Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss

· HarperCollins
4.2
8 reviews
Ebook
400
Pages
Eligible
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About this ebook

Fan favorite author Kasie West delivers an effervescent story about chasing your dreams and following your heart, perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Huntley Fitzpatrick.

Lacey Barnes has dreamed of being an actress for as long as she can remember. So when she gets the opportunity to star in a movie alongside one of Hollywood’s hottest actors, she doesn’t hesitate to accept the part.

But Lacey quickly learns that life in the spotlight isn’t as picture perfect as she imagined. She’s having trouble bonding with her costars, her father has hired the definition of a choir boy, Donavan Lake, to tutor her, and somewhere along the way she’s lost her acting mojo. And just when it seems like things couldn’t get any worse, it looks like someone on set is deliberately trying to sabotage her.

As Lacey’s world spins out of control, it feels like the only person she can count on—whether it’s helping her try to unravel the mystery of who is out to get her or snap her out of her acting funk—is Donavan. But what she doesn’t count on is this straight-laced boy becoming another distraction.

With her entire future riding on this movie, Lacey knows she can’t afford to get sidetracked by a crush. But for the first time in her life Lacey wonders if it’s true that the best stories really do happen when you go off script.

Ratings and reviews

4.2
8 reviews
Vanessa Gayle
February 22, 2019
3.5/5 Stars Where do I start with this one? This was definitely another cute read from Kasie West, but this one is my least favorite of the three that I have read. I was a little let down with this one, not because I didn't like it, because I did, but because I didn't love it. While I enjoyed this book immensely, I didn't feel the same love or adoration that I felt from P.S. I Like You or The Fill-In Boyfriend. The plot for this one was compelling enough but too many things were entirely too predictable. I could peg the saboteur from the beginning which made the mystery surrounding the plot much less stimulating for me. I kept reading and hoping that I was wrong and that I would be surprised, but in the end, my instincts were correct. Not that it shouldn't be said that the journey to that reveal wasn't worth reading. It was, it just wasn't as suspenseful for me. Most of the characters felt flat to me. I felt Lacey's character was the most relatable, but I didn't necessarily love her. She actually had qualities that didn't mesh with me personally. Like her lack of concern over her high school studies. That part aside, her character felt the most real to me. As for Donovan, I liked his character a lot but he lacked depth to me. I really thought that he was quite adorable, but something about him made me feel distanced from his character. I can't place my finger on it though. I enjoyed the side characters, but none of them really shouted out to me. While they didn't feel like filler in the story, I also didn't feel overly connected to them. I liked the friendships in the book. Lacey still spoke with her BFF from home frequently enough and she made friends with Amanda on set. I liked the family aspects as well. Lacey dealing with her father acting like a helicopter parent most of the time, feeling like her father didn't support her dreams, and her mother that loves her but is clearly preoccupied with her younger siblings most of the time. The romance felt like it had the barest amount of chemistry. There was something there, but not enough. The romantic scenes between Lacey and Donovan were not really that satisfying. The progression of the romance almost felt forced. The "falling in love" part felt like it wasn't even there. They meet, hang out and talk a handful of time, and then they are kissing and becoming a couple. And even the kissing was uneventful. (Although, I admit to liking the times he kissed her forehead. Cute!) It didn't feel like there was a real reason why they got together. The body language and chemistry was all off. Overall, this was a cute and enjoyable read. If you like Kasie West's books then you should like this one as well. It has the same overall structure as her other books I suppose, it's just that this one didn't wow me like the others that I've read before. If you are looking for a quick and entertaining read then you'd like this one.
3 people found this review helpful
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Alyssa Van Liere
March 21, 2024
This I probably Kasie West' best book yet! I love the movie acting scene intergrated into the book!
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Vanisha Gupta
August 21, 2020
One of a kind exceptional book
2 people found this review helpful
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About the author

Kasie West lives with her family in central California, where the heat tries to kill her with its 115-degree stretches. She graduated from Fresno State University with a BA degree that has nothing to do with writing. Visit her online at www.kasiewest.com.

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