Double Review: Starstruck and Jilted by Carla Laureano

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

Novelist Christine Lind has achieved her lifelong dream—a string of best-selling books and a cable-TV adaptation about to go into production. But on her way to London FanFest for the cast reveal, disaster strikes: their leading man is injured in a motorcycle accident… and his replacement is the one person she hoped she’d never seen again.

Nick Cleary has clawed his way to recognition as a Hollywood actor, but it’s long past time he get the chance to show he’s more than a pretty face and a chiseled set of abs. His big break comes in the form of a juicy lead role in a new steampunk fantasy series. There’s just one catch—casting has to be approved by the author… a woman he once devastated through his own youthful stupidity.

Christine is the last person to be starstruck by the handsome heartthrob, but as the clock ticks down to the cast announcement and Nick races to show that he’s really changed, she begins to wonder if there’s more to her ex than his Hollywood persona. Except now the consequences of being wrong no longer apply only to her career… but also to her carefully guarded heart.

My Review

I liked how Christine created an alter ego for her appearances before her fans, and that Nick was able to see past that to the real person inside. They definitely have a rocky past, and I appreciated that they both were able to eventually come to terms with their mistakes and own contributions to what went wrong. They are both more mature now and this is a great second-chance romance that explores  forgiveness and moving forward... after a little revenge, all in good humor ;)

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

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Synopsis

Three days. Two jaded hearts. One unexpected love.

Bethany Hall is hiding out on a remote private island off the coast of Belize, creating romantic meals for the rich and the privileged. But when her client Derek Moretti’s bride jilts him at the altar, he’s left with a bitter view on love, a $30,000 a week bungalow, and for the first time in his life, nowhere else to be.

After Derek overhears his beautiful personal chef talking about how he dodged a bullet when his bridezilla left him, he begins to think that maybe she’s right. He convinces Bethany to act as his personal tour guide for the remainder of his trip, but neither expect that their purely platonic arrangement could shake their preconceptions about love.

Could Derek have been in the right place at the right time…just with the wrong woman?

My Review

This is a fun story complete with a narrow escape, beautiful travel excursions, and amazing food. I thought it was interesting how Bethany has created her own little world on the island, and yet has connections that allow her to give Derek glimpses into the tropical paradise. There's some attraction, some angst, and some great romantic chemistry as Derek and Bethany figure out what they really want in their lives and their relationship.

(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)