Member Reviews

While this was a fun read for most of the book, but it was at times uncomfortable having to read some of the harsh exchanges between Clara and Caspian. I don't feel like some big monologue/grand gesture speech at the end of the book makes up for Caspian being rude to Clara time and time again.

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I thought Crashing The A-List was a fun and quirky rom-com. The characters are well written, the dialogue is fun and the plot isn't too heavy. I thought this book was full of humour and I liked the style of the story being told in the first person as events unfold. I thought Clara was a really relatable character and Caspian made for a great leading man. Overall, I think the book is well-written and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun rom-com!

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

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Sometimes you just need a little RomCom in you life and Crashing the A-List hit the mark!

Clara is down on her luck, lost her editing career and is living on her brother’s couch. To get some money she takes a job cleaning out all the defunked storage units. Cleaning out the units she comes across records from an escort service. In these records, she finds “resume” for a British “A-List” actor. She uses her editing contacts to track him down to reassure him she won’t tell anyone, only to drunkenly blunder it. Having Caspain show up at her brother’s door to blackmail her into pretending to be his girlfriend.

Crashing the A-List is fun, flirty and like all great romcoms, a little bit serious to keep the reader invested…and just what I was looking for.

I received this ARC copy of Crashing the A-List from HARLEQUIN - MIRA (U.S. and Canada). This is my honest and voluntary review. Crashing the A-List is set for publication July 2, 2019.

My Rating: 4 stars
Written by: Summer Heacock
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: MIRA; Original edition (July 9, 2019)
ISBN-10: 0778369285
ISBN-13: 978-0778369288
Genre: Romantic Comedy

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Crashing-List-...
Barnes & Nobles: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cras...
Itunes: https://books.apple.com/us/book/crash...
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I thought this was a quick, cute read. You have Clara who down on her luck after being laid off takes a job clearing out abandoned storage units and comes across some damaging information to a celebrity. So in a drunken state calls and leaves a message creating a misunderstanding. Spiraling in a scheme to be his fake girlfriend while he is in town. Lots of funny laughable moments with her best friend CiCi.

My biggest issue with this book is the times when they go off on each other is scathing insults. We are to be believed a little groveling or apologizes solves everything but to me it was a little too much. While a grand gesture, tears and groveling help it was a little too much for me to overcome.

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The first chapter or so I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy this book. Happily I was wrong. Once I got into it I really liked it. Clara sounds like someone I'd like to be friends with, Cici too! Caspian can be a little annoying, but once you know why, it's not as bad. Quick read, perfect for a beach read.

This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher. All opinions are my own.

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Fun and occasionally funny, this is exactly what I'd call a fast summer beach read.

I'm always a sucker for the fake dating trope, and while this had some fun scenarios, it definitely felt like the author was writing fanfic that could be labeled in AO3 under "OC/Benedict Cumberbatch." I mean, the guy is named Caspian Tiddleswich and was on a popular detective show. It's not exactly subtle.

Also, Clara is supposedly 30 years old but constantly acts like she's 21. She's clearly in the wrong so many times, yet acts crazy defensive when called out on her terrible behavior. To be fair, Tiddleswich does act like a bit of a psychopath at first, but in my mind it was kind of justified, given the situation. If I'm being honest, they were both pretty immature.

I did love Cici, the best friend, and the mom was pretty hilarious. Overall, not the strongest romance I've ever read, but it was frothy enough for the summer.

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4 1\2 stars
Readers who love romance comedies will find this traditional romance will have readers laughing with the fast pace and witty dialogue, quirky characters, the perfect blend of characters that will making swimming at the pool with your family more enjoyable.

I promise when readers finish the book they will not only be laughing but smiling.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Mira for the advance copy of Summer Heacock Crashing the A-List

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Well done and lots of fun! Recommend this to readers who enjoy a traditional rom-com and would rather skip the graphic sex scenes. Great characters, lovable protagonist, and the kind of plot that really teases out the ending. Really enjoyed this personally and look forward to recommending it to readers.

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This one started out great for me. Hilariously set up with intrigue thanks to strange circumstances where the heroine comes across a piece of a hot celebs past. Set in NYC this heroine is stumbling her way through life when one drunken phone call sets off a new course in her life she never saw coming.

The characters and the dialogues are utterly hilarious. I found myself laughing out loud on several occasions (especially those scenes with the heroine's mom). I really, really liked it even though the beginning when the hero makes a less than stellar name for himself with readers. The wit and humor are dry and sarcastic which was perfect for the story. And the secondary characters take on lives of their own within the pages.

It's around the 55-80% mark where I started to get a little frustrated with the book. The second conflict of the story basically repeats the first. I saw no trust, no growth or development from the hero and one of major pet peeve tropes was used again in the same manner except this time with no real basis. I appreciated the vulnerability that came from this but I just couldn't get on board totally as it ruined the chemistry and the development of the romance I thought was happening.

The end came out good although I wish it would have been a little more to try and regain some of that chemistry but the banter was fresh and intact. It's overall an enjoyable read.

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Clara Montgomery is unemployed but still has a strong desire to be independent. She takes a job cleaning out abandoned storage units, and finds some incriminating evidence about a big movie star. He, of course, thinks she wants to blackmail him. Let the misunderstandings begin!

My favorite part of this was the relationship between Clara and her best friend CiCi - they were so funny and CiCi was so supportive. I wasn't so sure about Caspian through much of the book - he got really mean. However, a great thing was that whatever he did and said, Clara did not lose her sense of self, and she really stuck up for herself and told him things were not ok. A good role model.

This was a fun and funny romance, and I appreciate netgalley letting me read it!

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I so enjoyed this story of an ordinary woman, extremely down on her luck who gets involved with a Benedict Cumberbatch-sort of movie star. The twist is that he suspects her of blackmail and she can’t stand him. What makes this novel is the witty dialogue between Clara and all the other characters. Her best friend Cici is the friend that everyone wishes they had - someone who will rode or die for you and do it with humor and love. Clara’s younger brother who is allowing her to sleep on his crappy couch while she looks for a new job has a great relationship touched with Clara. And then there is Caspian, the Cumberbatch doppelganger. He comes off as an arrogant and obnoxious guy, but gets better as the novel goes on. Once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

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I like the fake dating trope as much as most people and this story has its ups as well as a few downs in the telling of the tale.

Clara Montgomery is an out-of-work book editor who is embarking on a unique job of sifting through old storage units with unpaid bills. This is not something she is physically ready for but she learns on the go. There are secrets boxed up in those units and in one, with the help of her friend she finds out dirt about one currently famous actor. This brings her into his periphery and lands her in an unwanted role. The narrative was funny, and the supporting cast really realistic but I had a problem with the number of back and forths between our lead protagonists. The number of times tears and fears play a role in the narrative made me a little tired beyond a point. 

I really enjoyed the writing and the zeal of our leading lady. The actual job of a working actor and editor was seamlessly incorporated into the tale which made for an interesting read when that bit came up. I would have liked to dwell more on the storage units since they seemed to be such a treasure trove for story material. I enjoyed Clara's time there than anywhere else in the book!

I would recommend this book to people who read this genre and who like well-done friendships and sibling relationships thrown into the mix.

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This story is full of voice and a cast of characters that are side-splitting funny. Between the shenanigans and drool-worthy cupcake descriptions is a modern day exploration of one woman’s quest for happily ever after. Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin for my honest review of this delightful debut!!!!!!

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What do you do when you’re an out-of-work editor, forced to live with your younger brother and his fiance, staring at yet another month of unemployment? For Clara Montgomery, the answer is to take a job clearing out repossessed storage lockers and accidentally turn her life upside down. One of the storage lockers turns out to hold the records of a now defunct escort service, including the employment profile of a college student turned famous actor. A well-meaning and slightly drunk attempt to assure the actor that nothing is going to happen with the information and that Clara intends to destroy it gets mistaken, in classic romantic comedy fashion, for an extortion attempt. One misunderstanding leads to another, and Clara finds herself in a fake relationship with the actor. Unfortunately for all parties involved, simply being in the same space as one another leads to vicious arguments, leaving Clara unsure if she or Caspian will survive the two weeks before he returns to London. What could possibly go right?

As with many romantic comedies, the reader needs to suspend their disbelief as soon as they start reading this novel. But if you’re willing to take that leap, and slog through the occasional cringe worthy moment, Crashing the A-List is an excellent choice for a lazy summer day binge read. It stays on the surface of the plot and characterization, with the twists and turns that are required and predictable for any romance of this type. It didn’t catch me with beautiful prose, or make me want to go read anything else this author has published, but as an escapist read, it serves its purpose. My actual rating is probably a 3.5 out of 5: I’d buy a copy if I saw it on the deep discount tables at a bookstore, but wouldn’t go out of my way to hunt for it.

Final verdict: If you enjoy rom-com style romance novels, worth picking up a copy from your local library. Fun and bubbly way to spend an afternoon.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Thank you for the opportunity to read this book, however on being a little way in I have decided I am not the audience for this book. So far the heroine is whiny and first person narrative has to be really good to hold me. I also don't appreciate the language, so I am not prepared to commit valuable reading time to it. I am sure though other audiences will possibly be quite happy to read it.

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Cute! No surprises in store, and it ran a little long, but overall, a very fun, enjoyable reading experience.

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This was a light rom-com that made me laugh out loud on several occasions. I think the strongest characters were actually the best friend and the mother. The biggest drawback for me was the language. I don't think it added anything to the story. It did have a HEA ending so all's well that ends well.

This book was gifted to me by the publisher in return for an honest review.

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Crashing the A-List has a very interesting premise, but unfortunately I found the love interest to be so unlikeable that I couldn't root for the couple, despite scenes of groveling intended to make up for his bad behavior. Honestly, I kind of wanted Clara and her best friend Cici to end up together because they had such a better relationship and more chemistry!

The story follows Clara, an assistant editor who loses her job after a merger, and has to crash on the couch of her little brother and his fiancee. To make ends meet, she takes a gig cleaning out storage units that have been repossessed for non-payment. In the process, she finds 20-year-old records from a escort service, including evidence that famous actor Caspian Tiddleswich (I know, that name! Lol) worked as a male escort when he was 19. When she somehow finds his phone number and leaves a drunken voicemail, he assumes she is trying to blackmail him and sets out to make her life a living hell.

I was actually really stressed out by the things Clara goes through and thought Caspian was an absolute jerk, even when he didn't need to be. I did not feel like his behavior, in multiple instances, was remotely acceptable and by the end was rooting for Clara to leave him despite his apologies. Not what you want in a romance novel! Instead, I was annoyed that she was practically ignoring these huge red flags, simply because she had feelings for him. Meanwhile, Cici, her BFF, is the best character in the book! I would be here for for them becoming more than friends. Unfortunately, that was not the direction this went. I received an advance review copy of this book via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

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I love the fake relationship trope. This one is great! A fun, quirky read!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

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Crashing the A List by author Summer Heacock was an entertaining storyline with a few twists throughout. It is a “fake girlfriend” storyline…but not until after some light mystery is involved. l enjoyed the characters and their differences, lifestyles, and personalities. This was the first book I have read by this author and I would definitely read another. Overall, I really enjoyed this! 4/5 stars from me!

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