‘Bubblegum and Blazers’ by Isabella May is a romantic comedy that certainly gave me a laugh too. A book perfect for the summer days by the pool, if you are lucky enough. I have read one of Isabella May’s books before and really enjoyed that so looked forward to this one too.
A school reunion with a difference. This one is a reality show and it takes us back to the 1990s with everything, including the Tuck Shop. The classmates have to spend 3 months on the show and at the end of it there is a winners prize. Ali, Blake, Charlotte, and Grant all sign the contracts and join the show? The last thing they think about is love. They all have their own reasons for taking part in this Back to School Reality tv show and as they begin to re-enact their golden days in school everything comes tumbling out in the open.
The secret crushes, the one-upmanship we all experienced in one way or another, the emotional rollercoasters that everyone feels at one point. Everything is like rolling back time. Even down to the delicious nostalgic treats Isabella May is so well versed in describing so you can almost taste them in your own mouth.
We get to know each character and as we do we discover their perfect social media profiles aren’t telling the whole truth… no one has the perfect life they pretend to have. As the story unfolds so does the chaos of filming a show, a reality one at that. The twists along with the revelations that happen when you are with old school friends and have nowhere to escape to, everything combined with my nostalgia of missing shows such as Big Brother made this a perfect read for me.
Isabella May has hit my sweet spot with ‘Bubblegums and Blazers’. It is a well-written story in which she has brought characters to love and hate…just like school! We all hated at least 1 or 2 people until they did something to change our minds and this lot are no different, I jumped from liking to hating and back again.
A great trip down memory lane (I was from the 1980s school lot but still close enough) that I recommend to anyone who loves reality shows and the 1990s.
Thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources and Isabella May for the copy of the book and my place on the tour.
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