Book excerpt: A teenage rabid romance reader finds herself in her own version of Pride & Prejudice in this sweet and swoony series opener. Boys are so much better in books. At least according to Merrilee Campbell, fifteen, who thinks real-life chivalry is dead and there’d be nothing more romantic than having a guy woo her like the heroes in classic stories. Then she, her best friend, Eliza, and her younger sister, Rory, transfer to Reginald R. Hero Prep—where all the boys look like they’ve stepped off the pages of a romance novel. Merri can hardly walk across the quad without running into someone who reminds her of Romeo. When the brooding and complicated Monroe Stratford scales Merri’s trellis in an effort to make her his, she thinks she might be Juliet incarnate. But as she works her way through her literature curriculum under the guidance of an enigmatic teacher, Merri’s tale begins to unfold in ways she couldn’t have imagined. Merri soon realizes that only she is in charge of her story. And it is a truth universally acknowledged that first impressions can be deceiving . . . “Schmidt ably captures the discombobulation and turn-on-a-dime emotions experienced by many early teens, and surrounds Merri with a believable cast of supporting characters. This contemporary rom-com series starter is a fun introduction to classics for middle-grade readers and younger YAs, wittily making old stories new again.” ?Booklist, starred review “Schmidt unapologetically places romance, and more romance, at the heart of this YA novel for younger teens . . . Ultimately Schmidt pits Romeo against a Mr. Darcy type in this romantic comedy (complete with Bridget Jones-like mishaps), whose heroine must open herself to the idea that the boy she least expects may turn out to be her real romantic hero.” —Publishers Weekly “This meshing of romantic classics and modern-day relationships is over-the-top good fun for tween romantics.” —Kirkus Reviews