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18th out of 60 books
—
94 voters
Falling Star
by
Diana Dempsey (Goodreads Author)
The page-turner for every woman who's ever had better days ...
Natalie Daniels' husband just dumped her. Her boss is scheming to replace her. And she's falling in love with her sexy Australian TV news agent - who's about to propose to somebody else.
What's a woman to do? Dig deep and show what she's made of - which just might land her both the job and the man of her dreams ....more
Natalie Daniels' husband just dumped her. Her boss is scheming to replace her. And she's falling in love with her sexy Australian TV news agent - who's about to propose to somebody else.
What's a woman to do? Dig deep and show what she's made of - which just might land her both the job and the man of her dreams ....more
Kindle Edition, 392 pages
Published
April 30th 2011
by Bramerton Press
(first published August 6th 2002)
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Natalie is a tv news reporter just about to turn 40 and has just been left by her older husband. Miles is a cad and she slowly realizes that he always was and she was somehow blind to it. Natalie is struggling in a business that only wants the young and beautiful and strives to be the newest hottest thing. When her station gets a new director/producer(?) she knows she is probably on the way out the door and he lets her know how he feels about her and her diva way (which we dont actually see much...more
Not your typical substance-free free chicklit. The protagonist, Natalie Daniels, a 40 year old news anchor, is mostly forgettable and the supporting characters cariacturish.
The protagonist's romance seemed a little groundless and the intimate scenes bland. What I really wanted to see was Natalie lose her job completely and her reaction to the absence of the center of her life. That would be rock bottom and though she neared it a few times, she never quite hit it. This means we never get a clear...more
The protagonist's romance seemed a little groundless and the intimate scenes bland. What I really wanted to see was Natalie lose her job completely and her reaction to the absence of the center of her life. That would be rock bottom and though she neared it a few times, she never quite hit it. This means we never get a clear...more
I finished reading Falling Star by Diana Dempsey around 6:30 this morning. Nothing really spectacular about that fact until you hear that I stayed started reading it at 9 p.m. the previous night.
I don’t do that very often. And it surprised me that I did so with this book. This was not an epic tale in any sense of the term, yet after I started reading it I couldn’t stop. And I still can’t figure out why.
After having read several books from my local library I decided to start going through my back...more
I don’t do that very often. And it surprised me that I did so with this book. This was not an epic tale in any sense of the term, yet after I started reading it I couldn’t stop. And I still can’t figure out why.
After having read several books from my local library I decided to start going through my back...more
Based on the review quip on the cover (of the Kindle edition) I was expecting some light, fluffy, feel-good romance novel.
It was way better than that.
This novel is really a quite involved story with lots going on, interesting and complex characters and great writing to tie it together, draw me in and not let me go. To be honest, it really didn't feel like a romance novel in that there was so much more to it than a simple romantic plot. Well, until the end; then it felt very much like a simple ro...more
It was way better than that.
This novel is really a quite involved story with lots going on, interesting and complex characters and great writing to tie it together, draw me in and not let me go. To be honest, it really didn't feel like a romance novel in that there was so much more to it than a simple romantic plot. Well, until the end; then it felt very much like a simple ro...more
I came across this on Amazon for free and seeing it had pretty good reviews, decided to give it a go. Reviews however, weren't so good here on goodreads.
It was ok. When the thing is free, you really can't complain too much.
There was no excitement though, no groaning at the end of a chapter because you'd promised to stop there but *have* to continue because it's so good.
Admittedly, it got better. First half or so, it was slow, things kept getting worse for Natalie while Kelly, Tony & Miles ke...more
It was ok. When the thing is free, you really can't complain too much.
There was no excitement though, no groaning at the end of a chapter because you'd promised to stop there but *have* to continue because it's so good.
Admittedly, it got better. First half or so, it was slow, things kept getting worse for Natalie while Kelly, Tony & Miles ke...more
Natalie Daniels is a reporter. She is about to turn forty which is when things turn ugly for her. She is famous and well thought of by the public but her private life is mess. Miles, her soon to be ex- husband may be cheating and stealing from her. Her new boss Tony wants a fresher face to replace her. He wants Kelly, her trainee to replace her.
She starts making mistakes during a live newscast and by pursuing a certain story she ends up in jail. Natalie finds herself only trusting her Australian...more
She starts making mistakes during a live newscast and by pursuing a certain story she ends up in jail. Natalie finds herself only trusting her Australian...more
The plot, though buoyed by some interesting tidbits about the reporting and tv journalism worlds, struggles under the weight of the various players and the heavy-handed way in which they’re all linked together. Kevin Bacon has fewer degrees of separation than these guys. But perhaps what stops the book from really working is the fact that Daniels never really has a black moment. Sure, things begin to go downhill, but then everything starts to work out, but just sort of because. Daniels isn’t the...more
From beginning to end I was so frustrated with the book and to make things worse I never felt that the "bad guys" never got their just desserts and you it seems to me unclear what the main character chooses in the end in terms of job descriptions. (I do not want to give much story details away just in case someone else wants to read it). If you do want to read this book, you really need to consider why!? I am glad that it was free from kindle otherwise I would have been asking for my money back!...more
Diana DempseyFalling Star
I got this book as a freebie, which is always questionsable. I usually get more bad than good when it comes to free reads. However, this one was really good! It's a story we all know (aging women in the public eye as her world comes crashing down) but I've personally never read a book dealing with it. It was very well writeen, lots of twists and turns to keep it interesting, and was a really quick read! Would definitely recommend it! (Especially if it comes through as a...more
I got this book as a freebie, which is always questionsable. I usually get more bad than good when it comes to free reads. However, this one was really good! It's a story we all know (aging women in the public eye as her world comes crashing down) but I've personally never read a book dealing with it. It was very well writeen, lots of twists and turns to keep it interesting, and was a really quick read! Would definitely recommend it! (Especially if it comes through as a...more
3.8. I enjoyed this book. I thought the characters were entertaining and fairly well rounded. It held my attention and had some surprises. Some of the struggles that Natalie went through started to get a bit crazy when nothing was going well for her and Geoff's issues with his gf were a bit hard to believe but all in all I was definitely hooked and wanted to keep reading. I would say pick it up if you just want a light hearted read. My only complaint with this book was the ending. I'm not a fan...more
A true page turner, this had me reading until too late until I finished it. Natalie Daniels an anchor on an LA based station finds herself at the peak of her career, falling from grace due to the usual LA scenario of ageism, narcissism and greed. Desperation and the bottom line motivates all concerned to ridiculous acts of petty crime and betrayal. The attacks of betrayal and injustice are relentless until exactly 3/4s of the way through the book, and finally (Aristotle would be proud) it starts...more
Since this novel was offered as a free book at the Kindle store with rather high ratings, I was interested to see if it might be comparable in entertainment to Sophie Kinsella's stories. I was actually pleasantly surprised. The author, who used the newscasting industry as the backdrop for this romantic story, seemed appropriately knowledgeable about news broadcasting and was able to weave the plot very skillfully in depiction of this setting.
My only criticism of the book was the fact that in re...more
My only criticism of the book was the fact that in re...more
As far as books go this was a really good one. I loved the way it switched between the characters to show things from their perspective all the time.
It deals with the relationship between women in the media/public eye and what happens when they reach the age of 40. I liked the characters and found them honest and believable.
This book fell short of receiving 5 stars for numerous reasons...Firstly one of the characters was given an ending I don't think she deserved after all the bad she'd done, se...more
It deals with the relationship between women in the media/public eye and what happens when they reach the age of 40. I liked the characters and found them honest and believable.
This book fell short of receiving 5 stars for numerous reasons...Firstly one of the characters was given an ending I don't think she deserved after all the bad she'd done, se...more
So far, a fun read. I was a bit resistant to the plot and characters when I began, because they seemed too stock and/or cliched. But, as I'm continuing to read, I'm enjoying the characterisation of the clearly evil witches and their male versions, because it is increasing my sympathy for the novel's protagonist, Natalie Daniels.
I am less than a third into the plot, but I'm hoping for - no, expecting, some serious payback, and maybe a little bit of rom-com too.
I will offer my full review of Fall...more
I am less than a third into the plot, but I'm hoping for - no, expecting, some serious payback, and maybe a little bit of rom-com too.
I will offer my full review of Fall...more
I got this free on the Kindle and really enjoyed it. Chick Lit , nothing to hard about it but a page turner none the less. Natalie has been dumped by her husband, is being taken for half of her belongings and in her work life not much is going right there either! As an ageing woman in the TV business her new boss has decided that a younger more glamourous model would be a better replacement . However as we all know age should have nothing to do with it and experience should count for something....more
I started reading this last year, and I couldn't get into. I stopped only on Chapter 2. I started it again yesterday, and I am really enjoying it this time around! I'm not sure what the difference is, but the main character is so likeable, and you just automatically start rooting for her, although things are not looking up for her. I'm so glad I came back to this book! I'll write more when I finish...
Again- I'm so glad I picked this up again! Natalie is a great protaganist! She is just so likeab...more
Again- I'm so glad I picked this up again! Natalie is a great protaganist! She is just so likeab...more
An ok book with filled with lots of drama of a television news network and it's star anchor, Natalie Daniels. A new director has been hired to get ratings up and drastically cut costs. His target to fix both? Replace seasoned news anchor, Natalie Daniels, with the young hot Kelly Devlin. Oh and cut Natalie's salary by 80%. Just how far will these women go to hold their place in the spotlight?
The book has plenty of plot turns and drama and would be a better TV series than it held as a book. It se...more
The book has plenty of plot turns and drama and would be a better TV series than it held as a book. It se...more
Free Kindle book. The antagonists were SO evil (Kelly doesn't care about children in a school shooting? Really?) but the story is lighthearted and it was fun to read about what it takes to make the news every day.
(side note/slight spoiler: it was interesting that Natalie, the main character, was so willing to be the other woman, especially considering that her husband left her for another woman. There was no guilt, no empathy. I can't decide if that makes the story more real, or just brushes a...more
(side note/slight spoiler: it was interesting that Natalie, the main character, was so willing to be the other woman, especially considering that her husband left her for another woman. There was no guilt, no empathy. I can't decide if that makes the story more real, or just brushes a...more
This is my first Diana Dempsey book and I downloaded it because it was a free read. I wanted a light hearted book as the last two books that I read took a lot of my focus. I have given it 5 stars because it fitted the bill perfect. Easy read and a cheeky twist at the end. So happy for Nat at the end of the book but I wish I knew her career choice from her offers. I enjoyed the read I felt like I was there with her at times living her story but also wanted to be her friend. If you are wanting an...more
This was free - as most of the books I download are.
Natalie Daniels is a news anchor and her new boss wants to get rid of her.
There are a lot of interesting things going on. In the end the good guys win - I would have liked to know the final decision she made - but....
I don't expect a lot from books other than to entertain it is why I'm reading Fiction - I expect it to be a bit unrealistic. I liked it enough to think I"ll read the author again.
Natalie Daniels is a news anchor and her new boss wants to get rid of her.
There are a lot of interesting things going on. In the end the good guys win - I would have liked to know the final decision she made - but....
I don't expect a lot from books other than to entertain it is why I'm reading Fiction - I expect it to be a bit unrealistic. I liked it enough to think I"ll read the author again.
I got this book for free as part of Amazon's kindle bargains and I have to say that I'm pleasantly surprised with this book.
I was expecting it to be trash but I enjoyed it immensely. I liked the fact that the protagonist was 40 (an age group oft ignored in chick lit) and I liked that the ending wasn't as cliched as it could have been.
Will it change your life? No. But its well told, thoroughly enjoyable and leaves you feeling warm at the end.
I was expecting it to be trash but I enjoyed it immensely. I liked the fact that the protagonist was 40 (an age group oft ignored in chick lit) and I liked that the ending wasn't as cliched as it could have been.
Will it change your life? No. But its well told, thoroughly enjoyable and leaves you feeling warm at the end.
This was pretty good. It was interesting seeing the world of news casting from the other side. I like how although there were some blatantly good and blatantly bad characters, most of the characters were a mix of good and bad. This makes them seem more real to me. (There's nothing I hate more than a saintly, never do anything wrong hero or heroine.) I think some of the bad characters were kind of over the top, but all in all I liked it.
I really enjoyed this novel by Diana Dempsey and find it hard to believe it is her debut effort as the standard of writing - the fun, the drama and the pathos is so darned good. The characters are mad, delightful in some of their awful way - and I was vastly relieved when it finished the way I wanted it to!
Great stuff, sizzling read and I shall be watching for more of this author's work.
Not sure if I would have gotten this books if it wasn't for the "free" offer from Amazon, but I'm glad I did! Definitely not your typical chick lit! I loved the suspense, the romance (though, I hate to say it, was pretty predictable), and the characters. My only grip is that I feel like it ended too soon! It was a little slow to start, but I had a really hard time putting it down.
Dempsey's look into LA newswomen, and their short shelf lives, is compelling, but painful. I actually started and stopped the book several times, as it was hard to read about her protagonist, a 40-year-old, soon-to-be-divorcee, getting ill-used by both her boss and her ex. Unfortunately, I'd guess this story is probably quite realistic for the industry. (Another Kindle Freebie.)
Based on the cover, I was expecting pure chick-lit. There were certain elements of it, to be sure - like the fairly one-dimensional characters like the young, cheating, evil nemesis and the out-to-get-her news director, or the manipulative, lying, cheating, styling soon-to-be ex-husband. But the book had a bit more depth to it than typical chick-lit fluff and that made it a more enjoyable read.
Diana Dempsey has done an excellent job with this story. I do not know a lot about the newspaper business but the interplay between the characters involved was very well done. The people are believable and they are interesting and exciting. Am sure that there are more to come.
J. Robert Ewbank author "Wesley's Wars" and "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the Isms"
J. Robert Ewbank author "Wesley's Wars" and "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the Isms"
Started really slow, almost even gave up on it. I am glad I stuck it out. Actually is a good book. The main character is a tv anchorwoman who has a new boss and he wants younger talent and cheaper talent. The younger talent is very inexperienced and causes lots of trouble not only for herself but the station as well. Pretty good book and easy/quick read.
It was free, so I'm tempted to give it 4 stars for that. Entertaining read. I was invested enough in the characters to want to know what happened to them. Loved who I was supposed to. Disliked who I was supposed to dislike. Actually liked the heroine and didn't feel she whiney or flighty like a lot of lighter read heroines. All in all, a good read.
I got this book free as a kindle add....and it was not what I expected....I read the entire book in one evening.
Natalie is 40 and everything seems to be going down...her job and her ℓ♥√ع life...her boss has it in for her, her co-worker and her husband...but despite it all....and some may say an almost nervous breakdown..she is able to come out ontopp
Natalie is 40 and everything seems to be going down...her job and her ℓ♥√ع life...her boss has it in for her, her co-worker and her husband...but despite it all....and some may say an almost nervous breakdown..she is able to come out ontopp
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Diana Dempsey traded in an Emmy-winning career in TV news to write fast, fun romantic fiction. Her debut novel, Falling Star, was nominated for a RITA award for Best First Book by the members of Romance Writers of America. Other of her novels have been Top Picks of Romantic Times or selections of the Doubleday Book Club.
In her dozen years in television news, the former Diana Koricke played every o...more
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In her dozen years in television news, the former Diana Koricke played every o...more
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“One of the floral arrangements swayed like a drunken sailor, then toppled, clattering to the floor.”
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“How pointless, harboring romantic fantasies about a man who'd made it abundantly clear that he wasn't interested.”
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