A complex, messy, often emotionally wrenching queer celebrity romance series that's so far beyond what the phrase "celebrity romance" brings to mind that I'm almost not sure that's the right term for it. It starts with Starling, in which Alex Cook, 21, is plucked out of the crew on a hit television series and given a starring role. Alex is a deeply private person, scarred from growing up gay and poor in a small, unfriendly Midwestern town, so his life in the media spotlight turns out to be just

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.-The setup for this story was quite different from anything else I've come across so yay for that. Essentially, we have two very different characters not just in personality, but roles as well. Alex was a star and Paul was a writer working on the same project in Hollywood. I admit I didn't particularly like Alex at first, but he grew on me. He started off as a production assistant and wound up landing a role in the hit show he

[I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review]4.5 starsSometimes there are books I have a lot of expectations about but ultimately fail them, other times instead there are books that surprise me in the most positive way..."Starling" definitely belong to the second category!I really liked this story: it felt -while set in a world known for its half-truths and lies and obviously very distant to my own- so realistic and down to heart. As it was pointed out by another reviewer, mor...

I am going to let this review stand for both Starling and its follow-up, Doves, both of which I regretfully read. The two authors are both skilled authors in the Glee fan community. There's nothing wrong with that. There are some decent writers over there. But the troubling thing of this book is that they have clearly based this book on their Glee RPF written under the pseudonym ChillAfterDark.The book, who boasts a series of unlikable characters, appears to be thinly-veiled fantasy of Glee star...

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.I'm too lazy to summarize the story but the blurb for the book pretty much covers what goes on for a majority of the book. The names being thrown around at the start of the book was very confusing until readers could get a grasp on who was who and what their role in the book was. The story in general was interesting for the most part and partly frustrating. The way Paul and Alex meet and get to know each other was alluring. Seeing them enter...

I received a copy of this book via Goodreads' Don't Buy My Love program in exchange for an honest review.3.5 stars for this contemporary M/M romance.Alex is a 20 y/o production assistant on a network drama when he gets called in to be an extra and suddenly lands a recurrent role. This poses all sorts of issues for Alex because he is intensely private and loathes then new scrutiny he is under--particularly related to hie "relationship" with his co-worker and on-screen love interest Liam. While th...

This was not what I expected. The second book is about the same characters it seems, so it makes sense that the story of the first book is what it is. (Sorry, I'm trying to be vague and non-spoilery)So knowing that I'd probably go into this with different expectations. But I didn't know that when I started the book and therefore I don't know.. I'm a bit disappointed? This one was way less love story than it was a story about self discovery. Definitely not a bad story, just unexpected and not rea...

I don't quite self-identify as a romance reader. I mean, I do read it (obviously), but I don't tend to think of it as a staple, no matter how much of it is actually in my reading diet.That said, I've been looking forward to Starling since Racheline first mentioned it to me. I love backstage stories. I love books with complicated relationships in them. And, in particular, I love stories in which identities are allowed to be complex and fluid.Starling basically nails all of these things and more.

I think this is one of the best romances I've read in a very long time. I'm obviously a huge fan of the genre, and I love all of it, but one of the things I loved most about this book is how fresh it felt; it was romance but with a different tone. I appreciate complex characters, and Alex and Paul (as well as Liam and Victor) were complex. They weren't perfect -- they have baggage and issues and it *shows*. I wasn't just rooting for Alex and Paul's romance -- halfway through the book what I was

Los Angeles has always been a mystery to me. I’ve never been, and my primary insight into how it works has been from whatever glimpses I get by following celebrities on Twitter or reading posts by a few “Tumblr people” who are familiar with LA and can fill in some of the blanks.One of those people is Starling co-author Racheline Maltese, who often can provide context and tidbits about life in LA, and the film/television industry, to help me grasp the bigger picture around the events transpiring

I received a free copy of this book via the Goodreads Don't buy My Love program in exchange for an honest review. 2.5 dull starsTo start out, the blurb for this book hits on all points. No need to restate a summary of the story. I picked this book because the blurb sounded like a new adventure. I haven’t read any books set in the behind the scenes of a television show. This appeared to have a different look at how the magic happens. Unfortunately, I couldn’t connect well with the characters.

I received a free copy of this book via the Goodreads Don't buy My Love program in exchange for an honest review.I really wanted to love this book, but it did not live up to the blurb or my expectations, and I’m disappointed by that fact. No need to rehash the plot, since so many others have done so already.I’ll start off with what I liked, and that was the TV production aspects. I’m a huge fan of behind-the-scenes of TV and films so this one hit the spot with all the insider details. I hadn’t r...

Well this situation is...messy.

3.5 StarsWe get a hard earn Happily for Now in this romance about two heroes who have a great deal of emotionial unrepressing to do. It is a compelling read as the heroes struggle with fame and ambitions and creativity and inexperience in many aspects of their lives.The age gap is handled with depth. There is a separation which off putting while reading a romance as the heroes get together with other people, it reads true to character and the story.The writing... in some ways it is great but in

**I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review**Probably 3.5 stars...I'm not exactly sure how I feel about this one. There were a lot of good points. I really liked Alex - for the most part. I liked Paul, more than I thought I would originally. Liam was a treat I did not expect... I liked that the characters were real, but that being said, I also, really didn't like that about the story. First thing that struck me when I started reading this was that the w...

I received this book for free for an honest review.I really liked this book. Alex is struggling with sudden, unwanted fame. He prefers to be alone or take people in small doses, so his celebrity is very overwhelming, but also leaves him feeling lonely. He begins a relationship with Paul, a writer on the show. Paul is 10 years older than Alex, but not really more successful in love. Alex also has a lot of interaction with fellow actor Liam. As we follow these men through their story, we are given...

I received a free copy of this book via the Goodreads Don't buy My Love program in exchange for an honest review.I believe I am in the minority. I could not get into this book. I usually can devour a book in 1-2 days. This book seemed like forever. The blub seemed exciting and different: behind the scenes of a hot TV show. However the book fell flat. The first couple of chapters I was engaged and I wanted to read more about Paul & Alex; then, the different POV"s and the verb usage made this very...

This felt like a fresh and new way of telling a well-established story about sudden fame. I loved it. Update: Equally loved the rest of the series. Recommended.

I have been dipping into more romance novels lately, especially the ones which fall outside the traditional Harlequin mold, because I've been given great recs by smart ladies who love them. The result is that I have a lot more positive feelings about the genre than I might once have. I loved Starling. I thought it was a smart, funny and compelling book about grown-ups at different points in that continuum, trying to figure out their lives and reconcile their pasts and presents. I came to love th...

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Not only each of the characters, but also the setting, which comes completely alive in the hands of its authors. We spend so much time, as a society, gawking over celebrities and speculating about their love lives, but we rarely stop to think about how all of that attention affects them.The reality of it is, the attention affects them in many different ways. One of the best things about this book is the way each character has a different relationship with their st...