Broken Hollywood | ARC Review

Summary

He’s a movie star who needs a break from fame. Lucky for him, she has no idea who he is.

Catherine Sparrow is obsessed with caves. She spends nearly every day at Alden Caverns with Otto, her eighty-year-old best friend. Known to most of the boys in town as Cave Girl, Cat long ago decided to leave dating to her sisters. But then Otto’s gorgeous grandson Jesse arrives.

Jesse Relic, the hottest movie star in Hollywood, needs to get out of LA. Burdened by guilt and weighed down by sorrow, he runs to the only person who can possibly help him get his life in order, his grandfather Otto. Hoping to hide from the world in his grandfather’s caves, he does not expect to find a beautiful, intriguing woman working there. The best part? She doesn’t recognize him.

While hiking a passage of the cave together, Jesse and Cat are trapped inside when she injures her knee. The intensity of their predicament ignites sparks in the tiny cavern. As they grow closer, Jesse knows he has to tell Cat he’s an actor. But she loves her simple, quiet life, and his life as a celebrity is louder than most. If he tells her the truth, will he lose her forever?

Broken Hollywood is the first book in the Sparrow Sisters Series. If you want an intense slow-burn romance that will make your heart race, you’ll enjoy this celebrity meets ordinary girl love story!

Review

This was an incredibly heartwarming, dreamy, and loveable book! I enjoyed it sooooo much! Just take my word on this. The synopsis didn’t do it justice.

I was sucked in from page one. We immediately get a good look at who the main characters, Cat and Jesse, are, as the story alternates between their POVs. I loved that we got both POVs because it intensified the feels ten times over. Ugh. How can I properly explain how much I loved this book!

Jesse is a well-thought-out character that I loved getting to know. He comes to Cat’s hometown suffering a great loss and trying to find a way to escape all the pain he’s feeling. I thought the portrayal of his grief was really well done. It’s not skipped over or dismissed after falling in love but also doesn’t completely consume the storyline and bring everything down. The author did a great job of balancing this tough emotion and subject.

As well, Jesse is just such a loveable character. He truly cares for those around him and doesn’t seem like a typical movie-star character I feel like we see in every book. He felt different but just as glamorous and “unobtainable” as any other movie-star. I loved this character so much!!

Cat is such an interesting character and I loved getting to know her. She knows that she wants to stay in her hometown and work in the local caves, but doesn’t realize that she’s still missing something in her life. She doesn’t move out of her comfort zone very often when it comes to anything, including guys. But she’s so kind, terribly dedicated to her family, and to her job/hobby. She was a great pairing to Jesse especially when it came to working with him and supporting him through his grief. I don’t think the author could have made a better equal.

Along with the characters, I also really loved the storyline! Although it didn’t have tons of shocks and twists and turns, I never felt bored. The book is very well paced out and does a great job of keeping the reader entertained while addressing all the issues in the story. Along with this, we get a great cast of characters that have diverse interests and personalities and keep the story moving along really well.

Also, I thought this story might be a little odd because the synopsis made it seem like Cat was some weirdo that only hung out with one old man, but it wasn’t weird at all! The old man, Otto, is very funny, still very much able, and runs a cave business that Cat works at. It wasn’t some odd relationship that made her “different than other girls”. Just wanted to point that out.

I felt like the ending was a little abrupt. I kinda expected there to be a little more conflict before the ending came which was why I was surprised when the book just ended. That being said, I don’t think it takes away from the story. I might have preferred it a little, but I enjoyed the book all the same.

Overall, this was wonderful book about self-discovery, forgiveness, and finding love in the darkest of times. I will recommend this book to everyone I know!!

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating

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