Monday, October 5, 2015

Adapted for Film by Stacey Rourke Review

Hey readers, Ethan here on this Monday to bring you a review for a novel I absolutely devoured recently. A new adult contemporary romance read that kept me reeling from cover to cover. What are we raving about today? Adapted for Film by the incredible Stacey Rourke! Before we get to my thoughts, here's a bit about the novel and our author:




Aubrey Evans is living every author’s dream; her sizzling romance novel is being turned into a blockbuster film. She would be celebrating this momentous event, if she wasn’t busy fighting over every tiny production detail with the maddeningly cavalier director, Kole Camden.

When news of their heated rivalry hits the gossip columns, drastic measures must be taken to save their sinking project. In an elaborate PR hoax, she is publicly linked to Greyson Meyers, the swoon-worthy star of her movie. A whirl-wind love affair is staged for the couple to mirror the steamy chapters of her own books.

Can the introverted author resist the charms of Hollywood’s sexiest leading man? Or will love find her in the City of Angels?



          

Stacey Rourke

RONE Award Winner for Best YA Paranormal Work of 2012 for Embrace, a Gryphon Series Novel
Young Adult and Teen Reader voted Author of the Year 2012
Turning Pages Magazine Winner for Best YA book of 2013 & Best Teen Book of 2013

Stacey Rourke lives in Michigan with her husband, two beautiful daughters, and two giant, dogs. She loves to travel, has an unhealthy shoe addiction and considers herself blessed to make a career out of talking to the imaginary people that live in her head. She is currently hard at work on the continuations of this thrilling Legends Saga, as well as other literary projects.


*****

My Thoughts:

Here lately I've been in the biggest book slump I have ever encountered. Read after read has left me disappointed to the point of me not even wanting to review them. I knew I needed something different or I was going to crash and burn. My salvation came in the form of a little romantic-comedy that I never saw coming. Form the mind of an acclaimed dark-young adult author, I never imagined I'd find laughs between the pages of a contemporary romance. Stacey Rourke is truly a jack of all trades in the book world.

I'll admit that when it comes to Adapted for Film, I was really surprised by how much I did enjoy it. It's full of both characters and situations of which I have no knowledge and lifestyles I couldn't tell you the very first thing about. I'm a country born and bred guy from the Missouri bootheel, Hollywood and NYC are a totally different world than the one I'm living in. Thankfully, Rourke didn't bog down the story with the glitz and glamour of the city life, she used quick wit and a fast pace to weave a tale full of laughs and reflection, with a positive message gleaming from the marquee.

I will be completely honest and say that when it came to the plot, I was confused about what was happening and who was involved more than I would have liked. I can't exactly explain why that is without giving away huge spoilers, but I can say there were a lot of characters in this short story. While I can definitely approve of a huge cast, it made for some confusion in such a short read. Once I was able to wrap my mind around exactly what was happening (this is one of those books you just have to keep reading until it finally dawns on you), I was really able to immerse myself into the plot and enjoy it fully. Adapted was a quick read that packed a huge punch!

When it came to the characters, Rourke really knocked it out of the park. As I mentioned before, there's a large cast involved, but it's out main character Aubrey that really takes the cake. Aubrey is a renowned romance author who doesn't even believe in the power of love. Ironic, right? When Aubrey's bestselling novel is slated to be Adapted for Film, she's whisked away from her introverted life in NYC and thrust into the Hollywood limelight and chaos ensues. As someone who works intimately within the book industry, I loved reading Aubrey's character develop. I saw so much of my author friends within her thoughts, speech, and actions. It was really a treat. Her character development was handled perfectly and by the end, I wasn't ready to say goodbye.

You may be thinking, 'a romantic comedy novel about the author of a bestselling romance novel that is being adapted into a romantic comedy film' sounds a little crazy, and I'll admit, at times it definitely was. In the end it was well worth the read and had me laughing out loud on more than one occasion. This was Rourke's first foray into contemporary romance, but I seriously hope it is not her last! 

With witty dialogue, amazing twists, and a well-developed cast of characters, Adapted for Film is a breath of fresh air to the romance-genre. With all this being said, I am so excited to be granting Adapted for Film a well-deserved 4-star review. While it may not have been the perfect romance read for me, I still had an absolute blast reading it and hated to put it down! Be sure to add this one to your TBR today!

*****

Alright readers, that's all I have for you on the topic of Adapted for Film, but don't worry, I've got THREE more reviews for Stacey Rourke coming at ya real soon. Stacey has quickly become a favorite author of mine and I absolutely cannot wait to see what she's got coming next! Make sure to add this on to your TBR today. Until next time, Happy Reading!

-Ethan

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