Not in the Script {by Amy Finnegan}

Title: Not in the Script

Author: Amy Finnegan
Series: If Only...#3

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Received via NetGalley

Millions of people witnessed Emma Taylor’s first kiss—a kiss that needed twelve takes and four camera angles to get right. After spending nearly all of her teen years performing on cue, Emma wonders if any part of her life is real anymore . . . particularly her relationships.
Jake Elliott’s face is on magazine ads around the world, but his lucrative modeling deals were a poor substitute for what he had to leave behind. Now acting is offering Jake everything he wants: close proximity to home; an opportunity to finally start school; and plenty of time with the smart and irresistible Emma Taylor . . . if she would just give him a chance.
When Jake takes Emma behind the scenes of his real life, she begins to see how genuine he is, but on-set relationships always end badly. Don’t they? Toss in Hollywood’s most notorious heartthrob and a resident diva who may or may not be as evil as she seems, and the production of Coyote Hills heats up in unexpected—and romantic—ways.
This novel in the deliciously fun If Only romance line proves that the best kinds of love stories don’t follow a script.

Ahh guys I loved this one so much. Seriously. I think I've found my new favorite book boyfriend. 

Ahh just finished NOT IN THE SCRIPT and I don't think I've ever been as in love with a book boyfriend as I am with Jake 😍😍😍 @ajfinnegan
— RachelMarie (@nerdherdreads) October 17, 2014

Told you. This book was so much fun. It was cute, and swoony, and flirty, and just gave me all the feels. And I loved every moment of it.

Basically

Emma Taylor is a teen actress. She left her home in Arkansas to follow her dream and fame to Hollywood, where she has been pretty successful. Her newest gig? Coyote Hills. Jake Elliot is a model. Known mostly for his shirtless ads, Jake has decided to try something new in acting. His first gig? Coyote Hills. (Do you see where I'm going with this?)

I loved Emma. She has dealt with the fame pretty well, not letting it get through her head, even with her being alone most of the time, since her parents have to take care of her two younger brothers. Except, all of her relationships have been pretty terrible, causing her to swear off relationships with costars. Emma is a pretty strong and level-headed character. But she does grow throughout the story, and I loved seeing that. I loved seeing her come into her own, and who she wants to be, without the influence of a boyfriend, or friends, or even her mother.

And Jake. Let's talk about Jake.

We are not just talking about a hot guy here. Jake was super sweet. I loved his interactions with his mother and how she was a big part of his life, and that he was man enough to admit that. I loved seeing him interact with his friends from back home, and with Emma. How he agreed to go on a date with Emma's best friend, Rachel, even though we all knew by then how he really felt about Emma. Jake was just thrown into this Hollywood world, but he handled it with grace and maturity. And he was just hilarious, honestly. Seriously, so perfect.

swoon

But this story wasn't just about the romance. It was about so much more. The life lessons that we learn, watching Emma and Jake struggle through whatever this is that they're feeling. (I will say, there were many a time when I just wanted to push the two together and scream "KISS ALREADY".) The behind-the-scenes look at Hollywood and the industry. Watching all of the cast interact with each other, seeing them all grow (or not). 

But most of all, this book made me laugh. Oh my goodness, did this book made me laugh. I loooved the banter between Jake and Emma, between the other characters. I loved the writing, and how it drew me in to the story, and kept me there with its wit and humor. 

This might be chick-lit, but it was so much more than that. Yes, it was cute and fluffy, but it was also sweet and swoony and all around hilarious. I loved it, and I would definitely recommend it. To anyone. I don't even care who you are. (Just, be warned: Jake is MINE. Back off.)

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Amy Finnegan:

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Wish You Were Italian {by Kristin Rae}

Title: Wish You Were Italian

Author: Kristin Rae
Series: If Only... #2

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Pippa has always wanted to go to Italy … but not by herself. And certainly not to sit in art school the entire summer learning about dead guys’ paintings. When she steps off the plane in Rome, she realizes that traveling solo gives her the freedom to do whatever she wants. So it’s arrivederci, boring art program and ciao, hot Italian guys!
Charming, daring, and romantic, Bruno is just the Italian Pippa’s looking for—except she keeps running into cute American archeology student Darren everywhere she goes. Pippa may be determined to fall in love with an Italian guy … but the electricity she feels with Darren says her heart might have other plans. Can Pippa figure out her feelings before her parents discover she left the program and—even worse—she loses her chance at love?

I have mixed feelings on this book, because while I really did enjoy it, it took me a while to actually get through. (The eARC being terribly formatted was mainly to fault, although I can't hold that against the book.) I was expecting this to be a light, fun summery read, but I ended up loving it so much more than that. 

The main reason I loved this so much! Rome. I mean, if I never get to travel anywhere else in my life, I absolutely HAVE to go to Rome. I must. I mean, crazy nerdy Latin scholar over here (can I call myself a scholar? Whatever, I'm doing it anyway). Which is what made me want to read this in the first place. And I mean, this will give you a serious case of the wanderlust. I did a bit of author stalking (he he) and the places described in the book were from personal experience. And Kristin Rae was spot on. The descriptions, places, experiences were described to perfectly and vividly, I felt like I was there. (And then started crying because I wasn't actually there. Not really, but I wanted to). 

Which leads into her writing, which, if you couldn't tell, was very well done. I've talked enough about the setting (well, you can never have enough Italy), so let's talk characters. I was all prepared to be mad at/dislike Pippa. I mean, get sent to Italy and you want to complain? But I think she handled being sent to Italy by herself for something she hated very well. And choosing to ditch her parents' plans and make her own cemented my approval for her. (I mean, I could only WISH my parents would send me to itself, but I can also only WISH that I would be ballsy enough to do all of that by myself.) 

The other characters--Morgan, Chiara, Darren, even "bad-boy" Bruno--were well-written and added a lot of depth and fun to the story. And Darren's contagious excitement over the ruins and history of the city was just super adorable. I mean… *insert heart-eyed emoji here*. His hair was practically its own character. 

So you might be wondering--what was it that made me take forever to actually get through it? Well… The Love Triangle. Now, when a book gets too awkward or romantically angst-y (is that a thing?), I will often put it down and have to focus on something else for a minute or do something else before picking it back up. It's not because I'm uncomfortable, but more of an  I really don't feel like dealing with this right now. Sooo basically…the entire part with Bruno. This wasn't one of the worst love triangles I've ever read. Just that it was really frustrating because come on, we all knew who Pippa should REALLY be with ;) 

This was a fun, cute read. It made me smile and laugh quite a bit. It was a great summery read (but be warned--it will leave you totally jealous). 

I received an eARC via NetGalley I'm exchange for my honest review. 

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Kristin Rae:

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