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3.44 AVERAGE
3.44 AVERAGE
I wanted to love this but settled for only liking it. I felt like they touched on really heavy topics but then kind of glossed over them. He’s got stage fright and he struggled with alcoholism but then just decided he wasn’t scared and he wasn’t an alcoholic and it was fine? I also confused as to why the break up from her ex kept coming up if there wasn’t some kind of climax with that.?
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.5 rounded up - This second chance, coming of middle-age story got off to a bit of a rocky start for me but by the end the two main characters, Sloane an out of work actress, and Joseph (Joe), a recovering alcoholic actor, really grew on me and I was totally cheering for their happily ever after. Joe and Sloane had worked together on a movie many years ago and it was complete torture for Sloane, as Joe was very offensive and deep in his alcoholic stage. Meanwhile fired from her starring role on a popular television show, Sloane ends up getting involved in her Hollywood family's latest movie project, which happens to also star Joe. Along the way the two are able to get to know one another better and Joe works hard to redeem his past actions. While Sloane is slow to give in to her feelings for Joe, I couldn't help but fall for Joe and the many ways he goes out of his way to make up for his past. There's lots of behind the scenes movie making content in this book that was really fun to read - I especially enjoyed the intricacies of filming a love scene with a man you're pretending not to like. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy. This was great on audio, with powerhouse Saskia Maarleveld as narrator.
honestly it’s a great book i really loved the tension and the slow burn i loved solan and the family drama it’s just i find the hotel scene very expected, idk why i didn’t really enjoy it and just quickly read through. i love solan and tyler’s relationship it’s perfect and bittersweet
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
Sloane Ford is the daughter of a Hollywood power couple and her entire family is in the business and she is hitting a low point in her career, so she helps her sister as she directs her first movie and Sloane takes the producer role to help her out. Of course, the main actor in this movie is someone from her past and the last interaction they had wasn't positive, but she is bound and determined for her sister to complete this project with something she is proud of.
Sloane Ford is the daughter of a Hollywood power couple and her entire family is in the business and she is hitting a low point in her career, so she helps her sister as she directs her first movie and Sloane takes the producer role to help her out. Of course, the main actor in this movie is someone from her past and the last interaction they had wasn't positive, but she is bound and determined for her sister to complete this project with something she is proud of.
I feel so torn about this book. I loved the prose and how real many of the situations felt, but I never actually loved the main characters or their love.
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
way more people need to read this!! i really highly recommend this for anyone who likes romance in general because it took me by surprise and now i'm kicking myself for leaving it on my tbr for years. the gist of it is two nepo babies (one of which hates the other with a passion) get stuck working on the same movie after having a horrible experience as co-stars on another film, years ago. it's a pretty one-sided enemies to lovers, or enemies-friends-lovers, which is usually not my thing but the author really pulled this one off. a lot of the 'enemies' part was off page (or was because of off page events) so that might be why. i really liked joseph as a mmc - he didn't excuse his past behaviour or manipulate her into feeling guilty for holding a grudge, he just made amends and tried to keep showing that he'd changed. for me it ticks a lot of the boxes that emily henry does while still being distinctly different in tone. it almost feels like if beach read met gossip girl, although it's set in LA. (i never watched much of 90210)
the characterisation was so good! the book is set on a fictional movie set with her infamous mother returning to the silver screen after a long hiatus, her stepfather and sister co-directing what would be her sister's directorial debut, and her brother composing the score for the movie. both her mother and father are renowned in the industry and both remarried, so she has a huge blended family that is very much involved in her life even when they aren't directly working on the movie with her. despite the huge cast, all of these characters felt distinct from each other without seeming like caricatures (difficult to pull off i'm sure) and i found myself itching to see more of all of them.
i would've given the first half 5 stars, but imo there was so much potential for more development, even outside of the romance. i think the reveal at the end wherejoseph tells her he had been thinking of her their 5 years apart and took the role hoping to see her lost me a little because it just seemed unnecessary and out of left field - this isn't dual pov (which is ordinarily great bc i prefer solo pov) so i felt like it almost took away from his whole (off page) healing + sobriety journey and cheapened it a little . sloane had complicated and strained (yet still loving) relationships with most of her family, and it felt a little too neatly wrapped up in end so i was just a little disappointed. this does not take away from the romance though, and i still think it's amazing on it's own!
the prose isn't super flowery but the editing is tight and i really liked the writing style. the dialogue felt natural, and the pacing was great. this story almost felt like a british romance (especially in the first half) because there was more focus on her other interpersonal relationships and her own development than most contemporaries. i love when books explore strained familial relationships, particularly in romance, so while this did fall somewhat flat in this area near the end it still hit the mark for me overall. like i said, i wish her conflicts with her mother and sister were given slightly more development because it felt like they were resolved slightly too easily and neatly. i think because the groundwork was there in the beginning it was way more disappointing than it would've been had they been more one dimensional.
the characterisation was so good! the book is set on a fictional movie set with her infamous mother returning to the silver screen after a long hiatus, her stepfather and sister co-directing what would be her sister's directorial debut, and her brother composing the score for the movie. both her mother and father are renowned in the industry and both remarried, so she has a huge blended family that is very much involved in her life even when they aren't directly working on the movie with her. despite the huge cast, all of these characters felt distinct from each other without seeming like caricatures (difficult to pull off i'm sure) and i found myself itching to see more of all of them.
i would've given the first half 5 stars, but imo there was so much potential for more development, even outside of the romance. i think the reveal at the end where
the prose isn't super flowery but the editing is tight and i really liked the writing style. the dialogue felt natural, and the pacing was great. this story almost felt like a british romance (especially in the first half) because there was more focus on her other interpersonal relationships and her own development than most contemporaries. i love when books explore strained familial relationships, particularly in romance, so while this did fall somewhat flat in this area near the end it still hit the mark for me overall. like i said, i wish her conflicts with her mother and sister were given slightly more development because it felt like they were resolved slightly too easily and neatly. i think because the groundwork was there in the beginning it was way more disappointing than it would've been had they been more one dimensional.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Grief, Death of parent
Minor: Infidelity, Sexual content, Sexual harassment
3.5 stars!
This was cute. Quick read, pretty entertaining. It felt genuine between the characters and I liked how Sloane interacted with her family.
The classic break up & make up near the end felt a little forced and unnecessary, since it was resolved so simply.
But overall I enjoyed this one!
This was cute. Quick read, pretty entertaining. It felt genuine between the characters and I liked how Sloane interacted with her family.
The classic break up & make up near the end felt a little forced and unnecessary, since it was resolved so simply.
But overall I enjoyed this one!
I enjoyed this - I certainly felt like I learned a bit about the movie industry.