The Trouble with Flirting

Nov 13, 2012 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: february-2013, arc-tour

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 Wi...more 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
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Mar 08, 2013 Katy rated it 4 of 5 stars

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...more

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Apr 29, 2013 Katie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013

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. (view spoiler)

Anyway, I really like Claire LaZebnik's writing. I've read this and Ep ...more

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Apr 27, 2013 Abbie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks, ya-contemporary, ya-romance

I didn't expect to like this book as much as I do. It was really good. Humorous, romantic and enjoyable. The only reason why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 was because I still felt sorry for Alex even though he was a two-timer. But other than that I was quite infatuated with the book.

Basically it's all about a girl named Franny who's smart, fun, and outgoing in a reserved good-girl kind of way. She worked with her aunt at a summer theater program and makes friends. She slowly developed close rel...more

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Apr 07, 2013 Maria Montelibano rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is exactly how a fluffy read is done: I dived into it with expectations and it did not disappoint (doesn't mean it deserves five stars though. It's like watching a B movie — I came to the theater expecting a movie, and I got a B movie. Everybody's happy.)

Plot-wise, the book delivered. It gave me romance, kept me guessing at first, and followed through with the build-up which led to the ending. LaZebnik knows how to write a good love story. The romance aside, she also managed to make time fo...more

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Mar 22, 2013 Heidi Brydon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Here's the deal, I'm a huge fan of Jane Austen, and I'm a huge fan of Claire LaZebnik. If you think the idea of a modern twist on a classic tale is a bad idea I say, "Hi! West Side Story!".

Which is an apt reference because of course, BOTH West Side Story and Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet are great, in very different ways.

The Trouble With Flirting has characters that are absolutely as detailed and flesh-and-blood real as those of Austen's Mansfield Park, on which this novel is based.

Ideally yo...more

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Mar 04, 2013 Once Upon rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is my first book from Claire LaZebnik and for sure will not be my last. I am going to be honest, I have a hard time reading contemporary YA books because they bore me, but The Trouble with Flirting kept me interested and wanting more. It was a little slow in the beginning, but then I didn’t want to put it down.

Franny is in high school and whose parents are divorced. Her mom wants her to get a job during the summer so she sends her to her aunt, Amelia, who is the costume maker for an acting...more This is my first book from Claire LaZebnik and for sure will not be my last. I am going to be honest, I have a hard time reading contemporary YA books because they bore me, but The Trouble with Flirting kept me interested and wanting more. It was a little slow in the beginning, but then I didn’t want to put it down.

Franny is in high school and whose parents are divorced. Her mom wants her to get a job during the summer so she sends her to her aunt, Amelia, who is the costume maker for an acting school where only the well-off teens get to attend. Luckily for Franny, she ends up reuniting with her friend Julia and her brother Alex. They all used to go to the same middle school together and lost touch after they each went to a different high school. Everyone seems pretty friendly and welcome her into their little group. But it's not all fun and games for Frannie – she actually has to work this summer, unlike the rest of her new friends. Franny remembers an incident back when she was in middle school with Julia and Alex where she was in a play and Julia had gotten a huge bouquet of roses and everyone was all praising her and poor Frannie looked so sad because her parents didn’t come. Alex went and pulled out a rose from his sister's bouquet and gave it to Frannie and then just walked away without saying anything. Frannie has always had a crush on Alex since before that, but after that little sign of affection, Alex was always on her mind. So who would have thought she would be seeing him again. Any who, Franny also meets Harry who is incredibly good looking guy but also has the conceded attitude to go along with it. You know the type, the one who knows he's hot and who could get any girl he wants. Harry's best friend Elizabeth comes to the camp too and she ends up hooking up with Alex, breaking poor Franny's heart. Well, Harry starts to fall for Franny, but Franny, in her head has already decided that Harry is too full of himself and a heart breaker kind of guy, so she is hesitant where or not to really take him seriously. Who will she choose? You will have to read The Trouble with Flirting to find out. And I promise you, you WILL NOT be disappointed!

The characters are all very well developed. I think it's pretty amazing when you can picture these characters in real life, like if you were seeing them on a TV screen. That's something a great author can only do. Great book and I am really glad I stuck through it and maybe, just maybe, Claire has changed my mind on this genre. LOVE IT!(less)

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Mar 03, 2013 Khanique McDaniel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a great flirty read.

It wasn't over done and was done in very good taste.

I enjoyed this entire book and was surprised when it all ended. I actually felt like the characters and wanted more, even though I know that anymore would have probably spoilt the book.

It was edited beautifully and had no excess scenes.

I loved the character developments and how even though three (3) of the characters knew each other before, it still seemed like a first encounter into what could become beautiful frie...more

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Feb 27, 2013 Dani Mantz rated it 5 of 5 stars

When I first picked up Claire LaZebnik's Epic Fail I had no idea what I was getting in to. About a quarter of the way through the book I realized that it was based in part on Pride and Prejudice. I could go on, and on, and on about how much I loved Epic Fail but since this is about The Trouble with Flirting I'll try to restrain myself. I've now read everything that LaZebnik has put out, there is just something about this author that calls to me; perhaps its her fantastic sense of humor, or her s...more

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Dec 17, 2012 Peggy(Le BookSquirrel Blogger) Warren rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Trouble With Flirting Was sent to me as an ARC for an honest review.

The Trouble with Flirting takes place during summer when Franny who goes to a school where most of the students are well off has to work during the summer with her Aunt sewing costumes at Mansfield Summer Theater Program.While working there she gets back in touch with a friend,Julie and her Brother Alex,who at one time Franny had a crush on.Then Franny meets Harry,Isabella and several other amazing secondary characters.The...more

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Apr 25, 2013 Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: austen-influenced, mansfield-park-influenced, young-adult, for-review

It's no secret that I'm not the biggest fan of Jane Austen's Mansfield Park. You can go so far as to say that it's my least favorite of all of her works. It is mainly due to the fact that in my eyes Fanny Price is too meek, too quiet, and so willing to just sit in the wings and wait for what she wants instead of going after it on her own. My motto in life is "life is what you make of it." You have to go after the things you want. If you expect everything to come to you.....well that's just lazy....more It's no secret that I'm not the biggest fan of Jane Austen's Mansfield Park. You can go so far as to say that it's my least favorite of all of her works. It is mainly due to the fact that in my eyes Fanny Price is too meek, too quiet, and so willing to just sit in the wings and wait for what she wants instead of going after it on her own. My motto in life is "life is what you make of it." You have to go after the things you want. If you expect everything to come to you.....well that's just lazy.

I'm always interested in hearing about modern adaptations of Mansfield Park because I'm so curious to see what writers do with Fanny's character. It's difficult to make introverted characters interesting and appealing.....especially for the YA crowd. When I heard Claire LaZebnik had written an adaptation, The Trouble With Flirting, I was instantly interested. Her YA adaptation of Pride and Prejudice ( Epic Fail ) had me seriously impressed with how she seamlessly transitioned the story from classic literature to a youthful adaptation. (Check out her guest post on the joys and perils of adapting Austen) Knowing all of this I bet you're asking yourself, "Why did she read this if she dislikes the novel it's based on?" I knew that LaZebnik had made some significant changes to the story and the characters. It's the mysterious of the unknown changes that had me totally willing to give it a shot.

Franny Pearson, like most teenagers, begrudgingly takes a summer job in order to earn a little spending money. She takes a job helping her aunt, the costume designer for the prestigious Mansfield Summer Theater Program. Although she must spend most of her time behind a sewing machine, she gets to be in close proximity to her crush, Alex Braverman. Alex, on the other hand, barely acknowledges her existence, and is more interested in the girl in the leading role, Isabella. Although this hurts Franny, she becomes distracted by Harry Cartwright, a notorious flirt in the program. As she becomes more involved with Harry, Franny's life becomes more complicated as Alex suddenly becomes much more interested in her than he was before. Was this flirting more trouble than it was worth?

I feel that I first must say THANK YOU CLAIRE LAZEBNIK FOR MAKING MANSFIELD PARK INTERESTING (and for giving Franny some backbone!) I'm seriously so surprised at how hooked I was with The Trouble With Flirting. LaZebnik's writing is superb, witty, sharp, funny, touching, and relatable. LaZebnik's Franny is a true accomplishment. She has all of the characteristics that I wish Fanny Price had. Austen purists will probably have a problem with the changes LaZebnik made, but I think that in today's modern world a woman isn't frowned upon for going after what she wants (even if what she wants is a man). LaZebnik's changes make sense and make Franny more interesting and appealing to a younger audience.

Where LaZebnik truly shines as a writer is definitely in her dialogue. The witty banter between Harry and Franny had me laughing out loud fairly frequently. Their attraction to each other quite literally jumps off the pages and hooks you. You truly get a sense of the characters' emotions and feelings through the dialogue. The stress and uneasiness in Alex and Isabella's relationship is apparent as are the self-confidence issues that Isabella and Julia feel; the strained relationships between Franny and her Aunt Amelia and Marie and her sometimes boyfriends James are all examples of this.

I truly think teens will enjoy this adaptation. The similarities to life at that age are abundantly clear. All the angst over who likes who, all the jealousy of the girl who gets the guy you want, the depression over losing your first love, the spark of new friendships and relationships....it's all there. If you haven't yet read any of LaZebnik's books I suggest you give them a try. Her ability to get into the teenage mind is simply uncanny.

Kimberly (Reflections of a Book Addict)
Originally Posted: http://wp.me/p18lIL-1Kw (less)

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May 14, 2013 Maandoe rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fiction

this is supposed to be an adaptation of mansfield park but i've never read it so i can't compare. at first there were too many characters so it got confusing, then everyone seemed to have a personality issue so i'm not sure who i want to like. will just break down the characters.

franny - i actually dont know if i like her on not. like alex, she seemed like she was also hedging her bets - she was hanging out with harry but silently pining for alex. waited for isabella and him to break up, then sh...more this is supposed to be an adaptation of mansfield park but i've never read it so i can't compare. at first there were too many characters so it got confusing, then everyone seemed to have a personality issue so i'm not sure who i want to like. will just break down the characters.

franny - i actually dont know if i like her on not. like alex, she seemed like she was also hedging her bets - she was hanging out with harry but silently pining for alex. waited for isabella and him to break up, then she made a scene with harry so they break up then she goes to alex. the next day alex feels guilty and does not speak to her. i think she only differed from alex because she genuinely realized who she liked and once she did, she didn't lead on the other guy and was honest. as for what she did to harry, it was hurtful to him but i think understandable. the guy was such a joke at the start i didn't even like him too. and they both came into their "relationship" without defining what they were (one thought he was serious, the other thought they were just having fun). so when harry blew up, that's when we all find out he was being real. how franny confronted/begged harry to come back to her was a bit cheesy but effective.

harry - like i said, i didn't like him at first because he was a flirt - how can you take him seriously but then he turned out to be a great guy who really liked franny. i just wished he made franny feel it from the start.

alex - mixed feelings. he was soo sweet to franny yet i didn't like how he was bouncing between her and isabella like he couldn't decide which he likes more so he kept franny as an understudy. he's also a great guy but he needs to choose.

julia - i thought she would be franny's bff but as the story went on she became just part of the group.

isabella - i didn't like her at first because i thought she was stealing alex away from franny but later on i realized that she also really liked alex and if i was her i probably would have gone psycho on franny but she was so cool and mature about it - she even talked to franny and they took control of the situation. i love how harry and isabella are best friends. another thing is franny and alex have hinted that they didn't like them smoking yet it was never addressed. franny told alex not to blame harry and isabella should decide herself but franny never talked to harry about it, i guessed it wasnt a big deal for her.

marie - wow she has such a thick face! she has a bf yet gets all angry when franny chose harry over her!

vanessa and lawrence - love the little addition to the group. since all are coupled up, it was nice to see them single people hang out with franny.

amelia - i wish the author had more positive things to say to her and i didn't like how franny kept saying she didn't like her. and didn't really want to spend time with her away from her. but understandable since she's a teenager and there's a boy she likes. but i wish they really had a chance to bond and not just in the end where amelia suddenly got mushy and told her she would miss franny.

overall, nice quick read. the issues were relatable, i was sucked into their world for a couple of hours. some parts of the dialogue between harry and franny were cheesy and childish though.(less)

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Dec 26, 2012 Tee loves Kyle Jacobson rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-new-book-release, around-the-world-arc-tours, dec-2012

The Trouble With flirting is one of those cute books that draws you in and you have to read it till you get to the end because you have to know what happened. Plus it is a re-telling of Mansfield Park by Jane Austen and anyone who has read Jane Austen knows that is a great book.

Franny Pearson has just finished her junior year of high school and she has nothing to do for the summer. She needs a job so her mother tells her to go work with her aunt at a summer theater camp. At first Franny is like...more

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Dec 05, 2012 Anna (Gatsby's Girl) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Franny Pearson dreamed of being an actor when she was younger, but when she entered high school her parents pushed her to give it up and focus on sports. But now with a messed up arm, baseball is no longer part of the equation. Due to bad financial circumstances since her parents' divorce, Franny is forced to get a summer job to start saving for college. So her Mom sends her to be her seamstress Aunt's apprentice for the summer, working on costumes for the Mansfield College summer theater progra...more Franny Pearson dreamed of being an actor when she was younger, but when she entered high school her parents pushed her to give it up and focus on sports. But now with a messed up arm, baseball is no longer part of the equation. Due to bad financial circumstances since her parents' divorce, Franny is forced to get a summer job to start saving for college. So her Mom sends her to be her seamstress Aunt's apprentice for the summer, working on costumes for the Mansfield College summer theater program. But sewing isn't the only thing taking up her time and occupying her mind. Franny is soon torn between Harry Cartwright, a notorious flirt who seems to be all superficial and Alex Braverman, who is always switching between hot and cold (plus he's in a relationship with Harry's friend Isabelle). Will Franny end up with the boy of her dreams? And will he be who she expects? I loved this book quite a lot. LaZebnik has a talent with Jane Austen re-tellings and this one, as her second, fared even better than the first one in my opinion. I am a freak of nature among the majority of Austen fans whose favorite novel is usually Pride and Prejudice. Mine is tied between Mansfield Park and Persuasion. So when I saw this book on an ARC tour site, I was dying to see how she'd manage to make it at ALL swoonworthy, when the original just barely manages that in any capacity. I liked that the author developed Franny and lent her a few obvious to the reader character flaws, lacking in the original novel. Franny is rather shallow at the beginning (not that she realizes this), but she develops a lot by the end. I also like Isabelle, her sometimes rival, more than in the original book. She was portrayed more human and sympathetic in this one, at least for me personally. Julia and Marie were just as horrid in this retelling as in Austen's novel, which was okay with me. I was impressed with the romantic plot twist near the end. Did not see it coming AT ALL (though I probably should have). Overall, really loved this Austen retelling. I think that even people who are not fans of the original Mansfield Park will enjoy this one. The theater setting was a very nice idea and it lent something important to the novel overall. I found it especially funny, as theater was not something that was considered an activity for those in polite society back in the time of the original novel. They even attempt to stage a play and are scolded by Mr. Price (Edmund's Dad and Fanny's Uncle) when he comes home and finds the girls involved. My main complaint is that the ARC cut off mid-sentence and seemed to be missing the last few pages. As a reader, that sucked.

VERDICT: 4.5/5 Stars

*I received this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie. No favors or money were exchanged for this review. It will be available for purchase on February 26th, 2013.*(less)

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Mar 23, 2013 Ariel rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I loved absolutely everything about this book, except for the end. But I'll get to that in a minute.
The characters were fun, adorable, the end of people I'd wished I knew in high school. It followed the plot line of Mansfield Park fairly well for most of it, and since I love that story, that was a big bonus. I enjoyed the writing style. It was very much getting into the main character's head and having a conversation with her, and I really enjoy that style, so I devoured this book in a night.

He...more

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Apr 15, 2013 Tala rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 4-stars, best-book-boyfriends, fluffy-romance, favourites, young-adult

From the momet Harry was part of the book, I knew. It was like this omniscient being was reaching out to me and kept repeating, "that's him" to me every time I thought otherwise.

I always found Alex sort of suspicious. A man that nice was not to be trusted!!! And I was totally right. Ha. His sister, Julia, always got me feeling tingly all over (and I wish it was for the right reasons).

She was just such. A. Bitch. And a hypocrite. And very, very, very vain. Oh God! How did she handle herself?

And...more

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Jan 22, 2013 Yapha rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

Another fantastic YA book from Claire LaZebnik! This one puts a modern spin on Jane Austen's Mansfield Park. (Don't worry if you haven't read it, you'll still love The Trouble with Flirting.)Franny Pearson is spending the summer at the Mansfield Summer Theater Program, except that she is working for her aunt, sewing costumes, instead of being a part of the program. This doesn't stop her from reconnecting with old friends who had moved away, or making new ones. One of those old friends is a boy s...more

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Mar 28, 2013 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-reads, 2013-ya-contemporary-challenge

A book based on a great Jane Austen novel? Summer theater camp with Shakespeare? New attentions from a girl's first crush? Count me in! When I read the synopsis for this book I knew that it could be a book that I ended up loving, and it lived up to all of my expectations. Yay! The Trouble with Flirting is loosely based on Jane Austen's novel, Mansfield Park. That definitely is not one of my favorite Austen books, but I still enjoyed it, so I was interested to see where this story led. First of a...more A book based on a great Jane Austen novel? Summer theater camp with Shakespeare? New attentions from a girl's first crush? Count me in! When I read the synopsis for this book I knew that it could be a book that I ended up loving, and it lived up to all of my expectations. Yay! The Trouble with Flirting is loosely based on Jane Austen's novel, Mansfield Park. That definitely is not one of my favorite Austen books, but I still enjoyed it, so I was interested to see where this story led. First of all, you should know that it is not necessary to be familiar with Mansfield Park in order to enjoy this story. It is excellent on its own.

The Trouble with Flirting tells the story of Franny, a lower middle-class girl who has always lived in an upper class world at her school. She manages to navigate the differences in social standing fairly well. Now she finds herself at the prestigious Mansfield Theater Camp, an exclusive high school camp for the best of the best of actors. Although Franny has definite skills as an actress, she is not there as a participant. She is there for the summer as an assistant to her aunt who is the head costume designer for the program. Although at first it seems as if Franny is in for a grueling summer of constant sewing work in the sweltering costume design shop, her aunt actually gives her time to interact with the camp participants. They fairly easily pull her into their social circles, and she finds herself reunited with Alex, her first crush. Alex is a total sweetheart, kind to the core, and although Alex barely remembers his interactions with Franny from years earlier, now he becomes one of her great friends for the summer. The trouble is that he is romantically involved with another camp participant and seems to only be interested in Franny as a friend ... sort of. The vibes this boy sends out scream romantic interest, keeping Franny all a mess during the camp. He seems to really like her ... LIKE HER like her, if you catch my meaning. So why is he still tied to Isabella at the hip? And then there is Harry. Everyone loves Harry. He is a total flirt, gaining the attention of just about every female in the room. But not Franny. When he turns his attention to Franny, Franny doesn't believe that Harry actually likes her. She is just one of his latest conquests, right? Right?

My thoughts:

I really enjoyed this story a lot. It is so much like what a summer camp experience can be like for a girl in high school. There is all the budding romance between everyone at the camp. Then there are the quick breakups. There is drama with the relationships. There is drama with the competition in the theater program. And Franny is a great lead for navigating through all of it. She is the right combination of confidence and insecurity. Her dilemma of trying to figure out whether Harry's feelings were legitimate or if Alex finally made her dreams come true and chose her seemed so true to life. If this had taken place ten years in the future I would have probably been irritated with Franny as a character, but as a teen I could totally understand her wavering emotions when it came to these boys. Who wouldn't jump at the chance for a relationship with the boy for whom you have pined for years ... even if he seemed to be attached to someone else? Like I say, as an adult I would say that she should get some self-esteem and move on to someone who loved her enough to choose her always. But in high school sometimes we are so mixed up in emotions that we can't see clearly. That is where Franny sits for much of this story.

I really liked the difference between Harry and Alex. Alex is just so adorably nice to everyone. He seems like the perfect boy for Franny in every way. I rooted for him to choose her for much of this book. But Harry was the one who was actively pursuing her. He was also doing all of these wonderfully nice things for Franny, but they never seemed genuine. I found myself forming opinions of these two boys based on Franny's interpretation of their actions. And I have to be honest, Franny didn't always see things clearly, so neither did I for much of the book. I loved the way that my emotions got pulled back and forth throughout this story. First I was rooting for one guy, then the other. Neither boy was a villain, but only one was right for Franny. I was VERY satisfied with how this played out. The conclusion was wonderful! I only wish that Franny had figured it all out sooner.

This book was wonderful as it brought back all those memories of what it felt like to be in high school and trying to figure out what truly makes us happy. It can be a bumpy ride to get to a final destination, but the ride is part of the excitement of that time in our lives. This book made me smile so many times, but it also made me groan as Franny made mistakes along the way. Seeing her grow during these few weeks of camp was satisfying. I highly recommend this book as a perfect example of what makes a perfect young adult contemporary novel. It has all the elements that I love in a great story. I anticipate reading this one again in the future. Loved it!(less)

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Mar 03, 2013 Sara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Highly entertaining retelling of Mansfield Park set at a drama camp for high schoolers. Except the Franny in this version is someone I want to be friends with instead of a self-righteous goody-goody. Also, it took everything I hate about Mansfield Park and changed it to how I always wanted Mansfield Park to turn out (sorry if that's confusing; I'm trying to keep it unspoilery).

I was really surprised after I read this that it's by the same author as Epic Fail, which I didn't like nearly as much....more

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Apr 19, 2013 Joella www.cinjoella.com rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, realistic, romance, classics-retold

Franny Pearson is at a prestigious summer theater program. But she isn’t there as a theater student, even though she loves to act. Instead she is there as the assistant seamstress, helping her aunt sew all of the costumes for the 40+ actors in the program. When she gets there she feels alone with only a no-nonsense aunt. Thankfully on her first day there she meets (or rather re-meets) her friend from middle school, Julia Braverman. Luckily for Franny Julia and her friends (including her twin bro...more

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Mar 28, 2013 Melbourne on my mind rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, chick-lit, young-adult

Pretty much all I can say about this book is that it was cute. Cute and kind of predictable. It was a fun, quick read - I read the whole thing in about three hours - with your typical teen summer romance plot. Some of the characters (especially Amelia) could have been a little better developed, but considering it's essentially fluff it's not surprising that they weren't.

Having just read that it's loosely based on Mansfield Park, certain things now make a lot more sense. But at the same time, it...more

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Apr 11, 2013 Mackenzie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Before I started reading, I was concerned that I wouldn't like this book. Mansfield Park is my least favorite Austen book and I was afraid LaZebnik's Franny might be a little too much like Austen's, a weak and judgemental wall flower. But to my great surprise, LaZebnik took everything cool about Mansfield Park and changed everything that was not so cool. While Franny does start out with some less than stellar character flaws that just made me want to slap the stupid out of her, she eventually co...more

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Feb 12, 2013 L rated it 4 of 5 stars

**sent as an ARC in exchange for an honest review**
4.5/5 stars
Franny Price doesn't have such a hard life. But while her friends are busy traveling the world for the summer, she is going to be working as a sewing assistant for her spinster aunt at acting camp. When Franny gets there she's happy to see her old friend Julia and her hot twin brother Alex. Alex was Franny's first crush and she's excited about the prospect to get to know him better. But during the time that she's cooped up with a sewi...more

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Mar 12, 2013 Melody McBride rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 05, 2013 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: best-of-the-best

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 24, 2013 JaneLovesBooks rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, comes-out-in-2013, contemporary-fiction, cute, love-story, read-in-2013

You can also read this review here: http://theperksofbeingaborkworm.blogs...

This is exactly what I needed. It was cute, fun and standalone. After reading a bunch of books in series it becomes a pain, you either have to wait for the next book to come out or you have to go and buy the other books. I love books that make you think deeply (thank you John Green who wrote the last three books I read that did make me think) but I also love to just read a book for the sake of it being cute. This book wa...more

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Mar 04, 2013 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-ya

I really enjoyed this book! The author has a refreshingly smart way of writing compared to many other YA authors. Her characters are intelligent, funny (she has a great sarcastic sense of humor that seems to be all the author's, as it was very prevalent in her other book, Epic Fail, as well), and self-aware, but they also read like real people. It still felt fresh, even as a re-telling of Mansfield Park.

I devoured the book in a few hours, because I didn't want to put it down and miss seeing how...more

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Feb 23, 2013 Richa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, for-review

Originally posted at City of Books - http://ecstatic-for-books.blogspot.com/

I haven't read Mansfield Park by Jane Austen, the novel on which this book is based, but I have to say I really enjoyed this regardless! The Trouble With Flirting is a really cute novel, and I loved the humour in it. With its comical misunderstandings and light romance, this novel takes on the style of Shakespearean comedies, which I found to be really appropriate since the students at the summer program are acting out d...more Originally posted at City of Books - http://ecstatic-for-books.blogspot.com/

I haven't read Mansfield Park by Jane Austen, the novel on which this book is based, but I have to say I really enjoyed this regardless! The Trouble With Flirting is a really cute novel, and I loved the humour in it. With its comical misunderstandings and light romance, this novel takes on the style of Shakespearean comedies, which I found to be really appropriate since the students at the summer program are acting out different Shakespeare plays.

Franny runs into her old friend Julia Braverman while at the Mansfield Summer Theater Program, and she's thrilled to find someone she actually knows. She's even more thrilled with she finds out that Julia's twin brother, Alex, is also attending the program. Franny's had a crush on Alex since the 8th grade, and no matter how much she tries to deny it, she hasn't gotten over it. There's a new guy in town, though - Harry Cartwright. Easily the best-looking guy at the program. But Franny's only got eyes for Alex, until she notices Harry's keen interest in her. The Trouble With Flirting is a hilarious but dramatic novel about love and heartbreak.

Honestly, I don't usually read books like this, since I'm not a fan of chick lit. But I loved this one, mainly because I adored the characters. I could really relate to Franny on account of the whole college issue. In fact, all the students seem to have college credit on their minds. Since I'm kind of in the same situation, I really got them. Moreover, this book isn't at all predictable. I won't say any more about that, in case I give anything away!

Franny is an awesome protagonist - she's fun and amusing, and at the same time hardworking and determined. She's not flawless, and I liked that about her, because I've read a lot of YA books with unrealistically perfect heroines. Franny gets jealous, she makes mistakes, but in the end she gets back on the right track. There were a few moments where I felt pretty annoyed at her, though. The times when she was with Harry but would never take him seriously, acting like it was all a big joke. I guess Harry's reputation made her think that way, but I wish she'd seen his sincerity from the start.

Speaking of Harry, I loved that guy! He's probably my favourite character in the book. He was definitely the funniest. Yeah, he's got a reputation, but he doesn't lead girls on. He lets them know that what they have isn't serious. He's honest about it, and I admire that. I really liked Alex, too. He's more mysterious, and the little things he does for Franny are incredibly sweet. Although, he's going out with Isabella, Harry's best friend, throughout most of the novel, so his indecisiveness about the two girls got on my nerves. But he's still awesome!

Julia is another character I really liked. She's Alex's twin, and they look very alike - dark hair, blue eyes, incredibly gorgeous. Julia initially has a thing for Harry, and she flirts with him excessively, along with a bunch of other girls. When Harry decides that he wants to pursue Franny, Julia moves on to another guy, Manny, who thankfully is a lot better for her. I liked Julia because she was always there for Franny, even when she was jealous of her blooming relationship with Harry. Isabella is a character I have mixed feelings about. Beautiful just like the rest of the girls, Isabella is definitely the most ambiguous one. I couldn't seem to figure out whether she actually liked Franny or not. She develops a relationship with Alex right at the beginning of the book, and she knows how envious Franny is of her. However, Franny is surprised to learn that Isabella is actually quite insecure. She finds this out when Isabella's jealousy shows through her facade, after Alex buys Franny some books she wanted as a surprise for her. Isabella's relationship with Harry is also quite confusing. They're best friends, but have never had romantic feelings about each other, even though they could be the poster couple for a movie. They don't hide anything from each other, and Harry's seen to be very protective of her. I guess their relationship is more like something between a brother and sister, but somewhat deeper. Still pretty confusing, though!

There is a helluva lot of jealousy and misunderstanding in this book, so get yourselves ready for that! I loved how everything was so confusing in the middle but it all worked out in the end. For most people, anyway. The Trouble With Flirting is a great summer-y sort of novel, and is actually quite reminiscent of a few Meg Cabot books I used to read. I will definitely be checking out LaZebnik's other novels, because I loved her writing in this one. I finished this book in a day, that's how into it I was! It's well-paced and interesting, making you want to turn the pages as fast as you can.

*Thank you to Claire LaZebnik for providing an ARC for review*(less)

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Feb 27, 2013 Tiffany Myers rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

This was such an endearing read. For adults, it is a wonderful trip back to the days when a first kiss was the biggest news in your entire life, and when the biggest worries in the world were how much time you got to spend with your friends, or whether or not that boy likes you. The characters are well written and unique, but still identifiable without being over stereo-typed. Franny's character is fantastic. So simple, so innocent, so likeable, and such a teenager! Harry's character is surprisi...more

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Mar 03, 2013 Craig rated it 4 of 5 stars

I've become a huge fan of Claire LaZebnik's work. Epic Fail is one of my favorite books. I was so excited when I learned that The Trouble with Flirting was loosely based on Mansfield Park; another of my faves. The college summer drama camp was a perfect setting and Franny working as a costume seamstress was a great way to bring her into the world of acting with this madcap cast. The characters are wonderfully imagined and illustrated and their ever-changing relationships dynamics unfold very int...more

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