I really enjoyed The Rise. At first I thought I would just like it, that it would be an easy read. As the premise of the story isn’t something totally unique, it wouldn’t be a book I’d have to think too much about. And in some ways it was. There was your usual cliches about money and fame going to peoples’s head, the typical LA stereotypes, and a slight inclination as to how things would turn out in the end.

However, The Rise also held a lot of emotion that I wasn’t ready for. I’m a sucker for anyone who is truly self-made, who have risen above situations they were told they never would. We get that with these characters. And while they are unlikeable in many ways, the authors still manage to keep them grounded, likeable, and vulnerable. I cried during the last few chapters. I wasn’t expecting that. But this was really where the book elevated itself from a story that was told before into something more special.

The glitz and glam of Hollywood are a far cry from the mean streets of Glasgow, and our three friends Zander, Mirren and Davie find themselves back where it all began when their past finally comes back to bite them.

I never really ready any of Jackie Collins books but The Rise definitely gave me that vibe and I have to say I loved this book. Its not really a thriller per say in the sense of most books of in genre that I read, but I really wanted to find out what was hanging over them in their past to make them part ways. What is this the big secret that drove them apart??

Told from their past and present lives we get to piece together what drove them apart and why it ultimately brought them back together.

4 stars

Favorite Quotes:

Usually he could talk his way out of anything. His teachers said he talked too much. His mum said she couldn’t hear herself think for him sometimes. Even his gran would deliberately take out her hearing aid when he’d been in her house for more than ten minutes.

It was a bad day when the nobodies in this town cut off ties. Even the pizza delivery service wouldn’t return his calls. He was toxic.

Pippa had been around for a few months– a remarkable achievement given that his girlfriends usually had a higher recycle rate than the paper bin in his office.

Having Hollywood’s top scandal hound as a friend had many advantages– great insider info, fast news and a network of spies that could rival the CIA during the Cold War.

This was the kind of one-off event that journos talked about until someone scattered their ashes over the news desk.

My Review:

This tale was an interesting balance of clever snark, angst, fragile facades, edgy humor, toxic family drama, and the every ratcheting sense of impending doom. The characters were uniquely obnoxious yet oddly endearing, I couldn’t help but care about them – even when they were annoying me. The storylines were gritty and tense and kept me intrigued yet on edge. I was primed for any little tidbit to uncover the mystery of what had caused the trio of friends to implode. I conjured and tossed several theories, but was only partly correct by the conclusion. I love when that happens.

A sizzling tale of three schoolfriends who make it big in Hollywood, but who were torn apart by a secret years ago. This is a glamorous story full of intrigue and entertainment. Very reminiscent of Jackie Collins. It wasn't really for me, but it's very well written and pacy. Perfect for those who like celebrities and glamour.

Love love love!!! Ross King of ITV and Shari Low; author of some of my favourite books have joined forces and written the most amazing Jackie Collins style blockbuster! Mirren, Zander and David, three teenagers in LA who have written a blockbuster. Fast forward twenty years and they have nothing to do with each other. This is the story of their childhood; the film that shot them to stardom and what happens in the years to come. I absolutely loved this book.

A guilty pleasure, soapy read hearkening back to the glory days of Jackie Collins. Three friends from Glasgow accept an Oscar together and then make it big in Hollywood but are torn apart by a secret from their past. We get each of their POV's, as well as the Scottish journalist who comes to L.A. to investigate and break the big story. I enjoyed learning about each character's journey and was dying to find out the big secret. Very entertaining!

23rd of September was my spot on Rachel’s Random Resources blog tour for Shari Low and Ross King’s The Rise. I apologise for my review being a bit late, Queen’s funeral made my reading to go out of sync and I’m still playing catch-up. This novel is published by Boldwood Books. I read this thriller as an ebook for this tour and I’m so glad that i took part on this tour as I really liked this thrilling read. In fact, I always look forward to blog tours and especially Boldwood Books thrillers, and out of all of my recent blog tours, this was one that I couldn’t wait to read and review.
I love stories that start with humble beginnings, in this case Glasgow’s council estate and end up with a success story, Hollywood namely. I loved this rags to riches story, and if I could give this thriller 6 stars I would have done. It held my attention and interest right from the start and was a gripping read. It was quite unputdownable and once I started this exciting read I didn’t want to put it down. This thriller was fast-paced, action-packed and a thrilling read. I loved Hollywood and LA as a location for this novel. I like travelling to exotic locations via novels and the playground of rich and famous definitely hit the spot. I loved the two authors’s writing style, and character development in this novel. I loved finding out more about the main characters as the events took place in the story line.
I’m giving this fantastic read 5 stars as this thriller was a perfect read for me. I adore Jackie Collins’ novels, and I love reading Nigel May and Melanie Blake’s books too, and this reminded thriller me of those. I’m certain other readers will enjoy this novel too.

I love Shari Low's books and this collab is totally loveable and this book is funny, shocking and surreal in a good way, Each chapter has its own song and names what year its meant to be and where its set. I was jigging away to some of the songs.
We follow Davie Johnston and many other characters where when you read it you will wonder who they could be modelled on name wise. We have Thrupples, Love, Sex and Music and intrigue. So many twists and turns. It's a very entertaining book. Fully Recommended.

What a wild ride this thriller took us on. I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline as it gave glimpses of the characters past interspersed with current events that brought them all together. It is dark and gritty at times and definitely deals with some heavier adult topics but in a meaningful way.

Now I feel it fair to warn perspective readers that there are sexually explicit parts and references to drugs, addiction, and rape. This is not a happy book but it is well done and keeps you on your toes. The book is broken down into many small chapters and you will want to keep reading until the end. It is absolutely a page turner.

Each of the characters has their own struggles and history. Their paths intertwined as adolescents and despite going their separate ways over the years, one big thing ties them back to each other. Mirren, Zander, and Davie all battle their own demons having moved into the Hollywood scene with great success as young adults. All of the glitz and glamour of the movie industry comes with it’s dark underbelly as well. None of our lead characters was untouched by it.

It was nice to have the story revealed through various perspectives. Each time we learn about the goings on it’s from multiple perspectives which gives me, the reader, a more balanced view. The characters are well developed and well rounded. Not all bad, not all good, just people dealing with lives as it is.

Four stars to this thriller, and thanks again to the publisher/author for a review copy!

Three young friends from Glasgow made a movie, that got an oscar. Their rise to fame was guaranteed, but that was also when their friendship ended.

Now 20 years after, they all have very successful careers. Mirren is a very successful writer, about to film the 5th movie, based on her mega-successful book series. Zander is a famous, very in-demand action hero and David produces the biggest reality shows on TV. Then journalists want to contact them, to talk about what happened in the past. And it all unravels from there.

It was thrilling, full of secrets and written in a way that made the story very realistic. The kind of story you can't put down. I loved the first and last third of the book, however the middle part I found repetitive, and the story dragged a bit.

The writing was good, but the style was so different from what I have come to expect from Shari Low that I could not really get into it or care too much about the characters.

I have heard/read others raving about this book, so it is definitely really personal whether this book is someone's cup of tea or not.

🌟📖 Blog Tour 📖🌟

The Rise by Shari Low and Ross King blog tour hosted by Rachel's Random Resources Tour Hosts

🌹My Review 🌹

I felt like I was a celebrity in L.A while reading this, it truly has it all scandal, gossip, affairs and most of all the big secret, which I was desperate to find out. With the glitz and glamour of a Jackie Collins, the atmosphere is amazing, also a few actual celebrities are thrown in the mix. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I can tell that this book is going to be a big hit. I have goosebumps!

Thank you netgalley, boldwood and Rachel's Random Resources for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

When I signed up for the Boldwood Books tour it was because I was intrigued by the synopsis - I am so glad I did.
This is a fantastic thriller, I love the dual timelines and the fact they eventually collide for an explosive ending I didn't expect. This book is so well written, the enthralling narrative meaning I didn't want to stop reading. The character development is seamless which makes you root for them flaws and all. I love the fact they go into their past in gritty detail, but its still handled sensitively. The friendships and family dynamics are written so beautifully that you can genuinely feel the love and the effects of the loss and heartbreak running through the novel.

I heard recently that this is the start of a new series and I am so glad because I can't wait to read more. I will definately be searching for more Shari Low and Ross King in the mean time
#boldwoodbooks #therise

This is a story that spans over 40 years the main characters are Mirren, Davie and Sandy (Who becomes Zander),

The story encompasses these characters as children living in Glasgow in the 80's and then all the jet set and glitz and glamour of L.A around the 2010's.

How great to see 3 people that have made the big time, but what happened to their friendship and closeness that they possessed in the 80's in Glasgow? What secrets have been hidden?

The story bounces within the 80's and 2010's with snippets of both times until the full story is uncovered.

The story has the secrets the glitz and glamour of a Jackie Collins novel, but still slightly lacking, the story was interesting but did seem to take a while to get there, well worth a read and i do wonder what the future books from these authors will be like.

I was honestly not sure if I was going to like the story at first but after the first three chapters I started to really get into it! The writing is great but sometimes I had a hard time following the storyline. Overall it has suspense (which I love) and the characters were very intriguing.

Let me start by saying that the name Shari Low on the cover of a book makes me want to read it, whatever the subject. In this case I hadn't even read the blurb, knowing only it was going to be a thriller.
So I didn't expect the Jackie Collins L.A vibe at all, which I'm glad I didn't as it's not one of my favourite genre and I would have probably not picked The Rise had I known it before. I'm glad because I enjoyed this book despite its genre and setting and also despite the fact that it's not exactly a thriller in my opinion.
And that's because Shari always creates very real characters who enter your head and your heart in a very special way.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review

This fabulous book is gritty, sexy, very glamorous and with just enough humour to remind us that the wonderful Shari Low is behind it, along with her friend, Ross King. This is a great collaboration between these two writers as the LA glamour and insight from the Hollywood lifestyle brings a showbiz element to this story of 3 Scottish friends, Mirren, Zander and Davie. The three find themselves taken from a difficult and impoverished home life to the streets of Hollywood, and their glamorous lifestyles hide a multitude of grief, problems and secrets.
A real page turner which I loved, and I can’t wait to find out what these two authors have in store for us next…..

Great combination of writers sees this blockbuster of a novel by author Shari Low and celebrity tv journalist Ross King.
Looking back and forward in time we meet three young friends living in relative poverty in Scotland in the 1989’s, surviving in troubled homes and having to deal with abuse, rape and dysfunctional families.
In the early 1990’s al three are living celebrity lifestyles in LA, with varying degrees of personal and professional success. This books shows us, warts and all, what happened to get them there.
On a par with the great books written by the late Jackie Collins this packs a powerful punch in both timelines.
Highly recommend.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the authors for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As a big Jackie Collins fan, I looked forward to reading this book. I wasn't disappointed. A great collaboration between the authors. A great read. Recommended.

Ooooh, this was very @jackiejcollins
wasn't it, glitzy, glamorous and gritty.

It's the first in the new Hollywood series, and I can't wait to read the second in the series.

The story starts slowly, but soon built into a fast paced, compelling and highly entertaining read as we follow Mirren, Davie and Zander from the streets of Glasgow, to L.A. on their journey to making it BIG!

Spanning across three decades the story is told from various points of view, and is a story of scandals, sex and sunshine.

The characters are complex, but very realistic, it has many twists, turns and an ending that totally blindsided me!

This may well be my new favourite series!

Many thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for my tour spot.

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐