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heidinay's review against another edition
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.0
Ok I still enjoy Xio Axelrod's writing - the characters are fun and sexy - but I felt like this whole book was one long thing with no ending (literally). While it wasn't a slog to read, there wasn't really any progression in the storyline, just on and off tension building. Obviously I can't not read the second one, but this wasn't my favorite of her books.
tita_noir's review
4.0
I really enjoyed being able to sink into a well written work with such layers. This is a romance novel that told a story and left me feeling full and invested in the characters. I just DNF'd a book that had more pages and all sorts of drama, but left me feeling like I was bloated on empty calories -- I couldn't even finish the book!
But this one -- what a night and day difference! And this story isn't even finished.
Which actually is one of my issues with the story... but before I get to that...
I generally don't like Hollywood set books. I feel sometimes that romance novels can often be mired in such a hyper-reality fantasy world that adding the faux-allure of Hollywood on top of it is just sort of overkill. And honestly, I don't think enough writers who have tv or film actors as their main characters get the details right. Some do... you can tell they've worked in the industry because there is an authentic feel to the setting & the characters. But for most, there just doesn't feel like there is enough insider knowledge of how film & tv work and get made so that the work or characters feel right.
But this one... worked. I often lament that lately romances don't do 'workplace' well. Authors make their hero a generic billionaire and somehow they have a ton of time to tool around in jets and whisk the heroine away to exotic vacations. But this one allowed Sam and Val to work. It makes sense, this was a work-place forbidden romance after all. We see them doing table reads, blocking scene, learning lines, and other on set activities. There are scenes with wardrobe and publicists and publicity tours. So as a workplace drama it really delivered.
The biggest conflict is the forbidden nature of the attraction between Sam and Val. You could almost hear them thinking: It is bad enough they are co-workers and on scene lovers, but it would be such a cliche for them to have an on-set romance. But that is the least of it. Sam is married. So while Sam and Val understand that introducing a romance in work is not wise regardless of their individual relationship status, the bigger issue is Sam just isn't available. So when both of the characters realize they are attracted to each other, they fight against it (even trying to deny it is even there). So there is a lot of great tension from a story standpoint. I know I was tense. Do I want them to acknowledge it? Are they good enough actors to hide it from the people who are around them 24/7? Can they not be so sizzling in their love scenes?
So yeah this was good. Smart writing. well drawn characters, and lots of sexy tension.
I really only have two quibbles with the story:
1) It doesn't end on a resolved HEA! Usually this is a deal-break for me. These days I actually do flip to the end before starting a book to see if it ends resolved. If it doesn't I table it till later. But there is another book already written, so I can live with that because I can slide right into the next one without a pesky wait.
2) Sam's wife/marriage. One the one hand I loved that as conflict. It is a good one. But on the other hand I really disliked how it seemed he was such a hostage to his marriage. There was some guilt there and some gratitude there and other issues with his wife Karen that kept him tied. So logically it worked from a story standpoint, but in my head I couldn't help but be exasperated with Sam and felt it kinda weakened him as a character for me.
But like I said this was a quibble.
But this one -- what a night and day difference! And this story isn't even finished.
Which actually is one of my issues with the story... but before I get to that...
I generally don't like Hollywood set books. I feel sometimes that romance novels can often be mired in such a hyper-reality fantasy world that adding the faux-allure of Hollywood on top of it is just sort of overkill. And honestly, I don't think enough writers who have tv or film actors as their main characters get the details right. Some do... you can tell they've worked in the industry because there is an authentic feel to the setting & the characters. But for most, there just doesn't feel like there is enough insider knowledge of how film & tv work and get made so that the work or characters feel right.
But this one... worked. I often lament that lately romances don't do 'workplace' well. Authors make their hero a generic billionaire and somehow they have a ton of time to tool around in jets and whisk the heroine away to exotic vacations. But this one allowed Sam and Val to work. It makes sense, this was a work-place forbidden romance after all. We see them doing table reads, blocking scene, learning lines, and other on set activities. There are scenes with wardrobe and publicists and publicity tours. So as a workplace drama it really delivered.
The biggest conflict is the forbidden nature of the attraction between Sam and Val. You could almost hear them thinking: It is bad enough they are co-workers and on scene lovers, but it would be such a cliche for them to have an on-set romance. But that is the least of it. Sam is married. So while Sam and Val understand that introducing a romance in work is not wise regardless of their individual relationship status, the bigger issue is Sam just isn't available. So when both of the characters realize they are attracted to each other, they fight against it (even trying to deny it is even there). So there is a lot of great tension from a story standpoint. I know I was tense. Do I want them to acknowledge it? Are they good enough actors to hide it from the people who are around them 24/7? Can they not be so sizzling in their love scenes?
So yeah this was good. Smart writing. well drawn characters, and lots of sexy tension.
I really only have two quibbles with the story:
1) It doesn't end on a resolved HEA! Usually this is a deal-break for me. These days I actually do flip to the end before starting a book to see if it ends resolved. If it doesn't I table it till later. But there is another book already written, so I can live with that because I can slide right into the next one without a pesky wait.
2) Sam's wife/marriage. One the one hand I loved that as conflict. It is a good one. But on the other hand I really disliked how it seemed he was such a hostage to his marriage. There was some guilt there and some gratitude there and other issues with his wife Karen that kept him tied. So logically it worked from a story standpoint, but in my head I couldn't help but be exasperated with Sam and felt it kinda weakened him as a character for me.
But like I said this was a quibble.
niaforrester's review against another edition
5.0
This is a new writer for me. And like every new writer you "discover", there's a mix of emotions--a sense of elation that you found them, and a sense of betrayal that they've been hiding from you. Xio Axelrod's book 'Falling Stars' was a risk for me, because when I picked it up, I knew it was the beginning of a series, and I'm generally not a fan of those where each book ends inconclusively. First of all, this isn't one of those. 'Falling Stars' can stand on its own, whether or not another book about this couple is ever written, and second, the writing itself was so good that I didn't care if it ended in the steepest of cliffhangers (it didn't).
So ... about the book. Val Saunders is an actress on the rise and Sam Newman is an actor standing still. She's young and vivacious and he's just past the Hollywood prime, and stuck in a marriage of convenience. Convenient for his wife anyway, but for him, simply painful, lonely and stagnant. When Val and Sam are cast in a new hit series that bears a striking resemblance to the real life hit 'Scandal', the chemistry between them is immediate and difficult to ignore. But Sam is not one to betray his marriage vows no matter how imperfect the marriage, and Val is definitely not the kind of Hollywood starlet who casually hooks up with her co-stars, married or otherwise.
Given that, you wonder, how are we going to get a sense of that hot-as-hell chemistry? Not to fear. Xio Axelrod makes the genius choice of having Sam and Val live out their passion in the scenes they play for the television series. Their kisses, embraces and (most) of their physical encounters happen in the context of their characters, torturing them both as they fight against the urge to embark upon a relationship they both believe would be wrong. But the need to abstain in the real world forces Sam and Val to get to know each other on a much deeper level, and they forge a bond that is unmistakable and just leaps off the page.
I love this kind of writing about relationships, where the writer is able to show the growth of an emotional connection without resorting to sex just to convince us that connection is there. The doubt, longing, and delicious wait for intimacy were incredibly well done in this book. As were the occasional pretty impressive turns of phrase. This wasn't just a "good love story", it was a well-written and layered book. While I certainly look forward to the next installment, this one felt complete.
So ... about the book. Val Saunders is an actress on the rise and Sam Newman is an actor standing still. She's young and vivacious and he's just past the Hollywood prime, and stuck in a marriage of convenience. Convenient for his wife anyway, but for him, simply painful, lonely and stagnant. When Val and Sam are cast in a new hit series that bears a striking resemblance to the real life hit 'Scandal', the chemistry between them is immediate and difficult to ignore. But Sam is not one to betray his marriage vows no matter how imperfect the marriage, and Val is definitely not the kind of Hollywood starlet who casually hooks up with her co-stars, married or otherwise.
Given that, you wonder, how are we going to get a sense of that hot-as-hell chemistry? Not to fear. Xio Axelrod makes the genius choice of having Sam and Val live out their passion in the scenes they play for the television series. Their kisses, embraces and (most) of their physical encounters happen in the context of their characters, torturing them both as they fight against the urge to embark upon a relationship they both believe would be wrong. But the need to abstain in the real world forces Sam and Val to get to know each other on a much deeper level, and they forge a bond that is unmistakable and just leaps off the page.
I love this kind of writing about relationships, where the writer is able to show the growth of an emotional connection without resorting to sex just to convince us that connection is there. The doubt, longing, and delicious wait for intimacy were incredibly well done in this book. As were the occasional pretty impressive turns of phrase. This wasn't just a "good love story", it was a well-written and layered book. While I certainly look forward to the next installment, this one felt complete.
anika's review
4.0
This was a very well written book and a great read. The author did a great job in creating sympathic and vibrant characters. Adultery is always a hard sell in romance but here because of the way the author has crafted the story you are actually hoping for a happy ending for Sam and Valerie. Yes this book also gave me vibes of a certain tv show that I've recently stopped watching. Looking forward to part 2.
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