With such an outlandish meet cute, I kinda expected this to be funnier, quirkier, more carefree – but this hero’s lack of trust and penchant for jealousy put a damper on it for me. I’m a fan of Gephart’s work, and I always look forward to whatever crazy idea she’s come up with for her latest rom com. They typically have unique storylines with light, sexy tones and plenty of playfulness. This one started out that way – I loved the meet cute and saw tons of potential in the opening scenes. It’s not a storyline I’ve ever read before, and the grumpy/sunshine dynamic was working. It was a 4-star read until about halfway through, but then the hero started to really bug me. And then the final act sorta ruined it.
The story follows Belle, an actress who is hoping to have her big break soon. When she’s late for an important audition, she tries to explain to the director that it was out of her control, but he has no interest in hearing her excuses. Unwilling to take no for an answer, and at least wanting to give Jagger a piece of her mind, Belle jumps into his car and refuses to leave. The only problem? Jagger has somewhere to be, and Belle soon finds herself along for the ride. What starts as an act of desperation soon turns into something else, and these two strangers connect in unexpected ways. But starting something between them is all kinds of trouble, because it could ruin Belle’s career before it even gets started.
This easily reads as a standalone if you’re not caught up on the series, but there are plenty of appearances from familiar characters. The beginning hooked me in, and I loved how unpredictable and spontaneous the storyline feels. I never knew what trouble these two would get up to next, and I loved the softer side Belle brings out in Jagger. Unfortunately, his trust issues run deep, and they made all of my warm and fuzzy feelings for the story fizzle out. He’s got a major jealous streak and he jumps to conclusions that don’t reflect well on anyone. So this 4-star read (a book this one-of-a-kind should’ve been more compelling) turned into an obvious 3-star read for me. It definitely doesn’t stick the landing. That being said, I enjoyed a significant portion of it, so it wasn’t a total miss. I received an early copy and am voluntarily leaving a review of this forbidden romance.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3wlCrIG
Blurb:
Vision boards and positivity were great, except when you’re late for a big audition and the director was literally the worst.
Oh, Jagger Hartley was young, talented, exceptionally good-looking with a famous last name, but that’s about all he had going for him.
If only he’d known Belle Mathews wasn’t the kind of woman who’d take no for an answer, and she was going to finish her audition even if she had to take him hostage.
Which she kinda did . . . oops!
But even a hijacked meeting under duress couldn’t overshadow how gifted Belle was—a born star who belonged on stage.
Pity he was crazy attracted to both her undeniable beauty and her generous heart.
So he was either going to be her biggest break, or she was going to his.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3wlCrIG
About the Author:
T Gephart is a USA Today and International bestselling author from Melbourne, Australia.
With an approach to life that is somewhat unconventional, she prefers to fly by the seat of her pants rather than adhere to some rigid roadmap. Her lack of “plan” has resulted in a rather interesting and eclectic resume, which reads more like the fiction she writes than an actual employment history. She’d tell you all about it, but the statute of limitations hasn’t expired yet. But all those crazy twists and turns have led her to a career she loves—writing romantic comedy.
When she isn’t filling pages with sassy and sexy characters with attitude, she’s living her own reality show in the ‘burbs of Melbourne with her American husband, two children, and her fur child—Woodley.
She loves adventure, to laugh, travel, and strives to live her life to the fullest.
AUTHOR LINKS
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2mnwmrE
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/t-gephart
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/tgephartauthor
Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/authortgephart
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/868630829817095
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tinagephart
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tinagephart
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7243737.T_Gephart
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