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A review by the_librarians_daughter
The Stand-In Boyfriend by Anna B. Doe
4.0
The Stand In Boyfriend is Ms. Doe’s latest addition to her Greyford High series. In the last novella Ms. Doe wrote Liam and Evie’s story. This full length novel is Jessie’s story. It’s set as the group are entering their junior year at Greyford.
Evie was finally dating her best friend now boyfriend Liam, so it makes complete sense for Jessie to date Liam’s friend Jack. Since we left the crew of Greyford, six months have passed. It’s the end of the summer with Jessie and Jack approaching their six month anniversary. Jessie is excited and wants to celebrate with her boyfriend. Jack though, takes a turn. Jessie walks in to the end of summer blow out bash to find Jack making out with not Jessie. In fact it’s not only not Jessie, it’s Jessie’s cheer mate Tammy. Way to kick off junior year.
Jessie is straight up dreading walking into to school that first day. Since the “break up” was so public, Jessie knows that the gossip is going to be brutal. Topped with her own insecurities clawing at her gut and mind, Jessie isn’t sure how she’s going to do this.
Even before she can finish unloading her things into her new locker, two gossips take up residence on the other side of the locker door to loudly question Jessie and her life.
The surprise comes in the form of our hero. Noah ended his last interaction with Evie, Jessie, and their set in a very hurtful and harmful way. Evie has forgiven him, but no one else has. Which is why when Noah walks over to Jessie and kisses her out of the blue everyone is shocked. It does give the gossip train something new to talk about however.
Jessie isn’t sure what to make of Noah. After the winter party and an incident with Evie, she doesn’t trust him. Noah has been doing a lot of personal digging and the way he treated Evie just doesn’t feel right to him. He knows he’s better than his actions that night. He wants to make things better, and Jessie tugs at his emotions.
Noah proposes that they fake date in order to take the Jack cheating story off the table and give everyone something new to talk about. He promises Jessie she can break up with him after homecoming and make it all his fault. She make it public. Jessie is, dubious. She doesn’t trust Noah’s motives, yet she reacts immediately when she sees a senior trying to chat up Noah. Straight impulse leads Jessie to claim Noah as her boyfriend.
The story contains well handled themes of feeling abandoned or not enough. For questioning your worth for someone’s emotions. It also explores the topic of basing your life on and around gossip. As Noah reminds Jessie - they can just do their thing.
Then there is regaining trust after destroying it with one action. Looking at a person for themselves and judging on that vs one mistake. Being able to forgive.
At the end of this book both Jessie and Noah end up being so much better than they were at the start of the school year. They both grow independently, however they both challenge each other and their ideals. They make a good role model couple at the end of their book.
One thing I have always liked about Ms. Doe’s books is her accurate portrayal of teens but also lightly highlighting healthy relationships, self thinking, and recognizing support and friendship. She doesn’t have a heavy hand with these themes. She winds them in gently as the typical hard or bad stuff of high school happens. I admire how Ms. Doe makes her characters very relatable and redeemable in their own eyes.
Evie was finally dating her best friend now boyfriend Liam, so it makes complete sense for Jessie to date Liam’s friend Jack. Since we left the crew of Greyford, six months have passed. It’s the end of the summer with Jessie and Jack approaching their six month anniversary. Jessie is excited and wants to celebrate with her boyfriend. Jack though, takes a turn. Jessie walks in to the end of summer blow out bash to find Jack making out with not Jessie. In fact it’s not only not Jessie, it’s Jessie’s cheer mate Tammy. Way to kick off junior year.
Jessie is straight up dreading walking into to school that first day. Since the “break up” was so public, Jessie knows that the gossip is going to be brutal. Topped with her own insecurities clawing at her gut and mind, Jessie isn’t sure how she’s going to do this.
Even before she can finish unloading her things into her new locker, two gossips take up residence on the other side of the locker door to loudly question Jessie and her life.
The surprise comes in the form of our hero. Noah ended his last interaction with Evie, Jessie, and their set in a very hurtful and harmful way. Evie has forgiven him, but no one else has. Which is why when Noah walks over to Jessie and kisses her out of the blue everyone is shocked. It does give the gossip train something new to talk about however.
Jessie isn’t sure what to make of Noah. After the winter party and an incident with Evie, she doesn’t trust him. Noah has been doing a lot of personal digging and the way he treated Evie just doesn’t feel right to him. He knows he’s better than his actions that night. He wants to make things better, and Jessie tugs at his emotions.
Noah proposes that they fake date in order to take the Jack cheating story off the table and give everyone something new to talk about. He promises Jessie she can break up with him after homecoming and make it all his fault. She make it public. Jessie is, dubious. She doesn’t trust Noah’s motives, yet she reacts immediately when she sees a senior trying to chat up Noah. Straight impulse leads Jessie to claim Noah as her boyfriend.
The story contains well handled themes of feeling abandoned or not enough. For questioning your worth for someone’s emotions. It also explores the topic of basing your life on and around gossip. As Noah reminds Jessie - they can just do their thing.
Then there is regaining trust after destroying it with one action. Looking at a person for themselves and judging on that vs one mistake. Being able to forgive.
At the end of this book both Jessie and Noah end up being so much better than they were at the start of the school year. They both grow independently, however they both challenge each other and their ideals. They make a good role model couple at the end of their book.
One thing I have always liked about Ms. Doe’s books is her accurate portrayal of teens but also lightly highlighting healthy relationships, self thinking, and recognizing support and friendship. She doesn’t have a heavy hand with these themes. She winds them in gently as the typical hard or bad stuff of high school happens. I admire how Ms. Doe makes her characters very relatable and redeemable in their own eyes.