The F List by Alessandra Torre

The core of this story is very up to the minute with internet celebrities and them being placed in a house to live for a few months whilst being filmed fly on the wall to see how they all fair.

I thought I would try this book as it was a new format for a modern romance novel. I have to be honest I found it a bit difficult to follow and disjointed. Having stuck with it though i felt like part of the story was missing. Sorry I had to give this a bit a miss . Couldn’t get with the format if the book.

Wow, this book was indescribable. It was so unique and interesting. I had no idea how this story wound end up! I loved it!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Neither here nor there...

There is just so many different parts oh the story that didn't mesh well and seems so crooked and completely at odds with one another that it was hard to not think about or over-analyze over every little thing that bothered me about the story.

There were a few tidbits that I did like but overall they were not enough or well-developed for me to exactly enjoy the story and turn a blind eye to the other discrepancies I found in the book as a whole.

I am not able to comment on books due to the fact that I am on the Florida Teens Read Selection Team.

This was an interesting story. Emma is not known for being nice. In fact, she’s known for being the opposite. It’s something she’s branded and she plays the role well. However, that’s exactly what it is, a role. She’s wanted to become famous all her life, so when she finally gets the chance to change her life, she takes it. A good half of the story is of Emma’s rise to fame and how her and Cash ended up on bad terms. Getting to see her rise to internet fame was by far the most interesting part of the book.

For the second half of the story we follow Emma and Cash as they live in this Big Brother style house. However, instead of being able to just coexist with the other members of the house, they are given daily scripts that basically tell them what they want their characters to do for the day. Nothing is genuine, and pretty soon the producer starts to cause ripples. One thing that I enjoyed about this book was that between chapters we got quotes from what I’m guessing what a magazine that was published after the show aired. Quotes from the producers, crew members, chefs, you name it. It pretty much set the tone for how alien this whole thing was.

This was a very interesting story. It’s not often that you read a story where the heroine is not necessarily the good guy. She wasn’t perfect, chosen, or popular. In fact, she got where she was by complaining online and being in everyone’s faces. However, with everything she does, you can always tell it’s just an act. So you never really hate her because of that. I just really enjoyed this story and thought it was great.

Okay, this is a really strange book to read. A little jumpy at times and a bit hard to follow the flow, but it's filled with angst, kindness, ruthless disregard for personal space and laughs. It's like going down the rabbit hole in Reddit and getting lost. The basic storyline is a great of influencers on a reality TV show. The main characters, Emma and Cash have a complicated relationship. She's recreated herself to garner fame, fortune and followers and he's the proverbial son of a dynasty, but there's so much more underneath. And to think it all started when he told her she was beautiful.

Emma Blanton and Cash Mitchell are two influencers. They have millions of followers. Although Cash is probably more famous because he is the son of an actress, while Emma had to build her own fame. Both are members of the cast in a MTV reality show.
The first part of the book is about how they met. And the disastrous meetings they have afterwards. And the second part it's about the reality show. They have to live together with some other influencers.
Its a different story. I liked how Emma changes her life. And how people make assumptions about them because they are public people.
It's not like other Alessandra Torre's books. But I liked it.

Cash and Emma are internet celebrities who love to hate each other. They each have their roles to play when they join four others in a mansion and film their lives – even if it’s scripted. Cash is the good guy, the one everyone loves. Emma is the villain, the unlikable one.

The two start to turn hate feelings into love feelings and the lines blur. Bring on the drama!
Man, I really enjoyed this book! This is definitely a departure from what Alessandre Torre typically writes. But that doesn’t make it any less entertaining! I enjoyed all of the characters (I kind of wish we could get a spin off!). I blew through this book in days! It was full of funny, laugh out loud moments!

So glad I got a chance to read this one.

Thanks to Net Galley and Amazon Digital Services for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Emma has always wanted fame, and the money that goes along with it…and the easiest way she’s found to get it? Social media! She uses Instagram more the way regular people breathe air, with endorsements on everything from clothing to yoga studios---she “sells” her lifestyle. When she’s asked to participate in a “Big Brother” type reality show with her secret crush and 5 other singles, she realizes that not everyone is who they portray on camera, although she’s having trouble proving that about herself. I read this book because I read another by the author that I liked very much (Ghostwriter) and was hoping I would like this one, too. Unfortunately, this was so predictable, I just wasn’t a fan. Written in a documentary style, with posts and interviews, all I could think of was how I’ve seen this type of writing done before…and done better. Do I make a nasty pun about this being on the F-list for reasons other than fame, fortune, & followers? Nah, you get it.

NOTE: Special thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a unique change of storytelling, and I really liked it!

It's a quick read once you get started....it had me flipping the pages to see what would happen next.
You see, some of the story is laid out through social media and it was done really well!

Emma had a crappy childhood and wasn't the prettiest girl at school and maybe that's why she went the direction she did. But there was one moment in her miserable younger days when someone did take notice of her, Cash, the popular good looking guy with a famous actress for a mother.

But then that was it. And Emma had a lucky streak which allowed her to have a complete makeover. And she was obviously desperate for attention. Her main goal was building her followers through social media one way or another. Her brutal bashing of Cash pretty much got her recognized and you would think that was the end for them.

But an opportunity to be on a reality show could not be passed up by Emma. And of course, Cash was going to be one of the roommates. Win-win situation??? Probably not!!

Like I said, I really loved the way the whole story played out. It was a refreshing change!

Shout out to Wesley, Cash's brother, who was such a sweet added touch to this book.

This book was definitely different from most of Alessandra Torre's others ... and I still really liked it! What I've generally come to love about her books is that they are generally quick reads, steamy and fun. This was a fun read - just no steam!

I would absolutely recommend this as a fun summer beach read! I'd give it 4.5 stars if I could!

Thank you to Alessandra Torre and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book! This review has also been published on Goodreads.

For me this was a very different Alessandra Torre book. I enjoyed this characters of Cash Mitchell and Emma Blanton (Ripplestine) who were thrown together in a reality show. The main objective in the story revolved around social networking and how many followers they could get, adding to their popularity, thereby accumulating many sponsors.

Cash was an extremely good looking young man who Emma had crushed on years earlier and to Cash Emma wa a beautiful young girl but the circumstances of social network dating put them both in conflicting positions and thereby triggering a very real dislike for each other.

Excellent writing again by Alessandra Torre and certainly a book that kept you interested until the end.

Thanks to Netgalley and Victory Editing Netgalley Co-op for the opportunity to read, review and recommend this book.

3.5 Stars

First I want to say that I’m a huge fan of Alessandra Torre and I love how she always delivers a story that results in the unexpected.

Unfortunately, I had mixed feelings for The F List. While the story is catchy and definitely one I was able to get through rather quickly, I just didn’t feel the connection to the characters that I would expect when reading a book by this author. It felt like reading a documentary versus being part of each characters journey.

Emma is your typical young woman, broke and living with a roommate while working a dead end job in a hotel. She has aspirations of becoming famous and hits the jackpot when her scratch-off ticket blesses her with a cool million dollars. After years of being picked on for her teeth and ordinary appearance, Emma spends her money on a full make-over and invests in her manager, Vidal, to make her a celebrity. Her goal is to be the “it” girl that everyone follows on social media and she will do whatever it takes to get to the top. Even if that means using other people to gain followers.

Cash Mitchell is what Vidal would consider an “ascribed celebrity” living off the coattails of his parents fame as he tries to make a name for himself. Since Cash is already famous on the social media front, he knows what it’s like to be in the limelight even if he doesn’t let it go to his head.

Emma and Cash share their first encounter before Emma hits it big so when she is setup on a date with Cash to use him for his Instagram following as she’s working her way to the top, things start to get rocky now that Emma is anything but the girl he first met.

Now staring in the same reality show, House of Fame, Emma and Cash will be forced to share space and be put in situations that are just downright wrong.

This starts the relationship between Emma and Cash of hate-hate to the outside world but away from the cameras and outside of the Instagram world of followers, the two actually like each other which they kept those secrets close to their hearts.

This story is told in dual POV but also has the element of third person where Alessandra Torre uses quotes from news media and followers to share their opinions of the two.

I enjoyed how the story was told and think Torre did a great job bringing the reality of social media and the impact it has on this generation to light. I personally would’ve liked to have seen more depth to Emma and Cash and more connection from their POV.

This is a light, easy read which I’m sure most will enjoy. I’m more a fan of Torre’s darker works but still think this was a good book.

I received a copy of this from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
This was a very interesting book, Really cool concept, interesting characters.... but do you ever
Finish a book and just feel like something was missing?? Even though you really enjoyed it?? It just felt like something didn’t gel right with this book.

I appreciate the aARC from NetGalley for this book but it wasn't for me. I enjoy a steamy, fast-paced romance and couldn't really get through this book. I will entertain other books by the Author because the reviews show she does write different, more fast-paced, steamy romance novels.

I tried reading The F List and loved the beginning. By about 20% I was completely bored and it ended up a DNF.

This isn’t your typical Alessandra Torre book but I ended up really liking it! It’s different & I don’t think I’ve ever read anything like this before. Emma’s goal is to gain as many followers on social media, doing whatever is necessary. She meets Cash, son of a famous actress, at a party during her younger years before plastic surgery changed her look. When he’s set up on a blind date with Emma & recognizes her, he realizes that she’s no longer the innocent, wide-eyed beauty he met all those years ago. She’s just like all the other wanna-be celebs using others to climb to the top. Their date ended badly which resulted in a social media frenzy of insults & hating each other. When they are put together in a reality show, will Emma be able to save herself from the effects of celebrity popularity? And will Cash ever find that sweet & innocent girl again?

There was a lot of drama going on which kept my attention. Deep down the old Emma exists, and it’s up to her to bring her back or risk losing Cash. This was a great read & I look forward to reading more from this author!

DNF @ ~40%

Okay. My biggest problem with this book is the marketing. The blurb I read when requesting this ARC was about a group of internet celebrities in a mansion, completing some type of reality tv show.

This is not what the book was about.

Perhaps this occurs in the second half of the book. But if this is what the ENTIRE blurb is about, I expect to at least read about the mansion in the first half of the story? But that is not what happened.

Instead, (the first half of) the book is about Emma - a fame-hungry young woman who becomes weirdly obsessed and kind of stalkerish about another celebrity (of course, ridiculously handsome, rich male). EVERYTHING that I read was just about her rise to fame through manipulation.

Nothing about a reality show. Nothing about other celebrities. Nothing about a mansion.

What I did read was okay enough. It was easy to read and had an unexpected side-story about a side character with Down Syndrome. Sadly, his part in the story as a tool of manipulation. Ick.

Overall, the characters were pretty one-dimensional and I hardly cared about the story. Even with the craving for trashy, celebrity fun going into it.

An entertaining stand-alone enemies to lovers romance. Different from your typical Alessadra Torre read. Seems simple on the surface, but it is not a simple book at all! It is really layered and complex.

At the core is an enemies-to-lovers romance with a happily-ever-after.Bu tit's also a delve into the life of social media influencers and a commentary on perception vs. reality and how to be truthful and have real values when you live in that world. How to move beyond fame, fortune and followers and actually accomplish something real, all under the watchful eye of the media and the general public.

Emma and Cash really grow up a lot throughout the course of this book.

A very different premise. I enjoyed the 2 POV's, there was good character development and an interesting take on social media and reality TV.