When I first started reading this book i didn't think i would like it but by about 25% i was addicted. I love that she makes friends with all the misfits and creates a little family 😊

I struggled with this book, I had high hopes after the first couple of chapters, but for me it just didn’t go anywhere, I stuck it out in the hopes it would improve.

How do you escape the stigma of your parents' porn empire? For Tali Hunter it's easy . . .
-Attend college in New Orleans, a city her parents hate. Check. -Overhaul her image to leave all traces of her past behind. Check. -Invent a story about a stay-at-home mom and a business-mogul dad where the world of pornography has no place. Check. Check. Double check. Tali's plan goes sideways when the first person she meets in the airport recognizes her. James is not only hot-he's also attending the same school-and has the power to expose her secret.
Tali dives into college life for better or worse. Laugh or cry, what she wants isn't what she gets. She faces a roommate who has no regard for social norms, a sleazy dean that wants to capitalize on her family money, and an attraction to the one person who knows her secret-exactly what she doesn't need at a time she doesn't want it. Tali can keep running from her past or pull her friends close and embrace her future.

I enjoyed this story. Will recommend to others.

I’m too old for this book. Like others, I requested it because of its intriguing name and the premise of trying to make a new life away from that kind of shadow. The characters were just so young, immature and meh though. Tali also didn’t really seem to have an issue being a porn star’s daughter since she got breast enhancement for her 18th birthday and packed Louboutin shoes to supposedly blend in at college. This is predominantly a romance and college party book and I couldn’t get emotionally invested in any of the story lines.

I read a digital ARC of this book via NetGalley.

The Porn Star's Daughter wasn't what I was expecting. I expected more growth from Tali and I didn't see much of that. I had a hard time getting invested in the characters. It took far too long in the story to capture my interest and I had a hard time finishing. And I didn't feel any connection with Tali and James.

Wonderful story, great character development, great writing! Highly recommend this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it

This is a college coming of age story with some steam and it I'd good. I highly enjoyed this book. I loved the totally different story line with her parents are in the porn industry. I had a great time while reading this. 4 star read.
I just reviewed The Porn Star's Daughter by Kay Stephens. #ThePornStarsDaughter #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

I had a difficult time getting through this one. I enjoyed the characters and their chemistry but the rest of it was just so-so to me. My biggest issue was with the concept of her mother as a porn star: in and of itself, this is a difficult cross to bear for any child who is afraid of people finding out but I don’t think I could name a single porn production company and I was shocked at the number of people who could connect Tali to her mother in this way. Or the fact that her mother was no longer making videos but that people could still name her? This made no sense to me. This was more about a daughter learning to live outside her parents’ shadow and as a character study that way, it didn’t really live up to what it was trying to be. The writing was easy to read and could draw you in but the story itself wasn’t for me.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC!
Despite the title, this book is more YA. The writing was great and the story was funny and enjoyable.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own opinions.

Once I picked up The Porn Star's Daughter I could not put it down. Tali (who is extremely lovable( and the gang of misfits are fun and oddly relatable.

The only downside was I got confused after the ER visit until the great Trinity showed up with wisdom that all readers should take to heart. But t for a few chapters I could not fully comprehend what was happening.

I didn't have super high hopes for this one because of the title, but I actually really enjoyed it! It took me back to my Freshman year of college and all the fun and awkwardness that came along with it! I loved that the weird kis came together and were proud of who they were and stood up for one another. It was a fun read that had lots of laughs and some sweet moments, too! Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

I really wanted to like this book, super cute cover and modern concept. However, it just missed the mark for me. The author is a very talented writer- it was just the premise that didn't seem to have a purpose. Just another rich girl trying to escape family; mainly by using drugs and alcohol.

Eighteen-year-old Tali is escaping Los Angeles and her infamous parents: an adult film star mother and her adult film producer father, divorced since she was an infant. She’s chosen a college in the heart of New Orleans, as it’s a city she knows her parents loathe.
Immediately upon arriving at baggage claim, she literally stumbles over a very masculine pair of legs attached to the still intoxicated but earnest James, who of course knows her notorious folks, and her dreams of reinventing herself go up in whiskey-scented flames.
A bizarre roommate with boundary-smashing issues and a seriously creepy dean add to the growing list of existential threats she encounters in her first few hours on campus.
This book was delightfully subversive, witty, and empowering, a triumph of a feminist, quirky romp that packs plenty of heart.
I loved this book and almost didn’t want it to end,
I was very fortunate to have received an advance reader copy from the author and netgalley, and I’m pleased to share my honest review.

This is definitely an entertaining story, and a very clever idea. Tali is a college student attending school in New Orleans. She chose a school as far from her mother as possible in order to escape the one thing that has haunted her all of her life: her mother's career as a porn star. Each day she wakes up hoping to avoid her mother's lifestyle becoming public. But there are way too many people trying to figure her out, and secrets don't stay hidden for long. Some, like James, fall for her instantly, while others see her as an extension of her mother. Tali has to learn to love herself as she is and accept those around her for who they are.

This sort of felt coming-of-age, with Tali trying to figure out what to do with her life and how to handle herself on her own. It was interesting watching her in her new relationships and the situations she gets into. She is very immature and this effects her decisions, obviously, but who isn't when they are 18 and go to college for the first time? The love story in it is sweet but quick and I feel like it needed to take more time to develop - especially James. The writing was good in some parts and green in others. The dialogue especially needed polishing, and some of the minor characters were hit or miss in this area. This is Stephens' debut and not bad for a first book. I did enjoy reading the story and hopefully her upcoming novels will improve.

The Porn Star's Daughter-a standalone
By Kay Stephens-debut author
Rating: 2/5 ⭐⭐
Publication 1/16/24, Read 1/14/24

Thanks to NetGalley and Direction 71 Press for this ARC💛 ! I voluntarily give my honest review and all opinions expressed are my own.

✔️New Adult/College freshmen
✔️Rom-Com
✔️ Army Vet
✔️ Found Family

⚠️sexism, stalking, sex*al harassment, bullying, alcoholism, drug addicts

Summary- Talia wants a fresh start in college where no one knows her or her mother's name. She happens upon James, a drunken army veteran and fellow freshman. She sits with him at the airport and he is immediately smitten. He somehow ends up in her orbit with her roommate Coventry, his roommate Seth, and later Trinity.

The characters:

♀️ FMC Taglia "Talia" Hunter (18) dressed like a stripper, wore expensive shoes. She was a push over and worried too much about what people think. Her parents have a porn star empire, her mother an adult film star- Missy Mariola.

♂️ MMC James Callen (21) He's a vet with PTSD and daddy issues who he smoked and drank his days away. He pined after Talia but his actions and decisions were so clouded I didn't get him at all.

Coventry Devereaux-a chaotic and childish college student who never went to class. She was all id, I wonder why she was so hurt about Seth and Talia's betrayal She never showed she cared about anything or anyone.

Seth- a childish boy trying to play a grown up. He wanted everyone to like him, but clearly needed someone (Coventry and James) to take care of him.

Trinity-the most mature and civilized of the gang. She did what she had to do to survive and hero worshipped Talia's mother.

Lane-Talia's frenemy. I wasn't sure why she was around, to expose Talia or keep an eye on Brock?

Brock- pretended to be Talia's protector but only wanted her for sex.

Andrew Delano-revealed to Talia's classmates who she really was, but also hero worshipped her mother. He was mentally unstable and James took him under his wing.

Overall, this wasn't it for me. it took me 3 days to read and it was a chore! I felt lost in what the plot was, just being fueled by a Mary Sue and her degenerates. Trinity was probably the most relatable even though she was an orphan and stripper. I understood her motivations and her message of women's empowerment. There were some funny scenes, but the characters were just too weird without direction.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a solid debut for Kay Stephens! This is definitely aimed at the upper YA/NA market and while I do read from both genres this one wasn’t really for me. It was a bit slow to start which in part was to help set up the storyline, but it did take me time to get into it. I felt we could have used more depth to the characters. I didn’t feel super connected to the characters but I definitely rooted for Talia! I think further polish will come in future works and with further refining it’ll likely be easier to follow along. I’m excited to see what Kay does next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Direction 71 Press for an eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is Kay's debut novel, and even though I didn't love it as much as I'd hoped, there is a lot of potential in Kay's writing. This is a college romance, which means you need to prepare yourself for all the drama, excitement, and high emotions that come with college life and a story that centers around younger characters. I had a hard time getting into this book; I put it down a few times because I couldn't connect with the characters, and the story was chaotic. I think part of the problem was that I was hoping for a more fun and lighthearted read, and instead, this story is more dramatic and heavy. There is a lot of potential in this book. I love the story direction Kay was going in, and it's a unique enough story idea that would draw readers in. A bit of restructuring and pushing this story would be great.

The characters needed to have the depth I was hoping for. Taglia and her friends are all dealing with various issues in their lives, and their solution to dealing with those life issues is to drink them away. On one hand, the characters seem very one-dimensional and shallow, and on the other, they also show readers that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. You don't know what is going on in that person's life. I did love the support system that Taglia and her friends created. They stick together through thick and thin, and it was heartwarming to watch them interact at times. This book tackles some serious issues around alcohol and drug abuse, PTSD, and grief. Kay did a good job handling these issues with thought and care. The romance is ok. It's full of drama and the ups and downs that often go with college romances. I liked Taglia and James together. Their relationship didn't wow me, but I enjoyed watching their feelings for each other grow.

This was my first Kay Stephens book, and I'm thankful for the opportunity to read and review. Overall, I felt the writing was good and the story had great potential. but the character's felt shallow and were hard to relate with.

This book is not the usual kind of story I read.
Tali and James are not your run-of-the-mill romantics.
To be honest, this is the kind of book that grows on you the more you think about it.
Tali has gone off to college in New Orleans, leaving behind her life as the daughter of a very famous porn star. She has to learn who she is away from her mother, and what kind of person she wants to be.
Her roommate Coventry is scary and hilarious. James and his roommate Seth are a puzzle to figure out. She's trying to figure out who she is, how she dresses, what she wants to say in the world. All the while desperately hoping that no one discovers who her mother is.
When things come to an inevitable head, Tali discovers her answers.

I apologize for the delay in writing my review, I was diagnosed with cancer last year and I didn't read as much as I wanted. So first off thank you to NetGalley and the author the the eArc. I will say the title is what pulled me into this book not so much the cover. If I am honest if not for the title I would have passed it by it's always the cover that pulls me in.

So this book did take me a little time to get into I can't lie I walked away from it a couple of times but kept coming back to it because I was intrigued. Taglia, as the main character, was a complete mess you hear me but by the end of the book she was my lovable mess. When I say I was rooting for her to come out ahead of all the bulls**t she had been through. It was a rollercoaster of emotions from trying to hide who her mother was and people kept finding out because let's face it her mother's genes were strong. The constant drug use/alcohol abuse, prescription pain killers my girl was a mess you hear me.

This book shows you that no matter what your circumstances are in life you can always find your people the people who are supportive of you no matter what. That's what Tali did with her new college friends James, Seth, and Coventry all a little messed up in their own little way.

My favorite line from this book is that most people in the world spend most of their time judging you. And the only way to get over it is to embrace it. This book had a lot of fun, sadness, and silliness wrapped in it. Although cute and entertaining it was somewhat all over the place but not in a bad way.

As a mother and sister who has seen what trauma can do to a person the characters in this book and what they went through weighed heavy on my heart. If you have never witnessed this first hand it can be hard to believe that four students would easily wrap themselves up in alcohol and drug use the way they did. I wanted to reach in and wrap my arms around them and tell them that I loved them.

The porn star's daughter will make you think twice about judging a person based on their actions, it makes you take a deeper look into your own life and ask one question. Who am I to judge? Because in some way or another, we have all made questionable decisions in life that we are not so proud of. See growing up is about living and learning, making mistakes and learning from them, Falling but having the courage to get right back up and that's exactly what these kids did. The main characters learned and grew from their mistakes and I can't lie I was all teeth like a proud mother or big sister.

My only advice to the author would be to set the chapters a little differently because it was hard to follow along. Sometimes I couldn't tell whose voice was being used and it was a little frustrating. Other than that I loved this book. I also loved how it normalized being a sex worker if only the world would embrace it the way the author did in this book.

So congratulations Kay Stephens on your debut story! I can't wait to read more from you.