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Someone Else's Fairytale #1
Someone Else's Fairytale
Alternate cover edition for ASIN B006JD115K
Jason Vanderholt, Hollywood's hottest actor, falls head over heels for everygirl, Chloe Winters, who hasn't gotten around to watching most of his movies. It's the ideal fairytale... for most people. The last thing Chloe needs is public attention. It brings back dangers from the past that she's worked her whole life to escape.
Jason Vanderholt, Hollywood's hottest actor, falls head over heels for everygirl, Chloe Winters, who hasn't gotten around to watching most of his movies. It's the ideal fairytale... for most people. The last thing Chloe needs is public attention. It brings back dangers from the past that she's worked her whole life to escape.
356 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 6, 2011
About the author
E.M. Tippetts
25 books505 followersEmily Mah Tippetts writes romance under the name E.M. Tippetts and science fiction and fantasy under the name Emily Mah. Before she was a published author, she was an attorney who specialized in real estate, contracts, and estate planning, especially literary estate planning.
Her most recent pro publications have been her science fiction and fantasy short stories in magazines like Black Gate, Analog Science Fiction and Fact, and the anthology, Shanghai Steam.
Her most recent pro publications have been her science fiction and fantasy short stories in magazines like Black Gate, Analog Science Fiction and Fact, and the anthology, Shanghai Steam.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 700 reviews
February 28, 2013
Aaaaah, this was super duper cute! I enjoyed it so much. 4.5 stars!
At the beginning, I was wondering if it was going to be a little slow. I found Chloe moody and slightly irritating. But then you found out her story and you know what? She can be a little bit moody if she wants to. Girl has been through some serious crap. So be patient with her, she's alright really.
But it didn't last long. After a while I found myself really warming to her. She wasn't materialistic or shallow. She didn't lead Jason on, she was honest and cautious, yet friendly and polite.
I loved the dialogue in this book. It was so true and believable. There were moments of awkwardness, as there are in real life, their were misunderstandings and there were some great one liners that really had me giggling.
"Jason Vanderholt is off the market."
"I wasn't ever for sale," muttered Jason.
I loved Jason. The fail safe way to make me enjoy a book is to give me a hero I can really fall for. And Jason was just that. Okay, let's talk about Jason. Movie star; Check! Filthy rich; Check! (That's right, I'm no Chloe, I wouldn't say no) Swoonworthy good looks; Check! Great at organising romantic dates; Check! Great family; Check! Respectful and sensitive; Check! Do you need me to go on??
"I just need to have you close. The more time I spend with you, the more I want."
Oh, and if all that weren't enough...
"If I wanted to buy you off I'd, I dunno, give you a big gift certificate to Amazon or something."
Yeh, that's right boys... take note! The way to a womans' heart? Amazon vouchers! You know it! And wine and chocolates compliment them brilliantly too.
I thought it was crazy sweet that he just spotted her, in a crowd, and fell in love with her. I loved this, particularly, because this is oooobviously what is absolutely definitely going to happen to me when I meet Zac Efron/Channing Tatum/Ryan Reynolds/[insert other hot celeb here] and they see me for the first time. Obviously.
So, whilst I was falling all over myself to marry Jason Vanderholt, Chloe remained unsure. Despite the fact it turns out I am a complete fame slut, (who knew?) I liked that she wasn't. And I liked that it made Jason want her even more.
"It's not my fairytale. It's not anything I ever wanted. It's the last thing I've ever wanted. I hate crowds. I don't want to be the envy of every other woman on the planet. I never dreamed of being with a guy with flawless good looks. This is someone else's fairytale."
What surprised me the most was that this book wasn't entirely sweetness and light. When I sat down to this, I thought I was in for pure chick lit hearts and flowers. There's a darker strain running through this story too. It makes the book much more engaging and really was the tipping the extra half star for me.
The only reason that this didn't get a full blown five stars was this... Chloe was a virgin and wasn't keen on sex before marriage. Now whilst I respect that everybody has their views, this isn't mine and I did want to scream at her 'Sleep with the poor guy, for Christ sake woman! He's hot and gorgeous and he loves you!' So my frustration at Chloe's hesitance to jump into the sack with Mr. Hot Movestar Vanderholt lost her half a star. To be fair, the author did warn me that this book started off very 'un-steamy', but I have to say, I'm really hoping she drops her panties in book two. ;) I really want to see the sex God in Jason unleashed.
"He's got it bad for you, Chloe. Anyone who sees him with you could tell that."
Yeh, if we could just insert 'Smitten' where you see 'Chloe'? That would be fab. Please. Thanks.
The only thing I can pick out that people might not like was that it is a little corny. This doesn't bother me. Personally, I love a bit of Disney-style cheesy romance in my life every now and then, but as a reviewer, I know this might not appeal to everyone so I felt I should point it out.
"I want to be your Prince Charming," he said.
*happy sigh* Oh Jas, if you insist. :D
Like I said, I really enjoyed this. I'm going to get stuck into the second book now, Nobody's Damsel, because as absolutely adorable as this ending was, I need to go and find out if anyone gets laid and whether or not Chloe and Jason really get their Happy Ever After. So, go on, go read this and get some Vanderholt in your lives. Laters!
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November 9, 2012
Warning: Rant forth coming...
This is our bookclub book for the month and I am sad to say I was a little disappointed.(HEA bookclubers feel free to stop reading until discussion starts on the 20th).
First things first. I had NO CLUE which guy I was suppose to root for. Did we want the hot actor or didn't we? Was I suppose to root for the best friend or not? I HAD NO IDEA. That is kind of a pet peeve in my book. For over the first quater of the book I was conviced that we were suppose to like Matthew(the best friend). Then all of a sudden he acts like a complete jerk and I was totally thrown. She also kept saying how funny looking the hot actor was(sorry I have completly blanked his name). I mean she said he had fake tanned skin, his teeth were too white and she kept bringing up how moisturized he was. I was just kind of turned off.
Second, what was with the major downer of her having "the incident" 11 years ago. It was way too intense for this book. I also thought the way everyone acted about it was kind of weird. Yes, it's a miracle she survived and she was very brave, but there was really no need for it to even be a part of the book. I felt like I was reading two different books. At some points I felt like the author just wanted to have a couple different stories going on at the same time and just combined them.
Third, so her and the hot actor get together. She doesn't talk to him for a month and then she all of a sudden realizes she is in love with him. Really? Nothing about this story was very believable. I know it's a story and I know it's a way to escape, but it has to have some sort of warm feeling when you are reading about two people falling in love. I never got that. I felt awkward.
Lastly, what was with the the hot actor freezing her out towards the end and being in cohoots with his step-niece. Again it was weird. We find out why everyone was acting weird, but it was just so over the top. I also didn't like the CONSTANT inuendo about pre-martial relations. I find this topic sacred and I don't think it should be so belittled.
I think that might be it for my rant. The one positive note I will say is that it kept me reading. I wanted to know what happened because heaven knew the author was not helping me along.
I look forward to discussing this further in my good friends' and I bookclub "Happily Ever After bookclub."
This is our bookclub book for the month and I am sad to say I was a little disappointed.(HEA bookclubers feel free to stop reading until discussion starts on the 20th).
First things first. I had NO CLUE which guy I was suppose to root for. Did we want the hot actor or didn't we? Was I suppose to root for the best friend or not? I HAD NO IDEA. That is kind of a pet peeve in my book. For over the first quater of the book I was conviced that we were suppose to like Matthew(the best friend). Then all of a sudden he acts like a complete jerk and I was totally thrown. She also kept saying how funny looking the hot actor was(sorry I have completly blanked his name). I mean she said he had fake tanned skin, his teeth were too white and she kept bringing up how moisturized he was. I was just kind of turned off.
Second, what was with the major downer of her having "the incident" 11 years ago. It was way too intense for this book. I also thought the way everyone acted about it was kind of weird. Yes, it's a miracle she survived and she was very brave, but there was really no need for it to even be a part of the book. I felt like I was reading two different books. At some points I felt like the author just wanted to have a couple different stories going on at the same time and just combined them.
Third, so her and the hot actor get together. She doesn't talk to him for a month and then she all of a sudden realizes she is in love with him. Really? Nothing about this story was very believable. I know it's a story and I know it's a way to escape, but it has to have some sort of warm feeling when you are reading about two people falling in love. I never got that. I felt awkward.
Lastly, what was with the the hot actor freezing her out towards the end and being in cohoots with his step-niece. Again it was weird. We find out why everyone was acting weird, but it was just so over the top. I also didn't like the CONSTANT inuendo about pre-martial relations. I find this topic sacred and I don't think it should be so belittled.
I think that might be it for my rant. The one positive note I will say is that it kept me reading. I wanted to know what happened because heaven knew the author was not helping me along.
I look forward to discussing this further in my good friends' and I bookclub "Happily Ever After bookclub."
October 3, 2012
Ladies this book hits the sweet spot between romance and chic lit. It's so much fun without being over the top (OTT) at all. It's for the ungirly girls. Super so far.
*** FINAL REVIEW ***
Someone Else’s Fairytale was NOT at all what I expected. You know how the title insinuates pink fluffy dresses, girls who love to shop, secrets whispered behind manicured nails and chasing price Charming?
Yeah, no.
Just, no. Someone Else’s Fairytale is about Chloe Winters. Character profile:
- Disowned by illegitimate father
- Does not have a Passion For Fashion
- Wants a real guy who isn’t into straightening his hair or looking prettier than she is
- Loves being normal
- Does no want to stand out from the crowd
Sound like a shock?
Someone Else’s Fairytale swept me up in the love triangle between our world’s equivalent of One Direction stuffed into a twenty-something guy, Jason Vanderholt and Chloe’s best friend, just Matthew.
It’s written in superb style, utterly unputdownable and the romantic read for readers who don’t want romance. This novel focuses as much on family and personal crises as it does the romantic aspect of Chloe’s life.
I don’t reveal spoilers on Novel Girl but let me say that the resulting partner Chloe picks makes for my ultimate couple crush. You heard me. I’m crushing on a fictional character’s fictional love interest and I’m not one bit ashamed.
Someone Else’s Fairytale is such a perfect read for other book lovers like me who don’t want to be seen reading a lovey-dovey romance novel. This novel talks about a violent past in Chloe’s life. Her situation with Jason Vanderholt is 100% someone else’s fairytale. She’s had a horrible past that’s grown her up quicker than her 21 years.
There’s so much substance to this book between the not-so fairytale romance and Chloe’s fight to keep her dangerous past behind her.
5 stars and recommended!
*** FINAL REVIEW ***
Someone Else’s Fairytale was NOT at all what I expected. You know how the title insinuates pink fluffy dresses, girls who love to shop, secrets whispered behind manicured nails and chasing price Charming?
Yeah, no.
Just, no. Someone Else’s Fairytale is about Chloe Winters. Character profile:
- Disowned by illegitimate father
- Does not have a Passion For Fashion
- Wants a real guy who isn’t into straightening his hair or looking prettier than she is
- Loves being normal
- Does no want to stand out from the crowd
Sound like a shock?
Someone Else’s Fairytale swept me up in the love triangle between our world’s equivalent of One Direction stuffed into a twenty-something guy, Jason Vanderholt and Chloe’s best friend, just Matthew.
It’s written in superb style, utterly unputdownable and the romantic read for readers who don’t want romance. This novel focuses as much on family and personal crises as it does the romantic aspect of Chloe’s life.
I don’t reveal spoilers on Novel Girl but let me say that the resulting partner Chloe picks makes for my ultimate couple crush. You heard me. I’m crushing on a fictional character’s fictional love interest and I’m not one bit ashamed.
Someone Else’s Fairytale is such a perfect read for other book lovers like me who don’t want to be seen reading a lovey-dovey romance novel. This novel talks about a violent past in Chloe’s life. Her situation with Jason Vanderholt is 100% someone else’s fairytale. She’s had a horrible past that’s grown her up quicker than her 21 years.
There’s so much substance to this book between the not-so fairytale romance and Chloe’s fight to keep her dangerous past behind her.
5 stars and recommended!
September 15, 2015
I'm pretty sure this is the best wish fulfillment book I've ever read. Maybe I should clarify that, as it's a subgenre that I'm kind of making up on the spot. There's this type of romance where an ordinary girl dates, falls in love with, and consummates a relationship with a rich and famous guy (or sometimes the other way around, but it's more common for the famous guy story). Most such books have breaks with reality in places, though, where the wish breaks down because you can't actually think such a thing is possible. Stuff like the famous person being unaffected by their fame or inhumanly gracious or kind. Or able to selectively get away from their fans for the occasional private, magical moment where the relationship can grow.
None of that happens here. They get away for small moments, sure, but those are hard-earned and realistically fragile. And Jason's equanimity with fame is recent and equally hard-earned—and presented in a way that you completely buy both his prior recklessness and his growth from it. In other words, he feels accurate in a way that the best fiction does.
The same goes for Chloe, actually, as the "normal" girl. Chloe has a past that deeply affects her as well, though, and again, Tippetts does a fantastic job substantiating that past in a way that makes her fundamental stability natural and "real".
And they're both just so sweet and right for each other. And I particularly like how rocky their road was. There was a moment in the middle where I couldn't believe the turn the story took and I had to just roll with it. I hadn't learned to trust the author, yet, so it made me tense. Fortunately, the author not only made it all work, but made the story that much stronger for that twist.
Which brings up yet another strength of the novel: the cast of secondary characters are strongly portrayed and nearly as deeply sympathetic as the main characters are. I came to care as much for Kyra (a bratty sixteen year-old) by the end as I do for Chloe and Jason. And for the rest of Jason's family, as well as most of Chloe's friends. Such a rich cast for a story that turned much deeper than I had expected from what I had thought would be simple "wish fulfillment" fantasy.
I also liked how much time the story takes. Days, weeks, even months sometimes pass between scenes without losing the flow of the story. Tippetts picks her narrative moments in such a way that we don't lose momentum in the story, even as much-needed gaps are filled by the established momentum (i.e. healing or despair or understanding become deeper or shallower based on their trajectory pre-skip). The result is that the relationships carry the weight of that time even as the story maintains its narrative pace. I can't help feeling that this is harder to do than it looks because the characters somehow carry the weight of the passed time even though we aren't witness to it. I have to think this is the skill of the author at work.
The one aspect of the story that makes me hesitate to round this to a full five stars is the attitude of Chloe towards sex. Specifically, there is none and that feels deeply incongruous where there is no religious or moral grounds made for it. I get her position to start—that she simply isn't ready for that degree of intimacy. That's very well supported in her character . . . at the beginning. But as the story progresses, it becomes increasingly jarring as it is clear that Chloe is emotionally engaged and the relationship is fully as intimate as it can be regardless of how much sex they are or aren't having. And I find this a very weird thing to argue as an active LDS member because I suspect that it is Tippetts' religious background (which I believe to also be LDS) that is the source of the disconnect. Don't get me wrong, this book is not a tract or polemic against pre-marital sex. Other characters are "doing it" plenty and without any judgmental consequences that might be expected from an author concerned with writing "clean" literature. Further, there is at least a measure of condemnation for a character who is being chaste for religious reasons (though again, not in a polemic or didactic way).
So that's an odd objection to have, but I have to say that by the end of the story the not-sex-having was more a matter of curiosity than a detriment. Or at least, that's what I tell myself as I can't help rounding that solid 4.5 into a grateful five stars.
None of that happens here. They get away for small moments, sure, but those are hard-earned and realistically fragile. And Jason's equanimity with fame is recent and equally hard-earned—and presented in a way that you completely buy both his prior recklessness and his growth from it. In other words, he feels accurate in a way that the best fiction does.
The same goes for Chloe, actually, as the "normal" girl. Chloe has a past that deeply affects her as well, though, and again, Tippetts does a fantastic job substantiating that past in a way that makes her fundamental stability natural and "real".
And they're both just so sweet and right for each other. And I particularly like how rocky their road was. There was a moment in the middle where I couldn't believe the turn the story took and I had to just roll with it. I hadn't learned to trust the author, yet, so it made me tense. Fortunately, the author not only made it all work, but made the story that much stronger for that twist.
Which brings up yet another strength of the novel: the cast of secondary characters are strongly portrayed and nearly as deeply sympathetic as the main characters are. I came to care as much for Kyra (a bratty sixteen year-old) by the end as I do for Chloe and Jason. And for the rest of Jason's family, as well as most of Chloe's friends. Such a rich cast for a story that turned much deeper than I had expected from what I had thought would be simple "wish fulfillment" fantasy.
I also liked how much time the story takes. Days, weeks, even months sometimes pass between scenes without losing the flow of the story. Tippetts picks her narrative moments in such a way that we don't lose momentum in the story, even as much-needed gaps are filled by the established momentum (i.e. healing or despair or understanding become deeper or shallower based on their trajectory pre-skip). The result is that the relationships carry the weight of that time even as the story maintains its narrative pace. I can't help feeling that this is harder to do than it looks because the characters somehow carry the weight of the passed time even though we aren't witness to it. I have to think this is the skill of the author at work.
The one aspect of the story that makes me hesitate to round this to a full five stars is the attitude of Chloe towards sex. Specifically, there is none and that feels deeply incongruous where there is no religious or moral grounds made for it. I get her position to start—that she simply isn't ready for that degree of intimacy. That's very well supported in her character . . . at the beginning. But as the story progresses, it becomes increasingly jarring as it is clear that Chloe is emotionally engaged and the relationship is fully as intimate as it can be regardless of how much sex they are or aren't having. And I find this a very weird thing to argue as an active LDS member because I suspect that it is Tippetts' religious background (which I believe to also be LDS) that is the source of the disconnect. Don't get me wrong, this book is not a tract or polemic against pre-marital sex. Other characters are "doing it" plenty and without any judgmental consequences that might be expected from an author concerned with writing "clean" literature. Further, there is at least a measure of condemnation for a character who is being chaste for religious reasons (though again, not in a polemic or didactic way).
So that's an odd objection to have, but I have to say that by the end of the story the not-sex-having was more a matter of curiosity than a detriment. Or at least, that's what I tell myself as I can't help rounding that solid 4.5 into a grateful five stars.
September 21, 2014
3.5 stars. (But the things that brought it down in rating are perhaps more interesting to me than the things that worked perfectly.)
So here's what my plan for the other night looked like: spend a half an hour or so organising my shelves here, write up The Obsidian Mirror, and then -- whatever.
Here's what happened: spent that half an hour, but in the process added 4 books to my to-read shelf and 1 to my keep-an-eye-on-it shelf. Started reading the one added to my keep-an-eye-on-it shelf (Someone Else's Fairytale, obviously) and read until I'd finished it, in the process breaking my own practice of avoiding reading ebooks at night. (And suffering the consequences, unfortunately.)
You can just stick with the short version, which is that I enjoyed this book a lot, somewhat to my own surprise. I probably wouldn't have read it had I not seen Stephanie's praise for it, but I'm very picky about romance and haven't warmed to the few books classed as new adult I've tried. I ended up liking virtually all of the characters, rooted for the romance, loved the Albuquerque setting (which made me wish all over again that we'd gone to live in New Mexico instead of Tuscon, a gazillion years ago), and generally just fell into the book very happily.
One thing that surprised me a lot was that there was no sex in the novel. (I hate the terminology "clean romance", because of the obvious implication that all sex is dirty, but I'm guessing this is on a lot of lists of clean romances.) The fact that the heroine of the book is a virgin at book's beginning and close was much more of a surprise to me because I'd seen the tags of new adult and romance, without any qualifiers: neither the aforementioned "clean" nor "Christian". It's very unusual because Chloe doesn't choose not to have sex for religious reasons. She has a best friend (male) who wears a "purity ring" who obviously has made his decision for religious reasons, but she just says it's something she's not ready to deal with while she's finishing a very demanding college degree. Which is absolutely fair enough, and initially makes sense for her character, as one of the realistic “real-life-is-unfair” aspects of the book is that Chloe has to work a lot harder to get where she wants to go, because she was poor and went to a school in a poor district. It makes sense, that is, while she's going out with guys she obviously doesn't care about that much; we see the end of one such relationship, and see her typical behavior has been waiting to have The Talk until the guy says "no sex, no dating", and then it’s over. But it makes a lot less sense when she gets into a very complicated relationship with someone about whom she cares deeply. And the lack of good sense is compounded by the fact that when she's been involved with - er, spoiler - for seven months (and has finished university), they still haven't really communicated about how they each feel about not having had sex, let alone exactly why she’s isn't ready to think about it. And then - spoiler unavoidable here, sorry --
This all seemed more than a bit puzzling until I read a bit more about the author, and here I have to make apologies for going all authorial intention-ish on her. Her first romances were written for an LDS publishing house, and when I read that, I thought I might understand why Chloe, though only rather nominally Christian (she considers herself one but admits she only sometimes goes to church on the 2 biggies), nonetheless feels like a character who would read more consistently if she were waiting till she’s married to have sex for religious reasons. But with a religious writer writing a non-religious book with bleed-through, I’d maybe have expected some bad consequence for Chloe’s roommate, who does start having sex with her boyfriend in what Chloe considers a fairly short space of time. And then moves in with him – and gets pregnant. It’s not even remotely a “see what happens to Bad Girls” kind of pregnancy though, confirmed by the fact that she and her BF are really excited about it and are seen after the baby’s born, clearly a very committed and happy family. As well as that there’s another nice twist, which highlights the fact that purity has to go a lot deeper than merely abstaining from sex before marriage if it’s to mean what it should.
So there are two strikes against this as a romance, generically speaking: the main couples’ inadequate communication about something very important to their relationship and – and I say this as someone who actually prefers much less sexy times in her romance than is the norm – a real lack of chemistry – sizzle – call it what you want between the two. The first would normally be a serious flaw for me, as I hate the Big Misunderstanding-that-could-be-cleared-up-in-5-minutes’-honest-communication as much as anyone. Here, however, I sort of felt as if I wanted to sit the two down and give them a bit of relationship counseling, rather than wanting to smack the author. The second – well, it would probably bother a lot of people more than it bothered me, but I only noticed it and noticed that in the second book Chloe herself felt that by the time they got married there was all the chemistry anyone could want. (Not that the reader gets anything more explicit in book 2!)
The other thing that I found surprisingly effective was the portrayal of Chloe’s relationship with her mother. Her mother is pretty useless, and deeply immature, and Chloe had to get herself through the horrific ordeal of her attack as a child without any real support from her mother. There’s one scene in the book in which Chloe has to put that out to her mother, and her mother goes all wide-eyed and childlike and reading it, I was gripped strongly by both the feelings that Chloe was kicking a puppy and that she had to go on because she wasn’t going to be able to heal if she couldn’t get her feelings out there. Not comfortable, but well-done. What really impressed me is that she does manage to express it, and does get her mother to listen and their relationship does improve – and in the second book there’s more healing and growth and understanding on both sides of how things had been for the other. No insta-love, and no insta-healing either, and the author gets a lot of credit for both.
Finally, I think I’m right in saying that this is self-published, and in case others might see that and wonder if it means poor editing, it doesn’t. Not only that, but the formatting is really attractive – more so than a lot of ebooks from big publishers. All in all, I found this a lovely read.
So here's what my plan for the other night looked like: spend a half an hour or so organising my shelves here, write up The Obsidian Mirror, and then -- whatever.
Here's what happened: spent that half an hour, but in the process added 4 books to my to-read shelf and 1 to my keep-an-eye-on-it shelf. Started reading the one added to my keep-an-eye-on-it shelf (Someone Else's Fairytale, obviously) and read until I'd finished it, in the process breaking my own practice of avoiding reading ebooks at night. (And suffering the consequences, unfortunately.)
You can just stick with the short version, which is that I enjoyed this book a lot, somewhat to my own surprise. I probably wouldn't have read it had I not seen Stephanie's praise for it, but I'm very picky about romance and haven't warmed to the few books classed as new adult I've tried. I ended up liking virtually all of the characters, rooted for the romance, loved the Albuquerque setting (which made me wish all over again that we'd gone to live in New Mexico instead of Tuscon, a gazillion years ago), and generally just fell into the book very happily.
One thing that surprised me a lot was that there was no sex in the novel. (I hate the terminology "clean romance", because of the obvious implication that all sex is dirty, but I'm guessing this is on a lot of lists of clean romances.) The fact that the heroine of the book is a virgin at book's beginning and close was much more of a surprise to me because I'd seen the tags of new adult and romance, without any qualifiers: neither the aforementioned "clean" nor "Christian". It's very unusual because Chloe doesn't choose not to have sex for religious reasons. She has a best friend (male) who wears a "purity ring" who obviously has made his decision for religious reasons, but she just says it's something she's not ready to deal with while she's finishing a very demanding college degree. Which is absolutely fair enough, and initially makes sense for her character, as one of the realistic “real-life-is-unfair” aspects of the book is that Chloe has to work a lot harder to get where she wants to go, because she was poor and went to a school in a poor district. It makes sense, that is, while she's going out with guys she obviously doesn't care about that much; we see the end of one such relationship, and see her typical behavior has been waiting to have The Talk until the guy says "no sex, no dating", and then it’s over. But it makes a lot less sense when she gets into a very complicated relationship with someone about whom she cares deeply. And the lack of good sense is compounded by the fact that when she's been involved with - er, spoiler - for seven months (and has finished university), they still haven't really communicated about how they each feel about not having had sex, let alone exactly why she’s isn't ready to think about it. And then - spoiler unavoidable here, sorry --
This all seemed more than a bit puzzling until I read a bit more about the author, and here I have to make apologies for going all authorial intention-ish on her. Her first romances were written for an LDS publishing house, and when I read that, I thought I might understand why Chloe, though only rather nominally Christian (she considers herself one but admits she only sometimes goes to church on the 2 biggies), nonetheless feels like a character who would read more consistently if she were waiting till she’s married to have sex for religious reasons. But with a religious writer writing a non-religious book with bleed-through, I’d maybe have expected some bad consequence for Chloe’s roommate, who does start having sex with her boyfriend in what Chloe considers a fairly short space of time. And then moves in with him – and gets pregnant. It’s not even remotely a “see what happens to Bad Girls” kind of pregnancy though, confirmed by the fact that she and her BF are really excited about it and are seen after the baby’s born, clearly a very committed and happy family. As well as that there’s another nice twist, which highlights the fact that purity has to go a lot deeper than merely abstaining from sex before marriage if it’s to mean what it should.
So there are two strikes against this as a romance, generically speaking: the main couples’ inadequate communication about something very important to their relationship and – and I say this as someone who actually prefers much less sexy times in her romance than is the norm – a real lack of chemistry – sizzle – call it what you want between the two. The first would normally be a serious flaw for me, as I hate the Big Misunderstanding-that-could-be-cleared-up-in-5-minutes’-honest-communication as much as anyone. Here, however, I sort of felt as if I wanted to sit the two down and give them a bit of relationship counseling, rather than wanting to smack the author. The second – well, it would probably bother a lot of people more than it bothered me, but I only noticed it and noticed that in the second book Chloe herself felt that by the time they got married there was all the chemistry anyone could want. (Not that the reader gets anything more explicit in book 2!)
The other thing that I found surprisingly effective was the portrayal of Chloe’s relationship with her mother. Her mother is pretty useless, and deeply immature, and Chloe had to get herself through the horrific ordeal of her attack as a child without any real support from her mother. There’s one scene in the book in which Chloe has to put that out to her mother, and her mother goes all wide-eyed and childlike and reading it, I was gripped strongly by both the feelings that Chloe was kicking a puppy and that she had to go on because she wasn’t going to be able to heal if she couldn’t get her feelings out there. Not comfortable, but well-done. What really impressed me is that she does manage to express it, and does get her mother to listen and their relationship does improve – and in the second book there’s more healing and growth and understanding on both sides of how things had been for the other. No insta-love, and no insta-healing either, and the author gets a lot of credit for both.
Finally, I think I’m right in saying that this is self-published, and in case others might see that and wonder if it means poor editing, it doesn’t. Not only that, but the formatting is really attractive – more so than a lot of ebooks from big publishers. All in all, I found this a lovely read.
May 10, 2012
First I must say that what impressed me most about this book is the author’s ability to get me to cross genres. I am not a chick lit fan. I’ve tried to read many books in that genre – actually was able to finish a few, but never really left the book satisfied. But when I picked up “Someone Else’s Fairytale” I was hooked from page 1.
Chloe Winters has a chance meeting with big star Jason Vanderholt when she and her friends are extras in a movie being shot at their college the University of New Mexico. While her friends are star struck, Chloe is indifferent, even though Jason makes a point to talk to her. Chloe has much more important things on her mind, like finishing college and getting into grad school so she is surprised when Jason tracks her down and wants to be friends. She reluctantly agrees and makes it clear up front that friendship is all she’s interested in. But Chloe didn’t count on her feelings for Jason changing the longer she knows him. She thinks she knows what she wants but meeting Jason opens her eyes to a new world of possibilities. The relationship that follows is sweet and romantic.
At first glance I wondered if the plot seemed a bit cliché but Emily made it work because her characters had depth. Chloe and Jason both surprised me. I wondered if Chloe could really come across as uninterested in this big movie star. She did because she truly was just that…uninterested. Plus the back story of a tragedy that happened to her when she was young really rounded out her character and gave her a strength that I admired and respected. When she does realize her feelings for Jason, her reactions, insecurities and fears and well-written and believable. I found myself liking her more and more as the book progressed.
Jason was definitely a lot nicer than I ever imagined a Hollywood star to be, however, he wasn’t perfect. He’s made mistakes and his past is a hurdle that he and Chloe have to get over. He was very real and his pursuit of Chloe was equal parts sweet and funny. His gestures didn’t always get him the desired outcome, but I loved watching them work on their relationship throughout the course of the book.
Chloe’s friends and Jason’s family rounded out the cast of characters and I loved how both Chloe and Jason leaned on them for support.
This book really surprised me in a good way. I enjoyed it much more than I would have imagined and I can’t recommend it highly enough!
Chloe Winters has a chance meeting with big star Jason Vanderholt when she and her friends are extras in a movie being shot at their college the University of New Mexico. While her friends are star struck, Chloe is indifferent, even though Jason makes a point to talk to her. Chloe has much more important things on her mind, like finishing college and getting into grad school so she is surprised when Jason tracks her down and wants to be friends. She reluctantly agrees and makes it clear up front that friendship is all she’s interested in. But Chloe didn’t count on her feelings for Jason changing the longer she knows him. She thinks she knows what she wants but meeting Jason opens her eyes to a new world of possibilities. The relationship that follows is sweet and romantic.
At first glance I wondered if the plot seemed a bit cliché but Emily made it work because her characters had depth. Chloe and Jason both surprised me. I wondered if Chloe could really come across as uninterested in this big movie star. She did because she truly was just that…uninterested. Plus the back story of a tragedy that happened to her when she was young really rounded out her character and gave her a strength that I admired and respected. When she does realize her feelings for Jason, her reactions, insecurities and fears and well-written and believable. I found myself liking her more and more as the book progressed.
Jason was definitely a lot nicer than I ever imagined a Hollywood star to be, however, he wasn’t perfect. He’s made mistakes and his past is a hurdle that he and Chloe have to get over. He was very real and his pursuit of Chloe was equal parts sweet and funny. His gestures didn’t always get him the desired outcome, but I loved watching them work on their relationship throughout the course of the book.
Chloe’s friends and Jason’s family rounded out the cast of characters and I loved how both Chloe and Jason leaned on them for support.
This book really surprised me in a good way. I enjoyed it much more than I would have imagined and I can’t recommend it highly enough!
January 25, 2016
2.5*
Gorgeous cover! I wouldn't go so far as to say "shame about the contents," but I do think this romance wasted a great idea with poor structuring & a meandering pace. I think the book would have been improved with a bit of judicious pruning - say 50 pages. IMO, clean romances are hard to pull off in this day & age, so they need to be really fast paced
& better use could have been made of both Chloe's other admirer & her half brother.
Gorgeous cover! I wouldn't go so far as to say "shame about the contents," but I do think this romance wasted a great idea with poor structuring & a meandering pace. I think the book would have been improved with a bit of judicious pruning - say 50 pages. IMO, clean romances are hard to pull off in this day & age, so they need to be really fast paced
& better use could have been made of both Chloe's other admirer & her half brother.
March 19, 2012
I am going against the grain with the rest of the reviewers and only giving this book 2 stars. Since there are few pros than cons, I'll start with the positives.
Pros: The writing was sound and it was free. I've encountered many freebies that are just awful in this area.
Cons: I didn't like the characters...like at all. Chloe was beyond annoying and there were times I was seriously cheering for her to fail. In the beginning she describes Jason has a fake Ken doll with really dry skin but after watching his movies, the naive little girl has an epiphany that she's in love with him. Sounds like true love. Jason was not as bad but he left a lot to be desired. Matthew was a judgemental holy roller, Lori was shallow and Kyra needed to be slapped.
All in all the story wasn't bad but it wasn't my cup of tea either. The story felt like a chick lit/young adult crossbred without all the teenage agnst or drama. Will I read the book again?...No. Would I recommend this book to people?...Maybe. It would depend what your looking for. If your wanting chick lit fluff, with little or no offensive material, no steamy scenes but the here is a big shot superstar then I would say yes. But if you are looking for something other than marshmellows and cotton candy then my answer would be no. Like I said it's not a bad book, it just wasn't what I wanted it to be.
Happy Reading.
Pros: The writing was sound and it was free. I've encountered many freebies that are just awful in this area.
Cons: I didn't like the characters...like at all. Chloe was beyond annoying and there were times I was seriously cheering for her to fail. In the beginning she describes Jason has a fake Ken doll with really dry skin but after watching his movies, the naive little girl has an epiphany that she's in love with him. Sounds like true love. Jason was not as bad but he left a lot to be desired. Matthew was a judgemental holy roller, Lori was shallow and Kyra needed to be slapped.
All in all the story wasn't bad but it wasn't my cup of tea either. The story felt like a chick lit/young adult crossbred without all the teenage agnst or drama. Will I read the book again?...No. Would I recommend this book to people?...Maybe. It would depend what your looking for. If your wanting chick lit fluff, with little or no offensive material, no steamy scenes but the here is a big shot superstar then I would say yes. But if you are looking for something other than marshmellows and cotton candy then my answer would be no. Like I said it's not a bad book, it just wasn't what I wanted it to be.
Happy Reading.
April 25, 2016
Kindle freebie alert, April 2016! Grab this one while you can, if you like sweet contemporary romances.
I read this almost 3 years ago, when I was first starting to try writing Goodreads reviews; you can tell this by the extreme shortness of my original review below :) This romance is of the "date a famous hot actor" variety, but the main character and the story both have more depth than the typical contemporary romance.
The main character, Chloe, has a couple of guys chasing her, including her long-time best friend, Matthew, a handsome, polite Christian guy from Texas, as well as Jason, the hot actor. Even though pretty much every single girl in the country is dying to go out with Jason, Chloe just doesn't think his wealthy, high-profile lifestyle is for her.
Also, because of some painful personal and family history, Chloe has decided, at least for now, not to sleep with anyone, even if she's dating them steadily. This makes for some interesting developments in her personal relationships. I'm not sure Chloe's reasons for staying a virgin were entirely realistic -- personally I think it's difficult to justify once you're in a committed relationship, unless you have religious reasons for it -- but it was a worthy try by Tippetts (who is LDS, but that doesn't enter into this novel at all).
For whatever reason, this novel really appealed to me. I adored the main characters, who are well-rounded characters as well as goodhearted people who aren't full of themselves. Strongly recommended for romance lovers!
Original review, June 2013:
Very clean romance and an enjoyable, fun read. Bonus: it's actually well written with very few grammar/formatting errors (I've seen way too many books lately that miss that mark). Extra points for keeping me guessing about the direction the romance was going for quite a while.
I read this almost 3 years ago, when I was first starting to try writing Goodreads reviews; you can tell this by the extreme shortness of my original review below :) This romance is of the "date a famous hot actor" variety, but the main character and the story both have more depth than the typical contemporary romance.
The main character, Chloe, has a couple of guys chasing her, including her long-time best friend, Matthew, a handsome, polite Christian guy from Texas, as well as Jason, the hot actor. Even though pretty much every single girl in the country is dying to go out with Jason, Chloe just doesn't think his wealthy, high-profile lifestyle is for her.
“This is like a fairytale. Everything with you has been like a fairytale. You’ve been Prince Charming to a T. You’ve been attentive and caring and taken me on amazing dawn rides ... and you’ve got a wonderful family...”Those words hit me almost as hard as they hit Chloe! But Chloe just doesn't think he's the right guy for her, and Matthew is suddenly interested in changing their relationship into a romantic one after months of being just good buddies. I've tried not to give away who she ends up with because it made the journey more interesting, not knowing which direction the story is going for quite a while.
He looked down. “But,” he prompted.
I leaned against the counter. “It’s not my fairytale. It’s not anything I ever wanted. It’s the last thing I’ve ever wanted. I hate crowds. I don’t want to be the envy of every other woman on the planet. I never dreamed of being with a guy with flawless good looks. This is someone else’s fairytale.”
“Yeah,” agreed Jason. “I know.”
Relief unfolded in me. “You do?”
“It’s mine.”
Also, because of some painful personal and family history, Chloe has decided, at least for now, not to sleep with anyone, even if she's dating them steadily. This makes for some interesting developments in her personal relationships. I'm not sure Chloe's reasons for staying a virgin were entirely realistic -- personally I think it's difficult to justify once you're in a committed relationship, unless you have religious reasons for it -- but it was a worthy try by Tippetts (who is LDS, but that doesn't enter into this novel at all).
For whatever reason, this novel really appealed to me. I adored the main characters, who are well-rounded characters as well as goodhearted people who aren't full of themselves. Strongly recommended for romance lovers!
Original review, June 2013:
Very clean romance and an enjoyable, fun read. Bonus: it's actually well written with very few grammar/formatting errors (I've seen way too many books lately that miss that mark). Extra points for keeping me guessing about the direction the romance was going for quite a while.
November 6, 2015
***Three It-Was-Kinda-OK Stars***
This book was free on Amazon and I'm not ashamed to say that's pretty much the only reason why I gave it a shot. It was a pleasant surprise in some ways and terribly predictable in other ways.
So we meet Chloe Winters, a goodie-two-shoes with really annoying, dysfunctional mom (I wonder if there's a heroine out there with regular folks?). What I liked about Chloe was that she was genuinely smart (reminded me a little of Penny Reid's characters). What I didn't like about her? - Everything else.
She is so bitchy and judgmental towards the H, a movie-star from her small-town who made it big in Hollywood named Jason Vanderholt. You kind of wonder what makes him like her in the first place. And boy, he is the opposite of alpha-male. He is so beta, he almost passes as a Gamma (lame joke, I know).
The plot was a little on the meh side and the heroine definitely an annoying little girl, however, the writing was really refreshing and put-together. Very little whining, and there was something very clean and undramatic about the way this novel was served.
Overall, I won't be reading the next book in the series, but I will read more from this author.
This book was free on Amazon and I'm not ashamed to say that's pretty much the only reason why I gave it a shot. It was a pleasant surprise in some ways and terribly predictable in other ways.
So we meet Chloe Winters, a goodie-two-shoes with really annoying, dysfunctional mom (I wonder if there's a heroine out there with regular folks?). What I liked about Chloe was that she was genuinely smart (reminded me a little of Penny Reid's characters). What I didn't like about her? - Everything else.
She is so bitchy and judgmental towards the H, a movie-star from her small-town who made it big in Hollywood named Jason Vanderholt. You kind of wonder what makes him like her in the first place. And boy, he is the opposite of alpha-male. He is so beta, he almost passes as a Gamma (lame joke, I know).
The plot was a little on the meh side and the heroine definitely an annoying little girl, however, the writing was really refreshing and put-together. Very little whining, and there was something very clean and undramatic about the way this novel was served.
Overall, I won't be reading the next book in the series, but I will read more from this author.
January 3, 2015
This was... interesting?
Things I liked:
1. That while there was a past traumatic event, it did not define Chloe's life. Too often in new adult books (and are we calling this NA? I'm not sure), the trauma is all the character is. But that's not the case here. She has baggage, both from the trauma and her childhood, but the book is largely about how they effect her ability to live her life and I liked that.
2. The presentation of a celeb/non-celeb relationship felt pretty right.
3. Jason's family. They were great.
Things I did not like:
1. The Matthew detour. That was weird? Not good, whatever it was.
2. Some of it seemed too perfect? Like yes, I liked how they talked about her decision not to have sex and how respectful he was of it, but it also felt too easy. That's a real thing to have some conflict about. And there just wasn't.
Overall, worth reading for a free book, but I'm not particularly interested in any of the sequels, though. So that's that.
Things I liked:
1. That while there was a past traumatic event, it did not define Chloe's life. Too often in new adult books (and are we calling this NA? I'm not sure), the trauma is all the character is. But that's not the case here. She has baggage, both from the trauma and her childhood, but the book is largely about how they effect her ability to live her life and I liked that.
2. The presentation of a celeb/non-celeb relationship felt pretty right.
3. Jason's family. They were great.
Things I did not like:
1. The Matthew detour. That was weird? Not good, whatever it was.
2. Some of it seemed too perfect? Like yes, I liked how they talked about her decision not to have sex and how respectful he was of it, but it also felt too easy. That's a real thing to have some conflict about. And there just wasn't.
Overall, worth reading for a free book, but I'm not particularly interested in any of the sequels, though. So that's that.
April 20, 2013
This was not what I was expecting at all - and I mean that in a good way!
Someone Else's Fairytale is about a normal girl named Chloe. After a rough childhood that left her (literally) scarred, she's desperate to move on and live just a regular life. Between going to college and working at a coffee shop, she's pretty much on her way to achieving that goal. Then, due to a friend, she becomes an extra in a movie that just happens to star Jason Vanderholt.
Jason is the Hollywood 'IT' boy. Having starred in mega-blockbusters that have swept the world (and the girls) by storm, Jason's life doesn't even really belong to him anymore.
He notices Chloe and talks to her only to get - spurned! Chloe turns him down, making her stand out from the rest of the girls regularly fawning over Jason. Not only does it catch his attention, he likes it. They form a friendship that eventually turns into more.
For awhile I considered giving this book a lower rating. The first third of the book made me madder than anything else. Clearly the author is a fan of not only the Twilight movie franchise, but of the actors. It felt like I was reading about Robert Pattinson and the girl was what the author would want to be like if she ever met him. Furthermore, we were going around in circles with the two of them for a long time.
However, eventually it hit its stride and I felt like the characters developed into her own rather than a copy cat of real people. Once Jason had a solid personality and Chloe , I liked it more. Actually, I became consumed and couldn't stop reading. This was more of the book I was expecting - the exceptional fluff with a little bit of unbelievable thrown in.
The side characters were interesting. I surprisingly liked Kyra while I didn't care for Matthew from the start. He rubbed me the wrong way from the first moment he started preaching. Sadly, I know people that go on and on about purity rings to the point where they get defined by it. And what he did to Chloe?
Yeah, that was so uncool yet very realistic. I liked the realism factor about the book. When she got her heart stomped on, she did a lot of stupid things. When she realized her mistakes, she got the chance to correct them instead of hiding in her hobbit hole.
The book, though, all comes back to the fluff for me. I loved how Jason spoke of their relationship to the press. I straight up swooned when, asked whether or not he was single, he said: "'Not even remotely. But I'm not divulging any details, sorry.'"
I adore you, Jason Vanderholt!
All in all, I really enjoyed the book and I would recommend it to anyone that loves reading about Hollywood.
Someone Else's Fairytale is about a normal girl named Chloe. After a rough childhood that left her (literally) scarred, she's desperate to move on and live just a regular life. Between going to college and working at a coffee shop, she's pretty much on her way to achieving that goal. Then, due to a friend, she becomes an extra in a movie that just happens to star Jason Vanderholt.
Jason is the Hollywood 'IT' boy. Having starred in mega-blockbusters that have swept the world (and the girls) by storm, Jason's life doesn't even really belong to him anymore.
He notices Chloe and talks to her only to get - spurned! Chloe turns him down, making her stand out from the rest of the girls regularly fawning over Jason. Not only does it catch his attention, he likes it. They form a friendship that eventually turns into more.
For awhile I considered giving this book a lower rating. The first third of the book made me madder than anything else. Clearly the author is a fan of not only the Twilight movie franchise, but of the actors. It felt like I was reading about Robert Pattinson and the girl was what the author would want to be like if she ever met him. Furthermore, we were going around in circles with the two of them for a long time.
However, eventually it hit its stride and I felt like the characters developed into her own rather than a copy cat of real people. Once Jason had a solid personality and Chloe , I liked it more. Actually, I became consumed and couldn't stop reading. This was more of the book I was expecting - the exceptional fluff with a little bit of unbelievable thrown in.
The side characters were interesting. I surprisingly liked Kyra while I didn't care for Matthew from the start. He rubbed me the wrong way from the first moment he started preaching. Sadly, I know people that go on and on about purity rings to the point where they get defined by it. And what he did to Chloe?
Yeah, that was so uncool yet very realistic. I liked the realism factor about the book. When she got her heart stomped on, she did a lot of stupid things. When she realized her mistakes, she got the chance to correct them instead of hiding in her hobbit hole.
The book, though, all comes back to the fluff for me. I loved how Jason spoke of their relationship to the press. I straight up swooned when, asked whether or not he was single, he said: "'Not even remotely. But I'm not divulging any details, sorry.'"
I adore you, Jason Vanderholt!
All in all, I really enjoyed the book and I would recommend it to anyone that loves reading about Hollywood.
November 11, 2013
*4.5 stars*
The first time I tried to read this, I bounced off the writing style in the first few chapters and gave up. That was SUCH a mistake! When I tried again, this time sticking past the first few chapters, I got absolutely sucked in and ended up DEVOURING it, cheering Chloe all the way, 100% invested in her romance and the lives of all the great characters around her. (And I loved the hero's family - big and real and fabulous.) It turns out, I LOVED this book, and felt so ridiculous for having given up on it the first time I tried reading it. It was a totally addictive, delicious fantasy read, and I can't wait to read the sequel, Nobody's Damsel.
The first time I tried to read this, I bounced off the writing style in the first few chapters and gave up. That was SUCH a mistake! When I tried again, this time sticking past the first few chapters, I got absolutely sucked in and ended up DEVOURING it, cheering Chloe all the way, 100% invested in her romance and the lives of all the great characters around her. (And I loved the hero's family - big and real and fabulous.) It turns out, I LOVED this book, and felt so ridiculous for having given up on it the first time I tried reading it. It was a totally addictive, delicious fantasy read, and I can't wait to read the sequel, Nobody's Damsel.
April 28, 2015
5 Stars
You can imagine my surprise when I am home today and wanted a lighter, by that meaning less dark, book to read today to lift my spirits. I have this book sitting on my kindle, which was a freebie that I pick up somewhere along the way, and decide what the heck I'll give it a go. I absolutely completely enjoyed this book. It was funny and touching heartfelt and silly. This was a win for me today!!
You can imagine my surprise when I am home today and wanted a lighter, by that meaning less dark, book to read today to lift my spirits. I have this book sitting on my kindle, which was a freebie that I pick up somewhere along the way, and decide what the heck I'll give it a go. I absolutely completely enjoyed this book. It was funny and touching heartfelt and silly. This was a win for me today!!
June 17, 2015
SO DULL.
August 19, 2015
I made it to 20% before I just simply could not take the writing and characters anymore. I am mad I one-clicked this as a freebie. I want my time back.
November 19, 2020
Contemporary romance is not my thing at all, but this is easily 3.5 or even 3.75 stars, because I just love the main character. The writing is solid, and the book focuses on personal growth, dealing with trauma and navigating relationships beyond romance. It just feels more realistic and subtler than a usual romance book.
July 28, 2012
This is a classic boy meets girl Cinderella love story that will tickle those fantasy taste buds, whether you are 14 or 40 and beyond.
Chloe Winters isn't your average 21 year old, although she is bright and is training in forensic science, her underlying views on all things fantastical and romantic became stale the moment her life took a dramatic turn for the worse when she was 11. The day she nearly died at the hands of an estranged family member, was the day Chloe vowed to control her own life, and never again let a man get close on any physical level. Never having had a serious relationship, I think it's safe to say that these traumatic turn of events stunted her emotional level intake, but she was cool with that! Well, that is until the day some sexy Hollywood hunk from her hometown returns home to shoot a movie at her school.
Immediately, Jason is taken with her honesty, and all the charms in the world will not deter her from showing a lack of interest, given his efforts. Slowly we start to see a friendship blossom, with honesty at the forefront.
When things start to take another turn, and the man that hurt Chloe is released from jail, Jason proves his worth and helps support her through the ordeal, proving once again that his interest in Chloe comes from within, which evidently starts to build a strong foundation, and gradually their friendship turns into something more...
On the downside, Jason's gruelling work commitments prove a hardship, and we watch these two kids struggle with coming to terms with foreign emotions, long distance separation and tabloid press.
This is a great YA story, a very lighthearted read that makes you smile.
I loved Jason, he is perfect boyfriend material, that we do tend to only really find in books, but the escapism was a pleasant one. Chloe grated on me sometimes, she seemed to be quite difficult at times, and her cold nature made me wonder what Jason saw in her, but her past was evidence of this, and therefore understandable. I would have liked to have some further elaboration at the end, but that's a personal preference thing.
There are no intimate moments in this book, except some kissing and canoodling which makes this a great book for teenagers and adults alike. I am awarding this feel good story a worthy 4 stars.
December 22, 2014
So I'd actually tried this before! But I bounced off the writing, so didn't read more than a couple of chapters. But Hallie and Jacob's review were SO good that I wanted to give it another chance. And then I was browsing Amazon and noticed it was free (still is!), so I bought it.
And ohhh. I haven't had much time to read except late at night and this kept me up late two nights in a row, reading "just one more chapter!" Finally decided I HAD to finish it tonight because I can't keep doing that! And, okay, I'm going to quote from Hallie's reivew:
(But the things that brought it down in rating are perhaps more interesting to me than the things that worked perfectly.)
Because yeah. There's stuff I complained about to myself while reading the book, but when I got to the end . . . I don't think I really wanted to change anything. That and the keeping up late gives it five stars.
One thing that ALWAYS worked for me was how Jason was portrayed. He was so believable as a "nice" movie star. And, oh, I get so frustrated with movie stars books where the star is all emo about the fame and wanting to be normal because while real life Katie thinks that's a perfectly natural and valid reaction, the Katie who seeks out movie stars books wants the wish fulfillment. And this did that, while also keeping it realistic.
And it's midnight, so I suppose it would be a bad idea to start the next one, right?
And ohhh. I haven't had much time to read except late at night and this kept me up late two nights in a row, reading "just one more chapter!" Finally decided I HAD to finish it tonight because I can't keep doing that! And, okay, I'm going to quote from Hallie's reivew:
(But the things that brought it down in rating are perhaps more interesting to me than the things that worked perfectly.)
Because yeah. There's stuff I complained about to myself while reading the book, but when I got to the end . . . I don't think I really wanted to change anything. That and the keeping up late gives it five stars.
One thing that ALWAYS worked for me was how Jason was portrayed. He was so believable as a "nice" movie star. And, oh, I get so frustrated with movie stars books where the star is all emo about the fame and wanting to be normal because while real life Katie thinks that's a perfectly natural and valid reaction, the Katie who seeks out movie stars books wants the wish fulfillment. And this did that, while also keeping it realistic.
And it's midnight, so I suppose it would be a bad idea to start the next one, right?
November 21, 2012
Chloe is an Albuquerque college student who had a rough upbringing, but her life changes when she and her roommate and best friend, Matthew, were extras on the set of a movie. Big-time actor, Jason, notices her and they become friends. Too bad Chloe feels like this should be someone else's fairytale and not hers. She doesn't get caught up in all the Hollywood stuff--she thinks his life is weird.
Chloe is a strong young woman who has very high morals. She goes through a difficult trial and overcomes it, but she doesn't seem to show a lot of emotion through it all. At first, I liked both Matthew and Jason a lot. Jason, although so famous and fake-looking, is really down-to-earth.
Some of the content was a little edgy (but not over the edge)--talk about sex (especially how Matthew and Chloe are abstaining and how Jason is a man influenced by fame and hasn't). With no real details given, it could be considered clean for an adult reader.
Overall, who hasn't had the dream of some famous guy falling for you, whether or not you think of him as a friend...or more? It was a fun escape book and was entertaining.
Chloe is a strong young woman who has very high morals. She goes through a difficult trial and overcomes it, but she doesn't seem to show a lot of emotion through it all. At first, I liked both Matthew and Jason a lot. Jason, although so famous and fake-looking, is really down-to-earth.
Some of the content was a little edgy (but not over the edge)--talk about sex (especially how Matthew and Chloe are abstaining and how Jason is a man influenced by fame and hasn't). With no real details given, it could be considered clean for an adult reader.
Overall, who hasn't had the dream of some famous guy falling for you, whether or not you think of him as a friend...or more? It was a fun escape book and was entertaining.
January 17, 2016
I could just echo what all of you said: I really, really liked this. What fabulous people this book's got. Like (I think?) all of you, I didn't really buy but the writing is strong enough to make me overlook that - to want a happily-ever-after anyway.
Although happily-ever-after is the wrong term, isn't it? This isn't that sort of book, and these aren't those sorts of characters. But I trust that they're set up well for the future, and that they're willing to work for their happiness, and that strikes me as some pretty impressive writing.
I have to say, too, that I really like Jason's family and how normal they are, and I love - love love love - Kyra. WHAT A FABULOUS TEENAGER. How's her book?!
Although happily-ever-after is the wrong term, isn't it? This isn't that sort of book, and these aren't those sorts of characters. But I trust that they're set up well for the future, and that they're willing to work for their happiness, and that strikes me as some pretty impressive writing.
I have to say, too, that I really like Jason's family and how normal they are, and I love - love love love - Kyra. WHAT A FABULOUS TEENAGER. How's her book?!
January 29, 2015
Inhaltsangabe:
Es ist einfach nicht ihr Märchen, als der erfolgreiche Jason Vanderholt in ihr Leben tritt.
Traumatisiert durch ihre Kindheit, deren ganzes Ausmaß erst nach und nach enthüllt wird, konzentriert sich Chloe Winters auf ihre akademische Laufbahn.
Als er Chloe bei Aufnahmen zu einem neuen Film begegnet ist es um ihn geschehen, denn im Vergleich zu anderen Frauen ist es ihr vollkommen egal WER er ist. Sein üblicher Charme zieht bei Chloe nicht, doch Jason unternimmt jeden Versuch, um seine Traumfrau davon zu überzeugen, dass es ein "und sie lebten glücklich bis an ihr Lebensende" auch für sie geben kann.
Meine Einschätzung:
Dank einer Bekannten bei Facebook wurde ich auf dieses Buch von E.M. Tippetts aufmerksam und als ich dann auch noch las, dass es umsonst ist war mir sofort klar: LESEN!
Und was soll ich sagen, oft sind gerade gratis eBooks die besten Bücher und dieser Roman ist bei Leibe keine Ausnahme ...
EMTs Schreibstil ist locker, leicht, flüssig und selbst für mich nicht Muttersprachler (englisch) wunderbar einfach und angenehm zu lesen.
Einmal in die Story abgetaucht kam ich nicht mehr davon los, nicht eher bis ich durch war.
Sicher, die Handlung hat an und für sich nicht sonderlich viel neues zu bieten und doch ist es von Anfang an unterhaltsam und bisweilen spannend. Manche der Dialoge waren zum dahinschmelzen, andere viel zu ernst für ein Buch dieser "Leichtigkeit" und bei anderen Dialogen habe ich mich förmlich gekrümmt vor Lachen. Insgesamt hat dieses Buch eine wirklich gute Mischung abgeliefert ohne dabei zu klischeehaft zu sein.
Mit interessanten und spannenden Wendungen in den Ereignissen und einigen überraschenden Enthüllungen hält die Autorin mich, ihre geneigte Leserin, gekonnt bei der Stange - super
Bei den Charaktere kann ich unumwunden sagen, dass ich alle sofort in mein Herz geschlossen habe und ihre Entwicklungen mehr als toll waren. Gerade bei Jason merkte man, dass er mehr ist als ein Hollywoodsternchen, der gut aussieht! Und Chloe will mehr sein als die uneheliche Tochter ihres Vaters und der Armschmuck an Jasons Seite ...
Alles in Allem hat bei diesem Buch hier einfach alles gestimmt - das Tempo war normal und auch die Mischung aus leichten Themen und ernsteren war ausgewogen.
Mein Fazit:
5 Sterne - ein wunderschöner und gefühlvoller Roman mit ungeahntem Tiefgang. Absolute Leseempfehlung.
Es ist einfach nicht ihr Märchen, als der erfolgreiche Jason Vanderholt in ihr Leben tritt.
Traumatisiert durch ihre Kindheit, deren ganzes Ausmaß erst nach und nach enthüllt wird, konzentriert sich Chloe Winters auf ihre akademische Laufbahn.
Als er Chloe bei Aufnahmen zu einem neuen Film begegnet ist es um ihn geschehen, denn im Vergleich zu anderen Frauen ist es ihr vollkommen egal WER er ist. Sein üblicher Charme zieht bei Chloe nicht, doch Jason unternimmt jeden Versuch, um seine Traumfrau davon zu überzeugen, dass es ein "und sie lebten glücklich bis an ihr Lebensende" auch für sie geben kann.
Meine Einschätzung:
Dank einer Bekannten bei Facebook wurde ich auf dieses Buch von E.M. Tippetts aufmerksam und als ich dann auch noch las, dass es umsonst ist war mir sofort klar: LESEN!
Und was soll ich sagen, oft sind gerade gratis eBooks die besten Bücher und dieser Roman ist bei Leibe keine Ausnahme ...
EMTs Schreibstil ist locker, leicht, flüssig und selbst für mich nicht Muttersprachler (englisch) wunderbar einfach und angenehm zu lesen.
Einmal in die Story abgetaucht kam ich nicht mehr davon los, nicht eher bis ich durch war.
Sicher, die Handlung hat an und für sich nicht sonderlich viel neues zu bieten und doch ist es von Anfang an unterhaltsam und bisweilen spannend. Manche der Dialoge waren zum dahinschmelzen, andere viel zu ernst für ein Buch dieser "Leichtigkeit" und bei anderen Dialogen habe ich mich förmlich gekrümmt vor Lachen. Insgesamt hat dieses Buch eine wirklich gute Mischung abgeliefert ohne dabei zu klischeehaft zu sein.
Mit interessanten und spannenden Wendungen in den Ereignissen und einigen überraschenden Enthüllungen hält die Autorin mich, ihre geneigte Leserin, gekonnt bei der Stange - super
Bei den Charaktere kann ich unumwunden sagen, dass ich alle sofort in mein Herz geschlossen habe und ihre Entwicklungen mehr als toll waren. Gerade bei Jason merkte man, dass er mehr ist als ein Hollywoodsternchen, der gut aussieht! Und Chloe will mehr sein als die uneheliche Tochter ihres Vaters und der Armschmuck an Jasons Seite ...
Alles in Allem hat bei diesem Buch hier einfach alles gestimmt - das Tempo war normal und auch die Mischung aus leichten Themen und ernsteren war ausgewogen.
Mein Fazit:
5 Sterne - ein wunderschöner und gefühlvoller Roman mit ungeahntem Tiefgang. Absolute Leseempfehlung.
February 25, 2013
This book was just okay for me. Felt like a easy going fairy tale that every young girl dreams about at one time. The characters are easy to follow and for the most part likable. I won't say relate-able because not every meets a famous movie star or has such a crazy history as Chloe.
"That part of me I'd thought was broken past repair, wasn't so broken after all. I hadn't forgotten how to dream, I'd just stopped paying attention."-Chloe
The two really go well together. There's no heart stopping romance or gritty love scenes, it's very PG.
I was only upset by one part in the book and that was Chloe's friend Matthew who appears all sweet and adorable until his true self comes out and I wanted to punch him in the baby maker. I mean how many cowboy Texans wear purity rings at twenty-two and look as fine as him... Not many. But then his personality ruined it all. (Also the whole love triangle aspect including him, was sort of upsetting, almost as if it was in there just to fit the whole YA ideal nowadays.)
I must admit Chloe and I share the same wariness when it comes to the media. I cannot imagine having a A-List boyfriend with girls literally crying and fawning over who is beyond rich and is known basically everywhere he goes. Kinda annoying if you ask me. And poor Chloe, to have to put up with jealous and sometimes dangerous fans. (Though with all the shit she went through in her life I'm glad she found her happy ending.)Chloe was overall a honest character and easy to follow because she thought over her choices. She even told Jason how afraid she was to start anything with him because it was all too 'fairy tale' for her and out of her comfort zone. I would think most girls would think this way but at least she acknowledges it and helps show how little she cares of his fame and fortune.
Which brings me to the end, it sorta felt rushed. Maybe I would have enjoyed a epilogue or a scene ten years from now. All we get is a line about them having ups and downs, but who doesn't. It felt like this was more of the beginning of their story not necessarily the heart of it.
There were also a few minor grammar issue, such as question marks where there was no question and repeated words and statements.
"That part of me I'd thought was broken past repair, wasn't so broken after all. I hadn't forgotten how to dream, I'd just stopped paying attention."-Chloe
The two really go well together. There's no heart stopping romance or gritty love scenes, it's very PG.
I was only upset by one part in the book and that was Chloe's friend Matthew who appears all sweet and adorable until his true self comes out and I wanted to punch him in the baby maker. I mean how many cowboy Texans wear purity rings at twenty-two and look as fine as him... Not many. But then his personality ruined it all. (Also the whole love triangle aspect including him, was sort of upsetting, almost as if it was in there just to fit the whole YA ideal nowadays.)
I must admit Chloe and I share the same wariness when it comes to the media. I cannot imagine having a A-List boyfriend with girls literally crying and fawning over who is beyond rich and is known basically everywhere he goes. Kinda annoying if you ask me. And poor Chloe, to have to put up with jealous and sometimes dangerous fans. (Though with all the shit she went through in her life I'm glad she found her happy ending.)Chloe was overall a honest character and easy to follow because she thought over her choices. She even told Jason how afraid she was to start anything with him because it was all too 'fairy tale' for her and out of her comfort zone. I would think most girls would think this way but at least she acknowledges it and helps show how little she cares of his fame and fortune.
Which brings me to the end, it sorta felt rushed. Maybe I would have enjoyed a epilogue or a scene ten years from now. All we get is a line about them having ups and downs, but who doesn't. It felt like this was more of the beginning of their story not necessarily the heart of it.
There were also a few minor grammar issue, such as question marks where there was no question and repeated words and statements.
December 28, 2012
I was actually debating giving this book 5 stars, but I let it sit (and my excitement simmer down) and I'm giving it 4.5. This book was in no way the best thing ever written, but the feels it gave me while reading make up for it's high rating.
Someone Else's Fairytale begins with Chloe and her friends, Matthew and Lori, heading down to the college campus to become extras on a film being filmed in their area. The film stars current heartthrob, Jason Vanderholt, who is actually from that area. Jason meets Chloe in line, where she is of course completely unfazed by his celebrity status. Over a brief conversation, Chloe finds out that Jason has connections to her family - connections she doesn't want to talk about.
Needless to say, Jason finds Chloe's lack of interest in Hollywood refreshing. A friendship, mostly via Skype, ensues. Meanwhile, while all this is happening, Matthew (Chloe's best guy friend) suddenly starts exhibiting signs of jealousy.
Now here was where I started to get nervous. Chloe didn't have any...and I mean any interest in Jason and with Matthew's sudden interest, I was really confused as to who she would end up with. Jason - who we've come to know (and in my case, love). Or Matthew - who we had hardly seen any of up until now.
My one problem was Chloe's attitude at times. I get that she wants to be independent, and more power to her. In YA, female leads hardly ever actually stand up for themselves or what they believed in. But there were times when I just wanted to be like, ACCEPT THE DAMN GIFTS!
This book explores the concept of friendship before love so fluidly. And Chloe's background story, as dramatic as it seemed tied all together, the way the author weaved it through the story, just made the story that much tighter. Yes, parts were extremely cheesy, but I loved every second of it. And I cannot wait until the sequel!
Someone Else's Fairytale begins with Chloe and her friends, Matthew and Lori, heading down to the college campus to become extras on a film being filmed in their area. The film stars current heartthrob, Jason Vanderholt, who is actually from that area. Jason meets Chloe in line, where she is of course completely unfazed by his celebrity status. Over a brief conversation, Chloe finds out that Jason has connections to her family - connections she doesn't want to talk about.
Needless to say, Jason finds Chloe's lack of interest in Hollywood refreshing. A friendship, mostly via Skype, ensues. Meanwhile, while all this is happening, Matthew (Chloe's best guy friend) suddenly starts exhibiting signs of jealousy.
Now here was where I started to get nervous. Chloe didn't have any...and I mean any interest in Jason and with Matthew's sudden interest, I was really confused as to who she would end up with. Jason - who we've come to know (and in my case, love). Or Matthew - who we had hardly seen any of up until now.
My one problem was Chloe's attitude at times. I get that she wants to be independent, and more power to her. In YA, female leads hardly ever actually stand up for themselves or what they believed in. But there were times when I just wanted to be like, ACCEPT THE DAMN GIFTS!
This book explores the concept of friendship before love so fluidly. And Chloe's background story, as dramatic as it seemed tied all together, the way the author weaved it through the story, just made the story that much tighter. Yes, parts were extremely cheesy, but I loved every second of it. And I cannot wait until the sequel!
January 12, 2013
I’ve always been a sucker for romantic fairytale-like stories. But when I heard about ‘Someone Else’s Fairytale’ is wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I started reading this book earlier this morning and I couldn’t put it down. I’ve neglected my house, forgot to drink (so I’m dehydrated right now) or eat and been reading all day. This book really exceeded all my expectations.
‘Someone Else’s Fairytale’ is a story about Chloe. She is your typical girl-next-door college girl who studies real hard and doesn’t go out much. Together with her roommate she volunteers as an extra at one of Hollywood star Jason ’s movies. Jason and Chloe accidentally meet and Chloe makes sure that Jason knows that she doesn’t want anything to do with him. But Jason doesn’t give up that easy and soon they become friends.
This is the first book I’ve read from Emily Tippetts and I must say I’m completely sold. This book was just amazing and greatly written. Emily Tippetts makes you love the characters. From the moment I read about Jason Vanderholt I was completely in love with his character.
I just really love this great book. Thank god the second novel ‘Nobody’s Damsel’ came out earlier. That’s definitely a book high on my to-read-next- list!
‘Someone Else’s Fairytale’ is a story about Chloe. She is your typical girl-next-door college girl who studies real hard and doesn’t go out much. Together with her roommate she volunteers as an extra at one of Hollywood star Jason ’s movies. Jason and Chloe accidentally meet and Chloe makes sure that Jason knows that she doesn’t want anything to do with him. But Jason doesn’t give up that easy and soon they become friends.
This is the first book I’ve read from Emily Tippetts and I must say I’m completely sold. This book was just amazing and greatly written. Emily Tippetts makes you love the characters. From the moment I read about Jason Vanderholt I was completely in love with his character.
I just really love this great book. Thank god the second novel ‘Nobody’s Damsel’ came out earlier. That’s definitely a book high on my to-read-next- list!
July 1, 2013
Chloe Winters has spent her whole life being judged over something she had nothing to do with, if it were not from her mother’s indiscretions it was for a tragedy that occurred years ago. Chloe keeps all of this wound tightly and secure within her, not sharing even to her closest friends.
Talked into being an extra on a film being shot locally, Chloe happens to catch the eye of Hollywood heartthrob Jason Vanderholt. Jason is instantly focused on Chloe, she treats him like a regular guy and they build a friendship of sorts that continues to grow into something more. Chloe isn’t sure what this relationship is with Jason, she doesn’t trust easy and she is receiving mixed signals from her best friend Matthew. Throw in a dysfunctional mother, an enemy who she can’t seem to shake, and feelings she is not sure what to do with and you are in for a rare treat in this story.
Full review on Single Titles
http://singletitles.com/?p=8973
Talked into being an extra on a film being shot locally, Chloe happens to catch the eye of Hollywood heartthrob Jason Vanderholt. Jason is instantly focused on Chloe, she treats him like a regular guy and they build a friendship of sorts that continues to grow into something more. Chloe isn’t sure what this relationship is with Jason, she doesn’t trust easy and she is receiving mixed signals from her best friend Matthew. Throw in a dysfunctional mother, an enemy who she can’t seem to shake, and feelings she is not sure what to do with and you are in for a rare treat in this story.
Full review on Single Titles
http://singletitles.com/?p=8973
August 3, 2015
I expected this book to be a typical frivolous romance novel. What it was is annoying. I get that she's just a "normal" girl who wants to be independent, but making a federal case every time he wants to buy you a cup of coffee?!? Get over it!
Also, I thought there were WAY too many story lines happening. There was the one with the best friend and the one with the housemate and the one with the brother and the one with the niece...all in addition to the one with the movie star and grad school.
It was, as I was looking for, a romance novel, but it could have used a little more frivolity in my opinion.
Also, I thought there were WAY too many story lines happening. There was the one with the best friend and the one with the housemate and the one with the brother and the one with the niece...all in addition to the one with the movie star and grad school.
It was, as I was looking for, a romance novel, but it could have used a little more frivolity in my opinion.
March 28, 2016
2.5 stars. Super clean - with a not-too-subtle subliminal message that was pretty annoying (to me) - lots of seeming build up to angsty drama, with little to no follow through. Any action, suspense, climax just kind of fizzled out.
Good book for teens. Sweet clean romance with a firm stance (overly) on chastity.
Good book for teens. Sweet clean romance with a firm stance (overly) on chastity.
May 23, 2016
This was a cute contemporary romance and it was a freebie. I enjoyed the story, I just got a creeper vibe from Jason Vanderholt. It wasn't his checkered past that bothered me, it was his slightly stalkerish obsession with Chloe. I kept feeling like she was way too young or something. It did end up being sweet, I just didn't click with the 'boy'.
March 14, 2015
This was a great read! I loved the message it conveyed and the strength of the characters. This is a book that was interesting and enjoyable for me to read, as well as being something I'd like my 13 year old daughter to read. Win-Win:)
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