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Hollywood Dirt #1
Hollywood Dirt
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Romance (2015)Cole Masten. Abandoned by his superstar wife, Hollywood’s Perfect Husband is now Hollywood’s Sexiest Bachelor: partying hard and screwing even harder. Watch out Los Angeles, there's a new bad boy in town.
Summer Jenkins. That’s me, a small town girl stuck in Quincy, Georgia. I cook some mean chicken and dumplins, can bluff a grown man out of his savings in poker, and was voted Most Friendly my senior year.
We were from different worlds. Our lives shouldn’t have collided. But then Cole Masten read a book about my small town. And six months later, his jet landed on our dusty airstrip, and he brought Hollywood with him.
From the start, I knew he was trouble. For our town. And for me.
Sometimes, opposites just aren’t meant to attract.
Summer Jenkins. That’s me, a small town girl stuck in Quincy, Georgia. I cook some mean chicken and dumplins, can bluff a grown man out of his savings in poker, and was voted Most Friendly my senior year.
We were from different worlds. Our lives shouldn’t have collided. But then Cole Masten read a book about my small town. And six months later, his jet landed on our dusty airstrip, and he brought Hollywood with him.
From the start, I knew he was trouble. For our town. And for me.
Sometimes, opposites just aren’t meant to attract.
431 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 7, 2015
About the author
Alessandra Torre
46 books15.7k followersAlessandra Torre (AR Torre) is an award-winning New York Times bestselling author of twenty-seven romance and suspense novels. In addition to writing, she is the creator of Alessandra Torre Ink - an online community of over 40,000 published and aspiring authors.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,262 reviews
March 20, 2018
★★★★★! Hollywood Dirt (stand-alone). Opposite attracts & second chances as Hollywood comes calling on a small Southern town!
“I want to flip you over and bury my face in between your legs and fuckin’ own you with my mouth.”
Hollywood Dirt (stand-alone) opens shortly before a Hollywood production is heading to a small Southern town to film a big budget movie. Center stage is Hollywood heartthrob and too-handsome-for-his-own-good, Hollywood royalty Cole Masten aka Big City. This movie is his baby, his first production. When his world is rocked by deceit and divorce papers served by his gold-digging soon-to-be ex-wife, a jaded Cole turned man-whore must fight to keep the movie production on schedule and in his name.
Summer Jenkins aka Country is the polar opposite from Cole, except since the movie announcement Summer has caught the first break of her life helping the movie scout with local logistics with the hopes of staying on as crew once production starts. But Summer has a bit of a temper accompanied by bluntness much due to being born to a single mom and an outcast for most of her life followed by a scandal in recent years
The story alternates between Hollywood in stark contrast to the small Georgian town as Cole and Summer prepare for the big production while also slowly digging further back into their secret pasts. When they finally meet the sparks fly and everything pretty much goes downhill from there sprinkled with intense sexual tension, sizzling clandestine sex, humorous bantering and a tempestuous working relationship made for the tabloids…
Cole Masten aka Big City is the perfect blend of imposing beauty, entitled heir, broken boy, larger-than-life movie star and successful businessman. Yet in all his jaded cockiness there is both vulnerability and humor to him. I predict he’ll wrap himself around your heart.
Summer Jenkins aka Country has never had anything handed to her. Her good looks and feisty personality compounded by her background has always worked against her – until now. This is her moment, her time to make piece, grow up and grasp her big break.
Hollywood Dirt, told from alternating POVs is a hilarious, feel-good read about second chances, about working the cards you were dealt and grasping opportunities when they arise. But ultimately it’s about forgiveness and making peace with one’s past and how, in life, some of the best moments don’t come with a huge price tag, yet have blockbuster written all over.
Story also comes with some surprises for Alessandra Torre fans. It ends on a high and laughter much like Hollywood endings where dreams can come true.
Effortless story-telling! Entertaining dialogue! Feel-good plot! Swoon-worthy heartthrob Cole Masten!
“Kissed you. I just kissed you. Big fucking deal. You wouldn’t shut up.”
***
Hero rating: 5 stars
Heroine rating: 4.5 stars
Sexual tension rating: 5+ stars
Sex scenes rating: 5 stars
Sex scenes frequency: 4 stars
Plot rating: 5 stars
Dialogue rating: 5 stars
Storytelling rating: 5 stars
Story ending rating: 5 stars
*********************************************
Overall rating: 5 stars
Would I recommend this book: Yes.
Would I re-read this book: Yes.
Would I read future books by this author: Yes.
Thank you everyone who (F) buddy-read with us on Shh…! Buddy-read & chat
Be sure to join Shh… [Smut, Heroes & HEAs…] with Alessandra here on GR for the latest news:
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(Public group for members 18 years and older)
Beta copy provided to me by author Alessandra Torre in exchange for an honest feedback & review.
December 8, 2017
Did anyone else see the author's pic when she was in body paint? I think it was for Halloween? That has nothing to do with this book review, but it was hot.
September 8, 2015
::: FULL REVIEW NOW POSTED :::
Sexy, fun, and fantastically well written, with an intense hate-to-love Hollywood romance that'll make your heart race!!
That's exactly what this book was and I love love LOVED it!!!!
There's a special feeling you get when you start a genuinely fantastic book where you can just instantly feel that it's a winner. I was less than a page into this book before I'd fallen in love with it. From the start, the story had this almost palm-tingly feeling of anticipation, excitement, and intrigue to it... and with Alessandra Torre's strong, captivating writing, I found it to be unputdownable!
Secrets are fascinating. We're all drawn to them. And Summer Jenkins' sleepy Southern town of Quincy, Florida was brimming with them. Almost 50 millionaires and billionaires lived within the grand total population of 7000 folk, but you'd never know if you looked by looking at them. They quietly went about their lives, never boasting of their wealth, until super-star actor Cole Masten found out their secrets and decided to turn them into a blockbuster movie.
So Hollywood arrived, one quiet Sunday afternoon, with their trucks and noise and equipment, soon overrunning her small town. And bringing her face to face with one of the world's sexiest, most famous, and most swooned-over men... who she happened to hate on sight.
His good looks weren't nearly enough to get him in her good graces. With his lack of manners and cocky attitude, she had no problem telling him exactly where to go (or kneeing him soundly in the balls the first time he tried to kiss her). But there are two sides to every story, and luckily we were given both.
He wasn't a bad guy -- in fact he was a pretty good one, but was in the middle of an ugly divorce and still hurting from his soon-to-be-ex-wife's stinging betrayal. He also came from a world of smoke screens and lies, where privacy was the most highly coveted luxury that even the richest stars couldn't buy and where personal lives were dragged through the mud for the public's entertainment. The combination of everything had in fact naturally fashioned him into what would easily appear to be... an asshole.
So when contrasted with her Southern upbringing of manners and hospitality, it was no surprise that the the sparks between them flew right from the start.
The sexual tension was delicious!!! They were so busy hating each other that they barely realized they were falling in love. It was this intense mixture of lust, hate, attraction, frustration, and desire... they couldn't stand each other, but were still drawn closer. However I really appreciated that they didn't just fall into bed. The build-up was perfectly drawn-out -- teasing and enticing you further into their story.
Ohhh and the humor!!!! It was just brilliant. Witty, snarky, sassy, and totally hilarious -- I laughed and chuckled my way through several scenes, especially the ones involving Cole's new pet chicken (err, sorry rooster) named Cocky. Yep, rooster. Pet. Not dinner. Beloved pet. Omg, those scenes were pure GOLD!!!!
And finally, there is some serious hotness in this awesome story! Cocky attitude or no, Cole had me swooning and fanning myself. And I'm pretty sure you'll be doing the same once you 've met him.
See?? *winks*
Oh aaaaaaaaaand there's a cool twist to the direction of the story that isn't mentioned in the blurb and that I've chosen not to mention here just because I honestly think it's more fun to just discover it as you go. There was nothing about this book that bothered me, I have zero complaints. It really was a winner!
I genuinely LOVED this book! I read it cover to cover in one sitting. It was additive and utterly delightful to read. The writing was top notch, the humor was on point, and the intense hate-to-love romance kept my heart racing!! This was a smart, sexy love story with incredibly strong writing. I highly recommend it!!!
Rating: 4.5+ stars. Standalone Contemporary Adult Romance.
_______________________________________
For more of my reviews, book news and updates:
✦ Main blog: Aestas Book Blog
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✦ Subscribe by email
Sexy, fun, and fantastically well written, with an intense hate-to-love Hollywood romance that'll make your heart race!!
That's exactly what this book was and I love love LOVED it!!!!
There's a special feeling you get when you start a genuinely fantastic book where you can just instantly feel that it's a winner. I was less than a page into this book before I'd fallen in love with it. From the start, the story had this almost palm-tingly feeling of anticipation, excitement, and intrigue to it... and with Alessandra Torre's strong, captivating writing, I found it to be unputdownable!
“Cole Masten was the epitome of walking sex and had every woman in town drooling over his arrival. Every woman but me, that is. I couldn’t be. For one, he was an ass. All cocky attitude and no manners to speak of. For two, he was — for the next four months — my boss.”
Secrets are fascinating. We're all drawn to them. And Summer Jenkins' sleepy Southern town of Quincy, Florida was brimming with them. Almost 50 millionaires and billionaires lived within the grand total population of 7000 folk, but you'd never know if you looked by looking at them. They quietly went about their lives, never boasting of their wealth, until super-star actor Cole Masten found out their secrets and decided to turn them into a blockbuster movie.
So Hollywood arrived, one quiet Sunday afternoon, with their trucks and noise and equipment, soon overrunning her small town. And bringing her face to face with one of the world's sexiest, most famous, and most swooned-over men... who she happened to hate on sight.
“Don’t do that.”
“What?” He straightened off the porch railing.
“That smile thing. It’s creepy.”
He stopped smiling. “Ten million Americans would disagree with you.”
“Then ten million Americans are idiots.”
His good looks weren't nearly enough to get him in her good graces. With his lack of manners and cocky attitude, she had no problem telling him exactly where to go (or kneeing him soundly in the balls the first time he tried to kiss her). But there are two sides to every story, and luckily we were given both.
He wasn't a bad guy -- in fact he was a pretty good one, but was in the middle of an ugly divorce and still hurting from his soon-to-be-ex-wife's stinging betrayal. He also came from a world of smoke screens and lies, where privacy was the most highly coveted luxury that even the richest stars couldn't buy and where personal lives were dragged through the mud for the public's entertainment. The combination of everything had in fact naturally fashioned him into what would easily appear to be... an asshole.
“People in Hollywood will build you up just so that they can rob you blind. You gotta be an asshole to not be assholed. Don’t ever forget that.”
So when contrasted with her Southern upbringing of manners and hospitality, it was no surprise that the the sparks between them flew right from the start.
“Can you put on some pants?” she snapped, looking back at him, her eyebrows raised accusingly. “It’s rude to waltz around with your junk out."
The sexual tension was delicious!!! They were so busy hating each other that they barely realized they were falling in love. It was this intense mixture of lust, hate, attraction, frustration, and desire... they couldn't stand each other, but were still drawn closer. However I really appreciated that they didn't just fall into bed. The build-up was perfectly drawn-out -- teasing and enticing you further into their story.
"There should be laws against men who could kiss like that. With a mouth that dominated yet begged. Tongue that teased yet delivered. Tastes that dipped into an addicting stream and hooked a woman after just the first hit."
Ohhh and the humor!!!! It was just brilliant. Witty, snarky, sassy, and totally hilarious -- I laughed and chuckled my way through several scenes, especially the ones involving Cole's new pet chicken (err, sorry rooster) named Cocky. Yep, rooster. Pet. Not dinner. Beloved pet. Omg, those scenes were pure GOLD!!!!
“I just got a baby rooster,” Cole started.
“I can see that,” the man drawled. He leaned forward, his chair creaking, and peered through the thick plastic. “Why’d you bring it with you?”
“I don’t know. I thought it might need to be checked out, or you might have questions, or it might not be able to be left alone…” Cole’s voice trailed off, and he realized exactly how stupid he sounded.
“It’s. A. Chicken.” The toothpick in the man’s mouth fell out as he spat out the words. “It’s not a pet. You don’t name the thing and give it a bedazzled collar.”
“What does it eat?” Cole snarled, taking Cocky’s tub down off the counter and setting it on the floor, his boot pushing it to a safer location, a little to the side.
“Corn.”
Cole waited for more. And waited.
“Just corn? Nothing else?”
The man raised his eyebrows. “It’s. A. Chicken.”
…
“Anything else I’d need for it? Medicine or vitamins or shots?”
“It’s. A. —“
“Chicken,” Cole finished. “Got it.”
And finally, there is some serious hotness in this awesome story! Cocky attitude or no, Cole had me swooning and fanning myself. And I'm pretty sure you'll be doing the same once you 've met him.
"I'll pin you down and won’t stop until my mouth is imprinted on your mind and your taste is my fucking middle name.”
See?? *winks*
Oh aaaaaaaaaand there's a cool twist to the direction of the story that isn't mentioned in the blurb and that I've chosen not to mention here just because I honestly think it's more fun to just discover it as you go. There was nothing about this book that bothered me, I have zero complaints. It really was a winner!
I genuinely LOVED this book! I read it cover to cover in one sitting. It was additive and utterly delightful to read. The writing was top notch, the humor was on point, and the intense hate-to-love romance kept my heart racing!! This was a smart, sexy love story with incredibly strong writing. I highly recommend it!!!
Rating: 4.5+ stars. Standalone Contemporary Adult Romance.
_______________________________________
For more of my reviews, book news and updates:
✦ Main blog: Aestas Book Blog
✦ Facebook Blog Page
✦ Subscribe by email
July 9, 2020
4 stars!
Hollywood Dirt is not the type of read I’ve come to expect from Alessandra. After reading most of her books, I can say that this is far different from all the rest but equally as good. I was in the mood for something lighter, sweeter, with a strong heroine and wonderful hero and that is exactly what she delivered. Hollywood Dirt is a feel good romance about two people who started off hating each other and ended up falling hard for one another.
Summer Jenkins has lived in small town Quincy most of her life. Quincy is full of southern people who have money but don’t like to talk about it. Summer isn’t from one of those families that have money. She and her mom are working class. As much as she loves her mom and she loves Quincy in some ways, she is dying to escape- to get out of the town that held such unpleasant memories for her. To start fresh.
Cole Matsen has a passion for the film he’s starring in. A true to life tale about the Coca-Cola fortune in Quincy. Cole is professionally ready for the role of a life time, but his personal life isn’t going so well. After catching his wife of 5 years cheating, he’s in the process of a divorce. Love is the last thing he’s looking for. In fact, until his divorce is final, he’s been advised by his attorney (sigh) to stay away from all women. When Cole first arrives at Quincy, he meets this spitfire named Summer. The only thing he can think about is she would be perfect for his film. She would bring a level of authenticity to the role that no one else could give it. Summer isn’t interested in being a star, she’s not interested in Cole, either… but being in this film could be her ticket out, so she takes it.
I loved the back and forth between Cole and Summer. Their banter was great and you could just feel the tension between them.
These two characters were fantastic together. They tried so hard to fight the way they were feeling, but they could only fight it for so long. Both of them had a fun and feisty attitude and I loved them both together.
Alessandra did a great job giving Quincy a realistic small town feel. And let me tell about Cocky the rooster. Every scene between Cole and Cocky left me with the biggest grin on my face. There wasn’t much I didn’t love about this book. It was overall a wonderful read.
Hollywood Dirt is a small town romance with tons of heart. It had laughs, the right amount of steam, and was an all around sweet and fun read. If you’re looking for a book that will keep a smile on your face and leave you with a happy feeling in your heart, pick this one up!
We are strong. We are Southern. We have secrets you will never imagine.
Hollywood Dirt is not the type of read I’ve come to expect from Alessandra. After reading most of her books, I can say that this is far different from all the rest but equally as good. I was in the mood for something lighter, sweeter, with a strong heroine and wonderful hero and that is exactly what she delivered. Hollywood Dirt is a feel good romance about two people who started off hating each other and ended up falling hard for one another.
Summer Jenkins has lived in small town Quincy most of her life. Quincy is full of southern people who have money but don’t like to talk about it. Summer isn’t from one of those families that have money. She and her mom are working class. As much as she loves her mom and she loves Quincy in some ways, she is dying to escape- to get out of the town that held such unpleasant memories for her. To start fresh.
Cole Matsen has a passion for the film he’s starring in. A true to life tale about the Coca-Cola fortune in Quincy. Cole is professionally ready for the role of a life time, but his personal life isn’t going so well. After catching his wife of 5 years cheating, he’s in the process of a divorce. Love is the last thing he’s looking for. In fact, until his divorce is final, he’s been advised by his attorney (sigh) to stay away from all women. When Cole first arrives at Quincy, he meets this spitfire named Summer. The only thing he can think about is she would be perfect for his film. She would bring a level of authenticity to the role that no one else could give it. Summer isn’t interested in being a star, she’s not interested in Cole, either… but being in this film could be her ticket out, so she takes it.
I loved the back and forth between Cole and Summer. Their banter was great and you could just feel the tension between them.
These two characters were fantastic together. They tried so hard to fight the way they were feeling, but they could only fight it for so long. Both of them had a fun and feisty attitude and I loved them both together.
Alessandra did a great job giving Quincy a realistic small town feel. And let me tell about Cocky the rooster. Every scene between Cole and Cocky left me with the biggest grin on my face. There wasn’t much I didn’t love about this book. It was overall a wonderful read.
Hollywood Dirt is a small town romance with tons of heart. It had laughs, the right amount of steam, and was an all around sweet and fun read. If you’re looking for a book that will keep a smile on your face and leave you with a happy feeling in your heart, pick this one up!
September 9, 2015
4.5 Coca Cola Stars
This book was such pleasant surprise! Alessandra Torre skillfully tells the story of a small town girl falling for Hollywood’s top hottie. The story is interestingly based on the very real Coca-Cola millionaires which I found myself reading more about once I finished this book. Hollywood’s heartthrob Cole Masten is bringing this Coca-Cola story to the big screen. The filming of this movie will take place in the small, southern town of Quincy, Georgia. Summer Jenkins, our heroine, house sits on an estate with her mother, and has been ignored and politely shunned for the past three years by the whole town.
The mix of city meeting country as Cole falls for Summer and their back and forth, love-hate attraction, is pretty entertaining and so very sexy. Summer finds herself smack dab in the middle of this multi-million dollar production as the lead.
Added to the fun is the one and only Brad DeLuca. He represents Cole in his divorce from his cheating superstar wife. I truly enjoyed the pace of this story, the setting, and the cast of terrific characters. Most of all, Summer and Cole’s fall into love was perfectly done.
”For him, flirtation was nothing, a country girl finding him attractive normal. For me? Falling for the unattainable Cole Masten might just break all of my bones upon impact.”
”This was not a rebound, this was not infatuation, this was the end of this life as he knew it, and the realization hit that even if she didn’t want him, he would never ever find another woman like her, he would never ever get other her.”
Summer and Cole’s story was so very entertaining with the just right amount of fun, steam, and love.
*ARC provided by Alessandra Torre for an honest review*
This book was such pleasant surprise! Alessandra Torre skillfully tells the story of a small town girl falling for Hollywood’s top hottie. The story is interestingly based on the very real Coca-Cola millionaires which I found myself reading more about once I finished this book. Hollywood’s heartthrob Cole Masten is bringing this Coca-Cola story to the big screen. The filming of this movie will take place in the small, southern town of Quincy, Georgia. Summer Jenkins, our heroine, house sits on an estate with her mother, and has been ignored and politely shunned for the past three years by the whole town.
The mix of city meeting country as Cole falls for Summer and their back and forth, love-hate attraction, is pretty entertaining and so very sexy. Summer finds herself smack dab in the middle of this multi-million dollar production as the lead.
Added to the fun is the one and only Brad DeLuca. He represents Cole in his divorce from his cheating superstar wife. I truly enjoyed the pace of this story, the setting, and the cast of terrific characters. Most of all, Summer and Cole’s fall into love was perfectly done.
”For him, flirtation was nothing, a country girl finding him attractive normal. For me? Falling for the unattainable Cole Masten might just break all of my bones upon impact.”
”This was not a rebound, this was not infatuation, this was the end of this life as he knew it, and the realization hit that even if she didn’t want him, he would never ever find another woman like her, he would never ever get other her.”
Summer and Cole’s story was so very entertaining with the just right amount of fun, steam, and love.
*ARC provided by Alessandra Torre for an honest review*
October 1, 2015
~4.5 City Boy and Country Girl Stars~
"I'm so glad that Hollywood and dirt roads met in the uniqueness of Quincy."
Do you remember the popular gum from the 80's called Freshen Up? Imagine the sweet hard gum as it makes contact with your teeth and the first taste of sugar invades your system followed by the bite down on the gum which leads to a delicious burst of syrup to sweeten your body all the way from your mouth down to your toes! And that my friends is how I feel about Hollywood Dirt. It is a sweet read with witty text, complex characters, down home country and city scenes, sprinkled with some steam, and it all equals up to one power packed burst of sweetness that I will never forget!
"Smile. Treat your neighbor as yourself. Be gracious. Keep your secrets close and your enemies closer."
Summer is a small town country girl living in Quincy, Georgia. She has enjoyed her simple life. She has overcome adversity and has dreams of leaving Georgia for a better life. A life where she can start fresh. She only needs to find the means to do it. When a hot shot movie star decides to make a movie in her small town, Summer realizes she may have just discovered her way out of Quincy. But, can she manage to accomplish her goal with her heart still intact?
"Quite possibly the most beautiful man to grace Hollywood in the last decade."
Cole Masten is a "sexy movie" god! After reading the 72 page book The Fortune Bottle, Cole made up his mind that he wanted to produce and act in a movie version of the book. The movie would portray the story of the small town of Quincy's multi-million dollar rise to fame through the creation of Coca-Cola.
"Coke. Say the word Pepsi in this town, you best watch your back on the way out."
Sounds like a simple business venture for this Hollywood Socialite. However, with his marriage going down in flames, an ugly public divorce, and a possible undeniable attraction to Summer (his link between making the movie and the small town of Quincy) things are bound to be trouble for poor Cole.
"When Cole Masten loves, it is scary."
Things do not start off smoothly between Summer and Cole. There is an obvious physical attraction between the two, and yet, it is like mixing oil and water. When Cole decides that Summer should be his co-star in the movie, it is questionable on if they will kill each other before the movie wraps. The relationship between Summer and Cole is a slow burn. They build a friendship of sorts first before they come to the realization that a future together might just be the answer to all of their needs. But are they strong enough overcome the obstacles of Hollywood, the movie, exes, and small town trash talk?
"Before Cole, I had never been half of a whole, a pair of two joined so closely that it was hard to see where one personality ended and the other began."
Hollywood Dirt offers a perfect blend of sweet and spicy. The characters are well developed and the constant advance/retreat between Summer and Cole left the sexual tension building the entire read. The secondary characters enhanced the plot with their presence by offering more sweetness and witty banter throughout. The descriptive writing of Ms. Torre painted a vivid picture of each location. Each moment was well scripted and felt thoroughly. As each of the five senses come to life, I actually felt hot and sticky as I was reading about the stifling heat in Georgia. There were several instances where I would put my kindle down to grab a glass of tea to cool off!
Overall, I cannot rave enough about Hollywood Dirt! It is truly a feel good read! If you are looking for a light romantic read with complex characters, then look no further. What is most refreshing about this read is that the author has once again blown me away with her mad writing skills. It appears that if you are in the mood for something dark and sexy, Alessandra Torre is the author to check out. If you are looking for something erotic and passion driven, Alessandra Torre is the author to follow. And now, she has mastered a completely different type of read with ease and to the sheer delight of her fans! I will certainly continue to follow this author because honestly whatever she writes, I want to read it! My kindle and I will be waiting for more!
~Read as part of an Epic WORLDWIDE BR with my girls at Shh...! As always, it has been a pleasure! https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...!~
~ARC graciously provided via author in exchange for an honest reivew! Thank you Alessandra Torre for sharing your brilliance with me!~
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
"I'm so glad that Hollywood and dirt roads met in the uniqueness of Quincy."
Do you remember the popular gum from the 80's called Freshen Up? Imagine the sweet hard gum as it makes contact with your teeth and the first taste of sugar invades your system followed by the bite down on the gum which leads to a delicious burst of syrup to sweeten your body all the way from your mouth down to your toes! And that my friends is how I feel about Hollywood Dirt. It is a sweet read with witty text, complex characters, down home country and city scenes, sprinkled with some steam, and it all equals up to one power packed burst of sweetness that I will never forget!
"Smile. Treat your neighbor as yourself. Be gracious. Keep your secrets close and your enemies closer."
Summer is a small town country girl living in Quincy, Georgia. She has enjoyed her simple life. She has overcome adversity and has dreams of leaving Georgia for a better life. A life where she can start fresh. She only needs to find the means to do it. When a hot shot movie star decides to make a movie in her small town, Summer realizes she may have just discovered her way out of Quincy. But, can she manage to accomplish her goal with her heart still intact?
"Quite possibly the most beautiful man to grace Hollywood in the last decade."
Cole Masten is a "sexy movie" god! After reading the 72 page book The Fortune Bottle, Cole made up his mind that he wanted to produce and act in a movie version of the book. The movie would portray the story of the small town of Quincy's multi-million dollar rise to fame through the creation of Coca-Cola.
"Coke. Say the word Pepsi in this town, you best watch your back on the way out."
Sounds like a simple business venture for this Hollywood Socialite. However, with his marriage going down in flames, an ugly public divorce, and a possible undeniable attraction to Summer (his link between making the movie and the small town of Quincy) things are bound to be trouble for poor Cole.
"When Cole Masten loves, it is scary."
Things do not start off smoothly between Summer and Cole. There is an obvious physical attraction between the two, and yet, it is like mixing oil and water. When Cole decides that Summer should be his co-star in the movie, it is questionable on if they will kill each other before the movie wraps. The relationship between Summer and Cole is a slow burn. They build a friendship of sorts first before they come to the realization that a future together might just be the answer to all of their needs. But are they strong enough overcome the obstacles of Hollywood, the movie, exes, and small town trash talk?
"Before Cole, I had never been half of a whole, a pair of two joined so closely that it was hard to see where one personality ended and the other began."
Hollywood Dirt offers a perfect blend of sweet and spicy. The characters are well developed and the constant advance/retreat between Summer and Cole left the sexual tension building the entire read. The secondary characters enhanced the plot with their presence by offering more sweetness and witty banter throughout. The descriptive writing of Ms. Torre painted a vivid picture of each location. Each moment was well scripted and felt thoroughly. As each of the five senses come to life, I actually felt hot and sticky as I was reading about the stifling heat in Georgia. There were several instances where I would put my kindle down to grab a glass of tea to cool off!
Overall, I cannot rave enough about Hollywood Dirt! It is truly a feel good read! If you are looking for a light romantic read with complex characters, then look no further. What is most refreshing about this read is that the author has once again blown me away with her mad writing skills. It appears that if you are in the mood for something dark and sexy, Alessandra Torre is the author to check out. If you are looking for something erotic and passion driven, Alessandra Torre is the author to follow. And now, she has mastered a completely different type of read with ease and to the sheer delight of her fans! I will certainly continue to follow this author because honestly whatever she writes, I want to read it! My kindle and I will be waiting for more!
~Read as part of an Epic WORLDWIDE BR with my girls at Shh...! As always, it has been a pleasure! https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...!~
~ARC graciously provided via author in exchange for an honest reivew! Thank you Alessandra Torre for sharing your brilliance with me!~
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
September 8, 2015
*****FIVE SOLEMATE STARS*****
{ARC Generously Provided by Author in Exchange for an Honest Review}
(BR with Dee and Mel)
I could hate this man, curse him to hell, but there had never been a question on this earth that the man was beautiful, this his body was sin, that his sexuality was addicting.
SUPERB!!!!
I have read several of Alessandra Torre's books previously but this one is hands down my FAVORITE!! It was such an unexpected treat!! Her stories are usually erotic with some dark undertones. This was the kind of story I crave. It was funny, with just the perfect amount of angst and sultry steam!! I lost my heart to the Hero and even fell in love with the heroine as well. Don't even get me started on that crazy little rooster!!
Summer Jenkins is a young woman who lives in a small town in Georgia, called Quincy. It has a total population of 7000, and is best known for being home to 45 millionaires and 3 billionaires. Their fortune gained by purchasing some valuable Coca-Cola stock back in the 1930s. She lives with her mother and keeps a low profile. She isn't exactly the town's most favorite person due to something she did a few years prior. Summer's dream is to be able to move out of Quincy and start her life over in a place where no one knows about her past.
Cole Masten is Hollywood's hottest actor at the moment. He's a three time Academy Award Winner and also one of the most beautiful men in the business. He's recently had his personal life turned upside down and is heading to Quincy to start production on a movie he is funding. The story will be based on a novel about the group of millionaires of Quincy and how they made their fortune.
I will say that once these two meet, the chemistry is electric, and the book became unputdownable for me!! They are definitely attracted to one another but Cole puts his foot in his mouth and gets on Summer's bad side right from the start. He sees something in Summer that convinces him that she must be the leading lady in his movie and gets her to agree to take on the role.
The animosity that builds between them only guarantees that when these two finally get together, the sex is going to be explosive. It's a slow build to get to the steam but for me it only made it that much more gratifying when it finally happened. You will not be disappointed ladies!! Believe me!!!
I actually love when the hero and heroine can't seem to stand the sight of each other. You just know that you're in for a treat when they finally let their guard down, and that the sex is going to be panty melting good!!
It doesn't happen often that I actually end up loving both main characters in a story, but Cole had me swooning and owned my heart the moment he starts to care for Cocky. I don't want to say much about that. You all will see once you pick up this book!! Summer was a spitfire and yet had an endearing vulnerability to her as well. I loved how she held on to her Southern traditions and could go toe to toe with Cole whenever they had a clash of opinions, which happened quite often!!
This is a MUST READ!! Go on and one click! You all need to meet Cole, Summer, and Cocky!!! And you'll get a treat because there is a character from another one of Alessandra Torre's series that is in this book quite a bit.
AMAZON Link: http://amzn.to/1POLjI9
{ARC Generously Provided by Author in Exchange for an Honest Review}
(BR with Dee and Mel)
I could hate this man, curse him to hell, but there had never been a question on this earth that the man was beautiful, this his body was sin, that his sexuality was addicting.
SUPERB!!!!
I have read several of Alessandra Torre's books previously but this one is hands down my FAVORITE!! It was such an unexpected treat!! Her stories are usually erotic with some dark undertones. This was the kind of story I crave. It was funny, with just the perfect amount of angst and sultry steam!! I lost my heart to the Hero and even fell in love with the heroine as well. Don't even get me started on that crazy little rooster!!
Summer Jenkins is a young woman who lives in a small town in Georgia, called Quincy. It has a total population of 7000, and is best known for being home to 45 millionaires and 3 billionaires. Their fortune gained by purchasing some valuable Coca-Cola stock back in the 1930s. She lives with her mother and keeps a low profile. She isn't exactly the town's most favorite person due to something she did a few years prior. Summer's dream is to be able to move out of Quincy and start her life over in a place where no one knows about her past.
Cole Masten is Hollywood's hottest actor at the moment. He's a three time Academy Award Winner and also one of the most beautiful men in the business. He's recently had his personal life turned upside down and is heading to Quincy to start production on a movie he is funding. The story will be based on a novel about the group of millionaires of Quincy and how they made their fortune.
I will say that once these two meet, the chemistry is electric, and the book became unputdownable for me!! They are definitely attracted to one another but Cole puts his foot in his mouth and gets on Summer's bad side right from the start. He sees something in Summer that convinces him that she must be the leading lady in his movie and gets her to agree to take on the role.
The animosity that builds between them only guarantees that when these two finally get together, the sex is going to be explosive. It's a slow build to get to the steam but for me it only made it that much more gratifying when it finally happened. You will not be disappointed ladies!! Believe me!!!
I actually love when the hero and heroine can't seem to stand the sight of each other. You just know that you're in for a treat when they finally let their guard down, and that the sex is going to be panty melting good!!
It doesn't happen often that I actually end up loving both main characters in a story, but Cole had me swooning and owned my heart the moment he starts to care for Cocky. I don't want to say much about that. You all will see once you pick up this book!! Summer was a spitfire and yet had an endearing vulnerability to her as well. I loved how she held on to her Southern traditions and could go toe to toe with Cole whenever they had a clash of opinions, which happened quite often!!
This is a MUST READ!! Go on and one click! You all need to meet Cole, Summer, and Cocky!!! And you'll get a treat because there is a character from another one of Alessandra Torre's series that is in this book quite a bit.
AMAZON Link: http://amzn.to/1POLjI9
July 14, 2017
Aren't they making this into a movie?? When?? Anyone know???
I CAN'T WAIT....................
I have only read one book by this author, Sex, Love, Repeat, which I loved…. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
And having read so many amazing reviews about Hollywood Dirt, I couldn’t wait to open up Page 1! It had to be an incredible story otherwise why would there be all those 5 star ratings by my GR friends.
Well, let me just say…….THEY WERE COMPLETLY CORRECT!!! This is a beyond incredible book! I could not stop turning the pages….Even when I should have switched off my lights and get some shut-eye…I couldn’t…
Hollywood Dirt – one of the coolest and sexiest stories ever! One of my favorite books ever!!!!
Let me share just a few of the many reasons why I adored this story!
This is a beautiful romantic love story…not dark and twisty moments! Two people from totally different worlds who probably would never meet …..but there are times when something happens and call it fate, destiny, whatever that sets the moment right for something extraordinary to happen in someone’s life. And that’s exactly what happens when Hollywood comes knocking at a small and sleepy town called Quincy, to film a movie.
I so enjoyed the back-story of the small town of Quincy…the Coca Cola history that’s interwoven into the story.
The contrast between the fickleness of Hollywood and the warmth of a small town in Georgia was shown really well.
Summer Jenkins, small town girl….
Cole Masten, Hollywood Superstar……
Okay, so you want to know more about Cocky…..he’s my 3rd favorite character in this book….
I loved the interactions between Summer and Cole – funny, sizzling sexual tension, hot and intense sex and the working relationship on the movie was a total blast to read. Love….Hate….Enemies….Lovers!!!! I couldn’t get enough of these two.
Beautifully written, great story, compelling characters……..thank you Alessandra Torre…for sharing it with me…Uplifting, sexy, heart-warming…… leaving me with a smile on my face……….
My favorite quote:
I CAN'T WAIT....................
I have only read one book by this author, Sex, Love, Repeat, which I loved…. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
And having read so many amazing reviews about Hollywood Dirt, I couldn’t wait to open up Page 1! It had to be an incredible story otherwise why would there be all those 5 star ratings by my GR friends.
Well, let me just say…….THEY WERE COMPLETLY CORRECT!!! This is a beyond incredible book! I could not stop turning the pages….Even when I should have switched off my lights and get some shut-eye…I couldn’t…
4AM….got to get some shut-eye!! Wake up 9AM….after dreams of Cole, naturally…it was back to Hollywood Dirt!!! No, breakfast can wait!!!!
Hollywood Dirt – one of the coolest and sexiest stories ever! One of my favorite books ever!!!!
Let me share just a few of the many reasons why I adored this story!
This is a beautiful romantic love story…not dark and twisty moments! Two people from totally different worlds who probably would never meet …..but there are times when something happens and call it fate, destiny, whatever that sets the moment right for something extraordinary to happen in someone’s life. And that’s exactly what happens when Hollywood comes knocking at a small and sleepy town called Quincy, to film a movie.
I so enjoyed the back-story of the small town of Quincy…the Coca Cola history that’s interwoven into the story.
The contrast between the fickleness of Hollywood and the warmth of a small town in Georgia was shown really well.
Summer Jenkins, small town girl….
I adored her. I loved her spunkiness, her soft heart and her impish moments….check…chicken present!!! And yes, this woman can cook!!!!!! And most of all, she’s not blinded by the whole superstar thing!!!
Cole Masten, Hollywood Superstar……
What a man!!! Here I thought we would have this spoilt, overbearing….you know who I am? kind of movie star…and wow…I get to see a side of him that is totally irresistible…..his reaction to Cocky..more about him later….just made me fall in love…irrevocably and totally and eternally in love with Cole.
Okay, so you want to know more about Cocky…..he’s my 3rd favorite character in this book….
The most hysterical scenes have to be when Cole is checking out what Cocky’s diet is at the local feed store…and the scene where Cole takes Cocky on set….totally unforgettable!
I loved the interactions between Summer and Cole – funny, sizzling sexual tension, hot and intense sex and the working relationship on the movie was a total blast to read. Love….Hate….Enemies….Lovers!!!! I couldn’t get enough of these two.
There are some incredible and interesting secondary characters that just add something special to the story…..Brad de Luca, Cole’s attorney (I have to read his book!!!!), Ben, the movie scout (loved his scenes…), Summer’s mother….and the Quincy community…Sunday church, the local gossip…..just made it feel so real.
Beautifully written, great story, compelling characters……..thank you Alessandra Torre…for sharing it with me…Uplifting, sexy, heart-warming…… leaving me with a smile on my face……….
If you love contemporary romance that will leave you feeling so good when you get to the last page…THE END….then please get this book!!! You will be so glad you did.
My favorite quote:
They say that love is finding your soul’s match in another. I found my match. I found him, let him wrestle me to the ground, and then turned around and made him mine.
September 17, 2015
4 Stars
Have you ever read a romance novel and it was like a movie reel in your head? Like you could actually imagine the actors playing out every line? Picture the town and it's residents exactly as they're being described? Actually notice absolutely every single minute detail inside your mind? That's what Hollywood Dirt was for me. At times I felt like I was reading a movie script more so than a book. At first I thought that maybe that's not really a good thing since it was a slower pace than what I'm used to. But after taking some time to think about it, I can say that it was refreshingly different. If you've read any of the other books by this author, Hollywood Dirt is nothing like them. There's no crazy twists, it's certainly not as erotic as her other books have been, and it's not evocative. It's a light, feel good, pure contemporary romance about a country girl and a hollywood star. An unlikely one, but still a romance that will capture your heart.
Don't except a quick paced story here, the romance between Cole and Summer is very much a slow burn, and it wouldn't be fitting any other way. They're from two different worlds and they see themselves in two different places entirely in the future, but chance and circumstance brings them together and what starts off as pure snark with hate soon begins to show the undercurrent of unadulterated lust that slowly begins to evolve into something much deeper.
Cole is coming off of a bitter divorce and putting everything he has into the movie that he's now bankrolling. When he comes to the small southern town and meets Summer, he knows there's no one better suited to play the main role of Ida than her. Summer is hoping to take the money she earns from the movie and finally put the town she grew up in and the memory of her mistakes made in it 3 years ago behind her. But when she begins to see the man beneath the hollywood layers, she sees there's much more to Cole than first meets the eye and she begins to fall for him.
Fans of Alessandra's Innocence series will get a VERY big surprise in this book. Which only heightened my enjoyment of this more. But it was always all about Cole. There was just something so endearing and...real...about him.
Summer was a different heroine from anything I've read from Alessandra in the past, and while she has her faults and hang ups this is still a woman that knows her worth and stands up for it.
Honestly, I struggled a little going into it simply because it wasn't quite what I had expected. It's slow paced, but the pace was perfect for the book and the story. Upon thinking about it, it really was perfectly suited for this story. It was different but lovely. If you're looking for a light and feel good contemporary romance, this is a book you should definitely try. Alessandra Torre is an incredibly talented writer, and this book shows how multi-faceted she is. She can pull off different genres and it truly translates. Each of her books has been different in their own right, and this one is no different. While different from the rest, I think that's what I enjoyed the most about it. There was nothing crazy, no silly drama or overdrawn angst. Just two imperfect characters finding a perfect love together.
ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review
For more reviews visit
Now I knew why they said you FELL in love. I plummeted with no parachute, and hoped like hell he would catch me when I hit the bottom.
Have you ever read a romance novel and it was like a movie reel in your head? Like you could actually imagine the actors playing out every line? Picture the town and it's residents exactly as they're being described? Actually notice absolutely every single minute detail inside your mind? That's what Hollywood Dirt was for me. At times I felt like I was reading a movie script more so than a book. At first I thought that maybe that's not really a good thing since it was a slower pace than what I'm used to. But after taking some time to think about it, I can say that it was refreshingly different. If you've read any of the other books by this author, Hollywood Dirt is nothing like them. There's no crazy twists, it's certainly not as erotic as her other books have been, and it's not evocative. It's a light, feel good, pure contemporary romance about a country girl and a hollywood star. An unlikely one, but still a romance that will capture your heart.
Don't except a quick paced story here, the romance between Cole and Summer is very much a slow burn, and it wouldn't be fitting any other way. They're from two different worlds and they see themselves in two different places entirely in the future, but chance and circumstance brings them together and what starts off as pure snark with hate soon begins to show the undercurrent of unadulterated lust that slowly begins to evolve into something much deeper.
I want to flip you over and bury my face between your legs and fuck you with my mouth. I want to make you scream my name and come underneath my mouth and taste the moment you fall apart for me.
Cole is coming off of a bitter divorce and putting everything he has into the movie that he's now bankrolling. When he comes to the small southern town and meets Summer, he knows there's no one better suited to play the main role of Ida than her. Summer is hoping to take the money she earns from the movie and finally put the town she grew up in and the memory of her mistakes made in it 3 years ago behind her. But when she begins to see the man beneath the hollywood layers, she sees there's much more to Cole than first meets the eye and she begins to fall for him.
Fans of Alessandra's Innocence series will get a VERY big surprise in this book. Which only heightened my enjoyment of this more. But it was always all about Cole. There was just something so endearing and...real...about him.
Summer was a different heroine from anything I've read from Alessandra in the past, and while she has her faults and hang ups this is still a woman that knows her worth and stands up for it.
Honestly, I struggled a little going into it simply because it wasn't quite what I had expected. It's slow paced, but the pace was perfect for the book and the story. Upon thinking about it, it really was perfectly suited for this story. It was different but lovely. If you're looking for a light and feel good contemporary romance, this is a book you should definitely try. Alessandra Torre is an incredibly talented writer, and this book shows how multi-faceted she is. She can pull off different genres and it truly translates. Each of her books has been different in their own right, and this one is no different. While different from the rest, I think that's what I enjoyed the most about it. There was nothing crazy, no silly drama or overdrawn angst. Just two imperfect characters finding a perfect love together.
ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review
For more reviews visit
March 27, 2017
6 Southern Stars Spoiler Free Review
Filming has begun on Hollywood Dirt!
For photos and info go here>> www.HollywoodDirtMovie.com!
Hollywood Dirt has Southern charm in abundance and left me ridiculously happy and content. I laughed, I swooned and I welled up with emotion. This contemporary and VERY SEXY ROMANCE oozes personality, wit and heart warming emotions. Alessandra Torre presents a story about a Southern Girl whose world collides with a Hollywood Star, they're opposites in every way possible which is delightfully explored through their love hate relationship and the way it unfurls eloquently before us, warming us to their individual personas and their combined chemistry, which is impossible not to feel. The character development and story arc are sublimely flawless. This author takes the contemporary Romance genre and rocks it making it a story that will be adored by existing and new fans alike.
Hollywood Dirt is told from the dual perspective of Summer and Cole with an alternating use of first and third person narrative, a style I highly appreciate making the voice of the protagonist's loud, clear and individual. There are so many touches of brilliance, story devices, nuance of emotion, themes.... feelings..... laughter, I became so happy at one point that it made me well up with tears. It’s a wonderful, wonderful story and my favorite read of the year so far. This book, to sum up my thoughts, would make the most PERFECT CHICK FLICK film. I hope one day someone makes this happen! Their banter is fresh and charming. I love the addition of the gossip as a device to provide contextual information and an aid to move the story arc forward, as well as providing an authentic small town feel to the story. I love the back story of the portrayed Southern Town steeped in parts with historical truth. It's so interesting with an iconic feel to it, and quite fascinating.
There’s a moment I literally whooped for joy and then continued to bask in the scenes that Alessandra Torre was painting before my eyes. I was so happy with the characters, the protagonists and the secondary characters who surround them giving context to the plot, themes and emotion. I love the additional characters; one is a particular treat and had my heart. How can I describe the depth of my love for this story, there are things I simply cannot reveal, there are treats within the pages.... treats that I devoured and basked in... I had moments of feeling emotional in an overwhelmingly romantic way and moments of Oh. My. Goodness....simply because of the imaginative storytelling and unexpected story devices used by this author.
Each time I read a book penned by Alessandra Torre I find myself on a unique and superior reading journey. Hollywood Dirt is light-hearted and sweet, traits I've not experienced from this author before. It had me laughing out loud with the quick witted amusing one-liners and inner thoughts of the protagonists and intelligent writing surrounding this enemy-to-lovers tale that’s quirky and effortless in its execution. This story is about the making of a film and I felt like I was watching one, Hollywood Dirt has a vivid picture perfect cinematic quality to it that gave me goose-bumps along with all the very best book feelings, the ones I crave from my romantic love stories.
Cole Masten is famous in the extreme; a Movie Star personified who shows himself to be highly charismatic, loyal, charming and sexy. An Acting Hollywood Great who decides to put his talent, money and name behind the movie of a book that he loves and believes in. I felt his aura his masculinity and his stage presence.
After his devastating marriage break-up he's advised to get himself to Quincy, to the film set and stay away from women. It should be easy. Cole in essence is the epitome of a gorgeous pin-up guy and it seems every woman highly anticipates his arrival, all but one, Summer Jenkins.
Summer Jenkins is a 29 year old singleton living with her mother. She considers her life to be pretty dull, has a past she wants to leave behind and plans for her future. The beautiful writing depicts the devastation she felt in her past and made me feel completely empathetic to her emotions. I love her Southern girl thought process, her easy going pragmatic approach to situations she experiences with an equal measure of fire, grit and determination. She’s savvy, snarky, sassy with a feisty straight talking boldness giving way to many amusing moments showing her dry sense of humor and candor. She's nobody’s fool and definitely not blinded by the star quality of Cole Masten. Her self sufficient ways, harsh tone and strong veneer juxtapose against her romantic aspirations and needing something more from her life, her vulnerabilities shine through with a touch of self doubt that enriches the feel of the story exponentially.
I love the way the histories of both the protagonists are presented. Shown to us throughout the story arc, particularly the history of Summer. Hers is drip fed slowly, creating a smidgen of intrigue about what exactly happened in her past? Between them, Summer and Cole have an array of emotions and vulnerabilities to deal with providing motivation and the perfect push and pull of feelings all bubbling under the surface of their love hate relationship that evolves as they navigate through a plethora of thoughts, feelings and scenarios all eloquently showcased in the prose and laced intrinsically into the story arc, causing Summer and Cole to invade my book heart with equal force.
It would be remiss of me not to mention how very, VERY SEXY this story is. The sexual tension oozes from the characters as their love/hate relationship hots up and their chemistry sizzles through the storytelling and then lights up the love scenes. It's completely LUSCIOUS and made my heart rate soar.
Alessandra Torre's stories are imaginative, layered and engaging. Hollywood Dirt mesmerized me from beginning to end with its fun, quirky telling and perfect levels of angst. This romantic contemporary will undoubtedly win a legion of new fans. I read it with a blissful smile on my face and each time I had to pause for real life commitments I was eager to get back to Quincy and bask in its Southern charm. I could have gone on reading about Cole and Summer’s story forever. I laughed, I shed an emotional tear, I had OH MY GOODNESS moments, and moments I basked in. Hollywood Dirt is undoubtedly my favorite book of the year to date and should be devoured by ALL ROMANCE lovers.
READ THE PROLOGUE here--->
www.MeetColeMasten.com
Advanced copy provided by the author in exchange for my honest review thoughts.
Filming has begun on Hollywood Dirt!
For photos and info go here>> www.HollywoodDirtMovie.com!
Hollywood Dirt has Southern charm in abundance and left me ridiculously happy and content. I laughed, I swooned and I welled up with emotion. This contemporary and VERY SEXY ROMANCE oozes personality, wit and heart warming emotions. Alessandra Torre presents a story about a Southern Girl whose world collides with a Hollywood Star, they're opposites in every way possible which is delightfully explored through their love hate relationship and the way it unfurls eloquently before us, warming us to their individual personas and their combined chemistry, which is impossible not to feel. The character development and story arc are sublimely flawless. This author takes the contemporary Romance genre and rocks it making it a story that will be adored by existing and new fans alike.
Hollywood Dirt is told from the dual perspective of Summer and Cole with an alternating use of first and third person narrative, a style I highly appreciate making the voice of the protagonist's loud, clear and individual. There are so many touches of brilliance, story devices, nuance of emotion, themes.... feelings..... laughter, I became so happy at one point that it made me well up with tears. It’s a wonderful, wonderful story and my favorite read of the year so far. This book, to sum up my thoughts, would make the most PERFECT CHICK FLICK film. I hope one day someone makes this happen! Their banter is fresh and charming. I love the addition of the gossip as a device to provide contextual information and an aid to move the story arc forward, as well as providing an authentic small town feel to the story. I love the back story of the portrayed Southern Town steeped in parts with historical truth. It's so interesting with an iconic feel to it, and quite fascinating.
There’s a moment I literally whooped for joy and then continued to bask in the scenes that Alessandra Torre was painting before my eyes. I was so happy with the characters, the protagonists and the secondary characters who surround them giving context to the plot, themes and emotion. I love the additional characters; one is a particular treat and had my heart. How can I describe the depth of my love for this story, there are things I simply cannot reveal, there are treats within the pages.... treats that I devoured and basked in... I had moments of feeling emotional in an overwhelmingly romantic way and moments of Oh. My. Goodness....simply because of the imaginative storytelling and unexpected story devices used by this author.
Each time I read a book penned by Alessandra Torre I find myself on a unique and superior reading journey. Hollywood Dirt is light-hearted and sweet, traits I've not experienced from this author before. It had me laughing out loud with the quick witted amusing one-liners and inner thoughts of the protagonists and intelligent writing surrounding this enemy-to-lovers tale that’s quirky and effortless in its execution. This story is about the making of a film and I felt like I was watching one, Hollywood Dirt has a vivid picture perfect cinematic quality to it that gave me goose-bumps along with all the very best book feelings, the ones I crave from my romantic love stories.
Cole Masten is famous in the extreme; a Movie Star personified who shows himself to be highly charismatic, loyal, charming and sexy. An Acting Hollywood Great who decides to put his talent, money and name behind the movie of a book that he loves and believes in. I felt his aura his masculinity and his stage presence.
After his devastating marriage break-up he's advised to get himself to Quincy, to the film set and stay away from women. It should be easy. Cole in essence is the epitome of a gorgeous pin-up guy and it seems every woman highly anticipates his arrival, all but one, Summer Jenkins.
Summer Jenkins is a 29 year old singleton living with her mother. She considers her life to be pretty dull, has a past she wants to leave behind and plans for her future. The beautiful writing depicts the devastation she felt in her past and made me feel completely empathetic to her emotions. I love her Southern girl thought process, her easy going pragmatic approach to situations she experiences with an equal measure of fire, grit and determination. She’s savvy, snarky, sassy with a feisty straight talking boldness giving way to many amusing moments showing her dry sense of humor and candor. She's nobody’s fool and definitely not blinded by the star quality of Cole Masten. Her self sufficient ways, harsh tone and strong veneer juxtapose against her romantic aspirations and needing something more from her life, her vulnerabilities shine through with a touch of self doubt that enriches the feel of the story exponentially.
I love the way the histories of both the protagonists are presented. Shown to us throughout the story arc, particularly the history of Summer. Hers is drip fed slowly, creating a smidgen of intrigue about what exactly happened in her past? Between them, Summer and Cole have an array of emotions and vulnerabilities to deal with providing motivation and the perfect push and pull of feelings all bubbling under the surface of their love hate relationship that evolves as they navigate through a plethora of thoughts, feelings and scenarios all eloquently showcased in the prose and laced intrinsically into the story arc, causing Summer and Cole to invade my book heart with equal force.
It would be remiss of me not to mention how very, VERY SEXY this story is. The sexual tension oozes from the characters as their love/hate relationship hots up and their chemistry sizzles through the storytelling and then lights up the love scenes. It's completely LUSCIOUS and made my heart rate soar.
Alessandra Torre's stories are imaginative, layered and engaging. Hollywood Dirt mesmerized me from beginning to end with its fun, quirky telling and perfect levels of angst. This romantic contemporary will undoubtedly win a legion of new fans. I read it with a blissful smile on my face and each time I had to pause for real life commitments I was eager to get back to Quincy and bask in its Southern charm. I could have gone on reading about Cole and Summer’s story forever. I laughed, I shed an emotional tear, I had OH MY GOODNESS moments, and moments I basked in. Hollywood Dirt is undoubtedly my favorite book of the year to date and should be devoured by ALL ROMANCE lovers.
READ THE PROLOGUE here--->
www.MeetColeMasten.com
Advanced copy provided by the author in exchange for my honest review thoughts.
August 10, 2017
5***Hollywood at its Best ~ when City Boy meets Country ~ Stars
Type: Standalone
Genre: Contemporary Romance
POV: Shifting - Dual
Summer Jenkins, a small town girl at twenty-eight years old; still living with her mother had dreams once upon a time but they all came crashing down one day. Betrayal made her commit revenge, oh sweet ole revenge that cost her for as long as she could remember. Now all her dreams have been washed away stuck in a small town where everyone knows everyone’s secrets. She lost all her friends her college dreams and anything she ever wanted was gone in a blink of an eye. Now her focus was to live every day as it was her last with a bit of regret for what she had done but she couldn’t chanced anything even if she wanted to. One day an opportunity came knocking at her door. She meets Ben, who she makes a deal with they become great friends. Now she had a new goal get over the deal she made with Ben get her money and leave to wherever she wanted to away from gossipers and people who didn’t matter just start a new life even if that meant leaving her mother behind.
Cole Masten ; got lucky at only seventeen years old; Hollywood discovered him and his life haven’t been the same since. He was gifted with natural beauty and talent had won three academy awards since he was discovered. Now at thirty-five years old life was good until he finds the love of his life; a wife of five years had been playing him all alone for his fame and money. I didn’t like his wife since the beginning of the book it could be the fact that he loved her to death or perhaps I was just jealous of the way Cole loved because let me tell you when he loves he is amazing. He was basically forced to move into Georgia for the movie he was producing and acting. It was his project; his baby and he wanted to be part of every step of the way. However; he ended up going to this small town before his scheduled time and he was not happy about that.
Destiny had other plans for Cole and Summer. Cole lands in Quincy, Georgia without a place to stay; his personal assistant Justin was injured and Cole was off to tend for himself something he hadn’t done in so long. Being a Hollywood actor had lots of pros and having someone to do everything for you was one of them. He basically had to learn how to buy a truck, move around, get groceries all on his own it was pretty funny actually. He meets Summer the first day and he loved her stubborn attitude, he couldn’t believe that she wasn’t affected by his beauty the way the entire world had been he wasn’t used to not being the attention. Instead Summer’s attention was on his attorney Brad De Luca. Summer was stunned by his beauty of course but she was too suborned to show it and didn’t want to give this cocky bastard more ego it was absolutely hilarious.
Their relationship from there was just fantastic because it was a mouse and cat kind of relationship I loved the chase. Cole defiantly took the challenge and never gave up on chasing Summer stubbornness. Even if all they did was constantly fight he wanted to be near her. Cole found Summer’s attitude to match the part of the movie he was producing and did everything he could to get her to sign the contract. Summer didn’t want the fame or the attention but she wanted the money to make her dreams come true. She accepted his offer and the experience for both during the movie sets were just HOT, SPICY, and ENTERTAINING.
Secrets came out because let’s face it in a small town nothing kept hidden for long, Summer’s secret came out and it could of ruined the movie. So many other events had me laughing so much with Summer and her gift to Cole. Summer finding a great friend in Ben and can I say I love the fact of meeting Brad the attorney?? Wow that was an instant change of panties for me. I absolutely loved everything about this story. It was so refreshing, unique, and incredible written. I loved all the characters on this book the plot was just amazing. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a sweet story and is ok with a Cinderella kind of story.
Epic WORLDWIDE (F) buddy-read for Hollywood Dirt on Sept. 7th!
"ARC Kindly provided by Author, in exchange for an honest review." Thank you so much.
SERIES ORDER: STANDALONE
PURCHASE LINKS:
Amazon US: http://goo.gl/8cr56l
Amazon UK: http://goo.gl/WRvM9G
Nook: http://googl/I4zClF
iBooks: https://goo.gl/XRi5tG
Kobo: https://goo.gl/NqLnFX
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
Type: Standalone
Genre: Contemporary Romance
POV: Shifting - Dual
“What happened between them when they touched…it was nothing like every other woman he’d ever had.” Cole
Summer Jenkins, a small town girl at twenty-eight years old; still living with her mother had dreams once upon a time but they all came crashing down one day. Betrayal made her commit revenge, oh sweet ole revenge that cost her for as long as she could remember. Now all her dreams have been washed away stuck in a small town where everyone knows everyone’s secrets. She lost all her friends her college dreams and anything she ever wanted was gone in a blink of an eye. Now her focus was to live every day as it was her last with a bit of regret for what she had done but she couldn’t chanced anything even if she wanted to. One day an opportunity came knocking at her door. She meets Ben, who she makes a deal with they become great friends. Now she had a new goal get over the deal she made with Ben get her money and leave to wherever she wanted to away from gossipers and people who didn’t matter just start a new life even if that meant leaving her mother behind.
“I would not be my mother. I wanted, in some way, to live my life…I wanted to be something different. I wanted to be someone different, someone without scorn, someone without a past. Someone with a future.” Summer
Cole Masten ; got lucky at only seventeen years old; Hollywood discovered him and his life haven’t been the same since. He was gifted with natural beauty and talent had won three academy awards since he was discovered. Now at thirty-five years old life was good until he finds the love of his life; a wife of five years had been playing him all alone for his fame and money. I didn’t like his wife since the beginning of the book it could be the fact that he loved her to death or perhaps I was just jealous of the way Cole loved because let me tell you when he loves he is amazing. He was basically forced to move into Georgia for the movie he was producing and acting. It was his project; his baby and he wanted to be part of every step of the way. However; he ended up going to this small town before his scheduled time and he was not happy about that.
Destiny had other plans for Cole and Summer. Cole lands in Quincy, Georgia without a place to stay; his personal assistant Justin was injured and Cole was off to tend for himself something he hadn’t done in so long. Being a Hollywood actor had lots of pros and having someone to do everything for you was one of them. He basically had to learn how to buy a truck, move around, get groceries all on his own it was pretty funny actually. He meets Summer the first day and he loved her stubborn attitude, he couldn’t believe that she wasn’t affected by his beauty the way the entire world had been he wasn’t used to not being the attention. Instead Summer’s attention was on his attorney Brad De Luca. Summer was stunned by his beauty of course but she was too suborned to show it and didn’t want to give this cocky bastard more ego it was absolutely hilarious.
“He wanted her. In some primal way that didn’t make sense.” Cole
Their relationship from there was just fantastic because it was a mouse and cat kind of relationship I loved the chase. Cole defiantly took the challenge and never gave up on chasing Summer stubbornness. Even if all they did was constantly fight he wanted to be near her. Cole found Summer’s attitude to match the part of the movie he was producing and did everything he could to get her to sign the contract. Summer didn’t want the fame or the attention but she wanted the money to make her dreams come true. She accepted his offer and the experience for both during the movie sets were just HOT, SPICY, and ENTERTAINING.
“Sex with him was my drug, and the better the high, the more I would crave it when it was gone.” Summer
“I want to make you scream my name and come underneath my mouth and taste the moment you fall apart for me.”Cole
Secrets came out because let’s face it in a small town nothing kept hidden for long, Summer’s secret came out and it could of ruined the movie. So many other events had me laughing so much with Summer and her gift to Cole. Summer finding a great friend in Ben and can I say I love the fact of meeting Brad the attorney?? Wow that was an instant change of panties for me. I absolutely loved everything about this story. It was so refreshing, unique, and incredible written. I loved all the characters on this book the plot was just amazing. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a sweet story and is ok with a Cinderella kind of story.
Epic WORLDWIDE (F) buddy-read for Hollywood Dirt on Sept. 7th!
"ARC Kindly provided by Author, in exchange for an honest review." Thank you so much.
SERIES ORDER: STANDALONE
PURCHASE LINKS:
Amazon US: http://goo.gl/8cr56l
Amazon UK: http://goo.gl/WRvM9G
Nook: http://googl/I4zClF
iBooks: https://goo.gl/XRi5tG
Kobo: https://goo.gl/NqLnFX
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
October 13, 2016
4.5 Southern Strength Shows the Way Stars
* * * * 1/2
10/9/2016-UPDATE
It is a wonderful thing when Art Imitates Life...and then when Art becomes Life! Take the opportunity to get in on the ground floor and experience Hollywood Dirt in its original form...For soon what you have read... will be available to experience right before your eyes in a movie theater near you in 2017...Get the jump on it and make your own memories!
August 27, 2015
2015 has become the year of relationships and complex layering with all of my favorite authors. Many have stepped away from expected, loved ways to show they are capable of more than what, we readers, expect. Every time I experience something like that, I give a personal woot-woot in my mind to them. For it is always easier to continue on a path which is sure, steady and familiar.
Now how would a multi-layered, sensual romance be a departure for Alessandra Torre, you might ask...Well, to begin with all of the crafting and elements we have loved are here...We have characters who capture the imagination; unique to each of their lives. Each have experienced things in such a way as to mold them... some for the better... others needing to grow. We have a layered story with some of it, front and center... and other parts to be discovered. All of this we have taken for granted in the past when opening a Torre book.
But this time... the focus is truly on the romance complexity of it all. There are these two people who find themselves colliding with emotions, needs and unrestrained combustion which cannot be ignored. We are there watching it like it could be a 5 car pile up on the freeway of life... We cannot take our eyes off of it... wanting to see if those involved survive and make it through.
The blurb is perfection for this... we are set up with all the necessary facts to dig in. We have the famous movie star, Cole Masten, who was cheated on and has immersed himself in his indy film project. Cole is a man who has been insulated; protected and catered to for a very long time. His personal assistant see to EVERYTHING. His world as he knows it has been shaken to the core by the betrayal of his soon to be ex wife. The life's ultimate joke was played on him...he actually thought his marriage was working and never strayed...
Now he is in the fight of his pampered life. He must hold onto the rights of his pet project. It takes place in Quincy Georgia, a place which has been the home of the invisible original investors of Coca-Cola. These investors all those decades ago have either become billionaires, quietly successful or tragically broke. It was this small group of people who closed ranks and created this way in Quincy. Match this with the strong traditions of the Southern culture and understand the structure. Wealth was known but not flaunted. Secrets were kept secrets; but ranks also would be closed.
Summer Jenkins is very familiar with the ways of the South. She has experienced them first hand. She also has learned and lived by them, making her a resilient, strong woman to not be underestimated. Life has taught her many lessons; some rewarding...a mother's love, sure and strong, a foundation in ways which make sense and give purpose and a quick wit and sharp tongue which has helped her hold her own.
Other lessons were not so comforting; a realization of the one you thought loved and promised to cherish you was a liar. That all of the friends and confidants you had during this miracle of love were only there because of Him and what he represented... that you did not count.
And then the biggest revelation was understanding what your place was in the world after experiencing the "big city"...knowing deep in your soul, Quincy was calling out to you...and there you would be.
These two characters come together after both have decided relationships have no place in their lives. Cole was hurt and lost needing focus. Summer needs to reassess and look to her future. When these two cross paths... they have no idea the impact.
Lucky for us... we have a front row seat.
There is an intelligence in this story, in the writing. There are multiple characters who all bring so much flavor to this. The Southern culture is a major character which plays a huge part and was so enchanting and important. It was respectfully and honestly portrayed. The undercurrent of attraction between Cole and Summer frames everything... it is like that hidden ingredient which makes a dish so good....for when we finally figure out that flavor, the experience is increased to nirvana because all of our senses are alive.
The story is solid with lots of moving pieces to delight and pique the curious nature of the reader. We are given sly secret gifts, (Nope, I will not tell) a villain or two, a charming new friend for Summer and an outcome one could only wish for.
There was also enough sexual tension to cause steam to rise off my kindle... frequently. It sometimes was unexpected, others wished for and then demanded. Sparks flew not only during these sensual times but also during real confrontations. I loved that both characters were strong- standing toe to toe... not allowing either of them to back down... Summer was someone who was comfortable in her own skin... which gave her a power and freedom to be... and not be forced into anything.
I love reading Alessandra Torre. Period.
When I read her, I know there will be layers of story; layers of complex emotions and a unique twist of an everyday occurrence. I also know I will meet characters who are free with their bodies because it feels right in the moments to be that way. They are human; they make mistakes and then see what needs to be done after the fact. They are three dimensional; they struggle, laugh, question and love.
This was a bit of a departure of Torre, yet with all of her talent and heart on the page.
~~~~ Before Reading ~~~~
Oh, you've heard of Southern Charm and Steel Magnolias...
Well, get ready to experience it up close and personal when you meet
Summer Jenkins...
She may have been "put to the side" or "in her place"...
But times are a changing and soon all of Quincy will take heed....
For there is Cole Masten, Hollywood Star in town and he is focused....
on Summer Jenkins...
Let the games begin... for I am thinking, Cole Masten won't know what hit him...
Hollywood Dirt, September 7th...Can't wait for the scoop...
A gifted copy was provided by the author for an honest review.
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
* * * * 1/2
10/9/2016-UPDATE
It is a wonderful thing when Art Imitates Life...and then when Art becomes Life! Take the opportunity to get in on the ground floor and experience Hollywood Dirt in its original form...For soon what you have read... will be available to experience right before your eyes in a movie theater near you in 2017...Get the jump on it and make your own memories!
August 27, 2015
2015 has become the year of relationships and complex layering with all of my favorite authors. Many have stepped away from expected, loved ways to show they are capable of more than what, we readers, expect. Every time I experience something like that, I give a personal woot-woot in my mind to them. For it is always easier to continue on a path which is sure, steady and familiar.
Now how would a multi-layered, sensual romance be a departure for Alessandra Torre, you might ask...Well, to begin with all of the crafting and elements we have loved are here...We have characters who capture the imagination; unique to each of their lives. Each have experienced things in such a way as to mold them... some for the better... others needing to grow. We have a layered story with some of it, front and center... and other parts to be discovered. All of this we have taken for granted in the past when opening a Torre book.
But this time... the focus is truly on the romance complexity of it all. There are these two people who find themselves colliding with emotions, needs and unrestrained combustion which cannot be ignored. We are there watching it like it could be a 5 car pile up on the freeway of life... We cannot take our eyes off of it... wanting to see if those involved survive and make it through.
The blurb is perfection for this... we are set up with all the necessary facts to dig in. We have the famous movie star, Cole Masten, who was cheated on and has immersed himself in his indy film project. Cole is a man who has been insulated; protected and catered to for a very long time. His personal assistant see to EVERYTHING. His world as he knows it has been shaken to the core by the betrayal of his soon to be ex wife. The life's ultimate joke was played on him...he actually thought his marriage was working and never strayed...
Now he is in the fight of his pampered life. He must hold onto the rights of his pet project. It takes place in Quincy Georgia, a place which has been the home of the invisible original investors of Coca-Cola. These investors all those decades ago have either become billionaires, quietly successful or tragically broke. It was this small group of people who closed ranks and created this way in Quincy. Match this with the strong traditions of the Southern culture and understand the structure. Wealth was known but not flaunted. Secrets were kept secrets; but ranks also would be closed.
Summer Jenkins is very familiar with the ways of the South. She has experienced them first hand. She also has learned and lived by them, making her a resilient, strong woman to not be underestimated. Life has taught her many lessons; some rewarding...a mother's love, sure and strong, a foundation in ways which make sense and give purpose and a quick wit and sharp tongue which has helped her hold her own.
Other lessons were not so comforting; a realization of the one you thought loved and promised to cherish you was a liar. That all of the friends and confidants you had during this miracle of love were only there because of Him and what he represented... that you did not count.
And then the biggest revelation was understanding what your place was in the world after experiencing the "big city"...knowing deep in your soul, Quincy was calling out to you...and there you would be.
These two characters come together after both have decided relationships have no place in their lives. Cole was hurt and lost needing focus. Summer needs to reassess and look to her future. When these two cross paths... they have no idea the impact.
Lucky for us... we have a front row seat.
There is an intelligence in this story, in the writing. There are multiple characters who all bring so much flavor to this. The Southern culture is a major character which plays a huge part and was so enchanting and important. It was respectfully and honestly portrayed. The undercurrent of attraction between Cole and Summer frames everything... it is like that hidden ingredient which makes a dish so good....for when we finally figure out that flavor, the experience is increased to nirvana because all of our senses are alive.
The story is solid with lots of moving pieces to delight and pique the curious nature of the reader. We are given sly secret gifts, (Nope, I will not tell) a villain or two, a charming new friend for Summer and an outcome one could only wish for.
There was also enough sexual tension to cause steam to rise off my kindle... frequently. It sometimes was unexpected, others wished for and then demanded. Sparks flew not only during these sensual times but also during real confrontations. I loved that both characters were strong- standing toe to toe... not allowing either of them to back down... Summer was someone who was comfortable in her own skin... which gave her a power and freedom to be... and not be forced into anything.
I love reading Alessandra Torre. Period.
When I read her, I know there will be layers of story; layers of complex emotions and a unique twist of an everyday occurrence. I also know I will meet characters who are free with their bodies because it feels right in the moments to be that way. They are human; they make mistakes and then see what needs to be done after the fact. They are three dimensional; they struggle, laugh, question and love.
This was a bit of a departure of Torre, yet with all of her talent and heart on the page.
~~~~ Before Reading ~~~~
Oh, you've heard of Southern Charm and Steel Magnolias...
Well, get ready to experience it up close and personal when you meet
Summer Jenkins...
She may have been "put to the side" or "in her place"...
But times are a changing and soon all of Quincy will take heed....
For there is Cole Masten, Hollywood Star in town and he is focused....
on Summer Jenkins...
Let the games begin... for I am thinking, Cole Masten won't know what hit him...
Hollywood Dirt, September 7th...Can't wait for the scoop...
A gifted copy was provided by the author for an honest review.
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
October 14, 2015
4 Dirty Stars.
Cole is a Hollywood sweetheart, that his now (even more) in the eyes of the public due to his very mediatic divorce. Summer is just a country girl, with some secrets in her past.
He didn’t want to fall… and neither did she.
But when they find each other forced to spend a lot of time together and neither of them resisting the attraction between them, they just might realize that sometimes what we need is very far away from what we think we want.
This was a funny and sexy romance and despite the slow start, I’ve got to say it was a pretty nice reading.
Alessandra, as always, manage to surprise us with a few twists (but worry not, not the dark kind of twists) and keep us on our toes.
To be honest, what really bummed me about this book was the fact that their relationship started so long and it ended almost right after, so there was no time to enjoy them as a couple, and in a romance book that is, for me, usually the best part.
Anyway, if you want a sexy romance, easy to read and with some funny moments, this is a good choice for you.
Rating: 4 Stars.
Characters Development: Cole was good and (so) sexy, but I confess that his “blindness” almost made me want to kick him. Overall, I liked him and he has certainly a charismatic character. Summer was sassy and easy to like, but sometimes her sassiness were just purely annoying and I felt frustrated with her in some moments. A lot of great supporting characters, I guess it’s time for me to read DeLuca’s books…
Steam: Some (really) hot moments,
Sensible Subjects:
Love Triangle:
Cheating:
HEA:
Cole is a Hollywood sweetheart, that his now (even more) in the eyes of the public due to his very mediatic divorce. Summer is just a country girl, with some secrets in her past.
He didn’t want to fall… and neither did she.
But when they find each other forced to spend a lot of time together and neither of them resisting the attraction between them, they just might realize that sometimes what we need is very far away from what we think we want.
This was a funny and sexy romance and despite the slow start, I’ve got to say it was a pretty nice reading.
Alessandra, as always, manage to surprise us with a few twists (but worry not, not the dark kind of twists) and keep us on our toes.
To be honest, what really bummed me about this book was the fact that their relationship started so long and it ended almost right after, so there was no time to enjoy them as a couple, and in a romance book that is, for me, usually the best part.
Anyway, if you want a sexy romance, easy to read and with some funny moments, this is a good choice for you.
Rating: 4 Stars.
Characters Development: Cole was good and (so) sexy, but I confess that his “blindness” almost made me want to kick him. Overall, I liked him and he has certainly a charismatic character. Summer was sassy and easy to like, but sometimes her sassiness were just purely annoying and I felt frustrated with her in some moments. A lot of great supporting characters, I guess it’s time for me to read DeLuca’s books…
Steam: Some (really) hot moments,
Sensible Subjects:
Love Triangle:
Cheating:
HEA:
September 7, 2015
Being from the South, I immediately fell in love with this story set in the small Southern town of Quincy. Alessandra completely nailed the setting, attitude and actions of Southerns. Furthermore, my town actually had a movie set there and when Hollywood came to my tiny town of Oliver Springs the rumor mill was exactly the same. I couldn’t have loved this premise and setting any more if I tried.
Summer Jenkins is an outcast in her town and for the longest time we don’t know why. She is charming, quick-witted and lovable. Living with her mother she lives a quite life, but dreams of more, of escaping her past. When a Hollywood scouter, Ben, comes to Quincy to procure film sites she offers her assistances in exchange for a cut of his pay. Ben and Summer become fast friends and we start seeing tiny hints at why Summer is ready to move on from Quincy.
Cole Masten is Hollywood Royalty and going through a messy divorce after finding his wife cheating on him. He is pretentious, egoistical and sexy as hell, but when he arrives in Quincy everyone treats him just like an average guy, especially Summer. Discovered as a teenager he doesn’t know what it’s like for a woman not to want him just on his name and social status alone.
This culture shock is just what he needed, a chance to remember who he really is. I loved this part of the story and getting to know Cole. I loved seeing Cole with Cocky and seeing his softer side. I loved how Summer never gave up on him and treated him like a regular guy.
Hollywood Dirt is definitely not a story of insta-love, the relationship has a slow build and I loved every minute of it. Cole and Summer have this intense chemistry, but Summer is not having anything Cole’s laying down. I laughed reading Cole’s advances, but also fell so in love with his sincerity.
This story is absolute perfection and enjoyed every single word. It’s not a secret Alessandra is one of my favorite authors and people in this world, but when I read stories like this I am reminded of why. She always delivers a unique, sexy story. This isn’t dark or mysterious, it’s just fun, romantic and sexy as hell. I am in love with this couple and highly recommend it so you can fall in love, too!
ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
July 20, 2017
"Funny how love could spin your life in an entirely new direction before you even realized what had happened. And when you did realize, you din't care because the love was bigger than you and your wants."
4 Hollywood Stars!
I cannot emphasize enough the fun I had in reading this book! Hollywood Dirt was beautiful, engaging, and very well-written. This was my second Alessandra Torre read and as usual, I loved her incredible writing.
The story featured two characters namely Summer Jenkins, a Southern Belle from Quincy, North Florida, and Cole Masten, a Hollywood A-lister superstar. These two were basically different as one lives in a city filled with lights and glitters while the other one settles in a simple and quiet town. After Cole found out that his wife cheated on him, he pushed through his movie project that will be filmed in Quincy while working out his divorce papers. In Quincy he met the gorgeous, headstrong, and feisty country girl Summer who he later on found out, had a potential to become his leading actress. As the two of them worked together, attraction developed. But they're not ready to admit it because of their differences and because of their daily banters. And because Cole had personal issues, too.
What impressed me most about this book was the comforting air that it brought. The setting was so peaceful. I love settings like this. Beautiful scenes with trees, hills, mountains... typical small town. The way Alessandra Torre described the details of the setting was spectacular. So vivid!
I also loved the characters. Both Cole and Summer were very likeable. Despite Cole's arrogant attitude, I wasn't annoyed. Maybe because he was also hilarious at times.
And oh... did I mention the chemistry? It was off the charts! So much sexual tension and frustration. The story was kind of dragging at first but I couldn't complain since those dragging parts were enjoyable and there was a steamy build-up between the characters. Plus, I couldn't get over their sexy banters! This book, as a whole, was so good and refreshing. Another brilliant novel from Alessandra Torre!
"For him, flirtation was nothing, a country girl finding him attractive normal. For me? Falling for the unattainable Cole Masten might break all my bones upon impact."
March 27, 2017
Filming has begun on Hollywood Dirt!!!!
Pics and info >> www.HollywoodDirtMovie.com!
6 "You Had Me at Y'all" Stars
Equal parts naughty and nice, equal parts sassy and sweet, equal parts Hollywood and The South and all around LOVE.
The Art of Romance is alive and well in Hollywood Dirt. It shines through with the most vivid of colors. The words that Alessandra Torre paints are full of emotions. I sighed, I swooned, I laughed, I felt and most of all I loved. Two characters that are polar opposites, but in fact, are more similar than they could ever imagine find each other in the most unlikelihood of places. Each experiencing similar feelings- each doubting, each wanting and each longing for something real.
I loved that this was a Hollywood story not in Hollywood. The setting being rural Georgia and the charm and etiquettes of the South meeting with the fast pace, no manners Hollywood is brilliant. It was magnificently portrayed and executed. I felt completely at ease with the story. Hollywood Sex Symbol Cole Masten meets Southern Sassified Summer Jenkins on her turf. Their first meeting ignited sparks, both good and bad and the story captured me and never let me go.
This story had all the elements of a magical fairy tale. The Surprise Sorcerer, The Handsome Prince, Cole and the Damsel in Distress, Summer- except the prince was an Ass and the damsel was Kickass. Their banter was antagonistic with a side of sweet. They both felt something but extenuating circumstances and their love/hate feelings knew better then to go there. But as in all magical fairy tales, good triumphs over evil. Sometimes it just takes a little time but the journey is wonderful!! I must mention that the cast of supporting characters along for the ride are funny, quick witted and completely bring a fun and wickedly humorous side to the story.
So if you are a Romantic at Heart, where you love for your emotions to be taken on a blissfully slow and sexy ride, Hollywood Dirt is a must read. It will leave you with a smile on your face, a happy place in your heart and a sweet believing that everyone has a soul mate. Sometimes it just occurs in the most unlikely of places where Hollywood Glitz and Southern Dirt Roads collide.
ARC generously provided by Alessandra Torre in exchange for an honest review
Pics and info >> www.HollywoodDirtMovie.com!
6 "You Had Me at Y'all" Stars
Equal parts naughty and nice, equal parts sassy and sweet, equal parts Hollywood and The South and all around LOVE.
The Art of Romance is alive and well in Hollywood Dirt. It shines through with the most vivid of colors. The words that Alessandra Torre paints are full of emotions. I sighed, I swooned, I laughed, I felt and most of all I loved. Two characters that are polar opposites, but in fact, are more similar than they could ever imagine find each other in the most unlikelihood of places. Each experiencing similar feelings- each doubting, each wanting and each longing for something real.
I loved that this was a Hollywood story not in Hollywood. The setting being rural Georgia and the charm and etiquettes of the South meeting with the fast pace, no manners Hollywood is brilliant. It was magnificently portrayed and executed. I felt completely at ease with the story. Hollywood Sex Symbol Cole Masten meets Southern Sassified Summer Jenkins on her turf. Their first meeting ignited sparks, both good and bad and the story captured me and never let me go.
This story had all the elements of a magical fairy tale. The Surprise Sorcerer, The Handsome Prince, Cole and the Damsel in Distress, Summer- except the prince was an Ass and the damsel was Kickass. Their banter was antagonistic with a side of sweet. They both felt something but extenuating circumstances and their love/hate feelings knew better then to go there. But as in all magical fairy tales, good triumphs over evil. Sometimes it just takes a little time but the journey is wonderful!! I must mention that the cast of supporting characters along for the ride are funny, quick witted and completely bring a fun and wickedly humorous side to the story.
So if you are a Romantic at Heart, where you love for your emotions to be taken on a blissfully slow and sexy ride, Hollywood Dirt is a must read. It will leave you with a smile on your face, a happy place in your heart and a sweet believing that everyone has a soul mate. Sometimes it just occurs in the most unlikely of places where Hollywood Glitz and Southern Dirt Roads collide.
ARC generously provided by Alessandra Torre in exchange for an honest review
September 10, 2015
~ sorry for repost. I just noticed my review was being tagged as spoiler, which I don't remember doing it.~
3.75 stars
This is very different from my prior read by Alessandra Torre. This book has a very similar feel to Lisa Kleypas and Julie James. A Hollywood heartthrob meet a spitfire Southern girl, a romance set in Quincy, Georgia.
Cole Masten is Hollywood Golden Boy, who recently caught his soon to be ex-wife fucking her director. His attorney, Brad DeLuca came to his rescue and shoo him to Quincy, Georgia to lay low and focus on his next big project, The Fortune Bottle.
"In Hollywood a marriage is a success if it outlasts milk."
Summer Jenkins had been living at Quincy, since she was five. She is a social outcast every since her disgrace with how she broken up with her ex-fiance. Summer is a spitfire, tough chick, who is not afraid to get her hands dirty.
"How much money I have is not indicative of my worth."
An entitled city boy and a plain Southern lady, they both fought tooth and nail every since they first set eyes on each other.
"That smile thing. It's creepy."
"Ten million Americans would disagree with you."
"Then ten million Americans are idiots."
Summer life turns upside down when Cole decided that she is the perfect costar for his new movie and make her an offer she can't refuse. Cue the Hollywood flashlights and their life being out in the open for everyone to scrutinized.
I like seeing how out of element Cole is being alone in the small town, without his assistant sorting his shit and having to engage with the first woman who dislike him. Add in his new pet, Cocky, he is turning into quite a country man.
Here, in the country, real sweet actually damp against his shirt, he was beginning to remember what it felt like to be an actual man, not just Hollywood's version of one.
The romance was rather slow build and they actually spend more than half the book getting on each other nerves and engage in some kind of frenemies, denying their attraction. However, when they did succumb to their desire, I finally holler and cheer.
I wondered how it was so easy, how our mouths matched so well, when our personalities clashed so strongly. I wondered how my mouth could crave this man when my mind hated him.
I miss the dark eroticism that I expect from the author. On the other hand, I love the Southern charm because small town romance just speaks to me every time with their culture and the gossip mongers at every corner. This book is not really what I expect, but I did enjoy both Cole and Summer's story and the town. Though I would have prefer them to be together much earlier.
3.75 stars
This is very different from my prior read by Alessandra Torre. This book has a very similar feel to Lisa Kleypas and Julie James. A Hollywood heartthrob meet a spitfire Southern girl, a romance set in Quincy, Georgia.
Cole Masten is Hollywood Golden Boy, who recently caught his soon to be ex-wife fucking her director. His attorney, Brad DeLuca came to his rescue and shoo him to Quincy, Georgia to lay low and focus on his next big project, The Fortune Bottle.
"In Hollywood a marriage is a success if it outlasts milk."
Summer Jenkins had been living at Quincy, since she was five. She is a social outcast every since her disgrace with how she broken up with her ex-fiance. Summer is a spitfire, tough chick, who is not afraid to get her hands dirty.
"How much money I have is not indicative of my worth."
An entitled city boy and a plain Southern lady, they both fought tooth and nail every since they first set eyes on each other.
"That smile thing. It's creepy."
"Ten million Americans would disagree with you."
"Then ten million Americans are idiots."
Summer life turns upside down when Cole decided that she is the perfect costar for his new movie and make her an offer she can't refuse. Cue the Hollywood flashlights and their life being out in the open for everyone to scrutinized.
I like seeing how out of element Cole is being alone in the small town, without his assistant sorting his shit and having to engage with the first woman who dislike him. Add in his new pet, Cocky, he is turning into quite a country man.
Here, in the country, real sweet actually damp against his shirt, he was beginning to remember what it felt like to be an actual man, not just Hollywood's version of one.
The romance was rather slow build and they actually spend more than half the book getting on each other nerves and engage in some kind of frenemies, denying their attraction. However, when they did succumb to their desire, I finally holler and cheer.
I wondered how it was so easy, how our mouths matched so well, when our personalities clashed so strongly. I wondered how my mouth could crave this man when my mind hated him.
I miss the dark eroticism that I expect from the author. On the other hand, I love the Southern charm because small town romance just speaks to me every time with their culture and the gossip mongers at every corner. This book is not really what I expect, but I did enjoy both Cole and Summer's story and the town. Though I would have prefer them to be together much earlier.
November 14, 2018
Another wonderful book by one of my favorites authors Alessandra Torre !
December 2, 2015
Type: Standalone
POV: Shifting - Dual
Rating:
Cole Masten was a jilted Hollywood superstar. Being newly bachelor, he spent his time enjoying sampling women who willingly throw themselves at his feet. That was until his latest project brought him to a small town of Quincy.
Summer Jenkins was a simple country girl looking for a ticket to get out of her sleepy town. The movie production gave her the opportunity to make herself useful while getting the money she needed to finally be somewhere else. She never expected to get much more than she bargained for.
I have been a fan of Alessandra Torre’s writing because they are either dark, sexy, edgy or the combination of those. When I first found out about this book, I was excited to see something different but also worried how am I going to like it. Well, I did end up liking it after all.
My feeling for Cole shifted a few times throughout the book. At first I felt sorry for him for the things he had to go through in his personal life. Then he started to show more of his assholey side and I like him even more. What I love about him the most that he was a balanced character. He had just enough of the good stuff to make him real and likeable.
I like how the feisty Summer was (outwardly) unfazed by Cole’s status and by the movie world in general. I also like how she adapted to it. She had a past she wasn’t proud of but she still lived her life with her head held high.
Even though this book was sweet and cute, it wasn’t all lovey dovey (or else I won’t survive it haha!). I love how they banter with each other and they had a good level of intensity with the push and pull.
I enjoyed being immersed in the lifestyle and mindset of the countryside. I also love seeing the behind the scenes of the movie production.
I did not expect Summer’s choice in the story, but it did made for a more interesting read. Though I have to say I wish it was sexier. I also wanted more exploration when it comes to Scott.
My favorite scene was definitely the fateful dinner flashback. The whole book I was wondering what on earth happened that night and when it was finally revealed, it was worth the wait because it was hilarious!
Hollywood Dirt is a departure from Alessandra Torre’s usual work and it showed how versatile her writing is. It was sweet, endearing and also amusing.
Note:
I love Ben and I love the epilogue making the reveal surprising without making it sickly sweet. Also love the special appearance. I haven’t met him officially yet, but I already love him. And of course how could I ever forget Cocky :p
★ ★ ★ (F)BR with the Shhluts of Shh... ★ ★ ★
Join the (F)BR: https://goo.gl/cjKEzm
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
POV: Shifting - Dual
Rating:
Cole Masten was a jilted Hollywood superstar. Being newly bachelor, he spent his time enjoying sampling women who willingly throw themselves at his feet. That was until his latest project brought him to a small town of Quincy.
Summer Jenkins was a simple country girl looking for a ticket to get out of her sleepy town. The movie production gave her the opportunity to make herself useful while getting the money she needed to finally be somewhere else. She never expected to get much more than she bargained for.
I have been a fan of Alessandra Torre’s writing because they are either dark, sexy, edgy or the combination of those. When I first found out about this book, I was excited to see something different but also worried how am I going to like it. Well, I did end up liking it after all.
My feeling for Cole shifted a few times throughout the book. At first I felt sorry for him for the things he had to go through in his personal life. Then he started to show more of his assholey side and I like him even more. What I love about him the most that he was a balanced character. He had just enough of the good stuff to make him real and likeable.
She was such a paradox. In some ways, the strongest woman he’d ever met, her fire and spite and self-sufficiency clear and defined. In other ways, she was the softest, most vulnerable.
I like how the feisty Summer was (outwardly) unfazed by Cole’s status and by the movie world in general. I also like how she adapted to it. She had a past she wasn’t proud of but she still lived her life with her head held high.
“Can you put on some pants?” she snapped, looking back at him, her eyebrows raised accusingly. “It’s rude to waltz around with your junk out.”
Even though this book was sweet and cute, it wasn’t all lovey dovey (or else I won’t survive it haha!). I love how they banter with each other and they had a good level of intensity with the push and pull.
I enjoyed being immersed in the lifestyle and mindset of the countryside. I also love seeing the behind the scenes of the movie production.
I did not expect Summer’s choice in the story, but it did made for a more interesting read. Though I have to say I wish it was sexier. I also wanted more exploration when it comes to Scott.
My favorite scene was definitely the fateful dinner flashback. The whole book I was wondering what on earth happened that night and when it was finally revealed, it was worth the wait because it was hilarious!
Hollywood Dirt is a departure from Alessandra Torre’s usual work and it showed how versatile her writing is. It was sweet, endearing and also amusing.
Note:
I love Ben and I love the epilogue making the reveal surprising without making it sickly sweet. Also love the special appearance. I haven’t met him officially yet, but I already love him. And of course how could I ever forget Cocky :p
★ ★ ★ (F)BR with the Shhluts of Shh... ★ ★ ★
Join the (F)BR: https://goo.gl/cjKEzm
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
Read
September 11, 2015dnf @57%
I started this book on the 4th September, it is now the 11th and I have 3 hours left. I can't bring myself to finish it because quite frankly i. Am. Bored.
I am so sorry, AT still remains one of my favourite and well respected authors but this story is too slow paced in the romance department for my liking. The sex scene that I read 5% ago was extremely hot and I love the addition of Brad DeLuca, but it's not enough to keep me going I'm sad to say.
Moving on...
ARC received from author in exchange for an honest review.
I started this book on the 4th September, it is now the 11th and I have 3 hours left. I can't bring myself to finish it because quite frankly i. Am. Bored.
I am so sorry, AT still remains one of my favourite and well respected authors but this story is too slow paced in the romance department for my liking. The sex scene that I read 5% ago was extremely hot and I love the addition of Brad DeLuca, but it's not enough to keep me going I'm sad to say.
Moving on...
ARC received from author in exchange for an honest review.
September 16, 2015
4.5 Stars
Hollywood Dirt was a light, sweet read - not at all what I have grown to expect from this author. An entertaining romance about two unlikely people falling in love - from dislike, to like, to love. Growing up in the small, southern town of Quincy, Summer Jenkins, has always been a bit of an outsider. Unlike most of the residents of Quincy, she and her mother don't come from Coca-Cola money, and Summer is itching to get out of town and start over.
One of Hollywood's leading men, has taken an interest in the Coca-Cola story, and has decided to make a movie. Cole Matsen is excited to start this new film, but unfortunately for him, his personal life has gone to shit. His wife is a cheater, and after catching her in the act and putting her lover in the hospital, he is facing divorce. Under the strict advice of his lawyer, he is told to head to Georgia early and lay low. No women. No scandal. Upon arriving in Quincy, Cole meets Summer, and decides she is perfect for his movie - she's authentic and has just the fire he is looking for. And it's an opportunity Summer can't turn down, but that does mean it's an easy road - she and Cole are constantly butting heads.
"That smile thing. It's creepy."
"Ten million Americans would disagree with you."
"Then ten million Americans are idiots."
I enjoyed the slow-building relationship between Cole and Summer. The push and pull, the banter, and the underlying sexual tension between these two was perfect. While at times the story seemed a bit slow, I still enjoyed this unique story. I swear Cocky, the pet rooster was a brilliant addition – those scenes were priceless. I loved that darn rooster.
“I just got a baby rooster,” Cole started.
“I can see that,” the man drawled. He leaned forward, his chair creaking, and peered through the thick plastic. “Why’d you bring it with you?”
“I don’t know. I thought it might need to be checked out, or you might have questions, or it might not be able to be left alone…” Cole’s voice trailed off, and he realized exactly how stupid he sounded.
“It’s. A. Chicken.” The toothpick in the man’s mouth fell out as he spat out the words. “It’s not a pet. You don’t name the thing and give it a bedazzled collar.”
October 7, 2017
Re-read 10/6/17 and upgrade to 5 stars, because fuck it.
I really loved the movie and decided to do a re-read. Definitely a favorite.
Recommended to those who love "celebrity movie star falls for a regular girl" tropes, small town romances and feisty heroines!
___________________________
Original review:
➦Meet Cole Masten
➦Cole is this book's version of Brad Pitt. Who's getting a divorce.
➦Cole has a cock.
➦Well, I suppose he has two. *shrug*
➦This is Summer Jenkins
➦Summer is a feisty small town girl, who lands a lead role in Cole's movie.
➦And so they play out their love/hate relationship on camera.
➦They fight a little
➦Then they kiss a little
➦Thankfully the ending was free of drama, which suited me just fine. Definitely recommend this book for someone who's looking for a fun read. I suppose it's the exhibitionist in me, but I enjoyed their relationship develop on the movie set ^.^
Silly quote from the book :)
"He could bottle her juices and become a billionaire..."
September 10, 2015
4.5 Cocky STARS
I loved every minute of this book and couldn’t stop the fits of laughter and my constant smirk.
The premise wasn’t new: big Hollywood super star, Cole Masten, descends on small town and meets a Southern spitfire, Summer Jenkins.
While their minds and brains don’t like each other, their bodies are on a completely different page. But this story was nothing if not refreshing and unique. Ms. Torre made this story her own. Right from loosely basing this on the Coca-Cola story to both Cole and Summer’s back stories and the secondary characters…loved Ben and of course, fans of the fucking sex-on-a-stick, panty dropper Brad DeLuca (myself, a self-professed HUGE fan)
will be over joyed as this hot, Alpha male plays a small yet crucial role in this story.
The characters are complex, flawed and oh so lovable. I liked Cole despite his “persona” and simply loved Summer. She was the epitome of sassy gal!!
And while reading this, AT captured the quintessential gentile yet edge that can only be found in the South. And her descriptions of Quincy, Georgia...
were just perfect and so real. She had me feeling the sweat sticking to the back of my neck as my clothes clung to me, the mosquitoes hovering like drones ready for attack and the craving for some sweet tea to break the heat.
And the chemistry. The back and forth between Cole and Summer was so engrossing and HOT!
“I won’t stop until my mouth is imprinted on your mind and your taste is my fucking middle name.”
“I want to flip you over and bury my face in between your legs and fuckin’ own you with my mouth.”
“The man shouldn’t be allowed to have a mouth. Shouldn’t be allowed to use that thing like a weapon.”
I highly recommend this book! You're in for a little bit of Southern hospitality with a twist of the flash of Hollywood and a whole lot of laughs, lust and love.
For more reviews and blog posts.
I loved every minute of this book and couldn’t stop the fits of laughter and my constant smirk.
The premise wasn’t new: big Hollywood super star, Cole Masten, descends on small town and meets a Southern spitfire, Summer Jenkins.
While their minds and brains don’t like each other, their bodies are on a completely different page. But this story was nothing if not refreshing and unique. Ms. Torre made this story her own. Right from loosely basing this on the Coca-Cola story to both Cole and Summer’s back stories and the secondary characters…loved Ben and of course, fans of the fucking sex-on-a-stick, panty dropper Brad DeLuca (myself, a self-professed HUGE fan)
will be over joyed as this hot, Alpha male plays a small yet crucial role in this story.
The characters are complex, flawed and oh so lovable. I liked Cole despite his “persona” and simply loved Summer. She was the epitome of sassy gal!!
And while reading this, AT captured the quintessential gentile yet edge that can only be found in the South. And her descriptions of Quincy, Georgia...
were just perfect and so real. She had me feeling the sweat sticking to the back of my neck as my clothes clung to me, the mosquitoes hovering like drones ready for attack and the craving for some sweet tea to break the heat.
And the chemistry. The back and forth between Cole and Summer was so engrossing and HOT!
“I won’t stop until my mouth is imprinted on your mind and your taste is my fucking middle name.”
“I want to flip you over and bury my face in between your legs and fuckin’ own you with my mouth.”
“The man shouldn’t be allowed to have a mouth. Shouldn’t be allowed to use that thing like a weapon.”
I highly recommend this book! You're in for a little bit of Southern hospitality with a twist of the flash of Hollywood and a whole lot of laughs, lust and love.
For more reviews and blog posts.
September 14, 2015
****4.5 "Solemates" Stars!****
One thing is true, I don't usually read Hollywood books. I have family members and friends in that industry and the things I've seen and learned are enough to last me a lifetime. So when I read this book I was expecting to dislike it, mainly because most people that write "Hollywood" tend to write it wrong, at least the books I've read. But this one was amazing!
I can't describe in words how this made me feel. It was sweet, it was hot, it was charming (yes the southern references were a bit much), but it was just what I needed. Cole was the perfect alpha male, not too over the top and I loved Summer! The supporting characters were equally fascinating.
This is my first AT and it definitely won't be my last!
********************
My first Alessandra Torre book! So excited to start!
One thing is true, I don't usually read Hollywood books. I have family members and friends in that industry and the things I've seen and learned are enough to last me a lifetime. So when I read this book I was expecting to dislike it, mainly because most people that write "Hollywood" tend to write it wrong, at least the books I've read. But this one was amazing!
I can't describe in words how this made me feel. It was sweet, it was hot, it was charming (yes the southern references were a bit much), but it was just what I needed. Cole was the perfect alpha male, not too over the top and I loved Summer! The supporting characters were equally fascinating.
This is my first AT and it definitely won't be my last!
********************
My first Alessandra Torre book! So excited to start!
September 7, 2015
4.5 "I See You" Stars!
(ARC provided by author)
(BR with Patty & Dee)
Summer Jenkins is a woman living with her mother in Quincy, Georgia. Quincy is a small sleepy town known for old wealth. Back when Coca Cola went big, it made many in the town millionaires. It's filled with beautiful plantation homes, pecan trees, & southern charm. Summer is the Quincy outcast, & mostly keeps to herself until a Hollywood scout comes to town to get things set up for a movie that will be filmed there. Summer offers to help with the film hoping she can earn some money to eventually get out of Quincy.
Cole Masten is a huge Hollywood movie star. He's bankrolling the whole production. He's known as one of the most beautiful men to grace Hollywood. When his personal life blows up in his face, Cole needs to get away from everything. His movie will be the perfect distraction from his problems. He leaves Los Angeles for Quincy. As he arrives in Quincy he also realizes he's left behind the luxury & privileged Hollywood lifestyle. Quincy is simplicity & runs at a slower pace than Cole is used to, so he has to make some adjustments to his norm.
When Summer meets Hollywood's most eligible bachelor, the real Cole Masten ruins every fantasy she had of him. He's just an arrogant, self absorbed pretty boy. She doesn't treat him like he's anything special, although secretly she can't help but notice how beautiful he is. She finds him extremely attractive, but when he opens his mouth he always seems to push all her buttons. We get a love/hate relationship that eventually ignites.When they finally give in to their lust for one another, neither can get enough!
-"I am addicted to you."
-It was, in that moment, enough. Having Cole Masten addicted to me was enough.
As they spend more time together they really get to know each other. They come from different worlds, but they just work. Summer starts to see the real Cole under it all, & Cole starts to really look at himself through Summer's eyes, and want to change for the better. When they both let their walls down & show their true feelings it's amazing! I thought Cole became quite swoon worthy & I just adored him with his pet rooster! So sweet! Also I must mention Brad DeLuca. Holy hell is that man hot!!! I haven't read his series yet, but will be getting on that soon! I really loved this book! Alessandra Torre delivers another fabulous, sexy read! :D
-They say that love is finding your soul's match in another. I found my match.
(ARC provided by author)
(BR with Patty & Dee)
Summer Jenkins is a woman living with her mother in Quincy, Georgia. Quincy is a small sleepy town known for old wealth. Back when Coca Cola went big, it made many in the town millionaires. It's filled with beautiful plantation homes, pecan trees, & southern charm. Summer is the Quincy outcast, & mostly keeps to herself until a Hollywood scout comes to town to get things set up for a movie that will be filmed there. Summer offers to help with the film hoping she can earn some money to eventually get out of Quincy.
Cole Masten is a huge Hollywood movie star. He's bankrolling the whole production. He's known as one of the most beautiful men to grace Hollywood. When his personal life blows up in his face, Cole needs to get away from everything. His movie will be the perfect distraction from his problems. He leaves Los Angeles for Quincy. As he arrives in Quincy he also realizes he's left behind the luxury & privileged Hollywood lifestyle. Quincy is simplicity & runs at a slower pace than Cole is used to, so he has to make some adjustments to his norm.
When Summer meets Hollywood's most eligible bachelor, the real Cole Masten ruins every fantasy she had of him. He's just an arrogant, self absorbed pretty boy. She doesn't treat him like he's anything special, although secretly she can't help but notice how beautiful he is. She finds him extremely attractive, but when he opens his mouth he always seems to push all her buttons. We get a love/hate relationship that eventually ignites.When they finally give in to their lust for one another, neither can get enough!
-"I am addicted to you."
-It was, in that moment, enough. Having Cole Masten addicted to me was enough.
As they spend more time together they really get to know each other. They come from different worlds, but they just work. Summer starts to see the real Cole under it all, & Cole starts to really look at himself through Summer's eyes, and want to change for the better. When they both let their walls down & show their true feelings it's amazing! I thought Cole became quite swoon worthy & I just adored him with his pet rooster! So sweet! Also I must mention Brad DeLuca. Holy hell is that man hot!!! I haven't read his series yet, but will be getting on that soon! I really loved this book! Alessandra Torre delivers another fabulous, sexy read! :D
-They say that love is finding your soul's match in another. I found my match.
February 17, 2016
Audiobook started 2/6/16 finished 2/17/16
The narrator's voice took some getting used to, and some of her different voices got a little annoying, but I enjoyed listening to this story.
4 'Country & City Boy' Stars
Cole Masten is the "it" guy in Hollywood, the guy everyone wants to be and the guy whose life everyone wants to be apart of. But his seemingly perfect life comes crashing down when he gets served with divorce papers and what he thought was a perfect marriage falls apart, leaving him single again with no idea how to react to that. He goes off partying and fucking his way through Hollywood before his Attorney takes control of Cole's life and makes him move to his movie location early and threatening to drop him as a client unless he keeps it in his pants.
Summer Jenkins is the outcast in Quincy, Georgia and wants to get out of town as soon as she can. She see's her opportunity when she befriends Ben, a location scout for the new Cole Masten movie and starts working as a liaison between him and the town. But then Cole shows up and offers her an even bigger opportunity, the lead role in his movie, and all she can imagine is leaving town for good and jumps at the opportunity. She just never expected the chemistry between her and the too good looking playboy.
Hollywood Dirt brings the chaotic world of Hollywood to small town Georgia and is the perfect mix of Southern Belle and Playboy Hottie. I went into this a little iffy because I don't like super lovey dovey books but I was pleasantly surprised and the story wasn't overly sweet. Summer instantly doesn't like Cole and the animosity between them only builds as the two spend more time together. Under the hate that they show, though, is attraction that boils over until neither of them have a chance of denying it any longer.
I was expecting Cole to be some annoying, over privileged playboy that I would have to grow to like but boy was I wrong. I liked him from the very beginning and never doubted that he would get back on the right path after going wild in his new single life. I went from liking him to loving him when he gets care of Cocky, his rooster, and it is the most adorable thing I have ever read. Cole was also friggin hot as hell and I'm really jealous of Summer because I want Cole all to myself.
Summer was a small town girl but she definitely didn't fit into the stereotype that comes with that. She had the manners that came from the south but she wasn't oblivious to the real world and so innocent I wanted to slap her. She actually knew that there was life outside of Quincy and was desperate to go find it. I loved how sassy she was and found her encounters with Cole hilarious.
Overall, this is an amazing book and I was shocked at how much I liked it but super glad that I gave it a chance. It was the first book by this author but definitely not going to be my last. I've heard that other books by Alessandra Torre have a little bit of a darker element to them so I'm excited to see that.
Read this book or I won't be your friend anymore!
The narrator's voice took some getting used to, and some of her different voices got a little annoying, but I enjoyed listening to this story.
4 'Country & City Boy' Stars
Cole Masten is the "it" guy in Hollywood, the guy everyone wants to be and the guy whose life everyone wants to be apart of. But his seemingly perfect life comes crashing down when he gets served with divorce papers and what he thought was a perfect marriage falls apart, leaving him single again with no idea how to react to that. He goes off partying and fucking his way through Hollywood before his Attorney takes control of Cole's life and makes him move to his movie location early and threatening to drop him as a client unless he keeps it in his pants.
Summer Jenkins is the outcast in Quincy, Georgia and wants to get out of town as soon as she can. She see's her opportunity when she befriends Ben, a location scout for the new Cole Masten movie and starts working as a liaison between him and the town. But then Cole shows up and offers her an even bigger opportunity, the lead role in his movie, and all she can imagine is leaving town for good and jumps at the opportunity. She just never expected the chemistry between her and the too good looking playboy.
Hollywood Dirt brings the chaotic world of Hollywood to small town Georgia and is the perfect mix of Southern Belle and Playboy Hottie. I went into this a little iffy because I don't like super lovey dovey books but I was pleasantly surprised and the story wasn't overly sweet. Summer instantly doesn't like Cole and the animosity between them only builds as the two spend more time together. Under the hate that they show, though, is attraction that boils over until neither of them have a chance of denying it any longer.
I was expecting Cole to be some annoying, over privileged playboy that I would have to grow to like but boy was I wrong. I liked him from the very beginning and never doubted that he would get back on the right path after going wild in his new single life. I went from liking him to loving him when he gets care of Cocky, his rooster, and it is the most adorable thing I have ever read. Cole was also friggin hot as hell and I'm really jealous of Summer because I want Cole all to myself.
Summer was a small town girl but she definitely didn't fit into the stereotype that comes with that. She had the manners that came from the south but she wasn't oblivious to the real world and so innocent I wanted to slap her. She actually knew that there was life outside of Quincy and was desperate to go find it. I loved how sassy she was and found her encounters with Cole hilarious.
Overall, this is an amazing book and I was shocked at how much I liked it but super glad that I gave it a chance. It was the first book by this author but definitely not going to be my last. I've heard that other books by Alessandra Torre have a little bit of a darker element to them so I'm excited to see that.
Read this book or I won't be your friend anymore!
September 7, 2015
****4.5 Charming Stars*****
(ARC kindly provided by author)
(BR with Patty and Mel)
Another wonderful book by Alessandra Torre!! She always brings us something hot, romantic and very unique. I love, how she always tries different things and every time provides us with a wonderful story that will play with our senses. Hollywood Dirt was so unexpectedly charming and completely entertaining, a total winner!!!!
Hollywood is coming to Quincy, Georgia. Hometown to Summer Jenkins, an all southern girl who carries a shame from the past. Even though it's been a few years since the event that change her life happened, people still whisper about it, behind her back. Summer is ready for a change, she wants out of Quincy and this movie as it turns out will be her meal ticket into a new future.
Cole Masten is a gorgeous and successful movie star. He's the one footing the bill to produce the movie. After a bad break-up and a nasty impending divorce his lawyer advises him to leave Hollywood behind and just go to Quincy and submerse himself into the production of the movie. No sex, no bad habits, just work, are the instructions he must follow if he wants a shot at keeping his movie and not having to share it with his ex.
Cole and Summer get off on the wrong foot from the beginning, she's been helping around with the movie but as soon as Cole meets her, he offers her the role of a lifetime and expects her to roll over and simply agree to anything he says, but with her he has another thing coming. Summer knows how life-changing this opportunity is, but she's stubborn and smart and if she agrees, it will be on her own terms and no charming and gorgeous movie star (Cole Masten) will change that.
I have a deep fascination for all things southern so immediately the charm of the story got my attention. The characters and their interactions were so unique and funny I seriously couldn't get enough. With a pitcher of sweet tea next to me, I enjoyed every word of this wonderful novel that proves once again, that Alessandra Torre can write just about anything and does it well. It's been a couple of days since I read this book and I'm still thinking about it. I just loved it so much!!!
Hollywood Dirt is a standalone novel.
The author created an amazing playlist that can be found on Spotify, but I wanted to share a few wonderful tunes from it on this review.
*Broken Ones by Jacquie Lee ( I added this song)
*Wonderland by Natalia Kills
*Left For America by Ciaran Lavery
*Why Does It Have to Be Wrong by Restless Heart.
TO ORDER Hollywood Dirt:
http://www.amazon.com/Hollywood-Dirt-...
(ARC kindly provided by author)
(BR with Patty and Mel)
Another wonderful book by Alessandra Torre!! She always brings us something hot, romantic and very unique. I love, how she always tries different things and every time provides us with a wonderful story that will play with our senses. Hollywood Dirt was so unexpectedly charming and completely entertaining, a total winner!!!!
Hollywood is coming to Quincy, Georgia. Hometown to Summer Jenkins, an all southern girl who carries a shame from the past. Even though it's been a few years since the event that change her life happened, people still whisper about it, behind her back. Summer is ready for a change, she wants out of Quincy and this movie as it turns out will be her meal ticket into a new future.
Cole Masten is a gorgeous and successful movie star. He's the one footing the bill to produce the movie. After a bad break-up and a nasty impending divorce his lawyer advises him to leave Hollywood behind and just go to Quincy and submerse himself into the production of the movie. No sex, no bad habits, just work, are the instructions he must follow if he wants a shot at keeping his movie and not having to share it with his ex.
Cole and Summer get off on the wrong foot from the beginning, she's been helping around with the movie but as soon as Cole meets her, he offers her the role of a lifetime and expects her to roll over and simply agree to anything he says, but with her he has another thing coming. Summer knows how life-changing this opportunity is, but she's stubborn and smart and if she agrees, it will be on her own terms and no charming and gorgeous movie star (Cole Masten) will change that.
I have a deep fascination for all things southern so immediately the charm of the story got my attention. The characters and their interactions were so unique and funny I seriously couldn't get enough. With a pitcher of sweet tea next to me, I enjoyed every word of this wonderful novel that proves once again, that Alessandra Torre can write just about anything and does it well. It's been a couple of days since I read this book and I'm still thinking about it. I just loved it so much!!!
Hollywood Dirt is a standalone novel.
The author created an amazing playlist that can be found on Spotify, but I wanted to share a few wonderful tunes from it on this review.
*Broken Ones by Jacquie Lee ( I added this song)
*Wonderland by Natalia Kills
*Left For America by Ciaran Lavery
*Why Does It Have to Be Wrong by Restless Heart.
TO ORDER Hollywood Dirt:
http://www.amazon.com/Hollywood-Dirt-...
September 1, 2015
Alessandra Torre never fails to make my drunk on her words. I spend each page drinking down each sentence while hanging on each and every word. Her characters, written to perfection, stick with me long after I've read the last word. Hollywood Dirt is pure magic. And, it has me wanting to go reread an old favorite of mine ASAP. Bravo, love, another 5+++ read!
May 17, 2016
What happens when Hollywood evades a small southern town?
In this contemporary romance by Alessandra Torre, Hollywood Dirt delivers the goods in every way!
When a story of small southern town catches Cole Masten’s eye. He knows this story is his next big thing. But in the midst of gaining momentum for his next venture, his world is falling apart. The Hollywood-Mega-Couple has split and Cole is slowly turning from Hollywood’s darling into Hollywood’s bad boy. Leaving the glitz, glam and temptation of tinsel town behind, Cole arrives in Quincy early to gear up for the movie but mostly to stay out of trouble.
Summer Jenkins isn’t the typical Quincy resident. She was born of wealth, but rather found herself escaping into the night with her mother to this small town, always a little bit of an outsider in a town with too many manners to ever make her feel unwelcomed. But for Summer, she may be a small town girl, but she has big dreams. Dreams that will one day, hopefully take her away from a town that is filled with hushed whispers of her past.
When the production company hits a few dead ends with the townsfolk, Summer steps in to help. After all this small town may like the excitement of Hollywood gracing its streets – but that doesn’t mean they are going to welcome it with open arms.
Cole and Summer navigate a shaky friendship and business relationship all while the tension of their attraction builds. Summer was nothing he was looking for when he arrived in Quincy but it turns out, sometimes the best things are found when you least expect.
This book had my heart racing, my knees weakening and leaving me with a major case of the feels. Between the moments where Summer’s sass stole the show, Cole became larger than life and that damn rooster. I died. Toss in an utter surprise for all fans of Alessandra Torre, which caused me to toss my kindle for the bed and shout out in pure excitement, and I can easily say that this book is one of my top favorites for 2015.
Hollywood Dirt captured every emotion within its pages. I laughed, hard. My heart grew as these two came together and I found this love story so damn touching. I loved the wit and the reserved, although at times back-handed, manners of our southern belle.
I loved the way we were given the pieces of Summer’s past slowly as the story unfolded. I loved the vulnerability both these characters had, even at their strongest moments, you just felt them so deeply. I became their biggest cheerleader. This book was so different from the type of story that we’ve seen Alessandra deliver and she hit it out of the park. I adored seeing her venture into this realm of romance, proving that she can write absolutely anything. Hollywood Dirt is no doubt the it book of 2015. Cole Masten is going to steal the hearts of women all over the world.
More teasers:
In this contemporary romance by Alessandra Torre, Hollywood Dirt delivers the goods in every way!
When a story of small southern town catches Cole Masten’s eye. He knows this story is his next big thing. But in the midst of gaining momentum for his next venture, his world is falling apart. The Hollywood-Mega-Couple has split and Cole is slowly turning from Hollywood’s darling into Hollywood’s bad boy. Leaving the glitz, glam and temptation of tinsel town behind, Cole arrives in Quincy early to gear up for the movie but mostly to stay out of trouble.
Summer Jenkins isn’t the typical Quincy resident. She was born of wealth, but rather found herself escaping into the night with her mother to this small town, always a little bit of an outsider in a town with too many manners to ever make her feel unwelcomed. But for Summer, she may be a small town girl, but she has big dreams. Dreams that will one day, hopefully take her away from a town that is filled with hushed whispers of her past.
When the production company hits a few dead ends with the townsfolk, Summer steps in to help. After all this small town may like the excitement of Hollywood gracing its streets – but that doesn’t mean they are going to welcome it with open arms.
Cole and Summer navigate a shaky friendship and business relationship all while the tension of their attraction builds. Summer was nothing he was looking for when he arrived in Quincy but it turns out, sometimes the best things are found when you least expect.
This book had my heart racing, my knees weakening and leaving me with a major case of the feels. Between the moments where Summer’s sass stole the show, Cole became larger than life and that damn rooster. I died. Toss in an utter surprise for all fans of Alessandra Torre, which caused me to toss my kindle for the bed and shout out in pure excitement, and I can easily say that this book is one of my top favorites for 2015.
Hollywood Dirt captured every emotion within its pages. I laughed, hard. My heart grew as these two came together and I found this love story so damn touching. I loved the wit and the reserved, although at times back-handed, manners of our southern belle.
I loved the way we were given the pieces of Summer’s past slowly as the story unfolded. I loved the vulnerability both these characters had, even at their strongest moments, you just felt them so deeply. I became their biggest cheerleader. This book was so different from the type of story that we’ve seen Alessandra deliver and she hit it out of the park. I adored seeing her venture into this realm of romance, proving that she can write absolutely anything. Hollywood Dirt is no doubt the it book of 2015. Cole Masten is going to steal the hearts of women all over the world.
More teasers:
September 5, 2015
FULL REVIEW NOW POSTED:
With each new Alessandra Torre novel, I seem to fall more and more in love with this author’s extraordinary gift, and this book is no exception. A light-hearted, somewhat less intricate love story than her other works, this is a book that shows us that even when she sets to write “light and funny”, she does it with impeccable attention to detail, and the kind of flawless character development that could carry any storyline forward. This is a heart-warming tale of opposites attracting, of two people fighting their attraction to one another, only to fail at every turn, and of life proving true the old adage that when one door closes, another opens in its stead, just as long as we have the courage to walk through it.
The story takes place in the sleepy little town of Quincy, Georgia, home to sixty-seven original Coca-Cola investors-turned-millionaires who have continued leading quiet, unpretentious lives, regardless of their heftier bank accounts. Life remains simple and predictable in Quincy, until a Hollywood superstar decides to shoot his next movie there, bringing attention to a town that has always valued peace and anonymity over the limelight.
Summer Jenkins grew up in Quincy, but never in her twenty-nine years of life has she felt truly accepted by the small town she’s called home ever since she was a child. Shunned for a moment in time when she allowed her emotions to get the best of her, she now lives a quiet, humble life with her mother, with no ambitions or grand plans for the future, except leaving Quincy one day and starting a new life somewhere else, somewhere far away from the resentment, the whispers and the sideways looks that follow her everywhere she goes.
From the moment Summer hears about the upcoming movie production in Quincy, she becomes determined to turn it into her ticket out of town. She is willing to work any job, big or small, as long as it makes her enough money to put her on the road, never expecting that her feisty Southern belle charm is all that is needed. Especially when directed at a certain Hollywood superstar whose arrogance and uncouthness bring out the worst in her.
Cole Masten’s whirlwind acting career has made him a household name all around the globe, adored by fans wherever he goes and continually pestered by the paparazzi, his high profile marriage to a fellow actress only bringing his personal life even more into the public eye. But when his seemingly perfect life comes to a standstill as he suddenly finds himself facing a messy divorce, his salvation comes in the form of his next movie project, one he is passionate to see succeed.
His arrival in Quincy is marked by nothing more than some passing chatter, the townsfolk entirely indifferent to his celebrity status, and while at first she might have not shared the town’s lack of interest in finally meeting Cole Masden the actor, it only takes a few minutes spent in his presence for Summer to dislike him at first sight. And the more she gets to know him, the more her antipathy towards him grows. Their every encounter turns into a quarrel, Cole’s every word rubbing Summer the wrong way, unbeknownst to her that he continues to provoke her on purpose, her fiery, no-nonsense personality drawing him to her like a moth to a flame.
As their lives suddenly become temporarily intertwined, we get first row seats to one of the sexiest, most entertaining enemies-to-lovers scenarios I’ve ever come across, where the leading characters don’t know whether to kill one another or rip each other’s clothes off. Ms Torre keeps building the sexual tension between Cole and Summer scene after scene, to the point where our hands start shaking as we impatiently turn the pages in search of a climax. This tension never declines, never fizzles, never loses momentum, every fleeting touch between the characters buzzing with promise and only sweetening the anticipation.
It’s a story that focuses on setting the foundations for the emotional connection between the two main characters, not on instant gratification, to such a degree that once we reach the apex of the storyline, there is no doubt in our minds that these characters belong together. Overall, this story might lack that edgy, spicy tang that we have come to expect from Ms Torre, but her character development is no less thorough, no less compelling or seductive, and her prose is as polished as ever. The celebrity-falling-for-the-girl-next-door scenario is nothing we haven’t seen before, but this author’s take on it has her signature stamp all over it. She has given us a fearless, outspoken heroine who is in no way intimidated by the hero’s fame or riches, and a strong, dominant leading man whose self-awareness compels us to like him from the get-go, which coupled with Ms Torre’s vibrant writing style—and her ability to ‘reinvent’ it with each new project—has made this book an addictive delight start to finish.
See this review on my blog! | Follow me on Facebook! | Follow me on Twitter!
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1KKtH0H
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1FkAsQt
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1KKtKtm
iBooks: http://natbkj.me/1M8enL6
He shuddered out my name, pressed himself fully inside, and waited for one long breath.
“Are you okay?” His words were painful and tight, gritted out between his teeth, and I nodded, unable to form words, unable to do anything but worship at the altar of Cole Masten from that moment forth.
“Good,” he moaned. “Because I’m about to unleash hell.”
With each new Alessandra Torre novel, I seem to fall more and more in love with this author’s extraordinary gift, and this book is no exception. A light-hearted, somewhat less intricate love story than her other works, this is a book that shows us that even when she sets to write “light and funny”, she does it with impeccable attention to detail, and the kind of flawless character development that could carry any storyline forward. This is a heart-warming tale of opposites attracting, of two people fighting their attraction to one another, only to fail at every turn, and of life proving true the old adage that when one door closes, another opens in its stead, just as long as we have the courage to walk through it.
The story takes place in the sleepy little town of Quincy, Georgia, home to sixty-seven original Coca-Cola investors-turned-millionaires who have continued leading quiet, unpretentious lives, regardless of their heftier bank accounts. Life remains simple and predictable in Quincy, until a Hollywood superstar decides to shoot his next movie there, bringing attention to a town that has always valued peace and anonymity over the limelight.
Summer Jenkins grew up in Quincy, but never in her twenty-nine years of life has she felt truly accepted by the small town she’s called home ever since she was a child. Shunned for a moment in time when she allowed her emotions to get the best of her, she now lives a quiet, humble life with her mother, with no ambitions or grand plans for the future, except leaving Quincy one day and starting a new life somewhere else, somewhere far away from the resentment, the whispers and the sideways looks that follow her everywhere she goes.
“I wanted something different. I wanted to be someone different, someone without scorn, someone without a past. Someone with a future.”
From the moment Summer hears about the upcoming movie production in Quincy, she becomes determined to turn it into her ticket out of town. She is willing to work any job, big or small, as long as it makes her enough money to put her on the road, never expecting that her feisty Southern belle charm is all that is needed. Especially when directed at a certain Hollywood superstar whose arrogance and uncouthness bring out the worst in her.
“Kiss me like that again and I’ll rip your eyes from their sockets.”
He held up his hands with a hard smile. “No worries, princess. I have no desire to repeat that experience.” He leaned forward slightly, enjoying watching her bristle. “And I’m not talking about the cheap shot. I’m talking about the kiss. I’ve had better. Much, much better.”
It was a lie. That kiss, that brief moment before violence…
It might be worth losing sight over.
Cole Masten’s whirlwind acting career has made him a household name all around the globe, adored by fans wherever he goes and continually pestered by the paparazzi, his high profile marriage to a fellow actress only bringing his personal life even more into the public eye. But when his seemingly perfect life comes to a standstill as he suddenly finds himself facing a messy divorce, his salvation comes in the form of his next movie project, one he is passionate to see succeed.
“It was natural for the girl to look at him, for her attention to divert from Cole, especially when he had asked her a question. But still. Three Oscars in his storage unit. Her gaze could have at least lingered.”
His arrival in Quincy is marked by nothing more than some passing chatter, the townsfolk entirely indifferent to his celebrity status, and while at first she might have not shared the town’s lack of interest in finally meeting Cole Masden the actor, it only takes a few minutes spent in his presence for Summer to dislike him at first sight. And the more she gets to know him, the more her antipathy towards him grows. Their every encounter turns into a quarrel, Cole’s every word rubbing Summer the wrong way, unbeknownst to her that he continues to provoke her on purpose, her fiery, no-nonsense personality drawing him to her like a moth to a flame.
“I thought then, my hand resting on the doorknob, looking out on the front porch that held two of the sexiest men I had ever seen, that there was something there, in him, something whole and raw and beautiful. Now, I know what I saw. I know what that something was. It was asshole, pure and simple. It was spoiled rotten—I get what I want because I deserve it, you are beneath me—asshole.”
As their lives suddenly become temporarily intertwined, we get first row seats to one of the sexiest, most entertaining enemies-to-lovers scenarios I’ve ever come across, where the leading characters don’t know whether to kill one another or rip each other’s clothes off. Ms Torre keeps building the sexual tension between Cole and Summer scene after scene, to the point where our hands start shaking as we impatiently turn the pages in search of a climax. This tension never declines, never fizzles, never loses momentum, every fleeting touch between the characters buzzing with promise and only sweetening the anticipation.
“There should be laws against men who could kiss like that. With a mouth that dominated yet begged. Tongue that teased yet delivered. Tastes that dipped into an addiction stream and hooked a woman after just the first hit.”
It’s a story that focuses on setting the foundations for the emotional connection between the two main characters, not on instant gratification, to such a degree that once we reach the apex of the storyline, there is no doubt in our minds that these characters belong together. Overall, this story might lack that edgy, spicy tang that we have come to expect from Ms Torre, but her character development is no less thorough, no less compelling or seductive, and her prose is as polished as ever. The celebrity-falling-for-the-girl-next-door scenario is nothing we haven’t seen before, but this author’s take on it has her signature stamp all over it. She has given us a fearless, outspoken heroine who is in no way intimidated by the hero’s fame or riches, and a strong, dominant leading man whose self-awareness compels us to like him from the get-go, which coupled with Ms Torre’s vibrant writing style—and her ability to ‘reinvent’ it with each new project—has made this book an addictive delight start to finish.
“I was raised to believe that ‘real men’ had manners, and weren’t picky, and didn’t wear aftershave that attracted mosquitoes.”
See this review on my blog! | Follow me on Facebook! | Follow me on Twitter!
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1KKtH0H
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1FkAsQt
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1KKtKtm
iBooks: http://natbkj.me/1M8enL6
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