A Safe Space

I wasn't totally won over by the blurb for this book, but I've read and really loved a couple of Tippetts' other books books (Castles on the Sand/Love in Darkness), so I decided to give it a go, and I'm so glad I did. A Safe Space is very different from the Shattered Castles books, but completely lovable in its own way, and I really want to read all the other books in this series now.

I should have known, after reading the Shattered Castles books, that A Safe Space wouldn't be the vacuous, fluffy romance that I was concerned it might be. A hope you can forgive me for my concerns - it is about a film star and a personal trainer, after all. But no-one's life is as simple as it might seem on the surface, and that's exactly what we learn in A Safe Space, alongside Lizzy and Devon.

To a lot of people, Devon included, Lizzy is Veronica - the character she made her name with as a child star. But that's not who she is any more. She's grown up in the limelight, with a life that is the opposite to normal. Now she's trying to make her way as an adult, and it's not straight-forward in any way.

Devon is a player. A night with him is a one-time thing, and he won't let you down gently. Lizzy knows full-well that he is not a good person to be around. But when he starts talking to her as a friend, she begins to see something else beneath that play-boy exterior.

Tippetts creates some interesting twists in the lives of her characters, which elevate her books way above the standard NA fare. The characters themselves are fully-developed, well-rounded, real as you like and the kind of people I want to know. She sets a scene with style and grace, and isn't afraid to use your emotions for effect. There's a depth to her writing that makes me want more.

This ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book blew me out of the water. It has been a long time since I have read a YA book that I enjoyed and knowing how great of an author or E.M. Tippetts for such a long time I just had to read this book. I was a little hesitant since I haven't read this genre in the past couple of months but I'm glad I took the chance. I would have definitely been shooting myself if I had missed this book. 

This is the story of Lizzie and Devon. Lizzie is just coming off a hit teen show and going through the transitional phase into adult television and more serious rolls. Along the way she meets Devon, the sexy playboy personal trainer who just can't seem to stay away from her. Through a series of events we learn that the past and present always meet and sometimes falling in love is pure fate. 

At one point in this book I was looking at my Kindle crying my eyes out wondering how the author can come back from this. I hated Devon and wanted Lizzie just to move on. Luckily I kept on reading because boy did Devon redeem himself in more than one way. 

Let me just say that whether you are a fan of NA or YA this is a book for everyone. Don't miss your chance to read a book by such a talented author.

4.5 Stars This book was AMAZING!! I absolutely loved it. I have never read anything by this author before and I was expecting something that was an easy and shallow read. I was very wrong. I ended up reading until all hours of the night.

Ok, so good things first. This book was really psychological. I love how it dives into the world of an actor and explains how films and series are made. I also really liked the characters. Usually the main character will do something stupid and I get the urge to throw the book against the wall but this wasn't like that. Yes, Lizzie can be silly but she was so lovable you cant hold it against her. Really really loved this book.

The only thing I found bad was that at first it felt like I had to slog through. It wasn't that it was boring. It just felt like an information overload at first but it could just be E.M. Tippetts' style.

When I received this book I didn't realise it was the 4th in a series I have never read before but luckily it makes no difference as this can be read as a standalone. (Although I wish I had read Kyra's story in the previous book, I will have to check that out.)
I was immediately drawn to this book because of the fame side of things, I love the whole world of TV, music and film and in this book we meet Lizzie who is a former children's TV star who had her own show and did concerts as her character Veronica. (I couldn't help but think of Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana.) However the show has now been cancelled and Lizzie is trying to make a success of her career away from Veronica.
Of course this being a love story means in the main it focuses on her up and down relationship with hunky fitness instructor Devon but we also see her struggling to become a TV star with a new series called Clues. I loved all this side of the book. After thoroughly enjoying this I am going to make sure I check out the rest of the books in the series.

4.5 STARS!!

I first requested this book as I was drawn in by the blurb and it had a pretty cover. Needless to say, I really enjoyed this book more than I expected!

The story talks about Lizzie who is a former children's TV star. Just like any typical Hollywood star, she had her own show and did concerts under her alias, Veronica. This sort of brought back some Hannah Montana vibes for me.  And then there's Devon, her personal trainer that comes off like a jerk at the beginning but as the story progresses, we get to see a softer side of him.

Overall, I enjoyed the romance buildup between Devon & Lizzie although it got a little frustrating at times. The side characters are fun and overall a great plot that gives an insight into the glamorous Hollywood life behind the scenes. I will definitely check out more books from Ms Tippetts!

Copy provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I received this ARC on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. But okay, this book is basically about this former child celebrity who grew up and started taking big roles. Let's talk about her, Lizzie. For some reason, the moment the story started, I fell in love with her character. She is just so real, so humble, that to me, no matter how whiny she is in the next few pages (which she wasn't), I would've still loved her. There was just this raw part of her that the author put in, making her more real. Not like those typical celebrity you read in other books. Usually authors who wanted to portray 'loneliness' in celebs would have them a whole entourage who they are not even close with. But this girl, she is literally alone. She barely has an agent. And then there was the fact that she isn't afraid of showing her feelings, even when she is aware of the consequences. Usually books will tend to go on and on and on about how one loves the other but they are in denial, which honestly, bores me. And then, there was Devon. When I first found out who he REALLY was, I was like WHUUUUUT. OMGOMG *hyperventilates* HAHAHAHA okay, maybe not really. But I was seriously surprised. And knowing who he really was sealed the deal to me. Like "YES THATS A GOOD GUY, NO MATTER HOW MANY LADIES HE FUCKED AND USED." HAHA. Yes, I love this book. I do, I do.

This book was fabulous! I couldn't put it down.  I loved how Lizzie was portrayed as a positive role model.  I loved how she learned to stand on her own and become happy.

I requested this book on NetGalley and was lucky and got accepted. Having never read any of Tippetts'  previous books, I was worried that I wouldn't be caught up on the character's lives before I started reading. Luckily, you don't need to read the previous books to be able to keep up with this. 

Here we have Lizzie Warner, former Nickelodeon child star who is trying to make her mark as a serious actress and singer. She has two best friends, Kyra and Zach, and an estranged mother who lives in Australia. Then we have Devon, Lizzie and Kyra's personal trainer, who is kind of a jerk, but you see slowly has a soft side.  Lizzie starts to have feelings for Devon, despite Kyra's protests, and their relationship is so flip-flopped through out this book. It does get a little annoying because you just want them to be together! But alas, Tippetts' made their relationship really realistic and I really enjoyed reading about it.

 Lizzie lives for charity work with her sick fans and is constantly trying to seek help and treatment for the patients. A major plot twist forms and you'll be constantly back and forth with romance, friendship and loyalty. I did like this book and I loved the characters. I really loved Devon and Lizzie and how their relationship develops through out the book. Tippetts' really put thought into the plot and you can tell that there was a reason for everything written. As I said previously, this was my first book by Tippetts' but it definitely won't be my last. I really need to get a step on reading the first three!

I wasn't sure if I would like the book at first just judging from the blurb but I ended up loving it. The way Lizzie's life as a grown up child actor made me remember all the kids shows I used to watch and wonder if the child actors on them went through the same thing. The closest equivalent to Lizzie's type of situation reminds me of Hannah Montanna. I found Lizzie's perseverance very touching and her emotions about being lonely were relatable and real. Lizzie was probably my favorite character. She cries when she needs to and she keeps a level head when shes faced  with problems. Devon on the other hand annoyed me a bit at first because I was worried he would break her heart. He is flawed but at the same time he is a nice guy. I feel that Tippetts did a good job making the reader see his good sides along with the bad. I felt like they were perfect for each other. This book is a definite recommend.

This was a really heartbreaking book, which I was not expecting. The emotional heartbreak was intense! I went in expecting a fluffy romance and got a punch to the gut; and I loved it!

Lizzie is what I imagine a lot of young celebrities to be like. I loved her voice and insecurities; she really read honest. And her struggles with Devon were perfect! In fact, I was delighted when push came to shove Lizzie demanded more. I often find in books that females are so easily swooned into forgiveness by their male counterparts, and while forgiveness is good I love when the females are not so easy to forgive. I know it is a book, but young girls are impressionable and I like when books show females not willing to give in just because the guy is good looking. I like when they know their worth and make the guy work for it.

Will definitely be checking out more books by Tippetts and excited to read more from this series!

Netgalley Arc This is an unexpectedly good read. A remarkable love story with a really strong and resilient main character. Lizzie really impressed me. This was a easy read that dealt with all the happenings seamlessly and didn't leave me exhausted by the end.  Really good young adult book

I've read from E.M. Tippetts “Someone Else's Fairytale” and “Nobody's Damsel” before and I really loved those two books – or rather still love them. So I had really high expectations for “A Safe Space”. They weren't completely fulfilled, nonetheless the book is still amazing. But from the beginning:

Even though the book is the 2.75 part of the “Someone Else's Fairytale” series there is actually no real connection to those two books before.  E.M. Tippetts' writing stile is pretty good. It's fast paced and it suits perfectly to the story.  The protagonist Lizzie is likeable. Yes, she is a teen star, but she is still not divorced from the reality. She knows what's happening around her and wants to help – for example – children with cancers. But sometimes especially this is a bit unrealistic, because Lizzie is at some moments just too perfect.  Nonetheless I think it's really good, that she is in other parts of her life not so perfect. She has to struggle with problems like everyone else. Her career is not as good as it was once and her show doesn’t get the ratings it needs. The author shows also a quite realistic picture of the showbiz, not the glittery one for little children.
Very nice is also the relationships between the characters (and I do not only mean the love interest). For example Lizzie's co-star. He changes his behavior quite slowly in the book and also not completely, why it's really reasonable.
Unfortunately there were also two things I didn't enjoy that much.
At first the pretty short – actually too short – scenes. Often they ended so abruptly, that you didn't even realize at first that they were over. And sometimes they are so short that you can not even get into the scenes.  The second aspect is the ending. It was just too much at once. A few more pages would have been really good. Even though everything that happened was reasonable, it came just too fast to be realistic. 

All in all I just can say: Read this book and read this series! It makes so much fun reading them. They are so well written that I can truthfully say E.M. Tippetts is one of my favourite contemporary authors! Of course not everything in her books is perfect, but that would just be boring!