Is it all only glitter and glam?

Synopsis

Cecily wants a big life, but can she handle it?

Cecily feels like she has it all: great best friends, the beginnings of a career as a model/actress, and she’s dating her favorite singer, Andrew Holiday. Then Cecily’s best friend Lila begins to ditch her every time Lila’s boyfriend calls. Cecily feels lost, but she and Andrew begin connecting more and she’s never been in a relationship where she felt so understood. Andrew even begins to confide in her about his anxiety. Soon Cecily experiences her own anxiety on a magazine photo shoot, but she manages to impress the magazine staff. Just when it seems like all her dreams are coming true, everything comes crashing down when a photo of Andrew with another girl appears online. He swears nothing happened, but Cecily is crushed. She feels like she’s lost two of the people closest to her.

Was her perfect relationship real or was she in over her head?

My review

The adventures of Cecliy continues. She is now officially dating Andrew. As to say, as officially as possible, because Andrew wants to keep the relationship a secret.
Not because he’s ashamed, but he wants to protect Cecily.
But Cecily is happy with this, because even despite the distance between them, the connection they have is real.

But when her best friend Lila is putting her and Allie aside to be part of the popular chicks, Cecily feels more alone than she ever thought. And when Andrew is photographed with another girl, her doubts about being good enough rise fast and her insecurity may jeopardize everything.

I loved this second part! The story takes off right where the previous ended.
Cecily now has to face the reality about dating a famous singer. The distance isn’t doing any good but both Cecily and Andrew want to make the best it. The connection they have is just sweet.
They think very alike and can talk about anything.
But of course, the distance isn’t helping and soon Cecily doubts about just everything.
Which makes sense, being a teenager and finding herself in a surreal situation isn’t easy.

This book doesn’t sugarcoat anything. It shows that getting the guy isn’t the hardest part, but it’s the start of making a relationship work. And being a teenager being more mature than general, doesn’t make it easier.
But when you have the right friends around you, will make it easier. Here again Krysten put the finger on the problem. Because teenagers will do a lot to be part of the popular clique or to be on the good side of the guy they fancy.
Lila goes in the series from a good friend to a total b*tch. And even if I do somehow understand her, I don’t understand how someone can just turn her back to her friends like that…
Luckily Cecily can still count on Allie, who stands by her side no matter what.

Cecily also gets the opportunity of a lifetime, being part of a magazine photo shoot. But hearing not so nice remarks makes her doubting of herself and her dreams. Being a young girl, the world of the famous can be a scary one.

All her new adventures make her question herself and what she really wants. But she has Andrew, Allie and even some unexpected allies on her side, who will show her that people being mean doesn’t mean that they are telling the truth.

And even when she doubts about Andrew, she has a lot of people on her side trying to show her the truth even if believing deception is easier for her. But Cecily wouldn’t be Cecily if she would give up that easily!
And Andrew proves again in this story that he is just as amazing as the songs he writes!

A sweet sequel, on the same drive as the first one, opening a mirror in the teenage world with all the glitter and glam, but also pointing out what young people have to face in, let’s be honest, a cruel world.
The emotions are real, recognizable and you keep hoping for Cecily that she will be able to see what a gem she truly is. And for those who don’t see her like that, that it’s their loss!
And before you think it’s a too depressing story, there are moments that make you smile and make you melt in the inside!