Scan barcode
lucyrudd's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Car accident, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Grief, Homophobia, Misogyny, Alcohol, and Death
kayladaila's review
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Sexual content
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Misogyny
Minor: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Antisemitism, Body shaming, Car accident, and Toxic friendship
monalyisha's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Going in, I was somehow unaware that this is primarily a romance novel. And boy, is it! (I picked it up on a recommendation from someone and by the time I actually got to it, I remembered very little about the context of the rec; I should have known, though, based solely on the cover). Recently, I’ve read a bunch of romance where the actual sex scenes were pretty lackluster. Not true here! Anyway, I really enjoyed this. The characters were very flawed but ultimately, lovable, damaged, and TRYING. An ebullient cover blurb calls it an “intimate character study.” I don’t know if I’d go *that* far — but I’d definitely recommend it to fans of the genre!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Homophobia
deluna's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction and Alcoholism
Moderate: Grief and Emotional abuse
getlitwithamy_'s review
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Sexual content
Moderate: Car accident
decklededgess's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
trigger warnings: alcohol addition, alcohol and drug mention, slut shaming, sexual harassment, infidelity, emotional abuse, toxic relationship, death of family member, car accident, sexual content
A mix of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and How To Fake It In Hollywood, this was a delightful novel about a missed connection and a second chance given ten years later.
Chani is a writer who got to profile the first American Bond which leads to the explosive success of both their careers. Ten years later she gets asked to do another profile on him as he attempts to resurrect his career after conflict and rehab.
Right from the get go, you experience the weight of their relationship. Despite Chani being the pov you see through most of the book, Gabe is a looming influence throughout the book, in the flashbacks and in their present timeline. The book really hammered in that their lives were intertwined. This gave you the incredible experience of being a spectator to their lives through the articles interspersed throughout and also get the insider scoop through Chani's timelines. You get to question their lives and speculate about their relationship while also getting a lot of insider information. It creates this really intriguing dramatic irony of knowing what the public doesn't know while also knowing what perhaps Chani and Gabe weren't privy to about outside opinions on them.
I loved how strategically the story was constructed. News excerpts and flashbacks were not tossed in willy nilly for funsies. Every piece of story provided fed into the next level of development in the story. You built sympathy for the characters before you even knew what pain they were going to experience, making the low points in the book personally painful for you as the reader.
I also really enjoyed how many full circle moments the book provided. Earlier throwaway lines that the characters and even the reader would overlook were given a moment of reprise with a significantly altered a deeper meaning than before. This punctuated the emotional moments in the book beautifully, providing depth to emotional moments without saying much.
This book is a masterclass in stating and withholding just the right amount of information to keep you pondering the story past its conclusion without feeling like you were cut short on a clean ending.
Incredible.
A mix of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and How To Fake It In Hollywood, this was a delightful novel about a missed connection and a second chance given ten years later.
Chani is a writer who got to profile the first American Bond which leads to the explosive success of both their careers. Ten years later she gets asked to do another profile on him as he attempts to resurrect his career after conflict and rehab.
Right from the get go, you experience the weight of their relationship. Despite Chani being the pov you see through most of the book, Gabe is a looming influence throughout the book, in the flashbacks and in their present timeline. The book really hammered in that their lives were intertwined. This gave you the incredible experience of being a spectator to their lives through the articles interspersed throughout and also get the insider scoop through Chani's timelines. You get to question their lives and speculate about their relationship while also getting a lot of insider information. It creates this really intriguing dramatic irony of knowing what the public doesn't know while also knowing what perhaps Chani and Gabe weren't privy to about outside opinions on them.
I loved how strategically the story was constructed. News excerpts and flashbacks were not tossed in willy nilly for funsies. Every piece of story provided fed into the next level of development in the story. You built sympathy for the characters before you even knew what pain they were going to experience, making the low points in the book personally painful for you as the reader.
I also really enjoyed how many full circle moments the book provided. Earlier throwaway lines that the characters and even the reader would overlook were given a moment of reprise with a significantly altered a deeper meaning than before. This punctuated the emotional moments in the book beautifully, providing depth to emotional moments without saying much.
This book is a masterclass in stating and withholding just the right amount of information to keep you pondering the story past its conclusion without feeling like you were cut short on a clean ending.
Incredible.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Car accident, Gaslighting, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death, Grief, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Misogyny, Sexual content, and Toxic friendship
jasminn_perez's review
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
i could not bring myself to care about the characters. like i feel like i didnt know them at all. the story is so abrupt and i feel like it couldve done with a little better characterization. i absolutely hate the way it switches between timelines. i found myself wanting to read what happened the first weekend and then it would cut to “then” and i just got like so annoyed. besides that i just think there was no reason to jump like that. i understand that she was trying to make it more interesting to read but in the beginning i honestly thought it was hella confusing. i found the writing to be sometimes cringe bro like it could be very millennial at times. like her being so insecure about the way she was acting and stuff. like i get she was nervous and it was relatable but get a grip mama. and at one point she was drunk off jelly beans??? hello??? also the amount of second hand embarrassment was unreal. the shit that gabe was saying gave me the ick so bad. while he was confessing his love he really said “i love your butt” are you fucking kidding. i feel like ollie and katie were a little bit stereotypical. ollie as a gay and katie as a witch??? the articles between chapters were kinda cutesy i see what the author was going for but i feel like they could have been more relevant to what was going on ig. it honestly felt like i read two different stories at the same time?? the pacing was all in all just weird. i also wish that there were like dates on the articles or some type of timeline so that my brain could wrap around the events easier. i want to know what song they danced to so fucking bad like was it gaga?? i really didnt hate like it was at no point unbearable except like the second hand embarrassment but it was still like fun.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Death and Death of parent
writtenbydnicole's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Cursing, Alcohol, and Grief
Minor: Body shaming, Car accident, Infidelity, Animal death, Death of parent, Death, and Misogyny
gabyhat's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Addiction, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, and Alcoholism
Minor: Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Antisemitism, and Death
thatswhatshanread's review
funny
hopeful
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? It's complicated
4.0
I must first say that this is a book you can judge based on its cover, at least I did anyway—fun, cute, light and flirty.
From page one I could instantly see myself as the MC. Everyone has fantasized about meeting their celebrity crush, right? What about interviewing them? Scoring an invite to a premiere and an after party? Such is the case for this story. We follow journalist Chani “Then” and “Now” as she pens a profile piece on Hollywood heartthrob Gabe Parker twice, ten years apart. Can a whirlwind weekend of fame and and glamour and intimate conversations really change the trajectory of your life?
In some cases, yes. Chani’s article goes viral. Gabe isn’t just a Hollywood Hunk from small town Montana, he’s now an A-list celebrity with Oscar buzz. And a new Bond girl wife.
Because it was just that one weekend they spent together. Ten years later everything has changed except the feelings still there between Gabe and Chani, never consummated. And then Chani is asked to interview Gabe again and maybe recreate the magic of the article that launched her career.
This is a really well-written novel, more character-driven than anything. I liked and sympathized with Chani, found Gabe charming but real, and enjoyed the setting and theming. The beginning and end were really great. The middle lost me a little just in the fact that we’re supposed to believe these two characters have been in love with each other for a decade despite only being around each other for a couple days. I suppose that’s the magic of Hollywood, though, and I don’t hold it against them or the author. After all, wouldn’t I want to write the same thing?
I wished for a little more backstory, but overall it delivered on everything I was expecting. Also, it’s smart and sexy the way a romcom should be.
A very cute book :)
From page one I could instantly see myself as the MC. Everyone has fantasized about meeting their celebrity crush, right? What about interviewing them? Scoring an invite to a premiere and an after party? Such is the case for this story. We follow journalist Chani “Then” and “Now” as she pens a profile piece on Hollywood heartthrob Gabe Parker twice, ten years apart. Can a whirlwind weekend of fame and and glamour and intimate conversations really change the trajectory of your life?
In some cases, yes. Chani’s article goes viral. Gabe isn’t just a Hollywood Hunk from small town Montana, he’s now an A-list celebrity with Oscar buzz. And a new Bond girl wife.
Because it was just that one weekend they spent together. Ten years later everything has changed except the feelings still there between Gabe and Chani, never consummated. And then Chani is asked to interview Gabe again and maybe recreate the magic of the article that launched her career.
This is a really well-written novel, more character-driven than anything. I liked and sympathized with Chani, found Gabe charming but real, and enjoyed the setting and theming. The beginning and end were really great. The middle lost me a little just in the fact that we’re supposed to believe these two characters have been in love with each other for a decade despite only being around each other for a couple days. I suppose that’s the magic of Hollywood, though, and I don’t hold it against them or the author. After all, wouldn’t I want to write the same thing?
I wished for a little more backstory, but overall it delivered on everything I was expecting. Also, it’s smart and sexy the way a romcom should be.
A very cute book :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Bullying, Cursing, Death of parent, Death, Drug abuse, Grief, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Antisemitism, Infidelity, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Misogyny, Outing, and Sexism
Minor: Religious bigotry, Drug use, Toxic friendship, Car accident, and Cancer