Kat is just trying to make it out there acting but her agent unexpectedly drops her. Then the breakup with Dane. Kat can't take much more. Because she needs to make ends meet she takes a position as a person assistant for a well known actor. Sadly he makes life very difficult for Kat to do her job. He asked her to go get him a blue beta fish. When she returned with the blue fish it was turned away because of a little white on its body. Kat feels like she's hitting rock bottom.

She is trying to catch her breath when she runs into one of the main actors in the movie all done up his special effects costume. Somehow they hit it off and become mutual fish parents and get to know each other over the phone. Sunday is a cast party and Kat will finally get to meet who her mystery man is. When she walks into the cast party, she is looking for a guy in a black shirt, not major actor Jack Everett!

Jack calms Kat and tells her it's been him this whole time. A crazy turn of events happens that night at the party and Kat ends up sleeping in James' guest bedroom. From that morning on, the electricity between the two is palpable. When James dad finds out the 2 are dating he is livid. He wanted James to enter into a 1 year contract of fake dating to boost the promo of the movie they are filming with main actress Ava. When James says no, his father let's him know he will no longer be part of the Everett family that owns Starlight Studios.

James has some tough decisions to make and Kat is caught in the crossfire. The two literally had a love at first sight situation but Deacon Everett is doing everything he can to tear them apart. James needs to take a stand but he also knows this means he may lose everything he has been working for.

The roller coaster of emotions in this book is legit. Get ready to laugh and want to even cry for Kat. There will be times you love James and other times you want to call him some names. These 2 have some major hurdles to overcome. Can love really cure all and fix everything?

Thank you to @NetGalley for my copy to review and congratulations to @authorivydawes on your fantastic debut novel! Bravo on this story and I can't wait to read about what's next at Starlight Studios!

📖 | Booĸ Revιew
𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘣𝘺 𝘐𝘷𝘺 𝘋𝘢𝘸𝘦𝘴

My rating: 3.5⭐️
Pub date: out TODAY

Synopsis:
Kat is a struggling actress dropped by her agent, dumped by her ex and starting back at square one. When she moves to LA and gets a job as a PA on the set of a Starlight Studios film, she meets a swoon-worthy “background actor” who is covered in face makeup for his upcoming scene. But as the two continue to hit it off, Kat discovers he’s not actually a background actor at all. He’s THE leading star, James Everett. James is one of Hollywood’s biggest actors who unfortunately finds himself under the strong reign of his father who has been holding a big studio promotion over his head. His father wants him to sign a contract that will bind him in a fake relationship as good PR for the movie release. The only problem is, this fake relationship would be with someone who isn’t Kat…

My thoughts:
This was a really cute debut novel! I love a good famous actor meets everyday girl trope. This was fast paced and a super quick, easy read. I loved the dynamic between Kat and James for the most part. Kat annoyed me at times with her “am I too much of a regular girl for you?” pity parties, but overall I found both main characters to be likable! The downside for me was the plot development. I just felt like there were too many gaps in the timeline. Things progressed so quickly and I found myself wanting more for nearly the entire second half of the book. Kat and James literally went from zero to “you’re my everything” before I could even process what was happening between. I did really enjoy the ending though and I’m looking forward to the second book in the series! If you enjoy feel good, light romances with a little extra spice, you will definitely enjoy Starstruck ✨

Thank you @netgalley Flower Bear & Books and Ivy Dawes for allowing me to read an advanced copy of Starstruck!

Quick Summary: A pretty, ugly cry romance

My Review: Starstruck by Ivy Dawes is book #1 in The Starlight Studios series.

About the Book: A young woman with a dream deferred and a history of unfortunate life challenges now finds herself in a detour of sorts. As fate would have it, she meets a man who would come to mean so much to her. As they interact, their connection grows. The more they grow towards one another, the more internal and external obstacles impact them. Will they be able to survive all that is cast their way, or will they lose each other for good?

My Final Say: Brava! This story is everything that it should be. It brought all the feelings to the surface and totally destroyed my heart. From beginning to the end, I was glued. I felt exactly what Kat and James were putting out. This one has earned a place on my favorites shelf. I plan to revisit it often. Join me.

Other: Readers who enjoy stories with glitz and glam, industry games and manipulations, secrets and sacrifice, and nice spice will adore this novel.

* This would be excellent as an audiobook.

Rating: 4.5/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Re-read: Yes
Keeper: Yes
Favorites Shelf: Yes
Status/Level: 💖
Series: Yes
Cover: +

Sincere appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher (Flower & Bear Books), and to NetGalley. Thank you for granting access to a digital ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. The words I have shared are my own. I am grateful for the opportunity. I look forward to becoming better acquainted with this author's work.

Overall, this was a fantastic little love story. Kat and James were adorable together, and although I typically dislike a third-act breakup, the writing of this one was superb. It's not a breakup as much as a "we need to work on ourselves independently before this relationship can work" situation. It's much better than miscommunication or, even worse, not communicating at all. Kat and James approached challenges maturely and made relationship choices that set a solid foundation for the future. It was a breath of fresh air to read a romance novel featuring a "healthy" couple, as opposed to one that requires extensive couples therapy to stay together.

I also have to say, when I read the synopsis—a love story about a PA falling in love with a movie star—I wasn't expecting the story to be realistic or relatable. But I was pleasantly surprised. Kat and James' struggles were both relatable and believable. They were downright normal. I loved how James stood up to his father and how Kat followed her dream of becoming an actress. And I especially loved how they both became successful despite the verbally abusive and unsupportive people in their lives.

For a debut novel, Ivy hit this one out of the park. I can't wait to read more of her work and watch her grow as an author!

** I received this book for free from Flower & Bear Books, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. **

Kat; our sweet down on luck MFC. When all the dominos fall on her, the happiness of meeting a zombie background character is just want she needs.. until we find out he’s not a background character 🤭 being a PA for the bratty Branson, I’m not gonna lie everything he had her doing was kinda funny.. I don’t think I’d complain if that’s what I was getting paid to do… it could be worse💁🏼‍♀️
James; our MMC 🤍 swoon 🤌🏼 he was sweet, and perfection from the moment he stepped on the screen. Never once did you doubt how he felt for her even with the contract.. the oh-FISH-ically business was definitely my favorite part of the book🐟
The third act break up!? Oh wait, this book had none! 🤌🏼 I mean it did, but it wasn’t the cheesy you didn’t tell me something now I won’t talk to you for months and then regret it the entire time.. No, this one was a separate (but also not really) for growth in both careers! Ugh perfection 🤌🏼
This was such a cute easy lighthearted read!! I hope we get to see more of the family, i definitely can’t wait for a Romans story hopefully with a redhead spitfire?!?💀🤭🤭 and our beautiful Jill!? The relationship between the siblings was such a perfect united front 👌🏼

I loved this book! It is very rare that I find a book where I love everything about the main characters. Kat and James are likable, driven and willing to make the changes that need to be done in order to better themselves and their relationship.

I personally can’t believe that this is a debut novel! I am SO impressed!! Ivy’s storytelling and writing style is exactly what I love and I was surprised at the ease of which the story flowed. I was never bored and never wanted to skim past stuff. I was engaged the entire time.

The journey that Kat and James went on both individually and together was so satisfying. They aren’t needy or so wrapped up in themselves that they push the other to the side. They both realized their flaws and they make the changes that needed to be made so their relationship could survive.

Overall, I loved this story. If you are looking for light-hearted romance with a sparkling of spice, don’t hesitate to pick up this book!

Tropes:
Forbidden Romance
Hidden Identity
Movie Star
Secret Relationship
Insta Love

I truly wanted so badly to love this and the beginning showed so much potential. Unfortunately it really fell short for me in the second half. The story ended up feeling really rushed and towards the end the character development was confusing because we skipped the entire time period when they characters are supposed to be doing the work for that growth. I didn’t initially have an issue with them getting together quickly as I felt there was a lot that could be explored with their relationship but that never happened and so it felt like we rushed through the fun beginning/flirty stage and just straight to serious issues which then made the second half feel so slow. I had a hard time caring about James specifically but both of the main characters fell flat. Not a bad debut at all but it definitely felt like it needed more fleshing out.

This book is about an aspiring actress down on her luck. She’s just gotten out of a bad relationship and her career isn’t going how she wanted, so a friend of hers helps her get a job as a production assistant. In set she meets the star of the movie and doesn’t recognize him but it’s love (or lust) at first sight.
I so badly wanted to enjoy this book because the description is right up my alley but i just couldn’t connect with the characters and the plot felt a bit rushed to me. I got halfway through this book and felt so disconnected I couldn’t continue it and decided to dnf. I always believe in putting down a book you’re not enjoying. If you like fast-paced love stories this may be for you! It’s just personally not my cup of tea.

Happy Publishing Day!

James Everett was *mwah*, we're talking actor, billionaire, and oh-so-protective. The cherry on top? There are no thoughts in his mind, just blinding adoration and him fawning over her. Kat, the FMC, is witty and matches his energy. There's also a load of heart-melting fluff and fun banter.

"Stupid. Fucking. Pancakes.," he punctuates each word with a kiss.

the spice DID NOT disappoint. Since this was relatively fast-paced, I didnt have high hopes, but lord did it serve!

A NetGalley arc by Flower and Bear Books

4.5/5 ⭐️

- Secret Identity
- Secret relationship/forbidden romance
- Dual POV
- Meet-cute
- Rom-com vibes

This book was funny, romantic & cute, fast paced & had me hooked from the very beginning. This gave me 2000s rom-com vibes & I really enjoyed it! I still can’t believe this is a debut book because it didn’t read like one at all!

I loved the chemistry between James & Kat and the banter was so good. I love how much he cared for her & how supportive and encouraging he was with her. He really wanted her to see herself how he saw her & have confidence in who she was & how amazing she was. I really loved that. Kat was funny, quirky and I honestly saw a bit of myself in her in some moments in the story. If you enjoy tropes these tropes, I definitely recommend reading this!

Thank you to Ivy Dawes, Flowers & Bear Books and NetGalley for the ARC! This is my honest review!

After getting dropped by her agent and going through a nasty breakup, Kat Caplan is starting over with a new job working as a PA to a demanding jerk of an actor on the set of Starlight Studios' latest movie. After a chance meeting on set, she begins to fall for who she thinks is a kind and handsome background actor, only to receive a shock to find out that he's actually James Everett, the movie's other leading man. James needs this movie to be a success in order for his father to finally give him the leadership role he's always wanted at Starlight Studios. When a relationship contract with the film's leading lady becomes a condition for the promotion, can his fledgling relationship with Kat survive?

Starstruck is a sweet romance with plenty of spice and sizzling chemistry. Both James and Kat go on strong journeys of emotional growth throughout the story. Kat grows from an insecure woman who can't believe that someone like James would want to be with her, to a confident woman who knows her worth and is unafraid to ask for what she deserves. James has a complicated relationship with his family, particularly his father, due to the power he holds over him and the control that he exercises over his career. It is extremely powerful when he finally gains the courage to stand up and fight for what he wants.

The stage is set well for the forthcoming sequel featuring James's brother, Roman. There is enough mentioned in order to pique the reader's interest without making Starstruck feel incomplete, and I look forward to picking it up in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

James and Kat have an unconventional meet cute on a movie set and the tension between them builds and builds. James is supportive and protective over Kat helping to build up her self confidence. But his father isn't happy James isn't falling into line and is threatening to take away his position in the family company if James continues to see Kat. Laugh out loud banter, co-parenting of a blue and white fish, and a swoony romance Starstuck is a fast paced emotional read.

Dual POV, Spicy, Celebrity Romance, Actor x Aspiring Actress, Care Taking, Manipulative Parent

Starstruck by Ivy Dawes was everything I was hoping it would be.
I can’t believe this is her debut! Because she freaking killed it!
Romantic, delightful, and a captivating page turner!
This book had me gripped from the start… A great page turner that has you glued to the pages.

Thank You NetGalley and Publisher for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

First of all, I would like to thank Ivy Dawes, Netgalley, and Flower & Bear Books for the opportunity to read this book.

About:
Kat’s life in LA has hit rock bottom: she no longer has an agent and is dumped by her boyfriend. Her friend offers her an opportunity to be a Production Assistant (PA) for one of the leads in a movie produced through Starlight Studios. While onset she meets background actor who sparks something in her- she later finds the mysterious man is James Everett- and he is not only one of the leading stars in the film but is son of the owner of Starlight Studios. James has everything- money, fame and is in line to gain a leadership role at Starlight Studios IF he listens to his father and plays by his rules. However, things get complicated when one of the stipulations is that he must enter a fake relationship with the leading lady of the movie- forcing James to have to choose his career or undeniable attraction/budding relationship with Kat.

Review: Starstruck was entertaining, and I enjoyed reading this book- it is a romcom that is instalovely/a meet cute story. I loved the setting- Hollywood/Movie making scene. It reminds me of a Hallmark movie. I enjoyed the James’ character a lot- he was patient with Kat and wanted to do his best. Ivy did well with conveying his struggles with his family especially with his father. I felt that Kat could have been more understanding in certain circumstances. At the beginning of the book- she is down in the dumbs (which she has every right to be) however when giving James’s ultimatums when I did not see progression in her character growth- threw me off a little (example: it’s me or nothing- when more than half the book she was not as vocal or strong in expressing herself). We do see character growth near the end of the book for her. I loved the mental health rep scene where James is helping Kat overcome a panic attack. Overall I would recommend this book- it was enjoyable and it will be part of series!

I look forward to reading more from Ivy Dawes! I can’t wait to read Roman and Jill’s story.

Final rating - 3.25 ⭐️

I did enjoy this book more towards the end than I had in the beginning. The story is really cute and I liked all of the characters, tropes, and the ending. I found myself having a hard time getting through the first 60% of the book because of some of the writing felt unedited. It might have just been me, but in some parts it felt like it was there to hit a word count in a sentence. Then some of the plot points that happened occurred fairly quickly (like her ex storming into the apartment) and seemed a little jarring because when it was time for an in depth experience with it, it felt rushed to further along the story. That being said the writing felt and read better after the 60% mark and I started to really enjoy it. The love confession and reconciliation at the end was written really beautifully, but I just wish the beginning had the same feel to it. I’m sure if I wasn’t reading an arc I might have DNF’d 30-40% of the way in, but I’m glad I didn’t because the ending really was great. I think if there was one more editing round this book would have been a 4 ⭐️ for me. That being said I know the author is writing the siblings books as well and I look forward to reading Roman and Jill’s stories!

Thank you to Ivy Dawes, Netgalley, and Flower & Bear Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!!!

I loved this book, it was nothing short of dreamy. It had all the rom-com vibes!!

I wanted to pick it up because of the title, which is also the title of one of my favorite childhood movies!

I loved the plot and the characters! It felt like I was watching the story play out on a screen, instead of just reading it.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves secret identities, secret workplace romances, and spicy, fast-paced romances.

This was such an amazing debut book! I was obsessed with the storyline and the characters (Kat and James), their chemistry was just amazing! It had me gripped from start to finish! Ended up reading the book in only a few sittings.

Thank-you to Flower&Bear Books and NetGalley for allowing me an early copy of this book. I will look out for more from Ivy Dawes in the future.

This book? It's like stepping into a time machine and landing smack dab in the middle of the Y2K rom-com era, and I mean that in the best possible way.

First off, can we talk about the chemistry between Kat and James? It's off the charts. Like, seriously, you can practically feel the sparks flying off the page. Dawes nailed it with these two. Their banter, their stolen glances - it's the stuff romance dreams are made of.

And can we take a moment to appreciate the hidden identity/secret relationship trope? Dawes flips it on its head and gives it a fresh spin that's so addictively good, you'll wonder why more authors aren't doing it. It's like finding a hidden gem in a sea of predictable plotlines.

Oh, and a heads up: this book is not holding back on the steam factor. We're talking open-door scenes that'll have you fanning yourself and reaching for a cold drink. But hey, it's all part of the fun, right?

In the end, "Starstruck" is one of those books you'll want to devour in one sitting, then immediately want to start all over again. With its lovable characters, addictive plot, and feel-good vibes, it's a rom-com gem that's sure to leave you starstruck. So do yourself a favor and grab a copy. Trust me, you won't regret it.

This was such a cute book, that made me think about romcoms (whick i love), and it made me like the book even more.
The tropes was a great yes to read this book, because i was craving this tropes, and they didn´t dissapoint me, i loved this so much.
Kat and James will have my heart forever.

Tropes:
- fake dating
- celebrity romance
- he falls first
- forbidden romance

I received an Arc copy in exchange of an honest review.

4/5 Stars Spice level 2.5/5

Tropes Include, but are not limited to:
Hidden Identity
Celebrity Love Interest
Dual POV
Secret Romance

Someone said that this was a perfect palate cleanser and I tend to agree.

Kat and James have good character arcs that are relatable to those of us that go through periods of self doubt and not knowing when to speak up for ourselves. Through an (almost) instant love, self doubts, meddling authority figures, and co-parenting a fish, these two find their way to becoming better people for themselves and each other.

A smooth read with spicy open door love scenes. I felt happy and optimistic reading it and overall it put a smile on my face and made me feel hopeful about love. Added bonus, the author did an excellent job of setting up curiosity seeds for the side characters to develop this series.

Thank you NetGalley and Flower & Bear Books for this arc.