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bookdevouringmisfit's review against another edition
4.0
Can we have a sequel please? I want more of Emma and Jake I ship them so much it hurts. #OTP5ever
talya_'s review against another edition
1.0
By far the most boring book I've ever read. The characters are boring, the relationship is boring, the plot is boring. The whole book was just annoying due to the fact that nothing happens and the book's centered around two incredibly boring people in an incredibly boring relationship with incredibly boring dialogue.
reddyrat's review against another edition
5.0
Every once in awhile, a book comes out that makes you question whether an author has a direct connection to your mind in order to write a book geared entirely to you. I love contemporary YA romance. I particularly like the fun, fluffy kind where you know that everything will basically be wrapped up in a neat bow by the end. More specifically, I love books about Hollywood and the whole celebrity scene. Either ones that are about established actors or are about people new to the acting world.
Not in the Script ticks every one of my must read boxes. So much so that it was the first book I read after BEA. The book is just as good as I hoped it would be.
The story is told from the alternating perspectives of Emma, the acting veteran, and Jake, the acting newbie. The characters are similar in a way. Both are very "good." I don't mean that they are unrealistically perfect, but more in the way that they are the type of people you'd want to introduce to your parents. She's sweet, he's charming.
Moreover, they are both looking to be something more. Emma is looking to escape from the bad boy decisions of her past and find a way to help people. Jake has a hot bod, but views modeling and acting more as stepping stones to a real career. The easy, jokey chemistry between them is immediately palpable, and it's understandable that they would be attracted to each other. Even more understandable as you get to know them.
It would be easy to write Emma and Jake as one dimensional perfect characters, but Amy did a great job of fleshing them out. As events of the book unfold, we see realistic flaws arise. Jealousy, indecisiveness, leaping to conclusions, and fear of hurting people they love.
I really enjoyed the side characters, especially Jake and Emma's costars Brett and Kimmi. They both seem like smarmy stereotypical starlets, which they are, but they are hints of decentness. I found their antics really amusing. Jake and Emma's families and friends were a tale of opposites. Emma's mom is a loving person, but has become so obsessed with being her manager that she's forgotten to be a mom. It's obvious to everyone but Emma that her best friend Rachel's jealousy over Emma's successful career has largely overtaken their friendship. Contrast that with Jake's saintly, health challenged mom and his cool, normal friends Sophie and Devin. They provide a level of grounding for Jake that Emma could use.
The story is more of a will-they-or-won't-they tale than a smexy times book. You can feel the heat between Emma and Jake, but everything is very innocent - especially considering they are older than most YA characters. About 18 and 19, give or take a year (can't remember exactly). I'm generally more interested in the drama of people getting together than I am in reading loads of steamy make out scenes, so I was happy.
Although it does lead in to my sole complaint. The book is innocent. No swear words. No questionable situations. It's appropriate for younger teens. That's great that there are books out there like this. But...at one point, Emma says "there will be heck to pay." Heck? I cannot imagine a scenario where a seasoned Hollywood actress would say that. It took me completely out of the moment. I don't consider "hell" to be a swear word, and many "clean" YA novels use that as a "safe" word. Just use "hell to pay" or change the sentence to avoid that phrase. Rant over now.
Apart from that, the book was very well written. The alternating voices established each character well. It's a very quick read. The prose flows smoothing, and the pacing was good.
Oh, one other complaint. The book should have been set in Phoenix. Phoenix is far superior to Tucson. :-)
I adored this novel. Hollywood. Sets. Celebrities. I was in heaven. Plus, nice leading characters who I immediately rooted for and well drawn side characters. A sweet, relatively simple romance and a strong plot. What more could you want? This is a feel good novel, and that's exactly what I wanted. Amy Finnegan has become an auto-buy. I can't wait to see what she does next.
Recommendation: Buy (especially for fans of Jen Calonita and Joanna Philbin)
Not in the Script ticks every one of my must read boxes. So much so that it was the first book I read after BEA. The book is just as good as I hoped it would be.
The story is told from the alternating perspectives of Emma, the acting veteran, and Jake, the acting newbie. The characters are similar in a way. Both are very "good." I don't mean that they are unrealistically perfect, but more in the way that they are the type of people you'd want to introduce to your parents. She's sweet, he's charming.
Moreover, they are both looking to be something more. Emma is looking to escape from the bad boy decisions of her past and find a way to help people. Jake has a hot bod, but views modeling and acting more as stepping stones to a real career. The easy, jokey chemistry between them is immediately palpable, and it's understandable that they would be attracted to each other. Even more understandable as you get to know them.
It would be easy to write Emma and Jake as one dimensional perfect characters, but Amy did a great job of fleshing them out. As events of the book unfold, we see realistic flaws arise. Jealousy, indecisiveness, leaping to conclusions, and fear of hurting people they love.
I really enjoyed the side characters, especially Jake and Emma's costars Brett and Kimmi. They both seem like smarmy stereotypical starlets, which they are, but they are hints of decentness. I found their antics really amusing. Jake and Emma's families and friends were a tale of opposites. Emma's mom is a loving person, but has become so obsessed with being her manager that she's forgotten to be a mom. It's obvious to everyone but Emma that her best friend Rachel's jealousy over Emma's successful career has largely overtaken their friendship. Contrast that with Jake's saintly, health challenged mom and his cool, normal friends Sophie and Devin. They provide a level of grounding for Jake that Emma could use.
The story is more of a will-they-or-won't-they tale than a smexy times book. You can feel the heat between Emma and Jake, but everything is very innocent - especially considering they are older than most YA characters. About 18 and 19, give or take a year (can't remember exactly). I'm generally more interested in the drama of people getting together than I am in reading loads of steamy make out scenes, so I was happy.
Although it does lead in to my sole complaint. The book is innocent. No swear words. No questionable situations. It's appropriate for younger teens. That's great that there are books out there like this. But...at one point, Emma says "there will be heck to pay." Heck? I cannot imagine a scenario where a seasoned Hollywood actress would say that. It took me completely out of the moment. I don't consider "hell" to be a swear word, and many "clean" YA novels use that as a "safe" word. Just use "hell to pay" or change the sentence to avoid that phrase. Rant over now.
Apart from that, the book was very well written. The alternating voices established each character well. It's a very quick read. The prose flows smoothing, and the pacing was good.
Oh, one other complaint. The book should have been set in Phoenix. Phoenix is far superior to Tucson. :-)
I adored this novel. Hollywood. Sets. Celebrities. I was in heaven. Plus, nice leading characters who I immediately rooted for and well drawn side characters. A sweet, relatively simple romance and a strong plot. What more could you want? This is a feel good novel, and that's exactly what I wanted. Amy Finnegan has become an auto-buy. I can't wait to see what she does next.
Recommendation: Buy (especially for fans of Jen Calonita and Joanna Philbin)
flowersofquiethappiness's review against another edition
4.0
So much adorableness! For a bit of fluff that made me grin the whole way through, this one has a lot of heart as well. That's not to say Emma and Jake didn't frustrate me at times, but not so much that I couldn't enjoy their bantering back and forth. They were cute, which was all I was looking for. :)
sailorkchick's review against another edition
4.0
I went looking for an easy, adorable and happy read and I found it. Emma and Jake are both great characters and down to earth despite their careers. I gobbled this book up.
katie_chandler's review against another edition
4.0
This probably would have been my favorite book in middle or high school. If you can believe it, there was a point when even as a shy tween I begged my mom to let me audition for Hollywood, and I was all about chic lit then... who'm I kidding! My Goodreads is covered in chic lit.
The characters seemed realistic and for teen actors surprisingly not too over-dramatic. The main female character is said to be a "good girl" with values and self-confidence, which is refreshing for YA read. While she had typical teenage lapses in judgement, I really appreciated the example that she and other main characters communicated through their problems to resolve relationships.
Also enjoyed the behind the scenes facts included in the sitcom story line, like script reads, sound editing, and on-set lingo that seemed to be well researched.
The characters seemed realistic and for teen actors surprisingly not too over-dramatic. The main female character is said to be a "good girl" with values and self-confidence, which is refreshing for YA read. While she had typical teenage lapses in judgement, I really appreciated the example that she and other main characters communicated through their problems to resolve relationships.
Also enjoyed the behind the scenes facts included in the sitcom story line, like script reads, sound editing, and on-set lingo that seemed to be well researched.
brandypainter's review against another edition
4.0
Originally posted here at Random Musings of a Bibliophile.
Not in the Script is a book I was so excited to read because I love these types of story lines about people with lives so different from your own that seem glamorous and fun. I was also nervous because I like to feel like even when these stories are showing me a fantasy life, I want them infused with some realism. Also I didn't want to dislike the book because I think Amy Finnegan is a lovely person and that always gets awkward. Fortunately, I did like it and spent a wonderful afternoon soaking in all its fun fluffy romance (with some substance-just like I wanted)!
I really like both Emma and Jake. Emma is a focused actress and diligent student. She has made several poor choices in her dating life over the years, going out with guys who are egomaniacs and end up cheating on her. Unfortunately for her, her dating mistakes are broadcast all over the country courtesy of her being a famous actress. But despite haven a very grown up job, Emma is still only 18 and learning her way in the world. She grew up with the spotlight on her. She is down to earth and lives a fairly normal life with great parents who support her, but the Hollywood lifestyle still has its affects and makes her life difficult. Jake is a model who is taking on his first acting role so that he can stay in one place long enough to go to college. It's his life long dream to go into business. He is a devoted son, good friend, and genuine nice guy. He too has faults though, makes mistakes, and is young. I loved how genuine both of them are. They act exactly how I imagine kids their age who already have careers to manage and juggle with life would act if they were mature responsible human beings. It's great. Together they are even better. Often at ease with each other, but with exactly the right amount of sexual tension. It was lovely watching their relationship develop and seeing them come to terms with what they want. I also love the dialogue int his book and the easy banter between these two characters especially.
There is a fair bit of drama. This is to be expected. It's a story about actors after all. I think Finnegan did a masterful job of making this drama realistic and never too cliche. I particularly like how she handled the characterization of both secondary female characters and their relationships with Emma. I typically don't like stories where there is more than one guy romantically interested in the main female character, but felt Finnegan handled that aspect well too. I love that Emma, star though she was, also had the ability to be star struck. I also felt that Brett's level of manipulation was perfectly conveyed, but that even he wasn't completely a villain. All the characters here have nuance and substance.
This is a fun book. If you like contemporary romance, definitely pick it up.
I read an e-galley made available by the publisher, Bloomsbury Children US, on NetGalley. The release date for Not in the Script is October 7, 2014.
Not in the Script is a book I was so excited to read because I love these types of story lines about people with lives so different from your own that seem glamorous and fun. I was also nervous because I like to feel like even when these stories are showing me a fantasy life, I want them infused with some realism. Also I didn't want to dislike the book because I think Amy Finnegan is a lovely person and that always gets awkward. Fortunately, I did like it and spent a wonderful afternoon soaking in all its fun fluffy romance (with some substance-just like I wanted)!
I really like both Emma and Jake. Emma is a focused actress and diligent student. She has made several poor choices in her dating life over the years, going out with guys who are egomaniacs and end up cheating on her. Unfortunately for her, her dating mistakes are broadcast all over the country courtesy of her being a famous actress. But despite haven a very grown up job, Emma is still only 18 and learning her way in the world. She grew up with the spotlight on her. She is down to earth and lives a fairly normal life with great parents who support her, but the Hollywood lifestyle still has its affects and makes her life difficult. Jake is a model who is taking on his first acting role so that he can stay in one place long enough to go to college. It's his life long dream to go into business. He is a devoted son, good friend, and genuine nice guy. He too has faults though, makes mistakes, and is young. I loved how genuine both of them are. They act exactly how I imagine kids their age who already have careers to manage and juggle with life would act if they were mature responsible human beings. It's great. Together they are even better. Often at ease with each other, but with exactly the right amount of sexual tension. It was lovely watching their relationship develop and seeing them come to terms with what they want. I also love the dialogue int his book and the easy banter between these two characters especially.
There is a fair bit of drama. This is to be expected. It's a story about actors after all. I think Finnegan did a masterful job of making this drama realistic and never too cliche. I particularly like how she handled the characterization of both secondary female characters and their relationships with Emma. I typically don't like stories where there is more than one guy romantically interested in the main female character, but felt Finnegan handled that aspect well too. I love that Emma, star though she was, also had the ability to be star struck. I also felt that Brett's level of manipulation was perfectly conveyed, but that even he wasn't completely a villain. All the characters here have nuance and substance.
This is a fun book. If you like contemporary romance, definitely pick it up.
I read an e-galley made available by the publisher, Bloomsbury Children US, on NetGalley. The release date for Not in the Script is October 7, 2014.
sqeeker's review against another edition
3.0
A generous 2.5 stars
- This is a fluff book. I'm kinda picky about my fluff books, and this one just didn't do it for me.
- Rachel is SO SO SO annoying!
- Nothing really happens for most of the book. There is practically no plot. The characters talk and talk and talk and then talk some more.
- A lot of people liked the banter between Emma and Jake, but I wasn't feeling it. I wasn't as great as other books I've read, and I didn't find it funny.
- I did like that Emma and Jake had other goals in life than acting. They were more real, and they wanted a good education.
- At first I really didn't like Kimmi, but in the end I wanted to give her a high five. I still didn't like her, but she deserved a high five.
- Hated Brett from the get go!
- Overall this book was cute, but it wasn't for me.
- This is a fluff book. I'm kinda picky about my fluff books, and this one just didn't do it for me.
- Rachel is SO SO SO annoying!
- Nothing really happens for most of the book. There is practically no plot. The characters talk and talk and talk and then talk some more.
- A lot of people liked the banter between Emma and Jake, but I wasn't feeling it. I wasn't as great as other books I've read, and I didn't find it funny.
- I did like that Emma and Jake had other goals in life than acting. They were more real, and they wanted a good education.
- At first I really didn't like Kimmi, but in the end I wanted to give her a high five. I still didn't like her, but she deserved a high five.
- Hated Brett from the get go!
- Overall this book was cute, but it wasn't for me.
maggiemaggio's review against another edition
3.0
Let's just say that I enjoyed reading Not in the Script, but if you want a better version of this normal-people-in-Hollywood story you should definitely check out Tammara Webber's Between the Lines series. That said, Not in the Script has a lot of redeeming qualities, but it also has its fair share of issues. I'm going to break it down a little differently than I normally do.
First, Emma, the main female character, was a joy to read about. Amy Finnegan managed to strike the perfect balance between Taylor-Swift-like huge Hollywood star known for her talent and romantic entanglements and also normal girl. Emma is a really talented actress who is super famous, like can't go out in public she's so famous, but in pretty much every scene of the book she seemed really down to earth, but also not sickeningly sweet.
Second, Jake, the main male character, had the same great, relaxed personality that Emma did, but somehow he was a more difficult character to know. Jake is a former model who has only recently broke into acting and the show that he and Emma are starring in is his first major job. Jake is eager to prove himself as more than a pretty face, he really just wants to make enough money to go to college and pay to take care of his mom who recently had a stroke. All of that makes Jake a pretty admirable guy who's easy to like, but he also just seemed very generic. Even though the story is told from the perspective of Jake and Emma their voices are really similar and I often questioned the authenticity of Jake's voice.
Third, the look at the Hollywood side of the story was really fun. Emma and Jake have recently signed on to a new TV show that's filming in Tucson, Arizona. Even though the story took place outside of Hollywood there were still interesting behind-the-scenes looks at the process of making the TV show like the first table read, time spent in hair and makeup, and talk of long days and what really goes into filming one little scene. There are also trips to Hollywood and things like a media tour to really drive home the Hollywood idea. Also, I've never been to Tucson, but I am a long-time reader of a fitness blogger who lives in Tucson and lots of the places mentioned in the book are places she talks about on her blog so it seemed pretty authentic to me.
Fourth, there were sadly some things about the writing that bugged me or rubbed me the wrong way. There were many cases of showing rather than telling throughout the story, but especially at the end of chapters. There were probably five or more chapters that would have been so much better if they had ended just one sentence earlier. I got what happened, I'm sure pretty much anyone capable of reading the book understands what happened so really there's no need to provide another sentence of explanation. There were also some moments, and I wish I had made better notes about them, where Jake made strange comments about Emma's body and eating habits. The one I very clearly remember was him talking about how nice it was to be able to fit both hands fully around her waist. Not only did the comments seem a little creepy/unhealthy, they also just weren't things I could really picture a guy saying (see point number two above).
Fifth, the part of the story where I thought Amy Finnegan really excelled was at building relationships. The romantic relationship, and friendship, between Emma and Jake was great, but she also did a great job at handling the other relationships in the story. Emma and Jake work primarily with two other actors, a diva girl and a kind of slightly washed up bad boy. The friendships/frenemy-ships work really well and each of those secondary characters really brought something to the story. Emma's relationship with her parents was also really strong and even though she had some battles with her mother, who's also her publicist, it was nice to see mostly normal parents as the parents of a Hollywood star. Throughout the story Emma's relationship with her childhood best friend never quiet clicked, but I was pleasantly surprised by how that relationship ended up playing out and I came away respecting Amy Finnegan for what she did with it.
Bottom Line: Not in the Script is a fun, quick book about young Hollywood stars. It has some issues with characterization and the story telling, but it still provides a great behind-the-scenes look at the making of a TV show and an interesting look at the show's young cast. I wouldn't say to run out and read it ASAP, but if you're looking for light and fun and you like Hollywood stories it's worth giving a try.
I received an electronic review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley (thank you!). All opinions are my own.
This review first appeared on my blog.
First, Emma, the main female character, was a joy to read about. Amy Finnegan managed to strike the perfect balance between Taylor-Swift-like huge Hollywood star known for her talent and romantic entanglements and also normal girl. Emma is a really talented actress who is super famous, like can't go out in public she's so famous, but in pretty much every scene of the book she seemed really down to earth, but also not sickeningly sweet.
Second, Jake, the main male character, had the same great, relaxed personality that Emma did, but somehow he was a more difficult character to know. Jake is a former model who has only recently broke into acting and the show that he and Emma are starring in is his first major job. Jake is eager to prove himself as more than a pretty face, he really just wants to make enough money to go to college and pay to take care of his mom who recently had a stroke. All of that makes Jake a pretty admirable guy who's easy to like, but he also just seemed very generic. Even though the story is told from the perspective of Jake and Emma their voices are really similar and I often questioned the authenticity of Jake's voice.
Third, the look at the Hollywood side of the story was really fun. Emma and Jake have recently signed on to a new TV show that's filming in Tucson, Arizona. Even though the story took place outside of Hollywood there were still interesting behind-the-scenes looks at the process of making the TV show like the first table read, time spent in hair and makeup, and talk of long days and what really goes into filming one little scene. There are also trips to Hollywood and things like a media tour to really drive home the Hollywood idea. Also, I've never been to Tucson, but I am a long-time reader of a fitness blogger who lives in Tucson and lots of the places mentioned in the book are places she talks about on her blog so it seemed pretty authentic to me.
Fourth, there were sadly some things about the writing that bugged me or rubbed me the wrong way. There were many cases of showing rather than telling throughout the story, but especially at the end of chapters. There were probably five or more chapters that would have been so much better if they had ended just one sentence earlier. I got what happened, I'm sure pretty much anyone capable of reading the book understands what happened so really there's no need to provide another sentence of explanation. There were also some moments, and I wish I had made better notes about them, where Jake made strange comments about Emma's body and eating habits. The one I very clearly remember was him talking about how nice it was to be able to fit both hands fully around her waist. Not only did the comments seem a little creepy/unhealthy, they also just weren't things I could really picture a guy saying (see point number two above).
Fifth, the part of the story where I thought Amy Finnegan really excelled was at building relationships. The romantic relationship, and friendship, between Emma and Jake was great, but she also did a great job at handling the other relationships in the story. Emma and Jake work primarily with two other actors, a diva girl and a kind of slightly washed up bad boy. The friendships/frenemy-ships work really well and each of those secondary characters really brought something to the story. Emma's relationship with her parents was also really strong and even though she had some battles with her mother, who's also her publicist, it was nice to see mostly normal parents as the parents of a Hollywood star. Throughout the story Emma's relationship with her childhood best friend never quiet clicked, but I was pleasantly surprised by how that relationship ended up playing out and I came away respecting Amy Finnegan for what she did with it.
Bottom Line: Not in the Script is a fun, quick book about young Hollywood stars. It has some issues with characterization and the story telling, but it still provides a great behind-the-scenes look at the making of a TV show and an interesting look at the show's young cast. I wouldn't say to run out and read it ASAP, but if you're looking for light and fun and you like Hollywood stories it's worth giving a try.
I received an electronic review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley (thank you!). All opinions are my own.
This review first appeared on my blog.
emilygrafton8's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book! It had everything that I wanted and everything that I love reading about. There was drama, romance, funny moments, and a great cast of characters. I loved reading about famous people and seeing how their life is. I also loved seeing the parts on the set of their T.V show and see how a T.V show is made. Emma was a great main character. She was so down to earth and it didn't even feel like she was a celebrity. I felt like she was a little bit overdramatic at times, but it was understandable sometimes. Jake was a really great other main character. I loved him, he was sweet, caring, and so funny. I liked hearing from both his voice and Emma's as well. Kimmi was a bit annoying, but I feel like she was sort of planned to be like that. Brett was something else, I thought he was so funny a times and really cared for Emma. I still didn't like what he did at the end. The other minor characters like the parents, and Jake's friends were such a great touch, I enjoyed seeing. Overall I liked everything about this book and really enjoyed it!