An excellent romantic, comedy, mystery. Chantelle is funny, lively and Cristina Hodgson does a great job weaving her story. I am anxiously awaiting the next book in this series,

There's something alluring about a book that throws reality of the window and dives straight into the story line we all secretly wish we have. Film stars, pet dolphins, pretty dresses, hot guys at every turn. Chantelle starts with nothing and ends up with - well, a lot more, let me tell you. It's a roller-coaster of improbable events.

Unfortunately, this fun is undermined by the main character. For a book like this to be effective, you gotta be able to identify with the lead - or at least like them. It's not as satisfying otherwise. Chantelle is naive (goes into contracts blindly), rude, paranoid (assumes everyone is out to get her), and far too quick to a) fall in love and b) assume the worst of both men she falls for. Besides that, she's the only fleshed out character in the book.

I think I would have quite enjoyed this but a little of Chantelle Rose was quite enough for me.

If I had to only use one word to describe this book, it would be “superficial”.

This is the story of Chantelle Rose, 24 years old, actress, living in South London. The story starts with Chantelle on set, as an extra in a gangster movie.
The rest of the story is a following of peripeties that barely made sense.
Starting with how, a few months later, Chantelle goes to the countryside with her best friend and finds herself falling in love with a cottage and some dude she talks to for approximately two seconds. That dude, Robbie, and his friend, Ray, then rescue the two damsels in distress when they find themselves stuck in mud. The four of them, then, make plans to all have lunch together the next day.
Only, Chantelle gets a phone call saying she’s been spotted in the gangster film and has to fly to LA asap, to participate in a film and that she’ll be paid one million dollars for.
After being flown (in first class) to LA, she spends three weeks exercising, and having a makeover without anyone telling her what her role in the movie is. (That alone, is astounding.)
Anyway, she gets to the movie set and learns that she is here to be the main actress’s body double in the nudity scenes. (I’m sorry, but first, no body double is paid one million dollars and then, you cannot be allowed on set without knowing what you’re gonna do, especially if there’s nudity involved…)
Now, the main actor is Lionel King and he is the spitting image of Robbie. Chantelle is so very shocked, especially since she says, while in the plane, that she fell in love with Robbie and can’t stop thinking/dreaming about him.

I’m gonna stop describing the plot, but let me tell you, it gets worse. All the relationships Chantelle forms are at the image of the one with Robbie, rushed and superficial, with no real depth. She obviously falls for Lionel after two days spent together and so on.

All the characters were unlikeable to me. I couldn’t stand Lionel, who, after talking to Chantelle for two minutes, starts calling her “babe”, “sweetie”, “honey” or even “princess”. I found it so patronizing, demeaning. Lionel, still, asks Chantelle if she trusts him when they just had a two minutes conversation, and she lets herself being blindfolded, handcuffed and led to an unknown location. I... just… no….
So, the two aren’t dating, they just make-out on set, cause that’s the job but Chantelle keeps saying how she fell for him, when they don’t even see each other outside of set, he too falls for her and offers her diamond earrings, a family heirloom, though they’re not together, they haven’t so much as kissed outside of set.

It was just so deeply unrealistic. Even putting the relationships aside, the movie industry does not work that way. You cannot be nominated for an Oscar a week after the end of the shooting, nor win the Oscar another week or two after. A movie needs many more steps after being shot... There, also, cannot be only 6 weeks between shooting a film and its sequel. I mean that’s pretty basic stuff to know or research. Just like the fact that the Oscar for Best Actor is given by the previous year Best Actress and not two people…
All the inaccuracies bothered me.

Finally, Chantelle, who I thought lacked depth. I couldn’t like her. She was both incredibly naïve (see Lionel leading her blindfolded and handcuffed) and paranoïd. It drove me mad. And that’s pretty much all I remember about her.

I’m gonna end this review with the three quotes that I HAD to write down while reading.

“I thought, gleefully, he loves me - regardless of my feral hair !”

“I just hoped that Robbie had the good sense and male firmness to ignore her.”

"Lionel handed me a drink. I had asked for something non-alcoholic, but I could smell Malibu in it. Lionel had obviously planned to get me pissed so he could try to seduce me. There was really no need."

I mean, I don’t think I need to add anything. I'm not even gonna discuss the ending that was appalling or the many many clichés.

A good read with a twist in story line. Leaves the reader wondering about what next

I was blessed enough to be able to download a free ebook copy of the book via Netgally using the "Read Now" option(Meaning that I didn't have to be approved by the publisher first) in exchange for my honest review of the book which is as follows:

I want to start this review off by saying that I was asked to keep the review spoiler free so I will just be giving a general overview of my thoughts on the book as a whole and my normal rating; I think that this book would make a fun "Beach Read" or a fun pick for a girlfriend's book club. Overall I personally rate this book a 7 out of 10.