2.5 stars.

As an up-and-coming publicist to the stars, Nicola has experienced a lot—but this Ohio girl is about to be exposed to Hollywoods' seamy underside. Nico has two rules: don't date a druggie, and never date an actor. Along with her two best friends, dirt-scraping journalist Billy and stylist/celebrity-wannabe Kara, Nico is about to take on Hollywood. Or not.

Sex. Drugs. Gassy blowjobs. Druggie parties. Gay people. Overdoses. Bigotry. Weird-as-fuck sex. A little rock 'n roll. And more drugs. Oh and lots of paparazzis and really horrible people doing horrible things. This is about the summation of this book. There are really no sympathetic characters, aside from perhaps Bluey, but maybe that's the adorable Aussie bit. Everyone, and I repeat, everyone, is pretty much a lying asshole.

All of which I can handle. The plot isn't much to sniff at. There are some entertaining moments, but the back-door politicking seems a little juvenile. The main thing I couldn't really stand was the overuse of the word "bitch" and just general hatred everyone throws around so casually. It seriously made me want to curb someone.

I initially requested this because I thought it was going to be a snarky and sassy expose of Hollywood life. What I got was a whole bunch of cheap drug parties in abandoned and shitty mansions, and the people who supported their little cash-cows' addictions and poor behavior in order to ride the gravy train a little longer. When I finished the book, I wanted to take a long, hot shower and scrub myself down with steel wool.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

Fun trashy Hollywood read, sort of like a modern Jackie Collins.

Nicola is a small town Ohio transplant in LA working PR for an eccentric demanding boss (Can we get a book just about the boss, she was so delightful, kind of like a loveable Devil Wears Prada type!), and just trying to get over her tragic past. Her gay BFF Billy, who makes a living selling stories to the tabloids, always has her back, and her roommate Kara, who is chasing fame a-la-Kardashian's always keeps her entertained.

At an industry party, Nicola runs into superstar Seamus O'Riordan, who sweeps Nicola off of her feet. Seamus has a secret, however, that could ruin his career and his growing relationship with Nicola if the truth gets out.

A fun read if this is your sort of thing. I definitely lol-ed at some parts. I'd say it's the perfect beach read.

Hollywood is a town where the famous and fame-seekers congregate. Keeping it all going is the publicity machine that aims to put their clients' names up in lights as well as keep a lid on any scandals. Assistant publicist Nicole works for Gaynor, who has no problem pimping her out to clients, including the devilishly handsome Scottish actor Seamus. Her friend Billy makes his dough leaking stories to the press, while her flatmate Kara is hoping to transition from stylist to reality TV star.
Written by two insiders (Dickson is an entertainment reporter and Ketsoyan a publicist), who claim "the jaw-dropping scandals are real but the names are not", it's all a bit crude, with plenty of sex, drugs and power games. At the end I couldn't decide if I enjoyed it or not. For those looking for a racy read about the glitz and seediness of Tinseltown.

A juicy, behind the scenes look at the Hollywood of publicists and those scrambling for items to sell to the tabloids. A fictional look into the lives of 3 friends - Nicola, an assistant publicist, Kara, a stylist and reality tv wanna be, and Billy, a seller of seedy tips to the tabloids. As the friends try to survive and thrive in Hollywood they struggle between what is protected by the friendship and what is far game for the tabloids.

I thought this was a good enough read, especially for a genre that seems to be overflowing right now with new summer beach reads. I do feel that some of the storylines could have either been cut for brevity or expanded and included more in the overall fabric of the story. I do hope there's a second book, because I"m interested in the characters, but I think a narrower focus on the main relationship would benefit the overall story.

Perfect beach read; fun, flirty, and will keep readers guessing who the characters are based on in real life.