I Was Told There Would Be Romance

by Marie Arnold

For fans of Never Have I Ever and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before comes a hilarious and heartfelt YA contemporary about a young Haitian girl navigating high school, friendship, and crushes. Fifteen-year-old Fancy Augustine is a Haitian American girl with simple desires. She’d like to trade in her floppy, oversize boobs for cute, perky ones. She’d love a boyfriend. And she’s desperate for an invite to the biggest event of the school Imani Park’s birthday party. When Fancy learns her BFF, Tilly, has received a coveted invite and has a secret boyfriend, she is (understandably) devastated and wholeheartedly determined to do whatever it takes to get her own happily ever after.

So what if she makes a deal with the devil (Imani) that guarantees her an invite—but only if she can bring a boyfriend? And what’s so bad about letting her crush, Rahim, believe that she can create a voodoo potion for him in exchange for him posing as her boyfriend? And, yeah, maybe she’s destroying her friendship with Tilly and falling hopelessly behind in her schoolwork, but Fancy knows it’ll all be worth it in the end. Plus, it’s not like Fancy’s parents would really make good on their threats of sending her back to Haiti...right?

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary, Fake Dating, Realistic Fiction, High School, Audiobook

224 pages, Hardcover

First published October 15, 2024

Reviews

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This YA novel was so heartwarming and abundantly charming AND it’s a true YA! These characters were so endearing and incredibly relatable - they’re authentic teenagers balancing academics and friendships with navigating family dynamics and i really believe this story will resonate with many YA readers.


There is romance subplot, but I really loved how the focus was on friendship and family.

[Sarah {The Clever Reader} · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Reasons to Read I Was Told There Would Be Romance

Friendship

Fancy’s best friend Tilly has been busy lately. It isn’t until she finds out Tilly has a boyfriend and was invited to the party of the year that their friendship is tested. It’s a realistic portrayal of how much high school friendships change.

Romance References

From Booktok to Meet Cutes. Fancy is all about romance so the references to classic movies and other pop culture romances made reading a lot of fun!

Fake Dating

The only way Fancy can make it to the party of the year is to get herself a boyfriend. What better way to do that than to recruit her crush to pretend to be her boyfriend in exchange for a falling out of love potion?

Haitian Voodoo

It takes one disastrous outburst during one of her classes about the fact she’s Haitian to cause everyone in the school to start believing that if she’s Haitian than she must practice voodoo.

Family

Fancy’s parents are all about traditions. So when they find out she has a boyfriend, lied about being a Voodoo witch, and continues to rebel they threaten with sending her to live with her grandparents in Haiti. This book really dives into the changes in family dynamics as teenagers come into their own identities and pushing boundaries. Parent’s also need to come to realize that as tough as it may be, there comes a time where they need to let go of the reigns a bit to allow their children to navigate this crazy life. I really enjoyed the growth of the relationship between Fancy and her parents throughout the book.

[Markita_Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

♡𝐞𝐀𝐫𝐜 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰♡
4.5 🌟
-
𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 :
•young teens | young adults
•coming of age
-
This book, "I Was Told There Would Be Romance," is considered young adults but reads very middle school. Which in my opinion isn't bad at all! The cover art is what caught my attention along with the book title.
Fancy is a high schooler who doesn't like CHANGE, but she loves the simple thing in life. All she wants is the biggest invite to the biggest event of the year Imani's party. Fancy comes off as a self-centered, selfish friend. Which she is, but once she understands the errors of her way. She goes on an apology tour, lol. This book was very good. It does read YA. So keep that in mind. But I highly enjoyed it.
𝚂𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝙽𝚘𝚝𝚎: 𝙼𝙴𝙴𝚃-𝙲𝚄𝚃𝙴 - 𝚝𝚢𝚙𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚊 𝚖𝚎𝚎𝚝-𝚌𝚞𝚝𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚠𝚘 𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚒𝚛𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚊 𝚏𝚞𝚗𝚗𝚢, 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚖𝚜𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕 𝚠𝚊𝚢.
𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 Oct.15
-
Thank you, Netgalley, and Little Brown Books for Young Readers for the (eArc)-eBook for my honest review.

[Florence Migga · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute! Definitely younger YA. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

[January · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Was Told There Would Be Romance by Marie Arnold (2024)
v+213-page Kindle Ebook story pages 1-210

Genre: Young Adult Romance, Comedy

Featuring: Graphics, Haitian MC, 15-Year-Old MC, High School, School Counselor, Mean Girls, Brooklyn, New York; Crush, Haiti, Best Friends, Anxiety, Stalking (Humor), Doesn’t Know I'm Alive Trope, Jesus, Bibliophile, Family Dynamics, Scholastic Setting, Party, Fake Dating Trope, Voodoo, Innuendos, Drama, Community, New York Public Library, Food, Movies, Podcast, Link to Publisher's Newsletter

Rating as a movie: PG-13

Songs for the soundtrack: "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" by Beyoncé

Books and Authors mentioned: Montage of a Dream Deferred by Langston Hughes, Scarface by Armitage Trail, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling Harry Potter #3, Halloween by John Carpenter and Debra Hill; Edgar Allan Poe, John Hughes, The Haunting in Connecticut by Adam Simon and Tim Metcalfe, Jane Austen, Dean Koontz, Titanic by James Cameron, The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare, Tyler Perry,

Memorable Quotes: “I’m not a stalker,” I assure my school counselor.

“I admit, I’m a little behind on schoolwork. I’m working on it,” I say. “And as for the locker room thing, it was an innocent mistake. I was reading this romance book called The Many Loves of Lucy Luckless and got so into it, I walked into the wrong locker room.” “And once you found yourself in the boys’ locker room, did you quickly scurry out or linger?” she asks me. I bite my lower lip. “Define linger.…” She groans with disapproval. “And what about today? Why did I catch you following Rahim at lunch?” I raise my eyebrow suggestively. “Mrs. Washington, we both know why I followed Rahim.…” Rahim Robinson is a yummy, chocolate-covered knight, filled with a gooey center. Normally I don’t like describing a Black person’s complexion using food, but in this case, it’s apt. Rahim was blessed with searing, dark-brown bedroom eyes, a sculpted jawline, and full, kissable lips. He’s on the basketball team, where his tall, athletic build is displayed for all to adore. He swaggers down the school halls like he has the answers to questions the universe hasn’t even thought to ask. “Fancy, you have to stop following Rahim!” Mrs. Washington insists.

“Because ‘vacation Haiti’ and ‘sent-back Haiti’ are two very different things,” I tell her. She looks at me totally confused. “Simply put, when I go to Haiti on vacation, I note all the good things it has to offer. However, when you get sent back for acting out and disgracing your family… let’s just say you start to notice the things Haiti doesn’t have—like child labor laws and child protective services.”

There’s only two ways to explain it: either we are in a Harry Potter book and the Dementors are making an entrance, or Imani and her two sidekicks have arrived.

“I’m gonna hang out with my best friend, Tilly. She doesn’t care what I wear or what I look like. You know, a true friend,” I add against my better judgment. Echo chimes in. “Are you saying the three of us aren’t really friends? For your information, last year, when Imani had a bad acne breakout and couldn’t come to school, both of us stayed home in seniority.” “You mean solidarity?” I ask. “Yeah, that’s what I said. Loser,” Echo replies.

Oh my gosh, could this be? I’M IN A MEET-CUTE!

There’s a sticker on it that reads, I HAVE MONEY, I JUST WON’T BUY FROM YOU. Wow. I guess they were out of plain old NO SOLICITING signs.

My rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟💌💐🗽🇭🇹📚🏫

My thoughts: 🔖Page 47 of 213 Chapter 6 - I didn't notice the tennis shoes until I scrolled back to the cover page to get the page number so I had no idea this was a YA book. I'm not disappointed, it's hilarious. I may even be able to get my son to read it.

Falencia aka Fancy is hilarious! 😂 I don't read YA often because sometimes these teen woes get on my nerves but this story was great and mostly felt realistic. It was refreshing to read about teens being teens and not the sex-crazed, drug-addicted, and violence-prone teens that have flooded the genre. I'm certainly going to read more from this author.

Recommend to others: Yes! I'm going to recommend this one to everyone today.

[Faith Stevenson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed listening to this book for the most part, but it was a bit of a struggle to love it. I had a very hard time liking Fancy at all because of her rash decisions and outbursts that were inexplicable to the reader. I had no idea why she made any of her decisions, which is one of my main issues with this book. It starts with Fancy in the counselors office explaining that she isn't a stalker for following a boy into the boys' locker room and explaining that it isnt weird for her to try on another girl's bra uninvited in after gym class. Personally, I find these extremely strange and troubling behaviors, not just due to the actions themselves but also Fancy's inability to understand her wrongdoings and her lack of remorse and accountability. This may have been intended to be lighthearted by the author, but it put me in a very tenuous relationship with the MC. Also, it is discussed multiple times that Fancy has a very hard time with change, not just big life changes, but any small change at all. Fancy can not handle when her best friend orders a different ice cream flavor than she usually does or when her counselor changes the scent of her hand sanitizer. These emotions and actions point to a much deeper problem than just some MC quirk. Her inability to focus on anything until an item on a desk is moved a few inches to left than it usually is points to something much bigger and deeper than what is discussed in the book. It is actually never even brought up other than to make certain plot points happen. I understand that this book is not supposed to be some deep mental health study, but it has almost zero depth (except when dealing with the MMC in a situation I will not reveal). Even what is more serious of a topic is dealt with in a shallow way not just in the writing but by Fancy as well. If the blurb is going to compare itself to Jenny Han's writing, then it needs to match the depth that TATB is able to reach in a YA novel. The last qualm I will discuss is the growth of the MC throughout the story. Fancy seems to start to change over time with no real plot that drives that change. Her changes seem to come inexplicably when she needs them, for no reason. As the reader, this signals to me that she could have been acting this way the whole time but chose not to. The growth needs a driving factor. We don't just change because we should, we change because something or someone inspires change in us, which was something I didn't get from the writing. That being said, I love the representation and celebration of young, diverse Black teens growing up in the city. Every character felt like their own real person and did not feel like caricatures or like they had no value as people in the story. I also enjoyed the small ways it explored Haitian life in the city, explaining the way the churches meet and the connections that the community has to each other. That is always a small thing I enjoy that makes you feel grounded in a MC's life, whether you can relate to their ways of life or not.
I also love the casual big girl representation in this book. Oftentimes, if a FMC is fat, that is the main characteristic of that character and the story revolves around her being fat. It is the reason she can't find love or have friends, and she always belittles herself about being fat. This book is NOT that, which did make me happy to see.

[Langleigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly, I really hated this book at the beginning. The writing alone was aggravating and the characters kept making the worst decisions in the history of ever. However, this book had a bit of charm and it definitely won me over a bit. However, I hated Tilly. Also hated Fancy quite a bit but Tilly straight up sucked as a best friend. There was definitely a lot of second hand embarrassment throughout the book but I felt like overall it was pretty cute. 5/10

[Mary Anne Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️
This book is laugh-out-loud funny! I would have loved a little more depth with the main character, but overall it was a cute, fun story. If you like YA romance, give it a chance.

[Niki M · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute YA story. The characters and plot were well written and developed. It didn’t pander to the YA age group and was enjoyable enough for my adult brain.

[Arthi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marie Arnold's tale of the fabulous, fiesty and absolutely fantastic Falencia, aka Fancy, is an absolute delight to breeze through.
There is a 'mean girls' meets 'to all the boys i ever loved' vibes with moments of voodoo sprinkled in.. Fancy is absolutely blazing as the book loving, manic romantic who will do anything to get to Imani Parker's party. The story flowed and the conversation sparkled. It was a quick read ( I was done in a couple of hours) and was grinning throughout! The author's use of parental control and never have I ever vibes is absolutely delightful! A definite must read for fans of Lynn Painter!!! You can't help love Fancy despite her pettiness and lil white lies, she has a loveable quality that endears her to the reader!

Thank you to Marie Arnold's for this happy joie de vivre story!! It certainly made my day!! And a special Thank you for this ArC Netgalley!!

[Faina Lacroix Rucker · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5✨ loved this so much. Enjoyed the Haitian references and the teenage angst.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a funny and compelling YA romcom that features a Haitian American teen girl looking for love and popularity who ocassionally goes over the top in pursuit of romance only to find herself constantly in the guidance councillor's office. Fancy has to sacrifice her best friend and her integrity when she opts for popularity over honesty disappointing not only her best friend but also her parents. Perfect for fans of authors like Elise Bryant and a fabulous over the top dramatic debut that is sure to delight high schoolers who have an idealized romantic streak. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and physical copy in exchange for my honest review

CW: parental abandonment, ADHD

[DeAja · Rating 2 out of 5]

First of all, comparing this to Never Have I Ever and To All the Boys is a HUGE reach. Fancy has to be one of the most annoying and frustrating characters I’ve read. Her thoughts and actions read way more juvenile than a 15 turning 16 year old. It didn’t help that the writing felt super simplistic as well. What annoyed me most was treating a clearly undiagnosed OCD and/or ADHD condition as cute and quirky that makes her questionable behavior okay. I hate to be this hard on a YA book, but this was really disappointing. If you like living in a delulu world, then this is for you

[Jessica Di Salvio · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5*

I laughed a lot, more than I expected honestly. It was cute, funny and the cliché were 100% assumed.

It’s a cozy read for teenagers and I’m still a young soul (that’s me sayin’ I can’t accept the thirties coming soon), so I just enjoyed every bit of that reading. It amused me and that’s what I wanted.

Also 0.5* more for the diversity, loved it! The haitian mom almost killed me and I lived every moment of it. 😂

[Jaimes_Mystical_Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good young adult contemporary fiction read. I loved following main character, Fancy, in this story and found her to be a memorable character. This was a very cute coming of age story that young adult readers are sure to enjoy.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy.

[Donnakay'sBookWorld · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5🌟 This is the funniest, cutest, most relatable story!! I loved every minute of this and found myself cackling so many times at the situations that Fancy found herself in. Fancy is absolutel hilarious and I loved the relationship she had with the counselor. This book is extra special for all the Haitian and West Indian / Caribbean kids that were always on the cusp of being sent back if they didn't ac right in American. This was an absolute joy to read!

[Abby · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars 🥺

I loved reading about a teenaged, curvy, Haitian-American. I would’ve loved this as a teen. But it was just a little juvenile for me and I can acknowledge when I’m no longer in the proper demographic 🥲

[Erica Collenton · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who doesn’t typically like romance novels, this one was good. Funny and cute. It didn’t make me cringe (a lot).

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is full of humor. I really like Fancy and her problems and her self inflicted problems.

[Mysia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Was Told There Would Be Romance is a sweet and funny story about friendship, first crushes, being boy crazy, and wanting to fit in. Fancy, a young Haitian American student, dreams of falling in love with a cute boy named Rahim and getting invited to the party of the year. When a series of crazy events leads her to trick the school into thinking she's a voodoo witch, she strikes a deal with Rahim to fake date so she can attend the party she's been hoping for.

This story had me laughing right from the start. The humor is definitely a highlight, but what I appreciated most was the emphasis on friendship over romance. Though the writing style felt more middle-grade despite the characters being in high school, it was still enjoyable and I think many young adults would appreciate it too.

CAWPILE Rating:
Characters: 7
Atmosphere: 7
Writing: 8
Plot: 6
Intrigue: 7
Logic: 7
Enjoyment: 7

Overall, it's a lighthearted and entertaining read that celebrates friendship and the fun of being a teenager.

Thanks to NetGalley, TBR & Beyond Tours, and the Little Brown Books for Young Readers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Simmy Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

I honestly had to DNF it was too childish for me and I just couldn’t with the continuous mention of “white Jesus” I’m just… so confused 😂😭

[A.A.B · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 52%. I gave this book as much of try as I could muster. The problem is that I completely don't understand the logic of the main character even though we are stuck in her head. Even if I try to correct for neurodivergent thinking (there are hints that the character might have OCD tendencies and, possibly, undiagnosed ADHD, given her uncontrolled impulsivity, problems with focus, and inability to take consequences into consideration), I still cannot understand her behavior at all.
 
There are situations in the book where the character even attempts to explain her actions, and the explanations don't make sense either. It's on the level of "the sky was blue, so of course I had to run over that squirrel with my shopping cart, and that's why I totalled 3 cars parked in that parking lot." I understand all these words, but not when they are strung together in that sequence. And the whole book feels like that!

[Cozy Beauty Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute story. Fancy is a very over dramatic haitian teen who is boy obsessed and hates change. If a little change to everyday life, I feel like it would ruin her. I liked the friendship between Fancy and Tilly. But overall it was a cute story.
You can find a full review over at mybeautymybooks.com
Thanks to the author and tbrbeyond for the arc copy.

[Bibliophile · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a letdown. The writing felt lifeless, more like reading a bland essay than an engaging book. There was no depth, no charm—just pages that left me wondering why I even picked it up.

If I could give it zero stars, I would

[Tressa (Wishful Endings) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I WAS TOLD THERE WOULD BE ROMANCE is a humorous coming of age story about a girl who is trying to find her place in high school. The heroine is full of humor and snark, a heart full of dreams, and some mistakes to make as she tries to figure out what is important to her and who she wants to be. A great read for those who want a relatable main character, lots of laughs, a few tears, and some swoon!

Read if you like:
- Girls full of personality, snark, with their own nerdy interests
- Genuine, relatable and likable characters
- Strong family relationships
- Important friendships that are a bit rocky
- Swoon-worthy romance that isn't the main focus
- Coming-of-age stories

These characters were real, easy to relate to and lovable, while the story was entertaining, heartfelt and fun. I so loved Fancy! Her humor, sarcasm, snark, and warm heart. I loved her obsession with books and the NY library being her favorite place on earth! I loved her relationship with Tilly and that Tilly was into miniature spooky houses. Rahim initially appeared superficial or one dimensional (although isn't that how almost everyone can appear until we know them?), but he ended up being a genuine guy who was complex with his own life problems. There were some characters that were the usual high school stereotypes, but the main characters were well fleshed out. I loved the friendships and family relationships in this book as well. Fancy did have her disappointing moments, and I did get a bit frustrated with her with the trainwreck she created, but she got her second chance and showed up. Luckily those in her life also equally showed up and let her redeem herself. And I loved the swoon-worthy ending.

There were some legit realizations in this book. Like Fancy placing a coveted party so high on her list and then needing to decide how important it really was. Figuring out boys, friendship, family and school. Life always throws so much to juggle. This was one piece of wisdom that I thought was pretty poignant:
"What happens when you keep telling the world you're perfect? Does the world force you to prove it every day? Isn't it exhausting?"

In the end, was it what I wished for? This story made me cringe, smile, laugh, swoon, empathize, and warmed my heart. It was an adorably fun read with a main character who was perfectly flawed. Definitely a book to pick up for YA contemporary romance readers!

Content: Some mild swearing, bullying, some religious references that may offend some.
Source: I received a complimentary copy through TBR & Beyond Tours, which did not require a positive review. All opinions are my own.

[didi123 · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF- 72%… that speaks volume already.

I was more than halfway done this apple sized book but I couldn’t. I just got so irritated.

Fancy… Fancy is so annoying. I liked her unique thought process at first. She was somewhat endearing until she grew so damn tiring. Her problems don’t even feel big. They feel so shallow and dumb. And trust me, there’s a way to write being mad at your best friend and needing a boyfriend to attend a party especially in first person perspective in a way that feels life threatening. All that to say, there’s zero stakes.

And the fake dating plot, absolutely ZERO. No drama, no tension, no friction, nada. They argue once and she hates the man like please? Whole time I thought it was banter but nope she’s actually irritated?!? I should’ve know they’d give nothing when the main drive for this story and their love life was handed to them on a silver platter by the generic mean girl: “you have to have a boyfriend for this party 😉” oh please.

Don’t even get me started on that fuckass party that’s also the main drive for the plot. There’s absolutely nothing making me believe that it’s THAT important. At all. And I wanted to care! I wanted to like this book. I love peculiar black girls in book but oh my gosh I can’t with books I could the plot myself!

That dude I can’t bother to remeber the name of: BLAND. As bland as white bread, white pasta, white chicken breast. Whatever is he even like? I could not tell you a single thing about his personality asides the fact that he’s tall. He’s so boring it’s the kinda male lead where the author wants you to project a real life crush on the guy. But I don’t have a crush. And I’m gay. So it doesn’t fucking work!

AND HOW ARE YOU GOING TO INTRODUCE A POSSIBLE 2ND MALE INTEREST HALFWAY IN THIS BOOK?!? Not to mention, second lead is extremely irritating. Like the typical “class clown” type. So so cringe. (I don’t even use that word!)

Perhaps I’m not the desired audience. Actually I think it’s that. The writting is so juvenile I’d recommend this to like thirteen year olds.

[Darlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

This YA contemporary follows Fancy Augustine, a Haitian-American teen navigating the ups and downs of high school, friendships, and first crushes while juggling her cultural identity and personal insecurities. The premise is vibrant and unique, promising a mix of humor, heartfelt moments, and self-discovery.

While the book did succeed in capturing some laugh-out-loud moments and relatable teenage angst, it wasn’t entirely my cup of tea. Fancy’s journey is filled with drama and bold decisions that are true to her age, but I found some of her actions difficult to connect with as they leaned into selfishness and immaturity. While this might resonate with younger readers or those who enjoy a quirky, over-the-top protagonist, it felt a bit challenging for me as an adult reader to stay invested in her decisions.

That said, the Haitian cultural representation and exploration of identity were fresh and important, bringing a unique perspective to the YA genre. The writing had its strengths, particularly in lighter, comedic moments, but certain elements of the plot felt a little too chaotic for my taste.

For readers who enjoy bold, unapologetic heroines and don’t mind a bit of messy teenage drama, this book might be an entertaining pick. It’s a light-hearted story with a lot of heart, even if it didn’t fully connect with me.

[Danielle Grise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Augustine is a Haitian American girl who is out for fun, and obsessed with the idea of starring in her own rom-com. She neglects all of her school work and covets an invitation to the biggest party of the year. She will do anything to go, including lying to her crush about being able to create a potion in exchange for him being her fake boyfriend. As all foolish plans go, this all blows up in Augustine's face, and she burns all of her bridges. Can she rebuild them, or will she end up back in Haiti? Arnold creates a very cute story here, though one questions many of Augustine's choices. Her relationship with her school counselor helps ground her and the story, giving the characters more depth.







Fifteen-year-old Fancy Augustine is a Haitian American girl with simple desires. She’d like to trade in her floppy, oversize boobs for cute, perky ones. She’d love a boyfriend. And she’s desperate for an invite to the biggest event of the school Imani Park’s birthday party. When Fancy learns her BFF, Tilly, has received a coveted invite and has a secret boyfriend, she is (understandably) devastated and wholeheartedly determined to do whatever it takes to get her own happily ever after.

So what if she makes a deal with the devil (Imani) that guarantees her an invite—but only if she can bring a boyfriend? And what’s so bad about letting her crush, Rahim, believe that she can create a voodoo potion for him in exchange for him posing as her boyfriend? And, yeah, maybe she’s destroying her friendship with Tilly and falling hopelessly behind in her schoolwork, but Fancy knows it’ll all be worth it in the end. Plus, it’s not like Fancy’s parents would really make good on their threats of sending her back to Haiti...right?

[Emily Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to #NetGalley, Marie Arnold, and the publisher of the book for the eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Fancy is a 15 year old Haitian American typical high school girl. She wants to have a boyfriend and "normal boobs". What she wants more than anything though is an invite to the biggest party of the year especially when she learns her best friend Tilly (and Tilly's secret boyfriend) is invited this year. Fancy is hurt and is determined to have that on her own. Even at the experience of being honest with her parents and her school work.

Soon Fancy learns that she can come but only if she has a boyfriend. In walks her crush, Rahim. Rahim thinks that she can do voodoo and agrees to be her fake boyfriend if she can make his mom fall in love with his dad again. Fancy is so involved in her plan that she continues to neglect her school work and her parents threaten to send her back to Haiti. Will they make good on their promise?

A fun and diverse YA read! I loved Fancy's personality and the fact that high school drama is still the same as it was when I was in school. I will recommend this book to others.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Was Told There Would Be Romance by Marie Arnold
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I Was Told There Would Be Romance is a charming, laugh-out-loud YA novel that follows Fancy Augustine, a 15-year-old Haitian American girl with big dreams of popularity, parties, and of course...romance. When her best friend Tilly suddenly has a boyfriend and a golden invite to Imani Park’s party of the year, Fancy is determined to get in too. One fake dating scheme, one swoony crush (hi, Rahim ), and one voodoo potion later… things get delightfully complicated.

Fancy is hilarious, dramatic in the most lovable way, and so relatable—especially if you’ve ever been 15 and feeling all the feelings. I laughed out loud more than once, and as someone who grew up in a Haitian household, so many of the moments felt spot-on and heartfelt. I do wish we’d gotten Rahim’s POV to understand his side of the story more, but honestly, this book was just pure fun. It’s a sweet and honest celebration of friendship, identity, and the chaos of teenage life.

Read this if you love:
💕 Fake dating with heart
💕Teen drama and clique drama
💕Laugh-out-loud main characters