Her parents get a nasty divorce, her boyfriend dumps her after an awkward first sexual experience, and boom: Audrey's over love. So over it, in fact, that she swears off not only romance but also romance films, even beginning a media studies project where she deconstructs all their tropes. When she begins a job at the local indie movie theater, everyone, from her brother to the other employees, warns her about Harry, her magnetic flirt of a coworker, but Audrey reassures them that she's the last person who's going to fall for a charmer. Except in the midst of her downward spiral, Audrey's abandoned all of the activities she used to love, including drama, where she was a star--and Harry's a film buff who's making a zombie movie, and he's short a lead actress. As Harry treats her less like a conquest and more like a person, Audrey begins to fall for him despite her best intentions. But his reputation and her wounds are at odds, and whether or not their relationship is doomed to burn out remains to be seen. It's enough that this well-cast British import cleverly elevates and deconstructs genre tropes without ever belittling them, but it goes beyond even that, candidly addressing the weight of expectation behind a first sexual experience and the misconceptions that women especially often have about theirs. A substantial romance for even the most skeptical teens.

Audrey Winters is off romance. Her mother is still suffering from her father's abrupt departure, and Audrey's not entirely over having "bought the I-lost-my-virginity-to-an-attractive-but-morally-bankrupt-asshole T-shirt." When she starts a new job at a fancy movie theater in Bridgely-upon-Thames, she recognizes coworker Harry as a charming flirt who hits on everyone. This doesn't make her immune to his charms, however, especially once she's starring in his zombie movie, a return to acting after her post-breakup retirement from high school theater. Seventeen-year-old Audrey is also working on a school project about romance movies, which she thinks encourage unsustainable relationship expectations. Alongside snippets of Audrey's rom-com essay, British author Bourne draws her protagonist as a believable mix of self-awareness and inexperience as she does her best to cope with her selfish father and hurting mother, her largely absent brother, and Harry's omnipresent ex. Audrey's struggles with whether to trust Harry and whether love is worth the pain it can cause are plausible, and though the book does fall prey to an old trope, with Audrey pitted against Harry's ex, it's a smart, funny, and emotionally satisfying rom-com. Ages 14--up. Agent: Madeleine Milburn, Madeleine Milburn Literary. (Dec.)

Reeling from her parents' traumatic divorce and her own recent breakup, English teen Audrey vows not to let incorrigible romantic Harry woo her. Audrey Winters needs an escape from both home and high school. Two years ago, her father left to be with his pregnant girlfriend, and her mother remains shattered and unstable. Audrey quit drama, her favorite class, after her actor boyfriend abruptly dumped her. Enter Flicker Cinema: Audrey takes a job at the upscale theater, and soon her nights are filled with difficult customers, a demanding manager, and unrepentant flirt Harry Lipton. To Harry's bewilderment, Audrey refuses to be won over by his charm. She's through with the notion of romance; she's even focusing her media studies research on why real love is never like in the movies. But the more time they spend together, whether it be vacuuming the movie theater or working on Harry's zombie movie, the more she finds herself warming to him. The pair fall into a whirlwind romance fit for the silver screen--but just like in the movies, there's no story without high-stakes drama crashing the party. Audrey and Harry's relationship sings with witty banter, electric heat, and feverish emotion, but Audrey's journey to self-discovery reaps even more rewards, leaving readers with a fresh, realistic look at first love. All major characters are White. A wild ride that's high on drama and deep in self-reflection. (movie list) (Fiction. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Gr 9 Up--Audrey took the job working in the cinema to escape her mother who is going through a divorce and, to put it mildly, not taking it well. Her father has abandoned the family and created a new one with his new wife and their two children. Her older brother is at university and leaves caring for their mother up to Audrey. To make matters worse, Audrey is trying to get over a break-up with her boyfriend, who dumped her right after they slept together for the first time. Needless to say, she is not in the best state of mind. Her coworker Harry, an aspiring filmmaker, provides a much-needed distraction. Audrey, a lover of acting, jumps at the chance to be the leading lady in Harry's zombie movie. It doesn't hurt that this dark-haired bad boy takes an interest in her. This British novel pokes fun at traditional rom-coms by illustrating the differences between a movie and real life. Bourne describes the love between the characters but also the bickering and nagging that occurs in any relationship. She shows that it's not always sunshine and rainbows, but work. Audrey's appearance and ethnicity isn't described, and Harry is white. VERDICT YA readers will relate to the struggles Audrey faces and be pleased by the refreshing conclusion to this love story.--Jessica Perovich, US Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit Lib.