Title: Finally Fitz
Author: Marisa Kanter
Page Length: 400
Publication Date: April 23, 2024
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Synopsis: A bisexual teen girl tries to make her ex jealous by faking an Instagram romance that leads to surprisingly real feelings in this hijinks-filled rom-com perfect for fans of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and She Gets the Girl.
Ava “Fitz” Fitzgerald has worked hard to create the picture-perfect life she’s always wanted. She spent her junior year transforming her passion for sustainable fashion and upcycling into a viral online platform, maintaining a 4.0 GPA, and spending every free second with her soon-to-graduate girlfriend, Danica. And this summer she plans to take it all to the next level by attending a prestigious summer fashion program in New York City and convincing Dani that they can survive a year of long distance.
But when Dani dumps her before classes even start, accusing Fitz of being more invested in growing her online persona than deepening their relationship, she’s left not only heartbroken, but also creatively blocked.
Fitz will do anything to win Dani back, even if that means taking a break from the platform that she’s worked so hard to build. But just as she decides to go all-in on a hiatus, a chance encounter reunites her with Levi Berkowitz, her childhood best friend that she hasn’t seen since elementary school. Levi is struggling with heartbreak of his own, and this cosmic coincidence sparks a new use for her social media savvy. Fitz offers to help Levi craft a fake relationship online to make his person jealous…if in return he can pretend to be her boyfriend in front of Dani to make her jealous. If all goes according to plan, by the end of the summer they’ll both be reunited with their perfect partners and get to rekindle their friendship in the process.
Sometimes even the most carefully designed plans can come apart at the seams, though. And when real history leads to not-so-fake feelings, Fitz will have to decide if she’s finally willing to let go of what she thought was picture-perfect and choose what might actually be right for her.
LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
This is such a charming YA novel about relationships, family, and self-discovery. The story follows Fitz, a teen influencer and perfectionist with relationship troubles, imposter syndrome, and more. It’s a fun and cozy summer romance, and I enjoyed Fitz’s journey toward finding herself.
Something else I really liked was the relationship between Fitz and her sisters, and though the romance is the main focus, this felt significant too. Sibling relationships are complicated and messy, and I thought the author did a great job of showing all of the complexities of this family unit. Where her sisters feel they’re protecting Fitz, she often feels left out, and you can easily understand all of the perspectives and why they each feel the way they do. Above all, there’s a lot of love there, and it’s so relatable.
The friend group is fantastic too, and the love story is the best. I adore Fitz and Levi, and the fake dating trope is done so well. Levi is adorable – kind and sweet and nerdy – and his love of plants just melted my plant-loving heart! And Fitz is so oblivious to Levi’s feelings, which totally made me think of my daughter and her boyfriend, who went through a similar situation. lol The banter between Levi and Fitz is spot on, and the shenanigans they get up to all over New York City are fantastic!
I thought this was a great read and one I’d definitely recommend to YA contemporary romance readers. It’s fun and heart-warming, and the themes and characters are so relatable and realistically portrayed, much like the setting.
- fake dating
- friends to lovers
But if I’m a person who never shows people less than their best . . . how is it possible to still feel like my best is never enough?
I just want to bottle the feeling that’s finding the one person in this universe who gets you and sees you—the whole unfiltered truth of you— and loves you anyway.
Marisa Kanter is a young adult author, amateur baker, and reality television enthusiast. She is the author of What I Like About You, As If on Cue, and Finally Fitz. Born and raised in the suburbs of Boston, her obsession with books led her to New York City, where she worked in the publishing industry to help books find their perfect readers. She currently lives in Los Angeles, writing love stories by day and crocheting her wardrobe by night. Follow her at marisakanter.com and on Instagram @marisakanter
