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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
I was so excited to get this arc from Netgalley! I love books set in Hollywood that write about the ins and outs of producing a TV show or movie. You could tell that the author researched and didn't just make up a glamorized version of Hollywood. The banter between the lead characters was quick-witted and genuine. I would expect nothing less from a Wholigan!
A bit too much angst and drama for me. Two leads in a TV drama fall for each other, but the anxiety and fame cause the woman to break the relationship off and the love turns to wanting to hurt each other until the woman comes back for the final season and they are sent to couple's counseling.
I did enjoy the twist on the ending, but not enough to round up.
I did enjoy the twist on the ending, but not enough to round up.
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I thought this was a very cute read (or listen in my case). I instantly like Lilah and Shane. I love that their relationship was messy, and that they put in the work to understand what went wrong and to correct it. It took time to build the trust up and I appreciate the author's honesty with that. I also liked to see the representation in Lilah for anxiety and in Shane for people pleasing. Well done!
Pam and Jim. Lorelei and Luke. Nick and Jess. The will-they-or-won’t they television trope involves two characters with #UnresolvedSexualTension that take a loooooong time to hook up (or maybe never do), and it’s related to the Zeigarnik Effect that postulates that people remember unfinished/interrupted tasks better than completed tasks: the interest in unresolved things is higher and keeps us watching (or reading).
Enter Lilah and Shane, who got their big break together (her after years of diligent showing up for auditions, cast in increasingly bigger productions), and him (unfairly!) from a discovery at his day job. Cast as attracted colleagues who never consummate the relationship on the paranormal television show Intangibles, their relationship deteriorates over the course of the show until she ditches in season five for a movie contract. It flops. Invited back for the finale (and unbeknownst to their complicated past), the producers intend for their characters to (finally!) hook up, but can Lilah and Shane make nice between scenes when they can’t seem to stand one another?
This well-told tale moves back and forth in time (spoiler: they didn’t always hate each other) and in the best of enemies-to-lovers fashion, lots of the angst is unresolved miscommunication, not meanness or pettiness or different values systems. The reader needs to suspend disbelief that the issues couldn’t have been solved with one open, honest chat, but it’s par for the course for the trope, and not entirely unrealistic that people don’t enjoy difficult conversations and fear rejection. The story feels light, but is grounded by mental health and body issues. Lilah is the one not into relationships, which is a bit of plot twist. The banter is fun, their connection emotional AND banter-y, and it was hard to put down. Recommended for fans of Once in a Blue Moon by Christina Laurens and Reunion by Kayla Olson (I have not yet read Wilder’s How to Fake it In Hollywood yet, but it’s queued up next in Audible!)
I received a free, advance reader’s review copy of #WillTheyOrWon’tThey from #NetGalley
Enter Lilah and Shane, who got their big break together (her after years of diligent showing up for auditions, cast in increasingly bigger productions), and him (unfairly!) from a discovery at his day job. Cast as attracted colleagues who never consummate the relationship on the paranormal television show Intangibles, their relationship deteriorates over the course of the show until she ditches in season five for a movie contract. It flops. Invited back for the finale (and unbeknownst to their complicated past), the producers intend for their characters to (finally!) hook up, but can Lilah and Shane make nice between scenes when they can’t seem to stand one another?
This well-told tale moves back and forth in time (spoiler: they didn’t always hate each other) and in the best of enemies-to-lovers fashion, lots of the angst is unresolved miscommunication, not meanness or pettiness or different values systems. The reader needs to suspend disbelief that the issues couldn’t have been solved with one open, honest chat, but it’s par for the course for the trope, and not entirely unrealistic that people don’t enjoy difficult conversations and fear rejection. The story feels light, but is grounded by mental health and body issues. Lilah is the one not into relationships, which is a bit of plot twist. The banter is fun, their connection emotional AND banter-y, and it was hard to put down. Recommended for fans of Once in a Blue Moon by Christina Laurens and Reunion by Kayla Olson (I have not yet read Wilder’s How to Fake it In Hollywood yet, but it’s queued up next in Audible!)
I received a free, advance reader’s review copy of #WillTheyOrWon’tThey from #NetGalley
The main girl was sooo hard to root for, and it impacts the whole book. Not sure why the couple had to discuss marriage and children the page after they get together but oh well? I would read this author’s books again so that raises my opinion of it. A quick read.
Second chance romance with flashbacks set during the production of a TV show featuring fake celebrities - count me in! A solid rom-com that checks all the boxes!
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really appreciated the down to earth take on a celebrity romance, and I loved the FMC’s struggle with anxiety, and how she deals with it. I also appreciated the mature way the studio had them work through their issues by going to couples therapy appointments. Mainly, I enjoy stories where the couples put in the work to have a happy healthy relationship, and this showcased that.