I Think I Love You by Auriane Desombre
Underlined; 2021; 320 pages
About the Author: “Auriane is the author of I Think I Love You, and works as a middle school teacher and freelance editor. She holds an MA in English Literature and an MFA in Creative Writing for Children & Young Adults. She lives in Los Angeles with her dog, Sammy, who is a certified bad boy.” (Bio taken from author’s website.)
Instagram: @aurianedesombre
Twitter: @aurianedesombre
Website: https://www.aurianedesombre.com/
Emma’s dream is to attend film school, and entering the summer NYC-LA Film Festival for high school students with her friends is how she plans on getting her foot in the industry’s door. She fantastizes about filming the gay rom-com of her heart because she’s never seen herself represented in the movies she loves to watch. Emma’s plans go awry when Sophia, Emma’s rival and the only other queer girl who’s out at their school, returns from a year in Paris. Filled with meddling friends and lots of scheming, I Think I Love You is a sapphic reimagining of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing set in modern-day New York City.
While there’s plenty of angst to go around between Emma and Sophia’s film rivalry and their opposing views about love, the majority of the story centers on moments of sweet romance and flirty banter. There is definite room for further development of certain themes, such as Emma’s fear of coming out as bisexual to her parents or Sophia’s issues with her mother. Otherwise, all of the subplot threads are neatly tied up by the end of the story. The characters feel authentically and refreshingly adolescent, and the atmosphere of the city shines through the descriptions of setting. Overall, Auriane Desombre’s debut novel is a fun and light sapphic romantic comedy, perfect for a pick-me up or a summer afternoon.
(Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)
PRR Writer, Caroline Ross