Review: Famous

Famous by Jenny Holiday
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Four and a half stars. How did I miss this little gem? Maybe it was the cover which, frankly, does nothing for me.

I have to admit the start of the book, seven years ago, also left me a little cold but after that i grabbed me by the throat and didn't let me go.

Seven years ago Evan Winslow was at the centre of a s@#t storm as a result of his father's art Ponzi scheme. He goes to his friend's wedding to test how far into persona non grata territory he has fallen and discovers it's pretty much all the way as he's pursued by a pack of paparazzi. Whilst scoffing internally at the atrocious bridesmaids dresses he is struck by the unusual appearance of the oldest/ tallest bridesmaid. As an artist, Evan can almost feel how he would paint this stunning woman in a series of fantastical scenes. When the two of them finally meet it's like an amazing meeting of minds, Emmy's a writer with a way with words to match his imagery. But when Evan finds out that this woman is only nineteen to his twenty-six years old he knows it can go no further, especially when his every move is scrutinised and published in every rag across the country.

Fast forward seven years, Emmy has reinvented herself as an internationally successful pop superstar (think Taylor Swift), she writes, she sings, she plays guitar, but she is slowly being suffocated by the weight of her own success. She feels as though she is stuck in a gilded cage where her every move is scheduled for years in advance and her management team have her on a hamster wheel of touring and albums and personal appearances until she could scream. When she is co-writing a song temporarily entitled Song 58 she snaps and decides to run away, but the sad thing is that there is no-one and nowhere that she can think of that could (or would) keep her safe and respect her privacy. Until that long ago rooftop discussion with Evan comes to mind - he once offered to help in any way she needed and for some reason she believed him. Evan lives in small town Iowa and is a history of art professor seeking tenure at the local college.

What follows is a delicious small town romance between a formerly notorious artist turned art history teacher and a pop star who's never known real life, who can't cook or drive because 'people' have always done that sort of thing for her. Despite her fame, Emmy is the opposite of a diva, she loves people and slowly insinuates herself into Evan's small town life, cleaning and restoring his big run-down house while incubating new songs for her album.

I loved this. The romance was believable and sweet, the way in which Emmy and Evan healed each other without even realising was beautifully written and the interactions with Evan's elderly neighbour, his colleagues and the children he helps in the after-school art club are lovely without being cloying or over-done. even the sex felt realistic, that crazy mix of hawt and funny that only happens in real relationships where you can laugh at yourselves and still feel horny.

I can't wait to read the next one!

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