Review Detail

Sivan has spent years bouncing around the foster care system, experiencing one traumatic emotional trial after another until she can no longer function or even trust anyone. Enter Betty—exactly the kind of foster mom Sivan needs even though she can’t really see it at first.

Jax is your typical teen, but he is overwhelmed by the notoriety of his twin brother’s band. Everywhere Jax goes people either think he is Gabe or they’re desperate to learn more about Gabe’s mysterious twin brother who didn’t want to be in the band. With a growing following of his own, Jax is in desperate need of a time out. Enter Betty, his adorably flamboyant aunt.

Jax and Sivan soon find themselves spending a lot of time together and, in true sweet romance fashion, they begin to fall for each other. With Betty and Jax’s loving care, Sivan takes her first hesitant steps toward healing and she learns what it means to have a family again.

The first half of the book is a page turning, inspiring, and sweet coming of age romance with all the feels. Everything readers want in a contemporary YA romance. The second half of the book felt rushed, as if the author struggled to tie up all the plot lines that veered a little too far from the central story. The final HEA was over the top, leaving me feeling a little bummed when I enjoyed the first half of the book so much.

Final verdict:
Despite some pacing issues and plot holes, I enjoyed Famous by Default and would recommend it to any contemporary romance fans looking for a great weekend read. If the author ever considers a sequel, I would love to read more about Jax and his brothers as well as Sivan and Regina.