Book: ROMAN AND JEWEL by Dana L. Davis
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Release Date: January 5, 2021
Publisher: Inkyard Press
ISBN-13: 978-1335070623
Position in Bibliography: This is Dana L. Davis’s third novel.
Numbered Pages: 326
Chapters: 25
Word Count: Approx. 83,000 words
Cover Illustration: Robert Ball
Art Direction: Erin Craig
Cover Design: Elita Sidiropoulou
Audiobook Run Time: 10 hours and 54 minutes (Unabridged)
Audiobook Narrator: Narrated by Channie Waites
Genre: Contemporary
Setting: Summer / New Brunswick, New Jersey and New York City
Tense: Present Tense
Point of View (POV): First Person
Themes/Subjects: Family, Friendship, Love, Societal Expectations
Triggers: Bullying, Death, Suicide, Death of a Parent, Infidelity
Purchase: Bookshop I Barnes & Noble I IndieBound I Amazon
Add it to Goodreads: Here
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Synopsis:
JERZIE JHAMES–do not get her started on what is in a name!–is up for the lead role in the hottest new show heading to Broadway, Roman and Jewel, a Romeo and Juliet-inspired hip-hopera featuring a diverse cast and modern twists on the play. But her hopes are crushed when she learns that R&B megastar Cinny won the lead…and Jerzie is cast as her understudy.
Falling for male lead Zeppelin Reid is a terrible idea–especially once Jerzie learns Cinny wants him for herself.Star-crossed love always ends badly. But when a video of Jerzie and Zepp practicing goes viral and the entire world weighs in on who should play Jewel, Jerzie learns that while the price of fame is high, friendship, family, and love are priceless and worth risking it all.
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Dedication: “For Laura G. Because you said, ‘I think you should write it!’ And so I did. And to all the lovers of Shakespeare…”
Find the Acknowledgements: End of Book
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Characters + Identifiers (In Order of Named Appearance):
Jerzie Jhames – 16-years old (p. 74) and 17-years-old as of p. 228, Standby in Roman and Jewel, Mezzo-soprano, a good 5″ taller than Aunt Karla, dark brown skin like Lupita Nyong’o (p. 19), big brown eyes (p. 39), 5’5 (p. 154)
Monday – Jerzie’s Mom
Dusty – Jerzie’s Dad, Black, 4th Grade Teacher
Judas Jhames – Jerzie’s Older (by 2 years) Brother
Cinny – Superstar, silky straight black hair hangs dramatically to the middle of hr back, skin is like the color of cinnamon (p. 35), splattering of freckles on her nose (P. 44), glowy skin, manicured nails (p. 52), sexy raspy voice (p. 51)
Karla – Jerzie’s Aunt, big brown eyes (p. 11), barely over five feet (p. 12)
Nigel – Production Assistant, late 30s, matted mess of hair (p. 30), shaved hair as of p. 122
Sandi Finn – Casting Director
Alan Kaplan – Director, green eyes (p. 125)
Robert “Robbie” Christian Ruiz – Writer and Creator of Roman and Jewel, Bronx accent (p. 20), head of salt-and-pepper gray hair (p. 22), dark eyes (p. 24)
Zeppelin “Zepp” Reid / Luciano Ricci – Roman in Roman and Jewel, 19-years-old (p. 27), white, tall blond, muscled up (p. 35), big electric sapphire-blue eyes, cut from the pretty boy catalogue, jet-black hair hangs over his head, full lips, wide mouth, smooth & flawless & radiant skin, pale Edward Cullen vibe, (p. 37), black-painted fingernails, tiny black and gray tattoo on right arm (p. 39, 50), around 6″2 (p. 41), pinkish lips (p. 71)
Maximus – Karla’s Ex-Boyfriend, about 210 pounds
Rashmi – Roman and Jewel Child Guardian
Miss Benefield – Jerzie’s Teacher
Ava – Zepp’s Sister, 15-years-old (p. 153), bright blue eyes (p. 323), long black hair (p. 324)
Elias Aubert – Choreographer, French, 25-years-old
Nikolai – Elias’s Choreography Partner & Partner, French
Lorin – Swing in Roman and Jewel, leggy redhead (p. 105)
Wesley – Cinny’s Security Guard
Farrah – Karla’s Roommate, Law Student
Riley Powell – Jerzie’s Best Friend, long blond tresses (p. 188), 5’10 and 150 pounds (p. 195)
Coach – Riley’s Coach
Kaitlyn – Riley’s Classmate
Damon Coleman – Roman and Jewel Cast Mate, brown eyes
Roman and Jewel Cast Mates – Gianna, April, Justin, Walter, Zoe
Angel Aguilar – Roman and Jewel Cast Mate, emo-meets-punk-meets-strange, dark eyes, bleach-blond hair with dark roots, small hoop ring through the center of his lip (p.106), from Spain (p. 107)
Mae Bloomberg – Musical Director, dark brown hair (p. 125)
Francesca Ricci – Zepp’s Late Mom, same eyes as Zepp (p. 145)
Marta – Zepp’s Cousin, blue eyes (p. 145)
Thomas – Bassist in Zepp’s Band, man bun, blue eyes, British (p. 172)
Kenyon – Drummer in Zepp’s Band
Tanya – Kenyon’s Girlfriend, kinky curly hair, septum ring through her nose (p. 173)
Melissa – Thomas’s Girlfriend, dark hair pulled back in messy ponytail (p. 173)
Garret Webb – Roman and Jewel Producer
Roman and Jewel Cast Mates – Tag, Kiara, Genevieve, Mae
Linda – Music Assistant, older woman with gray hair (p. 226)
Mr. Ruiz – Robbie’s Father
Chance – Cinny’s Friend
Chef Adalene
Spade – Producer
Shivers – Cinny’s Ex-Boyfriend
Marcel – Security Guard
Daniel Ricci – Zepp’s Father, thick mane of hair (p. 298)
Desi – Roman and Jewel Crew
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Fun Facts:
There are pop culture references to/mentions of Stan Lee, Cher, Rihanna, Beyoncé, Ciara, Drake, Olivia Wilde, Phantom of the Opera, In the Heights, Wicked, The Lion King, Hairspray, The Little Mermaid, West Side Story, Stephen Sondheim, Company, Liza Minnelli, Bernadette Peters, Cabaret, Miss Saigon, Hamilton, Patti LuPone, Oliver, Anything Goes, Gypsy, Dear Evan Hansen, Mean Girls, Six, Annaleigh Ashford, Fantasia, Jordan Fisher, Kristin Chenoweth, Hailey Kilgore, Michelangelo, X-Men, Michelle Obama, Freddie Mercury, Sia, Jhené Aiko, Jay-Z, Black Panther, Taylor Swift, Game of Thrones, Carmen San Diego, Oscar Wilde, Sesame Street, Oedipus Rex, Prometheus Bound, Death of a Salesman, Meghan Markle, Leonard Cohen, Lori Lieberman, Pinocchio, She-Ra, Queer Eye, James Bond, Barbie, Good Morning America, Beethoven, Jekyll and Hyde, Harry Potter, Jeff Buckley, Mowgli, Lord of the Rings, Vampire Diaries, Roald Dahl, Evita, Les Misérables, Sweeney Todd, Gianni Schicchi, Cinderella, Salvador Dalí, The Sound of Music, Motown, Venom, Selena Gomez, Exorcist, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Will & Jada Smith, Nancy Drew, Norma, Kurt Cobain, Steven Tyler, Tom Brady
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