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aliu6's review
4.0
4 stars
Sienna Armetta loves acting, and her fans love her. The one downside of being an A-List actress is the lack of privacy surrounding her personal life, and it means that Sienna is firmly stuck in the closet. When Sienna meets Julia Westbrooke, a TV anchor and probably the most famous out-lesbian in Los Angeles, sparks fly. Soon, despite Sienna's reservations, the two women begin a secret relationship. But when Sienna's fear of being exposed starts to cause problems, is their love strong enough to keep them together?
cw: homophobia (internal and external), mentions of infidelity by other characters, shooting death of minor character
First off, I need to mention that I love the celebrity romance trope, and this book brought a lot of the juiciness that comes with those types of stories, like the secrecy and sneaking around. It's also been a while since I've read a celebrity romance, and I think I've come to think of them as part of an earlier era of lesfic, where the threat of homophobia is hanging over everyone's head. It's not bad, per se, and I know it's still a very real threat in people's lives today, but I think Sienna's fears got a bit tedious over time. I started this book sometime last year but stopped before the halfway mark, and this time around I made myself push through. I'd say the middle third of the book drags a bit, with the relationship not really progressing, but then the angst hits and I got really into the story.
The Characters: We spend more time in Sienna's head, but I really liked what I saw of Julia throughout the book. Sienna... at first I was sympathetic, and then I was a little annoyed, and then I realized that she was actually a really good person. It was an interesting approach, having the reader learn about the important parts of Sienna's character as Julia was learning about them. By the end, I liked both characters and was rooting for their HEA. Sienna's backstory is more complex and fleshed out, but Julia had some dimension to her as well. I liked the cast of side characters. They supported the MCs well.
The Romance: I thought they got together a bit too quickly, and then their relationship stagnated. I was really into the angst towards the end, though. Sienna and Julia are cute together.
The Plot: The plot mostly follows Sienna's journey as she works through her personal issues. Though it moved slowly at times, it had a satisfying finish. There were places where the plot leaned too heavily on certain tropes, and the characters did dumb things.
The Writing: I enjoyed the dialogue, but I would say the narration is a bit sloppily written. There are some things that could have been tightened up.
All in all, I would need to split this book into thirds. Part I - okay, Part II - a bit boring, Part III - yesss. Since it ends on a high note, I'm gonna call this an entertaining read and say that I would recommend it if you're into celebrity romances.
Sienna Armetta loves acting, and her fans love her. The one downside of being an A-List actress is the lack of privacy surrounding her personal life, and it means that Sienna is firmly stuck in the closet. When Sienna meets Julia Westbrooke, a TV anchor and probably the most famous out-lesbian in Los Angeles, sparks fly. Soon, despite Sienna's reservations, the two women begin a secret relationship. But when Sienna's fear of being exposed starts to cause problems, is their love strong enough to keep them together?
cw: homophobia (internal and external), mentions of infidelity by other characters, shooting death of minor character
First off, I need to mention that I love the celebrity romance trope, and this book brought a lot of the juiciness that comes with those types of stories, like the secrecy and sneaking around. It's also been a while since I've read a celebrity romance, and I think I've come to think of them as part of an earlier era of lesfic, where the threat of homophobia is hanging over everyone's head. It's not bad, per se, and I know it's still a very real threat in people's lives today, but I think Sienna's fears got a bit tedious over time. I started this book sometime last year but stopped before the halfway mark, and this time around I made myself push through. I'd say the middle third of the book drags a bit, with the relationship not really progressing, but then the angst hits and I got really into the story.
The Characters: We spend more time in Sienna's head, but I really liked what I saw of Julia throughout the book. Sienna... at first I was sympathetic, and then I was a little annoyed, and then I realized that she was actually a really good person. It was an interesting approach, having the reader learn about the important parts of Sienna's character as Julia was learning about them. By the end, I liked both characters and was rooting for their HEA. Sienna's backstory is more complex and fleshed out, but Julia had some dimension to her as well. I liked the cast of side characters. They supported the MCs well.
The Romance: I thought they got together a bit too quickly, and then their relationship stagnated. I was really into the angst towards the end, though. Sienna and Julia are cute together.
The Plot: The plot mostly follows Sienna's journey as she works through her personal issues. Though it moved slowly at times, it had a satisfying finish. There were places where the plot leaned too heavily on certain tropes, and the characters did dumb things.
The Writing: I enjoyed the dialogue, but I would say the narration is a bit sloppily written. There are some things that could have been tightened up.
All in all, I would need to split this book into thirds. Part I - okay, Part II - a bit boring, Part III - yesss. Since it ends on a high note, I'm gonna call this an entertaining read and say that I would recommend it if you're into celebrity romances.
stine_reads's review
4.0
*I received a free copy from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.*
This book was just fun. Nothing surprising about it, but good entertainment. For me, in the romance genre, that's enough. As long as a book keeps me wanting to continue, I'm game.
The best part about this book in my opinion was the characters. They were real, flaws and all (my best kind of heroes are the anti ones). I also found it very fun to read about a world in which I have zero experience. The entertainment industry is just something that for me is very far away and glamorous, but in this book it gets kind of real I think. They're real people, who would've known? ;)
I did find the writing a bit repetitive, and for me, that's a big no if it's not done right (i.e. TJ Klune is the master of repetitive writing done right). But it wasn't a huge flaw, and nothing that manages to lower my opinion of the book at all. All in all a well written book.
To conclude, this was fun and entertaining and it left me with a big smile on my face at the end.
This book was just fun. Nothing surprising about it, but good entertainment. For me, in the romance genre, that's enough. As long as a book keeps me wanting to continue, I'm game.
The best part about this book in my opinion was the characters. They were real, flaws and all (my best kind of heroes are the anti ones). I also found it very fun to read about a world in which I have zero experience. The entertainment industry is just something that for me is very far away and glamorous, but in this book it gets kind of real I think. They're real people, who would've known? ;)
I did find the writing a bit repetitive, and for me, that's a big no if it's not done right (i.e. TJ Klune is the master of repetitive writing done right). But it wasn't a huge flaw, and nothing that manages to lower my opinion of the book at all. All in all a well written book.
To conclude, this was fun and entertaining and it left me with a big smile on my face at the end.
netgyrl's review
5.0
Solid 5 Stars.
I really liked this book. Well written with a believable story arch for an super closeted actress coming to terms with her sexuality. The angst is understandable with a bit of miscommunication frustration mixed in but I was still there for all of it. Thank you, Diane Marina for the epilogue. This story absolutely needed it and it was the perfect cherry on the top and I closed my kindle with a giant smile on my face.
This book is 100% worth your time, especially those fans of the actress trope in your lesfic. I think this might be one of the best examples of the theme I have read.
I really liked this book. Well written with a believable story arch for an super closeted actress coming to terms with her sexuality. The angst is understandable with a bit of miscommunication frustration mixed in but I was still there for all of it. Thank you, Diane Marina for the epilogue. This story absolutely needed it and it was the perfect cherry on the top and I closed my kindle with a giant smile on my face.
This book is 100% worth your time, especially those fans of the actress trope in your lesfic. I think this might be one of the best examples of the theme I have read.
penandpages's review
inspiring
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Addiction, Infidelity, and Murder
patricia71's review
5.0
I loved this so much!! More than 5 stars for me. I love Hollywood ff stories and this was
judeinthestars's review
4.0
I read this book a little over a year ago, and just finished listening to the audiobook version. I’d liked it well-enough when I read it, but the audio brings more life to it. The narration was pretty good and it really brought something more.
The story is a pretty traditional celebrity romance, with Sienna being a famous and very closeted Hollywood actress and Julia a very out TV personality. The former’s initial distrust of the latter quickly disappears as the two women spend more and more time together, gently falling in love. Miscommunication and paranoia on both sides undermine the relationship but both women gradually grow into themselves and into their love for each other, giving the reader a very logical happy ever after. One of the strengths of this book is the secondary characters, from Sienna’s family (I love her mother, and the relationship with kid sister Anna) to her ex-husband Derek, who seems to be the sweetest guy on Earth, and mutual friend and big mouth Elise.
All in all, a very enjoyable book.
The story is a pretty traditional celebrity romance, with Sienna being a famous and very closeted Hollywood actress and Julia a very out TV personality. The former’s initial distrust of the latter quickly disappears as the two women spend more and more time together, gently falling in love. Miscommunication and paranoia on both sides undermine the relationship but both women gradually grow into themselves and into their love for each other, giving the reader a very logical happy ever after. One of the strengths of this book is the secondary characters, from Sienna’s family (I love her mother, and the relationship with kid sister Anna) to her ex-husband Derek, who seems to be the sweetest guy on Earth, and mutual friend and big mouth Elise.
All in all, a very enjoyable book.
vixdag's review
5.0
After The Glitter Fades by Diane Marina was such a satisfying read. I rarely give out five stars, but in this case I just had to. This book gave me everything I want from and expect from a good romance even down to the tears of joy I shed at the end.
I am a sucker for a Hollywood romance and I liked the fact that in this case, one of the main characters was actually a television journalist rather than an actress. That was a very nice twist. It allowed the two main characters to inhabit the same world, yet also have careers that were independent from one another.
I thought both main characters were very genuine, relatable and multi-layered. Siena Armetta is a talented and famous actress who is firmly in the closet. She is so afraid of losing her career that she has settled for a life with no romantic entanglements. Her character is generous, kind and professional. Julia Westbrooke is the most out celebrity in America. She is a television journalist and Siena is determined to keep her distance. Julia is very down to earth and once they meet, it becomes clear that they were made for each other.
I'm not going to give away any spoilers, but I was so appreciative that Ms. Marina did not use any of the predictable and easy plot points to a) break the couple up or b) bring them back together. Those aren't spoilers, they are just part of what makes a romance a romance.
The book is also full of a wonderful supporting cast. So often I find it hard to keep track of who is who in the world of the main characters, but not in this case. They each had something very special about them. Siena's ex-husband is a dear. I would love to see a book about Siena's friends Elise and Macy.
Well done!
I am a sucker for a Hollywood romance and I liked the fact that in this case, one of the main characters was actually a television journalist rather than an actress. That was a very nice twist. It allowed the two main characters to inhabit the same world, yet also have careers that were independent from one another.
I thought both main characters were very genuine, relatable and multi-layered. Siena Armetta is a talented and famous actress who is firmly in the closet. She is so afraid of losing her career that she has settled for a life with no romantic entanglements. Her character is generous, kind and professional. Julia Westbrooke is the most out celebrity in America. She is a television journalist and Siena is determined to keep her distance. Julia is very down to earth and once they meet, it becomes clear that they were made for each other.
I'm not going to give away any spoilers, but I was so appreciative that Ms. Marina did not use any of the predictable and easy plot points to a) break the couple up or b) bring them back together. Those aren't spoilers, they are just part of what makes a romance a romance.
The book is also full of a wonderful supporting cast. So often I find it hard to keep track of who is who in the world of the main characters, but not in this case. They each had something very special about them. Siena's ex-husband is a dear. I would love to see a book about Siena's friends Elise and Macy.
Well done!
lunatic_jg's review
2.0
.
I had a lot of issues with this book. First of all, lack of reasonable communication because somehow Sienna felt that anything related to her that involved another person wasn't her story to tell. Which was ridiculous. And the biggest argument between her and Julie was caused by a situation that could have been easily explained and it wouldn't break anyone's confidence but instead Sienna just let it escalate. Not that Julie was any better with ridiculous accusations. Furthermore, it felt like every other lesbian relationship had such monumental problems just to prove that Julie and Sienna could overcome what happened between them but it just made every other relationship weirdly caricatural. When I read what happened between Elise and Sienna I almost decided to not finish the book because it all just sounded ridiculous. And speaking of Elise, what a horrible, toxic friend that one was. She seemed to purposefully aggravate Sienna for her own enjoyment, going as far as causing her panic attack. That's not how friends who supposedly owe so much to the other person should behave.
I had a lot of issues with this book. First of all, lack of reasonable communication because somehow Sienna felt that anything related to her that involved another person wasn't her story to tell. Which was ridiculous. And the biggest argument between her and Julie was caused by a situation that could have been easily explained and it wouldn't break anyone's confidence but instead Sienna just let it escalate. Not that Julie was any better with ridiculous accusations. Furthermore, it felt like every other lesbian relationship had such monumental problems just to prove that Julie and Sienna could overcome what happened between them but it just made every other relationship weirdly caricatural. When I read what happened between Elise and Sienna I almost decided to not finish the book because it all just sounded ridiculous. And speaking of Elise, what a horrible, toxic friend that one was. She seemed to purposefully aggravate Sienna for her own enjoyment, going as far as causing her panic attack. That's not how friends who supposedly owe so much to the other person should behave.
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