Book Review,Guest Post And Giveaway : Heartthrob by Belinda Williams

CAN AN AVERAGE GIRL SURVIVE HOLLYWOOD?

HEARTTHROB

Hollywood Hearts #1

Belinda Williams

Released Nov 10th, 2016

CAN AN AVERAGE GIRL SURVIVE HOLLYWOOD?

Ally Valenti doesn’t belong in Hollywood. Not like her friend and actress, Lena Lyons. Lena’s convinced Ally to pursue her dreams of fashion design, starting with some gowns for the awards season.

Which Ally will get around to creating as soon as she can stop looking at Jacob Swan, Lena’s latest co-star. Not that she’s staring. Ally’s skeptical of anything celebrity and it’s not like she’d be pathetic enough to fall for a Hollywood heartthrob.

Then Ally learns there’s more to Jacob than his good guy, all-American persona. She finds herself torn between the desire to get to know him better and her determination to stay out of the limelight.

Of course the media has other ideas—and someone doesn’t like all the attention Ally’s getting. When threats aimed at destroying her fashion career go too far, Ally’s convinced she’s living in crazy town.

The sensible thing would be to retreat home before it all ends in spectacular fashion. But will Ally be leaving more than her dreams behind if she says goodbye to Hollywood?

This glamorous, fast-paced contemporary romance that will make you smile, is perfect for fans of Rachel Gibson, Victoria Dahl, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, and Liliana Hart.

REVIEW

A really great find from a new-to-me author!This book had a really good romance woven in with a compelling mystery.The best part about it were the friendships and the familial relationships!
The plot isn't really unique or something that we haven't seen before, but where this book wins is in the execution and its characters.

Ally Valenti is a down-to-earth girl who manages her family's restaurant.She is a talented designer and had a scholarship to study fashion design, which she had to give up when her father fell ill.Her best friend is the super-talented and famous actress Lena Lyons.They've been friends since highschool and have kept in touch.Lena has just come out of a painful divorce and Ally would like to be there for her.When Lena persuades her to come to Hollywood for a few months and design Lena's dress for the awards ceremony, Ally accepts.

Ally doesn't want to hope that it might be anything more than temporary.She doesn't see her talent the way others do.But, when she starts getting the attention she deserves she begins to gain confidence.Then there is also her slow-blooming relationship Jacob Swan, Hollywood's sexiest man.
But someone doesn't like the attention she is getting and has been going through great lengths to make sure her fledgling career is destroyed.Will they find out who it is or will Ally return back to her home after losing her dreams and her heart as well?

I loved the characters in this book the most.All of them were fleshed out beautifully and in detail.Each one had a background story and motivations that weren't one-dimensional.Usually when authors write main characters like Ally it ends up coming off too fake and Mary Sue-ish.But here her down-to-earth character felt natural and her talents were also believable.The friendship she had with Lena and her relationship with her little cousin was also done well.Lena was a really intriguing character as she has so many layers!

And how could I forget-Jake!!My favorite!Their first meeting was hilarious and the way the romance developed slowly between them felt 100% natural!They had really good chemistry!I just think that his actions towards the end were a little unbelievable since they didn't match with the Jake that we had come to know and love.It was almost as if there needed to be that typical drama to separate the H and the h, so he reacted that way.

The mystery was an added element that really made me enjoy the story more!I love how the author kept us guessing till the end!

I would definitely recommend this book if you're looking for a sexy romance with a dose of suspense added to it!I promise you won't be disappointed!

P.S.I hope the next book in the series will be Lena and Marc.I can see that there is something between them!! xD

GUEST POST

We also have Belinda Williams-author of Heartthrob on our blog today, who lists out her top ten favorite books!!

Belinda Williams Top 10 books

1 & 2: It’s a tie between two of Nora Robert’s romantic suspense novels, The Search and The Obsession. I love the way she blends a hard-hitting suspense plot with the development of a relationship—I just can’t put these books down!

3. Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn

Set in London in the late 1800’s, private enquiry agent, Nicholas Brisbane, comes into Lady Julia Grey’s life when her husband is murdered. It’s the start of a tumultuous and very readable relationship!

4. A Spear of Summer Grass by Deanna Raybourn

An epic tale spanning the beauty and brutality of Africa in the 1920's. The setting is brilliant and conveyed so well it played like a classic motion picture in my mind.

5. A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn

So yes, I have a soft spot for Raybourn’s historicals, despite being a contemporary author myself. This is a new series about a fiery Victorian woman, Veronica Speedwell, and her unlikely, bad-tempered hero, Stoker. Did I mention he’s bad-tempered? Equal parts funny and sexy.

6. Who’s Afraid of Mr Wolfe by Hazel Osmond.

This is probably one of the best contemporary romances I’ve read in recent years. It’s so, so funny and Mr Wolfe is a modern-day Mr Darcy. *swoon*

7. Bounty by Elise Sax

Couldn’t stop laughing. This book is fun, fun, fun. Perfect escape from reality fiction.

8. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

Moriarty is big in Australia right now (and the world), and this is women’s fiction at its best. There’s drama, mystery, twists and turns. A great read.

9. Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks

Nothing romantic about this one, sorry! Set during the plague in the 1600’s, this book is confronting and fascinating. I studied this era briefly at university and, for some reason, am fascinated by it. This book was amazing – it blended rich historical detail with very real, relatable characters.

10. The Maxwell Sisters by Loretta Hill

Tells the story of three (very different) sisters and is set at the family’s winery in Western Australia. Loved the setting and reading the different viewpoints, challenges and romances of each sister.

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So,what do you guys think?Personally, I loved the Search and The Obsession too!Favorites of mine!I will be sure to read the others on the list too! :D

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Belinda Willliams is a marketing communications specialist and copywriter who allowed an addiction to romance and chick-lit to get the better of her. She was named a top ten finalist in the Romance Writers of Australia Emerald Award in both 2013 and 2014.

Her other addictions include music and cars. Belinda’s eclectic music taste forms the foundation of many of her writing ideas and her healthy appreciation for fast cars means she would not so secretly love a Lamborghini. For now she’ll have to settle with her son’s Hot Wheels collection and writing hot male leads with sports cars.

Belinda lives in Sydney and blogs regularly about writing and reading at www.belindawilliamsbooks.com