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Famous in Love #1
Famous in Love
She fell in love with him in the books - now she has the chance to star opposite him in the film . . .
Paige doesn't think she's particularly special, but after getting the starring role in a massive film adaptation of the bestselling Locked trilogy, the rest of the world would disagree. Now she's thrown into the spotlight, and into a world of gossip, rumour and deceit. The only people who know what she's going through are her two male co-stars, and they can't stand the sight of each other. Paige knows it's a mistake to fall in love on the set of a movie, but days of on-screen romance and intensity start to change her mind. The question is, can she keep what happens behind the scenes a secret when the world is watching her every move?
Paige doesn't think she's particularly special, but after getting the starring role in a massive film adaptation of the bestselling Locked trilogy, the rest of the world would disagree. Now she's thrown into the spotlight, and into a world of gossip, rumour and deceit. The only people who know what she's going through are her two male co-stars, and they can't stand the sight of each other. Paige knows it's a mistake to fall in love on the set of a movie, but days of on-screen romance and intensity start to change her mind. The question is, can she keep what happens behind the scenes a secret when the world is watching her every move?
309 pages, Paperback
First published September 16, 2014
About the author
Rebecca Serle
19 books10.3k followersRebecca Serle is the New York Times bestselling author of In Five Years, The Dinner List, and the young adult novels The Edge of Falling and When You Were Mine. Serle also developed the hit TV adaptation Famous in Love, based on her YA series of the same name. She is a graduate of USC and The New School and lives in Los Angeles. Find out more at RebeccaSerle.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 776 reviews
January 22, 2015
I have a confession to make.
I don’t know who anyone is.
By which I mean, famous people. I don’t know anyone. It’s why I depend entirely on my awesome readers for Fancasting.
My friend Rebecca Serle, on the other hand, knows who everyone is. She’s kind of amazing that way, and that genuine love of pop-culture has never been clearer than in her new book Famous in Love; the beginning of a new series.
Famous in love tells the story of Paige Townsen, a young actress who gets plucked out of obscurity to star in the film adaptation of the popular YA series, Locked. Paige suddenly finds herself in an entirely new world, filming in Hawaii with her two devastatingly hot co-stars, trying to find herself while she finds her character.
There are so many things I love about this book! As a YA writer, I love the meta-aspects. The series within the series. The movies about the series in the series. Rebecca knows this world well, both as a writer and as a fan, and as both a reader and a viewer. She understands the world of these books as a creator, and a consumer. It gives the story a really unique point of view. It’s a love story, yes, but it’s just as much about Paige trying to live up to a book she loves, and the pressure and joy that goes along with that.
In addition there is a great location, great writing, and two super hot dudes to swoon over!
If you’re a fan of Romantic YA, celebrity gossip, or really fun awesome books, this is a good one to check out!
I don’t know who anyone is.
By which I mean, famous people. I don’t know anyone. It’s why I depend entirely on my awesome readers for Fancasting.
My friend Rebecca Serle, on the other hand, knows who everyone is. She’s kind of amazing that way, and that genuine love of pop-culture has never been clearer than in her new book Famous in Love; the beginning of a new series.
Famous in love tells the story of Paige Townsen, a young actress who gets plucked out of obscurity to star in the film adaptation of the popular YA series, Locked. Paige suddenly finds herself in an entirely new world, filming in Hawaii with her two devastatingly hot co-stars, trying to find herself while she finds her character.
There are so many things I love about this book! As a YA writer, I love the meta-aspects. The series within the series. The movies about the series in the series. Rebecca knows this world well, both as a writer and as a fan, and as both a reader and a viewer. She understands the world of these books as a creator, and a consumer. It gives the story a really unique point of view. It’s a love story, yes, but it’s just as much about Paige trying to live up to a book she loves, and the pressure and joy that goes along with that.
In addition there is a great location, great writing, and two super hot dudes to swoon over!
If you’re a fan of Romantic YA, celebrity gossip, or really fun awesome books, this is a good one to check out!
April 21, 2017
This is trope heavy YA romance, and although there's not much to it, I kind of devoured this story. It's about a girl who lands the lead role in the movie adaptation of a popular YA book series, so it was full of a fandom vibe. It definitely took me back to the Twilight or Hunger Games adaptation days when everyone was waiting on bated breath to see how the actors would portray their favorite characters. It was complete fluff but it also felt self aware at moments where the main character would find her real life starting to reflect the tropes in the story she was acting out. Like she thinks love triangles are cheesy but then she finds herself in one.
Speaking of the love triangle. It is alive and thriving in this book. It seriously gives the ping pong game love triangle from The Selection series a run for its money. The main character has active feelings for two guys and is trying to choose who to be with. If that's a hard pass for you, definitely skip this book. I rolled my eyes a few times, especially at how the guys would fight over her (she's not your posession!), but I personally don't hate love triangles so I wasn't bothered too much by it.
Another trope used is the "bad boy" who's really just misunderstood. This is one I usually don't like, but I liked how it was used in this story. I mean, this book was exactly what it said it would be, so the tropes just kind of came with the territory.
I'm definitely rating this one based on my enjoyment and because it is exactly what it claims to be. If you don't like tropey YA romance, definitely give it a pass. If you're wanting a YA romance about fandoms and Hollywood that has an addictive quality, check this one out. I picked this up because I read Rebecca Serle's debut years ago and enjoyed it and have been meaning to read more by her ever since. I definitely enjoyed it more than I thought I would and it made me want to watch the TV adaptation and read the sequel. It also made me wish the made up book series in this story was a real book! I see that Serle wrote it as a novella so I will be checking that out too.
Speaking of the love triangle. It is alive and thriving in this book. It seriously gives the ping pong game love triangle from The Selection series a run for its money. The main character has active feelings for two guys and is trying to choose who to be with. If that's a hard pass for you, definitely skip this book. I rolled my eyes a few times, especially at how the guys would fight over her (she's not your posession!), but I personally don't hate love triangles so I wasn't bothered too much by it.
Another trope used is the "bad boy" who's really just misunderstood. This is one I usually don't like, but I liked how it was used in this story. I mean, this book was exactly what it said it would be, so the tropes just kind of came with the territory.
I'm definitely rating this one based on my enjoyment and because it is exactly what it claims to be. If you don't like tropey YA romance, definitely give it a pass. If you're wanting a YA romance about fandoms and Hollywood that has an addictive quality, check this one out. I picked this up because I read Rebecca Serle's debut years ago and enjoyed it and have been meaning to read more by her ever since. I definitely enjoyed it more than I thought I would and it made me want to watch the TV adaptation and read the sequel. It also made me wish the made up book series in this story was a real book! I see that Serle wrote it as a novella so I will be checking that out too.
November 8, 2014
Being from a small town in the middle of nowhere, Canada, where we hardly get anything exciting happen more than concerts from washed up artists, stardom is really something like another world for me. I'm fascinated by their lifestyle and by how… wildly different living that kind of life must be. So while this book may not be the next Great American Novel, it's a whole lotta entertainment in a guilty pleasure sort of way.
Paige is just your regular high school girl with big dreams, until one day these dreams become reality when she's cast in the next big Hollywood book-to-movie. This movie is clearly made to be akin to Twilight in how huge it is. And honestly, how is it not fun to imagine yourself being cast for the role of Bella (could you really be worse than Stewart)? How you would become one of the most known faces in the world in a few weeks flat? Not that I would want that kind of life, to be honest, but it's pretty crazy to think about. In this aspect, it's a fun read. I enjoyed seeing Paige get introduced to this kind of world and lifestyle. This average teenager with a relatable voice, combined with the simple writing style, makes it easy to put yourself in her shoes and imagine just what it would feel like. I found her struggles with accepting the reality of it all, as well as her lack of confidence while on the set, to be realistic (well what do I know, really? But they're struggles I easily picture many new actors having). As for the secondary characters, there's quite a few to keep track of. Some I kept forgetting their roles, her childhood friends are pointless, really, other than to show that life doesn't all revolve around her, but a couple of side roles do bring more life to the book. I particularly enjoyed Wyatt and his dedication to the movie and tough lovin' attitude.
At the end of the day, though, the spotlight is on the love story, and this is where most of the problems lie. Think of the most clichéd romance involving all the tropes in YA, and here you have it. Don't get me wrong, I have definitely seen worse - this one is at least good for mindless entertainment - but I would lie if I said my eyes didn't roll a time or two. Paige gets two famous co-stars, both of whom she's attracted to (didn't see this coming, did you?): the bad boy persona and the supportive, caring good boy. What makes this triangle, if I dare say, a tad intriguing, is how the book starts with a flash-forward prelude where we see her admit to herself that whatever choice she made between them, it was the wrong one. So it makes you curious to see how this will play out. It doesn't mean you'll be satisfied in the end, though. While her intentions are good, being with someone just because they're living through a hard time while you're pining for another is beyond selfish - not to mention bound to blow up in your face which will ultimately make matters worse.
Despite the not-so-perfectness of this novel, it is a great choice for when you're in the mood for some mindless entertainment. Yes it's got clichés and a lot of fluff, but it's fun in a too-good-to-be-true kind of fantasy love story. If you go into this knowing what to expect I think you'll enjoy yourself! :)
--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
Paige is just your regular high school girl with big dreams, until one day these dreams become reality when she's cast in the next big Hollywood book-to-movie. This movie is clearly made to be akin to Twilight in how huge it is. And honestly, how is it not fun to imagine yourself being cast for the role of Bella (could you really be worse than Stewart)? How you would become one of the most known faces in the world in a few weeks flat? Not that I would want that kind of life, to be honest, but it's pretty crazy to think about. In this aspect, it's a fun read. I enjoyed seeing Paige get introduced to this kind of world and lifestyle. This average teenager with a relatable voice, combined with the simple writing style, makes it easy to put yourself in her shoes and imagine just what it would feel like. I found her struggles with accepting the reality of it all, as well as her lack of confidence while on the set, to be realistic (well what do I know, really? But they're struggles I easily picture many new actors having). As for the secondary characters, there's quite a few to keep track of. Some I kept forgetting their roles, her childhood friends are pointless, really, other than to show that life doesn't all revolve around her, but a couple of side roles do bring more life to the book. I particularly enjoyed Wyatt and his dedication to the movie and tough lovin' attitude.
At the end of the day, though, the spotlight is on the love story, and this is where most of the problems lie. Think of the most clichéd romance involving all the tropes in YA, and here you have it. Don't get me wrong, I have definitely seen worse - this one is at least good for mindless entertainment - but I would lie if I said my eyes didn't roll a time or two. Paige gets two famous co-stars, both of whom she's attracted to (didn't see this coming, did you?): the bad boy persona and the supportive, caring good boy. What makes this triangle, if I dare say, a tad intriguing, is how the book starts with a flash-forward prelude where we see her admit to herself that whatever choice she made between them, it was the wrong one. So it makes you curious to see how this will play out. It doesn't mean you'll be satisfied in the end, though. While her intentions are good, being with someone just because they're living through a hard time while you're pining for another is beyond selfish - not to mention bound to blow up in your face which will ultimately make matters worse.
Despite the not-so-perfectness of this novel, it is a great choice for when you're in the mood for some mindless entertainment. Yes it's got clichés and a lot of fluff, but it's fun in a too-good-to-be-true kind of fantasy love story. If you go into this knowing what to expect I think you'll enjoy yourself! :)
--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads
July 1, 2016
5 Words: Fame, acting, love, friendship, change.
I'm a little torn about this book. On one hand it was quite fun and enjoyable, but on the other it was a bit lacklustre and felt a little overdone.
Paige was a little annoying at times, and sometimes quite shallow. But then all of a sudden she'd be this amazing, deep character who I loved to read. It was a little frustrating. Why couldn't she be awesome all the time? Instead of just for a few sentences here and there?
And it's safe to say that I wasn't such a fan of Rainer. Could not see the appeal at all. He was just... Add to that the other two guys in this weird love triangle/square/thing and it was just. Meh.
I think this book is more powerful as a standalone, but I can understand why the author wants to drag it out into a trilogy. The ending really stood out, and was probably the best bit of the book, and I think it's a bit of a shame that it won't be left that way. It just seemed so right, and so brave for a YA writer.
I received a copy of this for free via Goodreads First Reads.
I'm a little torn about this book. On one hand it was quite fun and enjoyable, but on the other it was a bit lacklustre and felt a little overdone.
Paige was a little annoying at times, and sometimes quite shallow. But then all of a sudden she'd be this amazing, deep character who I loved to read. It was a little frustrating. Why couldn't she be awesome all the time? Instead of just for a few sentences here and there?
And it's safe to say that I wasn't such a fan of Rainer. Could not see the appeal at all. He was just... Add to that the other two guys in this weird love triangle/square/thing and it was just. Meh.
I think this book is more powerful as a standalone, but I can understand why the author wants to drag it out into a trilogy. The ending really stood out, and was probably the best bit of the book, and I think it's a bit of a shame that it won't be left that way. It just seemed so right, and so brave for a YA writer.
I received a copy of this for free via Goodreads First Reads.
February 26, 2017
CORA AND THE REREADS
5 Words: Love, fame, family, friendship, sacrifice.
WARNING: THIS BOOK IS TRASH.
And I kind of can't help but love it.
If you had me list out things I hate in books, this book would tick off a good 75% of them.
Instalove ✓
Poor little rich kids ✓
Love triangle ✓
Forced chemistry ✓
Overly wordy descriptions ✓
Romance, romance, romance ✓
But you know what? I'm starting to lose count of the amount of times I've read this book. It's perfect for rainy days and escaping from the world.
And I don't know why, but I just bloody love it.
I can't even say it's the characters, because really they're not so good. I can't stand Paige. And don't get me started on Rainer. They're all such cliches that it's almost (but not quite) funny. I can't say it's the romance either. The romance is bland with unfathomable instalove and I can't read it without rolling my eyes.
This is cheesy trash with a crispy-trope coating. And I need MOOORRRREEEE.
5 Words: Love, fame, family, friendship, sacrifice.
WARNING: THIS BOOK IS TRASH.
And I kind of can't help but love it.
If you had me list out things I hate in books, this book would tick off a good 75% of them.
Instalove ✓
Poor little rich kids ✓
Love triangle ✓
Forced chemistry ✓
Overly wordy descriptions ✓
Romance, romance, romance ✓
But you know what? I'm starting to lose count of the amount of times I've read this book. It's perfect for rainy days and escaping from the world.
And I don't know why, but I just bloody love it.
I can't even say it's the characters, because really they're not so good. I can't stand Paige. And don't get me started on Rainer. They're all such cliches that it's almost (but not quite) funny. I can't say it's the romance either. The romance is bland with unfathomable instalove and I can't read it without rolling my eyes.
This is cheesy trash with a crispy-trope coating. And I need MOOORRRREEEE.
March 5, 2019
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4.5*
Povestea unei tinere obișnuite ce ajunge actrița. O tânăra care încearcă sa învețe din mers cum sta treaba cu realizarea unui film, cu lupta dintre sentimente, cu emoții, iluzii, speranțe și alegeri. O carte despre maturizare. O poveste reușită!
Recenzia mea completa o găsiți aici:
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4.5*
Povestea unei tinere obișnuite ce ajunge actrița. O tânăra care încearcă sa învețe din mers cum sta treaba cu realizarea unui film, cu lupta dintre sentimente, cu emoții, iluzii, speranțe și alegeri. O carte despre maturizare. O poveste reușită!
Recenzia mea completa o găsiți aici:
https://justreadingmybooks.wordpress....
November 9, 2015
For more reviews, Cover Snark and more, visit A Reader of Fictions.
Well, Bekka put this in Sadie Hawkins hoping for a snarky review and oh ho is she going to get what she wanted. My intuition told me that Rebecca Serle’s writing would probably make me gag, but I thought I should give her books a chance and see for myself. This impulse was an incorrect one. If you’re a reader who ships romances where the characters have any sort of real connection, this is not the book for you. If you’re a reader who thinks loving two boys equally at the exact same time is bullshit, this is not the book for you. If you’re a reader who hates instalove (times two!), this is not the book for you. If you’re a reader who’s hoping for some clever satire of the worst romances in YA, oh dear kanye in recording studio is this not the book for you.
Famous in Love starts badly and gets steadily worse, ending with some major headdeskery. I’m trying to think of something positive to say about Famous in Love. All I have to say is that it is entertainingly bad. I wasn’t bored because I was so busy laughing at some of the worst instalove I’ve ever seen, and that’s really saying something. This book seems like it wants to be saying something about Twilight and novels of its ilk, but it actually just repeats all the tropes, reinforcing those sorts of romances as the ideal. If that’s you’re thing, good for you, but I hoped for something the least bit original. Nope. Not happening. Then there are the metaphors, which make sense approximately five percent of the time.
The writing in Famous in Love is painful, as you can see (either that or you love it because we do not have the same taste in writing, which is cool bro). It’s in the really traditional style for this kind of book. Full of fragments. Like sentences are overrated. Overused. Overdone. Over. Why use one sentence when you can use fifteen fragments? This staccato construction can work well when used sparingly, but done so often is merely bad writing. Poor diction. Shitty syntax. Obviously, authors can and will do this and can sell books written this way. They even get really popular. That’s just the character’s narrative voice, people explain. Well and good, but this does mean that the first bit of character development I’m getting is that the heroine is an idiot who doesn’t understand grammar. Like for real she starts over forty sentences with the word ��like.” Like so many in fact that Bluefire Reader’s search function couldn’t display that many results.
Oh, in that case, maybe the writing is perfect, because Paige is definitely too stupid to live. At one point, she almost drowns to death (spoiler: she doesn’t actually die, but I totally thought she might because so convincing) because she didn’t listen to anyone’s advice about swimming in Hawaii. As she thinks she’s dying, she only wants to live when she thinks of a hot boy: “Because when I think about him, I don’t want to go.” (177 of the ARC). If you don’t have a hot boy in your life, you should probably just go into the light because really what use are you. Literally, she is too stupid to live because she would have let herself die.
You should know more about Paige Townsen, though. First think you need to know is that she is very insecure. She doesn’t think she’s talented or beautiful, which is obviously why she was cast as the lead of this movie despite being an unknown. It’s also why all the boys want her. Conveniently, though, not knowing that she’s beautiful is what makes her beautiful. Let’s hope she never realizes or she might be one ugly girl. Of course, despite her insecurities, Paige really doesn’t care about clothing. She pretty much just wears jeans and t-shirts. For her first date with a hot movie star, she wears a skirt she’s had since sixth grade and doesn’t even shower beforehand. No new wardrobe was purchased with her first check. Nope, she tried to give the money to her parents and then, when they said no, gave some of it to charity, because this is what newly wealthy teens do.
Paige also has the best taste. She doesn’t really read novels, except for Jane Austen or Catcher in the Rye (seven times since eighth grade). She reads screenplays, because she is very serious about her craft. She’s read every screenplay available at Powell’s book shop in Portland. We’re informed first that Paige loves classic films, then that she would rather watch a “thriller than a romantic comedy,” and finally that her favorite movie is She’s All That. So she’s a pretentious liar. Don’t you just want to like be her best friend? Just how obnoxious can Paige be?
Some other things you should know about Paige. Her favorite food is coleslaw. She can pop an entire egg roll into her mouth in a single bite. I suspect she’s part snake. Also, she gets cold very easily, since she is freezing cold during the entire filming of the movie. In Maui, Hawaii. CONSTANTLY COLD. You know how Hawaii is known for being icy cold. Yup.
You totally don’t want to be her best friends, Cassandra and Jake. See, even though Paige doesn’t actually like Jake, she assumes they’ll end up together so thus he is claimed for all of time. Then there’s the fact that she will totally not ever call you once she’s famous. Even though you should know that she’s totally not changed by fame or anything. She’s still completely normal and unchanged, as she will tell you over and over. She mostly forgets she has friends, right from the start, which is super charming, I think.
The biggest problem with this novel, aside from my hatred of the writing and the heroine, is how little actually happens. For a romance novel, there’s very little time spent on Paige hanging out with the boys. It’s mostly her thinking about things, like her family, who serve basically no narrative purpose, or about random memories from childhood or about nature. Most of what happens doesn’t advance the plot. Instead of actually SHOWING Paige together with Rainer or Jordan, we’re gifted to nonsensical metaphors and pointless descriptions. Then we’re later TOLD about all the awesome things she did with the boys.
Paige instaloves on both boys. She’s jealous of their pasts and jealous of her best friend Jake and has no idea who she wants. That’s the book basically. She can’t make choices and they all belong to her and that’s the book. Only you won’t see them together and they never talk about anything interesting or have any sort of a connection when they’re together. Then it all ends with this horrible speech:
Famous in Love pretty much fails across the board. But hey, it gave me some good laughs, so not a total loss, right? Update 10/15: Apparently this is the first in a trilogy, which explains the lack of romantic resolution. Well, sort of.
Well, Bekka put this in Sadie Hawkins hoping for a snarky review and oh ho is she going to get what she wanted. My intuition told me that Rebecca Serle’s writing would probably make me gag, but I thought I should give her books a chance and see for myself. This impulse was an incorrect one. If you’re a reader who ships romances where the characters have any sort of real connection, this is not the book for you. If you’re a reader who thinks loving two boys equally at the exact same time is bullshit, this is not the book for you. If you’re a reader who hates instalove (times two!), this is not the book for you. If you’re a reader who’s hoping for some clever satire of the worst romances in YA, oh dear kanye in recording studio is this not the book for you.
Famous in Love starts badly and gets steadily worse, ending with some major headdeskery. I’m trying to think of something positive to say about Famous in Love. All I have to say is that it is entertainingly bad. I wasn’t bored because I was so busy laughing at some of the worst instalove I’ve ever seen, and that’s really saying something. This book seems like it wants to be saying something about Twilight and novels of its ilk, but it actually just repeats all the tropes, reinforcing those sorts of romances as the ideal. If that’s you’re thing, good for you, but I hoped for something the least bit original. Nope. Not happening. Then there are the metaphors, which make sense approximately five percent of the time.
He’s unshaven, but I can still see his scar working its way down his jaw to the back of his neck like a hiker on a mountain trail.
Unless the scar on his neck actually looks like a hiker or is moving, NO. Just no.
Jordan looks at me, and there is something new in his eyes. Something more than that fleck of gold—a star in the night sky. His eyes look softer, too. More brown than black.
Both Rainer and Jordan have magical color-changing eyes that sometimes go soft and squishy. I recommend that they seek an appointment with an ophthalmologist posthaste.
…and when he reaches out and gently touches the screen I can feel his hand on my shoulder—like a spark plug.
Man, I love the feel of spark plugs on my shoulder. It really just does something to me.
We look at each other, and I swear the silence passes between us like water. It has depth, weight. I can feel it flow from my chest to his.
This only makes sense if they’re on some intense drugs.
His lips are like the silk ribbons tied around presents…
The writing in Famous in Love is painful, as you can see (either that or you love it because we do not have the same taste in writing, which is cool bro). It’s in the really traditional style for this kind of book. Full of fragments. Like sentences are overrated. Overused. Overdone. Over. Why use one sentence when you can use fifteen fragments? This staccato construction can work well when used sparingly, but done so often is merely bad writing. Poor diction. Shitty syntax. Obviously, authors can and will do this and can sell books written this way. They even get really popular. That’s just the character’s narrative voice, people explain. Well and good, but this does mean that the first bit of character development I’m getting is that the heroine is an idiot who doesn’t understand grammar. Like for real she starts over forty sentences with the word ��like.” Like so many in fact that Bluefire Reader’s search function couldn’t display that many results.
Oh, in that case, maybe the writing is perfect, because Paige is definitely too stupid to live. At one point, she almost drowns to death (spoiler: she doesn’t actually die, but I totally thought she might because so convincing) because she didn’t listen to anyone’s advice about swimming in Hawaii. As she thinks she’s dying, she only wants to live when she thinks of a hot boy: “Because when I think about him, I don’t want to go.” (177 of the ARC). If you don’t have a hot boy in your life, you should probably just go into the light because really what use are you. Literally, she is too stupid to live because she would have let herself die.
You should know more about Paige Townsen, though. First think you need to know is that she is very insecure. She doesn’t think she’s talented or beautiful, which is obviously why she was cast as the lead of this movie despite being an unknown. It’s also why all the boys want her. Conveniently, though, not knowing that she’s beautiful is what makes her beautiful. Let’s hope she never realizes or she might be one ugly girl. Of course, despite her insecurities, Paige really doesn’t care about clothing. She pretty much just wears jeans and t-shirts. For her first date with a hot movie star, she wears a skirt she’s had since sixth grade and doesn’t even shower beforehand. No new wardrobe was purchased with her first check. Nope, she tried to give the money to her parents and then, when they said no, gave some of it to charity, because this is what newly wealthy teens do.
Paige also has the best taste. She doesn’t really read novels, except for Jane Austen or Catcher in the Rye (seven times since eighth grade). She reads screenplays, because she is very serious about her craft. She’s read every screenplay available at Powell’s book shop in Portland. We’re informed first that Paige loves classic films, then that she would rather watch a “thriller than a romantic comedy,” and finally that her favorite movie is She’s All That. So she’s a pretentious liar. Don’t you just want to like be her best friend? Just how obnoxious can Paige be?
Some other things you should know about Paige. Her favorite food is coleslaw. She can pop an entire egg roll into her mouth in a single bite. I suspect she’s part snake. Also, she gets cold very easily, since she is freezing cold during the entire filming of the movie. In Maui, Hawaii. CONSTANTLY COLD. You know how Hawaii is known for being icy cold. Yup.
You totally don’t want to be her best friends, Cassandra and Jake. See, even though Paige doesn’t actually like Jake, she assumes they’ll end up together so thus he is claimed for all of time. Then there’s the fact that she will totally not ever call you once she’s famous. Even though you should know that she’s totally not changed by fame or anything. She’s still completely normal and unchanged, as she will tell you over and over. She mostly forgets she has friends, right from the start, which is super charming, I think.
The biggest problem with this novel, aside from my hatred of the writing and the heroine, is how little actually happens. For a romance novel, there’s very little time spent on Paige hanging out with the boys. It’s mostly her thinking about things, like her family, who serve basically no narrative purpose, or about random memories from childhood or about nature. Most of what happens doesn’t advance the plot. Instead of actually SHOWING Paige together with Rainer or Jordan, we’re gifted to nonsensical metaphors and pointless descriptions. Then we’re later TOLD about all the awesome things she did with the boys.
Paige instaloves on both boys. She’s jealous of their pasts and jealous of her best friend Jake and has no idea who she wants. That’s the book basically. She can’t make choices and they all belong to her and that’s the book. Only you won’t see them together and they never talk about anything interesting or have any sort of a connection when they’re together. Then it all ends with this horrible speech:
Famous in Love pretty much fails across the board. But hey, it gave me some good laughs, so not a total loss, right? Update 10/15: Apparently this is the first in a trilogy, which explains the lack of romantic resolution. Well, sort of.
Read
March 16, 2015A-ha -- there's a sequel. Because I was like "what kind of an ending was that?"
So ... mixed feelings. I loved the setting (Hawaii!) and I really liked the idea of the whole story-within-a-story -within-a-story aspect of Paige making a movie based on a series of YA books that feature a love triangle while also having a relationship with one (or more!) of her real-life co-stars. Got that? Good.
Unfortunately, the romance in this was all over the place. Instalove, and the kind of "OMG I'm so ordinary! I can't believe so many guys are in love with me" heroine that can make me grind my teeth. There were three guys who had a thing for Paige -- a friend from school who's crushing on her and two actors. But that love square was a bit too much drama for me, especially because Paige seems to want to have ALL the guys. She didn't want to hurt anyone but of course she was stomping all over everyone's feelings and pretending she wasn't.
Underneath all that, I could see a glimmer of a Pride and Prejudice style romance, in which Paige is taken in by one guy and misjudges another, but the book was heavier on romantic angst than character development, which made it hard to root for anyone.
So ... mixed feelings. I loved the setting (Hawaii!) and I really liked the idea of the whole story-within-a-story -within-a-story aspect of Paige making a movie based on a series of YA books that feature a love triangle while also having a relationship with one (or more!) of her real-life co-stars. Got that? Good.
Unfortunately, the romance in this was all over the place. Instalove, and the kind of "OMG I'm so ordinary! I can't believe so many guys are in love with me" heroine that can make me grind my teeth. There were three guys who had a thing for Paige -- a friend from school who's crushing on her and two actors. But that love square was a bit too much drama for me, especially because Paige seems to want to have ALL the guys. She didn't want to hurt anyone but of course she was stomping all over everyone's feelings and pretending she wasn't.
Underneath all that, I could see a glimmer of a Pride and Prejudice style romance, in which Paige is taken in by one guy and misjudges another, but the book was heavier on romantic angst than character development, which made it hard to root for anyone.
February 4, 2020
So ist das Leben. Es passiert einfach und vieles davon kann man eben nicht zurücknehmen. Aber das Großartige ist, dass gerade die Dinge, die einen herausfordern, die vollen Einsatz verlangen, die Dinge sind, die es wirklich wert sind.
Lockerleichte Sommerlektüre, die einen an den Strand katapultiert.
Der Anfang war etwas holprig, dann aber las sich das Buch immer flüssiger und spannender. Auch wenn die Serienverfilmung (also soweit, wie ich damals geguckt habe...) etwas hatte, dass mich mehr reizte. Die im Buch zu verfilmenden Bücher zum Beispiel interessierten mich in der Serie viel mehr als im Buch, wenn auch hier im Buch einige Charaktere viel besser zur Geltung kamen. Es ist doch einiges sehr anders.
Insgesamt hat es mir aber gut gefallen, es war genau die richtige Lektüre für die warmen Tage. Meer bitte.
June 10, 2018
3.5 stars
I regret reading it after seeing the TV series. Because it disappointed me from all points of view. I mean... Oh Jordan... I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Jordan was a perfect character.
Paige... well 95% of the book she was boring. But the last 5% made the difference.
And Rain. I have no words. He is too kind for his own good.
Fav quote:
“And see, that’s the thing I didn’t understand. The thing no one tells you. That just because you find love doesn’t mean it’s yours to keep. Love never belongs to you. It belongs to the universe.”
I regret reading it after seeing the TV series. Because it disappointed me from all points of view. I mean... Oh Jordan... I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Jordan was a perfect character.
Paige... well 95% of the book she was boring. But the last 5% made the difference.
And Rain. I have no words. He is too kind for his own good.
Fav quote:
“And see, that’s the thing I didn’t understand. The thing no one tells you. That just because you find love doesn’t mean it’s yours to keep. Love never belongs to you. It belongs to the universe.”
December 31, 2015
I first read this book not long after it was published last October, and remember really enjoying it. I thought I would reread it before the publication of Truly, Madly, Famously, and enjoyed it just as much the second time around.
In Famous in Love, the main character, Paige, has always dreamed of one day become a proper actress. When she lands the role as the female lead in the film adaptation of a best selling series, it's as if all of her dreams have come true. She is now a recognised name across America, and is set to become a major star. However, this doesn't mean life is now easy and carefree. Paige's male co-stars, Rainer and Jordan, have a log history between them, and are at odds with each other. Paige is drawn inexplicitly to both of them, but can't afford for any behind the scene trouble, lest she ruin her career before it begins.
Paige's character was one I loved reading. She seemed like an honestly real person, with real issues, etc. - the only difference being that she is now famous. Even when filming came to an end, she still couldn't understand that she was an honest to god star, and her life would never be as it was before. She never really changed, personality wise, which I enjoyed. She was just a normal teen girl, who was having feelings for two different guys, and trying to come to terms with these emotions. She had family and friends issues, just like anyone else, and the teen angst was not lacking. Famous in Love was just like any other romantic YA contemporary, set with a Hollywood backdrop, in the best way.
The little interspersed information about Hawaii, and the happenings of Hollywood, and all it entails, helped to spread out the angst. I loved that Serle seems to have really done her research into this topic. She showed that Hollywood isn't all glitz and glammer, rather, it is hard work, and it takes tons of people to create a blockbuster.
The male protagonists were very different from each other. Out of the two my favourite was Jordan, as I felt he more understood Paige, and really wanted to help her through the process of creating a film. Rainer, on the other hand, seemed too old, and too 'star'-y for Paige. He didn't really get her when she wanted to be normal, and I sort of feel as if their relationship was more one sided. To me, Rainer was kind of using Paige for more publicity, etc., and to get one up on Jordan. Whenever Jordan was around, Rainer was really touchy-feeling, and possessive over Paige, and that just wasn't on.
The ending was, for me, a bust. I didn't agree with Paige's choices, but considering it's a trilogy, the angst needed to be set up for future books. I hope Paige comes to her senses in either book 2 or 3, and makes the right decisions. Even saying this, I still really enjoyed Famous in Love. It was just a nice, easy book, with lovable characters, and a realistic storyline/plot. It's a book I don't regret re-reading, and I'm sure I'll probably go back to it in the future and re-read again. I would say contemporary lovers would enjoy this, and I'm so excited that Truly, Madly, Famously is out in October!
In Famous in Love, the main character, Paige, has always dreamed of one day become a proper actress. When she lands the role as the female lead in the film adaptation of a best selling series, it's as if all of her dreams have come true. She is now a recognised name across America, and is set to become a major star. However, this doesn't mean life is now easy and carefree. Paige's male co-stars, Rainer and Jordan, have a log history between them, and are at odds with each other. Paige is drawn inexplicitly to both of them, but can't afford for any behind the scene trouble, lest she ruin her career before it begins.
Paige's character was one I loved reading. She seemed like an honestly real person, with real issues, etc. - the only difference being that she is now famous. Even when filming came to an end, she still couldn't understand that she was an honest to god star, and her life would never be as it was before. She never really changed, personality wise, which I enjoyed. She was just a normal teen girl, who was having feelings for two different guys, and trying to come to terms with these emotions. She had family and friends issues, just like anyone else, and the teen angst was not lacking. Famous in Love was just like any other romantic YA contemporary, set with a Hollywood backdrop, in the best way.
The little interspersed information about Hawaii, and the happenings of Hollywood, and all it entails, helped to spread out the angst. I loved that Serle seems to have really done her research into this topic. She showed that Hollywood isn't all glitz and glammer, rather, it is hard work, and it takes tons of people to create a blockbuster.
The male protagonists were very different from each other. Out of the two my favourite was Jordan, as I felt he more understood Paige, and really wanted to help her through the process of creating a film. Rainer, on the other hand, seemed too old, and too 'star'-y for Paige. He didn't really get her when she wanted to be normal, and I sort of feel as if their relationship was more one sided. To me, Rainer was kind of using Paige for more publicity, etc., and to get one up on Jordan. Whenever Jordan was around, Rainer was really touchy-feeling, and possessive over Paige, and that just wasn't on.
The ending was, for me, a bust. I didn't agree with Paige's choices, but considering it's a trilogy, the angst needed to be set up for future books. I hope Paige comes to her senses in either book 2 or 3, and makes the right decisions. Even saying this, I still really enjoyed Famous in Love. It was just a nice, easy book, with lovable characters, and a realistic storyline/plot. It's a book I don't regret re-reading, and I'm sure I'll probably go back to it in the future and re-read again. I would say contemporary lovers would enjoy this, and I'm so excited that Truly, Madly, Famously is out in October!
April 20, 2017
A nice and fun read . It was pretty exciting to find out who exactly was Paige going to choose. Unfortunately it was kinda of a cliffhanger.
But I enjoyed it !! Can't wit to read the next book
But I enjoyed it !! Can't wit to read the next book
November 10, 2014
Imagine finally getting your chance to shine, after little bit parts, getting that massive role which will thrust you in the limelight. This is what happens to Paige, she ends up auditioning for one of the roles for a book to movie adaption and ends up getting the part. She’s whisked off immediately to Hawaii to start filming, leaving behind her family and best friends and gets to work on set with heart throb actor Rainer. Rainer has been an actor from a young age, so he knows what’s it like, how to deal with fans and having paparazzi constantly buzzing around you, misinterpreting images of you. This is Paige’s first big chance, so she’s not had to deal with this before, but Paige was great, she wasn’t one of those people who let the limelight immediately go to her head. She actually struggled to become the actress that everyone wanted her to be, she felt isolated from everyone else, her best friends were back home doing who knows what and she didn’t really have the confidence in herself, she didn’t realise the reason she was cast was because she was that good.
When it came to the potential love interest I really didn’t know what to think, even though he seemed genuinely nice, I didn’t feel that his feelings for Paige were truly genuine. One minute he would be mucking around with Paige and the next he’d be sharing deep feelings for her. Don’t get me wrong, he was really a nice character, but probably not my favourite character. Then there was the other potential love interest, who I actually was really intrigued about, he wasn’t the big actor everyone loved, but he really kept himself to himself, when he did open up, I was kind of left wanting to know more about him, he was at times down to earth and quite humble, despite this whole different story being created about him. Also when he was around Paige I could feel the tension between them, and the desire they felt for one another that could take them who knows where if they would act upon these feelings!
The love triangle could be tiresome at times, especially when these three characters were together, it did at times bring out the obnoxious side to some characters and so the reason I much preferred it when two characters were together instead. Also I was actually really interested in whole making the movie storyline, I liked learning about everything that went into making a movie in the first place, how it wasn’t as easy as everyone assumed, seeing photo shoots take place, how lovely it could be away on set. And I even wanted to know what would happen to the characters in the book that made this book to movie adaption happen in the first place (the book series the movie had been was a roaring success, it featured a love triangle, and fans would finally find out, who the character would end up choosing in the final book) but details like these were skipped upon and a love triangle ended up happening on set too!
Serle is certainly one talented author, this story was written beautifully and that is one of the main reasons I ended up reading until the very last page. Famous in Love was not one of my favourite reads maybe because I was expecting a lot more, but ended up being bothered by a few frustrating decisions or actions that some characters made. However I’m still willing to give Serle’s books another go, here’s hoping I’ll end up enjoying them even more.
This review can be found on: The Readers Den
When it came to the potential love interest I really didn’t know what to think, even though he seemed genuinely nice, I didn’t feel that his feelings for Paige were truly genuine. One minute he would be mucking around with Paige and the next he’d be sharing deep feelings for her. Don’t get me wrong, he was really a nice character, but probably not my favourite character. Then there was the other potential love interest, who I actually was really intrigued about, he wasn’t the big actor everyone loved, but he really kept himself to himself, when he did open up, I was kind of left wanting to know more about him, he was at times down to earth and quite humble, despite this whole different story being created about him. Also when he was around Paige I could feel the tension between them, and the desire they felt for one another that could take them who knows where if they would act upon these feelings!
The love triangle could be tiresome at times, especially when these three characters were together, it did at times bring out the obnoxious side to some characters and so the reason I much preferred it when two characters were together instead. Also I was actually really interested in whole making the movie storyline, I liked learning about everything that went into making a movie in the first place, how it wasn’t as easy as everyone assumed, seeing photo shoots take place, how lovely it could be away on set. And I even wanted to know what would happen to the characters in the book that made this book to movie adaption happen in the first place (the book series the movie had been was a roaring success, it featured a love triangle, and fans would finally find out, who the character would end up choosing in the final book) but details like these were skipped upon and a love triangle ended up happening on set too!
Serle is certainly one talented author, this story was written beautifully and that is one of the main reasons I ended up reading until the very last page. Famous in Love was not one of my favourite reads maybe because I was expecting a lot more, but ended up being bothered by a few frustrating decisions or actions that some characters made. However I’m still willing to give Serle’s books another go, here’s hoping I’ll end up enjoying them even more.
This review can be found on: The Readers Den
February 8, 2015
Read the full review @ A Perfection Called Books
I'm a sucker for Hollywood movies. I love the glitz and the glam. I love showbiz. I love the cameras and the set up and the prep and the filming. I love it all! I got so into this book that I made popcorn (on multiple occasions) so it seemed like I was watching them film the movie as I read it. Yikes did I really just admit that?
The writing was simplistic and clear. The writing and plot lacked a complexity that I would have liked, but then again this is just a purely entertaining, fluffy contemporary. The story is just so addictive! It's not deep and powerful, it's just fun. Setting-wise this book gets an A+. Thank you for catapulting me back to Hawaii, Mrs. Serle! I love that place, and Serle did an amazing job of describing it. I felt like I was there again!
You won't find deep characters in this book. They're not too well developed, but they are likable for the most part. The romance was cute, if a bit confusing. You never know with these celebrities if they're just acting for the cameras or if something's genuine! The love triangle is interesting and since there's no real plot or problem, the love triangle is a good attempt to distract us readers. I didn't mind it since there's really no other pressing matters to attend to in this book.
This book could have easily been a stand alone but alas, this shall drag on. I love the pop culture aspect of Famous in Love and the movie theme, so I'll probably read the subsequent books.
If you're in the mood for a fun, light read then kick back and read this little gem! If you're looking for a thought-provoking book with rich writing and a wonderful storyline, then you might want to skip this and come back later.
I'm a sucker for Hollywood movies. I love the glitz and the glam. I love showbiz. I love the cameras and the set up and the prep and the filming. I love it all! I got so into this book that I made popcorn (on multiple occasions) so it seemed like I was watching them film the movie as I read it. Yikes did I really just admit that?
The writing was simplistic and clear. The writing and plot lacked a complexity that I would have liked, but then again this is just a purely entertaining, fluffy contemporary. The story is just so addictive! It's not deep and powerful, it's just fun. Setting-wise this book gets an A+. Thank you for catapulting me back to Hawaii, Mrs. Serle! I love that place, and Serle did an amazing job of describing it. I felt like I was there again!
You won't find deep characters in this book. They're not too well developed, but they are likable for the most part. The romance was cute, if a bit confusing. You never know with these celebrities if they're just acting for the cameras or if something's genuine! The love triangle is interesting and since there's no real plot or problem, the love triangle is a good attempt to distract us readers. I didn't mind it since there's really no other pressing matters to attend to in this book.
This book could have easily been a stand alone but alas, this shall drag on. I love the pop culture aspect of Famous in Love and the movie theme, so I'll probably read the subsequent books.
If you're in the mood for a fun, light read then kick back and read this little gem! If you're looking for a thought-provoking book with rich writing and a wonderful storyline, then you might want to skip this and come back later.
July 14, 2019
Nu pricep de ce a fost scrisă cartea asta. Nu ajunge atitudinea ,,vedetelor'' care sunt mediatizate frecvent și trebuia să o mai găsim și în cărți?! Din cărți se presupune că ar trebui să învățăm ceva, or tipa asta e cel puțin imatură emoțional, ca să nu zic ușuratică.
Paige este o adolescentă care a trecut de la roluri minuscule la cel care a aruncat-o direct în lumina reflectoarelor. Ca să poată filma, a renunțat la liceu sau a înghețat anul. Nu se știe pentru că nu se pune accent pe asta. De ce ar face-o, dacă nu contează? Contează că pe platou îl cunoaște pe Rainer, care e cel mai cel și mor toate după el. Se îndrăgostește de el, el de ea și ai zice că e gata treaba, dar stai că mai vine și Jordan pe platou. Se îndrăgostește și d-ăla și el de ea. Dar cu care să rămână? Se simte la fel de bine cu amândoi și nu se poate hotărî. O vacă simte când o mulge altcineva și dă din copite, dar pentru bovina noastră nu putem spera la atâta finețe. În final face o alegere, dar parcă simți că nu e ce trebuie. Oricum, e un subiect atât de complex și cu atâtea variabile (ar mai putea apărea alți actori pe platou), încât autoarea a scris o serie. I-am dat 2 steluțe pentru că au fost drăguțe întâlnirile ei cu el. Cu amândoi ,,el'. O recomand fanilor Irinei Binder.
,,Asta e treaba cu succesul! Se schimbă multe, însă nu toate. Tot ai zile proaste. Prieteniile destrămate nu se repară miraculos. Iar oamenii care nu te-au iubit înainte tot nu te vor iubi. Fiindcă singurul lucru pe care nu-l schimbă succesul, indiferent la ce nivel ajungi, este ce s-a întâmplat deja.''
Paige este o adolescentă care a trecut de la roluri minuscule la cel care a aruncat-o direct în lumina reflectoarelor. Ca să poată filma, a renunțat la liceu sau a înghețat anul. Nu se știe pentru că nu se pune accent pe asta. De ce ar face-o, dacă nu contează? Contează că pe platou îl cunoaște pe Rainer, care e cel mai cel și mor toate după el. Se îndrăgostește de el, el de ea și ai zice că e gata treaba, dar stai că mai vine și Jordan pe platou. Se îndrăgostește și d-ăla și el de ea. Dar cu care să rămână? Se simte la fel de bine cu amândoi și nu se poate hotărî. O vacă simte când o mulge altcineva și dă din copite, dar pentru bovina noastră nu putem spera la atâta finețe. În final face o alegere, dar parcă simți că nu e ce trebuie. Oricum, e un subiect atât de complex și cu atâtea variabile (ar mai putea apărea alți actori pe platou), încât autoarea a scris o serie. I-am dat 2 steluțe pentru că au fost drăguțe întâlnirile ei cu el. Cu amândoi ,,el'. O recomand fanilor Irinei Binder.
,,Asta e treaba cu succesul! Se schimbă multe, însă nu toate. Tot ai zile proaste. Prieteniile destrămate nu se repară miraculos. Iar oamenii care nu te-au iubit înainte tot nu te vor iubi. Fiindcă singurul lucru pe care nu-l schimbă succesul, indiferent la ce nivel ajungi, este ce s-a întâmplat deja.''
Shelved as 'dnf'
May 27, 2015To see full DNF round up click here.
I actually didn’t check this one out at the library I received a sample from Amazon because I was unsure whether or not I wanted to purchase it.
Thank God for samples.
I think my expectations did not meet this one. I wanted a book that was a bit of a satire on YA in the movies. This wasn’t remotely satire. The first five chapters were full of insta love and cliches. Which I guess is typical for these sorts of books, but makes it less than enjoyable.
What DNF’d it for me was the main character. Paige just felt a little too goody goody for me to be true. I’m sorry, unless your name is Mother Teresa you’re not going to be like-oh, I don’t need any of that nasty money I made from my movie-go give it all to the homeless. Never mind, I’m wearing a dress I’ve had since fourth grade on a date with a movie star. Ho, hum, hum….
Just no.
If a book makes me feel like a terrible person because I bought something at Anthropologie last month then I really don’t need to read it.
I actually didn’t check this one out at the library I received a sample from Amazon because I was unsure whether or not I wanted to purchase it.
Thank God for samples.
I think my expectations did not meet this one. I wanted a book that was a bit of a satire on YA in the movies. This wasn’t remotely satire. The first five chapters were full of insta love and cliches. Which I guess is typical for these sorts of books, but makes it less than enjoyable.
What DNF’d it for me was the main character. Paige just felt a little too goody goody for me to be true. I’m sorry, unless your name is Mother Teresa you’re not going to be like-oh, I don’t need any of that nasty money I made from my movie-go give it all to the homeless. Never mind, I’m wearing a dress I’ve had since fourth grade on a date with a movie star. Ho, hum, hum….
Just no.
If a book makes me feel like a terrible person because I bought something at Anthropologie last month then I really don’t need to read it.
October 3, 2014
(I received a copy from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.)
I didn't realize that the book that was mentioned in the blurb was a real book until i started this. If i had known, i probably wouldn't have read this as the book in question wasn't a very good read.
Due to the fact that i wasn't a fan of it, the first 10% of this one really annoyed me, as it was mainly just saying how amazing the book was.
The rest of the book wasn't that great either, unfortunately.
Paige wasn't a character that i liked. She was quite dull and had plenty of annoying moments. The other characters weren't brilliant either.
With the constant "Locked is amazing" talk, the main character being annoying, and the pacing being slow, i spent the majority of the book bored, and wanting it to be over.
Overall, Boring and annoying.
It was a relief when i got to the ending.
I didn't realize that the book that was mentioned in the blurb was a real book until i started this. If i had known, i probably wouldn't have read this as the book in question wasn't a very good read.
Due to the fact that i wasn't a fan of it, the first 10% of this one really annoyed me, as it was mainly just saying how amazing the book was.
The rest of the book wasn't that great either, unfortunately.
Paige wasn't a character that i liked. She was quite dull and had plenty of annoying moments. The other characters weren't brilliant either.
With the constant "Locked is amazing" talk, the main character being annoying, and the pacing being slow, i spent the majority of the book bored, and wanting it to be over.
Overall, Boring and annoying.
It was a relief when i got to the ending.
July 9, 2018
I just wanted so much more from this book than I got. I wanted more character development and I feel like I only got that sparingly for some of the characters. The story was adorable and of course the love triangle worked well, but I just wasn’t interested like I though I would be.
Longer review to come soon!
Longer review to come soon!
August 27, 2024
2 stars. This one really fell flat.
October 12, 2014
I swooned. AND . . . .
SURPRISE: What makes this novel incredibly clever is that Rebecca Serle wrote LOCKED, which is the "hit" novel—novella in this case—that FAMOUS IN LOVE was based on, and it was released under a pen name: Parker Witter. See my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... When you read the novella first, it really has a HUGE impact on your perspective of FAMOUS IN LOVE. Can you read FAMOUS IN LOVE without it? Sure you can. But, if you want the full impact and to delve into how amazing the connections are between the novella and this novel, then I recommend you read LOCKED too!
"I've never walked the red carpet before! Are we supposed to run?" (There's no running on the red carpet in this novel, but it reflects the excitement of the experience for Paige!)
Imagine what it would be like if you were an ordinary YA auditioning for a Hollywood teen movie based on a bestselling YA series. And . . . YOU GET THE PART! You're plucked out of obscurity and right into the world of fame and fortune. Hot guys, hard work, gorgeous film location. You leave your friends, your family, your job and go from ordinary to having people recognize you and ask for your autograph. You get to kiss handsome co-stars! Your life revolves around learning lines, acting (which isn't so easy, especially with a director who yells at you and expects perfection), studying for your GED, hair, makeup, wardrobe, and publicity shots, and interviews. Now add two hot actors into the mix, both interested in you. Both with problems and issues to overcome.
This is Paige Townsen's life when she gets the lead female role in a blockbuster book trilogy.
I don't think Rebecca Serle could have done this better. I was transported onto the movie set and into Paige's life. It felt authentic and most definitely like I was reading an autobiography or a diary of Paige's experience. Please don't cringe when I say this . . . but I can imagine what it was like for Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner. I loved it. LOVED IT!!!!!
SURPRISE: What makes this novel incredibly clever is that Rebecca Serle wrote LOCKED, which is the "hit" novel—novella in this case—that FAMOUS IN LOVE was based on, and it was released under a pen name: Parker Witter. See my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... When you read the novella first, it really has a HUGE impact on your perspective of FAMOUS IN LOVE. Can you read FAMOUS IN LOVE without it? Sure you can. But, if you want the full impact and to delve into how amazing the connections are between the novella and this novel, then I recommend you read LOCKED too!
"I've never walked the red carpet before! Are we supposed to run?" (There's no running on the red carpet in this novel, but it reflects the excitement of the experience for Paige!)
Imagine what it would be like if you were an ordinary YA auditioning for a Hollywood teen movie based on a bestselling YA series. And . . . YOU GET THE PART! You're plucked out of obscurity and right into the world of fame and fortune. Hot guys, hard work, gorgeous film location. You leave your friends, your family, your job and go from ordinary to having people recognize you and ask for your autograph. You get to kiss handsome co-stars! Your life revolves around learning lines, acting (which isn't so easy, especially with a director who yells at you and expects perfection), studying for your GED, hair, makeup, wardrobe, and publicity shots, and interviews. Now add two hot actors into the mix, both interested in you. Both with problems and issues to overcome.
This is Paige Townsen's life when she gets the lead female role in a blockbuster book trilogy.
I don't think Rebecca Serle could have done this better. I was transported onto the movie set and into Paige's life. It felt authentic and most definitely like I was reading an autobiography or a diary of Paige's experience. Please don't cringe when I say this . . . but I can imagine what it was like for Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner. I loved it. LOVED IT!!!!!
October 26, 2014
Famous in Love was a definite roller coaster. Overall I really enjoyed it but I was so frustrated with the ending. I NEED a sequel. Backtracking a bit, I initially picked up Famous in Love for its premise.. an average girl gets picked to be the next Jennifer Lawrence (The main lead in a huge book trilogy turned into movie chain). Paige was very down to earth and also very awestruck by the life she currently leads. Most of the book is set during her filming the first movie with Rainer and late comer, Jordan. Yes, there is a love triangle, but it is very different from what I usually expect of YA books.
I loved the setup in the book. Hawaii. Ah, I would love to travel there. The scenery is beautiful, the way it is described.. the beach, the ocean, the trees, and the mountains (volcanic?). Some scenes were so serene.. especially in the early hours of the morning when Paige would go swimming. However, Paige's life is so hectic, she's insecure in her acting, especially compared to Rainer (think the lovely Dylan O'Brien now). I loved Paige and Rainer's friendship initially and its slow progression to something more. However all the problems start with Jordan's arrival. Jordan is a typical bad boy and I really didn't like him. I felt that Paige fell into inta-lust with him, and not the good kind. The whole time I was like "RAINER! RAINEEEEER IS RIGHT HERE! WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?".
While I wasn't a huge fan of the romance conflict, I still liked everything else about the book, including Paige and her struggles with the acting and just everything else that has drastically changed in her life. The ending though? it was a killer. I totally didn't expect it. Famous in Love is one of the few contemporary books that I read and can't seem to read fast enough to know what happens next. I truly was flipping the pages frantically wanting to know the end result and wow, Serle really pulled one on us. I need a sequel. Please Serle and Poppy, make it happen. Sincerely, a desperate fan.
I loved the setup in the book. Hawaii. Ah, I would love to travel there. The scenery is beautiful, the way it is described.. the beach, the ocean, the trees, and the mountains (volcanic?). Some scenes were so serene.. especially in the early hours of the morning when Paige would go swimming. However, Paige's life is so hectic, she's insecure in her acting, especially compared to Rainer (think the lovely Dylan O'Brien now). I loved Paige and Rainer's friendship initially and its slow progression to something more. However all the problems start with Jordan's arrival. Jordan is a typical bad boy and I really didn't like him. I felt that Paige fell into inta-lust with him, and not the good kind. The whole time I was like "RAINER! RAINEEEEER IS RIGHT HERE! WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?".
While I wasn't a huge fan of the romance conflict, I still liked everything else about the book, including Paige and her struggles with the acting and just everything else that has drastically changed in her life. The ending though? it was a killer. I totally didn't expect it. Famous in Love is one of the few contemporary books that I read and can't seem to read fast enough to know what happens next. I truly was flipping the pages frantically wanting to know the end result and wow, Serle really pulled one on us. I need a sequel. Please Serle and Poppy, make it happen. Sincerely, a desperate fan.
March 23, 2021
Am aflat de cartea asta după ce am văzut trailerul serialului pe hbo, și am zis ca înainte să-l vad e musai sa citesc povestea.
Am făcut-o. Nu pot sa spun ca mi-a plăcut, dar n-a fost cea mai rea lectura din lume.
E mișto euforia celebrității, felul în care iei parte la punerea în scena a unui film, dar cam atât.
N-am înțeles-o neam pe Paige. Daaaa, știu, e tânără și are voie sa facă greșeli, dar mie mi s-a părut prostănacă. M-a enervat nehotărârea asta a ei și jocul asta de du-te vino, lasă-mă dar nu-mi da pace când cu unul când cu altul. Poate am îmbătrânit și nu mai rezonez cu genul asta de atitudine, asa ca nu trebuie sa luați de bun ce spun eu aici.
E o carte usurica, lejera, fără fasoane.
Ii dau 3 stele.
Am făcut-o. Nu pot sa spun ca mi-a plăcut, dar n-a fost cea mai rea lectura din lume.
E mișto euforia celebrității, felul în care iei parte la punerea în scena a unui film, dar cam atât.
N-am înțeles-o neam pe Paige. Daaaa, știu, e tânără și are voie sa facă greșeli, dar mie mi s-a părut prostănacă. M-a enervat nehotărârea asta a ei și jocul asta de du-te vino, lasă-mă dar nu-mi da pace când cu unul când cu altul. Poate am îmbătrânit și nu mai rezonez cu genul asta de atitudine, asa ca nu trebuie sa luați de bun ce spun eu aici.
E o carte usurica, lejera, fără fasoane.
Ii dau 3 stele.
August 27, 2017
Review to come!
April 4, 2018
This was just a really entertaining story and it was so fun and very enjoyable. It's a lot different to the tv show and much better.
Want to read
April 1, 2018"Completely captures what it's like to be part of Young Hollywood. I absolutely loved it. A must-read for anyone curious about life and love behind the scenes." -Bella Thorne
[January 30, 2015] I just bought the book! It looks so cute!
[Tuesday, March 27, 2018] I bought this book when I first came to Kuwait... it must be one of the first books I bought. In 2017, the book became a TV series, and today I finally started watching! I decided to read the book as well.
All I've been thinking about while reading is: "Can the author write Locked please?" so I opened the book's page to find that Locked is written!!! And they say wishes don't come true!
Locked is a trilogy about a girl named August who lands on a magical deserted island after a plane crash. The boy who survives with her (who happens to be her boyfriend's best friend) has some kind of supernatural connection to the island, and they fall in love. But she's also still in love with her boyfriend, who she thinks is dead, since all three of them were on the plane together.
October 3, 2014
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley.)
I really liked ‘When You Were Mine’ by this author, but every book I have read since has been a huge disappointment. Including this one.
Paige was a little dull. All she cared about was movies and acting, and she bored me. Then, she finally gets cast in a major film production, doesn’t turn up to work on time, and is surprised when the press start taking her picture and spreading rumours. Surely she should have been expecting that?
The storyline in this bored me, and it got worse the further into the book we got. I didn’t really care about what was going on on the film set, and I just got bored!
The romance was in the form of a love triangle, square… triangle, er square? This girl had 3 guys who she was trying to juggle, and she got all upset when one of them started dating someone else. I mean, how many guys do you want at once? Surely one of them can get with someone else considering he’s not exclusively your boyfriend? I mean, ugh. Just make up your mind! Or at least be honest that you’re snogging more than one person at a time?
The ending to this didn’t feel like much of an ending, but I was just glad that it was over. I am tempted to read ‘Locked’ just to see what all the fuss is about, but if it’s anything like this, I’m just going to be bored. I don’t think I want to read the next book in this series.
Overall; dull,
6 out of 10.
I really liked ‘When You Were Mine’ by this author, but every book I have read since has been a huge disappointment. Including this one.
Paige was a little dull. All she cared about was movies and acting, and she bored me. Then, she finally gets cast in a major film production, doesn’t turn up to work on time, and is surprised when the press start taking her picture and spreading rumours. Surely she should have been expecting that?
The storyline in this bored me, and it got worse the further into the book we got. I didn’t really care about what was going on on the film set, and I just got bored!
The romance was in the form of a love triangle, square… triangle, er square? This girl had 3 guys who she was trying to juggle, and she got all upset when one of them started dating someone else. I mean, how many guys do you want at once? Surely one of them can get with someone else considering he’s not exclusively your boyfriend? I mean, ugh. Just make up your mind! Or at least be honest that you’re snogging more than one person at a time?
The ending to this didn’t feel like much of an ending, but I was just glad that it was over. I am tempted to read ‘Locked’ just to see what all the fuss is about, but if it’s anything like this, I’m just going to be bored. I don’t think I want to read the next book in this series.
Overall; dull,
6 out of 10.
April 28, 2018
Paige is your normal everyday 17 year old girl until she goes to a casting call and lands the lead role. She's thrown into a world that she always dreamed of and two dudes who tug at her heart.
There will be spoilers below because otherwise I won't be able to fully discuss this messy guilty pleasure novel and a little of the TV show.
First off, this novel maybe set in a contemporary real world setting but one character is completely not real. Rainer. He's like 22 and he's after a 17 year old girl... and no one seems to care! Her parents aren't calling her and wondering what the heck is going on?! If she was my daughter... Rainer would need to watch his back.
So, pushing the age thing away, something else that made Rainer a completely unrealistic man, because at 22 he's a man. He never once asked Paige for sex. No guy at 22 isn't going to at least bring it up. None. Not unless they're asexual and he's not.
Besides that the book was honestly fine. I kept reading hoping she would chose Jordan... yeah. Sad.
I mainly read this because I watch the show and rally enjoy it. I wasn't surprised at how much they changed but I was surprised that Jordan was a love interest and not Jake. Seemed like a weird change as I don't like a lot of the things they've done to the TV Jordan, (sleeping with his best friend's mom! I mean... come on!)
It's a super easy read and it did keep my attention but it's not the kind of book I will ever reread.
There will be spoilers below because otherwise I won't be able to fully discuss this messy guilty pleasure novel and a little of the TV show.
First off, this novel maybe set in a contemporary real world setting but one character is completely not real. Rainer. He's like 22 and he's after a 17 year old girl... and no one seems to care! Her parents aren't calling her and wondering what the heck is going on?! If she was my daughter... Rainer would need to watch his back.
So, pushing the age thing away, something else that made Rainer a completely unrealistic man, because at 22 he's a man. He never once asked Paige for sex. No guy at 22 isn't going to at least bring it up. None. Not unless they're asexual and he's not.
Besides that the book was honestly fine. I kept reading hoping she would chose Jordan... yeah. Sad.
I mainly read this because I watch the show and rally enjoy it. I wasn't surprised at how much they changed but I was surprised that Jordan was a love interest and not Jake. Seemed like a weird change as I don't like a lot of the things they've done to the TV Jordan, (sleeping with his best friend's mom! I mean... come on!)
It's a super easy read and it did keep my attention but it's not the kind of book I will ever reread.
October 10, 2016
Famous in Love was a really quick, easy read. I read about the first half of it one sitting and only stopped because I made myself go to bed since I had work in the morning. While neither the writing or the plot really blew me away, there was something about it that I just couldn’t stop reading.
Paige is an average high school girl who is plucked out of obscurity during an open casting call for the next big movie franchise, based on a best-selling Young Adult book series (think the Twilight phenomena). She starts filming with the very famous and charming Rainer and a relationship begins to blossom. Then Rainer’s arch-enemy Jordan is cast as the second male lead and Paige starts to have feelings for him, too. Requisite love triangle angst ensues. But to keep the story interesting (because really if this was just another love triangle story I don’t think I could’ve made myself finish it) there are glimpses of what happens behind the scenes of making a movie and Paige begins to grow up.
Paige was a mostly likable character. Throughout the whole book she stayed pretty grounded and while she did realize her life was going to change, she never really let the idea of fame get to her head. She learned about forgiveness and sacrifice and what’s really important in life. While she still has a lot of growing up to do, I think she did get a good start during the course of the book and I appreciated that.
I was kind of ambivalent about the love triangle. At various times I leaned in the direction of one or the other, but for the most part I wasn’t ever really Team Rainer or Team Jordan. I liked how easy-going Rainer was and that he really did seem to want to help Paige navigate the business and take care of her. I didn’t really like the 5 year age difference – he’s 22 and she’s 17. It almost seemed like he was manipulative at times or, like, preying on her naiveté and youth. At the end of the day, I don’t think he was that calculating, but it still rubbed me the wrong way a bit. Paige and Jordan’s relationship was far too insta-lovey for me. I never felt the connection between them that Paige was always talking about. He was kind and sweet, but for the most part he was just kind of broody and I don’t think I got to know him well enough to ship him with Paige.
Another thing that kind of threw me off a bit was how large parts of the plot were just skipped over. In one scene Paige is auditioning for the movie and the next she’s already been on set for awhile. While I can appreciate the “just-get-on-with-it” attitude, I felt like there was a lot missing not seeing her find out she was cast, preparing to leave her family and friends and home, her first day on a movie set, and etc. While I don’t think we need to see every single day from the audition to the premiere, we did jump large portions of time and it was a little jarring. I also thought it was kind of odd that for wanting to be an actress she didn’t really know anything about celebrities.
Overall, I did enjoy Famous in Love. I wanted to read to see if I would be interested in watching the show when it comes next year and I am, though I’m already a little annoyed about how different it looks from the book. I wanted something light and fun and this definitely fit the bill. I enjoyed the behind the scenes look at making a movie and the Hawaiian setting (fun fact, when I was very young I lived on Maui for a couple years where the movie set is) and it was the perfect bit of escapism I was looking for.
Overall Rating (out of 5): 3.5 Stars
Paige is an average high school girl who is plucked out of obscurity during an open casting call for the next big movie franchise, based on a best-selling Young Adult book series (think the Twilight phenomena). She starts filming with the very famous and charming Rainer and a relationship begins to blossom. Then Rainer’s arch-enemy Jordan is cast as the second male lead and Paige starts to have feelings for him, too. Requisite love triangle angst ensues. But to keep the story interesting (because really if this was just another love triangle story I don’t think I could’ve made myself finish it) there are glimpses of what happens behind the scenes of making a movie and Paige begins to grow up.
Paige was a mostly likable character. Throughout the whole book she stayed pretty grounded and while she did realize her life was going to change, she never really let the idea of fame get to her head. She learned about forgiveness and sacrifice and what’s really important in life. While she still has a lot of growing up to do, I think she did get a good start during the course of the book and I appreciated that.
I was kind of ambivalent about the love triangle. At various times I leaned in the direction of one or the other, but for the most part I wasn’t ever really Team Rainer or Team Jordan. I liked how easy-going Rainer was and that he really did seem to want to help Paige navigate the business and take care of her. I didn’t really like the 5 year age difference – he’s 22 and she’s 17. It almost seemed like he was manipulative at times or, like, preying on her naiveté and youth. At the end of the day, I don’t think he was that calculating, but it still rubbed me the wrong way a bit. Paige and Jordan’s relationship was far too insta-lovey for me. I never felt the connection between them that Paige was always talking about. He was kind and sweet, but for the most part he was just kind of broody and I don’t think I got to know him well enough to ship him with Paige.
Another thing that kind of threw me off a bit was how large parts of the plot were just skipped over. In one scene Paige is auditioning for the movie and the next she’s already been on set for awhile. While I can appreciate the “just-get-on-with-it” attitude, I felt like there was a lot missing not seeing her find out she was cast, preparing to leave her family and friends and home, her first day on a movie set, and etc. While I don’t think we need to see every single day from the audition to the premiere, we did jump large portions of time and it was a little jarring. I also thought it was kind of odd that for wanting to be an actress she didn’t really know anything about celebrities.
Overall, I did enjoy Famous in Love. I wanted to read to see if I would be interested in watching the show when it comes next year and I am, though I’m already a little annoyed about how different it looks from the book. I wanted something light and fun and this definitely fit the bill. I enjoyed the behind the scenes look at making a movie and the Hawaiian setting (fun fact, when I was very young I lived on Maui for a couple years where the movie set is) and it was the perfect bit of escapism I was looking for.
Overall Rating (out of 5): 3.5 Stars
October 24, 2015
Famous in Love, a young-adult contemporary romance, was a really quick read. The writing style, although sometimes a bit repetitive (in the sense of using the same adjectives for the same things over and over again), was easy to follow. The setting (Hawaii!) was beautiful and painted as such, and the idea of the story was interesting - we get to see how a blockbuster, based on a popular young adult trilogy Locked, is made.
Although I'm not that into love triangles, the relationships didn't feel like insta-love. The book doesn't lack in hot guys to choose from, either.
First we have Rainer Devon, who I imagined like this:
And then Jordan Wilder is suddenly pushed into the story.
I wasn't really rooting for either of them, though, so the ending left me feeling pretty indifferent. I'm ready to bet on how this whole things ends for the three of them. Their story is basically the story of Locked characters.
Overall, it was pretty entertaining.
Although I'm not that into love triangles, the relationships didn't feel like insta-love. The book doesn't lack in hot guys to choose from, either.
First we have Rainer Devon, who I imagined like this:
And then Jordan Wilder is suddenly pushed into the story.
I wasn't really rooting for either of them, though, so the ending left me feeling pretty indifferent. I'm ready to bet on how this whole things ends for the three of them. Their story is basically the story of Locked characters.
Overall, it was pretty entertaining.
Shelved as 'dnf'
January 1, 2015I'm pulling the plug on this one for now and calling it a DNF. I just can't get into it. At all. I don't like the characters, I don't like the relationships that are happening, I don't believe that she's the one they would pick for this role nor do I like that we completely missed out on the anticipation of the auditions and the excitement of getting the role, and I just don't really care what happens. I wanted to be able to appreciate this for the fluffy, fun romance that it was but all I could think about what how much it felt like a peek at what was going on behind the scenes during the filming of Twilight. The high-profile YA book turned movie, a love triangle, and a bunch of things that I just don't care about. I hope that maybe someday I'll be able to pick this back up and enjoy it for what it is, but today is not that day. I hope you guys can enjoy it more than I did!
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