Celebrity romance where the hot actress falls for a fan? Count me in!

I received an advance copy from Netgalley for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Freddie Nguyen can’t wait! She is on her way to a con for her favorite copshow and the best of it all, the cast will be there. It’s also the first time she will meet her online best friend Red. This con is finally a good thing that’s happening in her life after getting injured and having to give up her career as a professional soccer player. Something Freddie is taking hard. Arriving at the hotel at 4 am in the morning after a barshift, she is checking in. All is well and good until her suitcase is blocked by a giant of a man who is everything but nice. Peeking behind him, Freddie’s heart flutters. That man is the bodyguard of one of her favorite actresses, Andrea Canton. When she and her suitcase are finally free, Freddie sets off to the con. And Andrea keeps seeking her out. She isn’t, is she?

I loved Olivia Janae’s first book The Loudest Silence. This one is just as good! The story is told from Freddie’s POV which gives you a deep look into her thought processes and internal struggles. I loved that the communication between Freddie and Andrea gets to be very open so you can get to know her as well.

The main issue for the two women is that they are both, partially, in the closet. Freddie because of her traditional Vietnamese family, Andrea because of her career. As they grow closer, they learn that living a partial lie is not how they want to live. The process of coming out is difficult when dealing with a life in the public eye and ingrained family values. I love that both women respect each other and try to understand their respective positions. The way they deal with whatever crosses their path is a great example of open communication.

Freddie is a fangirl at heart and her relationship with her friends online is hilarious. It’s hard on her to have to keep her budding romance with Andrea hidden from her best friend, but when the truth comes out, boy, it’s worth it!

Colstead and Andie is a funny story that doesn’t shy away from heavy topics. It’s a great example of Janae’s engaging writing style. Step into the world of fandom and get lost in love.

This book is based on one of my top 3 fanfictions ever, 2 of them are already a book, hope for number 3 now ;)
But back to this story, Colstead & Andie is about actress Andrea Canton who is part of a cop tv show with a huge following. Thanks to that Andrea and her fellow cast members are doing a convention, the way Olivia Janae writes it it gives me amazing flashbacks to the conventions i have been myself – i would guess if you never have been to one, some stuff that happens there doesnt make sense to you when reading it ;)

During this weekend fangirl Freddie meets one oft he actresses and they form a bond.

This book had a a good amount of changes from the original fanfiction which i loved because it was as if i read a new book. One of thise new aspects was Freddies heritage, i wished it would have dipped a bit deeper into the „problematic“ oft he vietnamese family culture and therefore Freddies reason for not beeing out and proud and screaming from the rooftops she is gay. This way it was a bit superficial and felt like they needed a reason why she is happy with not coming out, ah lets make her asian with a problematic family.


But still i enjoyed this book a lot i read it within 2 days which says it all how much i loved it, i fit wasnt in the middle of a work week i would have probably read it in one go because there was hardly a moment i didnt wanted to know what will happen. It is very well written and so much fun. Evey Fangirls dream for sure.

I got a chance to read this book via NetGalley. It is a celebrity crush romance. Freddie visits a convention with her friends go get a chance to meet the actors from their favourite TV show. Some chance encounters with one of the actors, Andrea, leads to some romance but also a lot of issues to overcome. Andrea not out to the public and fear what will happen with her career and Freddie has issues with her very conservative Vietnamese family accepting her being a lesbian. In the end all is good and the book worth a read.

This story is wish fulfillment for anyone who has been to a con and had a crush on an actor.

When Freddie meets Andrea it takes some time for them to each let down their guards, to learn to trust each other. They both have people that they are hiding their truth from, and reasons to keep it hidden.

There is a good discussion of what it takes to be pushed into a closet you don't want to be in. As well as about what it means to be defined by things beyond your control.

This is an enjoyable read for anyone who enjoys a celebrity romance.

I received a free copy from Ylva Publishing through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I really struggled to picture the opening scenes. I also didn’t get some of the references. I would imagine anyone that has been to a con will be transported back there. I haven’t and it didn’t really do much to make me think I was missing out.
I’m not sure what age the mains are, but they read young to me. However as with most books there were pearls of wisdom that I appreciated, that seemed older than most of the characters thought process...... I am sure there is a life lesson there!
For me, and this was as with all reviews, totally a personal review, I’m only talking about my relationship with this book and it was not really for me however, when things got tough, I did enjoy it more. This moved it up to a 3 from a 2.8.

thank you to the publisher and netgally for a copy of Colstead and Andie for a fair review. I read the original fanfictiion this book was based on a log while ago and its wonderful to see a more mature and nuanced evolution from that. this was a great read and very well written.

I’ve never read fanfiction and didn’t read the first Colstead book, but I was quickly captured by the incredible characters in this book, including the true fanatics who were attending Lockup: A Crime & Punishment Official Fan Convention.

The two main characters were Andrea, one of the stars in the TV series, and Freddie, a true fan. These two ladies met at the convention and the fireworks began. The game of maintaining privacy and keeping secrets were fun and interesting as they even needed to avoid the media, their friends and work colleagues.

What really impressed me about this book was the way the issue of living in the closet was presented in such a realistic way that reflected the different issues each faced with their families, the public and how hurtful it was for them in their own relationship. I just love Olivia Janae, having appreciated her treatment of a deaf person in The Loudest Silence.

Andrea, the star, had to deal with a “stage mother” who was never satisfied with her level of stardom. Freddie was Vietnamese and her mother turned her back to having a gay daughter. I really learned a lot about the cultural restrictions Freddie faced. The issue wasn’t just mentioned, but was really examined, including an enlightening example of intrusion by the media.

I absolutely endorse the reading of this very enlightening book. My thanks to NetGalley and Ylva Publishing for the arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

So much to love in this book
If you have ever been a part of an online fandom for a TV show where your favorite couple pairing exists only in fan fiction and fan art, not on the show itself, this story is peak wish fulfillment, the ultimate fandom catnip. Even more so if you've attended a show (or fandom) convention in real life. Fans are a passionate bunch and show it in a variety of ways; here in Colstead and Andie fans are portrayed across the board - the good the bad and the ugly in terms of their behavior in person (and online) with their favorite celebrity. We get to see both the fans' and the celebrity's perspective throughout the story which is often illuminating.
I've been hoping that author Olivia Janae would publish another story after loving The Loudest Silence (first as fan fiction then as a published book) so much. Colstead and Andie hits all the high notes with great main and secondary characters to latch on to and cheer for, lots of laugh worthy moments and plenty of cute ones as well. Main characters Freddie and Andrea have a less than ideal initial crossing of paths but it gets better from there. Relationship dynamics between the entire cast of characters - be they romantic, friends, family (blood or chosen) - make for fun and entertaining reading.
There's some social commentary woven into the story, presented in a way that's clear without being preachy and overall I'd rank the book low on the angst scale. There are steamy scenes, some drama and a fitting ending to cap it all off. If you like to read about endearing main characters between 25 to 35 years old this fits the bill.
I highly recommend this and Olivia Janae's previous book and will happily read whatever she publishes next. She knows how to tell a story that keeps you glued to the page, reading long after you planned to stop, and giving you all 'the feels' along the way.

Freddie, on the first day of the con for her favorite show, is stunned to meet Andrea Canton. The actress is surprisingly nice, unlike her bodyguard, then they keep running into each other.

Freddie's awkwardness with Andrea is adorable and pretty funny. Poor woman.

Andrea REALLY likes Freddie, but she fears losing her role if she is out. So they have yo navigate all that, too.

Anyway, I liked it. The heroines are fun, and being a nerd I totally got the Fandom references and such. The writing is good, the characters dialog is entertaining and the situations for everyone were credible.

A cop-show on TV with lesbian subtext and an enigmatic actress. A failed college soccer star from a conservative Vietnamese family. A fan convention. This soon leads to a lot of confusing chance encounters and possibly more.

When Freddie met Andrea, "...it was as if her life had suddenly turned into one of the millions of fanfics she had spent hours reading..."

If you ever read fanfiction--here comes your Über-fanfic! Originating from a fanfiction story based on the TV-show "Once upon a time", this novel itself is centered in the fandom of a fictitious cop-show, "Crime & punishment". Fangirls and "ship" excitement galore. Close friendships, on-line and in real life. There is even a nod to the first generation of on-line fanfiction, the fandom of Xena, from when the internet was young (and message boards counted as social media ;).

The story underneath is well written with believable characters who face tough challenges and who have to question their believes and decisions. I also gained some insight into communities which I did not know much about (like how it is to be a second generation American from a Vietnamese family). Oh, and there is, of course, a sweet love story.

All of this can be read on its own, as a stand-alone novel, without knowing the origin. But if you are into fanfiction: The original story is still on-line. The nerd in me enjoyed immensely to read both versions back-to-back and to see how this developed from a sweet, funny, sometimes silly fanfic into a mature, more serious novel. Even the characters matured by a few years, after their names had to change in order to "file off the serial numbers" (google this, it is perfect, nerdy fun!).

(based on an ARC from NetGalley)

Easy, comfy read. A story around being comfortable with yourself enough to be open and true. But for celebrities with the paparazzi looking for stories that might ruin an actors life, and an Asian family who show their strong feelings against being gay, this is far from easy. But opening yourself up to a relationship with the right person may bring the support you need to be free. Thank you to Ylva Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

its a coming out story with attitude...

andrea canton is a star and is in the closet, not her idea but with the series that she is in and her agent saying she will only ever get lesbian parts if she comes out, she had to make the decision but its hard

Freddie Nguyen is excited, she is at the con for the series that andrea canton is in and boy is she excited... all her dreams are about to come true meeting her idol

but right from the start its not going well....after the dust up with andreas bodyguard, freddie ended up at andreas feet....talk about mortified ...can it get any worse....

the fan dom bits in the storyline are funny but the stalking of the paparazzi questioning andreas life shows how bad things can be
some of the terminology about the fan dom bits were out of my league a bit and at times i was unsure of the meaning but on the whole its not a bad storyline