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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
Almost abandoned this, but I didn't since I paid for the audiobook. The story was uninteresting, and while the sex scenes and spice were explicit in detail, they were lackluster.
2.5 Stars rounded up
I almost DNF’d this book around the 30% mark because I got bored. I think maybe the fact that both characters were porn stars and had worked together once before took away some of the tension and build up I normally like in romance. I ended up skimming and skipping over stuff until I got to parts I was interested in, which surprisingly enough, were not the sex scenes.
I couldn’t help but feel like the MMC, Logan, was at least in part inspired by the actual porn star James Deen—who women had held up as a “boy next door” feminist but was outed at the end of 2015 as a rapist and an abusive piece of shit. Given this book was published in early 2016, it would have been written before everything came out about Deen, so it’s possible he served as a model for Logan’s character. Perhaps that thought in the back of my mind interfered with my enjoyment of the story and ability to connect with the MMC, who knows?
I also didn’t like that he was all broken up about his ex (Raven) who’d left him after three years together, but admitted he’d been fantasizing about the FMC during his whole relationship:
I’m such a dickhead. How can I kiss this girl that I’ve liked for years, this girl I’ve idolized and fantasized about, how can I touch her with even a hint of Raven in my mind? More so, do I really want Raven to taint something I have wanted for so long? Give her ownership of the first off-screen kiss Devi and I will ever share?”
Um, yeah… you’re a dickhead. You’ve been fantasizing and even idolizing this other girl the whole time you were with Raven? Wtf dude. No wonder she left you.
He even tells the FMC, Devi about it later:
“I like you, Devi. Not just in the porno way, but in the mushy hearts and flowers kind of way. I like being with you and hearing you talk and just watching you exist. I know that makes me a stalker, but...well, I guess I don’t really have an excuse for that. Almost every night after our scene, when Raven was asleep, I’d go to my office and beat off to your porn.”
He mixes what could have been a sweet confession to Devi with… that? I guess some girls would like that and be flattered by it (???), but it just felt very off-putting to me. And later:
“Devi, I’m desperately in love with you too. Maybe I have been since the day we met.”
So, let me get this straight… you were in love with Devi but then proceeded to have a 3-year relationship with Raven instead?
All that aside, Devi was cool and I even liked her “weird” parents. I appreciated her maturity in recognizing her own needs and drawing her boundaries. I DID end up liking the direction things took, and the ending was satisfying, so there was that.
I almost DNF’d this book around the 30% mark because I got bored. I think maybe the fact that both characters were porn stars and had worked together once before took away some of the tension and build up I normally like in romance. I ended up skimming and skipping over stuff until I got to parts I was interested in, which surprisingly enough, were not the sex scenes.
Spoiler
I couldn’t help but feel like the MMC, Logan, was at least in part inspired by the actual porn star James Deen—who women had held up as a “boy next door” feminist but was outed at the end of 2015 as a rapist and an abusive piece of shit. Given this book was published in early 2016, it would have been written before everything came out about Deen, so it’s possible he served as a model for Logan’s character. Perhaps that thought in the back of my mind interfered with my enjoyment of the story and ability to connect with the MMC, who knows?
I also didn’t like that he was all broken up about his ex (Raven) who’d left him after three years together, but admitted he’d been fantasizing about the FMC during his whole relationship:
I’m such a dickhead. How can I kiss this girl that I’ve liked for years, this girl I’ve idolized and fantasized about, how can I touch her with even a hint of Raven in my mind? More so, do I really want Raven to taint something I have wanted for so long? Give her ownership of the first off-screen kiss Devi and I will ever share?”
Um, yeah… you’re a dickhead. You’ve been fantasizing and even idolizing this other girl the whole time you were with Raven? Wtf dude. No wonder she left you.
He even tells the FMC, Devi about it later:
“I like you, Devi. Not just in the porno way, but in the mushy hearts and flowers kind of way. I like being with you and hearing you talk and just watching you exist. I know that makes me a stalker, but...well, I guess I don’t really have an excuse for that. Almost every night after our scene, when Raven was asleep, I’d go to my office and beat off to your porn.”
He mixes what could have been a sweet confession to Devi with… that? I guess some girls would like that and be flattered by it (???), but it just felt very off-putting to me. And later:
“Devi, I’m desperately in love with you too. Maybe I have been since the day we met.”
So, let me get this straight… you were in love with Devi but then proceeded to have a 3-year relationship with Raven instead?
All that aside, Devi was cool and I even liked her “weird” parents. I appreciated her maturity in recognizing her own needs and drawing her boundaries. I DID end up liking the direction things took, and the ending was satisfying, so there was that.
There was a ton of this
And a lot of this
So, I did a lot of this
This book was hot and steamy and porny (yes, that's a word now). That aspect was damn good. ;-)
The love part of the story...maybe not quite as good. You really have to lock your eyeballs in place so they'll stop rolling.
However, what MADE this book for me was the award winning (should be award winning) performance/narration by CJ Bloom and Jacob Morgan. I want MORE from this duo.
And a lot of this
So, I did a lot of this
This book was hot and steamy and porny (yes, that's a word now). That aspect was damn good. ;-)
The love part of the story...maybe not quite as good. You really have to lock your eyeballs in place so they'll stop rolling.
However, what MADE this book for me was the award winning (should be award winning) performance/narration by CJ Bloom and Jacob Morgan. I want MORE from this duo.
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
With a title like “Porn Star,” you’d think this book would be hot, hot, hot. And you’d be right. Well, actually it’s an inferno. It’s a total panty melting, jaw dropping scorcher filled with sex—and a lot of it. In between all the sex though, there’s an eye-opening look at the ins and outs of the adult film industry: fair trade, feminist porn, consent, business vs. pleasure, etc.
Devi is a young, somewhat naïve woman on the cusp of becoming a top-tier porn actress. She’s not sure what she wants to do with the rest of her life, but she knows she wants the former co-star she’s been fantasizing about for the past three years. Devi is a sympathetic character, and through her eyes we get to experience some of the harsh realities of the business, as well as the highs and lows of falling in love with a porn star. It’s a dual point of view story, which is helpful in understanding Logan’s struggle with wanting both his career and Devi. Even so, Logan comes across as dense and selfish sometimes.
Without question, the chemistry between Logan and Devi is strong. It’s easy to understand how the line might get blurred between filming a porno reality series and the reality of falling in love, but the plot is rather thin and drawn out. Some of the middle section could be discarded without impacting the storyline. As it is, I spent too much time getting hung up on technical details – like why don’t they have a camera man filming the series instead of just Logan filming themselves? How can they be getting decent footage with a hand held camera sitting on a table while they are moving around?
Devi’s hippie parents are wonderful and the ending (sans the questionable epilogue) is very satisfying.
If you’re looking for a unique story with enough steam to fill your spank bank for a year, Porn Star may fit your bill.
**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.**
Devi is a young, somewhat naïve woman on the cusp of becoming a top-tier porn actress. She’s not sure what she wants to do with the rest of her life, but she knows she wants the former co-star she’s been fantasizing about for the past three years. Devi is a sympathetic character, and through her eyes we get to experience some of the harsh realities of the business, as well as the highs and lows of falling in love with a porn star. It’s a dual point of view story, which is helpful in understanding Logan’s struggle with wanting both his career and Devi. Even so, Logan comes across as dense and selfish sometimes.
Without question, the chemistry between Logan and Devi is strong. It’s easy to understand how the line might get blurred between filming a porno reality series and the reality of falling in love, but the plot is rather thin and drawn out. Some of the middle section could be discarded without impacting the storyline. As it is, I spent too much time getting hung up on technical details – like why don’t they have a camera man filming the series instead of just Logan filming themselves? How can they be getting decent footage with a hand held camera sitting on a table while they are moving around?
Devi’s hippie parents are wonderful and the ending (sans the questionable epilogue) is very satisfying.
If you’re looking for a unique story with enough steam to fill your spank bank for a year, Porn Star may fit your bill.
**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.**
Look at these two fantastic authors joining their super writing powers and collaborating on one heck of a hot book. Logan is the super porn star and Devi is just starting to dip her toe in. She doesn't really do "het" porn (felt like I was learning some new stuff to tuck away in my pron file), mostly girl/girl. These two have been lusting over each other since they did one scene together 3 years ago. Bing- alotta bam- boom, they film a reality series together. These two have a ton of super hot fun times together. Yeah, it wasn't too hard to read about all of that. I liked the storyline and how everything unfolded, it certainly kept my eyeballs moving along on those steamy pages.
Laurelin Paige took on a unusual topic porn stars and made it work. Logan O'toole is at the height of his career while Devi Dare is a three year vetran of the porn industry. Logan and Devi embarck on a journey to bring realism in their movie. When lines are blurred between work and real life; can they maintain a relationship in a industry where love is not in the cards. Paige does a fabulous job in giving the reader an insiders look into porn and people involved in it. Along with writing a great love story.
So much fun. I love Logan, but I might love Devi (maybe even her parents) more.
~Re-read or more appropriate a new listen to a book I've read.
Listening to Jacob as Logan was HEAVEN. As was C.J as Devi.
~Re-read or more appropriate a new listen to a book I've read.
Listening to Jacob as Logan was HEAVEN. As was C.J as Devi.