I’ve now met the Newmans, and I’m richer for it. Set in 1964 (with flashbacks to earlier years), it tells the story of a “real” family who have played themselves on television for over 10 years (the earliest scripted reality TV). In addition to learning more about father Del, mother Dinah, and sons Guy and Shep, it also focuses on a changing society, especially as it concerns women’s rights. When Del is in an accident and put in an induced coma, Dinah is forced to deal with the fallout. Their “out-of-touch” show is nearing the end of its long run, but Del (writer, producer, director, and star) isn’t awake to write the finale. So, despite pressure from the studio execs and their agent, Dinah, along with young LA Times journalist Juliet (who is facing chauvinism and misogyny in her workplace), decides to take on the task herself. In the weeks leading up to the live finale, Dinah struggles with keeping Del’s condition a secret, realizes that she has subjugated who she is in deference to Del and the other men in her life, and begins to open her eyes to the fledgling fight for women’s rights at a very volatile time in U.S. history.
Although the Newman family is loosely based on the real Nelson TV family, Niven gives us a solid look into the impact being in the public eye has on not just Dinah and Del but also their sons who had to grow up in front of the cameras. Guy is the “good” son who follows the rules and remains clean-cut and scandal-free (although he has a huge secret he’s keeping) and Shep is the “bad boy” musician who constantly pushes the boundaries and rebels against the constraints put on him by his parents’ choices.
This is very much a slow burn narrative, but Niven gives her readers plenty of juicy tidbits to keep the book flowing. Fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid will love this story which has some similar themes as Daisy Jones and the Six. Recommended.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Flatiron Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
5*
This is a beautiful sequel to one of my favorite love stories, The Light We Lost. The Love We Found starts ten years after Gabe’s death, and Santopolo’s decision to use Lucy’s voice narrating the story to Gabe is an especially poignant one. I teared up at times, but not to the devastating degree I did with Gabe and Lucy’s story. This is a story of hope, navigating motherhood, blended families, and the fear and exhilaration of finding love again after loss. Dax is a worthy successor to Gabe, but as Dax said, it’s not a competition, just a comparison. If you’re looking for a mature romance between two wonderful people who, despite suffering shattering loss, take a chance on love, read this. Although it can be read as a standalone, I encourage you to read The Light We Lost first. Highly recommended.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from G.P. Putnam’s Sons through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
This story wasn’t what I was expecting. I thought it would be a relatively lighthearted, humorous romp through the world of reality dating shows like The Bachelor. Instead, it was a biting, searing indictment of the ugly truth behind the scenes and the traumatic toll production machinations, vicious fans and TV critics, and ironclad contracts and NDAs can take on contestants. In the case of The Villain Edit, romance author Jacqueline (Jac) Matthis received a million-dollar payout for three books, but her first book was mismarketed and sold poorly. The second one fared worse, and the third was cancelled. After five years in NYC, blowing through her cash living what she assumed was her “best life,” she’s forced to move back home to Charleston, SC. With nothing to lose and the hope of reviving her flagging career and book sales, she impulsively becomes a contestant on the 1, never anticipating that her natural honesty, cynicism, skepticism, and intellect (with creative editing) will paint her as the villain of the season. When the bachelor, Marcus, chooses her as an early favorite, the other contestants claws come out.
If that weren’t bad enough, soon after she enters the mansion, she discovers that her hookup from the night before, Henry, is one of the producers. What follows is twelve weeks of forbidden growing attraction between them (despite her questioning how much of his attention is genuine versus manipulative for the sake of the show), concerning revelations about Marcus and other contestants, diminishing physical and mental health thanks to little sleep and missed meals (who knew contestants couldn’t eat while being filmed ), and Jac’s growing concern that it will all blow up in her face, destroying both her reputation and her livelihood. This villainization was well-illustrated by snippets of social media commentary, press releases, author chat groups, and blog articles interspersed throughout the novel.
Author Devore did extensive research on The Bachelor to give authenticity to the story. Jac, Marcus and Henry are all flawed characters, so the pseudo-love triangle is often hard to navigate because you don’t know what is the truth and who actually deserves a happy ending. The rampant misogyny is hard to stomach, especially since much of it is perpetrated by female producers and contestants who are pitted against each other in the name of “great television.” Devore’s compelling descriptions of the harsh reality of regimented schedules, overconsumption of alcohol, the absence of books, devices, and anything else that would draw attention away from Marcus, emotional manipulation, and food deprivation painted a really clear and disturbing picture of the dangers of these shows.
Although this is a romance, it doesn’t follow any formulaic tropes. There are definitely steamy scenes, many stops and starts, and love interests dealing with emotional baggage, and, in Jac’s case, low self-esteem coupled with defensiveness. You still can’t help but root for a happy ending, even if it’s not clear for most of the story which, if either, man she’ll end up with. I recommend this to anyone looking for a smart, complex, love story with several twists.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Avon through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
Possible spoilers
*
*
*
One of the things I like about the time travel trope is the various ways authors manipulate it. Will choices the character makes rewrite history? Will travel back and forth through time land you in the same place and time when you return? Will you remember your past or future life after you move between times? In The Good Part, Cousen’s female lead, Lucy Young, is a 26-year-old living in a cramped and damp flatshare in south London who has been struggling to gain a foothold in the competitive television industry all while watching her 3 best friends find success. In addition to her frustrating employment, she’s fed up with the dreadful dating scene and dealing with thoughtless roommates. So, after one especially difficult day when she wakes up to water dripping from the upstairs flat, is relegated to gopher duty by her boss despite her new promotion, gets into an argument with her best friend, and then encounters a flasher, she enters a shop to escape the rain and finds a vintage wishing machine. Her wish? To skip over all the messy, dissatisfying bits of her life so she can just get to the “good part.” Of course, it’s another case of being careful what you wish for.
When she wakes up the next morning in an unfamiliar bed with a gorgeous man who seems to know her, she has no idea how she got there. All of a sudden, she’s 16 years older with two kids and no memories of the time she’s missed. Her precocious son, 7-year-old Felix, thinks she’s an alien and encourages her to find the portal so she can leave and he can get his real mummy back. Her wonderful, loving husband Sam thinks she had temporary amnesia and makes it his mission to fill in her lost memories (both good and bad) and, in the process, she easily understands what made her fall in love with him in the first place. She also realizes that she’s become a very successful producer, but without her memory, doesn’t feel equipped to navigate the demands of the job.
So, if there is a chance to find the portal that will transport her back in time, will she take it and risk losing the family she’s come to love or will she give up trying to get those sixteen lost years back?
Cousens writes lovely stories with likable, fallible characters. This is one of her best. I found this story totally captivating and fell a little bit in love with Sam and the kids. I was going to give it 5* but I didn’t like the choice the FMC made in the end. Like her, as a reader, I’m hopeful it will all work out in the end, but I guess I’m just more risk-averse. Highly recommended.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from G.P. Putnam’s Sons through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
