genre: contemporary adult fiction
Fiona’s time on the popular tv show Birds of California pushed her into the limelight in a way that didn’t end well. In fact, Fiona’s downfall was epic enough that now all she wants is to hide in her father’s print shop and live her quiet life with her sister in peaceful anonymity. If she never sees anyone from that part of her life again, that’ll be a good thing. Except, in the age of social media, hiding is practically impossible and when Sam, her old co-star from Birds of California, shows up to encourage her to do a reboot of the show - Fiona already knows her answer.
Ok, I couldn’t put this down. It’s gritty and more than a little explicit but I was so invested in Fiona from the first chapter. You know there has been trauma and that she’s managed it in unhealthy ways but I had so much compassion for her mental health. I actually sorta fell for Sam too, even with his glaring faults - when we read from his point of view we can see his own vulnerabilities and fears so clearly. I liked how we switched between perspectives and I particularly enjoyed the arc of Sam and Fiona’s friendship/relationship. It’s complicated but so are they and I wanted them to work it out. I mean, it's a romance novel in some ways, vaguely tropey, but not annoyingly so. It's NOT a comedy - it really makes you think about the price of celebrity and the toll that constant scrutiny can take, especially on kids and young adults. The ending was such a pleasantly soft landing - but with important and upsetting threads tied off. I really enjoyed this read.
CW: lots of language, explicit content, open door scenes, abuse
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