Clara Montgomery was a children's book editor until the publishing house she worked for was bought out by a soulless e-book retailer. Now she's unemployed, sleeping on her little brother's (extremely uncomfortable) couch and working for her brother's fiance's rather shady Uncle Charlie emptying storage units. When she comes across evidence that a famous British actor called Caspian Tiddleswich was once a male escort she and her BFF briefly consider selling the information to the gossip rags but her conscience gets the better of her. Unfortunately after one too many drinks Clara accidentally leaves a drunken rambling message on Caspian's phone. What she mean't to say was don't worry I have the information safe and I won't share it, what it sounded like was an attempt at blackmail. Clara recalls nothing of the call until an irate Caspian tracks her down and threatens to report her to the police.

Instead of reporting Clara to the police Caspian does some blackmailing of his own, forcing her to accompany him to dinners, parties and other social events to appease his 'people'. In addition, he is such a jerk that every second in his company is an exercise in self-control for Clara so that she doesn't throat-punch him.

I love me an enemies to lovers romance and this was a great one, full of antics, weird relatives, fancy parties, peculiar storage units, snarky repartee and lovable characters. However, I have to say the first chapter or two didn't grab me, Clara's BFF was a bit too full on and there was a lot of so-called 'zany' humour which I don't like. But once Caspian appeared the one-liners and the snark were just perfect.

I will look out for other books by Summer Heacock, she writes relatable, intelligent characters with humour and flair (also as a Brit I liked that her British hero didn't have lots of fake British sayings).

I was invited to read a free copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Crashing the A-List by Summer Heacock 4 stars

This is the first time I have read a Summer Heacock book and it was glorious. I started reading and then I started laughing. Clara Montgomery was just laid off from her publishing job due to the company's acquisition by (Amazon?). She is now sleeping on the couch in her little brother's apartment - oh the horror of it all! She gets a job clearing out storage units that have been abandoned and finds horrible things, moldy things and enough trash to fill a pickup truck every day. In one of the storage units she find the records of an escort service and recognizes one of the escorts. He is A-List British actor - Caspian Tiddleswich. One drunk phone call and tabloid photo later results in Caspian blackmailing Clara to be his fake girlfriend while he is working in America. What ensues is hilarity, snarky comments, threats of bodily harm with a side dish of possible police action. If you throw in a series of misunderstandings and a hero that is a bit unforgiving, you have a perfect scenario for apologies and groveling.

One of the best parts of this book is Clara supporting cast; her friend CiCi and her family are wonderful and funny. A special thing to enjoy is Clara's habit in naming inanimate objects - those parts were very funny. I hope the author will write another book about Clara and Caspian - we need to find out what happens when Clara meets Caspian's family - hilarity will follow.

Thank you Netgalley and MIRA/Harper Collins for this ARC.

Clara Montgomery is down on her luck. After losing her job as a book editor, she moves onto her little brother's couch, and takes a job cleaning abandoned storage units. It seems luck is finally on her side when she stumbles upon a unit owned by an escort service, and the "resume" of a younger Caspian Tiddleswitch, the massively famous British actor. Clara's best friend thinks she should sell it to the tabloids, but instead Clara tracks down Caspian's contact info to ensure him that his secret is in good hands. Unfortunately, Caspian misunderstands and seeks Clara out accusing her of blackmail. After paparazzi pictures of the two are plastered all over the news, Caspian's PR people see it as an opportunity to promote his new film. In order to "atone" for her crimes, Clara must pretend to be in a loving relationship with the big, British brute. That doesn't seem too hard for Clara, until her acting turns into something real.

I really loved the humor in this book. Clara's wit and banter really made the story for me, but I felt everything else fell a bit flat. I didn't feel much of a connection between her and Caspian, so I wasn't fully invested in the relationship itself. I could also tell where the story was heading before it got there which made it less exciting. It didn't feel fully formed to me. It was almost like a made-for-TV movie; it had all the right elements, but just needed that extra something to make it big league. Even though I was hoping for a bit more, I did enjoy this, it just missed the mark slightly.

During a mid-week minibreak I wanted to read something breezy and light, so romance it was. I'm very picky about romance books, and this one ticked the boxes. The reasons for the main characters being kept apart did not feel forced or fake. All the characters were flawed and likeable in equal measure. The plot moved at a decent pace. A very smooth, well written read.

Another plus (for me) was that it was not porny. Contemporary romance should come with a porn rating, so readers can decide how gynaecological they want to get.

It did contain one romance trope that annoys me - the main character has one best friend - who she speaks to multiple times a day - and no other friends at all. In this case Clara also has a brother, but that's it for her social circle. Still, she's a fleshed out character, with a personality and a career, so I'll let that go.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin- Mira for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Crashing the A-List is a funny, sassy romantic comedy with two best friends that will have you rolling in the floor laughing. Clara Montgomery is suffering a run of bad luck with her publishing house closing and the only job she can find is cleaning repossessed storage units. With her tail tucked between her legs, she pulls up her big girl panties, moves in with her little brother, and begins the disgusting process of dealing with other people's junk. With her bestfriend CiCi as a sidekick, Clara stumbles on some damaging dirt on a very successful actor. A drunken phone call that could be misconstrued as extortion later and none other than Caspian Tiddleswich is at her door extorting the maybe blackmailer. Clara walks a fine line between love and hate as her relationship with Caspian keeps evolving. The story leaves you asking is Caspian Dr. Evil or Prince Charming? Clara brings the giggles and the heart break as she stumbles her way to a satisfying HEA. Fun characters and outrageous situations fuel the entertainment in the sweet romance. My voluntary, unbiased review is based upon a review copy from Netgalley.

Clara, an out-of-work book editor now living with her younger brother and his fiancé is temporarily employed at a storage unit, sorting through the items and clearing out whatever has been abandoned. Coming upon some information on an English celebrity that could potentially be used against him and be more than embarrassing, she manages to contact him to let him know his "past" is safe with her. Enter Caspian, who takes this information entirely the wrong way accusing her of blackmail. What happens next in this rollicking story of misconceptions and miscommunication is nothing but hilarious.

I am a fast reader, but this time I didn't want to "swallow" the book whole, I wanted to take my time and savor every, hysterical page. That didn't happen, it was too good to put down. Ms. Heacock found my funny bone and I assure you, she will find your's too. If you need a lift-me-up or fancy some light reading, this is the book to read. The character development was spot-on, the writing excellent.

At the end of the book in the acknowledgment section, Ms. Heacock explains the character of Caspian is based on a well-known English actor she is somewhat "enamored" with. I completely get it, having had a muse of my own with a Latin singer. This muse has helped me write 4 short stories and one novel, all of which are sitting in my computer. Unfortunately (or not depending on how you look at things) I haven't the confidence to go forward and seek publishing. But I can definitely see how Ms. Heacock pulled it together to write this very funny, very creative story.

My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was predictable but I really liked it.

Clara is a down-on-her-luck editor who finds herself cleaning out storage units for some quick cash. In the midst of a wine-induced weakness she makes a phone call that irrevocably changes her life. In a series of predictable, yet nonetheless entertaining events, she opens herself up to vulnerability... and love.

Crashing the A-List is one of my top books of 2019! It is the story of down on her luck Clara and famous actor Caspian. Clara lost her job and started working cleaning out storage units to make money while looking for a job. She stumbled upon some sensitive information on Caspian and what follows is a series of pretty unfortunate (but comical) events. Clara is super relatable and Caspian is flawed but likable. This was a fun, refreshing read and I think it is the perfect beach read for this summer!

Thank you to NetGalley and Mira for this free ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was soooo good! I breezed right through it! It was fun, light hearted, sad, happy, romantic and I didn’t want it to end! I adored Clara, CiCi and even Caspian! Definitely recommend! Thankyou and Harlequin for the early copy!

This novel was an absolute breath of fresh air! I always enjoy reading the “fake girlfriend” premise in romance novels and I LOVED Summer Heacock’s fresh and original spin on it in Crashing the A-List! This novel had me laughing out loud on so many occasions and was chock full of my 3 favorite S’s—sass, snark, and sarcastic awesomeness! I also felt Summer Heacock did a great job with weaving in some mystery throughout this romance which definitely kept me glued to my kindle. I know a lot of people are compiling their summer/beach reading lists and this 5 star novel is a must! I am so excited to read more from Summer Heacock in the future!

Loved this funny, engaging, quick read! Clara was very relatable to me as a heroine and I enjoyed seeing the development of Caspian and their relationship throughout the story. This book will be great for fans of Sophie Kinsella or other woman-power-driven rom-coms. Looking forward to more from Summer Heacock!

Clara Montgomery was left out of work as book editor and she's now living in a couch in her little brother's apartment, working in a storage unit sorting stuff and getting drunk with her best friend every once in a while to cope with her new situation. In this new job she find some papers of a not-so-prestigious business involving someone famous, and after a drunk call she finds herself in a lot of trouble. And what kind of trouble, my friend!

Fast-paced, fun, heartwarming and sweet, that's how I describe Crashing the A-List, and for some moments I found myself thinking in this book as the perfect story for a movie.

Clara and Caspian were amazing characters until the very end. I loved every bit of this book, the misunderstandings, the ever-present hilarious situations Cas and Clara were involved, the friendship between CiCi and Clara, Clara's mom... but I also loved how the author developed Caspian, explaining why he acts in the way he did, and why was so important to Clara to get her life/job back in her own terms.

It was my first time reading this author, and I enjoyed her writing a lot. Can't wait to read more books from her.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin for sending me this digital ARC! I flew through this book in a matter of hours - it was quick paced, entertaining and funny. Clara is down on her luck when she has to move in with her younger brother and take a job at a storage unit facility. She uncovers some forgotten invoices which unravel a series of fortunate and unfortunate events. I would love to see this book as a movie - hysterical!

What a fun adventure! Things are looking really glum for Clara. No job, kicked out of her apartment and forced to crash on her little brother’s couch, and forced to accept a gross job cleaning out derelict storage units (which will not become a permanent job.) When she finds incriminating information on a celebrity, her life becomes a whirlwind- not all of it good!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I kept trying to read just when I had a few minutes to keep seeing what would happen next. It reminded me a bit of a mystery, with all this twists and turns. The characters are fully developed, not just stereotypical caricatures. The setting of New York City was great, including not just Manhattan. So much fun here! Would be a great beach read.

This book was a lot of fun to read! I just had to read it, because hey, it's about a editor down on her luck and a popular actor! How could I not read it? And it was pretty hilarious, from her reactions to what she finds in the various units to the series of events that led to them fake dating!

This book was a roller coaster of emotions for both Clara and for me. Without a job and living on her brother's couch, working at the storage unit, discovering the information about Caspian, the disastrous first encounter they had, all the faked dates...yeah, a lot happened in that month that was emotional and stressful!

I'm not sure if it was a red herring, but I had suspicions about her friend. She really egged Clara on about finding dirt on somebody, she always had time to go help out at the storage units even though she had a job...I almost thought that she had lost her job and had hidden it from Clara, and was going to be a bad guy or something. Nope, just a very lucky and good friend!

My one complaint is that Caspian seemed a little bit too good to be true. Famous, good looking, and a good personality, once she really got to know him. Kind to his fans, and he just happened to fall in love with Clara even through the circumstances of their initial interactions were very hostile. Yeah.

Yeah, this book was a really fantastic book, and I have to check out Summer Heacock's other book!

This is Clara and Caspian‘s book, Caspian is a mega superstar actor and Clara is stuck in a rut she sleeping on her brothers ugly couch in Queens and looking for a new editorial position for a new job but she’s just desperate enough to take a job clearing out abandon storage units she ends up dealing with dead snakes glass jars that look like they’re full of pickled eyeballs and everything smells like beets!!! Lol Clara then stumbles on our unit that used to be owned by an escort service and she finds the brothel resumes of a younger Caspian of course he is now the famous British actor! OK this book was really really funny I did enjoy reading it but I will say I hate single point of you and this was all just Clara‘s pov and it was driving me absolutely crazy not to know his pov! I just don’t get why they don’t have both of their point of pov?! I have no idea what he’s thinking so it makes me think it’s not a full book? But if you like single point of view and enjoy a funny books then this one’s for you definitely, like I said I did Enjoyed the story it was well written there is very very low steam there’s no heat to the book at all but its an enjoyable read if you like single POV! thank you Netgalley and the publishers for sharing this book with me!