Juicy, spicy, naughty, twisty, stimulating, hot as hell! Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to present the best book by May Cobb so far. While "Hunting Wives" held the title of my favorite, "Hollywood Assistant" surpassed my expectations, throwing the smartest, most scandalous twists my way and cranking up the wild ride potential a notch. Despite a slightly slow start, a few chapters later, things got intriguing. I felt like a little fish, Nily, hooked by the author's line, allowing myself to go with the flow. The last third had me screaming with amazement, especially the latest twist I never saw coming, even though I usually pride myself on my high-alert spidey senses. This time, they went out of radar.

The plot execution was successfully crafted with balanced but mostly fast pacing, keeping readers guessing about the secrets characters hide. Whose side should you pick when the main character is unreliable and shows some obsessive tendencies (even though she emphasizes she's a neat freak, punctual Virgo, giving off some Scorpio vibes)? All these women in the book exude a femme fatale Scorpio charm that leaves you torn between despising and respecting them, mostly both.

Now, let's dive into the plot, set in my favorite city that I simultaneously love and hate wholeheartedly: La La Land! Even though it's a dreamland where only villains or villanelles may survive!

Enter Cassidy Foster, twenty-nine, a Texan Belle, book smart, shy, mediocre in looks, recently dumped, finally finding the courage to move to Los Angeles for her new gig as the private assistant to Hollywood power couple Nate Sterling, a successful, charismatic movie director, 45, and his exotic, joyful, Mediterranean pearl of a wife, Marisol, in her early thirties—a social butterfly contrasting her husband's old-school loner style.

Cassidy is paid 4K monthly for mostly doing nothing but a few errands, shopping, and organizing Marisol’s clothes in exchange for more designer clothes. It seems like everyone's dream job, too good to be true. She's happy with the Sterlings, even though she accidentally witnesses their fights and make-up sex. Her attraction to Nate grows as he takes an interest in her, encouraging her screenwriting career. You might be asking, what's the catch? Nate finally reveals the main reason she's hired, and Cassidy realizes she might be entangled in secrets, betrayal, a dark scheme with the Sterlings. The more she stays in their circle, the more she's doomed to be ruined, like a moth to flame.

The second half of the book is a crazy, wild ride that had me exclaiming, "What the actual hell?" several times. I shoveled more popcorn, sipped more Chardonnay, gave my villanelle laughs, and read more! What a fantastic time I had! I wholeheartedly recommend you read this dark, sexy, unconventional, steamy, smart mystery.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this wonderful book's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions. Freaking fantastic job, May Cobb!

Now THIS is how it's done! I read this over the course of the weekend- I had such a difficult time pulling myself away from it to get things done. First of all, I'll start at the end- I didn't see the big twist coming, not from a mile away.... nor did I see the other, smaller twist at the very end coming.... and for that matter, I didn't see the twist in Cassidy's backstory coming EITHER....So those were wonderful surprises. Second of all, May Cobb is the best at writing characters that you know you shouldn't necessarily be rooting for, but despite their flaws, you DO kind of like them, yoy do hope they get the ending they deserve. Third of all... I've never been to California, but Cobb's descriptions and glorious choice of adjectives, metaphors, similies, etc made me nostalgic for somewhere I've never personally set foot. Fourth- and finally- as I realize I'm gushing... I appreciated the inclusion of Cassidy's past, namely her experiences with men (or lack thereof), and her mother's proclivity to obsess over celluloid rather than to be a parent. It really explained why Cassidy made the choices she made, chose the extremes to which she'd go to get her way. (And believe me, all of these characters had NO hesitation to use extreme measures to get what they want). I'm going to stop rambling about this book now, but as a final note, this book reminded me why May Cobb has become a "must-read" author for me in the last couple years. I genuinely cannot wait to read what she writes next. Although I think that this book will sell itself easily, I will proudly be recommending it to coworkers and customers alike.

𝑰 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏, 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆'𝒔 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒅. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒂 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒊𝒕.

You are always going to be in for a good time when you read a May Cobb thriller. She's made a name for herself with her salacious tales of women behaving oh so badly, and THE HOLLYWOOD ASSISTANT ranks up there with one of her best!

Cassidy Foster is trying to recover from a broken heart. She feels stuck, going nowhere in life, until her glamourous, connected best friend lands her a dream job--a personal assistant to two Hollywood stars, Marisol and Nate Sterling. When she meets the couple, she is instantly star-struck, and to her delight, they are both warm and friendly. Cassidy basks in the attention of Marisol, who lavishes Cassidy with attention, treats her to a mountain of cast-off designer hand-me-downs, and most importantly, fills a void in her life.

When Nate finds out that Cassidy is a failed romance novelist, he gives her some scripts to read, and he praises her feedback, telling her what a gift she has. When Cassidy overhears the first of several fights between the couple, she initially tells herself it's none of her business, but when the fights continue, she begins to think the unthinkable...is the rift in their marriage so great that there may be room in Nate's heart for someone else? Someone like Cassidy?

But Cassidy has no idea the danger she is in. While she's blinded by the praise of two Hollywood stars, she's blind to the real reason why she's in their home in the first place. And when one of them turns up dead in the house, could Cassidy be the cause? When some troubling secrets from her past emerge, she becomes number one on the list of suspects.

This was a wild, raunchy romp that I thoroughly enjoyed. The descriptions were so vibrant and lush that I could see the Hollywood sign lighting up the night sky, the snarling traffic on the many freeways, and the mansion next to the ocean where a woman thought she would be on a journey to reinvent herself. THE HOLLYWOOD ASSISTANT will publish July 9, 2024. SO many thanks to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing, and the author for the early copy.

I really like May Cobb's snappy writing. It's compulsively readable and has a strong voice. I stopped after chapter 1 (2%) but easy three stars for the target and four to five for the right readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC.