If you're looking for a short and light comfort read, this could be a good choice. It's more of a novella than a novel, and because of the length the characters didn't feel as fleshed out as I would have liked, and the love story somewhat rushed. The dual POVs did not have dedicated chapters and although it wasn't confusing the POV changed often enough that it felt a bit disorganized. I wouldn't categorize this as a grumpy/sunshine novel as both characters lie somewhere in the middle. This is a story with a clear protagonist/villain and HEA and in that way it could be very much a comfort read.

This isn't really a bodyguard romance. There's no imminent danger and no "touch her and die" attitude. It's more the story of a veteran security worker trying to build a self help empire who rescues an actress in her time of need and they end up together.

I didn't love how the third act breakup revolved around mistrust and money. It makes forgiveness require victim blaming and I didn't love that.

But this cover is stunning.

Not a perfect book, as there were some leaps of faith that needed to happen. One of them at the start where the author dedicated the book to Jennifer Aniston (like, what?! why do we put celebs on a pedestal?) to another towards the end on how the hero found out "duplicity." Nevertheless, this was a fine read and I liked the overall message. Plus, reading this made me want to read the books prescribed in the plan our heroine was tasked to step through.

I went into this really wanting to like this book, since I love a bodyguard romance, but it fell short for me in several different areas. It felt like a modern day damsel in distress, and I felt that the FMC was never given the space and development she needed to find herself.

This book played into a lot of the traditional celebrity woman - former military macho man stereotypes, and many of their interactions were cringy, from the man needing to do the grilling, to the FMC not really having the strength to go through anything on her own, to the MMC not accepting financial help from his partner as he wanted to be the provider. There were also a lot of unnecessary anti-women Hollywood stereotypes portrayed - demising value for aging women, sleeping with producers for roles, and the other woman in a marriage being called a slut multiple times. While I recognize a lot of these are real things people are facing, the callous way which they were written had me wincing while reading, and I never was able to move past my unease to buy into the characters’ story.

This was a fun, flirty and spicy book that, like everything this author writes, has just enough drama and emotion to really add fuel to the story and plot. With characters that are real and a plot that sounds like something from the latest People Magazine, you will feel for Courtney as she navigates through the painful and public dissolution of her marriage and feel for her as she retreats to get away from it all knowing that her reward is waiting for her! But, when she meets up with Damien as her bodyguard, that's when the book takes a turn and you will find the humor and romance that is so much a part of Summers' brand come to life. The contrast between these two portions of Courtney’s life help show why Damien was the hero that she needs and the man that you are rooting for her to win.

I found a bit of the sweet romances that I love and a bit of the spicy romances that I crave. If you like fun romance, snarky banter, smoking hot kisses, and enough spice to brighten your night then you can’t go wrong with A Hollywood ending!

Thank you to Melanie Summers and NetGalley for sharing a copy of this book with me. These are my own thoughts about this book.

I gave it a chance but really could not care for this book. And I am not trying to be harsh here, but what is the purpose of re-writing exactly the same book but changing one character, including his name and the title of the book? (I was not aware of it until I read the note to the book. It would be quite deceiving if a person ends up purchasing both).

I am not sure, what exactly I have learned reading this. Truly nothing. I was hoping perhaps some behind scenes of life in the Hollywood that most people are not privy to. Perhaps some interesting development and understanding how one becomes a starlet in Hollywood, what is like to be a bodyguard of one. Neither was found here, the same information can be found in any tabloid.

The love story is not realistic nor interesting. The guy is almost like a doormat (he was re-written this way due to the sensitivities of the Gen Zs), nothing interesting happens in this book besides the deep fake video (that was one interesting turn). The characters are very little developed. The ex-husband of course an asshole but why was she with him for so long??! The sex scenes with the body guard is just to fill the void and pages.

I am very sad to learn that this is what people want to read or are looking for.

2.5 stars. To start, a big thank you to NetGalley & Melanie Summers for granting me access to this book in exchange for my honest review. This is not my first Melanie Summers book, I have read or listened to quite a few. This is, however, the first one with the medium well spicy naughty bits. Not that they detracted per se, but I felt like the story was told around the sexy times.

It didn’t ring true that her team would send her to Damien’s house without one of them at the beginning. They knew nothing about this guy. She was in love with her husband but then went for this guy within a few weeks? I just didn’t buy it and then had a hard time with rest. It also didn’t help that the story was so similar to another book of hers I just read featuring a Hollywood star whose husband cheated, in the other book she had kids and the guy was a hotel owner in Alaska, but the same basic story sans the naughty. I like her books, but this one did not do it for me.

A Hollywood Ending is a light and spicy celebrity romance that follows Courtney Bennett, a famous actress whose husband dumps her for a younger starlet. She escapes the media frenzy by hiding in a cabin in Colorado with her handsome bodyguard, Damien Young. As they spend time together, they develop an attraction that is hard to resist but also fraught with complications.

The book had some excellent points, such as the humor, the chemistry, and the references to Pride and Prejudice. I liked how Courtney and Damien were opposites in many ways but also had some common ground. I also enjoyed the scenes where they rehearsed for the Jane Austen festival and how they quoted lines from the classic novel. The author did an excellent job creating a fun and flirty tone for the story.

This was a decent read for a quick escape. I recommend it to fans of light and spicy celebrity romances. A Hollywood Ending is a debut novel by Melanie Summers.

This book is very accurately dedicated to Jennifer Aniston! What happens when an A list actress is told on live television that her husband is cheating on her with someone younger? I think Courtney handled this situation with so much more class than most women would and of course her bodyguard turned mentor turned love of her life was the best and most supportive person someone could have by their side in this situation. The book was a quick read. Featured a great character arc for the FMC and also had a decent amount of spice after the slow burn in the first half.
There is a third act breakup which is not my favourite but this one was at least valid and quickly resolved.

‘A Hollywood Ending’ was my first Melanie Summers book.  It is said to be a light and spicy romance, and that was no lie.  But along with the romance there was a personal growth journey that was very well done and one of the best that I have seen in a long time.

Seeing how Courtney Bennett handled her husband going to a younger woman was powering as she handled it how anyone would but how she was able to overcome that was something to read.  Of course, her journey was not done alone but with her bodyguard, Damien Young.  He then was not only her bodyguard but was giving her lessons on how to be stronger through her divorce but also in life as well.

Courtney and Damien have a chemistry that grew each day they were together.  When they finally crossed the line, the sizzle was there and didn’t go away.  In fact, it just grew even stronger.  Damien was also behind everything that Courtney did and was her biggest cheerleader but also one to push her out of her comfort zone to really help her grow and be a stronger and better person.  That was so nice to see how someone could be so behind someone, and it was nice to see someone really wanting the best for the person they love.

‘A Hollywood Ending’ is a book you will want to go grab or get on your TBR list right away.  This has a sizzle rating of a 3 and a star rating of a 3.  It was very enjoyable from the start to finish and a quick read.  If you are a Kindle Unlimited member this book is included in your membership.  You can also get the book here.

Have you read ‘A Hollywood Ending’ or any other Melanie Summers books?  If so, tell us in the comments what your thoughts were.

**We received an ARC copy from NetGalley and Indigo Group.  The thoughts on this book were all our own and not impacted by getting the ARC copy.**

I’m a big fan of InstaLove, and especially of “he falls first” so I really wanted to like this based on the description. But, in practice, this one just didn’t do it for me. A few moments in the dialogue felt really slut shame-y, and overall the connection between the two characters felt pretty surface level.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to check this book!

I really liked this one! The character growth we see in Courtney from the beginning to the end of the book was so great! Seeing her stick up for herself and fight for what was right and what she wanted! The issues Courtney dealt with in regards to her husband felt like they really could happen today in Hollywood and that hooked me and made me want to see what was going to happen! Damien was so sweet with how he was determined to help Courtney grow and see how amazing she was despite her thoughts of herself when she meets him. This was as much of a romance as it was a story of personal growth, overcoming mental abuse and finding yourself again!

I really wanted to like this, but I just didn't. I feel like the plot had so much potential. There were moments I really enjoyed and others I felt were too dragged out. I wasn't the best fan of the Male MC and the Female MC just disappointed me a bit. Like I was happy she got her happy ending, but I don't know her story with the Damien just wasn't it for me

I enjoyed reading this mix of sweet and steamy romance. It kept me awake because I wanted to read it in almost one sitting. The development of the story was ok and the ending matched the title of the book.

This was a really fast and enjoyable read. I liked the character dynamics between Courtney and Damien. Courtney's an actress who's just found out that her husband's been cheating on her. With somebody who's twenty years younger. On television. In front of all. And her "team" all knew. And they were in on it. So what are you going to do? Just accept the humiliation? Nope. Training with your new bodyguard and coming back stronger.

Was this the most amazing thing I have ever read? No not really. Did it pass the time and was fairly enjoyable? Sure! Average plot with average characters. The romance was okay. I don’t think I will remember this book in a couple of days.

Firstly, what a beautiful cover! Summers is a new author to me and I deeply enjoyed this story. The blurb had me hooked and I just fell in love with the main characters. I don’t want to spoil the storyline but for the booktok lovers out there, this is one for you

It was an empowering read, although the life coaching stuff was a bit much for me. Being in a relationship with a narcissistic person is not easy, one can lose their self-independence easily, which happened to Courtney. She had to reinvent herself and Damien was the perfect partner for this journey. He was really supportive and cared deeply about Courtney. Her ex-husband and her former team were quite nasty, but thankfully she came out of the situation with a victory. I really liked the secluded setting by the lake and thus the forced proximity. The epilogue was kind of predictable, but it was a nice happy ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of the book.

So you need to be on board with the InstaLove trope to enjoy this one. Typically, I don't go for it, but I did in A HOLLYWOOD ENDING. The two main characters, Courtney and Damien, worked through their own issues as well as helping each other all the while realizing they were MFEO.

World-famous actress Courtney is utterly embarrassed by a video of her also world-famous actor husband cheating on her. Her team sends her away. She wakes up to find herself under the care of Damien - celebrity bodyguard extraordinaire who also wants to start his own self-help retreat to the stars.

It is a bit hard to believe that Courtney's physical attraction to Damien could help her forget the pain of her husband's infidelity, but I don't know, it works in this.

It was a very fast read for me, so that's a good sign it's an interesting book. I know some readers had issues with Damien, but meh, he's really just a cupcake all along.

If you want an average Joe finding his leading lady with a TON of spice, A HOLLYWOOD ENDING is a good read.

Thank you NetGalley and Indigo Group for an e-copy of A HOLLYWOOD ENDING to review.

I rate A HOLLYWOOD ENDING four out of five stars.

A Hollywood Ending by Melanie Summers was the first book I have read by this author. Courtney is a Hollywood actress who must escape a media scandal as she discovers her husband is cheating on her during an interview. Her team sends her to Colorado to lay low while they "figure it out." Courtney ends up staying with Damien Young, an ex-Marine who works in security now. Damien and Courtney end up working together to help her become stronger and be able to take her life back. I enjoyed seeing how Courtney and Damien developed as individuals and with each other. I would recommend giving this book a read.

Thank you to the author for this ARC.