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Cover designed by Sarah Hansen, Okay Creations
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FAMOUS by Kahlen Aymes
Caden Carlisle is a world-renowned superstar with good looks, million dollar movie deals and women throwing themselves at him wherever he goes. He has it all… but wants nothing more than a normal life without the paparazzi and glitz.
Brooklyn Holloway is an up and coming starlet with a solid head on her shoulders and her eyes wide open. It’s all about art for her and she isn’t looking to star in blockbuster films. She’s perfectly happy keeping a low profile and doing indie projects with a message.
When fate throws the two of them together on set; both are unprepared for their undeniable connection. Cade is drawn to Brook’s down-to-earth wholesomeness and she can’t help the irresistible pull of his good looks, sense of humor and chivalrous ways… So, when he begins to think he’s in love with her, resisting is next to impossible, despite being committed to someone else.
Only when filming ends and the world’s fascination with celebrity invades their bubble, can they decide if the emotions they felt on set were scripted, or forever.
I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Cade.
I’d risen, and he was trying to rush through the crowd toward me, but was having a hard time making his way around all of the people. Part of me was thankful for that. I felt trapped, like I’d die an absolute death if I didn’t make an immediate escape.
I needed to get out of there fast, or soon, I was going to be a sobbing mess. I could feel the misery welling up and threatening to overflow.
I pushed my way through the crowd toward the other end of the bar, toward the entrance and away from Cade.
“Brook!” he called. “Brook, wait, please!”
I kept going, my eyes on Nathan a few yards in front of me. My vision blurred with tears, but I stumbled through the crowd, pushing my way toward him.
“Brook! Bloody hell! Stop!” Cade was beside me, and grabbed my arm. “Stop… Just wait a second, please.” His voice lowered as he looked at the tears running down my face, his scent enveloped me. Finally, I had the courage to meet his eyes but my face crumpled, and I cried hard.
“Cade, just please, let me go. It’s obvious that coming here tonight was a big mistake.” My voice broke, and more tears slipped from my lashes. I bowed my head when my shoulders began to shake. I couldn’t stop them from doing that, and it felt humiliating to be standing here, in the middle of a bar, in a place I’d never been, with a couple of hundred eyes boring into me… and worse, to witness what I’d just seen.
“Tell me why you’re here,” he commanded softly, his finger lifting my chin so I had to look him in the eyes. He looked sad and anxious. “When I saw you, I couldn’t believe my eyes.” His eyes searched my face, trying to read my mind. “I felt like the earth opened up to swallow me alive.”
I tried to speak, but nothing came out. I opened my mouth, closed it, and then shook my head. “It just… It doesn’t matter now.” I tried again to pull my arm free.
“Goddamn it, Brooklyn! Tell me why you’re here!” he pleaded, and grabbed my other arm, which completely prevented me from looking away from his face. We were both breathing hard; standing motionless; as if there was no one else in the room.
Finally, I looked away as I struggled for strength to control the tears in my voice.
Maybe if I tell him the truth, he’ll let me go.
I turned back to him. “I came here to tell you that what you saw in those photos wasn’t real, and that I was ending things with David. That you are who I want to be with.” I started to shake, my face crumpled. Cade took me by the shoulders, and pulled me tightly to his chest.
“But from the looks of things, you’re doing just fine. It didn’t take you long, did it?” A small sob escaped, as I resumed in earnest. “I thought I was going to surprise you for your birthday, but it looks like I’m the one getting the big surprise.” I was angry and hurt; my heart shattered into a million shards that ripped through my flesh and left me bleeding. I renewed my struggles to get free of him, but he was too strong. He moved me away a little to look in my eyes, his brow low over his eyes and his mouth tense.
“Brook, what was I supposed to think? You never said you were mine. How was I to know? Those pictures were like reliving the entire last year as I watched you with him when I wanted you for myself!”
“After the way it was between us… the way it felt! You saw how my heart was breaking when you left. After that, how could you doubt me? You don’t trust me at all.”
~Book Review~
I loved the cover of Famous and it was the cover that made me pick up the book to read. I didn’t read the blurb and went straight to reading this book.
This was my first book by Kahlen Aymes. The cover had me visualizing a movie world romance which is true in this case but I have mixed feelings after finishing the book.
The starting is slow and didn’t engage me at all. Several times, I felt like stopping but still, as is my habit, I persevered. Only later when I had started liking Cade and Brooke that I got engaged in the story.
The plot is good and the characterization is admirable. Kahlen’s writing style is simple and she is talented but despite its simplicity, the story didn’t flow for me. I wanted to feel the scenarios, experience the passion that I was reading about but I just didn’t. It was like I was a spectator and everything was happening far away.
I loved Cade and his character is very expertly developed. Sometimes, he felt too good to be true but still his actions, his passion for his work and the woman he loved made me to sit up and take notice.
Brooke appealed to me because of her new-fish-in-the-pond status. She is hard working and overall a good person but her attitude towards her boyfriend who, I know, was a materialist and a fake and didn’t deserve Brooke’s love but still he had stayed with her in her struggling days so her bad behaviour didn’t sit well with me. She could have straight away told him that it was over but instead she kept on pretending like nothing was wrong and just treated him like dirt which I think was uncalled for.
The emotional play is well done and towards the end I wanted to see these two together forever and had started feeling for these two. Cade is a hero, I would remember and I really liked him.
The end is not exactly a cliffhanger but is also not a happily-ever-after finish. The story ends on a happy and hopeful note but I felt that the needed eagerness and urgency in the reader to read what happens next with the protagonists is not developed properly and at the end, I just felt a mild curiosity. Nothing drastic that would make me want to start on the next part right away.
Overall, Famous was an okay read for me. Some parts I liked and some didn’t grab me like I wanted. 3 out of 5 to it.
I received an ARC from the author and the tour organizers and I am very thankful to them. The above review is my honest and unbiased opinion and in no way influenced.
I’m a single mother of one daughter, Olivia. She’s amazing in every way.
I was born in the Midwestern United States and educated at a private university where I received a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Business Administration.
I’ve always been creative with art, music, theater and writing. I decided to write a story as a way to build a network for a business venture. The reader support of my stories and my overwhelming desire to find out where my characters would take me, soon had the writing morphing the business. No one was more shocked than I. When readers began nominating my work for online awards, it took my breath away and only made me love it more. It soon became clear that writing was, and should be, my focus.
