Book Review: The Starlet by Mary McNamara

Tuesday 29 June, 2010 By 6 Comments

Title: The Starlet
Author: Mary McNamara
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: June 8, 2010
Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN: 978-1439149843
Genre: Fiction

From the Publisher:

It’s a not-so-well-respected rule in Hollywood that what happens on location stays on location. But when a hot young leading man winds up dead in his Rome hotel room, his costar’s life is about to go off the rails in a very public way—even by celeb standards.

At the tender age of twenty-three, Mercy Talbot has won an Oscar, battled addiction, wrecked more than her share of cars, and burned down her house. Her look-alike mother keeps her on a tight leash (and fueled with an endless supply of OxyContin and cocaine) and her producers demand a grueling schedule. By the time she stumbles across Juliette Greyson, a Hollywood insider on a much-needed vacation, Mercy is surrounded by photographers and about to emerge drunk, high, and naked from a public fountain. Whisking her away to an idyllic Tuscan ‘retreat,’ Juliette is about to discover another rule of Hollywood: wherever the starlet may go, the drama will follow.

My Review:

The Starlet is a hilarious and witty look inside the making of a Hollywood movie accompanied with all the drama that occurs on and off the scenes. The reader is introduced to Mercy Talbot, born Tiffany Dawn, a name her mother promptly changed when the family moved to Los Angeles. Mercy’s mother Angie does everything in her power to make her daughter famous, including having her adolescent daughter get breast implants for publicity photos, then to have them removed when puberty kicked in. To say Mercy’s childhood was far from normal is an understatement. By the young age of 23, Mercy had been famous for twelve years and in that time had done more than enough destructive things to keep the paparazzi constantly busy. Juliette Greyson is in Italy on a long overdue vacation when she sees Mercy climbing the statue in the fountain on the Piazza Cordova, clearly under the influence of several substances. Will Juliette, a Hollywood insider, be able to finally offer the advice, help and mentoring this young, desperate starlet needs or will Mercy self destruct? I was drawn in to the story, which surprised me a bit, as I watch few movies and care very little about Hollywood. McNamara has an infectious writing style which makes the reader not only care about her characters, but makes the reader want to know more about them and their circumstances. The Starlet is filled with exciting characters, mystery, high drama, romance, intrigue and a lot of detail regarding the making of a Hollywood movie. The Starlet kept me mesmerised, entertained and quite thankful I never wanted to be famous. I believe The Starlet would make for an excellent and unforgettable summer read.

About the Author:

Mary McNamara has worked for the Los Angeles Times for seventeen years, writing extensively about the inner workings of Hollywood. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and three children. The Starlet is her second novel.

I received a complimentary copy of The Starlet by Mary McNamara from Regal Literary  to review.  Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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Book Review and Tour: Missing Max by Karen Young

Tuesday 29 June, 2010 By 4 Comments

Title: Missing Max
Author: Karen Young
Publisher: Howard Books
Publication Date: June 15, 2010
Pages: 336 pages
ISBN: 978-1416587491
Genre: Fiction, Romance

From the Publisher:

When baby Max is kidnapped during Mardi Gras, Jane and Kyle Madison’s life falls apart. What their daughter, Melanie, does next is unthinkable.

Max vanished into thin air while in the care of his teenage sister, Melanie. Six months later, the family is a shadow of its former self: Melanie blames herself and is acting out and rebellious; Jane is obsessed with finding Max; and Kyle, a lawyer, struggles to cope with his own grief—and a persistent suspicion that one of his cases is connected to Max’s disappearance.

With her family in turmoil and her marriage on the rocks, Jane thinks things can’t get any worse. Then when an affair and an unexpected pregnancy threaten to tear the Madisons’ lives apart, an anonymous caller leads to a break in the case. Can a second kidnapping bring their family back together?

My Review:

Missing Max by Karen Young is a story of heartbreaking loss and a  family torn apart by a kidnapping .  Melanie wants to attend the Mardi Gras festivities but her father Kyle, a high-powered attorney, decides he needs to work that night.  Feeling sorry for her stepdaughter,  Jane bundles up 6-month-old Max to take Melanie to view the Mardi Gras parade.  While downtown Jane goes off to buy snacks leaving 16-year-old Melanie in charge of Max.  Unfortunately for all concerned, Max is abducted while Melanie’s back is turned to chat with friends.  Later Max’s pram and one bootie are recovered.  While the initial outline is by no means new, Young does a stellar job at showing the reader how the abduction of Max affects the entire Madison family and how guilt and blame can lead to extremely destructive behaviours.  Missing Max has the added twist of mysterious late night phone calls where all one hears is a baby crying in the distance.  I was drawn into the story from the beginning and while some aspects were predictable, such as the family falling apart, the story goes above and beyond the predictable and turns into a delicious suspense novel with enough plot twists to keep the reader guessing.  Missing Max is an excellent story about love, loss, and the healing powers of forgiveness.  I would recommend Missing Max to anyone looking for a good, faced paced read.

About the Author:

Karen Young is the author of thirty-four novels with more than ten million copies in print. Her many awards include the RITA from Romance Writers of America and both the Career Achievement and Reviewer’s Choice awards from Romantic Times magazine. She is a frequent public speaker and a teacher of the craft of writing. Currently, she resides in Houston, Texas.

I received a complimentary copy of Missing Max by Karen Young from Glass Road Public Relations. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

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Teaser Tuesdays – Unspeakable

Tuesday 29 June, 2010 By 32 Comments


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here is mine:

“ They left her waiting for more than four hours.  Elaina refused to acknowledge the snub.”

~Page 136, Unspeakable by Laura Griffin
Please check back for my review.

What are you reading?
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