This was an entertaining read. I wish I didn’t know it was loosely based on Carrie Fisher to be honest. I was always a big fan of hers and it was a little awkward reading some of these things with her in the back of my mind. However, it was fun and I definitely wasn’t bored at any points. The audio narrator was good and added a good layer to the overall performance.

The narrator made this audio book for me. It was such a fun breezy listen that was better because of it's narration (that's rare in an audio book!) From the first few chapters you're cheering for Charlie and waiting with bated breath to see what Kathi will do next. Following this unlikely pair was the perfect laugh out loud end to the year.

I had been following Byron Lane and his battle with cancer through his Instagram account and fell in love with his resilience, his ability to share such intimate life moments with the world, and his path to writing this book, so I knew this would be a must-read for me!

I appreciated that Byron took his real-life experiences and translated them into a fun but authentic piece of fictional literature with A Star is Bored. From witty dialogue to serious family issues, and all that comes with being an assistant in Hollywood, this book truly has it all. 

This was a fun and inspirational read and I recommend it to anyone who could use a good laugh and/or is trying to figure out their place in the world!

I loved the idea of the story and the lens into being a personal assistant but the story was not very enjoyable overall.

I have a lot of mixed feelings about this one. On one hand, I love the premise, but the book was really boring for me. 

It really struggled to hold my attention. I felt like there was nothing going on to keep me coming back.  About a third of the way in I had to put the book on high speed so I could get through it. 

I really enjoyed the main characters.  Unfortunately, it felt like the same interaction over and over again.

I don’t think I would recommend this book, but I did enjoy the narrator.

I found A Star is Bored to be somewhat stilted in its humor, and its caricature of actress-who-will-remain-unnamed to be uninteresting. There were points that were amusing, but I was also distracted by the writing style, e.g., “I’m thinking… [blank] I’m thinking… [blank]…I’m thinking…[blank].” It seemed sometimes like this was happening on almost every page, although it was difficult to tell with this being an audiobook. Overall, I wanted to like this book a lot more than I did—but I don’t doubt that it will be very successful for what it is.

I absolutely adored this brilliant, funny, heartmelting book. You attend Lane's party because you miss Carrie Fisher and her mother Debbie Reynolds and are swiftly reunited with them in the fictional characters of Kathi Cannon and Miss Gracie. However, you stay because you fall for the protagonist, Charlie. Noah Galvin nails the different character voices.

This book was super good. It was super original and I flew through it. It didn't feel like anything I've read in the past. Can't wait to read more from the author!!

I very much enjoyed this story which tells about the relationship  between a famous actress and her assistant. Heartfelt, funny, and sad, this story resonates with the reader who will no doubt relate to the many very human experiences of struggling with family, relationships, and your own insecurities. A fascinating account of a insider's view into the life of a celebrity that will have you equal parts shedding tears and laughing out loud.

Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the alc for this book.  I like the premise of the book, essentially a former news writer becomes a personal assistant to an actress. (I'm assuming is based on Carrie Fisher.  )  I recommend this book to people who want a behind the scenes look into Hollywood and love larger than life characters.

Unfortunately this is a miss for me at the moment.  The tone of the book is a bit over the top for me.  This is one I can see revisiting though because it may resonate better at a different time.

'A Star Is Bored' is a very enjoyable, well developed novel. When we meet the narrator, Charlie, he is an aimless, lonely gay man in his twenties living in Los Angeles. He becomes assistant to Hollywood icon, Kathi Kannon, who played an iconic character in a sci-fi movie series in the 80s. The author, Byron Lane, was personal assistant to Carrie Fisher, so it seems inevitable to picture her as Kathi Kannon. Kathi is creative, brash, and... bored. When we meet Kathi, her career is at a standstill and her troubles aren't immediately apparent. Charlie is still recovering from childhood loss and trauma. Charlie becomes a devoted assistant and celebrity shenanigans ensue! We learn more about the underlying reasons for Kannon's behavior. Charlie's develops a close relationship with Kannon and begins to come into his own. The plot was a little predictable, but the characters were really well developed. The audiobook narrator was wonderful, emotive, and engaging. I really enjoyed the uniqueness and depth of 'A Star Is Bored'.

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for providing this ARC.

This was a fun and refreshing read. :)  

Author Byron Lane spent 3 years working as actress Carrie Fisher's personal assistant and though he insists in the forward and acknowledgements that all characters in this book are fictional, it is clear that his time with Carrie influenced this story. 

Charlie Besson is from New Orleans and now lives in California working as a news writer.   He doesn't love his job so when a friend tells him that his favorite actress Kathi Kannon is looking for a new assistant he jumps at the chance.  Kathi is mostly famous for her iconic role as a priestess in a blockbuster space movie.   She's also an author, the daughter of a famous actress....and has a history of trouble with substance abuse. (sound familiar?).    Charlie is super nervous at his interview and Kathi is brash and sarcastic.  She dubs him "Cockring" because it also starts with C and she says she can't remember his name.   Charlie ends up getting the job and so begins his misadventures.   

You can't help but picture Kathi as Carrie Fisher and I don't think that is a bad thing.   The author is clearly fond of Carrie Fisher and it shows.   I really enjoyed the story and recommend it to anyone looking for a fictional, humorous roller coaster ride with a troubled Hollywood star.   There were quite a few laugh out loud moments along with some more serious bits.   We also see Charlie come into his own and learn to love himself.

QUICK TAKE: funny and heartwarming, I really enjoyed this "fictional" story of an assistant and the difficult celebrity he works for. Byron was Carrie Fischer's assistant, and it's hard not to compare his fictional celebrity character here to Fischer. The story is a love letter to those who find family and community in an unusual place. We listened to this one on audio and the narration was very good.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book. I'll be posting my review on Goodreads and Amazon

A STAR IS BORED is one of those titles that I have seen floating around Instagram and was eager to check out. The book is a fictional telling based on real life experiences of Byron Lane’s time as an assistant for Carrie Fisher. However, this novel centers on Charlie Besson as he becomes an assistant for his childhood savior and idol, Kathi Kannon.

A STAR IS BORED is a wild mix of crazy celebrity shenanigans and healing deep childhood trauma. I was surprised by the serious moments in which Charlie reflects on his childhood and difficult relationship with his dad.

Throughout the book you see Charlie, most commonly referred to as Cock Ring by Kathi Kannon, pull himself back from the edge of suicide. Becoming an assistant for Kathi becomes his world, but slowly he begins to rediscover his own brilliance and worth.

There were parts of this book that I loved and some that felt a bit repetitive. I really enjoyed the sentimental moments and the development of Charlie along the way. Although Kathi was an amazing character I began to become bored of her antics.

I thought that Noah Gavin was the perfect choice to be the voice for the audiobook. However, I am not sure if it was the editing or the Net Galley Shelf app, but certain parts sounded noticeably different as if the volume or recording setting differed.

Overall, it was a both funny and deep novel that really takes you on a journey of self healing and growth.

DNF at 10%. I was intrigued by the premise of this - a fictional account of an assistant to a movie star who sounds a lot like Carrie Fisher written by an author who used to be Carrie Fisher’s assistant. From reviews I saw and the description I pictured a funny and sometimes touching read with laugh out loud scenes. 

Maybe I didn’t read far enough to get there but I’m going to start here. So far - I just feel sad for Charlie. He talks a lot about his history with his dad which isn’t great. And there have been multiple instances of him thinking about (joking about?) suicide which isn’t funny to me. Maybe I’m not in the right mood or not the right audience but this is a pass for me. 

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance reading and listening copies.

I received an advanced digital copy of this audio book from the author, publisher and Netgalley.com. Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review. 
A Star Is Bored is an amazing, funny story that will blow you away.  Loved the narration. The fact that it's loosely based on the author's experience working for Carrie Fisher makes it even richer!

5 out of 5 stars.  Highly recommend.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved how the narrator expressed emotion and he really seemed to be learning how to respond to rejection and love in his personal life through learning how to do his job as an assistant. His experience with dating were too relatable—getting attached too quickly, going on a date with someone from an online dating profile just to go on a date, etc. overall, a very interesting read. I was cheering for him when he finally left the assistant position.

I received this as an audio book from net galley in exchange for an honest review.  I learned after enjoying the fictional story of a star and her personal assistant that the author used to be Carrie Fischer's personal assistant!  I don't know if that knowledge would have made me like the book more or not.  It was an enjoyable listen.  I liked that the area personal assistants helped each other with their bosses' requests.  I hadn't gotten that they gave each other nicknames though right away and learned that along with Charlie.  I don't want to spoil the story but if you like books about Hollywood and stars I think you'd enjoy this book!

Author Byron Lane is Carrie Fisher’s former assistant, and while this is not a memoir (as the two legal statements at the start make clear!), it is fun to speculate how much of this novel is based in fact.

Charlie lands the job as eccentric actress Kathi Kannon’s assistant by chance. He starts as a fan, and an employee desperate to keep his job. He soon becomes essential and Kathi becomes a friend. As she becomes more dependent on him, he starts to wonder where he starts and she ends–and whether he can save her from herself.

This was such a fun listen, filled with snark and Hollywood absurdities. It’s fiction, but a great choice if you love a good tell-all.