Genre: Contemporary Romance
My Review - 5 Stars
CW: substance abuse/addiction, recovery
I zoomed through this story! Susannah Nix’s books are always great but she's really shining with her Starstruck series. This is my favorite book of hers yet!
Scott made me swoon for him! It was fascinating to see what it's like for an actor to try to break back in to the industry after substance abuse issues trashed his reputation. I haven’t worked with people in recovery before but this seemed like an accurate portrayal. Scott has an additional layer of untreated anxiety and it was really interesting to see how this played out and affected his behavior. He doesn’t start off on the right foot with people on set, for some understandable reasons, but it was marvelous to watch him flip the switch and turn on the charm. Especially because of how much Grace wanted to resist that charm.
Grace was a fantastic heroine, well-suited for Scott, even though she wasn’t always sure about him. Her job as a script supervisor was truly fascinating and I loved watching her keep track of all the continuity details. I didn’t know anything about that job beforehand and it’s something I really appreciate about this series: all the movie set behind the scenes info.
Grace and Scott don’t discuss what his addiction means for their relationship until very near the end. It surprised me when I realized this because it’s a pretty big deal. But when I reflected on it, it made so much sense why it happened that way. Scott admits early on that he is not a very emotionally intelligent person. He’s also fighting to restore his reputation so he can have an acting career and he’s scared that talking about the reality of his addiction will scare Grace away. All he wants is a chance.
Grace, on the other hand, is trying to protect herself. She doesn’t believe Scott will want anything to do with her once they’re no longer working together every day. She sees the movie set as a bubble and while relationships may start there, they don’t often have the staying power to continue. She keeps wondering what he sees in her and she just wants to enjoy him for as long as she can. It makes sense not to have a deeper discussion about his addiction, beyond what he shares with her, because she thinks this is only temporary. And when Scott pulls away from her after filming ends and they’re no longer in New Orleans, it feeds both her insecurities and her belief that it was never going to last.
I wanted to implore Grace not to give up on him, just as much as I was yelling at Scott to reach out to her and be honest. Those two broke my heart! But out of this trying time came the opportunity for them to really lay it out for one another and to make it clear why they chose each other. Sure, they’ll have stuff to figure out but I fully believed in their happily ever after.
There was so much angst and longing and yet it was such a fun, engaging read at the same time. I couldn't get enough!
Synopsis
Grace knows better than to fall for a Hollywood bad boy like Scott Deacon. An arrogant movie star with a troubled past and a big honking chip on his shoulder? No, thank you. He may be sex on wheels, but beneath the charming facade he’s just another cocky jackass destined to make her job more difficult.
Except...
The more time they spend together, the hotter the fire between them burns. With every flirtatious smile and brush of his hand, she feels her defenses crumbling.
She wants to hate him, but instead she’s in danger of losing all control.
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Disclosure: I received an advanced copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. Affiliate links included in this post.
