Famous in Love - Rebecca Serle

Famous in Love by Rebecca Serle

Publisher: Poppy

Publication Date: October 21, 2014

Source/Format: BEA 2014 || ARC

[I received this from the publisher. This in no way affects my review.]

When Paige Townsen gets plucked from high school obscurity to star in the movie adaptation of a blockbuster book series, her life changes practically overnight. Within a month, Paige has traded the quiet streets of her hometown for a bustling film set on the shores of Maui, and she is spending quality time with her costar Rainer Devon, one of People's Sexiest Men Alive. But when troubled star Jordan Wilder lands the role of the other point in the movie's famous love triangle, Paige's crazy new life begins to resemble her character's. 

If you happen to be in search of a lighter read, a novel that combines fun and drama all in one go, Famous in Love is perhaps just the novel you need. This is the story of a girl named Paige, who is plucked from obscurity when she is cast in the role of August, the main character in the best-selling YA novel Locked’s movie adaptation. As if that wasn’t enough to reel you in, dear reader, there is also the promise of being introduced to two attractive guys and it’s set mostly in Hawaii. Famous in Love might not have been a particular favorite, but it was pretty dang enjoyable.

The biggest reservation I have regarding Famous in Love rest heavily on the characters. It is Paige, in particular, that stands out, solely because readers don’t really get the opportunity to know her. It would have been great to connect with her in a way that would have made her story read a whole lot differently, but alas, we are all held at an arm’s length despite being privy to her thoughts on her film experience. Still, it does make one wonder if that was a deliberate ploy on Serle’s part to imitate the way most young Hollywood stars are treated – as if they’re creatures in a cage and we’re examining them from afar. 

The pages are filled with all of the things Paige experiences as an actress in one of the most-anticipated movies of the year – the pressure to perform well, the strangeness of an actual film set, a blitz of promotions, and the care and caution one has to take with their every move. It makes for an interesting read, really, though it does feel more like a tabloid account of Paige Townsen and her life. While her friends and her family add a sense of reality to ground things, it really carries the vibe of the glamour, glitz and gossip of Hollywood more than anything else.

While Famous in Love certainly isn’t perfect, it’s really fun. The hint of romance (side note: I’m totally rooting for one guy, and I’m fairly certain you can guess who if you’ve read it!), the craziness of celebrity, the inability to look away from Paige Townsen’s story – all these things made Famous in Love good. Famous in Love is really meant to be pure entertainment – and it was that, if nothing else.

If you were in any movie adaptation of a book, what role would you want to play? 

And which actor would you fall in love with if you were co-stars?

There are quite a few books I would love to see adapted into film, really. While I think it would be super fun to play a role straight out of one of my favorite fantasies (like Celaena Sardothien from Throne of Glass, Karou from Daughter of Smoke and Bone or Ana from Incarnate), let's be real - I'm not physically capable of those roles. So, I've decided that the book-to-movie adaptation I'd like to happen is Just One Day by Gayle Forman. I'd love to play Allyson, who is one of my favorite YA characters ever and who I think I could do justice to.

And, as for co-stars, I would pick Logan Lerman to play Willem because I could totally fall in love with him, I'd say. (But, let's be real, if I could co-star with Zac Efron, we all know I could fall in love with him for sure.)