Hollywood Name Game 1 & 2 by Alexa Aston-Reviews & Guest Post

 

Hollywood Heartbreaker
Hollywood Name Game #1
by Alexa Aston
Release Date: August 6, 2020
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Being late to an interview lands her the biggest job opportunity of her life. He may be rich and successful–but he’s just this side of miserable.

Can a wannabe be The One for the biggest star in Hollywood?

Cassie Carroll came to Hollywood with big dreams that never materialized. Acting isn’t even on the back burner anymore–it’s completely off the stove. Working for a third-rate agent, Cassie hopes to land a new job that will give her credibility, as well as help pay the rent. Late to her interview, she swerves to avoid hitting a dog–and totals the car of Hollywood’s leading action superstar. Surprisingly, she walks away from their encounter with a job–as the sexiest man alive’s personal assistant.

Rhett Corrigan is bored with the movies he makes and the drop-dead gorgeous model he’s dating. He’s afraid that Hollywood has typecast him–and that he’ll never be able to break out of his action mold and try new acting challenges. When Cassie Carroll literally slams into his life, she brings a breath of fresh air and common sense to his world. She pushes him to be a better actor and a better man.

Can these friends become lovers–and can their love survive–in a tabloid-happy town that thrives on rumors and backstabbing?

Hollywood Heartbreaker is the first book in the Hollywood Name Game series. Each book in the series is a standalone story that can be enjoyed out of order.

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REVIEW: Hollywood Heartbreaker is a contemporary romance and love story. I don’t usually do a lot of contemporary romance, but this one is an exceptionally entertaining novel. It’s a great look into the behind the scenes of the life of a superstar. The good, the bad, and the sad.

I don’t want to spoil the story for anyone so let me just tell you the gist of the setup and all the wonderful things that make this a pleasure to read. I loved the characters and their thoughts and feelings as the story went on. They are well-written with a lot of fun and compassion.
Here’s the basic setup.

Cassie Carroll is struggling to find her way to make a decent living in LA. She came to Hollywood as an aspiring actress, but soon learned she didn’t have the talent for it. She didn’t return to Texas and her estranged mother. Instead she managed to get a job as an assistant to a failing talent agent. She took over the office and learned much, while her boss snorted the profits up his nose. So, she’s out looking for another position at a more successful agency. She has an interview but is having a …. well a rough day! She swerves her car to avoid hitting a fluffy dog and wrecks into a BMW. While she’s still in her car, she’s disoriented and doesn’t notice the danger. A strange but gorgeous man pulls her from her car and carries her away, then the cars explode. She’s been truly rescued by none other than superstar actor Rhett Corrigan.

Rhett Corrigan is a superstar action movie hero. He’s struggling to make his agent see that he wants more, better parts in serious movies. He’s grateful for his success but knows he can expand his skill and do much more. Getting his agent and others to take a chance on that, well that’s another ballgame. As he leaves his agent’s office, he sees his “Beemer” get hit and recognizes the danger the driver does not. He pulls the woman from the car and carries her off to safety as the cars explode. She’s cute, disheveled, lost one shoe, but determined to go ahead for her interview in his agent’s building. He accompanies her to help, but instead offers her the job of his personal assistant. His sister (current assistant) is having cancer treatments and he needs someone to take her place, at least temporarily.

And the game is afoot! They like each other, but the relationship is professional. For Cassie, it’s a dream job. For Rhett, he really needs some help as his household is falling apart. They’re attracted, but it builds even more, slowly.

Okay, that’s the setup. It’s intriguing and a rather good look into the life of a superstar no one actually gets to see. The characters are well done. The conversations are realistic, sometimes quirky and sometimes fun, but always entertaining. The plot is simple but well executed. I found it remarkable entertaining and couldn’t stop reading. Kudos to author Alexa Aston on a successful new series, I can’t wait for more.

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Hollywood Flirt
Hollywood Name Game #2
by Alexa Aston
Release Date: August 22, 2020

ebook ONLY 99¢. Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

ABOUT THE BOOK: She’s Hollywood royalty whose trail vanished a dozen years ago.

He doesn’t do relationships and thinks commitment is a four-letter word.

They Google each other . . . and sparks fly . . .

Sydney Revere, the daughter of a famous movie couple, left Hollywood behind over a decade ago. Christened The Wild Child by the media, she reinvents herself as a serious student who becomes an attorney and marries a safe, predictable man. When her husband cheats on her and the law loses its glitter, Sydney returns to Hollywood. Her father hires her to storyboard his upcoming movie, No Regrets—and then stuns Sydney when he offers her the job as his assistant director.

Dash DeLauria is a rising actor who hasn’t trusted a woman since his mother left. He’s now the guardian of his mentally-challenged brother. Dash is looking to grow professionally and after he wins the lead in No Regrets, he finds he’s lost his heart and soul to Sydney. With both their careers on the upswing, life is sweet.

But Sydney’s ex-husband isn’t finished with her yet. Discovering who she really is—and that she’s wealthy—he tracks her to California, ready to start over with her again.

No matter what it takes . . .

•••••••••

REVIEW: Hollywood Flirt is the second volume of Alexa Aston’s Hollywood Name Game series. This a contemporary romance series that you won’t want to miss. In a place where more people act like they’re made of plastic, author Alexa Aston has created some characters that will win your heart, make you cry with both heartbreak and tears of joy.

This is the story of Sydney Revere and Dash DeLauria. I really can’t give you the total setup, the backstory is super fantastic and crucial to the plot. Let me just say that neither character has had the best of lives, but when these two dynamic people meet…WOW!

This is also a story of growing up and coming into their own, both physically and emotionally. This may be the second book in this series, but I certainly hope there’s a great long line of more. Not only is the plot genius, the conversations are wonderful. The characters both main and secondary are richly developed and thoroughly enjoyable. It’s one of those stories you don’t ever want to get to the end of, but you keep turning pages. Just when you think you’re ready for a HEA, crazy danger comes in…oops, I almost did a spoiler!

Seriously, I really enjoyed these stories and especially Hollywood Flirt. Characters you are familiar with return to make this story realistic and enthralling. I never thought I’d find this much enjoyment from stories of Hollywood. Author Alexa Aston is a remarkable talent. I can’t wait for more!

Copies supplied for review

Reviews by Georgianna S

When a Writer Accepts a Challenge:

Writers challenge themselves all the time. They may want to write faster and put out more books than the previous year or push to sell more copies of their newest release than the previous one. Their new goal may be to switch publishing houses to go indie. They might challenge themselves to attend a professional writing conference or set up a book signing event.

My latest challenge? Switching romance sub-genres!

I’ve written sixteen medieval romances for Dragonblade Publishing, including my series The Knights of Honor and The King’s Cousins. Last year, my publisher and mentor, Kathryn Le Veque, wanted me to spread my wings a bit and try and new time in history. I settled upon the Regency era and found it is delightful to write in. I’ve already released three Regency series in 2019 & 2020—The St. Clairs; Soldiers & Soulmates; and The de Wolfes of Esterley Castle. I’ve enjoyed creating the new families and characters within these series.

Then a new itch needed to be scratched. I had an idea for a series set in Hollywood—and thus, Hollywood Name Game was born!

I started writing this series in-between Regency books and found I could write more quickly and feel fresher as a writer by alternating between the two different sub-genres. While I will always write my historicals (I have a medieval trilogy coming out this year and a five-book Regency series releasing in 2021), I think it will be fun and challenging to pursue this new contemporary genre.

Here’s an overview of the series to let you see what it’s about. Three random commenters will receive an ebook copy of Hollywood Heartbreaker, Book 1 in Hollywood Name Game. You have until midnight CST to comment, and I’ll reveal the winners tomorrow on this site.

Meet the men of Hollywood and the women they fall for in Alexa Aston’s new contemporary romance series, Hollywood Name Game—five romances sprinkled with humor and a few laced with a bit of suspense—but all guarantee a satisfactory, happily ever after for these couples.
Anything can happen in Hollywood . .

*Each book in the series is a standalone romance that can be read out of order.

Hollywood Heartbreaker (August 6)
Totaling the car of Hollywood’s leading action star leads Cassie Carroll to the job of a lifetime—and love.

Hollywood Flirt (August 27)
After clashing on set, a Hollywood star and his director find love—until her crazy ex-husband shows up with an agenda.

Hollywood Player (September 17)
Can a reclusive singer-songwriter trust enough to give her heart to a Hollywood superstar who’s known for breaking hearts?

Hollywood Double (October 8)
A stuntman becomes the leading man when the actor he doubles for is murdered—and falls hard and fast for his co-star.

Hollywood Enigma (October 29)
Sparks fly when Hollywood superstar Wynn Gallagher hires attorney Scarlett Corrigan to get him out of his ironclad contract.

Award-winning and internationally bestselling author Alexa Aston lives with her husband in a Dallas suburb, where she eats her fair share of dark chocolate and plots out stories while she walks every morning. She’s a binge fiend (The Crown and Ozark are favorites) who enjoys travel, sports, and time with her family.

Her historical romances bring to life loveable rogues and dashing knights, while her contemporary romances are light and flirty and sometimes contain a bit of suspense.

Website: https://alexaaston.com/

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