Scan barcode
A review by angieinbooks
Eyes Like Those by Melissa Brayden
4.0
I've been avoiding starting Brayden's Seven Shores series for months because I didn't want to be caught up on Brayden without anything new to read, but then I said "f*ck it" because 3 months into a global pandemic, I just wanted something to read that I was sure I would like. If I can't actually go to the beach, I might as well read about it, right?
The Seven Shores series begins in New Hampshire, where Isabel Chase is waiting tables while trying to catch a big break as a screenwriter (seems an odd thing to try to do in NH, where TV/film/theater producers aren't famous for living or working, but whatever works for her, I guess). She's had some success on short films she's written and directed, but is still looking for her big break. That break comes when a former classmate reaches out to her about interviewing for a TV-writing job she'll be vacating, so Isabel hightails it to LA, where she meets Taylor Andrews, the showrunner and executive producer who turns every show she works on into gold. She's someone Isabel has admired for years, as Isabel wants to do exactly what Taylor is doing now. And now Isabel will be working for her.
So Isabel relocates to Los Angeles--Venice Beach, exactly--to an apartment complex a few blocks from the beach called Seven Shores. And it's here she meets a group of queer women who will become a family to her (and who will feature in their own stories in the series).
There's a lot to like about this novel. Isabel is the Brayden series anchor character, which means she's witty and charming and a little bit quirky. There's not a lot to dislike about her, and it's pretty clear why Taylor starts to fall for her--even with her impressive resume and arresting green eyes. But there's that whole pesky work dynamic they have to figure out--Taylor is Isabel's boss, and she's not in favor of getting in a relationship with her co-workers--not anymore, anyway. And Isabel has some issues that make things difficult for them. But they eventually figure out it. It's a Melissa Brayden novel, after all.
One last thing. I know Isabel is the star of this book, but I really, really like Taylor so much. She's almost a little too perfect, but Brayden manages to give her wit and intelligence and grace and an overall humanity I really liked.
Now onto the next book...
The Seven Shores series begins in New Hampshire, where Isabel Chase is waiting tables while trying to catch a big break as a screenwriter (seems an odd thing to try to do in NH, where TV/film/theater producers aren't famous for living or working, but whatever works for her, I guess). She's had some success on short films she's written and directed, but is still looking for her big break. That break comes when a former classmate reaches out to her about interviewing for a TV-writing job she'll be vacating, so Isabel hightails it to LA, where she meets Taylor Andrews, the showrunner and executive producer who turns every show she works on into gold. She's someone Isabel has admired for years, as Isabel wants to do exactly what Taylor is doing now. And now Isabel will be working for her.
So Isabel relocates to Los Angeles--Venice Beach, exactly--to an apartment complex a few blocks from the beach called Seven Shores. And it's here she meets a group of queer women who will become a family to her (and who will feature in their own stories in the series).
There's a lot to like about this novel. Isabel is the Brayden series anchor character, which means she's witty and charming and a little bit quirky. There's not a lot to dislike about her, and it's pretty clear why Taylor starts to fall for her--even with her impressive resume and arresting green eyes. But there's that whole pesky work dynamic they have to figure out--Taylor is Isabel's boss, and she's not in favor of getting in a relationship with her co-workers--not anymore, anyway. And Isabel has some issues that make things difficult for them. But they eventually figure out it. It's a Melissa Brayden novel, after all.
One last thing. I know Isabel is the star of this book, but I really, really like Taylor so much. She's almost a little too perfect, but Brayden manages to give her wit and intelligence and grace and an overall humanity I really liked.
Now onto the next book...