The very first chapter roped me in but I immediately felt like too many characters were introduced which had me confused. I was constantly re-reading parts and that is something I normally don't have to do. I think this might be the only book I would ever prefer as a show or movie. I do think the plot was really good.

The tag line "Faking a love story is a whole lot easier than being in love..." had me initially intrigued. Win is a British Indian Hollywood starlet who feels tremendous pressure to help pave the way for other young women of color in the industry. Leo is well known because of his family name but he has his own artistic passions. Win and Leo decide that they can be good for one another's images and decide to fake being a couple thus setting the tabloid headlines on fire! Faux couple or not, I was all in on Win and Leo. He supported her big Hollywood ambitions and believed in her before she made it "big," as we learn from the references made to their first encounter seven years ago. Now, as she is experiencing/managing the fallout of another relationship gone south, Leo is there again to help her move on and maintain a certain image in the press......being Whitman Tagore is a full-time job after all! Being there for one another over the years has started to blur the lines of their "relationship." Their story evolves into the "friends to lovers" romance trope and though that particular trope is not my personal favorite, I think it worked well here!

I enjoyed the commentary/insights into the celebrity world and the pressure Win felt to be perfect, act a certain way, say this but not that....you know, all of those unofficial guidelines designed to help make someone a starlet and stay one. The direct discussions about the issues women of color face in the industry, the standards they are held to, the constant scrutiny they are under.....all of that had a place in this book and for me helped to elevate the story. Leo's unintentional ignorance of what it's like for Win in the industry was handled well and I felt for them both during those dialog sections.

I guess I’m someone who likes some (fictional) behind the scenes Hollywood gossip. Whitman (Win) Tagore is a British Indian up-and-coming actress trying to make it big in Hollywood, and Leo Milanowski is a handsome heir that her publicist set her up with to make Win more visible. Win and Leo form a fast friendship, and possibly a mutual attraction, as they are publicly seen together over the next few years.

This book is gorgeously written! Not only were Leo and Win fully fleshed out, but there supporting characters were given just as much thought. I loved the progression of this story. I hadn’t read the synopsis going in, and loved every minute of it. Also, the authors are married and wrote a book together which is just amazing. Be sure to add this to your summer TBR. You’ll thank me later. 😉

Whitman “Win” Tagore is an A-List actress, Leo Milanowski is her on-again off-again playboy boyfriend, or so the world thinks. In reality they're just friends who, when one needs some good press to avoid a scandal, will drop everything to go sell their love story adored by the world.

The View Was Exhausting is such a comprehensive and interesting look at how fame can dictate entire lives. When the world thinks they get to know and judge every part of you of course you would want to control as much as possible just to protect yourself. Win is such a wonderfully written main character because you so desperately understand every choice she makes even if you don’t agree.

Beyond simply trying to make it in Hollywood, being a women of color in the spotlight means Win understands every move she makes and every role she’s considered for is being judged in a much wider lens than just her talent. This dive into what it’s like to carry that kind of pressure is a very strong part of the book.

This isn’t just a romance and it’s not a glamourized look at celebrity. The View Was Exhausting is a very raw and complex story about the truly behind the scenes life decisions fame can force you to make. It’s that depth though that makes for one of the best romances I've read lately because you go far beneath the surface in understanding both characters and what they mean to each other.

I was also very impressed by how seamless the switch between two authors is. There was no clear differences where you could tell the writing was going back and forth. That’s always a concern of mine with multiple authors, but not a problem here.

I highly recommend The View Was Exhausting!

Whitman is a famous British Indian actress who is a favorite of the paparazzi. When the drama of a recent break up threatens to tank her career, her publicist arranges for her to fake date a male socialite named Leo. Thus begins a seven year on and off “relationship”. Whitman and Leo have a deep connection, circling each other for years before either of them realizes that it wasn’t all pretend.

This is was an intriguing celebrity fake dating romance. It made me wonder if this kind of thing really does happen. Do celebrities fake date to help their public image? I kind of hope it doesn’t because I am a hopeless romantic.😜

There were times that I wanted shake Whitman because I wanted her to wake up and see that her image and career aren’t everything. I wanted her to see that living her life with integrity and following her heart was more important than worrying about what other people thought. But she had to live her own journey of discovering these difficult life lessons. In many ways, her character wasn't likable because she lived her life with too much focus on her career and was selfish with her needs coming before her family and friends. But by the end of the story, I felt like she redeemed herself and I was rooting for her to find happiness.

This book focuses a little on race in film and how it plays into casting and image. Her Indian heritage mixed with her British nationality complicated her ability to land roles. The book also dives a bit into the complicated relationships between first generation children and their immigrant parents. I connected with the fact that Whitman and her mother had a chasm between them that caused issues in their ability to communicate.

This is a drama filled entertaining story that is a great beach read!

Steam level: 🔥🔥🔥
⚠️: grief, cancer, infidelity

"Faking a love story is a whole lot easier than being in love...

The world can see that international A-list actress Whitman ("Win") Tagore and jet-setting playboy Leo Milanowski are made for each other. Their kisses start Twitter trends and their fights break the internet. From red carpet appearances to Met Gala mishaps, their on-again, off-again romance has titillated the public and the press for almost a decade. But it's all a lie.

As a woman of color, Win knows the Hollywood deck is stacked against her, so she's perfected the art of controlling her public persona. Whenever she nears scandal, she calls in Leo, with his endearingly reckless attitude, for a staged date. Each public display of affection shifts the headlines back in Win's favor, and Leo uses the good press to draw attention away from his dysfunctional family.

Pretending to be in a passionate romance is one thing, but Win knows that a real relationship would lead to nothing but trouble. So instead they settle for friendship, with a side of sky-rocketing chemistry. Except this time, on the French Riviera, something is off. A shocking secret in Leo's past sets Win's personal and professional lives on a catastrophic collision course. Behind the scenes of their yacht-trips and PDA, the world's favorite couple is at each other's throats. Now they must finally confront the many truths and lies of their relationship, and Win is forced to consider what is more important: a rising career, or a risky shot at real love?

The View Was Exhausting is a funny, wickedly observant modern love story set against the backdrop of exotic locales and the realities of being a woman of color in a world run by men."

If, like me, you've been pissed about the cancellation of The Arrangement for years now, this here is the book to help salve the wound.

An interesting, engaging look at the psychological impacts of living your life in the public eye

An interesting behind-the-curtain look at “crisis” management, the industry and lifestyle of Hollywood, and the ways in which is alters its inhabitants’ perceptions of reality, love, and life. Populated by interesting and varied characters, it’s a well-constructed, slightly predictable, but enjoyable read.

Because I don’t want to spoil the story, I’m not going to spend much time on the plot. The novel is about the off-screen moments of celebrity life — that is, it’s not about the movies that Win stars in. Rather, it’s about the work that happens between projects — because that is, ultimately, what Win’s life has become: work. Win and her team have attempted to take full control of the narrative of her life. Everything is strategized and planned. Nothing is left to chance, and when “accidents” happen, everyone leaps into action to spin events in Win’s favour. This has been going on for years, and it’s very quickly apparent the ways in which is has twisted Win’s perception of what is “real life”. She has allowed her professional life to consume everything else. Early on, we learn of the arrangement she has with wealthy playboy Leo, and the faux-relationship they trot out whenever Win’s life needs a bit of a publicity boost. However, neither Win nor Leo can deny that they actually have real feelings for each other. However, the overwhelming demands of celebrity life have convinced Win that she needs to tamp those down at all costs, in order to protect her work.

Following alongside Win and Leo as they navigate this strange, not-particularly-attractive way of life (I’m sure all the money is nice, but damn), the authors do a very good job of showing the extra demands and expectations on Win, as an actress of colour. Strangely, though, her belief that nobody else gets it isn’t true: Leo spends a lot of time examining Win’s life, his place in it, and how different it is for her compared to not only himself (white, male, very rich) but also other white (and sometimes male) stars. Despite it being a “Hollywood” novel, the main paparazzi culture featured seems to be British and European — the former is turbo-charged to an extent that is gross and frankly demented.

As the story progresses, we realize that pretty much everyone else around Win does, in fact, understand, but Win’s perceptions have become so twisted and all-consuming, that everyone else’s needs fade away into the background. Every decision has become a calculated move. The final quarter of the novel lays bare how selfish she has become and, strangely, the portrait of an embattled character falls apart a little bit. Readers’ sympathies might fall a little more with those around her, rather than with Win (my favourite character is Win’s mother). Not sure if this shift in sympathies was intentional, but it isn’t fixed by having everyone else fall over themselves to reassure Win and profess their continued love for her — that ended up feeling a bit forced. A minor niggle, though, in an otherwise well-written and constructed novel.

The View Was Exhausting is an interesting novel, with a lot to offer, and plenty of interesting and engaging scenes, chapters, and ideas. It has plenty of sharp observations about the difficulties faced by women of colour in a world very much dominated by and run by men. While there were times when Win’s decisions and treatment of others was jarring (especially towards the end), the authors have nevertheless painted an engaging portrait of someone who has been so twisted up inside by the perceived and actual expectations heaped upon them by the entertainment media and industry.

The View Was Exhausting is a fun, thoughtful book about a Hollywood romance. Win is a British-Indian actress trying to overcome all of the obstacles keeping her from being recognized as the great actress she is. In an attempt to get the press and the public on her side, she dates former model and old money heir, Leo. They have incredible chemistry, but it is an on-again, off-again relationship of convenience for them both, until Win's latest scandal brings them back together again.

If you like the following romance tropes, you will love this fun read!:
-Fake dating
-One bed
-Heroine only has 1 friend
-Grew up poor vs. grew up rich

Recommend for romance readers and those who love a behind the scenes of Hollywood story (Think Daisy Jones and the Six).

I’ve been highly anticipating this book. And it was worth all the anticipation. Romantic in the best way possible with the most realistic characters. This is going to be on a lot of favorite lists.