Enthusiasm

Julia Lefkowitz goes by Julie. Her nickname helps show how she approaches life - a little laid-back, willing to accept most things that come her way. Her parents have gotten divorced in the last year, but while she isn't happy about the situation, and her mother is struggling financially, things are going okay. The only thing Julie worries about is that she is almost 16, and has never had a boyfriend.

Julie's best friend Ashleigh is what Julie calls an "enthusiast" - she bounces from idea to idea, never really sticking with anything. One minute Ashleigh is into art, the next into a rock band. But when Ashleigh gets into something, she really gets into it. So when Julie loans Ashleigh her copy of Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen, Ashleigh begins to talk like she is in the 19th Century. She starts to dress only in skirts or dresses so that her "lower limbs" won't show. And Ashleigh decides that she and Julie should dress up and crash the local all-boys boarding school dance to meet their perfect Mr. Darcy (the name of the main love interest in Pride & Prejudice).
Julie goes along with Ashleigh because it is easier than fighting with her, but she really does not expect anything to happen. Imagine her surprise when she meets the guy she has been seeing all over town. She wonders if he could be her Mr. Darcy, but then Ashleigh declares he is her Mr. Darcy too. What is Julie to do?

This novel is full of love triangles and miscommunications. The girls win parts in a play at the all-boys school, and that only adds to the drama of the story. This romantic comedy is fun to read, and it keeps you guessing about what will happen next. You will want to keep reading to find out Ashleigh's next enthusiasm, and to find out whether Julie or Ashleigh will get their Mr. Darcy.