Melanie Archer is a film industry wardrobe assistant with a huge crush on the latest Hollywood heart-throb, Declan Bain. Declan is hotter than hot and she gets to be up close and personal as she dresses him every day. It’s a shame that he’s a grumpy asshole to everyone.
I was so excited to read this book, thinking it would be a new take on the curvy girl and hot celebrity trope. It started off really well. The plot moved along at a nice pace and the tension between Melanie and Declan really gave me the feels.
When he comes onto her she resists, and doesn’t believe his intentions are anything other than to humiliate her. She truly doesn’t believe he would genuinely want a fuller figured woman like her. Melanie argues with herself about his intentions saying, “He’s a Hollywood star who thinks he owns the world—including you.”
It’s hard to say much about Declan. The story is told entirely from Melanie’s POV. This isn’t a problem if the writer reveals his character through his actions and dialogue, but they don’t really talk much. His actions suggest he loves her and has done for awhile, but that’s it. He has very little depth.
I don’t think there was anything new about the portrayal of a curvy heroine in the film industry. She’s full of self-doubt and has to deal with a lot of condescension, and openly rude and insulting comments.
The sex scenes were very hot, but I found something a little off in terms of the descriptions. It may just be me, but I’ve never come across the female genitalia described as having a “spine” or a “dangling clit” until now. It created a strange visual.
This was the start of a downhill turn for me. Once they had sex, the second half had a completely different feel. The plot became deadly dull and was filled with boring narrative. The characters transformed from likeable to irritating, especially when she goes through his personal things without permission, and makes wild and unbelievable assumptions. I skim read the last ten percent just to get to the end.
Plot: ⭐️⭐️
Feels: ⭐️⭐️
Heat: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
