Hollywood Double is the fourth book in Alexa Aston's Hollywood Name Game series. In this book we see love blossom between the stuntman turned actor Mac Randall and the actress Keely Kennedy. After an actor is murdered Keely decides that Mac, the actor's stunt double, should play the role. Their fiery passion is matched only by the disasters that plague production.
This book does its best to mix a sizzling romance and a tension filled mystery. Will Mac and Keely have a happily ever after? Why would someone go and murder an actor? While both plots are good on their own, it's mixing them that makes the book extremely confusing at times.
The majority of the book is focused on Mac and Keely's romance. These are the parts where the book truly shines. The last relationship Mac was in ended horribly and so he hasn't desired another woman for years. So when Keely enters the scene and breaks down his walls it is extremely interesting to read. Keely is also interesting in a romantic sense as she never dates actors and so being with Mac is really a game changer for her.
There are sex scenes mentioned but only one shown in any great deal. I didn't mind this but it was somewhat strange. All of this sex being mentioned and yet only one real sex scene between the two. Okay, there was a second sex scene but that was one being filmed for the movie. If you aren't aware, sex scenes in Hollywood productions aren't really sexy. I've read about how one actor doesn't like filming sex scenes because they are so awkward for the actors involved.
The book's problems really come when the mystery is added to the book. It's like a totally different book when the murder and other production disasters happen. No one is concerned about someone messing with production in sadistic ways until near the end of the book. After an actor is murdered and someone else is gravely injured none of the characters open an investigation or are even that concerned someone might try to kill them.
Near the end of the book someone is framed for something which wouldn't have happened if said someone realized a character's suspicious behavior meant they could be behind some of the production disasters. I'm just glad that the person behind everything didn't just come out of nowhere. Though the reason they did what they did was more complicated than was called for. Like...they could've made things so much easier on themselves.
One of my favorite parts came near the beginning of the book. A short time after Mac catches his wife cheating on him and breaks up with her, she dies of some kind of brain cancer that just suddenly appeared. So when Mac goes to her funeral he finds out that no one else knew about her cheating ways. This results in one of the most awkward funeral scenes of all time. I think the only awkward funeral scene that would compare is the Bojack Horseman episode "Free Churro".
I would recommend Hollywood Double by Alexa Aston for those that like their romance with a little murder.
No comments:
Post a Comment