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A review by ennui
#Starstruck by Sariah Wilson
2.0
I really, really wanted to like this. Celebrity/normal person, prince-and-the-pauper esque romances are one of my favourite tropes, but this stretched my suspension of disbelief to new limits.
Chase, our male lead, Hollywood hearthrob, is instantly and bafflingly interested in Zoe after she responds to a tweet about his latest film. (Her tweet, quoted: "you've done better.") He's instantly hooked because no one criticizes celebrities on Twitter, does some online stalking to find out more about her, flirts with her in her DM's, and soon after hires her on as his replacement PA after she accidentally drops a bowling ball on his PA's foot. (This subplot lasts about 5 minutes, don't worry about it.)
This meet-cute would be acceptable if the characters themselves were charming or lovable or otherwise interesting, but they...aren't? I struggled to understand why Chase was interested in Zoe at all, and to justify if this was any more than a celebrity crush from Zoe's end. Kudos to Chase being attracted to her personality first though. Brains over boobs.
The various conflicts are predictable but tiring; it all just feels so easily avoidable: he lies about their relationship in an interview to protect her privacy, and simultaneously photos emerge of him apparently kissing his co-star. She feels insecure and gets angry and upset. They figure it out (Again, this conflict lasts about 5 minutes. Don't worry about it.) All other sources of tension are along this vein. It's not that this isn't a justifiable conflict; it just doesn't feel handled well. We barely get any insight into how their reactions may be tied to their own insecurities and past trauma although they very briefly touch upon it. Everything resolves so quickly it doesn't feel like they've grown at all.
In summary: #justiceforOne-F, Chase's really nice PA who got his foot crushed by Zoe's bowling ball in the name of romance (not his), and who so clearly existed just to be the scaffolding for Chase and Zoe's love story.
Chase, our male lead, Hollywood hearthrob, is instantly and bafflingly interested in Zoe after she responds to a tweet about his latest film. (Her tweet, quoted: "you've done better.") He's instantly hooked because no one criticizes celebrities on Twitter, does some online stalking to find out more about her, flirts with her in her DM's, and soon after hires her on as his replacement PA after she accidentally drops a bowling ball on his PA's foot. (This subplot lasts about 5 minutes, don't worry about it.)
This meet-cute would be acceptable if the characters themselves were charming or lovable or otherwise interesting, but they...aren't? I struggled to understand why Chase was interested in Zoe at all, and to justify if this was any more than a celebrity crush from Zoe's end. Kudos to Chase being attracted to her personality first though. Brains over boobs.
The various conflicts are predictable but tiring; it all just feels so easily avoidable: he lies about their relationship in an interview to protect her privacy, and simultaneously photos emerge of him apparently kissing his co-star. She feels insecure and gets angry and upset. They figure it out (Again, this conflict lasts about 5 minutes. Don't worry about it.) All other sources of tension are along this vein. It's not that this isn't a justifiable conflict; it just doesn't feel handled well. We barely get any insight into how their reactions may be tied to their own insecurities and past trauma although they very briefly touch upon it. Everything resolves so quickly it doesn't feel like they've grown at all.
In summary: #justiceforOne-F, Chase's really nice PA who got his foot crushed by Zoe's bowling ball in the name of romance (not his), and who so clearly existed just to be the scaffolding for Chase and Zoe's love story.