Rising Star

I fell in love with Susannah Nix’s work when I read REMEDIAL ROCKET SCIENCE, and her book of short stories, I & LOVE & YOU, sealed the deal for me. Nix’s latest book, RISING STAR, is another winner, and everything I hoped. Her characters are so deeply human. They struggle things most people have been consumed by at one point or another in their lives: with money or finding a place to live before their lease is up; they worry about jobs, and if they measure up. One of the most appealing things about the gorgeous, movie star hero, Griffin Beach, (whose last name is not actually Beach) was the miserable diet he’s stuck on, and the way he internalizes his anxiety about his career and the things he’s given up to keep it afloat. It reminded me, in a way of reading a biography of Cary Grant and that incredible quote: “Everybody wants to be Cary Grant. I want to be Cary Grant.” The hero comes in a pretty package, and sure that’s helps, but it’s the pain and the longing of a real human being underneath that you fall in love with. It’s a brilliant book, with some truly fresh moments. Both Alice and Griffin face significant choices and challenges in their careers, and I loved the way Nix handled these without resorting to flashy, implausible sacrifices and victories. Unexpectedly, one of my favorite parts of the book (besides the delicious, swoon-inducing love scenes) turned out to be Alice’s Ph.D. advisor, and the advice she gives Alice about handling a sexual harassment complaint. I think her wise, compassionate words may be the part I remember longest. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars — I absolutely LOVED the first 70% of this book. It made me swoon, it gave me the awww’s, it just fulfilled something I was looking for. The last 30% wasn’t bad or anything, it just took a turn towards probably the more realistic, and I don’t think I was in the right mood for that. The problem with celebrity romances is that there is the fairytale, and then there’s the reality…and I will admit, I tend to want more fairytale than reality. 😛 Which is not to say this book didn’t deliver some reality in other ways. I really enjoyed the subplot of Alice’s dealing with sexual harassment…which sounds really bad, but I mean enjoyed in that I thought it was dealt with really well. I loved that her story was a bit more subtle, because I think we mostly get shown extreme cases, but the subtle ones that make women uncomfortable are just as important, and just as damaging. I really think that story needed to be told. And it made her trust issues very valid (not to mention leftovers from her childhood). I liked Alice a lot, even if I sometimes didn’t agree with her decisions and assessments. I think she provided a valid perspective of a “normal” to the Hollywood lifestyle. I appreciated what she was dealing with trying to figure out what she truly wanted to do with her life, and how hard it was to get to that PhD finish line. Griffin had some wonderfully swoony moments, but also some super douchey moments, and I feel like I didn’t quite get the growth I was looking for from him. He laments his self-absorption, but he doesn’t seem to try to dive deep and figure out if it’s something he wants to change, and how to go about doing it. I wanted better from him in the end. I mean, I wanted better from both of them, but mostly I wanted him to be a bit more thoughtful of it all. Their friendship to more was absolutely sweet and swoony and sexy. I loved the relationship they developed, and how they connected with one another. I loved how their chemistry came out once they got brave enough to admit what they wanted. But I hated the way that celebrity isolated them, and made some parts so toxic. I don’t know how I feel about their chances…since it took a realistic turn, I wouldn’t have minded knowing some of those hardships, and a bit more of how they handled it. *shrugs* Greedy. There wasn’t a lot of secondary cast in this one. I think that’s what made it so hard for both of them, because they didn’t have many other people to rely on. I mean, Alice sort of had Rachel, and that got better later, but it was a bummer not to see any other relationships/friendships for either of them. So yeah. I’m almost thinking maybe even 3.5 rounded up…but meh, I really loved that first 70%.

Rising Star was a great 5 star read and book one in the Starstruck Series. Alice has been asked to move out but she’s been dodging her roomie, now that she’s a third wheel he wants her out. She hasn’t had any luck finding a new place. She is working as an extra on a tv set. Griffin is an actor on the show that Alice is an extra for. Now that the show is coming to an end he has to start looking at other options for his career. He has to work in Atlanta for a few months and gets news that he no longer has a dog sitter. While talking to Alice, Griffin comes up with a great idea to have her live at his house to house/dog sit for him. Alice is a little leary at first because of something that happened to her in the past, but finally agrees. As Griffin and Alice spend time together the closer they seem to get. Could there be more for them? There is so much to this great read. We see what can happen to celebrities and tabloids and just what a mess they can cause. We learn more about Alice’s issue with a professor. All of the secondary characters added a great element to the story. And I loved Taco. If you're looking for a great read than I suggest you 1-click and get started today. I look forward to reading more from this author.