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jurgbury's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
endemictoearth's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I was a bit worried that this book wouldn't have the same magic as the first two books, and while it did take me a little bit longer to get into, I ended up really loving it. The fact that all three stories overlap so much does mean some mental math when other characters show up, but I quickly got up to speed.
I am a SUCKER for an MC who is barely scraping by and a little too proud to ask for help, and Tag is possibly the epitome of that character type, charming everyone while shouldering a burden with a side of chips. And Jay is prickly with privilege and awkwardly aware of it, so the two clash a few times, getting the wrong idea about each other. Or possibly refusing to see beyond the one facet the can glimpse of the other.
I like how, as a series, we're getting the good and the bad of "Creative Types" - the main characters themselves are imperfect, but we see how the sausage gets made, how awful people find fame and fortune in these realms at the expense of other people. However, we also get the pleasure of seeing some of those awful people get their comeuppance in every book, which is very cathartic.
Tag and Jay get several wrong impressions of each other, and end up in a fake rivalry (that feels real) for a bit. This has one of the most accurate blurbs I've read in a while, so I won't rehash it here. But the play they are cast in really helps them to see why both of them are uniquely talented at and highlights their passion for acting. I'd really love to see this production of this fictitious play, actually, and took some time to look up more about these WWI poets I'd read years ago in college.
As the book went on, I felt my alliances shifting ever so slightly from Tag to Jay as we learn more about his past and why he behaves how he does, but I genuinely liked both of these characters and was happy to see them get together. Their relationship felt earned in a way I don't always see. I'm sad to be leaving this world, but hold out hope that we'll get audio for books 2 and 3, so I can experience them again. Highly recommend the whole series!
I am a SUCKER for an MC who is barely scraping by and a little too proud to ask for help, and Tag is possibly the epitome of that character type, charming everyone while shouldering a burden with a side of chips. And Jay is prickly with privilege and awkwardly aware of it, so the two clash a few times, getting the wrong idea about each other. Or possibly refusing to see beyond the one facet the can glimpse of the other.
I like how, as a series, we're getting the good and the bad of "Creative Types" - the main characters themselves are imperfect, but we see how the sausage gets made, how awful people find fame and fortune in these realms at the expense of other people. However, we also get the pleasure of seeing some of those awful people get their comeuppance in every book, which is very cathartic.
Tag and Jay get several wrong impressions of each other, and end up in a fake rivalry (that feels real) for a bit. This has one of the most accurate blurbs I've read in a while, so I won't rehash it here. But the play they are cast in really helps them to see why both of them are uniquely talented at and highlights their passion for acting. I'd really love to see this production of this fictitious play, actually, and took some time to look up more about these WWI poets I'd read years ago in college.
As the book went on, I felt my alliances shifting ever so slightly from Tag to Jay as we learn more about his past and why he behaves how he does, but I genuinely liked both of these characters and was happy to see them get together. Their relationship felt earned in a way I don't always see. I'm sad to be leaving this world, but hold out hope that we'll get audio for books 2 and 3, so I can experience them again. Highly recommend the whole series!
marzi's review
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
emmina's review
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
chantelbecky's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I can say with full confidence that I will 100% be rereading this book. It was just that good.
Compared to the others in the series, I'd say Best Supporting Actor does carry a bit more of a slow burn, with that said, the pining and angst is to die for. The characters are unique and bounce off each other beautifully, making the dialogue and any scene staring the two of them (which in all honesty is most of the book) incredibly entertaining.
Beyond the characters the general plot, the authors of this book have done an amazing job of exploring the complexities of sexual relationships and how past toxic relationships can affect current ones. The characters struggle in ways that are real and true, and that's something to be apricated, especially when it comes to romance novels. Jay's struggle to "perform" in the bedroom is an obviously common thing that happens to a lot of people, but this is the first time I've actually seen something like this talked about and explored in a novel. It was incredibly refreshing to see and make the characters that much more believable as complex human beings.
Overall, I loved this book. I loved the characters. I loved the plot. I wish I could read it for the first time again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Emotional abuse
Minor: Gaslighting and Classism
_isabel_'s review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Ah gosh, this was absolutely gorgeous.
"Best Supporting Actor" has become, unexpectedly, one of my favourite reads of the year, and it's also my favourite of this, (already fantastic) series. I loved it so damn much.
I inhaled this lovely, emotional book start to finish and I think I'll remain completely obsessed with it for the next two months, at a minimum.
Jay and Tag STOLE my heart and my soul.
I was obsessed with their dynamic from the start: it was electric and realistic and emotionally packed, and their chemistry was truly fabulous.
NOW, that is how you do a proper rivals to lovers arc.
Both of them started off with hating each other's guts for no other reason than an inconvenient attraction and a whole lot of misunderstandings and assumptions, but their journey towards friendship and then, finally, love, isn't immediate and it isn't easy.
Both of them have to let go of quite a lot of their initial assumptions and attitudes; they have put aside their pride and actually listen and apologize and grow before they reach that stage; and oh god, it was so beautiful and so satisfying to witness.
The way their relationship was portrayed was absolutely beautiful, and when they did finally reach that stage of mutual understanding and trust and respect and affection, oh god, I was absolutely mesmerized.
And both of them are fantastic protagonists! Flawed and complex and real, and absolutely lovable. Tag, with his pride and his sizzling charisma, his fierce protectiveness and steadfastness, and Jay, with his patience and his generosity and his absolutely gut-wrenching (and highly relatable) vulnerabilities... both of them are unforgettable characters, so vividly constructed and their arcs so realistically portrayed, I still can't believe they aren't actually real people. My mind won't accept that.
I'm not usually a fan of showbiz/celebrities romances, but I loved the fact that Tag and Jay got to know each other, properly and for real this time, thanks to the play they both star in; again, I'm utterly devastated about the fact that "Let Us Go Back" isn't a real play I can actually go and see. It seemed so beautiful.
So yes, Tag and Jay are forced into close proximity through luck, meddlesome mothers and their obvious talent, but that initial, childish antagonism soon morphs into a dynamic that's deeply caring and packed with trust and understanding.
They learn how to take care of each other, how to lean on the other in times of need, and while they still makes mistakes (and yes, both of them are still flawed: Tag's quick to anger and assumptions, whereas Jay's scarred past makes him very reluctant to trust anybody, not even the people he loves the most), they still learn from them and grow into better, happier people.
I swear I could talk about these two for hours; their dynamic was just so damned special. And the steam! It was gorgeous, and hot, and also very, very human. Some contemporary romance novels nowadays have a tendency to overlook the difficult, complex bits of a relationship, the anxiety and the vulnerability, the fear of not being enough, the ugliness and the uncertainty, both inside and outside the bedroom, and I really must thank Sally and Joanna for including it all.
Jay's anxiety and fears, in particular, were very, very relatable, and he made me tear up more than once. God, that man deserves all the happiness in the world. And we definitely deserve more, much more, mental health rep in this genre.
The writing was majestic: I really, really hope these two authors will write more books together because *chef's kiss* it was just so beautiful. Emotional, and witty and so, so vivid. I felt like I was in the actual book, and all the side characters felt like real-life people too, even the minor ones.
"Best Supporting Actor" was incredible, a gem of a book I really can't wait to re-read a few more dozen times. Sally Malcolm and Joanna Chambers saved their best for last, and I can't recommend it enough.
It could pretty much standalone, but I highly recommend the two previous books as well.
This trilogy has been an absolute joy to read, and I really can't wait for more magic, more romance, more deeply emotional journeys and fantastically vivid characters, from both, or either one, of these two authors.
Also, p.s.: I'd sell my soul to have a "Leeches" show.
Thank you GRR and the authors for the ARC. I received it in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Gaslighting
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