Member Reviews
Landon & Zara will capture your heart right from the start. I absolutely love Landon & Zara from the moment they meet to them both falling in love and especially everyone is going to fall in love with marshmallow. Once you start reading about Landon & Zara you will not want to stop reading. Another amazing story that will capture your heart
Landon's cock should be another character is this book. He references it and talk to or about it so often that it just makes sense. Other than that I liked Vanishing Act. What happens when someone famous gets burnt out and wants to escape it all? Well here is the perfect example, I wonder if an island truly exist like this. I would like to visit just for the peacefulness.
Wow, awesome Hollywood romance story with just the right amount of sweetness, sexiness and steam! Suspense and twists keep you reading and not wanting to stop. There's some funny moments as well, but at the heart of this book is a beautiful love story between soulmates. Definitely recommend this read!
I love this story. Landon Price needs a break from his Hollywood life and is determined to get it.
So he ghosts off to a tiny island in Hawaii totally off the grid, using an assumed name. He meets a tiny white fluff ball pup and calls him "Spike", he and Spike make fast friends. The next day he goes to town to see if he can locate the dogs owner and there they meet. Zara calling for her dog "Marshmallow". Lance as he is now known, teases her unmercifully. Zara also has an accent, which he doesn't place and inquires. She's from South Africa, living on the island with her parents.
The relationship between these two blossom and it was just the best to watch them relax into each other. Zara doesn't know that Lance is a famous movie star. The island is isolated and they are technologically impaired there. That is until they have a party and a even though her sister and brother in law recognize him, a family friend tweets his presence and they are soon overwhelmed.
Zara's father is difficult. Lance has to return to LA and they leave on good terms, he wants her to sort things out with her family and pursue her dream of being a photographer. They don't so separation very well and soon are reunited. So what happens from there? And what happens in the meantime?
What about the past for these two?
Wow, what a great story Ann Marie wrote here. I loved it. Low angst, honest and real people and the dog!!! 4.5 Stars from me.
**arc from NetGalley and Loveswept in exchange for a fair review***
This glimpse into the world of someone who is famous was incredible. It shows that fame is not what it's cracked up to be and that the famous just want the same things that everyone wants. Love, family and true friends. Of course being a gorgeous man who's good in bed certainly helps things tremendously and makes for hot, steamy reading.
I have read two other books from this author and really enjoyed them. This was another good read. A sweet, sassy romance with a bit of heat and some very good characters. Whilst it is predictable, the build up to the relationship between Lance and Zara is heartwarming and what develops is a loving, fun partnership. The way they both overcome their pasts and deal with their issues was very real.
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest and independent review.
3.5 stars
**Advance copy provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
I'm a fairly new A.M. Madden reader, but I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this book. It was entertaining, kept me guessing on how things were going to pan out and it was loaded with chemistry.
Landon Price, one of the world's most well known actors needs a break. A break that no one in his inner circle wants him to take. Knowing it is what is going to be best for him, he takes steps to disappear for awhile, much to the chagrin of his manager. When Landon arrives in Lanai, Hawaii, he uses the name Lance White, and there is no doubt he feels like he's been transported back in time due to the lack of technology and the small town vibe he's encountered, and he couldn't be more thrilled. When a white fluffball of a dog shows up on his doorstep, Landon just thinks a local dog has gotten loose, but what he doesn't realize is that this little guy has the chance to change his life completely.
Zara Jobert is used to living a quiet life in Lanai. She's okay with with her small town life, however when her dog, Marshmallow, runs off and subsequently Zara meets Landon, who Marshmallow has befreinded. she realizes, that number one she's never met anyone as good-looking and number two, she wishes that things in her life were different and not so complicated.
As Zara and Landon begin to spend time together, not only does their friendship grow, but so does the heat level. Will these two people that have very much been loners find exactly what they are looking for in one another? Or will circumstances in both of their lives work to keep them from finding their happily ever after?
I was sucked in to this book from the very beginning. I enjoyed the characters, the setting, the fact that it was something a bit different and who wouldn't love a cute little dog added to the mix?! This is a great book and one I would highly recommend you pick up!
I'll read anything that AM Madden writes and this was definitely no disappointment. A man needs to escape from his crazy life and disappears to a remote island that is very much behind the times, where he meets a sweet girl and they have an instant connection. There is a great story surrounding all of this and I kept wanting to know more. It's sweet, funny, has moments of heartache and love. The setting for most of the story is in Lanai, Hawaii and it is really captured here, so you can escape to this island with them. The dog is one of the best characters in this book, as noted in many other reviews. It's not a heavy read, but an enjoyable escape. Received an arc from Netgalley and chose to leave a review.
Vanishing Act is a fun, light, "to-be-dreamed-about" story. (Who doesn't think about having a movie star fall for them, a 'normal' person?)
Landon Price has had enough - of the Hollywood stress, gossip, limelight - and decides to take a break from it all. He 'vanishes' off the face of the earth... or at least from the eye of Hollywood and fans, choosing to vacation on a small island in Hawaii - where time seems to move more slowly, including the locals' knowledge of superstars. Lance (his "alias") can blend in as just another mainlander taking a vacation. He'll relax, keep to himself, write his book, and de-stress. But life has other plans.
Zara Jobert lives a protected, isolated life with her parents in Hawaii. She doesn't keep up with current stars, movies, tv, and doesn't care. When she meets Lance White, he's just a gorgeous tourist who has renamed her dog. But when he keeps pushing her to spend time with him, she realizes he's the type of man who could capture her heart, if she's not careful.
I absolutely loved this book. It was light-hearted, with some twists, drama, and lots of sexual tension. Ms. Madden has such a talent for bringing her characters to life and making the readers want to know them for real, or rather forget that they aren't. I highly recommend reading Vanishing Act!!
This was a very enjoyable book about a huge movie star, Landon Price, who is tired of the life of being a star under the constant eye of the paparazzi. So he decides to take a time-out in Lanai, Hawaii. The premise is that this part of Hawaii is so isolated that no one recognizes one of the most recognizable guys on the planet. While there he encounters a gorgeous young woman, Zara Jobert, whom he’s immediately and irresistibly attracted to. She doesn’t know who he is and accepts that he’s just a wealthy accountant who has a few months spare time to rent a bungalow and hang out in Hawaii. She’s also attracted to him and a sweet romance develops between the two of them.
At this point I thought this would develop along familiar lines and Zara would find out who he was once he got outed in public. Fortunately, Madden had him coming clean with her before the paps find them. A complication is that her father is paranoid for personal reasons about his daughters going out into the world and getting public attention.
Landon seems like the sweetest guy. I like how he’s all in with Zara, but he’s willing to let her work through the situation at her own pace. The two of them met because of her cute little dog. The relationship between Landon and the little dog was very sweet and helped clarify that, despite being a multi-millionaire movie star, he is at heart a very nice guy.
The book dragged a bit in part as they’re getting to know each other. It was realistic, but it felt like I was just waiting around for the plot to move along. But that is my only complaint. This is a nice romance about nice people falling in love and dealing with the situation in which they find themselves.
I was given a free ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Vanishing Act by A.M. Madden is a unique passionate love story, that will hit you with all the feels. Landon is a Hollywood icon and movie star. Women want to be with him and man want to be him. Everyone's dream is to be rich and famous, except Landon is getting tired of being in the lime light. He decides to take a little trip, and meets the women who will bring him to his knees.... Zara.
This was such a cute, heartwarming love story.
This story is a contemporary romance from a new writer that I recently came across and has now become a favorite. Landon is a big time disillusioned movie star who needs a break to find himself again. While hiding out in a remote island in Hawaii, he meets local sheltered girl, Zara and falls for her hard. What follows is a sweet romance with a HEA. You will absolutely fall head over heels in love with Marshmallow!
Vanishing Act was such a great read. I enjoyed the storyline and the characters a lot. I loved Landon "Lance White" Price and Zara's banter over "their" dog. I smiled a lot while reading this story and I finished this story within a day; I was completely hooked. I thought this story would have a lot of drama but it actually didn't and I enjoyed this story more because of it. The story flowed smoothly. I love a great story with anticipation and chemistry between the main characters and this one did not let me down. I look forward to reading more books from this author.
VANISHING ACT - A. M. Madden
BEAUTIFUL SETTING - 4 stars
Plot - 4 stars - Landon Price is a well-known Hollywood star who wants to take a break from his busy and stress-producing career. So he spends some time in cognito in a tiny town in Hawaii. Of course, he meets a beautiful woman and she immediately becomes his focus. If the story had ended here, it would have been pleasant but just another romance. But they both had some problems adjusting, and that's when things got more interesting.
Writing - 4 stars - Madden did a good job creating a beautiful setting for this story. Since much of it was told from the male point-of-view, it added a bit of a different spin. But we also got a lot of Zara's perspective as we got to know her better. It was actually kind of a slow start, but I eventually got hooked and really involved with the characters.
Characters - 4 stars - My first reaction was that I couldn't really warm up to either of the main characters. Landon (Lance) started out pretty full of himself, to be expected because he's a hot Hollywood star. Actually I didn't understand quite how popular he was until later, so his desire to travel incognito made a lot of sense as we got to know him better. He has come to the remote island to "detox" from his regular busy success-seeking life, but instead he seemed to spend a lot of time trying to justify to himself why he needed to get together with Zara--he needs a connection, he needs to find his real self, blah blah. All he really wanted was to get into her pants, it seemed. But he turned out to be a great guy--warm and strong and sincere. I guess Spike/Marshmallow recognized his goodness long before I did. (And Spike was definitely one of my favorite characters in the book.) Zara is an interesting mix of sexy and cute, sweet and assertive. She's a naive girl who lives with her parents, but she's the strong one in the relationship, fighting her feelings because she recognizes that this relationship is going nowhere. The fact that she lived such a totally sheltered life was off-putting at first, but it turned out that she was merely sheltered, not dumb. I liked her intelligence and her willingness to try new things. I ended up enjoying both characters very much and was rooting for their success.
Title - 4 stars - The title is fairly obvious, referring to the fact that Landon decides to vanish from the public eye while vacationing. That's quite a feat because of the paparazzi, and this quiet interlude was a turning point for him.
Cover - 3.5 stars - Fairly typical romance genre cover, but attractive. I didn't love it, but it told the story, emphasizing Landon's attempt at privacy.
Overview - 4 stars - Very pleasant. I had no particular expectations going in to this story, but it sounded intriguing. And I was very pleasantly surprised. Landon and Zara developed into warm and loving characters, with a great supporting cast. The reader really got to know them and definitely wanted them to be able to face their issues and work things out. Landon was strongly supportive while Zara faced the reality of their possible crazy life together. And Zara is sweet and unassuming and was able to look past the fame and fortune and appreciate the man. This book left me with a warm and fuzzy feeling. I will definitely read more from this author.
Received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.....
AM Madden writes a book and I am there, there is nothing that she has written that does capture your attention and make you swoon with the hotness that exudes from the pages.
Landon Price, big time movie star, just wants some peace and quiet to calm his mind and find his center of gravity. so what does he do, he heads to a remote Hawaiian island, with limited cell service and limited people, where he is hoping that no one knows him.
A few days after arriving on the island Landon (aka Lance) finds a puppy on the beach in front of his beach hut and there is instant love between Lance and Spike (aka Marshmallow) and then when Landon meets the owner behind Spike there is another instant attraction of another kind.
Zara is absolutely beautiful and when we meet her we know that she is perfect for Landon, and he makes it known that she is what he wants.
the relationship that builds between Landon and Zara is beautiful, it a true romance, not one where they meet, fall in love and hop into bed on the first date. But will Zara be able to handle the life that Landon is part of, or will it be too much for her???
I loved this book so much and cannot wait for the next amazing read from AM Madden
I've loved all of A.M. Maddens books.I loved the ending. There was a lot of humor and the scenes with the dog was just the best. It was a very sweet romance.
****I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Readers Copy of this book ****
I enjoyed book, and hearing Landon's thoughts were funny. He is an actor and is burnt out, and so he goes to Hawaii, to one of the island, not really known. There he meets Zara, through her dog Marshmallow, but Landon calls Spike. Instant attraction, but Landon of course does know her and needs to keep his anonymity, lies to her and says he is an accountant from New Jersey. Zara, also has a secret, her father was a politician in South Africa, and they had to move for protection.(there is more to the story, but you have to read it to know). Landon does come clean to Zara, because he fell in love with her, and she with him, so she does not care, but her family is very private, and of course, someone outs his whereabouts and mayhem ensues. Even though they love each other, they have to find out if they can live in the real world together, and many issues comeforth. But they do get there HEA.
***ARC received in exchange of an honest review***
I love movie stars/Hollywood romances, but unfortunately this book didn't do it for me.
It's a cute enjoyable read, but I think it was meant to be at least a bit emotional, and to me it didn't convey it. Not even when what happened to Landon's brother and Zara's sister was revealed. I was supposed to have felt all these emotions and instead I felt nothing. I couldn't connect with this story, at least not as much as it was probably intended.
The insta-love might be the biggest reason for me not connecting to it as much as I should or could. I feel like there was no time for me to see the main characters romance and them falling in love. And from there everything happens too fast for my tastes. It was all too sweet and too mellow. I needed a bit more angst and a bigger conflict.
It's still an enjoyable read (to some extent, if you're not expecting all I was), and even though I may not have like it, but you might, but if your tastes are like mine (or if you're a picky reader as I am, you were warned)!
One thing though, Spike/Marshmallow makes up for a lot in this book, I LOVED him!!!!
A sweet and sexy tale of true love weathering life's storms. Zara and Landon are detailed and unique characters who are witty and real. The story flows well, a bit of a lull after Landon went to CA, but otherwise it held my attention and captured my romantic spirit.
Looovvveeddd it! I thought that Madden would do justice to a hiding out celeb and an innocent unsuspecting island girl. And, she did. Nailed it. Loved this story, devoured it! Incredible details and well written in terms of realism and keeping me engaged.