The Hollywood Assistant by May Cobb is a gripping blend of mystery and romance set in the glamorous yet treacherous world of Hollywood. The story follows Cassidy Foster, who moves to Los Angeles after a painful breakup and lands a job as a personal assistant to a high-profile couple, filmmaker Nate Sterling and actress Marisol Torres. As she navigates the complexities of their tumultuous relationship, Cassidy becomes embroiled in a web of jealousy and manipulation that leads to a shocking murder, making her the prime suspect. Cobb's writing is sleek and engaging, with plenty of twists that keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very end​.

I absolutely loved this one. I loved the dual timelines and how she slowly unfoldee the story. I loved the characters. And I especially loved the setting. It is totally transporting me to Hollywood.

This is her best yet!

The Hollywood Assistant by Mae Cobb was an enjoyable and suspenseful read.

This book is about Cassidy, who moves to Hollywood to work as the personal assistant of a famous director, Nate and his wife, an actress named Marisol. On the heels of a break-up, Cassidy is ready for a fresh start. On day one, she hits it off with Marisol and feels a friendship blossoming. After some time, she also makes an in-roads with Nate. He finds out she is an aspiring writer and asks her to help read scripts. Eventually the two become closer and he asks her to spy on his wife. Soon she feels an undeniable connection and attraction to Nate. Will she be able to keep things professional or will someone end up getting hurt?

Overall, I really liked this book. I didn’t love it as much as The Hunting Wives by this author, but it was still a great read. I enjoyed trying to piece things together and figure out who the victim was as well as who the murderer was. I also appreciated some of the twists, there were a couple I didn’t see coming. I also thought the ending was great and brought the most justice to the story. All in all this was a solid read.

Twenty year old Cassidy is suffering from a breakup left heartbroken she doesn’t know what to do, confused with what the future holds, she jumps at the chance when her best friend offers her a job in Los Angeles , she will be working as an assistant for actress Marisol Sterling and her director husband Nate. She feels this is the new beginning she’s been looking for. The pay is great, Cassidy loves working for them , and this gives her the freedom to work on her own writing. Marisol and Nate appear to be the perfect couple that is until Nate begins to show interest in Cassidy romantically, she soon realizes that their marriage may have some cracks, ones that she hadn’t noticed before . Nate is extremely attractive and Cassidy feels the same towards him, she knows this relationship is inappropriate but she can’t seem to control her feelings around him. When Cassidy uncovers the true reason on why she was hired she must decide if she wants to continue working for the Sterlings. When one of the Sterling’s is found murdered and all the clues lead back to Cassidy, she knows she needs to uncover the secrets that are hidden in the Sterling’s marriage before it’s to late.

This book is bonkers! Cassidy is one of those characters you just wanna scream at, which is a sign of great writing in my opinion. I love the ‘rich people behaving badly’ trope and this one definitely checks the box. Full of dark secrets, lies, and murder, I couldn’t wait to see what happened next!

I really don’t want to give too much away because the twists are shocking! Definitely pick this one up if you’re looking for a steamy, binge worthy thriller!

I love May Cobb's books. She will be presenting at my library's Storyfest program in a few weeks but I managed to read this one way in advance over the summer. A solid thriller, fun and easy to read!

DNF @ 35% - I thought I could push my way through the bad writing and obvious cliches, but I just couldn’t do it anymore 😭😭 the characterization was non-existent or borrowed from the “hollywood” stereotypes of actors & directors, and the story itself wasn’t enough to keep me pushing through… I could tell it was trying to go the same way as THE HOUSEMAID but with less mystery behind it, but the writing style was a firm no from me… thank you to netgalley and berkley for the copy!!

Review of The Hollywood Assistant by May Cobb

I’m such a huge fan of this author personally and of her work. I was thrilled to be approved to read this one on NetGalley. It did not disappoint me, and I loved every page of it. Her characters are rarely likable, and sometimes they can even be despicable, but I am here for the drama of it all. I sped through it quickly as I always do. This one had the perfect setting and Hollywood with actors and screenwriters. And of course there’s always murder. You’re definitely gonna want to get this one.
It comes out in early July.

Synopsis:

Offered a dream job in Hollywood with a famous director and his actress wife, an insecure woman becomes their personal assistant where their secrets and lies place her in the crosshairs of a murder investigation.

Cassidy Foster is heartbroken, stuck in life, and getting a little too obsessed with plants. Then when a well-connected friend becomes sick of Cassidy’s moping and gets her a gig with famous Hollywood couple, Marisol and Nate Sterling, Cassidy jumps at the chance to move to sunny LA.

The Sterlings are warm and welcoming. A perfect couple. All Cassidy has to do is be available a few hours a week for errands. In return, she has access to luxury: Designer clothes. A sparkling pool. Great pay.

When Nate takes interest in her, asking her to read scripts he’s written, Cassidy thinks this could be the key to kickstarting her writing dreams. As their business relationship grows, so does their attraction. Nate is sexy and talented, and Cassidy can’t believe her luck. Clearly, Marisol doesn’t know what she has. Maybe that’s why the two are always fighting when they think Cassidy isn’t around.

But Cassidy learns she was hired for a different purpose. The Sterlings aren’t the perfect couple. Marisol isn’t the perfect wife. And when one of them is found dead, Cassidy becomes the perfect suspect.

This was beyond ridiculous- slightly entertaining on audio but I mostly rolled my eyes. I don’t think this author is for me.

Cassidy Foster moves to LA after a relationship that left her heartbroken and her dream of being an author remaining stagnant. She hopes things can turn around when her industry connected best friend gets her a job being a personal assistant for a celebrity couple - Nate, a high profile writer and Marisol, an actress. What starts as an easy, well paid job that includes organizing Marisol's closet and grocery shopping becomes a bit more than she thought - spying on Marisol on behalf of Nate. It begins as something Cassidy shrugs off, after all how could Marisol be deceiving her sexy, hot and successful husband?

The premise for this book intrigued me at first, but I thought the characters fell a little flat. Cassidy especially was a very unlikeable character and the plot itself felt a bit disorganized.

I think May Cobb is the perfect author for those summer binge reads - when you're poolside and just want to get sucked into a drama filled thriller!

I related her first book, The Hunting Wives, to a couple episodes of Desperate Housewives and this one is similar!

The Hollywood Assistant was all the celebrity drama I could ask for. I loved the double celebrity drama and the constant reminder that everything isn't as it seems.

I do think the unreliable female narrator is getting old in general. I thought some of the FMC's actions were repetitive and I started skimming some of those scenes.

Overall, I didn't want to put the book down and I was surprised by the ending twist. I'd recommend this to anyone who wants a quick and enjoyable summer thriller.

This was my first May Cobb and it won’t be my last! This was a bit slow but it was such a thrilling ride. I loved the drama and the suspense and I felt so consumed by the three characters! I was absolutely sucked in by this twisty & spicy thriller! The second half of the book picked up the pace and I also loved the atmosphere and descriptions of Hollywood. This was such an enticingly unputdownable story.

Thank you Berkley for the ARC!

Thank you to PRHAudio for a free audiobook and to Berkley and NetGalley for a free eARC.

Cassidy takes her broken heart and moves to LA. She becomes a personal assistant to Marisol and Nate, a famous, wealthy couple. She runs errands and helps out with odd jobs and gets paid very well. She likes Marisol, but soon finds herself attracted to Nate. And he seems to reciprocate.
Nate and Marisol are fighting a lot. Then things take a turn, and Cassidy soon realizes what is going on and why she is there. Won't say more so as not to spoil it.

This one had lots of drama, and I am here for that!

Cassidy gets a job working as an assistant to a Hollywood couple. As she becomes closer with both the actress wife and movie mogul husband, she gets caught in the crosshairs of a murder investigation. Cassidy's character was frustrating. To put it simply: she was so dumb and fell for anything that I found it hard to feel any sort of sympathy for her. Cobb's thrillers always have a steamy, slow-burn edge. The action in this one didn't totally ramp up until about 75% through, but the rest moved quickly enough to hold my attention. In the same vein as all of Cobb's thrillers, this novel is packed with rich people drama. They also skew very steamy: perhaps an erotic thriller?

After a devastating breakup, Cassidy takes a leap of faith, moves to Los Angeles, and starts a job as an assistant to a famous Hollywood couple. Cassidy’s new life seems perfect, until someone is found dead, and Cassidy is the main suspect.

This was my first book by May Cobb and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I felt like I was reading a true story about the hidden life of the Hollywood elite. It’s a longer book, but I read it fairly quickly, and loved the twists.

Thanks so much for the opportunity to read!

May Cobb will always get 5 stars from me. This book overflows with the drama and spice that Cobb has become so known for. I can’t wait to enjoy the audio version of this book to truly bring the characters to life.

Thank you to Berkley and PRH Audio for the copies to review.

Another spicy doozy by May Cobb that I thoroughly enjoyed! She knows how to write a deliciously juicy popcorn thriller and I have begun looking forward to them every summer! I love that there is always a Texas tie in, and while the setting in this one was in LA, our protagonist Cassidy Foster has moved from Texas after a heartbreak and her friend helps her land a job with a famous Hollywood couple shortly after settling in. It sounds easy enough, she should just be available a few hours a week for errands and she will be fairly set. Then the husband, Nate, shows an interest in her and soon she is reading scripts for him and hopeful her writing career is about to take off. But as their business relationship strengthens, so does their attraction for each other, and Cassidy is fairly certain all is fine because after all, it’s not her fault his wife Marisol doesn’t realize what she’s missing. And the couple is always fighting so there has to be trouble in paradise, right? Right… But then Cassidy realizes she might have been hired for a different purpose, and this couple is clearly not perfect. Aaaaanddd then one of them ends up dead, and now Cassidy is suspect numero uno. Dun, dun dun…

This was a slow build for probably the first half of the book, but an awkward build because so many times I was saying GURLLLL to Cassidy as she was out of her dang mind. AND THEN… there are a couple of twists that I did not see coming and they just about slapped me upside the face. They were very well done, helped to pick up the pacing in the second half of the book, and took the ending up a notch for me. Overall I really loved this one, and I think it is my favorite of hers yet. Oh and the audio was wonderful, I thought the narrator did a fantastic job with the story.

"The Hollywood Assistant" by May Cobb is a gripping and sharp-edged novel that delves into the high-stakes world of Hollywood's behind-the-scenes dynamics, which I really enjoyed. The story follows an aspiring actress who becomes an assistant to a powerful producer, only to find herself entangled in a web of ambition, deceit, and danger. Cobb's writing excels in its portrayal of the cutthroat nature of the entertainment industry, offering readers a keenly observed critique of the power struggles and moral compromises that define it. The novel's fast-paced narrative and well-drawn characters make for an engaging and suspenseful read. "The Hollywood Assistant" combines elements of thriller and drama, providing a compelling exploration of dreams and disillusionments in the glamorous yet treacherous world of Hollywood.

This book was just not for me. I could not stand the FMC Cassidy (was she an intelligent writer & skilled script analyst or an awkward teenager??). The pacing was tough and it dragged on and on - NO need for 400 pages, esp when the murder alluded to isn’t revealed until the 80% mark. The story leading up to that is boring and uneventful.

Lots of cheesy snooping (the tree branches and curtains are always placed just so!) and cheesy dialogue ( "prolly", "ridic"", "obvy" "chica". ) gross!

Ridiculous “twists” just tossed out for shock value.
I need a good thriller!!!!! This wasn’t it.

Thank you so much @prhaudio & @berkleypub for the e @ audio copies! @may_cobb is a favorite of mine bc she does not miss
This is a story about why employment boundaries are so important.
From the first page I knew this was going to go badly for our protagonist- I just didn't realize *how* badly. This salacious, tense read kept me on the edge of my seat & I highly recommend it (or anything else by the author) for anyone looking for a perfect beach read.