May Cobb is back with her best thriller since The Hunting Wives! The Hollywood Assistant is centered around the salacious lives of a hollywood couple and the woman who is hired to assist them, but soon finds herself overly enmeshed in their lives and naturally, their scandal. With shifting timelines, this held my attention from start to finish and I could not put it down.

Reading the latest May Cobb twisty thriller has become a summer tradition, and her latest, The Hollywood Assistant, is maybe my favorite yet. Those who know me will say that I say this about every one of her books, but it's just a fact that each new release becomes my favorite. The Hollywood Assistant is full of unlikeable characters. In fact, there wasn't one of them that I would want to call a friend, but that's part of what made it so much fun. Add in the fact that I could never predict what was going to happen next and this is a thoroughly entertaining and addicting read, which I will be recommending to all my friends for their beach bags this summer!

This is my 4th book from May Cobb and just like with the other, The Hollywood Assistant delivers on being a juicy, entertaining, and dramatic popcorn thriller!

Right from the start of the book, Cobb sets the stage with flashes forward in time to let readers know something bad is going to happen. There are going to be cops and our main character is going to be accused of something, but what and why?? As the story leads up to this fateful moment, there are fun twists and turns that keep the reader on the edge of their seat.

The Hollywood Assistant is told through the eyes of our main character, Cassidy, who in addition to having trouble brewing on the horizon, has some secrets from her past that she would like to stay hidden. Getting to know her and learn her ins and outs was so fun! Each new reveal makes the reader slightly suspicious of if we can trust her recounting, which gives the story a fun unreliable narrator aspect without relying on overplayed troupes to get there.

Read if you like:
🎥 Hollywood Gossip
🛍️ Celebrity Personal Assistants
😘 Catching a Cheater
👙 Summer Suspense
💋 Domestic Thrillers

When 20 something Cassidy gets hooked up with an awesome job by her bestie, while she is down on her luck, of course she says yes to this too good to be true job that takes her from Texas to being a personal assistant to a HOT Hollywood Producer and his gorgeous actress wife.

Things start great with the great pay, nice boss, designer clothes given to her, but soon, things get weird once the boss’s husband takes a liking to her and starts paying her extra to read scripts, including his top secret very sexy script that he doesn’t want anyone to know about just yet…

But it gets worse when he blurs the lines and starts to give Cassidy hints there could be more to their relationship… and then also asks her to spy on his wife, and that’s the real reason he hired her, was to figure out if his wife was cheating and to get confirmation.

But when Cassidy’s love struck eye’s turns to obsession… things start to go down hill fast… and then one of them turns up dead, and Cassie was at their house stalking them the day it happens….

This book is naughty, sizzling, spicy, and featuring a lusty FMC who doesn’t get boundaries in relationships it definitely made for a great summer suspense with all these boxes checked!

Thanks so much to PRHA for my gifted audiobook and to Berkley for my ALC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you Berkley Pub for the free book and thank you PRH Audio for my #gifted listening copy of The Hollywood Assistant! #PRHAInfluencer #PRHAudioPartner #BerkleyBookstagram #berkleypub #BerkleyIG #berkley

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐲𝐰𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐛𝐛
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟗, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

★★★★★

May Cobb, I think I just found a new favorite thriller author! This was my first book by this author, and I can’t believe it took me this long to read one of her books! This is book is highly addictive and is the perfect summer beach read thriller.

This book was twisty and bingeable read with lots of spice! After Cassidy Foster is heartbroken, she gets a gig in Hollywood with Marisol and Nate Sterling. All Cassidy has to do is run some errands and in return, she has access to luxury and amazing pay. As time passes, Nate starts to take an interest in Cassidy. But Marisol and Nate are always fighting, and it’s clear to Cassidy that Marisol doesn’t realize just how great Nate really is. But soon, Cassidy learns the real reason she was hired and Cassidy starts to realize that she is caught in a web of secrets and betrayal. When one of the Sterlings is found dead, Cassidy ends up being the main suspect.

🎧I alternated between the physical book and the audiobook, narrated by Brittany Wilkerson. Wilkerson was phenomenal! I LOVED my time listening to Wilkerson bring this bingeable thriller to life. I felt like she was so dynamic and just overall did an excellent job with this one. You are in for a real treat with Wilkerson narrating this one for you!

Posted on Goodreads on July 7, 2024: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around July 8, 2024: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on July 9, 2024
**-will post on designated date

I really enjoyed this! Similar to many modern thrillers, we filter between post and pre-murder, but we don't know exactly who has been murdered until the timelines converge. This story follows Cassidy a girl who is just trying to start fresh in California with an opportunity of a lifetime--- being an assistant to a gorgeous couple. We quickly find that the couple isn't all sunshine and rainbows but Cassidy isn't reliable either!

Cassidy starts to get way more than she bargained for and this thrilling read is so easy to breeze through. You'll be yelling at the book and the characters while reading this.

The Hollywood Assistant by May Cobb, this review is not going to be easy to write so let me get started Cassidy has just broke up with Carter when her friend Lexi finally convinces her to move to LA and make a new start from Texas. She found her not only a quaint little apartment for $1200 a month utilities included, but also a fabulous job where she just runs errands for a famous Hollywood couple the sterlings and her salary will be $5000 a month and that was before she starts reviewing Scripps for Nate Sterling a famous producer at $300 a pop and the husband of Marcela Torres and aspiring actress and one time model. To make the honey even sweeter they’re both nice as can be but soon Cassidy starts seeing the underbelly of every day life like the fights, she tries to overhear when Marcella‘s on the phone, she seems to ease drop and snoop and overstep every chance she gets and even catches them doing the dirty in their pool despite they asked her to wait 30 minutes before coming over. What makes things even more dangerous is Cassidy is slowly but surely getting a crush on Nate so while Marcella is trying to land an acting job she staying out at night smoozing leaving Cassidy to keep her husband company and Nate doesn’t like to drink alone and Cassidy is more than happy to drink with him and she even starts keeping one of his secrets but sadly it doesn’t end there. OK let’s fast forward most of the book someone goes missing Cassidy is accused of the crime and there’s even circumstantial proof to back up the police officers claims. Now here’s where I didn’t like the book it goes from wow… OMG she’s in LA and about to start her first day and then Bam she’s nervous because the police are knocking on her door no reason why no explanation because then it goes back to her first day of work I didn’t like the structure of the book I didn’t like that I felt as if the story dragged on and on as if my life was in slow motion while reading this book. It’s as if if someone dangled a secret in front of my face and then refuse to tell me what it was which is sad because this author has such a beautiful writing style and had the story been more compact and structured with the more tightly woven plot it would’ve been an awesome story but I just felt it just dragged on too much because not only did we not know who was missing we had no prior knowledge to even garner a guess. Not only that in the beginning of the book Cassidy said she was an empath and that she knows what people want her to say before they even say anything and yet when Marcella talked about them fighting Cassidy was flustered and didn’t know what to say!!!… Really? I thought you were an empath this wasn’t the only time there were many other times Cassidy was floundering not knowing what to say and I know that it’s just a slight contradiction but I cannot stand those in the book they irritate me. I mean don’t they have beta readers for that? I also thought the investigation was weaved into the book in a weird way as I said before with no prior knowledge and at first I thought the story pages were mixed up, I had to re-download the book again. I realize now that’s the way the book was written. Some may really enjoy this book but I did not and I like most books.#BerkeleyPublishing, #NetGalley, #MaeCobb, #TheHollywoodAssistant,

Thank you to NetGalley, author May Cobb, and Berkley for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

This was one of the most generic mystery/thrillers I've ever read. I love anything Hollywood-related, so I was drawn in by the premise; I was really looking forward to juicy drama, but instead, I had to force myself to finish it. The dialogue is cliche and cheesy, and I was able to spot almost every plot twist coming from early on. I also got so tired of hearing the pandemic referenced so much because it had no impact on the story, yet it was mentioned in some sort of "now that the pandemic is over" at least once every 20 pages. I also felt the book was too long for what it was; there seemed to be a lot of repetition in the scenes. This was my first read by Cobb, and unfortunately, it will probably be my last due to a lack of development into a more nuanced/unique story.

"The Hollywood Assistant" by May Cobb is a juicy, scandalous thriller that plunges you into the glamorous yet treacherous world of Hollywood. Cassidy Foster, a heartbroken woman obsessed with plants, lands a dream job with a famous Hollywood couple, Marisol and Nate Sterling. What starts as a glamorous gig with access to luxury quickly turns into a nightmare as Cassidy becomes entangled in their secrets and lies, ultimately finding herself at the center of a murder investigation.

Cassidy's move to LA seems like a golden opportunity to escape her stagnant life, and at first, it is. The Sterlings appear warm and welcoming, offering Cassidy not just a job but a taste of the high life. As she gets closer to Nate, their business relationship starts to blur into something more personal, and Cassidy begins to see cracks in the couple's perfect facade. When one of the Sterlings turns up dead, Cassidy realizes she was hired for a much darker purpose and becomes the prime suspect.

While the premise is intriguing and the Hollywood setting adds a layer of glitz and allure, the execution falls short in some areas. The pacing is inconsistent, with a particularly slow start that struggles to build momentum. The first half of the book could have been tightened significantly to keep readers more engaged.

Cassidy's character, although relatable in her social awkwardness and need to please, sometimes feels too passive, making it hard to root for her. The dialogue, especially between Cassidy and her best friend Lexie, can be cringey and over-reliant on "cool girl" slang, which detracts from the overall narrative. Additionally, the plot's twists, while entertaining, often feel predictable and lacking in the unexpected turns that make a thriller truly gripping.

The book does pick up in the second half, delivering a wild ride with plenty of drama, scandal, and steamy moments. The glitzy, glamorous world of Hollywood is well-portrayed, and the themes of obsession, jealousy, and betrayal are explored in a compelling way.

Overall, "The Hollywood Assistant" is a fun, over-the-top read that's perfect for fans of scandalous, soapy thrillers. It's not without its flaws, but it's entertaining enough to keep you turning the pages. If you enjoy stories about the dark side of fame and the lengths people will go to maintain their image, this book is worth a read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the ARC.

Cassidy moves to Hollywood to become an assistant for famous couple, Marisol and Nate Sterling. At first it’s the perfect job until a connection with Nate grows. When one of them is found dead, she becomes the perfect suspect.

This will be a perfect beach read for the summer. It’s light, a page turner, and a super easy read. While I thought I figured out the twist, which I did, there were still a few more surprises that I did not expect. The main character really irked me, but I appreciated her naivety for this particular character.

The Hollywood Assistant comes out 7/9.

Cassidy needs a change. She is a writer with a stack of rejection letters and zero published books. Her best friend Lexi convinces her to leave Texas and move to California. She even found the perfect job for Cassidy. Working as a personal assistant to Nate and Marisol Sterling. He is a famous producer, and she is on her way to securing her first career changing movie role.
Cassidy can’t believe how much she is being paid to do errands, while working in their beautiful home and getting to know Marisol and Nate. But this perfect couple each have secrets. Cassidy is smitten by Nate, and she can’t believe when he lets her do extra work for him. Not only that, but Cassidy also believes that Nate is interested in her too. Could her luck finally be changing or is the situation going to end in disaster?
We know from the flash forward chapters that someone is dead. Who is it and whodunnit will be revealed. Cassidy may have gotten on my nerves more than once, but this train wreck of a tale kept me flipping pages. I look forward to reading May Cobb’s latest release every summer. Another ride on the Cray Cray train!

Cassidy Foster lands a plum job as a personal assistant to a Hollywood power couple. It’s a pretty sweet gig: run a few errands, do a few odd jobs, and collect a great salary for not too many hours. Her employers, Nate and Marisol, are super nice to her. So nice, in fact, that the line between employer and something friendlier becomes blurred and Cassidy gets a little too close to both of them. Soon she’s embroiled in their marital problems and winds up as a murder suspect when a dead body turns up.

This was such an addictive, bingeable read! May Cobb is a queen when it comes to soapy, steamy domestic suspense, and this one may be her best yet. She has such a knack for creating these female characters that are obsessive, a little unstable, a little unreliable, but oh so compelling! As the story unfolds, I just wanted to grab Cassidy by the shoulders and give her a shake, like “open your eyes, girl, you’re in danger,” but I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. This is one wild ride of a sexy summer thriller, and I could not put it down!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me an advance copy of this book.

Happy to include this title in “Cool It,” a recent round-up highlighting notable new mysteries and thrillers in the Books section of Canadian national culture and lifestyle magazine Zoomer. (see column and mini-review at link)

A juicy, addictive, and very entertaining thriller! I ate this book up! Between the crazy characters and the shocking TWIST, this book was a perfect summer time suspense novel! I was laughing, cringing, and I truly devoured all the drama! The rich Hollywood setting was so fun, the spicy was spicing and the secrets and betrayal were insane!

This is a grab a glass of wine, pop some popcorn, and sit by the pool type of thriller! Highly recommend!

First thank you to Berkeley and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 4.5 stars

Synopsis: Cassidy recently moved to LA and got a job as a personal assistant to a power couple. As she takes on more responsibility, the husband gives her more attention in more ways than one. When one of them is found dead, she becomes the prime suspect but did she do it?

What I liked: this is a great thriller I loved the Hollywood setting and the power couple. Cassidy is a fish out of water figuring out Hollywood and what is acceptable. Nate and marisol the couple she works for are able to use her newness to their advantage several times. Her best friend Lexi is out of town so she has to learn by herself. It has plenty of twists and turns that made you say what and judge what happen. This is exactly what I want to read in the summer. Great setting and characters.

May Cobb's delicious brand of unputdownable thrillers strikes again! Page after page the story weaves in the exact opposite direction you were anticipating, resulting in the finale I had to reread to make sure I was seeing the correct things! This has all the glitz of Hollywood but with Cobb's southern charm from her previous works.

This book was crazy town. I mean that is what Hollywood is, right? Beneath the glitz and the glam. The masses wanting the same thing, money. This book is all about control. Who has it, who thinks they have it, and in the end, finding out who actually had control. The ending blew me away, I honestly did not see that second twist coming and I-Loved-It! May Cobb has a way of writing that makes me sink down into my cozy couch, knowing I will not come up until the final sentence is read. This book is fantastic. It kept me on my toes, had me thinking one thing, when the opposite was occurring. I always say I would be an amazing detective, but her books make me doubt my abilities.

Cassidy Foster is suffering from her last breakup. Her boyfriend was cheating on her and left her spiraling and feeling out of control. Thankfully her best friend, Lexie, has her back. She has found a job in Hollywood. They have always dreamed of both moving there and now it is finally happening. Cassidy has a job as an assistant to Marisol and Nate Sterling. Nate, a well-known producer with money coming out of his ears, and his wife who is waiting for her big break. The first day Cassidy steps into their fold, she knows she has found her job. They are amazing. Beautiful, as everyone in Hollywood is. Thoughtful, kind, and oh so giving. As the days go by little things start to feel weird about the two of them. There is some disconnect between the two, trust issues, and a good amount of yelling. Cassidy at this point is now caught in their web. When the police knock on her door, she is at a loss for what happened between them. Will she be able to figure out the truth before she is put behind bars?

This book is about obsession, which leads to compulsion, stalking, and everything in-between. How lust can take you on a dangerous journey without you even realizing what you are doing. The characters are fantastic, and they make you want to keep reading. I just love May Cobb's books and I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next! Thank you to May Cobb and Berkley Publishing for my gifted finished copy.

May Cobb does it again. After absolutely loving THE HUNTING WIVES but bring a bit disappointed by her last book, I’m so happy to report that this one was so much fun. It’s a complete guilty pleasure read and I flew through it.

This book is:
🔥sexy
🎥set in Hollywood
🔍a murder mystery
🎭filled with drama

This author's previous works were unputdownable, yet this one I could've simply put down.

Cassidy is given the job of a lifetime with a rich hollywood executive and his wife. She is tasked with simple errands for the pair. Things begin to get complicated when she hears arguing, a slap and the husband enlists her help reading scripts. Lines get blurry on what her job is suppose to be, and what she obsesses over. The ending was bit of a stretch.

While not my favorite by this author, it was entertaining.

Thank you Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley

What a twisted and spicy book! I loved May Cobb after reading The Hunting Wives a few years ago so I was thrilled to dive into her latest novel, and it did not disappoint. I went in completely blind and had no idea what I was getting myself into. This book has a little bit of everything from spice, embarrassing celebrities, desperate wannabes, and lots of unexpected twists. I found myself glued to my Kindle because I needed to know what exactly happened and who did it. May Cobb does an excellent job bread crumbing the crime so you know just enough to keep you interested but not enough to keep you from feeling confused. I thought I knew what happened and I was very wrong. I did not expect the last two twists, what a mess!

One caveat, May Cobb sure knows how to write an unlikeable female main character. At first, I loved our girl Cassidy, but she quickly became the worst. She grew incredibly desperate, unrealistic and unhinged. Even though I was cringing at almost everything she did by the end of the book, it wasn’t enough to keep me from reading/learning what happened.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book and continue to be impressed by May Cobb’s ability to create these dark and twisty stories.

Thank you so much to Berkley & NetGalley for the eARC!