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Chasing After Knight
High school senior Alexa Brooks had it all figured out. Study hard, nail the extracurriculars, stay focused, and life would follow the carefully crafted plan. The problem is this plan was designed for one thing: making her forget all about her once-best-friend, former-potential-boyfriend, Carson Knight. Four years ago, he was the boy who always made her laugh, the boy she loved, and the boy she mistakenly and very publicly betrayed. Oh, and he was also the boy who grew up to become a heartthrob A-list actor, named Cayden McKnight.
An innocent-enough school assignment suddenly brings Cayden to the forefront of Alexa's mind, and her celebrity-crazed best friend Lindsey discovers the old connection. Convinced that his Hollywood bad boy image is the direct result of Alexa and Carson's fallout, Lindsey convinces Alexa to find Carson and reconcile, but reaching an A-list movie star is not as easy as it used to be when he was the kid Alexa called every night before bed. Unable to apologize in person but determined to somehow right her wrongs, Alexa goes on a quest to remake Cayden's image, doing good deeds in his name. But nothing is as it seems in Hollywood, and even when she's able to finally face Cayden McKnight in person, Alexa can't break through to the Carson she once knew. Is it really too late to make amends?
An innocent-enough school assignment suddenly brings Cayden to the forefront of Alexa's mind, and her celebrity-crazed best friend Lindsey discovers the old connection. Convinced that his Hollywood bad boy image is the direct result of Alexa and Carson's fallout, Lindsey convinces Alexa to find Carson and reconcile, but reaching an A-list movie star is not as easy as it used to be when he was the kid Alexa called every night before bed. Unable to apologize in person but determined to somehow right her wrongs, Alexa goes on a quest to remake Cayden's image, doing good deeds in his name. But nothing is as it seems in Hollywood, and even when she's able to finally face Cayden McKnight in person, Alexa can't break through to the Carson she once knew. Is it really too late to make amends?
336 pages, Paperback
First published May 10, 2022
9 people are currently reading
1040 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
January 12, 2022
*4.5
friends to enemies to lovers AND second chance romance? unparalleled.
y’all. i ate this book up in a matter of hours. it consumed me to the point where i told three school friends about it and they got invested in how the story ended. it was so beyond entertaining, and i became so invested in the characters that all i needed to know was what happened to them.
chasing after knight follows alexa. three years ago, she was best friends (and maybe more) with carson knight. but after a falling out, they stopped speaking. carson grows up to become a teen heartthrob actor (and notorious bad boy) by the name of cayden mcknight. a school assignment causes alexa to think of carson again, and she sets off on a quest to reconcile with the boy she once knew, despite how cold he may seem now.
i’m in love with alexa and carson. there’s a lot of flashbacks to when they first met and became best friends, and if they aren’t the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. seeing carson’s change from golden retriever boy to bad boy over the years, but knowing that alexa is able to bring out his soft side. bad boy with a hard of gold!!! they have such a unique connection, and get each other like no other. inside jokes? banter? all of it, yes.
alexa is a great main character. she’s strong-willed, brave, ambitious, and just a little stubborn. she’s definitely not perfect, but i loved her nonetheless. carson is a character that showed a lot of growth, and it was great to see him accept his vulnerabilities. i am also in love with him ok thanks. the side characters in this book are all really strong — this book really emphasizes friendship and i love that.
only a few critiques! this is all subjective, as some people might love the things i’m about to comment on lol. i got some secondhand embarrassment at a couple scenes — they were written well but it’s just something that i don’t personally vibe with! also (bc my friend pointed this out) — i know it’s fiction, but there’s something at the end that i would’ve liked to be a tad more realistic.
part of me wishes that the ending had more of alexa repairing things after straining her relationships with her friends and getting off track with her schoolwork/extracurriculars, but as i think about it more, i don’t really need that. all the scenes of her doing that are valuable, and the things left more open are definitely there for a reason. it makes things more realistic and i like the idea of her friends still loving her, but not completely forgiving her right away.
this was so much fun to read tho!! would def recommend :DD
thank you to penguin random house and netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
CW: underage drinking
friends to enemies to lovers AND second chance romance? unparalleled.
y’all. i ate this book up in a matter of hours. it consumed me to the point where i told three school friends about it and they got invested in how the story ended. it was so beyond entertaining, and i became so invested in the characters that all i needed to know was what happened to them.
chasing after knight follows alexa. three years ago, she was best friends (and maybe more) with carson knight. but after a falling out, they stopped speaking. carson grows up to become a teen heartthrob actor (and notorious bad boy) by the name of cayden mcknight. a school assignment causes alexa to think of carson again, and she sets off on a quest to reconcile with the boy she once knew, despite how cold he may seem now.
i’m in love with alexa and carson. there’s a lot of flashbacks to when they first met and became best friends, and if they aren’t the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. seeing carson’s change from golden retriever boy to bad boy over the years, but knowing that alexa is able to bring out his soft side. bad boy with a hard of gold!!! they have such a unique connection, and get each other like no other. inside jokes? banter? all of it, yes.
alexa is a great main character. she’s strong-willed, brave, ambitious, and just a little stubborn. she’s definitely not perfect, but i loved her nonetheless. carson is a character that showed a lot of growth, and it was great to see him accept his vulnerabilities. i am also in love with him ok thanks. the side characters in this book are all really strong — this book really emphasizes friendship and i love that.
only a few critiques! this is all subjective, as some people might love the things i’m about to comment on lol. i got some secondhand embarrassment at a couple scenes — they were written well but it’s just something that i don’t personally vibe with! also (bc my friend pointed this out) — i know it’s fiction, but there’s something at the end that i would’ve liked to be a tad more realistic.
part of me wishes that the ending had more of alexa repairing things after straining her relationships with her friends and getting off track with her schoolwork/extracurriculars, but as i think about it more, i don’t really need that. all the scenes of her doing that are valuable, and the things left more open are definitely there for a reason. it makes things more realistic and i like the idea of her friends still loving her, but not completely forgiving her right away.
this was so much fun to read tho!! would def recommend :DD
thank you to penguin random house and netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
CW: underage drinking
June 11, 2022
2.75 out of 5 stars.
I read Heather Buchta's debut novel when it came out and I enjoyed it, so I wanted to keep an eye out with her upcoming works.
When I saw the summary of this book I knew I had to read this as soon as possible. It has all the fun tropes you look for in YA contemporaries:
- Childhood friends (then something happens along their friendship they get mad at one another and lose touch). ✔️
- Becoming Hollywood star. ✔️
- Second chance romance. ✔️
- Supportive best friend(s). ✔️
I loved all these tropes in the book, they kept me entertained. However, here comes my issues with why I haven't given this book a higher rating and to be honest I find it very unfortunate, this book had a huge potential to become a favorite YA book of mine.
Lately whenever I read a book that has the ''becoming famous'' trope in it, they start off very strong that during the beginning I would think that they're either going to end up being 4 or even 5 stars, but along the way that sensation seems to dim. It becomes more of a It's not you, it's me problem, so I'm not blaming that on the book.
Here comes the spoiler-y part:
The reason why I didn't love this book very much was all because of the main character. She kept wanting to make amends with her childhood (more like preteen) friend who hasn't spoke to her in years, that's very understandable and I even felt the exact pain she felt when she lost her best friend. But her wanting to make things right again with her former best friend - who became a Hollywood star felt a bit manipulative and sometimes toxic. She kept telling him that all she wants is for him to talk to her again while telling him she only wants her best friend back and doesn't want anything else from him. Yet she wants him to date her and make everything on her terms or wanting attention from him 24/7. So yeah, Alexa Brooke (the MC) was my main issue with this book, if she wasn't this much annoying or intolerable I would have given this book a much higher rating.
I also seem to notice in ya books that the characters who are also the smartest students in their class or even valedictorian seem to make the dumbest decisions in real life. Like they are one academically smart but not when it comes to non-school stuff.
All in all, while rounding this book 2 stars may seem bad (btw, not all my 2 star reads means I hated the book), but I actually enjoyed reading this and finished it within a day.
I read Heather Buchta's debut novel when it came out and I enjoyed it, so I wanted to keep an eye out with her upcoming works.
When I saw the summary of this book I knew I had to read this as soon as possible. It has all the fun tropes you look for in YA contemporaries:
- Childhood friends (then something happens along their friendship they get mad at one another and lose touch). ✔️
- Becoming Hollywood star. ✔️
- Second chance romance. ✔️
- Supportive best friend(s). ✔️
I loved all these tropes in the book, they kept me entertained. However, here comes my issues with why I haven't given this book a higher rating and to be honest I find it very unfortunate, this book had a huge potential to become a favorite YA book of mine.
Lately whenever I read a book that has the ''becoming famous'' trope in it, they start off very strong that during the beginning I would think that they're either going to end up being 4 or even 5 stars, but along the way that sensation seems to dim. It becomes more of a It's not you, it's me problem, so I'm not blaming that on the book.
Here comes the spoiler-y part:
The reason why I didn't love this book very much was all because of the main character. She kept wanting to make amends with her childhood (more like preteen) friend who hasn't spoke to her in years, that's very understandable and I even felt the exact pain she felt when she lost her best friend. But her wanting to make things right again with her former best friend - who became a Hollywood star felt a bit manipulative and sometimes toxic. She kept telling him that all she wants is for him to talk to her again while telling him she only wants her best friend back and doesn't want anything else from him. Yet she wants him to date her and make everything on her terms or wanting attention from him 24/7. So yeah, Alexa Brooke (the MC) was my main issue with this book, if she wasn't this much annoying or intolerable I would have given this book a much higher rating.
I also seem to notice in ya books that the characters who are also the smartest students in their class or even valedictorian seem to make the dumbest decisions in real life. Like they are one academically smart but not when it comes to non-school stuff.
All in all, while rounding this book 2 stars may seem bad (btw, not all my 2 star reads means I hated the book), but I actually enjoyed reading this and finished it within a day.
May 13, 2022
I just love how there were good decisions lined up, color coordinated and even organized into cubicles with labels and the MC was like,
No, i choose you. *the single bad decision every single time*
No, i choose you. *the single bad decision every single time*
February 26, 2022
— 3.75
26/02/2022: hollywood/ romances with celebrities in them are a guilty pleasure. i eat that shit uP. this was super cute and so easy to read i actually stayed up to finish it in one sitting. full rtc
» thank you to penguin teen for the arc !!
26/02/2022: hollywood/ romances with celebrities in them are a guilty pleasure. i eat that shit uP. this was super cute and so easy to read i actually stayed up to finish it in one sitting. full rtc
» thank you to penguin teen for the arc !!
Want to read
May 20, 2021I really don't read much contemporary . . . unless it features best friends to lovers or popstar romances, like this book teases
May 13, 2022
3.5 stars
March 19, 2022
Thank you PenguinTeen for an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
Alexa Brooks has her whole life planned out. After meeting and then losing her best friend, Carson Knight, due to her impulsiveness, she’s decided to play it safe. That means becoming valedictorian, winning all her cross country meets and dating a football player. But memories of Carson come flooding back when she writes an assignment about him, and suddenly she finds herself wanting to reconnect with her former best friend. Problem is, Carson Knight, or rather, Cayden McKnight is now a famous actor with a bad reputation.
I did not enjoy this book at all. Reading it was borderline painful for me. Alexa, despite being the literal valedictorian, is very stupid and makes several decisions that a smart person would not make, such as spending thousands of dollars to better the reputation of someone she doesn’t know anymore. Carson, her love interest, is an actual jerk, and his attempts to redeem himself made me hate him more. The side characters, Lindsey and Heidi, were the best parts of the book since they were the only people who could think, but their dialogue was very cringe-y at certain points (most notably when one of them spelled out “WTH”).
The beginning of the book switches between the present day and flashbacks of Carson and Alexa when they were younger, and while Carson and Alexa’s banter was cute, I could not connect the Carson of the past to the present “bad boy” celebrity Cayden McKnight. Cayden was so unlikeable and infuriating, and at several points towards the end, when they are together, he straight-up gaslights Alexa and treats her horribly. I understand that he’s supposed to keep their relationship under wraps because he’s a celebrity, but come on, there’s gotta be a better way to treat your girlfriend. Especially one that you’ve been leaving subliminal messages to using the titles of the movies you’ve been in. (I’m not the only one that thinks that’s ridiculous, right?) The whole concept of these two being obsessed with each other since they were 14 years old, enough to change the entire course of their lives, is laughable to me. Maybe I’m just not a romantic.
I also disliked this book because of what wasn’t in it. As a queer POC (specifically South Asian), I noticed that there was something uniquely “white" about this book that I just couldn’t connect to. For example, Alexa’s parents barely blink when they find out she’s spent thousands of dollars from her college fund without letting them know. Her school doesn’t do anything other than suspend her from the student council when they find out she bartended as a minor. Somehow, she was able to buy PLANE TICKETS??? without her parents knowing and TAKE A FLIGHT ACROSS THE STATE after telling her parents she was going to her friend’s house for a sleepover. All of these things would not be possible at all if Alexa or her parents were South Asian, and because of that, I couldn’t connect to her at all.
The lack of LGBT characters wasn’t that much of an issue, since I understand that this is a straight romance book, but what I can critique the book on is avoiding the topic altogether. There was a spin-the-bottle scene in one of the flashbacks, and when the bottle landed on two people of the same gender, they just respun. This isn’t that big of a deal, but it felt so much like erasure and I couldn’t shake it for the rest of the book.
I understand that having characters of color or queer characters in a book like this isn’t a priority to some people, but it’s something I feel strongly about, and this review would feel dishonest if I didn’t mention these aspects. There are several other reasons that I disliked this book, and my notes have things like “how does she keep driving 300 miles in a days time” and “this is literally stalker behavior,” but I hope I’ve said enough to show that I would really not recommend this book to anyone.
Alexa Brooks has her whole life planned out. After meeting and then losing her best friend, Carson Knight, due to her impulsiveness, she’s decided to play it safe. That means becoming valedictorian, winning all her cross country meets and dating a football player. But memories of Carson come flooding back when she writes an assignment about him, and suddenly she finds herself wanting to reconnect with her former best friend. Problem is, Carson Knight, or rather, Cayden McKnight is now a famous actor with a bad reputation.
I did not enjoy this book at all. Reading it was borderline painful for me. Alexa, despite being the literal valedictorian, is very stupid and makes several decisions that a smart person would not make, such as spending thousands of dollars to better the reputation of someone she doesn’t know anymore. Carson, her love interest, is an actual jerk, and his attempts to redeem himself made me hate him more. The side characters, Lindsey and Heidi, were the best parts of the book since they were the only people who could think, but their dialogue was very cringe-y at certain points (most notably when one of them spelled out “WTH”).
The beginning of the book switches between the present day and flashbacks of Carson and Alexa when they were younger, and while Carson and Alexa’s banter was cute, I could not connect the Carson of the past to the present “bad boy” celebrity Cayden McKnight. Cayden was so unlikeable and infuriating, and at several points towards the end, when they are together, he straight-up gaslights Alexa and treats her horribly. I understand that he’s supposed to keep their relationship under wraps because he’s a celebrity, but come on, there’s gotta be a better way to treat your girlfriend. Especially one that you’ve been leaving subliminal messages to using the titles of the movies you’ve been in. (I’m not the only one that thinks that’s ridiculous, right?) The whole concept of these two being obsessed with each other since they were 14 years old, enough to change the entire course of their lives, is laughable to me. Maybe I’m just not a romantic.
I also disliked this book because of what wasn’t in it. As a queer POC (specifically South Asian), I noticed that there was something uniquely “white" about this book that I just couldn’t connect to. For example, Alexa’s parents barely blink when they find out she’s spent thousands of dollars from her college fund without letting them know. Her school doesn’t do anything other than suspend her from the student council when they find out she bartended as a minor. Somehow, she was able to buy PLANE TICKETS??? without her parents knowing and TAKE A FLIGHT ACROSS THE STATE after telling her parents she was going to her friend’s house for a sleepover. All of these things would not be possible at all if Alexa or her parents were South Asian, and because of that, I couldn’t connect to her at all.
The lack of LGBT characters wasn’t that much of an issue, since I understand that this is a straight romance book, but what I can critique the book on is avoiding the topic altogether. There was a spin-the-bottle scene in one of the flashbacks, and when the bottle landed on two people of the same gender, they just respun. This isn’t that big of a deal, but it felt so much like erasure and I couldn’t shake it for the rest of the book.
I understand that having characters of color or queer characters in a book like this isn’t a priority to some people, but it’s something I feel strongly about, and this review would feel dishonest if I didn’t mention these aspects. There are several other reasons that I disliked this book, and my notes have things like “how does she keep driving 300 miles in a days time” and “this is literally stalker behavior,” but I hope I’ve said enough to show that I would really not recommend this book to anyone.
May 12, 2022
A Hollywood romance, second chance, and friends-to-enemies-to-lovers all in one? Absolutely a shot I was interested in picking up. While I did not love one of our main characters or their motivations in this, it did feel uniquely like something a teen could still do.
I received an ecopy of this through netgalley; however all opinions are my own
I received an ecopy of this through netgalley; however all opinions are my own
August 19, 2023
I listened to Chasing After Knight as an audiobook. For the most part, I enjoyed it. The characters were mostly likable, and I like a good second chance romance. The main character was extremely annoying at times, and the ending felt like it came out of nowhere, but I enjoyed the story, nonetheless. Chasing After Knight was a good YA romance, and I enjoyed it.
February 23, 2022
God DAMN I’ve never rooted for two people to get back together so hard in my LIFE.
Do I think Carson forgave her a little too quickly? Yes. Was I screaming at Alexa to stop making the same mistakes? Definitely. Was I racing through some of the side plots and details just to get back to them? Sure.
I also had an uncorrected proof so hopefully the switching back and forth between the present and her memories becomes a bit more clear in the final edits.
HOWEVER. Despite all of those things, I’m still giving it five stars. My poor heart! It’s too full for my chest. I wish there were way more scenes of Alexa and Carson but if you’re not reading this, you are seriously missing out.
Thank you to Penguin Teen for an eARC!
Do I think Carson forgave her a little too quickly? Yes. Was I screaming at Alexa to stop making the same mistakes? Definitely. Was I racing through some of the side plots and details just to get back to them? Sure.
I also had an uncorrected proof so hopefully the switching back and forth between the present and her memories becomes a bit more clear in the final edits.
HOWEVER. Despite all of those things, I’m still giving it five stars. My poor heart! It’s too full for my chest. I wish there were way more scenes of Alexa and Carson but if you’re not reading this, you are seriously missing out.
Thank you to Penguin Teen for an eARC!
April 27, 2023
super crazy cheesy unrealistic book BUT I LIKE IT SOMEHOW
slight spoilers?
romance was slightly upsetting bc Carson only got reintroduced over halfway through the book, and they had about 3 interactions before they fell back in “love”. like DISGUSTINGLY in “love” but i was chill bc Carson was attractive and alexa was cool and so were her friends (girl bosses btw) and then everything goes downhill from all the lying, but then it’s all okay and everyone forgives alexa (even her ex-boyfriend who is terrifyingly perfect) and then Carson shows up at Alexa’s high school and they kiss in front of everyone and alexa gets to go to her choice school and they have a crazy ridiculous happily ever after that only happens in original disney movies. that’s the best way to describe this book: “an original disney movie”
alexa was a cool character and interesting. she’s built up the ability to memorize things really well, and somehow manages to learn how to make around 200 alcoholic beverages. she also learnt how to do beer pong exceedingly well and has never lost. and anyways she’s a (kind of) very human character and i liked her.
this book felt more about alexa and what she was gonna do with her life. at the beginning of the book she was very organized practical and was like that because it enabled her to not think about Carson. but once she told her and Carson’s story to her best friend Lindsey her best friend convinces her to go and chase after Carson to tell him why she betrayed him. a lot of stuff happens but towards the end of the book she isn’t “pristine” anymore and she’s just happy.
Lindsey was such a cool and funny character and quick to forgive, heidi was a “paradox” as stated in the book and was interesting + she reminded me of a stoner but she never got high LOL, ryan was a nice addition (heidi’s bf), john was scary perfect (alexa’s ex), kim was annoying but nice ig (random friend), oh and the guy Dan from the bar was funny and the drunk guy (not dan) and his girlfriend were funny. loved them even though they got like 2 sentences of dialogue.
Carson was low key toxic but in a “i’m a troubled soul who is rich and i have daddy issues” type of way and at the beginning he cared about his reputation more than his relationship with alexa BUT in the end he chose alexa (yippee :D) and then kissed her in front of her whole high school LOL. Carson and alexa were both so childish i SWEAR it got on my nerves but it was entertaining.
i don’t feel like typing anything else because im so tired and im gonna read a sob book after this to feel something. im not depressed i live a very happy life i just like hurting myself with sad books. also i hope this review makes sense, words aren’t wording for me right now.
quick read, cheesy, good (good is a reference to the book). thank you and GOODNIGHT.
slight spoilers?
romance was slightly upsetting bc Carson only got reintroduced over halfway through the book, and they had about 3 interactions before they fell back in “love”. like DISGUSTINGLY in “love” but i was chill bc Carson was attractive and alexa was cool and so were her friends (girl bosses btw) and then everything goes downhill from all the lying, but then it’s all okay and everyone forgives alexa (even her ex-boyfriend who is terrifyingly perfect) and then Carson shows up at Alexa’s high school and they kiss in front of everyone and alexa gets to go to her choice school and they have a crazy ridiculous happily ever after that only happens in original disney movies. that’s the best way to describe this book: “an original disney movie”
alexa was a cool character and interesting. she’s built up the ability to memorize things really well, and somehow manages to learn how to make around 200 alcoholic beverages. she also learnt how to do beer pong exceedingly well and has never lost. and anyways she’s a (kind of) very human character and i liked her.
this book felt more about alexa and what she was gonna do with her life. at the beginning of the book she was very organized practical and was like that because it enabled her to not think about Carson. but once she told her and Carson’s story to her best friend Lindsey her best friend convinces her to go and chase after Carson to tell him why she betrayed him. a lot of stuff happens but towards the end of the book she isn’t “pristine” anymore and she’s just happy.
Lindsey was such a cool and funny character and quick to forgive, heidi was a “paradox” as stated in the book and was interesting + she reminded me of a stoner but she never got high LOL, ryan was a nice addition (heidi’s bf), john was scary perfect (alexa’s ex), kim was annoying but nice ig (random friend), oh and the guy Dan from the bar was funny and the drunk guy (not dan) and his girlfriend were funny. loved them even though they got like 2 sentences of dialogue.
Carson was low key toxic but in a “i’m a troubled soul who is rich and i have daddy issues” type of way and at the beginning he cared about his reputation more than his relationship with alexa BUT in the end he chose alexa (yippee :D) and then kissed her in front of her whole high school LOL. Carson and alexa were both so childish i SWEAR it got on my nerves but it was entertaining.
i don’t feel like typing anything else because im so tired and im gonna read a sob book after this to feel something. im not depressed i live a very happy life i just like hurting myself with sad books. also i hope this review makes sense, words aren’t wording for me right now.
quick read, cheesy, good (good is a reference to the book). thank you and GOODNIGHT.
May 17, 2022
Heather Buchta is at it again! Seriously, I love her books!
This one was no exception. I loved the concept and the plot as well as the characters. Alexa was relatable, but I do have to say that I kind of was annoyed with some of her actions and the way she treated her friends. She seemed to overlook them and then expect that they always be there for her, but I do understand she was going through an emotional time so I don't know what to feel. She seemed to take advantage of them, but again, I'm not sure what I think. Then there was Lindsay, whom I loved! She was so fun and exciting. Heidi was cool as well, I just wish we had seen more of her. Alexa's relationship with John was interesting, but also boring. John was a good character towards the end, but in the beginning he was stale unless he was with the one person *wink*.
One thing that drove me crazy though was the fact that the main action didn't start until we were more than halfway through the book. We saw more of past Carson and not a lot of time was spent with older Alexa and Carson. It was so slow to start with all of the backstory being told there.
The scene towards the end at the school was so great and had me grinning so big!!! Another reason I wished to have seen more of Carson Knight! Then the letter that Alexa wrote at the end was also great. So very clever in my opinion. OH!!! And the reason that Carson did all the movies??? I gasped. AGAIN, wish we had seen more from our main couple instead of reminiscent memories. Also, I don't feel like Alexa was very understanding with the way she handled Carson keeping her out of the spotlight. She had worked so hard to get him back and then was like "well now you're embarrassed of me" as if he hasn't been living his life. Then there was the part where we found out what she did to Carson. Second hand embarrassment is real folks. I was cringing so hard for her. This isn't an Alexa Brooks hate club or anything like that though. Alexa, ultimately was flawed like the rest of us and I liked how she learned to live for herself in the end. She didn't have to be this person she had created to survive, she could become herself again even amidst heartbreak.
All in all this was such a great book and I hope to read more from Heather Buchta in the future!!
This one was no exception. I loved the concept and the plot as well as the characters. Alexa was relatable, but I do have to say that I kind of was annoyed with some of her actions and the way she treated her friends. She seemed to overlook them and then expect that they always be there for her, but I do understand she was going through an emotional time so I don't know what to feel. She seemed to take advantage of them, but again, I'm not sure what I think. Then there was Lindsay, whom I loved! She was so fun and exciting. Heidi was cool as well, I just wish we had seen more of her. Alexa's relationship with John was interesting, but also boring. John was a good character towards the end, but in the beginning he was stale unless he was with the one person *wink*.
One thing that drove me crazy though was the fact that the main action didn't start until we were more than halfway through the book. We saw more of past Carson and not a lot of time was spent with older Alexa and Carson. It was so slow to start with all of the backstory being told there.
The scene towards the end at the school was so great and had me grinning so big!!! Another reason I wished to have seen more of Carson Knight! Then the letter that Alexa wrote at the end was also great. So very clever in my opinion. OH!!! And the reason that Carson did all the movies??? I gasped. AGAIN, wish we had seen more from our main couple instead of reminiscent memories. Also, I don't feel like Alexa was very understanding with the way she handled Carson keeping her out of the spotlight. She had worked so hard to get him back and then was like "well now you're embarrassed of me" as if he hasn't been living his life. Then there was the part where we found out what she did to Carson. Second hand embarrassment is real folks. I was cringing so hard for her. This isn't an Alexa Brooks hate club or anything like that though. Alexa, ultimately was flawed like the rest of us and I liked how she learned to live for herself in the end. She didn't have to be this person she had created to survive, she could become herself again even amidst heartbreak.
All in all this was such a great book and I hope to read more from Heather Buchta in the future!!
January 10, 2022
Truly such a wonderful story!!!
May 16, 2022
******CONTAINS SPOILER****** (in second last paragraph!)
This is a great YA romance filled with 3-D characters, neatly avoiding the usual stereotypes like the dumb jock or the outcast computer nerd. Some hilarious catch-you-off-guard humor like the drunk woman who staggers into the ladies room wearing a plastic guitar that contains booze. Buchta nails the scene with a few telling details, then bam off with the main character again. This is a wonderful tale about love, friendship, guilt, atonement, forgiveness, and so much more. I really enjoyed her debut novel BEYOND THE BREAK, but this shows how much she’s grown as a writer. She juggles so much more in this second novel—much more complex plotting, bigger cast, and deft word painting that captures each character and scene and emotion as if you were there.
Even her portrayal of the parent-daughter relationship is fresh. It’s not the cliche, angry teen whose parents will never understand her. There are still the moments where Dad can be a bit clueless, but then surprises us next scene with street-smart savvy when it comes to not keeping Alexa on a tight leash. When she first meets Carson at the camp, Buchta does such an extraordinary job of showing what a great guy Carson is in very subtle ways. Buchta is a master of using details to speak for her so that when Alexa thinks about her present boyfriend(s), the specific things she mentions are spot-on and we readers are screaming, “Yes! Just go ahead and break up with this dude.”
Her friend Heidi stole the show at times for me. [SPOILER ALERT COMING UP]Her best pal Lindsey is incredibly loyal and supportive, so much so that I felt she forgave Alexa too quickly at the end of the novel. Alexa had failed Lindsey in several ways, so I couldn’t see her making up so easily and quickly, especially when Lindsey is the one to reach out first. But maybe that just shows what a grudge-carrying butthead I am.
It’s a riveting tale and once you get to the so-called inciting moment/action, I promise you won’t be able to put the novel down, all the while screaming, “What the heck, Alexa!”
This is a great YA romance filled with 3-D characters, neatly avoiding the usual stereotypes like the dumb jock or the outcast computer nerd. Some hilarious catch-you-off-guard humor like the drunk woman who staggers into the ladies room wearing a plastic guitar that contains booze. Buchta nails the scene with a few telling details, then bam off with the main character again. This is a wonderful tale about love, friendship, guilt, atonement, forgiveness, and so much more. I really enjoyed her debut novel BEYOND THE BREAK, but this shows how much she’s grown as a writer. She juggles so much more in this second novel—much more complex plotting, bigger cast, and deft word painting that captures each character and scene and emotion as if you were there.
Even her portrayal of the parent-daughter relationship is fresh. It’s not the cliche, angry teen whose parents will never understand her. There are still the moments where Dad can be a bit clueless, but then surprises us next scene with street-smart savvy when it comes to not keeping Alexa on a tight leash. When she first meets Carson at the camp, Buchta does such an extraordinary job of showing what a great guy Carson is in very subtle ways. Buchta is a master of using details to speak for her so that when Alexa thinks about her present boyfriend(s), the specific things she mentions are spot-on and we readers are screaming, “Yes! Just go ahead and break up with this dude.”
Her friend Heidi stole the show at times for me. [SPOILER ALERT COMING UP]Her best pal Lindsey is incredibly loyal and supportive, so much so that I felt she forgave Alexa too quickly at the end of the novel. Alexa had failed Lindsey in several ways, so I couldn’t see her making up so easily and quickly, especially when Lindsey is the one to reach out first. But maybe that just shows what a grudge-carrying butthead I am.
It’s a riveting tale and once you get to the so-called inciting moment/action, I promise you won’t be able to put the novel down, all the while screaming, “What the heck, Alexa!”
April 23, 2022
My heart hurts for the kind of nostalgia and love that this book describes. I always wanted to go to a sleep away camp and have a kind of once in a lifetime romance like this book describes. This book is basically starstruck but with heaps of nostalgia and i absolutely loved it. I loved the way that Buchta went back and forth between the past and the present to give the reader a sense of the trepidation and fear that one encounters when they realize how big feelings can be. I also heavily related to how much pressure alexa put on herself to be perfect and to become something other than a huge mistake. This book made me feel a yearning for a love that i probably will never have but reminded me of why these kinds of books warm my heart.
“He met love and walked away, i can’t, i can’t walk away.”
4.5 stars
“He met love and walked away, i can’t, i can’t walk away.”
4.5 stars
January 20, 2023
My heart wants to give this five stars. I loved this so much. I haven't felt this way about a YA romance before in so so long and it was so refreshing. Alexa does not make good choices. She is so smart, but she is also so dumb. And I loved her so much. I think I just related so well and when I think back on who I was in highschool, I just get it. Her middle school friendship-turned-romance with Carson was so cute. Her friendship with Lindsey was incredible. I absolutely adored the trouble they got themselves into together while they were chasing down Carson. While not all of this was very realistic, it was so fun and so sweet and I loved it entirely. The ending had me smiling so hard it was ridiculous.
May 9, 2022
This was so cute that I had to read it in one sitting!!
Friends to enemies to lovers AND second chance romance AND celebrity romance?! 🥺
This book was a whirlwind of friendship, redemption, and romance.
It was told through two timelines which I almost always enjoy. I just thought this book was just cute and fun and cheesy in the best way.
Friends to enemies to lovers AND second chance romance AND celebrity romance?! 🥺
This book was a whirlwind of friendship, redemption, and romance.
It was told through two timelines which I almost always enjoy. I just thought this book was just cute and fun and cheesy in the best way.
September 30, 2022
It look a long time to figure out what happened with Carson, and for him to show up in the story, but I loved seeing how all the good intentions Alexa had blew up in her face, and how she still persevered after that.
A really cute romance, and an even better story about friendship.
A really cute romance, and an even better story about friendship.
October 10, 2022
LOVED THIS BOOK!! ❤️❤️❤️
Read it in 3 days!
Make a sad song playlist and then just read Omgosh loved it so much!
I also cried because it was so good!
Read it in 3 days!
Make a sad song playlist and then just read Omgosh loved it so much!
I also cried because it was so good!
June 2, 2022
trashy, but omg i loved it so... 4 stars!
April 29, 2022
Hollywood, childhood betrayal and high school valedictorians collide in this teen romance.
Alexa became instant best friends with Carson in middle school but didn't realize her true feelings until the night she betrayed him. Now he's all over the movies as bad boy Cayden McKnight, who dates models and is a jerk to everyone. Alexa's new best friend Lindsey decides that Alexa must make amends, and convinces Alexa to track him down, despite Alexa's long-term but faltering relationship with the reliable John. But Cayden still seems to want nothing to do with her, and Alexa must decide how far she'll go to make things right.
Told partly through flashbacks, the sweetness of the early interactions between Carson and Alexa provide the perfect contrast to how Cayden treats her now. But Alexa - with the encouragement of Lindsey - keeps pushing, trying to find the sweet boy she once knew under the walled-off celebrity demeanor.
Perfectly paced, with reveals in all the right places, this one was a delight until the very end.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Alexa became instant best friends with Carson in middle school but didn't realize her true feelings until the night she betrayed him. Now he's all over the movies as bad boy Cayden McKnight, who dates models and is a jerk to everyone. Alexa's new best friend Lindsey decides that Alexa must make amends, and convinces Alexa to track him down, despite Alexa's long-term but faltering relationship with the reliable John. But Cayden still seems to want nothing to do with her, and Alexa must decide how far she'll go to make things right.
Told partly through flashbacks, the sweetness of the early interactions between Carson and Alexa provide the perfect contrast to how Cayden treats her now. But Alexa - with the encouragement of Lindsey - keeps pushing, trying to find the sweet boy she once knew under the walled-off celebrity demeanor.
Perfectly paced, with reveals in all the right places, this one was a delight until the very end.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
December 29, 2023
This main character…oof.
She’s supposed to be her high school’s class valedictorian, but she made basically every bad decision she could possibly make. Who lets a 17 year old tend bar??? How did the parents not notice that she was constantly sneaking out and lying about where she was all the time???? How could a girl so clueless about literally everything be the valedictorian????
And the most pressing question of all —
WHAT ON EARTH DID KNIGHT SEE IN HER???
She was also a truly terrible friend and treated Lindsey like dirt. I also really don’t like books where the main character likes another guy but has a boyfriend. Total no no for me.
She’s supposed to be her high school’s class valedictorian, but she made basically every bad decision she could possibly make. Who lets a 17 year old tend bar??? How did the parents not notice that she was constantly sneaking out and lying about where she was all the time???? How could a girl so clueless about literally everything be the valedictorian????
And the most pressing question of all —
WHAT ON EARTH DID KNIGHT SEE IN HER???
She was also a truly terrible friend and treated Lindsey like dirt. I also really don’t like books where the main character likes another guy but has a boyfriend. Total no no for me.
April 11, 2022
*Thanks to the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review
This was so much fun! I loved Heather Buchta's debut book and this one was so enjoyable too! You do have to suspend your disbelief for this one a little bit because our main character makes a few decisions, like flying without her parents finding out, that probably wouldn't work in the real world; for the sake of the story it's entertaining, just not realistic. Alexa and Carson have a second-chance, enemies-to-lovers romance, and it's so much fun! In the beginning of the book, you find out what went wrong the first time around (but told as flashbacks), and in the second half you see them start to get reunited. Their relationship progression was fun to witness, though it seemed Carson was so realistic in the past narrative but lost some personality in the present-day one; I really wanted to see more of him present-day. I also felt like Alexa didn't really answer for some of her mistakes at the end of the book and I wish there was a bit more closure in that regard. Overall though, wow this was a blast! I highly recommend it when it releases for fans of second chance romance and Hollywood love interests.
This was so much fun! I loved Heather Buchta's debut book and this one was so enjoyable too! You do have to suspend your disbelief for this one a little bit because our main character makes a few decisions, like flying without her parents finding out, that probably wouldn't work in the real world; for the sake of the story it's entertaining, just not realistic. Alexa and Carson have a second-chance, enemies-to-lovers romance, and it's so much fun! In the beginning of the book, you find out what went wrong the first time around (but told as flashbacks), and in the second half you see them start to get reunited. Their relationship progression was fun to witness, though it seemed Carson was so realistic in the past narrative but lost some personality in the present-day one; I really wanted to see more of him present-day. I also felt like Alexa didn't really answer for some of her mistakes at the end of the book and I wish there was a bit more closure in that regard. Overall though, wow this was a blast! I highly recommend it when it releases for fans of second chance romance and Hollywood love interests.
May 13, 2022
This book is a shot of straight adrenaline and anxiety to my heart. It is emotive and sad and cringe-inducing, and makes me laugh and cry. Such wonderfully imperfect characters, an overwhelming hurricane of mistakes and misunderstandings and acts of daring that only a love-stricken and grief-fueled teen would dare to do. It is lovely, wonderful, and audacious in the extreme. I have no doubt that I'll fall into this story over and over again.
February 15, 2025
This book!! Yes I did start it early read 4 chapters. But then I didn’t read it for a week then devoured the rest of us because how much I loved this. I don’t know why this has attached itself to me. It was the most random connection that I had with these characters and I loved it. Maybe because I saw myself in both Alexa and Carson at times. The tension between them was it for me.
Carson was hurt and you understand why he acts the way he does. Not that that gives him an excuse because he acts so rude but you can tell dude is still obsessed and I love it. He has to learn to trust people again since he has closed off everyone so that he can’t get hurt again and I just wanted him to be happy again.
Alexa… I saw myself in as someone who has had to let a guy go in order to gain him after. I saw my own insecurities and commitment issues in her. I saw her break out of her shell and become who she is unapologetically and that’s something I’m still learning to do.
Together… they totally deserve each other and I couldn’t with every moment they were together! Fate kept bringing them together and the tension that that created got me every time. I cried happy tears, sad tears. Just can’t help it tears with this book because I wanted these characters to be so happy. This was one of the best second chance romances that I have read with a lot of other personal growth.
I know this wouldn’t be for everyone but for me it was perfect! 5/5⭐️
Carson was hurt and you understand why he acts the way he does. Not that that gives him an excuse because he acts so rude but you can tell dude is still obsessed and I love it. He has to learn to trust people again since he has closed off everyone so that he can’t get hurt again and I just wanted him to be happy again.
Alexa… I saw myself in as someone who has had to let a guy go in order to gain him after. I saw my own insecurities and commitment issues in her. I saw her break out of her shell and become who she is unapologetically and that’s something I’m still learning to do.
Together… they totally deserve each other and I couldn’t with every moment they were together! Fate kept bringing them together and the tension that that created got me every time. I cried happy tears, sad tears. Just can’t help it tears with this book because I wanted these characters to be so happy. This was one of the best second chance romances that I have read with a lot of other personal growth.
I know this wouldn’t be for everyone but for me it was perfect! 5/5⭐️
May 15, 2022
The experience of reading this book was awesome,
This book is cute and a lot of fun and a little bit wild
This book is cute and a lot of fun and a little bit wild
August 25, 2022
3-3.5/5. It was fun, and once I got into it I could barely put it down (I put it down for a few weeks, but finished it in 2 days post-the first 70 pages lol).
I think the main reason I didn't rate it higher is the main character just IRKED me. So did all the characters tbh. The book has a good concept, I just wasn't in love with the execution.
(I also can't decide if I love or hate the cover. Like I genuinely don't know if I like it or not. I DO like the title being the Hollywood sign, that's cute.)
I think the main reason I didn't rate it higher is the main character just IRKED me. So did all the characters tbh. The book has a good concept, I just wasn't in love with the execution.
(I also can't decide if I love or hate the cover. Like I genuinely don't know if I like it or not. I DO like the title being the Hollywood sign, that's cute.)
March 9, 2023
3.75???
March 25, 2025
Now where the hell did this girl get all that money from cause I know her bitchass couldn’t hold a job
April 18, 2022
Alexa meets Carson at summer camp going into her freshmen year who she has an instant connection and becomes best friends with. The problem is, at only 14, feelings are confusing and when she realizes her feelings go beyond friendship, she inadvertently makes a horrific mistake. A move out of town and three years of her laser focused on a rigid routine and academics, all to put Carson out of her mind, he is at the forefront. Not so easy to push him out of her mind when he is Hollywood's biggest star. In pursuit to make amends this is such a fun, quick paced YA read. Being from LA and living in Las Vegas, I loved the atmospheric descriptions. It was a fun storyline to get attached to that had you rooting for the main character, Alexa. While there were some farfetched elements given their ages, it was a fun adventure read of first love and the hopeful sentiment of as the author says of an ending “where things can only get better.”
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