Starstruck by Carla Laureano

Starstruck is a five-star novella that just released. It focuses on Christine Lind, a famous novelist who has created a runaway hit book series called Smoke and Glory, and Nick Cleary, a famous actor who wants to land the male lead in the television series based on the books. Despite the fact Nick is perfect for the role, and you’ll learn why, Christine is determined he won’t be cast as her hero. Nick and Christine have a past, and it isn’t pretty.

There are several laugh out loud moments, including one involving Nick, Christine and a defective corset. There are also very tender moments that deliver some valuable lessons we can all learn from. One is the importance of being comfortable with who we really are. Christine writes using the pen name Cressida Lyons, and as Cressida, she can be the extrovert she’s not and be bolder than she actually feels. And while this helps her professionally, Christine knows it’s not really who she is. My actual favorite moment in the book is when she realizes she doesn’t need to be anyone other than herself. “Failing didn’t make her a failure and grieving didn’t make her weak. And just because the love of her life couldn’t see what he’d had didn’t mean she needed to be anyone other than who she was.” That's absolutely beautiful and completely tugs at my heart.

Another thing of beauty is Nick’s transformation. We get enough backstory to know he was a jerk, but he’s learned a few important lessons along the way, and you’ll be rooting for him to win both the part and the girl before the story is over.

Starstruck was also educational. I had never heard of cosplay and steampunk until this book, but now I’m fascinated by both. Also, the references to the writing process and how an author thinks were very interesting. It made me wonder how much of this story was make believe and how much might be a glimpse into the author’s mind.

This didn’t feel like a novella. It never felt rushed, which is sometimes a major drawback to novellas. It was quite complete, but I wish it had been longer because the characters were so interesting and engaging.

Starstruck is the second novella in The Discovered by Love series, but it's a standalone. It's definitely a story you don’t want to miss and one of my favorite reads this year.

Have you read Starstruck? What was your favorite moment in the book?