Blog Tour: Fallen Star by Susannah Nix

  
  Title: Fallen Star

  Author: Susannah Nix

  Release Date: March 5, 2019

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Grace knows better than to fall for a Hollywood bad boy like Scott Deacon. An arrogant movie star with a troubled past and a big honking chip on his shoulder? No, thank you. He may be sex on wheels, but beneath the charming facade he’s just another cocky jackass destined to make her job more difficult. 

Except... 

The more time they spend together, the hotter the fire between them burns. With every flirtatious smile and brush of his hand, she feels her defenses crumbling. 

She wants to hate him, but instead she’s in danger of losing all control.

 

I'm not sure about you guys, but me? I'm always game for a fluffy romance read, and Fallen Star seemed like one. I mean, an actor and someone from the film crew falling in love? And the book takes place in a movie set? I've never read Susannah Nix before, but I do know that she has a science-focused series (which I will get to one day, I promise), and well... There's really nothing that can go wrong, right?

Well, nothing did go wrong, but Fallen Star is not really a fluffy read, and that's perfectly fine. (I mean, it was my own fault for assuming!) As soon as I saw the author's note that listed trigger warnings, I switched gears, shook off my assumptions, and settled in to read. I applaud Susannah for taking the time to include trigger warnings - I know some people think that these warnings equal to spoilers (which I disagree with), but I love that Susannah cares for her audience's reading comfort. Trigger warnings help so much - so many suffer from anxiety, and I personally get also very anxious when reading something I'm not expecting, or something I'm extremely uncomfortable with.

The story starts with our heroine, Grace, the script supervisor, and her best friend, Carmen, talking about the movie's leading man, Scott Deacon. Scott is a recovering addict, and he has not been in a movie for four years. Grace is not that fond of working with Scott, who's had his share of bad behavior on the sets of his previous movies, and she wonders why he was hired of all people. Grace and Carmen make nasty comments, and unbeknownst to them, Scott was listening to their conversation. This was such a sad scene to read, and one of the pivotal parts of the book. Scott was so worried about doing well and not disappointing the people who helped him get this role, and this conversation is the first thing he hears. It really made me think how careless we can be with our words, and just how much these flippant words have the capability to hurt. Now, because of this conversation, Scott is aloof towards the film crew. The crew then perceive him as arrogant, and Grace now thinks that her assumption of Scott was correct all along.

It takes a while for Grace and Scott to know each other and to rid themselves of their preconceived assumptions of each other, and I for one appreciated the slow burn. (I LOVE slow burn, if you don't know by now!) They first become friends, help each other, and become each other's confidantes during filming, before there were sparks. The book is told in dual POV - but with about seventy percent from Grace's POV - so we got to see how their relationship develops. I also liked how we see how difficult the lives of a film crew is, and how so much work and so many people are needed to make a movie. Another aspect I liked is where Grace, now together with Scott, explores how uncomfortable she is seeing the man she's with intimate with another woman (even if they're acting). Through Grace's insecurities, we also see how filming a movie is almost like being in a bubble wherein you're not sure if the people you befriend will still be your friend in the 'real' world (or in this case, whether she'll still be with Scott after the movie wraps).

Our hero, Scott, has suffered from addiction. I love how Susannah was careful in writing Scott as an recovering addict, and how she never romanticized addiction. Drugs ruin lives, and it just about ruined Scott's. No agents wanted to take in Scott as a client (his best friend had to pull strings to get him one); and no one wanted to hire Scott because of how he acted on his previous movie sets (again, his best friend has to pull strings to get him his current role). Scott is insecure - there was one scene wherein he worried if it were the drugs that made him act well previously; and he has no idea what he'll do next after the movie wraps. On the flip side, Grace is secure enough that she has no qualms in taking a break before moving on to her next job. This for me showed just how Scott and Grace were at different points in their lives, and that Grace in particular needed to show Scott her love and support. Scott, meanwhile, on his end, needed to show how much Grace meant to him.

All in all, I found Fallen Star to be an engaging story with a lot of depth, and a realistic portrayal of addiction. It showed just how much life can change after an addiction; and how a recovering addict, even when sober, will always need the love and support of the people in his/her life. Grace is an incredible character - someone who has no problem owning to her mistakes; and someone who is so supportive and loving. I'm not sure if this series has more books in it, but I personally would love a book about Robbie! 

Rating: 5 Stars