Star-Crossed Letters

Falling for Famous #1

by Sarah Deeham

One girl with a typewriter + one movie star = anonymous pen pals, a secret crush, and a steamy, slow-burn summer to risk it all.

The bookshop barista…
When I sold a vintage typewriter, I never imagined its new owner would become my pen pal, best friend, and secret crush.
We have two rules: no photos and no real names.

Over the years, “Remington” and I go from typewritten notes to daily texts, but our rules stay the same. And so does my life. I’m a wannabe writer who can’t complete a novel, and I’ve fallen for a guy who I’ve never met.

So when I receive a letter my Nanna wrote before she died encouraging me to embark on a summer of risks—my first on the list is to break all the rules.

& the celebrity...
I hate keeping secrets from my pen pal, the one woman I care about. But I’m Hollywood’s hottest celebrity, and my fame is toxic. If I get close to a girl, she becomes vulnerable, stalked by the tabloids, trolls, and superfans.

Our anonymous friendship works until “Typewriter Girl” suddenly ghosts me. Now, I’ll do anything to ensure she’s safe, including stepping out from behind the screen and leading a double life.

Star-Crossed Letters is book 1 in the Falling for Famous contemporary romance series. It features:
*Friends to lovers
*Slow burn & swoony
*Movie star hero & ordinary girl
*Secret crush
*Mysterious pen pal
*Forced proximity in a Malibu mansion
*Bookshop and cafe vibes
*Meet-cute involving a typewriter

Genres: Romance, Friends To Lovers, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Slow Burn, Forced Proximity, Celebrity Romance

350 pages, Paperback

First published April 28, 2023

About the author

Sarah Deeham is the author of spicy slowburn romance novels to make readers smile and swoon. With a master's degree in writing and publishing, she got her start in writing as a freelance journalist, communications and marketing manager, and an editorial director for a public relations agency. She is an American living overseas and currently makes her home in Kuala Lumpur with her husband, two children, and lazy golden retriever. When she's not sitting in a cafe dreaming up stories, she's a photographer and world wanderer.

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Reviews

[jada · Rating 1 out of 5]

chase and olivia are pen pals for FIVE YEARS with very strict rules in place to stay anonymous. chase is an a list movie star, sooo famous like brad pit and doesn’t want olivia to know the real him bc then the friendship will change. olivia is 25 and works in a bookstore. she’s an introvert, shy, has no family and only a few friends. so they live very different lives. he will never
tell her the truth bc he doesn’t want to bring her into the spotlight that is his life 🙄🙄🙄

olivia is a virgin. spending her teenage & college years taking care of her sick grandmother and working she had no time for boys. i would have loved the virgin trope here if it was handled differently but the way chase still had an active sex life while they both had crushes on the other gave me the ick. it shouldn’t ig considering they didn’t even know what the other looked like or their real name but they do have coexisting crushes and she’s heard about some past hookups (including one we see on page) and it’s just … no 🙂
at the end of the book she confesses that she’s been saving herself for him and he says all the hookups he’s had have been distractions and he’s always wanted her 🤮🤮

olivia lost his number after her phone was destroyed in an accident so he thinks she ghosted him bc he rejected her (i would tbh i wish she did!!) so after a week or nothing he shows up in her town to make sure she’s okay
of course she knows who he is because of his celebrity status and i got such secondhand embarrassment from a lot of their interactions.
he plans on leaving her alone now that he knows she’s okay and can’t tell her his secret since she’s a fan + his other reasons but of course it doesn’t work that way …

““And casual sex is just not my thing. Sex is too intimate, too important, too exposing, for me to engage in with someone I don’t trust implicitly.”” and she’s thinking of having sex with chase who she’s known for all of not even a week but in her next thought it’s how it not a big deal like make it make sense??

i hated this guy 💀 everytime he complimented her it was always “she was pretty/beautiful in a ___ kind of way” always pointing out that she’s not what he usually sees in LA.
the whole book is pull from the h with the H pushing her away it’s EMBARRASSING. after it gets out that they were seen together he starts fake dating his costar and ex girlfriend and she still tries to get with him!! she doesn’t know it’s fake! to her he’s a guy that hooked up with her one weekend and the next was back with an ex but she doesn’t care.

““I need to know first. Is this very generous offer of sex for just one night? Or are you telling me we can be together, date?” “I don’t date,” he hedges, which, in my current frame of mind, pisses me off. “Hang out. Friends with benefits. Be my boyfriend. Whatever you want to call it. Are you willing to give this thing a try, or are you just offering your dick for the night?” He flinches.” 88% into the book. right after this she tells him she loves him like …. how many times to i need to say i’m embarrassed?? so over weak heroines and shitty hero’s. he lets her leave. his friends and sister (who is olivia’s best friend) had to talk him into getting the girl. it takes him three weeks and zero grovel (just sweet text messages and a pretty speech) from them to finally get together

[Bethany · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This one is for the girlies who dreamed of their very own celebrity meet cute.

Honestly it's just the cutest book, it pulled me straight in and I was SO invested. Hurt comfort her taking care of him when he's sick!! The charm bracelet!! THEIR FIRST KISS WAS STRAIGHT OUT OF A DAYDREAM!!

He's just the sweetest even if a little misguided in thinking they can't be together, I love her character growth and coming out of her shell and taking 'risks', and they make such a cute couple. I spent the whole book giggling and kicking my feet, the ultimate praise.

10/10 recommend!!

(ALSO THE NEXT BOOKS ARE YOU KIDDING ME SINGLE DAD CHRISTMAS FORCED PROXIMITY AND THEN DAISEY/RYDER?? GIVE THEM TO ME NOOOOOOOOOOW)

[Riley · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book read like a Chris Evans fan fiction and I would like everyone to ignore that I read it

[⭐Toonasa⭐ •Romance Book Lovers' Haven• · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, I was a bit slow at starting the #ARC as it's already released. But am I glad I started! Loved the story, Olivia & Chase. This story somehow gave rom-com & romantic suspense vibes! I was teary-eyed especially 50-80%, emotional or frustration. Maybe both. Definitely sexually frustrated, like Olivia 😆. This reminded me why I've not read slow-burn in so long. But damn, this was a good debut story! Book Lovers MC! Devoured in 8hrs, over 2days!

It's a celebrity falls for the girl-next-door, Friends-to-lovers (tho kinda Strangers to lovers from Olivia's side IYKYK). Opposite worlds yet same soul. These 2 made me hurt, man. Especially Chase. The worst part that I do understand why he kept his pen-pal identity secret. Fear. I loved how Olivia embraced her summer of risks! I do wish we had an epilogue. Loved all the side characters, looking forward to this series!

Longer review soon.

Story ratings:

POV: 1st person, DUAL POV
1) The Characters: 4.9/5 (Main: 4.9 "flawed & real" & side: 5 "fun!")
2) Top 3 feels: "ooh, ya" "risky" "finally"
3) Story enjoyment: 5/5
4) Creativity & Conflicts: 4.4/5
5) World build: 4.5/5
6) Relationship: 5/5
7) Steamy scenes: 2/5
8) Levels: Cute+Swoon: 4/5
Angst: 4/5
Dark: 2/5
9) Writing style & pace: 4.3/5
10) Grammar: 4.7/5

[Bridget Bell · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book because someone recommended it as being like a taylor swift song and I now think they have never heard a taylor swift song

[Grecia Robles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este libro es un Friends to Lovers pero de correspondencia anónimos

[Sydney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is adorable!!! I loved that they met through her typewriter and became best friends. I was hooked right from the beginning. I was very proud of Olivia for sending the photo to Chase and breaking the rules that she set for them. The fact that her phone broke afterwards was such a terrible coincidence but it led to him being so worried that he flew out to check on her.

Chase was so cute but he had so much baggage. I fully understand why he was scared and didn’t want to get into a relationship. Seeing him fall in love with Olivia and figure out if he actually wants the life that he has was so pleasing. I love that he never gave up on his dreams and encouraged Olivia in hers.

They were both a fast burn and a slow-burn at the same time. It was very interesting to see how she was getting to know him but she was his best friend the whole time. I think some people will get upset that he didn’t tell her that he was her pen pal sooner but I think it worked. I love that she was able to see past Chase being a celebrity and fall in love with the person that he is.

The found family vibes in this book were so good and I need all of his friends to get books. I definitely need a Sebastian and Emma book and a daisy and Ryder book. That would make me very happy.

I received an arc through grey’s promotion.

[Kenzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ⭐️

The plot was cute but it was so… borning? at times.

The most interesting part was the pen pal bit, but I feel like a lot of the dialogue was repetitive and overall was very predictable. Everything honestly felt shallow, no scene really had any depth to it and the time skips were jarring.

I didn't feel connected with any of the characters even though I know the author was going for a Found Family trope. I found myself wanting to skip scenes because I was bored

[** Lucie ( Taylor's version ) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3/5

This was freaking cute !!!

I just love them. Their bond is strong but I feel like they still need to go through a lot of issues to be in a stable relationship, because yes they figured out what they wanted to do but words are nothing without actions.

The beginning was a little bit long, and the behavior of Chase was so frustrating, I was cursing at him in my room. Olivia has been blind the whole time, and I kinda feel bad for her since she has been lied to for almost the whole book.

Anyway, go read it, it's a cute fluffy contemporary romance between a Famous Hollywood star and an ordinary girl !

"𝗗𝗼 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗻'𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲?'

'𝗔𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀,' 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗼𝗹 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱, 𝘀𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘁𝗼𝗼."

[Bec · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

Really enjoyed it and loved their pen pal beginning/relationship.

[Lisbeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Algunas cosas eran repetitivas e hicieron que el libro pareciera más largo, pero eso no hizo que me agradara menos.

[Lora :)]

I keep trusting tiktok and tiktok keeps doing this shit to me

[Dreams✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay after I slept over it I realized that this was may be a 2.5? The premise was amazing and I was hooke dbut the execution fell short. There were very obvious loops in the story that get filled suddenly out of nowhere, no buildup whatsoever. The characters were all so sweet and the basis of the book was fantastic so i’ll keep this to a 3.

[Cathryn · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 stars - I have no words. I am speechless. And not in a good way at all. The writing of this was very much giving wattpad y/n vibes with a “regular girl” meeting her “celebrity crush” like those kidnapped by One Direction fanfics LOL. In the beginning I was pretty chill with Chase, I liked reading his perspective because he seemed to have more meaningful things to say. Olivia is another story. She continuously commented on her body, and I know we all have insecurities, but she called herself an “hourglass” and complained? That was very confusing to me. And the way she kept dragging on and on about how she’s an old soul/ordinary girl/only likes the classics/would rather read than watch movies/etc. I was like girl cry me a river please stop.

I was originally going to give this 2 stars, but I lowered my rating to 1.5 because of the ending. The fact that Chase and Olivia had sex for the first time, especially with her losing her virginity, and it was upstairs while all of their close friends were downstairs eating??? I’m sorry, WHAT? Like I get that they were horny for each other, but please wait until they leave the premises, then go crazy. That made me so uncomfy with the book ending on that. 💀

I just did not like this.

[Kylie Swift 31 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like I’m getting too old to be reading a book where one of the main plot points is centred around the main character losing her virginity. Picked up this book after hearing a brief description about it on TikTok. I enjoyed the penpal aspect and why they met for the first time, but felt like the dialogue was lacking enough depth between the main characters.

[Courtney · Rating 1 out of 5]

No

[Danielle (Life of a Literary Nerd) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will always love a secret pen-pal romance - it's just really cute. Add in the celebrity romance element and it's even better. Even though I loved the premise and the romance, the characters were a little flat. They really just felt like fluff pieces to support the cute plot, and for this book, that was fine for me. If you're looking for a cute book and not afraid of some miscommunication in the story, this was a fun time.

[Katie Followell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got "Star Crossed Letters" on "Stuff Your Kindle" day because the concept of celebrity/regular person seemed interesting to me, and dang, I didn't think I was going to eat this up the way I did-- but I DEVOURED this.

It was a fun read, some good romance scenes, and a whole lot of "aww' worthy moments! I am normally not a romance reader but I think I just needed to find my right trope.

[Paula · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pf menudo bajón. Que rabia porque lo tiene todo para ser un buen libro pero esta super mal ejecutado, la historia general esta muy bien y tiene plot twist que son un poco inesperados pero es que no tiene nada nibgun tupo de sentido. Hacia mucho tiempo que no me alegraba tanto de terminarme un libro

[amari · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️

This book is a sweet slow burn, celebrity/ordinary girl, romance that follows Chase, a movie star, and Olivia, a quite bookish girl! Chase and Olivia start as secret pen-pals who have a few rules, one of them being keeping their identities a secret. After a letter from her grandma, Olivia decides to take a risk and is sadly shot down by her pen-pal. After no responses Chase decides to hunt down his Typewriter-girl and questions whether he should risk it all, or continue to live behind a screen. This book was so fun and engaging! I loved the growth of characters and the love they both share for each other! It was very cute and I’m excited for the other books in this series!

Favorite Quote:
“I want her lips on mine more than my last breath. She’s my best friend. My everything.”

Special thanks to Wildfire Marketing Solutions, Grey Promotions and the author for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Maja · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really good but at some points in the book I felt like she deserved better than him

[Mercy Koehler · Rating 2 out of 5]

the writing in this book was just a no for me it kinda felt like something i would have written at thirteen and didn’t know what foreplay was. also chase was kinda an ass

[Maci Cox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another booktok influenced reading... not bad but not amazing. I like the relationship between the main leads, but the majority of the conflict that was happening seemed bland. There was a lot of push and pull...which to me if executed right can be enjoyable to read. I do not think that was being demonstrated here to the fullest extent in this book. As a whole, it was a simple and easy read that a person can breeze through on a lazy day.

[dilan · Rating 5 out of 5]

tiktok you did good… you did real good *raises a shirley temple in the air*

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really invested in this book! It pulled me in right away.. a good cute read!! The ending was a little weird but overall I loved reading this book.

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

the book was so good I couldn't seem to put down, I didn't want to, every minute of every day I wanted to be reading this book. the ending was so perfectly done. like I cant even express it? the little text he sent her and than while she was reading it out loud he walked in and finished saying the TEXT!? OUT LOUD!? it was perfect. I love Olivia and Chase with my whole heart, and this will quite literally stay stuck in my brain.

[Lucy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The slow burn was not it…

[Marian. · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐ 4.5

Chase and Olivia stole my heart, I loved their friendship because it's almost the one we all have: those friends on the internet that although we don't know them, they know everything about us.

This story was like watching a movie or at least it seemed that way to me, seeing the friendship of these two, the tension they had between them was lovely to read, super cute to imagine each of the scenes; besides that I identified a little with Olivia, all the risks that she wants to take and the found family here was beautiful to read too because I saw how Chase's friends welcomed Olivia and now speaking of Chase, I completely understand the reason for his actions, I understand why he is so afraid of being seen together with the people he loves the most and the more you read his point of view you realize everything, I think that for me he is one of the most mature MMC that I have read lately because he don't think only of him, he was thinking of others and yes, that hurts him too, but in the sense that he has all this fame, he has all that money, but he doesn't want anyone around him to suffer and for that feels a bit lonely, seeing almost at the end how all his friends talk to him, tell him things, made me sigh.

For me the relationship of these two was beautiful, it was like a movie. I really liked the slow burn, how he cared for her and how she cared for him was beautiful even though Chase was resisting a lot but I also liked seeing Olivera taking that big risk with him.

I am looking forward to the second installment of this series, I really loved Sarah's way of writing, I found it very easy to understand and very easy to follow.


🫂 thank you to Sarah Deeham & Greys Promo for gave me this arc in exchange for my honest review 📚!!

____________________________

Chase y Olivia robaron mi corazón, me encantó su amistad porque es casi la que todos tenemos: esos amigos por internet que aunque no los conocemos, ellos conocen todo sobre nosotros.

Esta historia fue como ver una película o por lo menos así me pareció a mí, ver la amistad de estos dos, la tención que tenían entre ellos fue súper lindo de leer, súper cute de imaginarme cada una de las escenas; además de que me identifiqué un poquito con Olivia todos los riesgos que ella quiere tomar y él found family acá fue súper hermoso porque vi como los amigos de Chase le dieron la bienvenida a Olivia y ahora hablando de Chase, entiendo completamente el porqué de sus acciones, entiendo el porqué ese miedo tan grande de que lo vieran junto con las personas que más ama y mientras más lees el punto de vista de él te das cuenta de todo, creo que para mi es uno de los protagonistas más maduros que he leído últimamente porque no piensas solo en él, estaba pensando en los demás y si, eso también le hace daño a él pero en el sentido de que él tiene todo esta fama, tiene todo ese dinero, pero no quiere que nadie a su alrededor sufra y por eso se siiente un poco solo, ver ya casi al final como todos sus amigos hablan con el, le dicen las cosas, me hizo suspirar.

Para mí la relación de estos dos fue linda, fue de película, el slow burn me gustó muchísimo, como él se preocupaba por ella y cómo ella se preocupaba por él fue hermoso a pesar de que Chase se estaba resistiendo mucho pero también me gustó ver Olivera agarrando ese riesgo tan grande con él.

Espero con ansias la segunda entrega de esta serie, me encantó muchísimo la forma de escritura de Sarah, la sentí muy fácil de entender y muy fácil de seguir.

[Zabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️3.5/5 📚143/120

🇺🇸 My 3.5/5 isn’t a bad rating, I swear! This romance was super cute and sweet. The relationship between Chase and Olivia, first friends via anonymous letters, then strangers when they meet physically without her knowing who he is, is adorable.

The fact that he lies to her 'for her own good' throughout most of the book may bother some of you, but it added some welcome angst in here, especially in the chapters from Chase's point of view, caught between his desire for Olivia, his need to protect her, and his guilt at having to hide the truth from her.

One small flaw for me: the author's heavy-handed insistence on her heroine's virginity, which isn't my cup of tea at all.

If you like friends-to-lovers/dating someone famous romances, then this book is for you, go for it!

🇫🇷Ce n’est pas un mauvais 3.5/5, je vous le promets. Cette romance était hyper mignonne et douce. La relation entre Chase et Olivia, d’abord amis anonyme via correspondance, puis étrangers lorsqu’ils se rencontrent physiquement sans qu’elle sache qui il est, est adorable.

Le fait qu’il lui mente ‘pour son bien’ durant la quasi-totalité du livre pourra déranger certains, mais j’ai trouvé que ça ajoutait du piquant, surtout dans les chapitres du point de vue de Chase, coincé entre son désir pour Olivia, son besoin de la protéger, et sa culpabilité d’avoir à lui cacher la vérité.

Un petit couac pour moi : l’insistance pesante que l’auteure fait de la virginité de son héroïne et qui n’est vraiment pas ma tasse de thé.

Si vous aimez les romances friends-to-lovers, dating someone famous, alors ce livre est pour vous, foncez !

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

2/5 😵‍💫

.. thank god that’s over. This book had some potential to be good but instead it just read like a wattpad book and was SO. FAR. FETCHED.

Olivia has a secret penpal. This penpal happens to be a celebrity - Chase. Later in the book we find out he is also her best friends secret brother? They have a couple of kisses that are papped and published and all of a sudden her house is on fire and we are lead to believe that it was arson from one of Chases’ deluded fans who happens to believe she is his wife? Chase tries to distract and defer the media so has a fake relationship with his co-star to draw the attention away from Olivia (very wattpad core). Lots of back and forth as to whether Olivia and Chase should date or not because he is apparently the most famous celebrity in the world (doubtful). Also Olivia doesn’t know that Chase is the secret penpal. Chase admits to her at the end and she’s so unbothered? Also WHAT is with the obsession with the fact that she is a virgin? So unnecessary, especially the last chapter ???

At the start of the book Olivia is selling her most worldly possessions to make ends meet, including a portrait of her naked nanna. Yes you heard that right. At the end of the book she finds out who brought it. In case you haven’t already guessed where this is going, it was her knight in shining armour Chase. (???) Her ultra famous, secret penpal, best friends brother brought a portrait of her dead naked nanna. Very romantic <3 🙄