Review: Fame by Lauren K. McKellar (Not Like the Movies #1)

Note: This ARC was provided by Give Me Books Promotions in exchange for an honest review.

Fame is the first novel in the Not Like the Movies series by Lauren K. McKellar and it's a romantic comedy story about the pitfalls of fame and how once it sinks its vicious teeth into you, it desperately once to suck the very life out of you. We've got an up and coming actor in twenty-one-year-old American Tate Masters and an ambitious editor-to-be for an Australian fashion magazine in twenty-three-year-old Aussie Madison Winters. Both Tate and Madison appear to be on track to reach their goals and achieve success at such young ages, but then fate intervenes and both their paths to greatness are quickly derailed, leaving them grasping at straws and whatever else life throws their way. When they meet at a Bali resort and wake up next to each other, fate decides to toss in more surprises that neither one wants but may actually need.

This was a lighthearted and fun read, one that has two main characters that are at a crossroads in their respective careers and personal lives. The last thing Tate and Madison need is a new headache to add to the ones they're currently dealing with, but fate is a fickle thing and when it decides to mess with you, you learn to roll with the punches. I wasn't a huge fan of Madison's for the first few chapters of the book, especially with all her pining for her ex-fiancé--I mean, come on! The guy cheated and actually dumped her in the end--and whining about her lot in life. However, she did grow on me after a while, although Tate remains my favorite character in the book, with his pregnant sister Janie a close second. He may appear shallow, but once you learn what he's been doing and the secrets he's been keeping, you see how fab he is.

With this being the first in a series, I'm hoping the more memorable characters will be getting their own stories told as the series continues, especially Janie. This was my first Lauren K. McKellar read and I found myself enjoying her storytelling and am looking forward to seeing where she plans on taking the rest of the series and what other stories she's waiting to tell all of us. If you're looking for a light read, one that isn't necessarily laugh-out-loud silly but enough to put a smile on your face while and after reading, you may want to check out this Not Like the Movies series starter. Aside from the future additions to the series, I hope to look into the author's past works and see if anything else that she's written before will catch my fancy. Fame was a good beginning to a promising series and I'm giving it four out of five stars. ♥

Release Date: 22 February 2016

Date Read: 20 February 2016

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