Book Smart Kate

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by Holly James (July 30, 2024) – Thanks to Dutton Books and @prhaudio for a #gifted audiobook copy of this wildly entertaining celebrity romance. Below is my honest review.

Olivia and Chuck sparked electric chemistry when she sat down to interview him. Everyone wanted to know about the new actor who was about to take on his breakout role. But by the end of the day, she’d handed off the article out of a conflict of interest, and they were on a date. Many fights and makeups later, Olivia once again bolts from their argument. This time into a crowded LA street where their fight unfolds before cell phones. Soon, they find their most dramatic breakup has gone viral – including the declaration, “You couldn’t pay me a million dollars to get back together with you!” Reality TV show Name Your Price jumps at the chance to test that theory. They win a million dollars each if they can live in a one-bed, one-bathroom house for 30 days, not touch each other, and never leaving the house. Despite both having a name in Hollywood, they are broke and need the cash. They also drive each other crazy and can’t keep their hands to themselves.

This is my third book by Holly James, and I’ve come to love how she deftly mixes comedy with heartfelt personal growth and a sprinkling of social commentary. She amps up all three in this book, which I adored, and operates at several levels. We get real personal growth from both Chuck and Olivia, a deep understanding of how they contributed to their relationship breakdown, an old Hollywood scandal, and palpable electric chemistry. It was a fun, funny, and heartfelt read that left us with a HEA that didn’t take the easy way out.

The audiobook is a single narration by Nikki Massoud and she does a fantastic job!

If you could go on a reality TV show, what show would it be?