Fallen Star

I just loved “Fallen Star”, the second book in Ms. Nix’s “Starstruck” series. You don’t need to read the first book, “Rising Star” to enjoy “Fallen Star”. In fact I read Fallen first and then, because I liked it so much, I went back to read Rising. Full disclosure: Susannah Nix is an automatic one-click author for me, so I’m excited to share my thoughts. Scott Deacon is a former child star whose life and career imploded because of drug addiction. Clean and sober now, friends of his went out on a limb to secure a leading role in a new movie. Grace Speer is the script supervisor for the project, and isn’t looking forward to working with someone who she thinks is going to be a train-wreck. But Scott surprises everyone, and earns Grace’s grudging respect. After a while, that respect turns into friendship. Will their friendship turn into something more, or would life back in the spotlight ruin their chances? Scott and Grace are great characters. Scott is an actor, so he uses his acting ability to hide his insecurities about stepping back into the professional film world. He knows that because of his past, this may be his only shot. On set, he is gregarious, friendly, and flirty, but when he’s alone his demons surface to try to undermine his success and sobriety. I think Ms. Nix did a great job of revealing his insecurities and emotions, and showing how they have the ability to affect his sobriety. Grace is all about the details. As script supervisor, it’s her job to make sure the scene set-ups are the same for each shot (continuity) and makes notes of any script changes. She’s not quite sure what to think about Scott. I liked the way she allowed herself room to adjust her opinion of Scott as things developed. The secondary characters are well-rounded and fleshed out as well. I especially like actress Poppy Carpenter and Carmen Vargas, the costume supervisor. The book’s plot centers around a film set. Ms. Nix filled the pages with all sorts of interesting information and tidbits. Those details helped create a realistic “look behind the scenes” feel to the story. Scott’s and Grace’s love story is a very slow burn. It makes sense that Grace isn’t going to go from thinking Scott is the biggest jerk on the planet to being head over heels in love in just a few days. Their friendship blossomed first over the course of several weeks, and then Grace slowly realized she has feelings for Scott. But she’s unsure of his feelings for her. When they finally do come together, it’s a big payoff for the reader. Overall, I loved it! And I highly recommend “Fallen Star” to you. (I received an Advanced Reader Copy, and this is my honest, voluntary review.)

The drama! The angst! My reality-TV loving heart is both happy and devastated having read this book. I’m the daughter of an addict, so I can attest that this story gives a true and accurate portrayal of the path of destruction addiction leaves in its wake, and the steep climb that recovery takes. Grace and Scott left me feeling a little like the rope in a game of tug-of-war. One moment I was fully ‘team Scott’, the next I was one hundred percent behind Grace. There are a lot of big emotions in this book. Both Scott and Grace have a bunch of baggage that keeps tripping them up and I despaired of them ever getting it all unpacked to achieve their happy ever after. But, I loved watching them work through it all. I especially enjoyed the way this book closes out. I can't wait to see what else this series brings us. I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book from the author.

I received an ARC of this book. I really really really enjoyed this book; most importantly, I think I loved the H more than the h, which is unusual for me. Grace is a wonderful person, understandably wary about getting into a relationship with another actor, especially one who is a gorgeous, recovering addict, but ultimately she is unable to resist the awesomeness that is Scott. Scott, like real-life Robert Downey Jr, is a great actor and a genuinely nice guy who crashed and burned from too much stardom, too fast, too young. He is making a slow, painful comeback and doing all the right things, but is plagued with doubt and self-worth issues. Grace is the perfect other half that makes him whole, because she is kind, practical and pure of heart. She loves him for who he is, not because he is famous (and looks like Zac Efron.} I love this book because is tackles painful, difficult issues but is optimistic in tone. Yay HEAs!