavano da lui o si sarebbe riformato?

L'idea di ambientare il romanzo in un programma estivo di teatro è molto azzeccata, dato che Mansfield Park è per il teatro quello che Northanger Abbey è per i romanzi.
Naturalmente le quattro compagnie teatrali del programma reciteranno Shakespeare facendo l'eco a quel che si dice in MP:

"Shakespeare lo si conosce anche senza sapere come. Fa parte della natura di un inglese. I suoi pensieri e le sue bellezze sono così diffusi intorno a noi che si percepiscono dappertutto; con lui si ha un rapporto intimo per istinto. Nessuno con un po' di cervello può entrare in contatto con una parte di valore di una delle sue opere senza sentirsi immediatamente inserito nel flusso del suo pensiero. [...] Verso Shakespeare si avverte un certo grado di familiarità fin dall'infanzia. I suoi brani famosi sono citati da tutti; sono nella metà dei libri che apriamo, e tutti parliamo di Shakespeare, usiamo le sue similitudini e descriviamo con le sue descrizioni." (Mansfield Park, cap. 34. Traduzione di Giuseppe Ierolli)

E anche i capitoli sono suddivisi in atti e scene proprio come una commedia.

Il finale è a sorpresa, un finale sicuramente adatto a una trasposizione del XXI secolo e a dei personaggi che si sono evoluti con i tempi. Un finale che ci fa riconciliare con Mansfield Park e ci fa sperare che, se Jane Austen fosse vissuta oggi, lo avrebbe riscritto proprio così.

Potete leggere la recensione completa QUI:

http://ildiariodellelizzies.blogspot....

[Brittany S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Initial Impressions:Super super super cute. I actually almost didnt read this book because I had some kind of crazy notion that it would just be okay. Boy was I wrong! I loved the wit and the humor and swoooooning. I really loved it!

Review originally posted on The Book Addict's Guide: Why didn’t you guys tell me how cute this book was!? I seriously almost didn’t read it and/or put it off because I was so unsure about it. Firstly, it’s a loosely-based retelling of Mansfield Park by Jane Austen……. Which I know nothing about. Also, although I know OF Claire LeZebnik, I feel like I haven’t heard a lot about many of her books. I was totally in the dark about what I was jumping into and now I’m SO glad I did.

THE TROUBLE WITH FLIRTING, in a word, is adorable. Franny’s just your average teenager who happens to have kind of a knack for acting but hasn’t done much with it since 8th grade. She needs to get a job for the summer so the closest she gets to acting is working for her aunt as a seamstress for a summer acting program. To her surprise, Franny’s old 8th grade crush turns up and meanwhile, Harry “I’m-hot-in-an-obvious-way-but-it-totally-works” Cartwright is totally hitting on Franny as well. Sarcasm, wit, and swoony moments ensue thus solidifying our appropriate title, THE TROUBLE WITH FLIRTING.

Okay, now my feelings: I FELT FEELINGS. Guuuuys. I didn’t expect to feel so swoony about this book and like Franny, I didn’t expect to feel so swoony about Harry. I absolutely love relationships in books built off of sarcasm and jokes. I don’t know WHY but for some reason I think it’s totally adorable and let me tell you, Claire LaZebnik is the sarcasm master but still keeps everything light and funny (not that kind of sarcasm that seems arrogant or rude). I just had so much fun reading the banter back and forth, mostly between Franny and Harry!

I really enjoyed the setting of the book revolving around the fact that all of these kids are here for a sort of summer camp for actors. I liked the fact that they were all staying in the dorms (aside from Franny) so they were all in the same place at the same time without being at a high school. It’s a more relaxed feel since it’s summer, but these kids still have work to do. I really liked the acting aspect of it too – It reminded me a bit of my high school days (okay, I couldn’t act, but I WAS in the plays/musicals).

[The Book Jar Blog · Rating 3 out of 5]

A modern retelling of Mansfield Park, I love Jane Austen retellings. Fanny is spending the summer at Mansfield Summer Theater Program, but she isn't attending it, she's working as a costume assistant for her aunt. She gets to spend time with her crush Alex Braverman, but he's focused on a different lady. Then there is flirtatious Henry Cartwright who's notorious at breaking hearts, but what is a little summer fun romance right?

I love retellings of Jane Austen stories, but this one was a little of the mark for me. If this was marketed just as a young adult novel, I would have loved it, but because it was marketed as a retelling of Mansfield park, I expected more parallels than what was actually written. As its own story I loved the characters of Fanny, Henry and Alex, the love triangle is always fun to read. The idea is clever and extremely enjoyable to read. The writing flows really well and it is a great quick summer read. 3.5/5

[Sami · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow, disappointing. I really enjoyed Epic Fail and so was looking forward to this but...well I just didn't get some of the decisions she made with the plot. Granted Mansfield Park isn't the best of Jane Austen's works but what makes it great is the sweet relationship with that Fanny and Edmond have and how things turn out for them in the end. By changing that outcome I felt it changed the charm of the original story. And really I didn't find that Harry really had any redeeming qualities. I really struggled to get through the last 10% of the book. :(

[Shahnaz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just like any teen-lit, the story-line is really simple, a girl who likes a guy who is her friend's brother. What I like about this book is that you can't get the book off of you until the very end, because it's fun, thrilling, just like a teenager life. I should applaud LaZebnik for creating such real characters for the book, so we, the readers, could really relate to each characters.

[Forever Young Adult]

Graded By: Jenny
Cover Story: Big Face
BFF Charm: Platinum!
Swoonworthy Scale: 8
Talky Talk: Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice
Bonus Factors: Theatre Camp, Costuming, Retelling
Relationship Status: Sweethearts

Read the full book report here.

[Shambhawi P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

So good. And cute. And sweet and fun ;) I simply adored Harry from the moment he walked in! One of the best feel good books in YA I've read.

I didn't know it was based on Mansfield Park - I haven't read it either. But reading this made me want to change that and go for classics now.

[Lucía Cafeína · Rating 4 out of 5]

Omg franny me has puesto de los nervios, pero me ha encantado mucho <3

[Lea Wellington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow I wasn't expecting that, this book is great, funny and easy to read, in the end you'll not stop smiling and it'll make you happy :)

[Ornella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read! :)

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off: I friggin' love this book! I expected it to be another cliche YA novel with some romance and miscommunication blah blah blah - you get the picture. But it was certainly a pleasant surprise. Something that I loved about this novel is just how *genuine* it felt. The relationships, the situations, and even the characters were all so realistic in how they made decisions throughout the plot.

I found Franny to be a fascinating protagonist and was glad in that I could relate to her on a deep level; I felt like we were so similar in our thoughts and feelings as I went through this journey with her. Certain parts were even relatable to my own life, and helped me to better understand just how complicated friend groups and relationships within them can become.

Most YA novels use petty problems to move the plot along and cause unnecessary conflict through severely unrealistic means, but this book didn't need any of that. The characters were so well developed and authentic that they controlled the story and made it really enjoyable for me to read.

I also loved the humor and the smudge of satire that was present in the novel, such as this poke at stereotypical, and supposedly, "strict" parental guardians:

"She *buys* it. That's the weird thing about Amelia: she's nervous and negative and theoretically suspicious... but she's also oddly gullible. She nods and reluctantly says that it sounds too important and special for me to miss, and thanks the two of them for including me (233)."

And this subtle joke about how everything in YA novels always seems to work out perfectly in the protagonist's favor:

"... they replaced her as the lead of *Twelfth Night*.
Guess who they got to replace her?
Here's a clue: it's someone who's spent her time at Mansfield quietly working harder than anyone else, someone who hasn't sought any kind of public attention for any of her efforts, but has just done what she's been asked to do, and done it well.
Did you guess?
Madeline Bigelow took over the role of Viola.
Yeah, I didn't really know who she was either (286)."

Overall, a wonderful, relaxing, and yet thought-provoking, read that I would definitely recommend to anyone who's had some difficulty in the boyfriend department (ugh, haven't we all).

[Jack Reynolds · Rating 3 out of 5]

Next up on the Jane Austen contemporary retelling chopping block: The Trouble with Flirting! After a good time with Epic Fail, and with this coming in with a funny and awkward premise, I was intrigued to see what this book would have offer, being a loose retelling of Mansfield Park and taking place at a theater camp. Since my local library doesn't have any other LaZebnik books aside from EF, Things I Should Have Known, and formerly Wrong About The Guy, it's time for the Interlibrary Loan system to give me a hand and assist.

And while this wasn't as strong as the other two LaZebnik novels I've read in the past, she is still able to keep her good qualities constant all across the board. From the way she crafts realistic characters, cute moments, settings that don't feel overblown, along with some really funny dialogue and banter, it's clear that her books will find a stronger place in my heart with each I read.

But I did feel more of a disconnect with this one. Even with the fact that this book was, again, one of the contemporaries that didn't overstep its boundaries, I felt that the characters weren't as engaging and that the romantic development was a little strange. The Trouble with Flirting also dragged at parts with some pretty long chapters that I don't think needed to be that way, and at times the plot seemed to move pretty slowly. As such, I did find myself getting bored.

Even with that aspect though, I think there was enough here that I liked to make this a good book rather than an okay one. Lazebnik is still an author to watch and is compulsively readable for me, and I know that with each book I read of hers, I will keep on finding things to enjoy. This one may have lacked a little bit more, but it was still nice to sit back and relax with for my last full week of school.