Summary:

Elle is the biggest Starfield fangirl you’ll ever meet. She is super-excited about the space/sci-fi TV series’ movie reboot, until it’s announced that Darien Freeman is slated to play Federation Prince Carmindor. Yes, Darien Freeman, the teenage heartthrob from that soap opera, is slated to play one of Elle’s all-time favorite characters. While Elle is not happy about this news, there’s one thing she is more than excited for: the Starfield cosplay contest at Excelsicon. The winner gets tickets to the LA premiere of the movie, where Elle can finally put her evil stepmother and stepsisters behind.

Darien Freeman has a love for Starfield that rivals his love for orange Crush. Playing Carmindor isn’t just job for him: it’s his fanboy dream come true. But playing the Federation Prince isn’t a total happily ever. Instead of walking the floor of Excelsicon just like any other ordinary fan, Darien has to do meet-and-greats, signings, and judge the Starfield cosplay contest. And when Starfield fans start doubting Darien’s ability to play the Federation Prince, Darien questions how he’ll do the fandom and himself justice.

Star Rating: 4.5/5 stars 

Cover Lust?: Yes! There’s the Magic Pumpkin and Franco, what else could you need?

My Thoughts:

Geekerella is my new favorite Cinderella retelling because of how relatable this book was to me as a fangirl. Elle and Darien are such huge fans of Starfield, and they each have a special connection to the series. Elle’s parents met at a Starfield convention and shared their love for the series with their daughter, supplemented by the fact that Elle’s dad founded Excelsicon. Darien grew up watching the series with his dad, and this totally reminded of how I read and watched Harry Potter with my mom.

I really enjoyed how Ashley Preston mixed Cinderella elements with modern elements. My favorite combined element was the Magic Pumpkin food truck! I thought it was such a clever idea for Elle’s mode of transportation, along with the fact that it came along with Sage as her fairy godmother. Sage was my favorite side character in the book because she was always there for Elle. She let Elle bring her into the Starfield fandom, which reminded me of how I share my love for fandoms with my own friends. Most of my friends can’t hang out with me without me mentioning Hamilton or Harry Potter or books at least three times.

One of my favorite parts in the novel is when Elle and Darien are at Excelsicon. My only complaint is that I wish Elle went around the show floor more. When she was describing all the cosplayers and the atmosphere, it reminded me of my own experiences at conventions, and I wished I was on the show floor with her. Overall, the fandom elements were so amazing in this book. If a crush tells me, “I hear the observation deck is nice this time of year”, I just might swoon over.

While the ending was a bit predictable, I absolutely loved it and gave me all the fangirl feels. Sometimes you just need a good happily ever after. My favorite part of Geekerella wasn’t even in the actual story– Ashley Preston’s acknowledgements made me cry! In her acknowledgements, Ashley Preston thanks the fandom community and the reader. I squealed when she writes, “So I want to thank you . You, the reader. You, who cosplays and writes fanfiction and draws fan art and runs a forum and collects Funko-Pops and must have hardcovers for all of your favorite book series and frames for your autographed posters”. If that’s not me, I don’t know who I am! Her acknowledgements were just so heartfelt, and I look forward to reading her other books!

What’s your favorite fandom(s)? Share in the comments below!