Review: Hollywood Ever After by Sasha Summers

Title: Hollywood Ever After
Author: Sasha Summers
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: InkSpell Publishing (Jul 14 2012)
Get it: Pre-Order from InkSpell Publishing

NOTE:  Story is for mature readers due to some sexual content.

Goodreads
Happy Endings are for fairy tales. Or the movies. Not for real life. At least, not in Claire’s life. Even though she’s starting over, she knows better than to want too much this time. But when she falls, literally, into the strong arms of Hollywood’s ‘it’ boy Josh Wiley, Claire’s in for some surprises. Her plans for rest and relaxation are forgotten as one incredible night with Josh becomes two… And her heart begins to want him as much as her body. Will two kids, one bastard ex-husband, and Josh’s juggernaut career mean the end of their affair? Or can Claire find her happy ending after all?


Review

Claire has spent the last two years, following her divorce, trying to move on from the violent history with her ex-husband. When her brother sends her on a vacation to visit a friend who's making a name for herself in the movie industry, Claire unexpectedly meets the newest Hollywood heart-throb at his movie premiere.

Josh Wiley, while walking the red carpet, just happens to be nearby when Claire stumbles and almost falls. From the moment he catches her, he can't take his eyes off her. And he'll do whatever it takes to get to know her better.

When I was maybe 3/4 of the way through the book, I got to thinking that this story didn't feel like a story at all. It felt real. And I felt like I was spying on Claire's life: every conversation, every laugh, every touch, every kiss. It was fun and sad and, at times, scary to watch. But I really felt like I was there, observing it all.

Although Claire thinks that what she has with Josh can't possibly last beyond her week long vacation, when she must return to Texas where her two kids and mother are waiting for her, Josh isn't about to let it end that way. And Claire doesn't want it to end either, despite the fact that she worries about their eight year age difference. But when Claire's ex-husband Daniel learns that there might be something going on between her and Josh, he's determined to get her back — one way or another.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Hollywood Ever After. As I mentioned above, it was like observing these people's lives and not just reading about them. They felt like real people, not just characters. And I honestly don't believe that I've ever felt that way about a book before. The story wasn't rushed, and while some people may think that certain scenes in this story might not have been necessary to the progression of the book, I found the everyday nuances of a family life rather nice.

Apart from Claire and Josh, there were a lot of great characters that I could really get attached to, for instance: Natalie and Will, Claire's children; Marty, Claire's mother; Nathan and Helen, Josh's father and sister; and Shannon, Claire's best friend. I have to admit, I really got a kick out of the interaction between Marty and Nathan while they were trying to prepare dinner. There were just a lot of little moments within the story that were just as fun and interesting as the main plot. And, of course, when I reached the end of the book, I wanted more. While the book had a satisfying ending, I wasn't quite ready to leave them.

So I definitely recommend Hollywood Ever After, and I look forward to reading more of Sasha Summers' work. From what I've read online, Hollywood Ever After is book one in the Red Carpet series. I'm unsure, as of yet, whether Hollywood Holiday, book two in the series, will continue the story of Claire and Josh or if it will focus on other characters all together, but I'm thrilled to know that there is more on the way.

** I received an eARC copy of the book from InkSpell Publishing for review.** 

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