Reviews

From Fan to Forever by Tiana Warner

mtn_gal_jane_reads_books's review against another edition

hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.75

shereadstales's review against another edition

lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Thanks to NetGalley and Ylva Publishing for the digital galley of this book.

Medical Physics student Rachel Janssen just made the biggest mistake ever, falling for a straight girl. She knew better, she really did, and yet. She’s coming home from a camping trip, somewhat broken-hearted and definitely ready for a shower. She’s surprised to find a movie shooting right outside her apartment, a movie starring Cate Whitney, a gorgeous, middle-aged star, and the subject of every lesbian’s fantasies. When Rachel sneaks into the craft services tent on set, she never thought she’d actually meet Cate, let alone have a conversation and get a job offer as a consultant on the film. As the chemistry builds between them, Cate must confront her messy past with her ex-husband, and Rachel has to deal with her aversion to the limelight if they’re going to turn their attraction into more.

This book was adorable. Who wouldn’t want a chance encounter with their movie-star crush and a chance at a fling, let alone a relationship with them? Dream come true. Except, sometimes the reality is less than Hollywood perfect. I really enjoyed the chemistry between the main characters, and Rachel’s roommate was a hoot, someone you’d definitely want as a best friend. The perfect romcom book if you’re in the mood for something cute, sweet, with a few deeper emotions here and there. Definitely recommend.

electramourning's review against another edition

4.0

I really enjoyed this! The pacing was good and the characters were interesting. It was fun, fairly low stakes rom-com style. Definitely the type of book you can knock out in an afternoon, although I will say that it took me a couple of days because it didn’t quite grip me the way some books do, compelling me to finish it in one sitting. Other than that, an enjoyable read!

tofugal's review against another edition

adventurous funny inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This adorable age-gap, toaster oven, celebrity sapphic romance that hit all the right notes. The meet-cute was adorable, the back and forth will-they-or-won’t-they was tantalizing, the spice was delicious, and the grand gesture was unexpected and super fun. There’s also a moment of Schadenfreude that, while predictable, is just perfection. 

If you’ve ever wished you could date your celebrity crush, this book is for you. Cate and Rachel complimented each other well as a couple, and I rooted for their love from the start.

Fair warning though: this book is hard to put down! I don’t recommend trying to read just a chapter or two before bed, or you may end up losing a night’s sleep binging it in a single sitting like I did.

On a side note, can someone please make the Marie Curie steampunk film Cate was staring in? Because I definitely want to watch it.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher and am voluntarily leaving this review.

jazzyjbox's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

From Fan to Forever is a heartfelt age-gap romance about trauma healing with love. 

Despite her love of science, Rachel is tired of being used as an experiment for other women. When her celebrity crush starts filming on location near her apartment, Rachel uses the opportunity to meet Cate. 

I really loved the way childhood trauma was framed in this story and the way Rachel tackled her healing. I think the reconciliation seemed really rushed for the nature of their relationship. Overall, a solidly good read. 

readwithkait's review against another edition

lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

 I absolutely loved ‘From Fan to Forever;’ this was one of my favorite recent romance reads and I’ll definitely be recommending it to my friends! The books itself was only 250 pages, so it flew by, but I still felt like the characters were well developed and we had enough information to be invested in the storyline. 

 

Usually the celebrity- non celebrity trope can be hit or miss for me, as they can be a little too far-fetched, but this story struck the perfect note, where it gave us believable circumstances that I could see reading about in People. Rachel (the non-celebrity) was adorably awkward, star-struck, and unsure of her place in Cate’s glamorous life. We followed Rachel and Cate through first dates, run-ins with the paparazzi, nasty tabloid rumors, galas, and gain insight on a lot of what it might look like for an average city to date a celebrity. 

 

Besides being a rather lighthearted romance book, there also was an underplot of anxiety, childhood bullying and trauma, and abusive exes. While these heavy topics were talked about and worked through, it still didn’t take away from the lightness of the book - it just made the characters feel more flushed out. This book also had a good amount of spice, but not so much that it overpowered the plot. My only complain with this book was that there was a huge age gap (almost 20 years?) that wasn’t addressed or discussed at all. 

 

I was provided a complimentary ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. 

tanouska's review against another edition

lighthearted medium-paced

4.0

From Fan to Forever was a fun wish-fulfillment  celebrity romance!  It takes place in Canada, so imagine my suprise when I came across pannenkoeken and uitwaaien! :D That was a really fun detail for this Dutch reader, and I love when books include small things about other cultures or habits that you usually don't expect in the setting!  
The meet-cute made me go a bit 'You really gonna do that?..... sure' but that's what suspense of disbelief is for, it's a romance novel, not a guide to life and good decisions :D
I absolutely still recommend this book to people looke for a sapphic romance with a nice dose of ' public eye' angst :D

Thank you Netgalley and Ylva publishing for providing me with this ARC!

cakt1991's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own. 
Tiana Warner is an author I’ve wanted to read more from, since I tried her Valkyrie books, so I jumped at the chance to try From Fan to Forever when I saw a review copy for it was available. While different genre wise, it shows her versatility as a writer. This one in particular is tropey fun, being a sapphic age gap celebrity romance and the ultimate wish fulfillment for many of us. . Rachel is immediately relatable, being an introverted student who ends up running into her celebrity crush. Her happiness at her dreams coming true is tempered by her struggles adjusting to life in the spotlight. Cate as a love interest is equally compelling. She’s humble and normal, in spite of the fame that provides many complications for her. 
This was a sweet romance, and I liked how there was a balance between the focus on the external factors, like the media scrutiny and the threat of Cate’s jealous ex, balanced with great internal tension. I also appreciated that the story didn’t dwell too much on the age gap, which beyond making sure that things are legally and ethically sound, can be a mood-killer for romances where there are no major imbalances of power. 
 This was a fun read, and I look forward to trying more from Tiana Warner in both fantasy and contemporary soon. I recommend this to readers looking for a lighthearted sapphic contemporary romance, especially if they enjoy celebrity and age gap romances.

celltheory's review

A difficult book to get into for me. I liked both of the main characters, but felt the writing and pacing was clunky. I didn't expect a realistic portrayal of the impact of a Cate Blanchett-esque celebrity coming out by dating a younger women, but felt like the attempt to critique privacy issues on two different scales fell flat, when

Spoiler

Rachel literally breaks into the set to meet Cate in the first place.

I wasn't at all invested in their relationship. All of the side characters fell flat and the drama didn't seem to matter in the grand scheme of things. The lesbian innuendos were forced and juvenile, and the book felt like it was trying very, very hard not to offend anyone, which made for a very boring and simple story.

nicolang's review against another edition

funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5