Though I’ve recommended Hollywood love stories twice now (see below), not all Hollywood love stories tackle the unique pressures of not only being in the public eye but also being co-workers, pretending to be in love far before it’s real. These three do!
Ship Wrecked by Olivia Dade. The third in this series following the thinly veiled takedown of Game of Thrones follows two bigger-bodied performers who are somewhat marooned from the rest of their castmates due to their story arcs, and what that forced proximity pressure cooker creates.
After a one night stand before either knew the other, after which actress Maria leaves without a word, a note, or a sign, naturally she and Peter are shocked to discover they’re co-stars on a new TV show. Maria’s got her reasons for leaving their one night stand the way she did, but she’d definitely be interested in another shot.
Peter, though, is not, for plenty of his own reasons. Chief among them, and this becomes a fairly major emotional arc for him, is his determination to do whatever it takes on this TV show to break the mold he’s been stuck in as a character actor to become leading man material. Sleeping with a coworker is dangerous when you aren’t stuck on a remote island together for months at a time, and he’s not wrong that the smart move is to steer clear. What he is wrong about is capitulating to any and all demands of the abusive showrunners (sent from afar, naturally, since their arcs are physically separate from the rest of the cast) that intend to slim down both himself and Maria. Peter’s willing to starve himself into Hollywood shape, but Maria is not. She’s a full-bodied woman and she’s got a separate suitcase of snacks to keep herself in the exact shape she wants- the shape she already is.
This book is about ambition versus broader life fulfillment, Hollywood fat-shaming, taking up space (emotionally and physically), and advocating for what you believe in no matter the cost. While I found both characters’ stubbornness frustrating rather than fun at different parts of the book, on a thematic level it’s a massive feat, and a beautiful send off to this lovely series.
How hot? 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Will They or Won't They by Ava Wilder. Remember Peter from the book above worrying that sleeping with his co-star would poison the set? This Ava Wilder book is proof that he was right to be concerned!
Season 1 of the paranormal show (thinly veiled CW trash, the best kind of TV trash) found co-stars Lilah Hunter and Shane McCarthy falling hard for each other. But when something cataclysmic happens at the end of that first season, love pivots straight into hate, making the next four seasons together nearly unbearable. Lilah leaves at the end of her initial contract to try and make it in movies, but Shane sticks around, even as the ratings start to plummet.
Now, it’s season 9, the final season to send off the characters correctly, and Lilah, fresh off her failure to launch as a movie star, is reprising her role one last time. These lovers turned enemies must put aside their hurt feelings and pride to give their fans the closure they deserve, but it turns out closure is the last thing they need from each other. In fact, this final season could be the start of something new and beautiful… if they can only be honest.
Ava Wilder only has two books out so far, but both have been harrowingly beautiful Hollywood love stories that don’t shy away from the unique turmoil of fame, forced proximity, and fake emotions becoming real. She’s an auto-read from me for a reason!
How hot? 🔥🔥🔥
It Happened One Fight by Maureen Lee Lenker. This book’s premise is so wild you kind of just have to go with it. It’s the 1930s, and actress Joan Davis and actor Dash Howard (with his nasty little mustache I know is based off a real dude but I can’t, I CANNOT) are a professional IT couple; their movies together are undeniable. Too bad after Dash sold her out to the paparazzi on what she thought was a genuine date earlier in their careers Joan fuckin HATES him. Dash figures hate is better than indifference (though he’s miffed she’s so mad) so he prods her with endless set pranks to keep her attention where he needs it: on him.
After one prank goes wildly awry, leading them to be LEGALLY MARRIED (just go with it), despite Joan wanting nothing more to do with him and being technically engaged to another Hollywood leading man (she’s his beard though so it’s not, like, REAL real), she agrees to one last movie which they’ll film in Reno, because after a six week residency they can be granted a quickie, quiet divorce.
Unless….
This book surprised me, in the best ways. Both characters are rough around the edges and deeply unlikeable from time to time, but they’re also both so deeply human you can’t help but root for them. We’ve got all the hallmarks of a great co-star romance: onset strife and the hero learning about workplace misogynistic micro(and macro) aggressions, the pressures of fame and fandom (what happens when your fans realize you’re in love before you?), ambition versus contentment, and grand gestures. Plus, it’s a historical setting you don’t usually see in romance, which makes for an added delight!
How hot? 🔥🔥
Next week, I’ll be recommending books with major epistolary elements within! College thesis Bri (who wrote about epistolary YA for her Bachelor’s degree) is shrieking.
What should I be reading next? Let me know in the comments!
I am SUCH TRASH for an epistolary element 😍😍😍