I have two other blog drafts waiting in the wings, but they’re not quite polished and one is a little bit heavy, so I’ve been sticking to book reviews, which are way more fun. Plus, I’ve been embracing the fact that I’m an unashamed romance reader. This was a quick read and a good palate cleanser from some of the heavier/steamier books I’ve been reading lately. It’s fun but not super scandalous.
Adapted For Film by Stacey Rourke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Aubrey Evans is on set for the making of the movie based on her romance novel, but she finds herself clashing with the director, Kole Camden. Though they manage to put their differences aside, the studio thinks that the best way to avoid the bad press that has already leaked is to manufacture a relationship between Audrey and the actor playing the lead role, Greyson Meyers. While it seems innocent at first, Aubrey is unable to stop the studio from taking it to further levels, and things get only more complicated when she realizes that though Greyson is hot and fairly unrelenting of his flirting, there’s something brewing between her and Kole.
The plot was your typical, fluffy romantic comedy and made for a perfect popcorn read. It didn’t drag at all. On the contrary, the clever dialogue kept the story going. I don’t think I’ve read the author/director/actor triangle before, so that part was fresh, but part of my love for romantic comedies is the comfort of familiarity and the promise of a happy ending.
Rourke’s characters in this book were fun and quirky. Aubrey is icy but clever and snarky. I love snark. Kole is funny but strangely awkward. There’s one scene in which he admits his jokes don’t always work out (it’s a funny scene involving a feather duster) and he endeared himself to me. Greyson is over the top flirty but somehow he never gets annoying. My favorite though was Mateo, the Cuban hip-hop star playing one of side characters in the movie. He reminded me of Pit Bull and cracked me up.
The Romance Factor was there, but it was fairly light. There wasn’t a lot of foreplay between the main characters. Even they don’t seem to realize there’s something there until later in the book. At the same time, because I knew there was romance waiting in the wings, it still read like a romantic comedy.
The Sex Factor was super low. The book is easily PG with one scene maybe edging up to PG-13. Maybe. I like some steam, but it’s not a deal breaker, so those romance readers who aren’t so much into the dirty stuff are likely to appreciate the tame nature of this one.
This was a fun, well-written read that gives me faith I’ll enjoy the other books by this author. If she comes out with any other rom-coms, I’m pretty sure I’ll be grabbing them. Now I just need to get in the mindset to read her other series.
The Romance Factor 