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The Year of Living Famously
Some girls seek fame, others have it thrust upon them...
Clothing designer Kyra Felis has never been one to worship celebrities—she'd rather read good book or make a blouse out of an
old tablecloth. She marries Hollywood up-and-comer Declan McKenna for love, with no inkling of how his newfound notoriety will send her life spinning out of control.
But once Kyra reluctantly becomes a celebrity by association there's no turning back. And even though she has all the trappings of success, she can't do the things that make her happy—throw a party; drink a glass of wine (or four) at a quiet cafe; confide in her friends. When Declan's fame literally endangers Kyra's life, she starts to wonder, can she survive more than a year of living famously?
Clothing designer Kyra Felis has never been one to worship celebrities—she'd rather read good book or make a blouse out of an
old tablecloth. She marries Hollywood up-and-comer Declan McKenna for love, with no inkling of how his newfound notoriety will send her life spinning out of control.
But once Kyra reluctantly becomes a celebrity by association there's no turning back. And even though she has all the trappings of success, she can't do the things that make her happy—throw a party; drink a glass of wine (or four) at a quiet cafe; confide in her friends. When Declan's fame literally endangers Kyra's life, she starts to wonder, can she survive more than a year of living famously?
336 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2004
14 people are currently reading
1215 people want to read
About the author
Laura Caldwell
32 books165 followersLaura Caldwell is a Chicago-based lawyer turned novelist. Her first book, Burning the Map, was selected by Barnes & Noble.com as one of The Best of 2002. Following that, A Clean Slate received a starred review from Booklist. The release of The Year of Living Famously and The Night I Got Lucky prompted Booklist to declare, “Caldwell is one of the most talented and inventive...writers around.”
Laura began publishing thrillers and suspense novels in 2005. Her debut mystery, Look Closely, received critical acclaim and The Chicago Sun-Times called The Rome Affair “Caldwell’s most exciting book yet…a summer must-read.” The Rome Affair, which centers around a Chicago society couple riding a roller coaster of infidelity, blackmail and murder, pulled Laura into a real-life, highly-profiled murder trial involving a 19-year old suspect forced into a confession and wrongfully jailed for a crime he did not commit. Laura became one of the attorneys who represented the suspect pro bono, resulting in a not-guilty verdict.
Laura's newest is an international thriller, The Good Liar. Bestselling author Ken Bruen calls it "a massive achievement." Publisher's Weekly lauds it as "a taut, enjoyable thriller." And New York Times bestselling author James Rollins said, "THE GOOD LIAR strikes like an assassin's bullet: sudden, swift, precise, deadly. Here is a taut international thriller certain to keep readers breathless and awake until the wee hours of the morning. Not to be missed." Her work has been translated into ten languages and published in over twenty countries.
Before beginning her writing career, Laura was a trial attorney, specializing in medical malpractice defense and entertainment law. She is published in the legal field and is currently an Adjunct Professor of Law at her alma mater, Loyola University Chicago, where she teaches Advanced Writing for Litigation. She recently received the St. Robert Bellarmine award for distinguished contributions to the profession and the Loyola School of Law. In the summer of 2008, she will be teaching International Criminal Law at Loyola's campus in Rome, Italy.
Laura is also a freelance magazine writer. Her work has been published in Chicago Magazine, Woman's Own, The Young Lawyer, Lake Magazine, Australia Woman's Weekly, Shore Magazine and others. Her work can also be seen in Everything I Needed to Know About Being A Girl I Learned From Judy Blume (Pocket Books, 2007), It's A Wonderful Lie: Truth About Life In Your Twenties (Warner, 2006), Girl's Night In II (Red Dress Ink, 2006) Flirting With Pride & Prejudice (BenBella Books, 2005) and Welcome to Wisteria Lane: On America's Favorite Desperate Housewives (BenBella Books, 2006).
Laura began publishing thrillers and suspense novels in 2005. Her debut mystery, Look Closely, received critical acclaim and The Chicago Sun-Times called The Rome Affair “Caldwell’s most exciting book yet…a summer must-read.” The Rome Affair, which centers around a Chicago society couple riding a roller coaster of infidelity, blackmail and murder, pulled Laura into a real-life, highly-profiled murder trial involving a 19-year old suspect forced into a confession and wrongfully jailed for a crime he did not commit. Laura became one of the attorneys who represented the suspect pro bono, resulting in a not-guilty verdict.
Laura's newest is an international thriller, The Good Liar. Bestselling author Ken Bruen calls it "a massive achievement." Publisher's Weekly lauds it as "a taut, enjoyable thriller." And New York Times bestselling author James Rollins said, "THE GOOD LIAR strikes like an assassin's bullet: sudden, swift, precise, deadly. Here is a taut international thriller certain to keep readers breathless and awake until the wee hours of the morning. Not to be missed." Her work has been translated into ten languages and published in over twenty countries.
Before beginning her writing career, Laura was a trial attorney, specializing in medical malpractice defense and entertainment law. She is published in the legal field and is currently an Adjunct Professor of Law at her alma mater, Loyola University Chicago, where she teaches Advanced Writing for Litigation. She recently received the St. Robert Bellarmine award for distinguished contributions to the profession and the Loyola School of Law. In the summer of 2008, she will be teaching International Criminal Law at Loyola's campus in Rome, Italy.
Laura is also a freelance magazine writer. Her work has been published in Chicago Magazine, Woman's Own, The Young Lawyer, Lake Magazine, Australia Woman's Weekly, Shore Magazine and others. Her work can also be seen in Everything I Needed to Know About Being A Girl I Learned From Judy Blume (Pocket Books, 2007), It's A Wonderful Lie: Truth About Life In Your Twenties (Warner, 2006), Girl's Night In II (Red Dress Ink, 2006) Flirting With Pride & Prejudice (BenBella Books, 2005) and Welcome to Wisteria Lane: On America's Favorite Desperate Housewives (BenBella Books, 2006).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
December 19, 2015
‘The Year of Living Famously’ is about clothing designer, Kyra Felis who experiences what it’s like to be part of the celebrity world after her husband Declan becomes famous overnight due to his role in a movie.
First of all, although I really enjoyed the realism and serious undertone in this book, I couldn’t really view Kyra and Declan as a couple. From the moment they met, I didn’t feel like they had much chemistry and it didn’t help that they seemed to get married so quickly and he spent a lot of time away from her. Therefore, they had minimal interactions and most of the time they came across as being polite to each other, like strangers pretending to be something more. However, I could sort of overlook this as I was more interested in how Kyra discovers that being married to a celebrity can truly transform your life and that was easily the best thing about the book.
Soon, Kyra realizes that she and Declan have less time together coupled with the loss of privacy. They’re constantly being hounded by the paparazzi and she begins to become more self-conscious of the way she looks and what she wears. Everything feels unnatural. Then she becomes obsessed with reading about what the media says about them especially regarding Declan’s supposed infidelities, particularly the ones featuring an actress Lauren Stapleton who had openly shown her dislike towards Kyra (while being careful to lower her voice so no one else hears her).
Then there’s the stalker issue where a fan Amy Rose keeps sending letters to Declan and talks as if they’re together. That was convincing and it catapulted their move to another location to a much bigger house (mansion) and subsequently leading to them hiring bodyguards. Kyra’s fear about this situation was believable too. What ruined this subplot was the resolution which was over too quickly and easily. I would’ve liked more development and more of a fight towards the end as it’s interesting and could have challenged Kyra more.
Other bits such as Kyra and Declan investigating which one of their staff members could be informing the paparazzi of their whereabouts and Kyra wondering whether her sudden success as a designer is due to her talent or Declan contributed to the realism of the story. I didn’t particularly warm up to Kyra or Declan but I liked the fact that Kyra stayed the same despite all the massive changes. She was still focused on designing, liked having privacy and the freedom to do what she wanted without being followed and written about. I didn’t really like Declan as he didn’t seem to have much of a personality. He’s described as charming but it’s all told and not shown.
Overall, it’s a surprisingly thought-provoking book which ended the way I expected but the journey to get there was fun and worth it.
First of all, although I really enjoyed the realism and serious undertone in this book, I couldn’t really view Kyra and Declan as a couple. From the moment they met, I didn’t feel like they had much chemistry and it didn’t help that they seemed to get married so quickly and he spent a lot of time away from her. Therefore, they had minimal interactions and most of the time they came across as being polite to each other, like strangers pretending to be something more. However, I could sort of overlook this as I was more interested in how Kyra discovers that being married to a celebrity can truly transform your life and that was easily the best thing about the book.
Soon, Kyra realizes that she and Declan have less time together coupled with the loss of privacy. They’re constantly being hounded by the paparazzi and she begins to become more self-conscious of the way she looks and what she wears. Everything feels unnatural. Then she becomes obsessed with reading about what the media says about them especially regarding Declan’s supposed infidelities, particularly the ones featuring an actress Lauren Stapleton who had openly shown her dislike towards Kyra (while being careful to lower her voice so no one else hears her).
Then there’s the stalker issue where a fan Amy Rose keeps sending letters to Declan and talks as if they’re together. That was convincing and it catapulted their move to another location to a much bigger house (mansion) and subsequently leading to them hiring bodyguards. Kyra’s fear about this situation was believable too. What ruined this subplot was the resolution which was over too quickly and easily. I would’ve liked more development and more of a fight towards the end as it’s interesting and could have challenged Kyra more.
Other bits such as Kyra and Declan investigating which one of their staff members could be informing the paparazzi of their whereabouts and Kyra wondering whether her sudden success as a designer is due to her talent or Declan contributed to the realism of the story. I didn’t particularly warm up to Kyra or Declan but I liked the fact that Kyra stayed the same despite all the massive changes. She was still focused on designing, liked having privacy and the freedom to do what she wanted without being followed and written about. I didn’t really like Declan as he didn’t seem to have much of a personality. He’s described as charming but it’s all told and not shown.
Overall, it’s a surprisingly thought-provoking book which ended the way I expected but the journey to get there was fun and worth it.
April 18, 2022
While the writing was entertaining and most of the characters were likable and well-developed, Kyra was neither. She'd had a lot of major trauma in her life and never saw fit to seek help? Declan is an angel throughout the story yet Kyra loses her temper at him (and everyone else) constantly. She complains about not having friends to trust but her first response to conflict is to get angry and throw people out.
I want to try Burning the Map but this book you can skip. With a few tweaks - a little more depth of character and self-reflection for Kyra, a deeper and more thought-out reason for Bobby to do what he did - this could have been a much better read.
I want to try Burning the Map but this book you can skip. With a few tweaks - a little more depth of character and self-reflection for Kyra, a deeper and more thought-out reason for Bobby to do what he did - this could have been a much better read.
August 1, 2008
Cladwell's books are like chocolate milk - a delicious guilty pleasure. This one went down especially easy and delightfully. I'm glad I have another to read next.
May 7, 2013
If you're looking for some good old-fashioned Chick Lit, this book delivers. A delightful, fun read. I don't know how I missed this book during the heyday of Red Dress Ink.
November 20, 2021
4.5 out of 5 stars
April 17, 2023
The protagonist, Kyra - is neither likable, nor loathful. Declan - a sweet guy, loved his character. The story revolves around these two. Dec (short for Declan) is a struggling actor and Kyra,a fashion designer. How their life changes with the newly found success of Declan. Ups and downs of their lives once they are famous. How do they handle the public and private life/image when neither of them were prepared for it.
Loved the way how the author has given details about famous people's lives. How hard it could be.
If you just finished a big book and want to do some light reading before jumping to the next serious book. Then go for this book. You wot be disappointed.
Loved the way how the author has given details about famous people's lives. How hard it could be.
If you just finished a big book and want to do some light reading before jumping to the next serious book. Then go for this book. You wot be disappointed.
June 22, 2008
I thought this was an interesting twist on the whole "I'm in love with someone famous" thing, since they are in love and married before the fame starts. So it was kind of cool to see both of them going throug it at the same time. I had issues with the clothing designs, because, like another reader said, they sounded ugly. I also had problems with the fact that Kyra only did the sketches of the clothes. Someone else made the patterns, someone else cut the fabric, someone else constructed the clothes. It just made me think "What's so hard about that?" I'm sure that just means I watch way too much "Project Runway."
June 8, 2018
Literally one of my all time favorites. I gave it as a gift to my 3 best girlfriends and they all loved it too! Kyra was at times a little too quirky for me, but i fell in love with Declan right away. Being obsessed with celebrity culture, I ate up his rise to fame and Kyra’s dealing with it... makes me wonder now that I look back on it, how different would the story be now with social media? I have stolen the line “I wanted a witness to my every day life” and used it a million times since then! Great characters, great story, I can’t say enough good things!
May 9, 2020
I truly enjoyed this book about a normal person who meets an actor, they marry and then his career takes off. Reading about how sudden fame can affect people differently was interesting. At the beginning of the book Kyra has separated from her husband Declan. Then the book goes back in time and you find out what lead up to this. I was really rooting for them the whole time. The ending was perfect.
August 30, 2012
This book was a quick and easy read. It has colorful characters and a fun plot. Laura Caldwell truly sucks you into the life of Kyra Felis and makes you forget you are reading a book. Part witty, girly fun and even a bit of mystery thrown in. Excellent!
December 27, 2017
Fun story
This book is fiction, but is it really? For someone like me that hasn't ever lived a celebrity life, this book will make you wonder how much truth there is to the story, and whether you would be able to live this type of life or not. Read it and decide what you think.
This book is fiction, but is it really? For someone like me that hasn't ever lived a celebrity life, this book will make you wonder how much truth there is to the story, and whether you would be able to live this type of life or not. Read it and decide what you think.
December 19, 2008
I'm wowed by how much I enjoyed this book. I really got into Kyra's character and wonder how close to this truth this is. I'm a fan of True Love too, I liked Kyra and Declan's relationship.
February 29, 2008
I enjoyed this. It was quirky, fast...an easy read. But somehow I loved how the happy ending wasn't exactly predictable. It was tasteful and I enjoyed this immensely!!
August 18, 2008
It was interesting to read because of the viewpoint of someone who isn't famous suddenly being in that world.
August 2, 2009
I loved this book! It had everything I love in a good chic lit.....romance and fashion! Great fast read! I'm officially addicted to Red Dress Ink books now:)
May 2, 2018
Definitely ok.
September 13, 2019
It was vibrant and easy to read
November 17, 2019
Great holiday read. And well written. Hip and happening modern romance. I polished it off in a day!
January 1, 2021
Amazing book.
It can only work if you really want it to ...
It can only work if you really want it to ...
August 13, 2024
a quick read while hanging out on the beaches of PEI
April 22, 2024
This book is a classic chick-lit contemporary dream: "Average" girl meets movie star right before he becomes famous and then has her life turned upside down by all the press and crazy fans that start getting dangerous. I definitely award bonus points here for the actor being a charming Irish guy 🇮🇪and the girl being a fashion designer of couture gowns 👗because it just sounds fun.
Overall, it's entertaining to read if you love:
*Settings like New York, Los Angeles, and a snippet of Ireland
*The trope of "becoming the IT girl"
*Gossip, gossip, and more celebrity gossip spinning out of control
However, this book isn't for you if you dislike:
*Quick makeups and breakups
*Characters that aren't reflecting much on their life choices (and make few changes)
*Characters with snarky attitudes who are quick to complain
I had fun reviewing this book because I mapped it out on a chart of good fortune vs. ill fortune, the shape of story pattern taught by Kurt Vonnegut. The results were surprising, and they also showed me in a very concrete way why the emotional impact of the book struck me as less than amazing. (But if you just want a fun book, then check it out because it is a light and fun read 😊).
You can read my full review and analysis of the story graph for this book over on my Substack by clicking here.
Overall, it's entertaining to read if you love:
*Settings like New York, Los Angeles, and a snippet of Ireland
*The trope of "becoming the IT girl"
*Gossip, gossip, and more celebrity gossip spinning out of control
However, this book isn't for you if you dislike:
*Quick makeups and breakups
*Characters that aren't reflecting much on their life choices (and make few changes)
*Characters with snarky attitudes who are quick to complain
I had fun reviewing this book because I mapped it out on a chart of good fortune vs. ill fortune, the shape of story pattern taught by Kurt Vonnegut. The results were surprising, and they also showed me in a very concrete way why the emotional impact of the book struck me as less than amazing. (But if you just want a fun book, then check it out because it is a light and fun read 😊).
You can read my full review and analysis of the story graph for this book over on my Substack by clicking here.
March 14, 2012
Annie: You read my diary?
Brynn: At first I did not know it was your diary, I thought it was a very sad handwritten book.
Yeah, remember that scene in "Bridesmaids"? That scene is what came to mind as I reached the end of this book. The book reads like a diary of a not-so-very-interesting person and I kept trying to care but found I really didn't.
The premise: Kyra Felis is a normal person but her life literally takes a dramatic twist when she falls in love with an unknown actor and we follow his path of fame. It sounds like it could be interesting. And really, I was kind of interested in some of the descriptive parts about the lives of famous people. But otherwise, I don't think I ever really got into the characters. At the beginning when they fell in love I seem to remember liking them a bit. But most of the book is about how lonely Kyra is while her man is off being famous without her and I had trouble remembering that they did love each other at all since there were very few scenes of them interacting together after they initially fell in love.
Maybe I just couldn't relate to the woman, because she never seemed to get jealous and seemed so unlike any woman I've ever met. And although I'm certain that fame has caused trouble in many marriages before, it almost seemed downplayed to me, I actually think I envisioned it being much worse and almost thought Kyra was being annoyingly difficult about her situation. Maybe I have little sympathy for famous, rich people, I don't know.
Either way - I found myself wishing for more story, and less description. More action, love, and emotion, and less paparazzi. I just can't call this good chicklit. Maybe it could have been if it had been glammed up a bit. But the way the author approached it, I almost would have preferred if it had been a historical fiction novel and taken a much more serious look at fame and love. Instead it was stuck somewhere between a boring narration of someone's life and a failed attempt at happy-go-lucky chicklit.
I'm being slightly overdramatic - it just wasn't my cup of tea. I have so many other books to read and I thought about giving up on this several times. In the end, I really only finished it because it was an easy read and I didn't wanna leave any unfinished business on GoodReads.
Brynn: At first I did not know it was your diary, I thought it was a very sad handwritten book.
Yeah, remember that scene in "Bridesmaids"? That scene is what came to mind as I reached the end of this book. The book reads like a diary of a not-so-very-interesting person and I kept trying to care but found I really didn't.
The premise: Kyra Felis is a normal person but her life literally takes a dramatic twist when she falls in love with an unknown actor and we follow his path of fame. It sounds like it could be interesting. And really, I was kind of interested in some of the descriptive parts about the lives of famous people. But otherwise, I don't think I ever really got into the characters. At the beginning when they fell in love I seem to remember liking them a bit. But most of the book is about how lonely Kyra is while her man is off being famous without her and I had trouble remembering that they did love each other at all since there were very few scenes of them interacting together after they initially fell in love.
Maybe I just couldn't relate to the woman, because she never seemed to get jealous and seemed so unlike any woman I've ever met. And although I'm certain that fame has caused trouble in many marriages before, it almost seemed downplayed to me, I actually think I envisioned it being much worse and almost thought Kyra was being annoyingly difficult about her situation. Maybe I have little sympathy for famous, rich people, I don't know.
Either way - I found myself wishing for more story, and less description. More action, love, and emotion, and less paparazzi. I just can't call this good chicklit. Maybe it could have been if it had been glammed up a bit. But the way the author approached it, I almost would have preferred if it had been a historical fiction novel and taken a much more serious look at fame and love. Instead it was stuck somewhere between a boring narration of someone's life and a failed attempt at happy-go-lucky chicklit.
I'm being slightly overdramatic - it just wasn't my cup of tea. I have so many other books to read and I thought about giving up on this several times. In the end, I really only finished it because it was an easy read and I didn't wanna leave any unfinished business on GoodReads.
May 12, 2011
Native New Yorker Kyra Felis isn't looking to live life in the spotlight. She just wants to design clothes. When she falls in love with small-time actor Declan McKenna, she has no idea their peaceful, happy life together is about to end up fodder for the tabloids. The notoriety is fun at first, a sign of Declan's rising star. Soon, Kyra is dealing with an unstable stalker, paparazzi and Declan's snobby ex-girlfriend/former co-star.
Fame does have its perks though. Kyra's entr?e into Hollywood society soon has her designing red carpet wear for some of the glitterati's hottest stars. For the first time, sales reps are clamoring to carry her clothes. Even so, she doubts her success. Are her styles selling because they're good or because of whom she married?
The frantic pace, the tabloids and betrayal by a close friend eventually push Kyra back to New York, where she must decide if love is enough to sustain her marriage.
Laura Caldwell's first person account of Kyra's year in the spotlight is engaging. She easily captures Kyra's many moods - from excitement to anger to depression - and the overnight success of the new celeb couple is easy to believe. 'The Year of Living Famously' is a light read, with great insight into celebrity, and it will leave you with a smile.
Fame does have its perks though. Kyra's entr?e into Hollywood society soon has her designing red carpet wear for some of the glitterati's hottest stars. For the first time, sales reps are clamoring to carry her clothes. Even so, she doubts her success. Are her styles selling because they're good or because of whom she married?
The frantic pace, the tabloids and betrayal by a close friend eventually push Kyra back to New York, where she must decide if love is enough to sustain her marriage.
Laura Caldwell's first person account of Kyra's year in the spotlight is engaging. She easily captures Kyra's many moods - from excitement to anger to depression - and the overnight success of the new celeb couple is easy to believe. 'The Year of Living Famously' is a light read, with great insight into celebrity, and it will leave you with a smile.
April 10, 2015
Pretty predictable, except for a couple select scenes that definitely threw me (one was much darker than I'd expected, even though it ended fairly benignly, and the other was a twist to the minor mystery in the second act). Super cheesy. Now that I've consumed a few of these rise-to-fame sort of novels, I can place them on a spectrum of realism vs. Hollywood fantasy. Obviously, I've never experienced celebrity firsthand, so I can't speak to accuracy, but this one seemed to fall more or less in the middle. There isn't any, say, drugs or sexual abuse, so it isn't on par with Starlit in terms of exposing the "dark side" of Hollywood, but the author does a good job of upending a lot of goodwill you can't help but harbor towards certain characters. And vice versa - you know going in that the relationship between the husband and wife is going to go south, but it doesn't quite happen the way I anticipated. Overall, ok. Jack Nicholson's cameo was cute.
July 16, 2008
Well, I have to say that the climax of this book was NOT what I was expecting. I mean, I knew what was going to happen b/c the author pretty much throws it in your face that it's going to happen and then it does and takes up about a page and a half and the situation there is resolved. And just when you think it can't get any more chic-lit cliche... it ends just the way you'd expect. I guess this is why these books are termed "summer reading" b/c over the summer, you don't want to think about stuff while sitting on the beach getting a tan (or, in my case, sunburn... that is, if I ever go to the beach, which I don't. humph.). Anyway, if you want a fast read that's sort of entertaining and fantasy-fulfilling (who wouldn't want to marry an Irish actor, I guess, and become famous for it, right?) then this is the book for you.
Read
October 9, 2007I know, I know. I got sucked into reading some more random chick-lit. This author is good, though. She's from Chicago, and I sense that this makes her writing less fluffy than a lot of Chick Lit writers. She's sarcastic, blunt, and honest.
The subject matter is kind of typical. The main character moves to Hollywood because she fell in love with a charming Irish actor. Their relationship gets tested when his career takes off. It was a fun read, and I enjoyed the author's cynicism. She states right in the first chapter that the book isn't about some neurotic, clumsy girl. That was a knock at all the other books with pink shoes and cosmos on the cover, I think. She won me over with that line.
The subject matter is kind of typical. The main character moves to Hollywood because she fell in love with a charming Irish actor. Their relationship gets tested when his career takes off. It was a fun read, and I enjoyed the author's cynicism. She states right in the first chapter that the book isn't about some neurotic, clumsy girl. That was a knock at all the other books with pink shoes and cosmos on the cover, I think. She won me over with that line.
June 26, 2012
Laura was able to made me feel the real life of a celebrity's wife. The annoyance over the paparazzi,the pressure and stress over the rumors and of course the challenge of being a wife of a celebrity. The plot and the characters are very realistic. I like Kyra's character because she's not the typical Hollywood fan gushing over celebrities. She knows her stuff and knows how to handle bitches like Lauren. As for Declan, he's sweet and romantic to Kyra despite the hurtful rumors and when Kyra's having her tantrums. However, the ending was a hanger I wanted to have a glimpsed in their lives in Ireland and how are they able to manage it.
Overall, I like the writing style of Laura. I am now a fan and a follower of her books :)
Overall, I like the writing style of Laura. I am now a fan and a follower of her books :)
December 18, 2008
Thank you to my friend Aurora, for recommending this book and introducing me to chick lit and red dress ink! This was my first red dress ink book and I loved it, I felt the frustration of the character and all her ups and downs and it made me wonder what it would be like to marry someone then be thrown into the life of the the rich and famous when your husband suddenly becomes famous. How would I handle the lack of privacy, intrusions, perfect strangers, and of course, is that girl hitting on my husband?? thoughts.. lol. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it has a happy ending. Definately check it out.
November 1, 2009
This is an intelligent and realistic look at a young couple who get what they wish for ... but must deal with the bad as along with the good.
Declan is a struggling actor. His wife Kyra is a struggling dress designer. When Declan's acting career takes off, he and Kyra are unprepared for the papparazzi, demands on their time, security concerns, etc. that come with fame. Their previously excellent marriage undergoes the stress and strain as they both achieve success.
Laura Caldwell's books are for me a step up from the other very good chick lit or romantic suspense books, just a bit more sophisticated.
Declan is a struggling actor. His wife Kyra is a struggling dress designer. When Declan's acting career takes off, he and Kyra are unprepared for the papparazzi, demands on their time, security concerns, etc. that come with fame. Their previously excellent marriage undergoes the stress and strain as they both achieve success.
Laura Caldwell's books are for me a step up from the other very good chick lit or romantic suspense books, just a bit more sophisticated.
January 30, 2011
This book focuses on the love between Kyra, a New York native and fashion designer, and Declan, a Dublin native and Hollywood actor. It does throw the paparazzi in a negative light, but does not absolve the people who buy the magazines from any of the blame.
The book is written in first person, as though Kyra were writing her story. It stays true to that perspective, and does a good job of portraying the situation.
A few parts that I enjoyed were Kyra trying to figure out the difference between Declan her husband and Declan the actor. I also loved the fact that he took her calls early in the morning.
A good book with nuggets of greatness.
The book is written in first person, as though Kyra were writing her story. It stays true to that perspective, and does a good job of portraying the situation.
A few parts that I enjoyed were Kyra trying to figure out the difference between Declan her husband and Declan the actor. I also loved the fact that he took her calls early in the morning.
A good book with nuggets of greatness.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews