Cover Image: Through His Eyes

Through His Eyes

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Member Reviews

I was completely gripped by this story and was impressed with the writing quality. I was entertained throughout the story and would not hesitate to recommend this book.

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There was much to enjoy here, but I found I couldn't connect with it. I'd read more from this author in the future though.

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Beware of somebody that seems too good to be true.

In the light of the current accusations against Harvey Weinstein, this story resonates with me and reveals how power and influence can allow men to get away with unspeakable acts of sexual and physical molestation. An ambitious entertainment reporter working long hours to get ahead and succeed in Hollywood is drawn into a world that is not what it seems.

Jessica is a British reporter trying to live the Hollywood dream and break into the world of celebrity reporting. Her drive and determination are not paying off, and she is working all hours of the day and night with little reward when she is thrown a lifeline. Her friend Faye gets her an interview with a heavyweight Hollywood producer about to break out on his own, and she jumps at the chance. Unfortunately, she glimpses the dark side of tinsel town when the producer attempts to molest her, and his message is frightening. Jessica owes him for the interview, and he expects to collect.

Jessica is faced with a dilemma, she outs him as a sexual predator and loses all her connections and a chance of a full-time, paying job or she remains silent, complicit in the dirty secret. She is running out of savings and may have to go back to the UK, tail between her legs if she does not sell the interview. The producer is hugely influential and powerful, and Jessica is essentially a nobody, a throwaway in a world that revolves around power.

She pays the ultimate price down the line, and yet, the author weaves the story in such a clever way. The reader is invested in Jessica's struggle to get ahead, and her choice seems justified. I kept asking myself what I would have done, with so much at stake, and I am quite sure I would have made the same choice. In the light of all the accusations of abuse in the media each day, this novel gives a realistic view of how easy it is to make excuses for the predators and also how these powerful men are protected at every turn.

Worse is to come through. Jessica is presented with an even bigger opportunity, a chance to interview her idol, her heartthrob, Clark Conrad, a Hollywood superstar. She is drawn like a moth to a flame, and her world becomes all about Clark.

She neglects her job, her friends and pays the ultimate price. Abusers come in all shapes and sizes and often present as charming, caring people. Anybody can fall under the spell of a manipulative person, and there should be no finger pointing or judgement.

A stark look at a world where nothing is as it seems, and power and money can hide all manner of evil.

Gillian

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review

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This novel was truly a mission to complete. I found this completely uninteresting and hard to connect with. Not for me.

Thank you to the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Thankyou to NetGalley, Head Of Zeus and the author, Emma Dibdin, for the opportunity to read a digital copy of Through His Eyes in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
I found the book to be easy to follow and a quick read. I thought it was a good read.

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I requested this on NetGalley as it was marketed as a dark, unsettling thriller which sounded right up my street and the blurb sounded interesting. I have to say though, that I wouldn’t call this a thriller, in fact I’m not really sure what genre I would put this book in! I feel like it does read slightly more like a contemporary with a few dark bits in places but it’s definitely not a thriller so if you’re looking at getting this book because of this, then you may end up being disappointed.
This follows Jess who is a Hollywood reporter, working multiple jobs to pay her rent and bills with her main one being for an interior design magazine. They’ve managed to bag an interview with Clark Conrad, a massive movie star who has just renovated his house and Jess and her colleagues are the first people to interview him in a long time. This could be Jess’s lucky break but then she stumbles upon the body of Clark’s daughter and gets drawn into the world of Clark Conrad where she finds out that not everything is always as it seems.
So as mentioned above, this did read more like a contemporary to me instead of a thriller. There were obviously some darker parts to the novel, but they were few and far between and I don’t think this warrants being a thriller. This did seem to focus more around the industry in Hollywood and journalism which I did find interesting, but it isn’t what I was wanting from the book and if I had known that was the bulk of the story, then I may not have picked this up. I didn’t see the ending coming and it was a good twist however it couldn’t save this book for me. This was a quick read for me and I didn’t struggle with how it was written, plus as mentioned above I did find some of the industry info intriguing but the main thing that di keep me reading was that I was expecting a twist to happen at some point because of this being a ‘thriller’.
This wasn’t a bad book by any means and I think if you can overlook the fact that this is more of a contemporary with some dark aspects thrown in, then you could enjoy this! It’s not something I’ll remember and it was a disappointment for me but that’s because I did go into this expecting a dark and twisty thriller as that’s how it was marketed but found it definitely didn’t live up to that!

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Book blurb...
A dark, unsettling thriller about a young female journalist drawn into the life of a troubled Hollywood A-lister.
The perfect summer read for fans of Sabine Durrant, Erin Kelly and Louise Doughty.
You have to know when to say no. That's one of the first things they tell you. But from the first day I arrived in Los Angeles, I said yes.
Jessica Harris is a struggling Hollywood reporter hungry for her big break. When her editor asks her to profile movie star Clark Conrad, Jessica is sure her luck is on the turn. Clark is an A-lister with access to everyone. If Jessica can impress him, she's made it.
When she arrives at Clark's mansion in the Hollywood Hills, he is just as she always imagined. Charming, handsome yet disarmingly vulnerable. But then things take a darker turn. Clark's world is not as straightforward as it seems and Jessica's puff piece soon becomes something much more delicate – and dangerous. As Jessica draws herself deeper into Clark's inner circle, events begin to spiral out of her control.
Transfixing, insightful and unsettling, Through His Eyes drops you into the mind of a young woman with everything to play for – and everything to lose...

My thoughts…
I never DNF a novel and then review. To not finish an author’s work but still offer an opinion is wrong, wrong, wrong. So I did read to the end, hopeful, but unfortunately I did not enjoy the story as much as the blurb suggested I would.
Did I miss something?
That said, I was forced to read this story in snatches, mostly due to my own time/travel constraints. This may have affected my interpretation of the narrative.
Jessica certainly found herself in a position where she needed to make a life-altering choice regarding movie star, Clark Conrad. So the conflict was there.
I think I’d like to read this story again when I can give it my full attention and not be pressured by review/publishing deadlines.

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Through His Eyes is a highly topical and insightful psychological drama, with some intriguingly realistic characters and a storyline ripped straight from the headlines.

Jess is trying to build a career for herself as an entertainment journalist in a digital world. Handed the opportunity of a lifetime, she gets drawn into the dark heart of Hollywood when a teenage crush becomes an adult reality.

This is a clever tale, a genuinely compelling portrait of what lies beneath a  place of glitz and glamour…Emma Dibdin having a great eye for nuance and perception, the realities of the situation Jess finds herself in are teased out brilliantly. You find yourself fully immersed into this world of red carpets, social media sound bites, networking and cover ups, it is fascinating, socially relevant and honestly a bit of a page turner.

Through His Eyes is a cautionary tale of our time, a nod to how far we still have to go, but also hugely entertaining with some memorable characters and an authentic plot. I thought it was terrific.

Recommended.

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This book gripped me from page 1 and didn't let go until I read the last page. It was not my normal thriller, but I am so glad I was able to get this through netgalley, because it was one of my favorite reads this year. Well written, amazing character development, and tense and taughting! Will be recommending and using this title in my daily challenges in Chapter Chatter Pub!

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An atmospheric little number that had me on the edge of my seat. Good flow and strong characters that kept me gripped

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I was excited to read Through His Eyes as the subjects - journalism and Hollywood - were ones that interested me personally. Jessica was a nice enough protagonist although part of me wishes that we were given more insight into her background and she was given more character development. Although the story was certainly readable and the author writes well, it simply wasn't a very exciting story – most certainly not a thriller for sure. The plot was predictable and I wanted more from it. I wanted twists and turns and to be surprised and frankly, that didn't happen. It was fun to read about the behind the scenes world of Hollywood so this was a nice element but unfortunately, the ending also felt very abrupt and I was left wondering: was that it?

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I thought this book was going to end with the girl getting the guy, but it turned in a very different direction. Great read! Thanks to Head of Zeus and NetGalley for advanced copy.

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"Through His Eyes" is a timely and interesting look at the hypocrisy that is evident throughout the whole of Hollywood. It's a book that is much deeper than the synopsis indicates - it echoes the message and morality of the "Me Too" movement so the story certainly tranfers to the real world. Make no mistake this is a shocking, sinister and insightful read that I found difficult to read at times.

I found the pace to be ideal and there were many times I was shocked at the about-turns that were sprinkled throughout. It's very accessible and readable and most importantly it comes across as authentic and as though Dibdin knows her subject well. Kudos to the author, she has really hit the nail on the head and is not frightened to explore darker topics. This is my first time reading one of her novels but I am going to check out the rest.

All in all, this is a book with an important message on not saying yes to anything just to further your career and to report anything untoward should it happen to you. I am under no illusions that this practice is not just prevalent throughout Hollywood and the wider film industry but takes place wherever there is a power structure.

Many thanks to Head of Zeus for an ARC. I was not required to post a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

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I was pleasantly surprised by Through His Eyes as I haven't read anything by Emma Dibdin before. This is a timely book, echoing sentiments of the #MeToo movement as the book really tears into the hypocrisy within Hollywood and the film industry. The character development was brilliant, and Dibdin does an excellent job in portraying Clarke Conrad as a complex man, layered man. The whole book moved at a perfect pace, and the twists and turns were unexpected. The story at times got caught up in name and technology dropping, which I guess could date the book however it is a contemporary read and so didn't feel too forced.

I'd definitely recommend this book to others and am immediately going to read more of Dibdin's work!

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This book was not a romance and not a thriller. It’s a story about the seedy side of Hollywood and journalism. Not my usual thing but I really enjoyed it and found it very readable.

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Loved this book, brilliant storyline, I was gripped and couldn't put It down, I finished it in one sitting! Never read a story like it before

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This Hollywood morality tale won't win prizes for originally but it's an enticing and topical view of the grubby underside of power plays and monstrous egos. Dibdin either knows what she's writing about or else has done her research as the setting and details feel authentic. It's a shame that Clark Conrad is little more than caricature and that the 'thriller' elements of the plot feel added on without much substance - still, a gossipy, look at the world of movies, TV and online news. I'd read Dibdin again in a flash.

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