| Title | : | Truly, Madly, Famously (Famous in Love, #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0316366404 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780316366403 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 304 |
| Publication | : | First published October 13, 2015 |
After being plucked from obscurity, Hollywood’s newest starlet, Paige Townsen, has a hit film to her name and Rainer Devon on her arm. But being half of the world’s most famous couple comes with a price. No matter where Paige goes, someone is always watching. Soon she finds herself dodging photographers; hiding her feelings for her other costar, Jordan Wilder; and navigating tabloid scandals that threaten to tear her and Rainer apart—and end her career as quickly as it began.
As she navigates her new L.A. life in this sequel to Famous in Love, Paige finds that she doesn’t know who to trust: Old friends could be betraying her secrets, and new friends are keeping secrets of their own.
Truly, Madly, Famously (Famous in Love, #2) Reviews
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5 Words: fame, relationships, friends, family, betrayal.
Time: 23:10
Me: Hmm, I think I'll read a chapter or two before bed.
Brain: Good idea.
Me: This is fluff, a chapter of this and then time to sleep.
(Picks up Truly, Madly, Famously)
Me: See, fluff. End of chapter. Let's sleep.
Brain: But that was just a short chapter, let's read another.
Me: OK, one more chapter.
Time: 01:15
Me: Damn. That was actually pretty good.
Brain: More. I need more. Where's the next one? When?
Me & Brain: 2016?!?! NOOOOOO!
* * * * *
So, my review of
Famous in Love wasn't exactly the most glowing. In fact, I read a lot of it in an another-love-triangle-really induced rage. But something about that book must have stayed with me because when I saw this in Waterstones I pounced.
And then I abandoned the other books I'm currently reading and devoured this in one sitting, staying up until the early hours on a work night.
Because damn, this was addictive. I need more. I feel like I'm becoming a Locked fangirl. And it's not even a real fandom! Or book! Or film! Whaaaaaat?! -
STOP - before you read this please be aware that there may be book 1 spoilers included... DO NOT KEEP READING if you don't want to know them!
Let me just start off saying that I think I loved this book more than Famous in Love. I wasn’t sure that was going to happen, in fact, I was kind of on the fence about reading this because I didn’t love love book 1. I’m so stinking glad I did because once I started this, I couldn’t stop!
I’ll be honest, book 1 didn’t end quite where I wanted it to, and when I picked up Truly, Madly, Famously, I had to go back and reread the last chapter just to remember where we were. Book 2 dives in shortly after the junket tour for Locked, the movie that is making Paige Townsen a household name and “RAIGE” an actual couple nickname.
Of course Paige & Rainer are dating if you didn’t piece that together and Jordan… well, he’s off doing his thing. If you’ve seen the gossip magazines or tv shows then you can imagine what Searle puts her characters through here. They can’t go anywhere without being hounded by photographers, and the stories about them border on ridiculous, but one thing Paige can’t deny is that she’s still struggling to find who she is in Hollywood.
Searle does Hollywood so amazingly well… or at least what I imagine Hollywood might be for a newcomer who’s just trying to do something she loves, and Paige really just wants to do the films she wants to do and not have to worry about image or gossip.
I know I mentioned that Famous in Love didn’t quite end where I wanted it to, but in book 2 Searle explores the many different relationships Paige has. Not just with Rainer and Jordan… but with Alexis and Jake and Cassandra. She delves into the trust that Paige has to have for her friends and family simply because of who she now is and she does a really amazing job of it.
Of course we’re back to a bit of a love triangle here, but I really think it’s a well-done love triangle. Don’t laugh. Paige struggled so much in determining who she was meant to be with at this point in her life in Famous in Love and it doesn’t abate in this installment. Yes, she’s in a relationship with Rainer, but things are strained between them and honestly, I always felt she was only meant to be friends with him, so I was more than happy to see the implosion on that. The way it went down was hard to swallow, but I get it… one more way to show how a misinterpretation of what really was happening could really hurt people. Though I really loved that it made Paige come clean with Rainer about her feelings.
One big difference here that I loved was that though they shoot the second film in this book, the story really doesn’t revolve around their time doing so. Instead of focusing on the ins and outs of filming and the day to day of that, we are treated to more of the behind the scenes of Paige and Rainer and Jordan choosing next projects and building and repairing the bonds of friendship.
I think what I loved most though was watching Paige become more comfortable with her new life, finding the time for her friends, (both old and new) and figuring out what it is she really wants out of this experience and of course WHO she wants.
Overall, a wonderful second book to this series and to say I’m excited for book 3 is an understatement. Definitely a must read for anyone who loves a good contemporary with the twist of a behind the scenes of the machine that is Hollywood.
Thank you to Little Brown & Novl for the advanced copy of this in exchange for my honest thoughts. -
Very, VERY love-triangle-y. If you don't like the love triangle AVOID. But, if you can tolerate the stereotype of two insanely attractive boys falling for an 'average' girl who is, in herself, quite beautiful, set to the backdrop of Hollywood, this is a great book. Unfortunately, I hate when a girl has to choose between two guys, especially when she loves both of them. My preferred ending would be that they all went their separate ways, and realised they only fell in love because they were co-stars. Oh well, I'm in this deep, so I might as well finish the series.
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Disclaimer: I work for Team Serle, so I'm definitely going to read this book more than once, but oh how I WANT to reread. So much.
Famous in Love and Truly Madly Famously are these two books that are, on the one hand, totally Hollywood drama love triangle, but, guys, this is Rebecca Serle. If you've read a Rebecca Serle book (WHICH YOU SHOULD - I don't officially have a favorite but ask me about When You Were Mine and I might never shut up) you know that no matter how much drama, there's always a message. There's always character growth. There's careful consideration and relatable situations and, somehow, no matter what the story, you finish the book and you feel like you've learned this amazing lesson that so totally applies to you and betters your life. Truly Madly Famously continues the themes and feels of Famous in Love and really brings Paige's story (and Rainer and Jordan's stories!) full circle in a way that makes me so happy and teaches me so much that I don't care about anything else.
Bottom line, I'm so happy I was able to read such an early version of this book and I'm counting down the days until you can all join the lovefest. -
As fun as the pop culture and Hollywood aspects of this book are, the plot and my overall enjoyment of this book went downhill fast. The love triangle really bothered me, but then again you know what you're signing up for when you read this series... I liked book 1 better, but oh the glitz and glam was fun!
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CORA AND THE REREADS
I just love these books, OK?
They make me feel happy, smile a big cheesy grin.
They are not the best written books ever. I know that they're pretty poor.
But I am in love with the characters and the tension and how it makes me feel, and that's what really matters. -
“…Out out in the great Pacific Ocean, I have never felt so liberated by the realization of my own unimportance.”
The sequel wasn’t as good as the first (duh), but it wasn’t bad. I loved the Alexis character and the ending was satisfactory. -
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This sequel was a bit iffy with me, I just didn't connect with the story as I did with the first installment of the series. There was some really good scenes in this but some that I was cringing at.
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I loved Famous in Love because its plotline is one of my favourite contemporary plotlines: average teen turned into a hollywood star overnight and the book revolves around their adjustment to this new life as well as the struggle to stay true to themselves. Of course who can forget the usual cute romances that occur with a fellow celebrity counterpart? Rebecca Serle's first book had that as well as being set on Maui, a Hawaiian island, for their movie shooting; talk about beautiful scenery descriptions!
I honestly did not know there was going to be a sequel to Famous in Love, and when I found out, I was equal parts ecstatic yet worried. I liked how the first book ended and worried about the direction the author will be taking with the second book. Unfortunately my worry materialised into writing and the author actually went into the direction I most feared. This doesn't mean the book was badly written or boring, it just meant that I disagreed with the author's direction and personally, I wished it went another way. That is why my rating of this book is mostly subjective and to do with my own preference. Other than that, I really liked how real the characters were, the new friendships Paige made, and how we didn't have a mean girl in the book. They were all characters that were either misunderstood by others, or just really had a crap load of their own personal issues to deal with.
I do have to say that the love triangle conflict just took too much from the book. The first book had more pages about the movie shooting as well as Paige's new life, but this book felt that it was always about the love triangle. All in all, I think people who enjoyed Famous in Love will also enjoy this sequel, and knowing that there will also be a third book? that gives me hope on the direction of the story and maybe we can get a realistic ending, possibly one that doesn't fit the usual mold of a typically happily ever after YA novel? -
Was die Leute dabei unterschlagen, ist, dass das Herz viele Dinge gleichzeitig wollen kann.
Knüpft gut an Band 1 an und ist ebenso eine tolle, lockerleichte Sommerlektüre.
Die Figuren machen eine tolle Entwicklung durch und ich mag Paige jetzt deutlich lieber. Ich hätte allerdings gerne mehr über Jordan gewusst, von dem ich mir (außer, dass er mir sehr sympathisch ist) nicht wirklich ein Bild machen konnte. Ich mag Rayner nicht wirklich, aber auch er macht eine Charakterentwicklung durch, die sich durchaus sehen lassen kann.
Ich war eigentlich von einer Trilogie ausgegangen, aber das Ende klang so nach einem runden Abschluss, dass ich mir nicht sicher bin, was (außer der Verfilmung des dritten Buches?) uns ein drittes Buch noch geben könnte. -
I'll post a full review closer to pub-date, but for now... I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH!
I was lucky enough to read an arc of Famous in Love and I did fall in love with it. That was almost a year ago and I didn't know how I was possibly going to wait for the sequel, but I got lucky again and received this arc so early. It's everything I could have asked for in a sequel, and more. Rebecca Knows her stuff and I ant WAIT for more!!! -
Graded By: Poshdeluxe
Cover Story: Keepin' It Classy
BFF Charm: Single White Female
Swoonworthy Scale: 9
Talky Talk: Straight Up Juicy
Bonus Factors: Fame, Love Triangle, The MTV Movie Awards
Relationship Status: Swimfan 4 Life
Read the full book report
here. -
This book made me happy, then broke my heart and then sorta mended it. I still feel like it could fall apart at any moment because the way it fixed my heart is kinda like a little kid using elmers glue to put their piggy bank back together; its doing the job nothing more, but still extremely fragile.
This book takes place almost immediately after Paige’s big announcement at the press conference. She is still learning how to deal with her new found fame, Rainer is dealing with his sleaze ball dad, and Jordan goes MIA. Luckily for Paige she has Rainer on her arm, and they are Hollywood’s new power couple. But of course, things can’t stay happy in paradise and the press’s influence gets in the way of all of their lives.
Paige is a tolerable MC, she can be whiny and seem ungrateful at times but for the most part she’s pretty alright, and deals with her insta-fame the way most people would. She shows pretty good growth throughout the book which I can always appreciate, and for the most part is trying her best.
Rainer is my love. I will admit I am a Raige shipper. . I don’t think he’s perfect by any means but I just really like him and his character. I like that he looks out for Paige and seems dedicated to her. I was happy to see that Paige and Rainer had a good relationship after the Press Conference seeing as her decision seemed like a pity decision. So good there was no resentment
Jordan….hmmm I am indifferent towards him. I get his angle, misunderstood badboy with a melted marshmallow center. Maybe I’ve read too many books where the love interest is just this, or maybe he just isn’t my favorite. I like that again, he is dedicated to Paige and I get his cold exterior is to save himself but still. I don’t know, his character didn’t seem as developed as Rainer’s. Like I don’t know him as much as Rainer.
Alexis: . I really liked her character. I’m glad Paige found another sane person. I was wary at first, she seemed a little shady but alls good. She was a humorous character and added some spice to the story. Her announcement at the end though, I didn’t see that coming but it was cool.
The plot was alright, it was basically her trying to decide who to be with and all the drama that fell in between. I don’t know I thought it would be a bit like the first book where they were shooting the movie and there was drama on set but the movie doesn’t come in till like the last fourth of the book. Even though I liked the book a lot I felt like there wasn’t much substance? Its definitely a story where a lot of smaller events make up the book.
Overall I am happy. It was an entertaining book I finished in two days. It was a page turner just because I found I was so invested in the love triangle. It seems like there’s only two books? I thought it was supposed to be a trilogy, but Serle kinda tied up everything. I wouldn’t mind a third but I don’t know what conflict there would be unless things go south with Jordan (PLEASE). It was very entertaining and a good escape read. Made me want to be famous though and have two gorgeous guys fight over me. I wish *sigh*
*Beware Spoilers*
I am happy us Raige shippers got some Raige-ness in the beginning. Though I am very saddened by the ending or shall I say the moment of truth. TMOT had me crying inside and silently cursing Paige's name. Like anyone could tell Paige was gonna choose Jordan, the first book eluded to that, and in love triangle instances the other guy almost always wins. But still! I was holding out hope that maybe she'd break the status quo and just stay with him. Because he fucking loves her. UGH. Even though I’m happy Rainer is moving on I still don’t know how to feel about him and Jessica. Like I saw that coming since Tokyo, but still. I feel like the book is kinda a case of nice guy finishes last. But praise the lord Rainer didn’t get back with Britney. -
Just when I was about to give up on this,
Rebecca Serle hit me right in the feels:If two years ago someone would have told me that I'd be August, that I'd be starring in Locked, that my face would be on the cover of Vanity Fair, and that I'd be the number one Googled celebrity on the planet, I would have never believed them. But that's just it. Life isn't meant to be believable. It's meant to be magical. Haven't you heard? Truth is stranger than fiction.
(No, I'm not crying, lemme alone.)
Oh, and let's raise a glass to Paige getting her act together and recognizing the gem that is
This series could happily end here, so I'll be interested to see where the last book takes our three ingenues. -
Actual rating: 4.5 stars
Didn't I finish the first book some hours ago? Yes. Do I have to study? Well, yes. But is this book great? HELL YES.
The sequel is as good as the first one. Maybe better, because I do have to say I love Alexis very, very much. It was still predictable but nonetheless cute and enjoyable. I love how it ended but I'm a bit confused because it did feel like the end but Goodreads has a third book listed that's supposed to come out this year? It would make sense considering the trilogy in the series, but I don't know? -
Well. I did not like this one nearly as much as the first one. I liked Paige in the first book, but she was super annoying the whole time in this one. Cheating in books always makes me angry, too. Paige and Rainer were officially together in this one so all her pining over Jordan was just not ok anymore. I didn't like the additional characters that were introduced. The one lesson Paige learned that I did appreciate was that she finally realized she was just 18 and choosing between the two guys was not choosing the rest of her life.
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I loved this, even more than
Famous in Love. I read the entire book the one sitting because there was no way I could put this down. I can't wait for the third book but at the same time I'm apprehensive since the ending was absolute perfection. -
Another series that went down the tubes. Clearly Paige wasn't meant for the Hollywood life. It amazes me how one minute she loves Rainer and is sleeping with him but by the end of the book supposedly she is in love with Jordan. Are you kidding me? I tried to like this book because the first one was good but this was just too much for me.
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All of the must-readness from the first book is gone and replaced instead with bland encounters and the toll of celebrity. The magic was lost on this one.
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A truly delicious sequel--it's as simple as that. It was dramatic and swoon-worthy, just like I wanted it to be. Bravo, Rebecca Serle.
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uhmmm. It's really entertaining, and such a de-stresser
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Intense. Still shipping Raige though.
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I found this book to be immature, and the characters as well. I do enjoy YA a lot of the time but this was just too teeny-bopper for me. This book focused solely on Paige, Jordan and Rainer’s lives after the filming of the first movie and finishes up right after they start filming the second movie. So it pretty much has nothing to do with their careers and only about their personal lives. They carried the love triangle thing into this book and I honestly found it very repetitive and uninteresting. I stopped caring about what she was going to do and who or what she was going to choose. I’m finding that as well as stories involving cheating, I am not a fan of stories revolving around a character having to choose between two people. Yes sometimes that happens in life but not very often to the average person and it’s very non relatable. Just seems like a selfish predicament to be in. Oh my god so many guys want me! Please.
As of now I don’t have much more to say about this book. I just wasn’t a fan of the characters this time around and I found the storyline very uneventful and boring. -
Warning: Major spoiler from the first book.
I liked Truly, Madly, Famously by Rebecca Serle even more than its predecessor,
Famous In Love. And I never like second books more!
This is the age of celebrity, whether it's 15 minutes of fame, or fans clamoring for glimpses of your daily life and every move. Paige Townsen belongs to the second group, having rocketed to stardom in her first movie, Locked, a movie about August, Ed, and Noah whose plane crashes on a small island, thus throwing together the two love interests that shouldn't be.
Still with me? LOL.
What I liked about Paige's transition into Truly, Madly, Famously was that her celebrity didn't go to her head. She wasn't all "I have all this money now and I'm famous" and actually abhorred the idea that her privacy was a thing of the past. She truly was in it for the love of the craft, and not because she wanted to be the center of attention. Her struggles with fame and the paparazzi felt honest and actually, she reminded me very much of another actress from a popular series of movies who was always said to have needed to smile more, and who also jealously guarded her personal life. It didn't end well for that particular celebrity, but in Paige's case, she grows a lot from the photos and tabloid stories, and she truly does learn the value of her real friends.
Rainer was just an okay character for me. I didn't feel like we got much of a chance to really love him or connect with him, despite the revelations made about his father. Was I sympathetic? Yes, of course. Did I care if he never really graced the pages of Truly, Madly, Famously again? Nope. I also felt that the revelation of why he and Paige began dating was kind of forced and unnecessary.
Jordan, on the other hand, was fairly fascinating to me, despite that nothing all that big is revealed about him, except for his own struggles with his celebrity and fame. His relationship with Paige was real and I got the feeling that he needed someone that could ground him. I just liked him and he was hunky, so leave me alone, 'kay?!
In Truly, Madly, Famously we get to meet new characters, some whom are celebrities in their own right. My favorite was Alexis. I had suspicions about her from the beginning, and I was right, but it was fun seeing how it all came to light. She's a strong personality, and initially, I was wary of trusting her because of how she enters the story, but Serle writes her so well, that you as the reader can't help but fall in love with her. Can we puh-lease get a spin-off about her?! She's so fun and honest!
Speaking of Alex, the whole situation involving her (that I won't spoil) really sheds a light on how Hollywood can actually be. None of it is all that surprising, but the lengths to which agents will go to secure top stories in tabloids is kind of outrageous, as is the manipulation by the stars themselves to get mentions, either positively or negatively.
There's a kind of bohemian vibe in Truly, Madly, Famously. Stars switch homes on a whim, everyone's got the keys to your beach house and off days are spent lounging on beaches. There is an air of casualness among all the fakery, as if some celebrities just can't be bothered with manners or social norms. In Hollywood, plastic is as real as the skin it replaces.
There are a lot of themes in Truly, Madly, Famously. Love, friendship, betrayal, trust. Paige has to navigate all of these while she decides if she should listen to what her heart wants. Who can and should she trust? Family? Friends? I enjoyed finding out in this rather addicting tale.
This love-triangle has a great ending, and I think (or hope) most readers will be thrilled with where it ends.This book may have been provided in exchange for an honest review, and therefore will be noted on the
original post. -
Das Cover:
Abgebildet ist auf dem Cover des zweiten Bandes eine junge Frau mit Sonnenbrille, die ihre Hand vor die Kamera eines Fotografen hält, da sie nicht fotografiert bzw. erkannt werden möchte. Wieder ein sehr passendes Cover, da auch Paige mit dem ständigen ungewollten Fotografieren Bekanntschaft machen muss.
Die Geschichte:
Paige ist mit ihrer Rolle als Augustine in dem ersten Film der ‚Locked‘-Reihe ein bekannter und beliebter Star geworden. Dass sie mit ihrem Co-Star Rayner zusammen ist, der in der Verfilmung ebenfalls ihren Freund spielt, macht ihre Liebe zu einem gefundenen Fressen für Journalisten und Paparazzi. Die Glamourwelt ist nichts für schwache Nerven, das merkt auch Paige. Freunde sind in der Welt der Stars und Sternchen schwer zu finden, doch Paige versucht es trotzdem und scheint in Alexis, die in der ‚Locked‘-Reihe die Schwester von Augustine spielt, gefunden zu haben, denn beide verstehen sich gut und unterstützen sich. Dann finden die MTV Movie Awards statt und Paige gewinnt in der Kategorie ‚Bester Kuss‘. Und dieser Auftritt auf der berühmten Bühne verändert Paiges Leben und Ansehen für immer …
Meine Meinung:
Ich war so froh, als ich endlich den zweiten Band der Reihe in den Händen hielt. Nach dem tollen ersten Teil war ich gespannt, wie es mit Paige und ihren zwei Verehrern Rayner und Jordan und natürlich der ‚Locked‘-Trilogie weitergeht. Schnell wird beim Lesen klar: Paige, Rayner und Jordan sind allesamt unglaublich beliebt und berühmt geworden und werden nun von Fotografen belagert. Paige lernt die Schattenseiten des Ruhmes kennen und wie viel der Ruhm zerstören kann. Mich erinnert das immer noch alles an die ‚Twilight‘-Stars Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart und Taylor Lautner.
Ich finde es auf jeden Fall super, einen intensiven Einblick in diese Glamour-Welt zu bekommen, denn ich glaube fest daran, dass es viele Fünkchen Wahrheit in dieser Geschichte gibt. Und das macht die Geschichte für mich so toll, denn Rebecca Serle ist eine Journalistin und kennt sich bestimmt aus. Zu lesen, wie Paige zwischen Rayner und Jordan hin- und herschwankt, ist wirklich toll und ich konnte mit Paige mitfühlen. Beide Männer haben das gewisse Etwas, eine besondere Anziehung und Charme. Im Laufe der Geschichte kommen immer mehr Wahrheiten ans Licht, was die Story immer weiter vorangebracht und mir unglaublich gut gefallen hat. Auch die Verknüpfungen zu echten Events wie den MTV Movie Awards oder der ‚Do Something‘-Kampagne. Wirklich toll.
Die Geschichte von ‚Locked‘ gibt es jetzt übrigens auch, allerdings nur als eBook und nur als englisches Original. Als Autorin wird auch hier, wie im Buch, Parker Witter genannt. Ich hoffe sehr, dass das Buch auch auf Deutsch erscheint. In den USA wird ‚Famous in Love‘ aktuell als Serie gedreht. In der Hauptrolle ist Bella Thorne als Paige zu sehen. Rayner, der im Original eigentlich Rainer heißt (wobei ich mich frage, warum das in der deutschen Ausgabe geändert wurde), wird von Carter Jenkins und Jordan von Keith Powers gespielt. Einen ersten Trailer zur Serie gibt es schon, er ist
hier auf youtube zu finden. Ich freue mich schon sehr auf die Serie und hoffe, dass sie auch in Deutschland laufen wird.
Laut goodreads soll es noch einen dritten Band geben, passend zur ‚Locked‘-Trilogie. Ob das allerdings stimmt und ob das der Wahrheit entspricht, ist noch nicht bekannt.
Meine Bewertung:
Eine wunderbare Fortsetzung von ‚Famous in Love‘, in der sich Paige mit der Presse, den Paparazzi und ihrer Zuneigung zu Rayner und Jordan auseinandersetzen muss. Die Glamourwelt der Schönen, Reichen und Berühmten hat nicht nur Sonnen-, sondern auch Schattenseiten. Darüber zu lesen und mit Paige diese Seiten kennenzulernen, ob gewollt oder ungewollt, hat mich sehr gut unterhalten und ich habe absolut mitgefiebert. Von mir gibt es, wie für den ersten Band auch, fünf absolut super Sterne! Wer Band 1 genauso geliebt hat wie ich, wird diesen 2. Teil ebenfalls lieben. -
1.5 stars
In case you needed further proof that I make poor life choices, here it is. I actually wasn’t going to put myself through the tragedy of writing that is Truly Madly Famously, but a friend who will remain anonymous unless he/she chooses to confess requested that I do so for their enjoyment. I live to please.
Truly Madly Famously is actually better than Famous in Love. It’s still not good though. Like, it’s not. The writing is simply atrocious. Serle is marginally better about dialog tags than Scalzi, but she’s still not good at it. I only started tracking that towards the end but I found three instances where she had the word says TWICE in one section of dialog. Hopefully this was fixed in the final copy but I sort of doubt it.
“True,” Alexis says. She squeezes Jordan’s shoulder with her open palm. “Drop it,” she says. “Now. Life is too short not to let the ones you love in.”
Bolding is obviously mine. There is absolutely zero reason to include that second says because obviously Alexis is still speaking. THIS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES. Once is an accident. Multiple times is shitty writing. Not to mention the fact that Serle continues to skip dialog and instead have Paige retroactively tell you about things that have happened. There are also regular reminders about who characters that aren’t the major three actually are, because everyone’s so flat and boring it’s impossible to remember. About two-thirds of the way through, Serle lists the names of the characters in the Locked series and has to include a paranthetical informing us that the fourth name is Alexis’ character. We should KNOW this, not to mention that the paranthetical really doesn’t fit in the narrative.
We’re doing this scene in August’s kitchen with Ed, August, and Maggie (Alexis).
This book is also super repetitive. Paige goes over and over the drama over and over thinking the same shit over and over. It gets old super fast. She also has multiple confrontations with a female character commenting about Paige hating her (for no legit reason) and Paige saying she doesn’t, but then wondering whether that’s true (no, it’s not—she does hate them). See the confrontation with Rainer’s ex:
“And I know what you think of me. I don’t need your pity, I know you hate me.”
I shake my head. “No,” I say. “I don’t hate you.” Is that true? It feels true.
Paige remains intensely judgmental of every woman she encounters, commenting on their attractiveness negatively. She judges them for high heels and low-cut clothing, things Paige also obviously wears a lot. God forbid they dare to be interested in the guys Paige wants. I will say though that Paige actually does have a character arc and learn something about this, albeit clunkily. Towards the end of the book, Paige suddenly has a revelation that she’s been stupid and blah blah blah. If she’s changed for real, I’ll be shocked considering that there’s a third book and there’s no actual plot aside from who Paige will choose.
The improvement in Truly, Madly, Famously comes solely from Alexis. Their costar, Alexis, who plays Paige’s younger sister in the film. She’s been dating Jordan ostensibly, so she’s a love rival and she’s one of those girls that Paige hates. The two become close, View Spoiler » and even friends, View Spoiler ». My comments in those spoiler tags might seem unfair, but the timing of when things happened is accurate. It might not be what was intended but it’s what happened. Alexis is sort of like the Kenji of this series, dropping truth bombs and being the only character who actually feels at all real and who is actually funny.
I don’t know if I’ll read book three. I hope not. But I might. You guys should make better life choices though. Seriously. I don’t often say a book is straight up bad, and celebrity romances are totally my catnip. Save yourself. -
This is book 2 in the Famous in Love Series.
The story continues with Paige being torn between two boys: the one she REALLY loves and the one she feels a sense of loyalty to. That loyalty is also love, but the kind one feels for a close friend, not someone you want to spend the rest of your life with. Straight out of the tabloid headlines, Paige gets herself into compromising situations. More on those soon.
One of my most favorite characters in this book is Alexis. She's strong, sensible, authentic. There's a scene at the end of the book that reminds me of other actors who have done similar things at national events. Good on ya Alexis!!!!
My heart ached for Rainer. He really struggled with his relationship with his dad and found it difficult to be vulnerable, especially with Paige. Without a doubt, his father's betrayal crushed Rainer. How do you reconcile the fact that the father you've loved has done something so awful that you can no longer respect him?
Then there is Jordan. He's had to turn off his feelings for Paige like one turns off a spigot. Unfortunately, the spigot leaks once in awhile.
Paige really does some inappropriate and/or boundary-breaking things that definitely confuse and encourage Jordan. As far as the love triangle situation, I kept thinking about Twilight—Kristen Stewart & Taylor Lautner and, of course, Robert Pattinson. Then there is Paige's sister. You'll have to read the book to form your own opinion of what was right or what was wrong. The best part of Paige's life are her friends from before she became famous, Jake and Cassandra. They accept her for who she is with little expectations. If they did have expectations of Paige, like getting phone calls returned, I doubt they'd be able to remain friends. This acceptance, this unconditional love, is a foundation for Paige, one she's very fortunate to have and is able to lean on when she needs to be rooted again.
For those who love Hollywood drama, love triangles, and the human side to actors and actresses, you will gobble up Truly, Madly, Famously! Without a doubt, Rebecca Serle has created a story that's right out of the tabloids. It's captivating, filled with vivid descriptions, and a Hollywood dripping with privilege and betrayal. -
JUST SO YOU KNOW THIS HAS SPOILERS FROM BOOK 1 AND 2! SO DO NOT CONTINUE READING IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO KNOW!!
OMG I FELL IN LOVE ALL OVER AGAIN! I adored famous in love and that love only grew with Truly, Madly, Famously! We're introduced to new characters, I loved Alexis and her and Paige's friendship that flourished! I also loved the scene with Wyatt! He may have seemed like a hard ass on set in book one but he was only a hard ass because he cared! And I was so happy to hear he took on the movie Paige was gunning for and he obviously wanted her as his leading lady! Although I like Rainer, I am defiantly Team Jordan! I was so shocked when she chose Rainer at the end of Famous In Love! But thankfully after so many twists and turns in this book (because it truly and madly and famously [see what u did there ;) ]was action packed with anticipation and sexiness) SHE CHOSE JORDAN! They honestly have such a strong chemistry! Love love love love love! And that scene in Tokyo was fabulous, just like the scene in the cabana in book two! Rainer and Paige never had that fire in their relationship! I think this is supposed to be a trilogy and obviously I'm all for that because I'd love to explore them more (as long as Paige and Jordan remain together or at least are at the end of book three because this series is full of drama and I'm sure book 3 would have even more, i'll be happy aha). But, I loved the ending of Truly, Madly, Famously! Book one I was left in shock and frustration because of her choice but book two left me filled with happiness! Let me also add that this book is defiantly more Hollywood because Paige is now full blown celebrity since Locked premiered and I loved the way the book took that and how Paige still stayed true to herself! Once again I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVED it! I have been waiting for this book since last Christmas when i read Famous in Love for the first time and then got even more excited when i reread it in the summer! Sometimes when you wait for something you can build your hopes up and then it'll be crashed when you actually read it... BUT tht DID NOT happen! It exceeded my expectations! Fabulous job with this one Rebecca Serle!
