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A review by jackiehorne
Playing the Part by Robin Covington
3.0
A pretty traditional story of a bad boy who falls for (somewhat) good girl and needs to convince her that he's changed his spots in order to win her, played out in a Hollywood setting. The bad boy in this case is Mick Blackwell, the "sexiest playboy in Hollywood," and Hollywood's first bi-racial action movie star. Hoping to move beyond his action role persona, at least on the screen, Mick wins the starring role in a romance novel film adaptation. But he's having difficulties playing a convincing romance hero, most likely because he's never been in love. Enter romance writer Piper James, the author of the book upon which the screenplay for REGAN'S GIFT is based, who is contracted to be a consultant to the film, in particular to help Mick gain insight into the role he's bungling so badly.
Piper (who appears white on the cover but whose race/ethnicity is never discussed in the book) finds herself immediately drawn to bad-boy Mick, even after having weathered one very public and embarrassing breakup with another bad-boy film star a year earlier, a breakup that did serious damage to her reputation and career. Piper agrees to a no-strings attached sexual affair, and the two engage in some pretty hot sex. Of course, Piper's hard-to-get approach draws Mick in, and he finds himself pushing the boundaries of their agreement. But when false publicity is spread about Mick and the co-star of his film, Piper's career and reputation are once again in danger.
Covington's writing is strong, and her characters well-realized, although the short length of the "novel" makes the storyline feel a but underdeveloped at times. Will definitely be trying other titles by this author, if she's written any longer works.
Mick's racial identity is mentioned as a factor in his career, but it doesn't play a role in the romance at all, interestingly enough. Now, wouldn't that make for a fascinating romance: a book about a biracial character falling for a character with a strong investment in one racial identity? Lots of room for misunderstandings, conflicts, and new insights in that situation, no?
Piper (who appears white on the cover but whose race/ethnicity is never discussed in the book) finds herself immediately drawn to bad-boy Mick, even after having weathered one very public and embarrassing breakup with another bad-boy film star a year earlier, a breakup that did serious damage to her reputation and career. Piper agrees to a no-strings attached sexual affair, and the two engage in some pretty hot sex. Of course, Piper's hard-to-get approach draws Mick in, and he finds himself pushing the boundaries of their agreement. But when false publicity is spread about Mick and the co-star of his film, Piper's career and reputation are once again in danger.
Covington's writing is strong, and her characters well-realized, although the short length of the "novel" makes the storyline feel a but underdeveloped at times. Will definitely be trying other titles by this author, if she's written any longer works.
Mick's racial identity is mentioned as a factor in his career, but it doesn't play a role in the romance at all, interestingly enough. Now, wouldn't that make for a fascinating romance: a book about a biracial character falling for a character with a strong investment in one racial identity? Lots of room for misunderstandings, conflicts, and new insights in that situation, no?