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Star in the Shadows

Helen Buckley (Goodreads Author)

4.31 · Rating details · 13 ratings · 7 reviews

The world thinks that pop superstar Kiara Anderson has it all, but she spends her nights drinking away memories of her childhood and life as a teen runaway.

The Jacobs family are desperate to see the girl next door again and discover why she ran away, especially their son, Shane, who blames himself for her disappearance.

When Kiara’s manager forces her into a reveal-all TV i ...more

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Paperback, 228 pages

Published October 30th 2019 by Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd (first published October 29th 2019)

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· 13 ratings · 7 reviews

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Nov 07, 2020 San rated it really liked it

I really have a thing for books about superstars, celebrities etc. And as soon as I read synopsis I knew that I have to read this book. And I can honestly say that I don’t regret this decision at all because this book is so much more than just a story about superstar.

I couldn’t help but fall in love with Kiara, the main character of the book. She is a part of famous girl group and her life is not as easy as some of people might think. When she is forced to do an interview to reveal everything we ...more

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Mar 12, 2020 Shauna Alderson rated it really liked it

I really enjoyed reading this book! Star in the Shadows has music, kindness, and romance in it, all of which I love.

What it’s about
Singer Kiara Anderson, age 25, is in the middle of a reveal-all interview, not knowing that the Jacobs family who basically raised her during her childhood is watching (her real dad’s a neglectful alcoholic, mom left them when she was a baby). Kiara has some secrets she doesn’t want the family to know, like why she ran away at age 17 and never contacted them again. A I really enjoyed reading this book! Star in the Shadows has music, kindness, and romance in it, all of which I love.

What it’s about
Singer Kiara Anderson, age 25, is in the middle of a reveal-all interview, not knowing that the Jacobs family who basically raised her during her childhood is watching (her real dad’s a neglectful alcoholic, mom left them when she was a baby). Kiara has some secrets she doesn’t want the family to know, like why she ran away at age 17 and never contacted them again. And certainly she’s racked up even more secrets during those seven years on her own. In the second half of the novel, the reader gets to see the aftermath of the interview and the journey Kiara has to go through to heal.

What I loved
I feel like a lot of books cast wealthy families in such a negative light, showing only greed and selfishness. The Jacobs family, on the other hand, is certainly well-off, and yet they’re the ones who take Kiara in and show her the most kindness. I loved too how each character interacted differently with Kiara based on their own personalities and background—what I mean is, each character was a separate character and not just “part of the family”.
I also liked how Kiara’s cousin Rob was involved in a dark business but ended up being one of Kiara’s main supports. His character demonstrated both the light and the dark that exist within everyone. I usually try not to read stories with really heavy themes because I’m fairly sensitive, but thankfully all the heavy issues—sexual violence, drug abuse, illegal immigration—were treated with care and with a very human lens.
The writing style throughout the book was full of description and sensory details—something I’m trying to work on in my own writing! I appreciated all the little details, and I could definitely picture the Jacobs’ house and Rob’s apartment.

What I didn’t love
Although the Jacobs family was done well, Kiara’s father wasn’t in the story enough to characterize him as more than a neglectful, resentful drunk. He doesn’t have enough page-time to develop redeeming qualities. The same can be said for the other members of Kiara’s girl group, Femme Fatale, who we only see snippets of. They spent their whole days together for a time, so I expected them to have had a bigger impact on Kiara’s life than they did.
I also didn’t like how the situation with Andrew Daniels was never resolved. I wanted to know what happened to him afterward.
Also, the characters close to Kiara and Shane kept trying to push them together. People can be friends with the opposite sex, too! And Kiara told people so many times that she wasn’t dating at the moment, but they didn’t seem to hear her.
Now to be contradictory, I wanted to see more romance in the story! The book blurb says it’s a slow-burn, I know, but could there have been more burn? OF COURSE! :D

All in all, the writing was descriptive, most of the characters felt like real people, and the themes in the story were positive. I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled for the next book by Helen Buckley. ...more

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Jan 20, 2020 Sarah Waldron rated it it was ok

Thank you to Helen Buckley for reaching out to me and offering a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Description 🔖

Kiara is in a famous girl group and from the perception of the public has it all. However she is trapped in her tumultuous past and self medicates in order to quiet her demons. Her sanctuary as a child was the Jacobs family who lived nearby, but she hasn’t seen them in years and most certainly not since she has risen to fame. Members of the Jacobs family blame themselves ...more

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Oct 25, 2019 Tiziana Langone rated it really liked it

While I was reading this story, I truly felt sorry for Kiara. She seems to have the perfect life, being a famous singer in the most popular girl band at the moment.  The story really starts when Kiara is giving an interview. Through flashback we learn that her childhood wasn’t what a childhood is supposed to be like. Living alone with her father in a trailer, mostly just depending on herself, it’s not how a child should grow up.
But luckily for her, she meets the Jacobs’ family. They start taking While I was reading this story, I truly felt sorry for Kiara. She seems to have the perfect life, being a famous singer in the most popular girl band at the moment.  The story really starts when Kiara is giving an interview. Through flashback we learn that her childhood wasn’t what a childhood is supposed to be like. Living alone with her father in a trailer, mostly just depending on herself, it’s not how a child should grow up.
But luckily for her, she meets the Jacobs’ family. They start taking more care of her, taking her in house and threating her like part of the family. Unfortunately, meeting the Jacobs’ isn’t the end of her troublesome life… as we learn during the interview and flashbacks.

A lot of bad things happen to Kiara, and despite the help she initially receives from that amazing family, her life just doesn’t seem to get on track.
For me, the romance part wasn’t a huge part of the story. So the story I expected wasn’t what I read. Don’t get me wrong, I liked the story very much.
 The story has a lot of dark moments, which made me cringe because it felt all so wrong what happened to Kiara. The girl, and later on young woman, just deserves every right to have a better life than what she already suffered. But her past just keeps coming back at the time when she finally seems to reach her happily ever after.

Before you think it’s all doom and gloom, don’t worry. The warmth and love the Jacobs’ family gives Kiara is truly amazing. And they show what true compassion and loving without restrictions means. Despite their love, after Kiara disappears, they all think they did personally something wrong and blame themselves. And Shane blames himself the most, as he pushed her away… But they never lose hope that in the end, Kiara will come back to them.

This book is a love story, but not in the sense of man – woman love. I think it’s more about family love. The unconditional love Kiara gets from the whole family is so amazing, and a lot of people in real life can really take example from them.  ...more

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Oct 30, 2019 Sharon rated it really liked it

I chose this book due to the teen runaway to pop superstar theme. Little did I know there would be so much heartbreak and tragedy in between.

When a seventeen-year-old girl runs away from a traumatic experience, her new life choices spiral out of control leaving the family who took her in and who she left behind to help pick up the pieces.

She never felt safe anymore, anywhere. At night she would lay down and a sense of dread would creep into her heart, and the only way she could find peace w ...more

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Jan 28, 2020 Kerry https://likeherdingcatsblog.wordpress.com Robinson rated it it was amazing

I have to say this book wasn’t really what I was expecting – it was so much more. I loved the romance element but this isn’t your everyday romance novel. The back story to Kiara is much heartbreaking and real. Let’s face it – we all know a child like Kiara and if we say we don’t, we need to open our eyes.

Kiara is a famous singer in a very famous band and on the surface she has it all. As she takes part in a TV interview she knows her secrets will be revealed and this is how the story of Kiara’s ...more

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Jan 04, 2020 Dannii rated it it was amazing

First book of the year, and what a great one! Easy to read yet with twists and turns that gave such depth to the plot, more than I could have seen coming. Thoroughly enjoyed not wanting to put this book down until I had all the answers... Right up to the last page!

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About Helen Buckley

Helen Buckley

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Ever since I was little I wanted to be a writer, to turn daydreams into books. Star in the Shadows is my first novel and I've signed a three-book contract with Choc Lit publishers to bring you more contemporary romances. I'm fascinated by fame, in love with Happy Ever Afters, and enthralled by slow-burn romances. I squeeze in time to write around looking after my two sons. Find out more about me o ...more