Crashing the A-List

May 27, 2019
Down-on-her-luck editor Clara Montgomery stumbles her way into celebrity romance in this frivolous romantic comedy. Unemployed and desperate, Clara is clearing out abandoned storage units for extra cash when she comes across the decades-old records of an escort service and sees a face she recognizes: British actor Caspian Tiddleswich, who will remind readers very much of Benedict Cumberbatch. Clara recklessly uses the contacts of a publicist friend to reach Caspian and tell him about the find, but her drunken attempt to reassure Caspian that she has no intentions of blackmailing him go horribly awry. Shortly after, the angry actor shows up at her door, leading paparazzi to peg her as his secret new girlfriend. The two endure a torturous mutual hatred as he extorts her in revenge for what he thinks is her scheme to force him to date her, but as their true intentions start to become clearer, the two become genuinely close. Though the book is light on substance and its central relationship is pretty toxic, those looking for beach vacation fluff might find it suitable.

June 1, 2019
In Heacock's (The Awkward Path to Getting Lucky, 2017) second novel, a down-on-her-luck 30-year-old finds incriminating information about a movie star and finds herself pulled into his orbit. Clara Montgomery followed all the rules: She went to college, got a job in publishing, and spent her 20s building her career. But shortly after turning 30, she is laid off from her dream job and finds herself living on her brother's couch while working a temporary job cleaning out storage units. In one of them, she finds the records of an old escort agency and the headshot and resume of one escort named Caspian Tiddleswich, who went on to become a major celebrity. Her friend wants to sell the details to a tabloid, but Clara isn't sure what to do--until she drunkenly leaves Caspian a voicemail about the find and the two are pulled together by media attention and chemistry. But there is little in this book to pull in a reader. The premise itself is too shaky to build anything on; Clara gets Caspian's number via text from someone who once worked with him on an audio book, and after one drunken voicemail, Caspian (a stand-in for Benedict Cumberbatch) shows up at her front door to apparently hand over whatever he must in order to keep his past under wraps. The characters themselves are outlandish and grating rather than charming and interesting, and it's hard to root for Clara and Caspian's blossoming romance. While tabloid culture is rich with romantic potential, this book falls flat. This would-be tale of love and celebrity demands too much suspension of disbelief.

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July 26, 2019

Clara Montgomery is an out-of-work book editor who is crashing on her brother and future sister-in-law's hideous couch while she applies for new jobs. To help make ends meet, she takes a temporary job clearing out abandoned storage units. Amid the sorting she stumbles upon the paperwork of a former escort service, including information about a former employee, now famous British actor, Caspian Tiddleswich. After a drunken night leads to Clara accidentally blackmailing Caspian, she finds him at her brother's door, threatening legal action. Then a photo of the two leaks and the press believes she's the star's new girlfriend. Caspian has a new ultimatum: pretend to be his girlfriend to get the press off his back and he won't go to the cops. VERDICT Heacock's (The Awkward Path to Getting Lucky) sophomore novel draws on the fun of screwball romantic comedies while centering her characters' relatable issues to create a compelling read. The ending feels a touch unearned with Caspian's bad behavior overcome so quickly, but Clara's rise from beginning to end is worth it.--Kellie Tilton, Univ. of Cincinnati Blue Ash

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