REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: HEARTTHROB by BELINDA WILLIAMS

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Heartthrob
Hollywood Hearts #1

By: Belinda Williams

Releasing November 10, 2016  
Self-Published

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In Heartthrob (Hollywood Hearts #1) by Belinda Williams, Ally Valenti has always wanted to follow her dreams of becoming a fashion designer, but circumstances in her life prevented her from ever getting the chance. Until now when her best friend and actress, Lena Lyons, convinces her to come and stay in Los Angeles for six months and design some gowns for her to wear during the awards season. She never expected to meet Jacob Swan, Lena's handsome co-star, and soon after meeting him she finds herself enjoying spending time with him. Will she give Jacob a chance or be scared off by someone that is trying their best through various incidents -- which seem aimed at her -- to get her to return home?

This is the first book I've read by Ms. Williams, and I've got to say that it does not disappoint. Right from the beginning of this story I was hooked, as the heroine believes she doesn't belong in Hollywood. How is she going to be able to handle designing a dress for Lena that will be on display for a lot of people to see? Will she make it big when people see her creations? However, it was the moment that Ally met Jacob that made this story a real page turner, as she made a really good first impression on him, even if it was embarrassing from her point of view.  

As for the dialogue, it was intense due to the main characters back stories, especially that of the hero. He doesn't get along with his family, and when they are together, it is very tense times. Furthermore, the dialogue was also intense due to the incidents done by the person trying to scare Ally away. Will they find out who is causing problems for her before it's too late? However, there were some light-hearted moments between Ally and Jacob that I loved, especially when he teases her about what she does the moment they meet. Then there's the secondary characters, especially Ally's cousin, Arabella. She has total fan-girl moments when it comes to Ally meeting various actors, actresses and knowing Lena.

Ally was a wonderful heroine. She's strong and brave for even giving herself the chance to show off her skills. She's not confident she can pull it off, but it was good to read how determined and willing she was to make something great for Lena with lots of encouragement from her best friend. But she doesn't just have skills when it comes to fashion, and I was absolutely charmed by how she impressed everyone with her cooking skills. The reactions from people after eating food she's cooked had me smiling or laughing, especially when it came to a certain conversation between the main characters about whether the benefits of exercise or her cooking were better.

While Jacob, he's charming, confident and he's determined to win Ally over into giving him a chance. He may be a Hollywood heartthrob, but he's just like everyone else when the cameras aren't rolling. Then again, paparazzi are everywhere, so it's not as if he can completely let his guard down. Also, I liked the decision he made when it came to his career. He needed to branch out and find roles that weren't restricting his talent to the sorts of movies he featured in. But most of all, I enjoyed how Jacob supported Ally when it came to his family. She was only doing what she felt was right, because Jacob didn't deserve the way one of his brothers treated him.

Overall, Ms. Williams has penned a fantastic novel in this one, which encompassed a strong romance that did justice to this couple's intense chemistry. Even though, Ally is completely anti-Hollywood when she arrives, it's surprising how she changes her mind the more time she spends with Jacob. The way this story ended took me completely by surprise with the person causing trouble for Ally, because I did not suspect the secondary character it turned out to be. Moreover, the way Ally and Jacob reunited after things went awry between them was delightful. Ally is such a klutz and she's lucky that Jacob is there to make sure she's all right. At least the headlines this time around will be about Ally and not Jacob. I would recommend Heartthrob by Belinda Williams, if you're a fan of books by  Rachel Gibson, Victoria Dahl, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, or Liliana Hart.

OVERALL RATING:

  

BLURB:
CAN AN AVERAGE GIRL SURVIVE HOLLYWOOD?

Ally Valenti doesn’t belong in Hollywood. Not like her friend and actress, Lena Lyons. Lena’s convinced Ally to pursue her dreams of fashion design, starting with some gowns for the awards season.

Which Ally will get around to creating as soon as she can stop looking at Jacob Swan, Lena’s latest co-star. Not that she’s staring. Ally’s skeptical of anything celebrity and it’s not like she’d be pathetic enough to fall for a Hollywood heartthrob.

Then Ally learns there’s more to Jacob than his good guy, all-American persona. She finds herself torn between the desire to get to know him better and her determination to stay out of the limelight.

 Of course the media has other ideas—and someone doesn’t like all the attention Ally’s getting. When threats aimed at destroying her fashion career go too far, Ally’s convinced she’s living in crazy town.

The sensible thing would be to retreat home before it all ends in spectacular fashion. But will Ally be leaving more than her dreams behind if she says goodbye to Hollywood?

This glamorous, fast-paced contemporary romance that will make you smile, is perfect for fans of Rachel Gibson, Victoria Dahl, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, and Liliana Hart.

 

Buy Links:      Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo

 

Unfortunately, no amount of warning would be adequate to prepare me for Jacob Swan in a suit. Dear God. There had to be laws against tailoring that good. The suit molded to every inch of his muscled body like it had been sculpted on. It was a dusky blue and I knew without looking it matched the color of his eyes. Even as my heart stuttered in my chest, I recognized superb tailoring when I saw it.

 

“Talk to me, Ally,” Lena suggested. “You’re staring.”

“Can’t help it.”

 

And I really couldn’t. His ensemble was perfect. Crisp white shirt, a simple matching blue tie, and brown boots. Most people would have worn a black tuxedo for an event like the Golden Globes, but not Jake. The brown boots were a perfect contrast to the blue suit and hinted at a man comfortable with himself. But I guess when you were considered the sexiest man in Hollywood, that kind of came with the territory.

“Still staring,” Lena said in a singsong voice.

“Don’t care,” I sang back.

“Makes you seem desperate,” she continued the tune, her voice heightening to a soprano.

Finally I turned to her. “I am. Desperate to know his stylist.”

Lena’s expression morphed into one of disbelief. “Are you serious?”

“Absolutely. I mean, look at the guy. Dressed to perfection.” I waved my hand in Jake's general direction, but my arm ended up hovering in mid-air as our eyes met through the crowd.

My heart continued to thump erratically in my chest, feeling as though it was about to give out completely.

Alright, so it wasn’t just his ensemble. It was him. One hundred percent pure Jake. It was those blue eyes of his. They were so alive, so expressive, a woman could drown in his gaze and enjoy the experience. They danced with amusement at me in the dim light.

To ensure my demise, he flashed me a cocky grin.

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Belinda Willliams is a marketing communications specialist and copywriter who allowed an addiction to romance and chick-lit to get the better of her. She was named a top ten finalist in the Romance Writers of Australia Emerald Award in both 2013 and 2014.

Her other addictions include music and cars. Belinda’s eclectic music taste forms the foundation of many of her writing ideas and her healthy appreciation for fast cars means she would not so secretly love a Lamborghini. For now she’ll have to settle with her son’s Hot Wheels collection and writing hot male leads with sports cars.

Belinda lives in Sydney and blogs regularly about writing and reading at www.belindawilliamsbooks.com
 

Author Links:   Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads
 

Top 3 Scenes with Mini Excerpts

Thanks so much for hosting me today. I’ve been asked to share the top 3 scenes from my new release, HEARTTHROB, a contemporary romance set in Hollywood. It’s a fish out of water story, with my lead character, Ally, joining her childhood friend, Lena, in Hollywood, so she can pursue her dreams of fashion design. Lena is a famous movie star, so from the first page we find Ally questioning the sanity of her big move, and there’s a lot of fun moments while Ally comes to terms with her new life.

1.     Bella, the crazy cousin

The first scene I’m sharing with you happens at the start of the story when Ally gets in Lena’s chauffeur-driven car when she first arrives in L.A. As well as dealing with a new city, Ally also has to deal with her big Italian family. They might live back on the East Coast, but they’re very much a part of her life, as we see during this conversation with Ally’s younger cousin, Arabella:

I turned to Lena. “Bear with me, please?”

“Of course. You know I love your family.”

“That makes someone,” I muttered as I scrolled through the contacts in Facetime. “OK, here goes.”

After a brief wait, Arabella’s face came up on the screen of my cell phone.

Upon seeing me, she crossed her arms and shot me an unimpressed look. She had the same shoulder-length dark loose waves I had, but was one of the few members of our family blessed with Uncle Tony’s bright blue eyes.

“Ooh, you’re in a cab,” she drawled.

“It’s not a cab.” Tired of her sass, I pointed the phone at Lena.

Lena waved and her perfect red nails glinted under the car’s interior light. “Hi, Arabella. Nice to meet you.”

 In the split second it took for all the color to drain from Bella’s olive complexion, she managed to draw another breath.

“Oh my fucking God, it is you!”

I jolted in my seat at her crystal-shattering pitch and quickly lowered the volume. Alright, maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all.

Her eyes rounded in a sort of mad haze. “When Aunt Rosa told me Ally had a model friend in high school, I didn’t believe her. You’ve got to admit it is pretty hard to believe because Ally’s not the popular type. I mean, as if! Ally’s one of the most boring people I know—no offense, Ally.”

I saw Lena’s lips quirk and I opened my mouth to put a stop to my youngest cousin’s observations, but I was already too late.

 She continued with the force of a freight train. “I don’t know if you know this, but all Ally ever does is work and I’m pretty sure she hasn’t been out with a guy in like forever. Even Aunty Rosa says Ally needs to get out more. So it’s pretty hard to imagine someone with your talent hanging out with her, but then I guess she can be kind of fun. I mean that’s why everyone asks her to babysit all the time, the kids just love her and—”

“Bella!” I managed to interrupt finally. “Thank you for the honest character assessment but I think you might be boring the most famous actress in Hollywood.”

 

2.     Hollywood reality

Ally is new to Hollywood, and she’s not sure what to make of good-guy actor, Jacob Swan. He seems genuine enough—until Ally hears something to make her think otherwise. For an average girl, it’s hard to figure out her feelings when she’s not sure what is and isn’t real in Hollywood.

 

I closed my eyes, wishing I was anywhere but here. “I’m an idiot.”

“No.” Jake reached over and took my hands. “You’re the first real person I’ve met in a long time.”

I sucked in a breath and opened my eyes, not sure what to make of the way his blue eyes flared at me.

“A real idiot,” I joked, uncertain whether to remove my hands, look away or run altogether. “I thought you were a good guy. Then back there, I thought it was all an act. And now I don’t know what to think. Nothing in this goddamn town seems real.”

With one small tug he pulled me to him. “Trust me. This is real.”

Then he kissed me.

This wasn’t happening. But as his warm lips brushed mine it felt like I’d never experienced anything more real in my entire life.

 

 

3.     Dressed to perfection

There’s no questioning Jacob Swan is the Sexiest Man Alive, but when your best friend is a movie star, Ally isn’t swayed (too much) by good looks and reputation. What she does have a soft spot for, however, is good tailoring. And as she discovers on the night of the Golden Globes, Jake is more than just a pretty face—the man has style and good taste, too.

Unfortunately, no amount of warning would be adequate to prepare me for Jacob Swan in a suit. Dear God. There had to be laws against tailoring that good. The suit molded to every inch of his muscled body like it had been sculpted on. It was a dusky blue and I knew without looking it matched the color of his eyes. Even as my heart stuttered in my chest, I recognized superb tailoring when I saw it.

“Talk to me, Ally,” Lena suggested. “You’re staring.”

“Can’t help it.”

And I really couldn’t. His ensemble was perfect. Crisp white shirt, a simple matching blue tie, and brown boots. Most people would have worn a black tuxedo for an event like the Golden Globes, but not Jake. The brown boots were a perfect contrast to the blue suit and hinted at a man comfortable with himself. But I guess when you were considered the sexiest man in Hollywood, that kind of came with the territory.

“Still staring,” Lena said in a singsong voice.

“Don’t care,” I sang back.

“Makes you seem desperate,” she continued the tune, her voice heightening to a soprano.

Finally I turned to her. “I am. Desperate to know his stylist.”

So there you have it, my Top 3 scenes from HEARTTHROB. I hope you’ll join Ally and Jacob in Hollywood!