Reviews

Between the Lines by Tammara Webber

nighteyes82's review against another edition

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4.0

That was a great book.
That's when I read stories like that that I wish I was still a teenager or that we had books like that when I was one...

andreana_k's review against another edition

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3.0

I think I was just tricked into reading Rob and Kristen RPF.
If I wasn't convinced of it during the course of the book I absolutely was by the end when they had their Vanity Fair photo shoot.

The VF photographer is Virgil, one of those artists so well-known that a surname is unnecessary. He’s known for sensual, romantic photo spreads. Arranging Emma’s hair to cascade over my knee and pool on the blanket they’ve spread over the rough boards of the dock, he says, “Emma, at me. Reid, at her… longing, desire on your face.”


The next series has me perched on a stool while she sits on my lap, facing me, her legs locked around my hips. She’s making a concerted effort to keep her eyes averted—quite a feat in this position. “These are waist-up shots, but I need you guys close,” Virgil says. “Emma, arch into him.” Snap, snap, snap. “Good, now lean your head back, chin up.” Snap, snap.


“Back farther, eyes closed.” I press my mouth against her throat, and Virgil is euphoric. “Stunning.” Snap, snap.


The group shots are full of clowning around, some of which will make it into the spread, most of which won’t.


Despite the author having an obvious hard on for the Twilight actors this was an enjoyable read for what it was, teen chic lit. Better written than most fanfic and RPF but the plot reeks of a secret life in spend reading Twific. Surprisingly actually looking forward to the next book to see where Webber takes the characters.

jen286's review against another edition

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2.0

I wish there would have been sections from Grahams POV. I really disliked Reid, and Emma was frustrating as she couldn't figure out what she wanted/was feeling/anything. She just went along with whatever happened. I mean constantly thinking of another guy when you are with a guy who you really don't seem to like...it was just frustrating as she obviously liked one guy, but just kept being with another guy since...well since he kept pursuing her.

afretts's review against another edition

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3.0

Absolutely zero idea how to react to this book. I feel like Tammara stuck her hand into my brain and swirled it around.

Ok. I have no idea where to start with reviewing this so I am just going to launch into one big stream of consciousness rant. This is what reading this book made me feel like:




Tammara Webber is an incredibly talented writer. No one does character development like she does. There is no insta-love or insta-friendship here. She's a pro at those little nuanced interactions that make you believe that the relationships her characters are forming are real and meaningful. MOST OF THE TIME.

I did not believe that someone like Emma would like Reid. This relationship was not even slightly believable to me. It would have been believable if Emma would have waxed poetic a little more about what she saw in him, but she really didn't seems to think about him at all. It was strange. There was nothing written (in my opinion) that explained why she liked this obnoxious character.

I could have done without Reid's POV. Good God is he obnoxious. Seriously no redeeming qualities. I wish there was something there that I could have hitched onto and used to justify him having friends AT ALL with. He was just so awful. Tadd and Quinton seemed like OK guys so I don't understand why they would have wanted to be around Reid at all.

But Graham. BUT GRAHAM. Loved him. What a great character. So much to him. He just makes me feel warm and happy inside. The next book is partially told from his POV so I'm looking forward to getting into his head a little bit.



Emma and Emily's relationship was adorable. I'm looking forward to reading more about it in the subsequent books.

Would I recommend this? ...Yes- a very tentative yes. It wasn't that I didn't like it, I did. It was a well written book. It just really felt like all but the last 30 pages were an introduction. I felt like the characters were being introduced and built up and developed for a full 200 pages. Really, not much exciting happened (IMO) until very, very end of the book. It was almost like this should have been the first 1/3 of a very long book. And maybe it is, there are 3 more in the series. I've just never read a series like this. I am used to the traditional rise/beginning, climax/middle, fall/end paradigm. This book was very different from that. However, I did already start [b:Where You Are|12067972|Where You Are (Between the Lines, #2)|Tammara Webber|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1367082773s/12067972.jpg|17035474] so it was obviously good enough to keep me wanting more.

anaday89's review against another edition

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5.0

Loved it!

joyousreads132's review against another edition

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3.0

Between the Lines tells a story about a household bad boy actor's pursuit of a relationship outside of his 'normal'. Tired of the same old, same old, Reid had gotten used to getting what he wants, when he wants without breaking a sweat. When an unknown actress becomes a bit more than a blip in his radar, he pursued her with an unrelenting fervor. Emma, on the other hand, is reluctant to step into the limelight and being in a relationship with Reid would just about thrust her where she's not at all prepared to be - right in the middle of the Hollywood fast life. She longed to live the normal life of a teenager. Good thing she still has her best friend Emily to keep her grounded and Graham, an indie actor whom she just met. Sooner rather than later, she finds out the ugly side of the glamorous life and all the reasons why she doesn't belong.

I'd have enjoyed this book more had I not been given privy to Reid Alexander's head...and perhaps if his character wasn't pertinent to the story, I'd have bypassed his POVs altogether. I'm still trying to understand why the author chose to write Reid's POV instead of Graham's. That being said, I have an inkling to grudgingly agree with the author. It's not everyday that I get to read a book where the villain of the story gets second billing. And though being in Reid's head was torturous, I still found it insightful.

It's difficult not to symphatize with Reid to some degree. He has one of those, typical Hollywood celebrity upbringing. Very little guidance, very little emotional connection resulting in being acquainted with one of the most selfish, spoiled, arrogant character I've ever known. And yet, there were times when I felt mildly sorry for him. I was tempted, on many occasions to skip his inanity simply because his penchant for self destruction angered me. But I'd rather read of an evoking character no matter what the emotions, rather than reading about someone who didn't make me feel anything at all.

As for Graham and Emma, there is some comfortable ease between them that I enjoyed reading. Their instant connection that had nothing at all to do with being in love - a closeness that developed over time and even though sometimes I wanted to smack Emma over the head when she starts waffling between Graham and Reid, I still found it refreshing to see the boys in her eyes. I know, I know. I'm a bit of a contradictory when it comes to love triangles but believe it or not. I don't abhor all of them. There are some, that when written competently, manage to incite some enjoyment from me. And this is one of those. I read and watched and waited for Emma to realize she's going about it all wrong. If she truly wanted a life of a regular teenager, starting a relationship with actors (especially prominent ones), is an asinine idea. And as much as I love the boy, Graham's crafty mixed signals frustrated me to no end. He was one of those evasive, slippery characters that the more you try to figure out, the faster he fades.

And another thing, I don't know about you but by my interpretation, the synopsis alluded to the fact Graham would have a POV in this story. I was definitely disappointed that there was none.

Over all, Between the Lines was a pleasant read (regardless of Reid's POV). It's a romantic tale of finding your true place in the world and surrounding yourself with the right people.

mrsgalvan23's review against another edition

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4.0

Reid Alexander is the typical playboy who gets every girl he lays eyes on bc he is not only heartbreakingly beautiful and charming, but a movie star as well. All he cares about is sex, drinking, getting high, parties, fast cars, and of course, his work as an actor bc it allows him to maintain this lifestyle. I immediately loved to hate him bc he represents every player I have ever met in my entire life. However, just like every player I have ever met, you see that there are reasons for his careless and destructive behavior. His dad is a workaholic, his mom is an alcoholic, and he has had his heartbroken by the only girl he ever thought he loved.
Enter Emma Pierce. She is getting her big break as an actress landing the lead role opposite Reid Alexander, but she craves normalcy since she has never had it before. She has tutors, instead of going to school, so there there are no dances or enjoying lunch period with her friends. Her father and agent Dan pick all of her roles for her and she does whatever they tell her to do, even though what she would love to do is theater. Her only link to a normal life is her best friend Emily.
Reid of course sets his sights on Emma, unable to resist their immediate chemistry. He soon learns she is a challenge when she doesnt immediately fall to his feet begging him to take her to bed with him. Not only does Emma resist Reid, he also learns he has competition for Emma, one of their costars Graham Douglas.
I immediately fell in love with Graham. You could tell he was a good guy and he forms a friendship with Emma instead of treating her as a means to an end like Reid does. He also serves to be a bit of a mystery bc you arent sure of what his relationship is with their costar Brooke.
I loved how this book is told from the point of view of both Reid and Emma. I think it was important to see both of their perspectives. There is a lot going on in this book between all of the characters, mainly, Reid, Emma, Graham and Brooke. This book is more than a love triangle, it is a well developed story that delves into the lives of the main characters and makes you feel for them, even the despised Reid Alexander. I really didnt like him at all, but as a psych major I found him intriguing.
If you are into love stories with well developed characters and interesting story lines than this is a book for you. It is a series, so you will want to immediately buy the sequel, Where You Are. It picks up right where this book ends. I will definitely be rereading this series. I loved it!!

purrfectpages's review against another edition

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3.0

It's hard to describe how I felt about this book. It kept me interested from start to finish even though it didn't really have a lot going on. I had a hard time deciding who to like and not to like which can be the mark of good writing or lack of character, depending on how you look at it. I'm glad I read it when all is said and done though.

trisha_thomas's review against another edition

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2.0

Cute but so confusing.

I can't figure out why these two stories are together.

thisismenow's review against another edition

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5.0

Between the Lines was in my to be read pile for quite a while. I'd heard things and thought it sounded good, but like so many other books I figured I'd just get to it when I could. Then I read Easy. I absolutely loved that book and decided that I simply had to have more Tammara Webber in my life. I had to hold off until after the holidays, but I was quite excited to finally sink my teeth into this book.

With my expectations set so high after Easy, I was expecting to feel a little let down because sometimes reading books that were written earlier just turn out that way. However, Between the Lines held its own. I don't want this to be a review comparing it to Easy, but I will say that even though I didn't love it in the same way as Easy, I certainly enjoyed every minute of it.

I was recently talking to a friend about books that deal with characters that were celebrities. I had just read Love Unscripted, and she was in the process of reading it, so we had some interesting thoughts regarding how the celebrity aspect of books is sometimes handled. Needless to say, it was interesting to pick up Between the Lines because I'd forgotten that these characters were actors.

Sometimes books seem to have a tendency of going to extremes when it comes to making characters either likable or unlikable. It's a delectable line to balance, and I think Tammara Webber handled that very well.

I liked the main female character, Emma, for the most part. She had her aggravating moments. She certainly wasn't perfect, but she also wasn't so flawed that I couldn't stand her. I probably would have liked her more if she'd had more of a backbone earlier in the book, but by the time I was finished I felt as though she'd finally found her inner strength.

Reid, on the other hand, isn't so cut and dry. I felt like I wanted to like him. Maybe I just fell for his act, much in the same way as Emma. On the other hand, I kept wondering of maybe he'd showed Emma his true self. By the end of the book, I still wasn't sure.

Even though my feelings were mixed, I found that I actually enjoyed having that reaction. Most times the main male character is made to be a bad boy who's really just misunderstood and it takes the right girl for him to come to his senses and straighten out. And that's fine in some cases.

Reid, however, is not one of those guys. I feel like there is a lot more to him, though, and I'm actually quite looking forward to reading the rest of the series to find out where his character goes.

I really liked Graham as well. He just seemed like a genuinely nice guy. I wanted to know more about him without it feeling like he was just trying to be the broody, mysterious guy.

The other minor characters were really interesting as well. Some of them faded into the background, but as they were part of an ensemble cast for a movie, I was glad that they at least had some scenes in the book. Even though some were more fleshed out than others, it was nice to have a wide range.

My favorite relationship in the book was probably between Emma and Emily. Their interactions felt so realistic, and the dialogue between them was sharp and funny. I just thoroughly enjoyed those interactions. They really felt like they were best friends. Tammara Webber just seems to have a really good way with portraying solid friendships because it was something I also enjoyed about Easy.

As far as the plot itself goes, it didn't feel overly complicated. There was, of course, Emma's acting career starting to really take off while, at the same time, she's unsure of what she wants from her future. Reid, on the other hand, seems to be living in a somewhat stagnant lifestyle. They're each dealing with their own family and personal issues while filming a modernized version of Pride and Prejudice.

I don't want to spoil the twist at the end, but at one point Emma tells Reid that she doesn't want to make someone better; she just wants someone who is better on their own. Later in the story, it feels like the difference is demonstrated in how differently Reid and Graham reacted to being, essentially, in the same situation.

Overall, I just really enjoyed the story. It felt very character driven, and while there it is certainly there, it truly felt as though the book was about so much more than just romance. Relationships--family, romantic, and friendship--really seemed to be at the forefront of the story, and I enjoyed seeing all aspects. I can't wait to read the next book!