Published by Indie/Self Published
Released on November 7, 2017
Pages: 249
Format: eARC
Source: Author
The Delight
What a fun concept to write a story about how a previous story was a book and now a movie script in the current story. I’ve always been curious about how fame and fortune can have its effect on people so the plot of Celebrity had definite appeal and had a bit of the fairytale romance about it.
Review
Celebrity is a story that I normally would have hesitated to pick up because I shy away from what I think of as romances with a ‘glam’ setting. However, I’m already a dedicated fan of the author’s writing so I trusted her to deliver a story with which I would connect. And this did happen though I confess there were a few iffy moments when I wasn’t sure I would like the heroine. She can shoot her mouth off and say or think snotty things. But, I was relieved to see that she was also able to accept that she did this, apologize, and change it.
Kendra has worked hard for years and it finally paid off with a brilliant Hollywood movie deal for her latest book. She’s riding high until she catches the man she has been seeing, cheating on her. They were not close or planning a future, but it struck home that she was somehow inadequate if he had to look elsewhere. I enjoyed how the author told the story of how she handled both these situations. She had to grow and stand confidently again. It was while she was becoming her new self that she begins the adventure of a moving across country, buys a home improvement project and meets a man who shows her just how wrong she had been to be content with relationship scraps.
The backdrop of the story with the Hollywood movie being made was very interesting. As a reader of the earlier released book by the author, The Diary, I knew the plot and characters of the movie in Celebrity. Incidentally, this was a fun connection, but this one can standalone for a reader just fine.
Loved the surrounding characters and what surprises they were. Kendra knows only one person when she arrives in LA, but soon has surrounded herself with nice people helping her renovate her home, the people making the movie, a lovable dog, and Blake. When I say surprises, it was fun to discover that the author didn’t go the cliche’ route with her movie set characters.
The romance was sweet and passionate, but also not the only thing going. Kendra had to get over her past and figure out her future while accepting the complications that come with dating a man like Blake. And whew boy was Blake the real deal. He was attractive, down to earth, a professional, and knew his mind about wanting a lasting, strong relationship. He didn’t let Kendra get away with not having a serious conversation when she would have put things off or slammed off in a huff. He was very good and patient with her vulnerability once he understood what was troubling her.
All in all, Celebrity was a quick, engaging read that had me cheering on the heroine to let her past go and embrace her future in this spicy contemporary romance set again the backdrop of Hollywood.
My thanks to the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Challenges
Romance Roundabout #276 CR
New Release #161
Books N Tunes #42 Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive
Recommendations
About Melinda De Ross
Anca-Melinda Coliolu, writing as Melinda De Ross, lives in her native Romania with her husband and a pair of rude parrots. She attended Law School and got her degree but worked as a journalist for several newspapers, polishing her writing skills.
It never occurred to her that she wanted a career as an author until she began writing, as therapy to get perspective on a crucial part of her life.
Melinda was a professional target shooter for a decade, winning multiple National Championships. She was breaking records in her teens until health issues forced her to give up the sport.
Out of that heartbreak, Rendezvous with Hymera – her first novel – started taking shape and so began her career as a Romantic Suspense author.
Melinda has always been a fan of writers like Diana Gabaldon, Nora Roberts and Sandra Brown. Currently she weaves romance into tales laced with the paranormal and occult. Her interests in yoga, philosophy and a large range of other disciplines give her work depth and color.
Other books by Melinda De Ross include: Unabridged, The Coriola Series (Mirage Beyond Flames and Dante’s Amulet), Chronicles of The Blood Countess, Be My Valentine, and A Touch Of Poetry.
She loves to hear from her readers, and you can find her at:
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It sounds really good Sophia Rose and I know what you mean about shying away from over the top romance settings I tend to do the same.
Yes, I’ve tried a few of the rich people or glamorous settings, but I struggle to connect so they are few in my reading repertoire. 🙂
This sounds like an interesting read, though I’m not sure I’d pick it up without knowing what you shared in your review as I’m not into movie sets and all that is Hollywood. Great review as always!
That would have been my reaction if I’d been shopping on Amazon or looking around at GoodReads, but fortunately, I’ve read all her books and was happy to try the latest. 🙂
Thanks, Evie!
Thank you so much for the lovely review, Sophia, and for giving each of my books a fair chance! 🙂
XOXO,
Melinda
My pleasure. Love your versatility as an author. 🙂
I’m still trying to find my style and have fun with it. Why settle just for one genre, right? 🙂
XOXO
Very true!