Blurb:
A deliciously charming novel about finding true love . . . and yourself.
Nothing ever happens in Little, CA. Which is just the way Carter Moon likes it. But when Hollywood arrives to film a movie starring former child star turned PR mess Adam Jakes, everything changes. Carter’s town becomes a giant glittery set and, much to her annoyance, everyone is starry-eyed for Adam. Carter seems to be the only girl not falling all over herself to get a glimpse of him. Which apparently makes her perfect for the secret offer of a lifetime: playing the role of Adam’s girlfriend while he’s in town, to improve his public image, in exchange for a hefty paycheck. Her family really needs the money and so Carters agrees. But it turns out Adam isn’t at all who she thought he was. As they grow closer, their relationship walks a blurry line between what’s real and what’s fake, and Carter must open her eyes to the scariest of unexplored worlds – her future. Can Carter figure out what she wants out of life AND get the guy? Or are there no Hollywood endings in real life?
Review:
I recived an ARC of this book for my honest review.Thank you Kim!
You better read this book slowly so you can trully feel its message.Is not only about the starstruck or the glamorous world behind the scenes.Carter Moon isn’t your typical Cinderella. She doesn’t want to be famous.In fact,she enjoy her life as it is: working in her parent’s little restaurant,watching the stars with her friends,helping her mother with charity. Even with her brother’s addiction and her best friends,Chloe and Alien Drake,leaving the city after graduation.Even after she quit dancing.I liked her a lot.She’s charming and she’s doing her best to make everybody feel good.A bit naive,but still lovely.And then,at the opposite part of the world,there’s Adam Jakes,the former child-star,fresh out of rehab,distracted and complexive.It wasn’t love at first sight,but it was meant to look like it was.
Step by step,as in a dance,Carter fall in love with the actor -get to know another face of him – the thoughtful one.But can she have a real relation with Adam?Or she have to follow the script without any improvisation?Can two different worlds collide? Maybe. It’s not written in the stars,so she could read it.For once, she have to push the limits and take a risk.Their relation was simply amazing. If Carter can pretend she is the girl from the tabloids,than Adam can learn something more than acting.The others characters have been amazing,too.I totally loved Chloe.She’s so funny and sweet.She is a fangirl – She even have a wall full of pictures with actors (I only wished she and Carter had more scenes together in the book, talking about books or movies.) Alien Drake was pretty amazing,too.A bit grumpy about all this Hollywood thing,that’s right,but he’s still passionated by stars (And the scenes with them,lying in his room was also very good.You should read it twice.) and he’s always been a good friendto Carter. Carter’s Dad remind me of my own family,always supporting me in whatever decision i make.But that doesn’t mean that he is careless. He have his methods to make Carter chose the right way.
I read it pretty fast,because is so easy to love it and stay awake until midnight to see what will Carter see in her future:college,dancing,a real relation with Adam? I won’t give you any spoiler about the ending,but I love it that the author don’t try to fix every little thing in Carter’s life.Because we’re humans and sometimes things can’t be fixed.We can learn by them or make our own ways to escape.It also made me put a lot of questions.How many relationships we see on celebrity sites are actually true?And how many have been ruled by a script?The small-town-girl and the superstar (Sometime a „dying star”).Now that’s a story you’ll want to read.Either if you love summer or Christmas,if you’re a wallflower or a popular kid,I recommend you this book. There are some pages you’ll want to read again,because the dialogue is so funny and smart and you can pass by them without a big smile on your face. I won’t say about the stars metaphor,because you need to figure this out by yourself.Read this book.It’s great – i promise.
Favorite quotes:
” You really know how to impress a date.Ghosts.Fairy Trees and dead guys.Cemeteries.Super sexy,by the way”
” Don’t be such a Hobbit.”
„We think maybe it’s a lot like love,that need to make sense of the sky.We don’t know why we need it,we can’t explain it when it happens or when it doesn’t,but we need it like we need air or food.”
Interview with Kim Culbertson here .
Rating: 5/5