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readwithloz's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.5
Catherine Steadman was already one of my auto-buy authors, but this one may be my fave, such a ride!
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape, Drug use, Violence, and Infidelity
javafenn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I am obsessed with Catherine Steadman and I’m even more obsessed that she narrates her own books. She’s got a fantastic voice for narration plus her stories are deliciously suspenseful. This story, about an actress coming to America for a chance at a big break after a utterly heartbreaking breakup, is an adventure in mystery. A fellow actress goes missing after our main character briefly meets her. What unfolds is an unpredictable mystery. It’s hard but fun to figure out who is trustworthy and who isn’t, including our protagonist. Great read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicide, Rape, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Murder, Kidnapping, Violence, Blood, Car accident, and Death
tristapruridge's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual harassment, Murder, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Sexism
nrogers_1030's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Infidelity
Moderate: Rape and Car accident
Minor: Sexism, Murder, and Gun violence
jaygabler's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Thank you Random House for the free book. Try it if you liked The Rehearsal but wished that instead it was a thriller set in a contemporary Hollywood where breakthrough roles become bargaining chips in a devastating game.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape and Violence
maudenbo's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I’ve only read two Catherine Steadman books to date and I loved them both for the same reason. While there are parts of the book you can predict, it’s so hard to fit all of the pieces together until the end. I love that there are twists that actually catch me off guard, a rarity in this genre for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, and Suicide
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Gun violence and Drug use
girlonbooks's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
🔑🔑🔑 Three Stars (as rated in Emily's car keys)
Mia Eliot is in Hollywood to make a fresh start. Her personal life may be crumbling around her but professionally she's riding the wave of her new-found fame on the critically acclaimed show called, *Jane*. With nothing and no one holding her back, Mia is determined to land her next big role. But the L.A. scene is a lot more cut-throat than what she's gotten used to in London. Mia finds solace one afternoon in commiserating over the whole charade with another actress at an audition. But only moments later the woman is gone, her keys and wallet left behind in Mia's possession. What began for Mia as a random act of kindness is quickly spiraling into something more dangerous. In a city built on fake personas, how far should one actress go to discover what's real?
Mia Eliot is in Hollywood to make a fresh start. Her personal life may be crumbling around her but professionally she's riding the wave of her new-found fame on the critically acclaimed show called, *Jane*. With nothing and no one holding her back, Mia is determined to land her next big role. But the L.A. scene is a lot more cut-throat than what she's gotten used to in London. Mia finds solace one afternoon in commiserating over the whole charade with another actress at an audition. But only moments later the woman is gone, her keys and wallet left behind in Mia's possession. What began for Mia as a random act of kindness is quickly spiraling into something more dangerous. In a city built on fake personas, how far should one actress go to discover what's real?
“It’s hard not to think the worst when you’re trying not to think the worst.”
I very much wanted to love this story. It has a neat enough premise and I think the bones were there. I just didn't really connect with any of what was happening and felt let down by the end. I can't say it was "bad" in any way, but I certainly had to drag myself through the end. Truth be told, my biggest motivator for finishing this book is that it was my Taurus pick for the month of June and I am nothing if not a completionist!
✨ Read this book because: you need a beach read or something to get you through a flight or longer commute
✨ Content warnings for this book: sexual assault, sexual violence, rape, violence, murder, drowning, gun violence, blackmailing, threats of violence, suicide, stalking
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Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Self harm, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Suicide, Toxic friendship, and Violence
csunshine17's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
I enjoyed this book and finished it quickly! The writing flowed easily and the twists and turns of the plot were engaging. Even though some of the character's decisions seemed unbelievably rash, it didn't affect my enjoyment of the plot or the character.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Suicide
mysterymom40's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Sexual assault
Sexual assault not on page, but replays of it appear in a different format of the story.outsmartyourshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.5
When British actor, twenty-eight-year-old Mia Eliot, is heartlessly dumped for a younger woman by her boyfriend of six years, she decides to take up an invitation to go to LA for pilot season. When she arrives she is stunned to be housed in a spacious apartment & given a brand new car for free - all she needs to do is promise to Instagram them. Mia's agent has booked her a photo shoot & several auditions, but at one of them Mia meets Emily, an actor from New York, up for the same part. Despite this the women get chatting & when Emily is called into her audition, Mia offers to feed the meter so Emily's car isn't towed away. After doing so, Mia returns to the reception room but the person coming out of the audition room isn't Emily - in fact she seems to have disappeared altogether. When Emily won't return her calls, & the police don't want to know, Mia starts a desperate search of her own to find out what really happened to Emily, but when it looks like someone is gaining access to her emails & even entering her apartment in the middle of the night, it seems Mia may have put herself in terrible danger.
For 80-90% of this book I was absolutely hooked, the MC was fairly easy to like & the pace was blistering with some excellent twists & turns. I literally couldn't put it down & found myself a third of the way through in the first hour. I think the ending felt rather rushed though & it didn't quite do justice to the rest of the book in my opinion, but I enjoyed the rest of it so much that it deserves 4.5 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Simon & Schuster, for the opportunity to read an ARC. I am voluntarily giving an honest review.
For 80-90% of this book I was absolutely hooked, the MC was fairly easy to like & the pace was blistering with some excellent twists & turns. I literally couldn't put it down & found myself a third of the way through in the first hour. I think the ending felt rather rushed though & it didn't quite do justice to the rest of the book in my opinion, but I enjoyed the rest of it so much that it deserves 4.5 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Simon & Schuster, for the opportunity to read an ARC. I am voluntarily giving an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Violence