📚 Double Exposure
✍ Elissa Sloan
📖 Fiction/Romance
⭐4/5
🌶️
➡ Maiko Fox and Adrian Hightower met and fell in love just before becoming household names. Their love became a Hollywood commodity and when their relationship disintegrated, they each had to find their own legs to stand on in bustling and competitive industries.

Years later, their names together still boast top billing at the box office but their lives are running parallel courses, far from each other. When both Maiko and Adrian are faced with their own heartbreaks, will they be able to find solace in each other once again or will their failed attempt at first love taint the possibility of a brilliant future.
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🙏 Thank you to @williammorrowbooks, @netgalley and Elissa Sloan for an advanced copy of Double Exposure. All opinions are my own.
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🎯 What I loved: When I was younger and experiencing my first heartbreak, my mom patiently explained to me that there were four types of relationships: right person/right time, right person/wrong time, wrong person/wrong time and wrong person/ right time. Together and apart, Maiko and Adrian went through every iteration of these relationships. In many ways, this was less a love story and more a story of how two people evolved apart so they could eventually make their way back to each other. With exerts from gossip magazines, this had the feel of a celebrity romance but with more depth. Double Exposure touched on a multitude of heavy issues but did so in a way that felt raw and vulnerable. I experienced intense like and dislike of both main characters throughout their journeys and was impressed with the amount of emotion this story evoked from me.

🙅‍♀️ What I didn't: Although the myriad of heavy issues in this book were handled with care, I almost felt like there were too many addressed at once (although life never mediates what it throws at us, so that's fair). Without giving away anything, please see trigger warnings before reading as there are A LOT of sensitive topics incorporated into the direct storyline of Double Exposure.
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Read if you love:
*right person at the wrong time
*Hollywood romance
*second chance...slow burn
*heavy & emotional fiction reads with a heavy romantic subplot
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See also: How to Fake It in Hollywood, It Starts with Us, How to End a Love Story

3.5 stars! I love a good Hollywood romance and books about celebrity culture, so I knew I had to read DOUBLE EXPOSURE. The story follows Maiko Fox and Adrian Hightower, a Hollywood power couple who fell in love and fell apart over the years. Maiko and Adrian met as rising stars, when their careers were only about to begin—Maiko's as a model, Adrian's as an actor. They soon became a wildly popular new couple, and when they starred in a blockbuster film together, it was box-office gold. No one could get enough of Madrian...but amidst everything that comes with all the fame and fortune, their relationship began to crumble. Years later, Adrian and Maiko are both thriving in their careers and are both in other relationships, but their paths keep crossing again, and their connection is still undeniable. Is their bond always doomed to break apart—or are they truly better when they're together?

I really enjoyed this book! I thought the pacing and character development were particularly well-done. I also loved the setting of early 2000s Hollywood! Sloan doesn't shy away from depicting what it's like to be a star, whether it's the glitz and glamour, or the dark side of fame. The story tackles some heavy topics—the loss of a family member, abortion, domestic violence, infertility, and addiction, amongst others. However, I did feel like the writing style sometimes made me feel disconnected from the characters, even as they were going through so many difficult things. I felt like there was almost a sort of separation going on, which on one hand, isn't necessarily a bad thing, simply because these things can be so tough to read about. But on the other, I felt a kind of detachment from the characters/the narrative, which left me struggling to stay fully engaged at some points. Still, I would recommend this one for fans of stories about Hollywood and celebrity romances! Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC.

This was a really fun read, anything with celebrities and drama interest me. The pacing was a little off but I devoured this book in one sitting. I def recommend

Double Exposure by Elissa R. Sloan was a fun and entertaining story.
This book drew me right in. I was engrossed in this story from the very first page.
A great book that kept me entertained for hours!
An incredible story.

I enjoyed both of Elissa R. Sloan’s previous novels and this one was a fun pop culture-based read as well. I do wish some of the heavier topics were delved deeper into like Sloan did in The Unraveling of Cassidy Holmes. I will be looking forward to Sloan’s next novel. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

This book addressed a lot of relevant social issues- abortion, gender wage gap, drug abuse, parental trauma & loss, infertility, and domestic abuse. Once I start listing them all it is becoming clear that a lot of the story felt surface level because it took on too much. I also found the FMC, Maiko to be incredibly unlikeable and hard to root for until the end of the story. I didn't dislike the book but feel fairly neutral in my opinion of it overall.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC of this novel

Double Exposure is a classic Hollywood romance. Maiko is a supermodel turned actress and Adrian is an up and coming actor, starring together in a superhero blockbuster. Their relationship is no secret, and it's actually building even more publicity for their movie. Fans and paparazzi alike want to know everything they can about the couple, but then they have a spectacular breakup and try to move on with their lives. This book follows their relationship over the years, starting when they're young nobodies in Hollywood and tracing their lives throughout their careers. They experience heartbreak, addiction, deaths, and struggles with children. The story is told through alternating perspectives as they come together and break apart again and again.

I found this book to be really readable; the chapters were short and quick, and although they span years, it felt like the pacing was just right. I enjoyed getting to see both Maiko and Adrian's perspective as it allowed the reader to get to know the characters more. I loved the setting on movie sets and red carpet events, it makes you nostalgic for early 2000s Hollywood. This one scratched the itch that Daisy Jones & the Six created in me. It will be perfect for fans of books about celebrities as well as fans of romance.

double exposure review

Master of all things Y2K pop culture, Elissa Sloan has yet again graced us with a fictional peek into fame and celebrity.

I was born in the 90s, which means I got to witness so many iconic pop culture moments and Double Exposure truly captures the vibes of that. Let me put it for you this way. Madrian is like if Britney & Justin did an album together and then found their way back to each other in the end.

Which, side note, I cannot even imagine the message boards when fans saw that Madrian was doing a movie together??? Dead.

Highs aside, Double Exposure explores the dark sides of the entertainment industry - drugs, domestic violence, blackmail - and highlights what navigating Hollywood is like for a young Asian American woman.

This book took a moment to pick up for me, but once you get into the meat of it I could not put it down! (Also, I hate Thomas, so incredible job writing him Elissa).

If you’ve enjoyed her last 2 books, you will love this one as well. I cannot wait to see what she decides to share with us next!

Double Exposure is a mostly melancholy story about two L.A. hopefuls-turned-celebrities who have a deep connection, but never quite get the timing right.

Adrian came to Hollywood from Florida to be a movie star. Maiko is a struggling model. They meet on page one in an abortion clinic. This sets a very specific and accurate tone for the novel. Later, they are cast in small roles together, and eventually they go out on a date. They hit it off and fall in love as both of them rise in the business, earning themselves the celebrity couple moniker of Maidrian. But they're young, and stardom and the power that comes with it is not easy to navigate. They end up breaking up not long after. Still, the novel follows them for years afterward as the Hollywood machine continues paring the two of them up.

I found myself craving more out of this story. I suppose it is about how timing isn't always right, with a side of redemption thrown in? But to me it was mostly just sad. There are layers of grief the characters have to wade through, but through most of the book it seemed to me that neither one of them liked themselves enough to make decisions that were actually good for them. The tone was really bleak and I didn't feel like it dug itself completely out of that hole.

There's a lot of tough stuff going on in this one. There are themes of addiction, infertility, loss of a parent, exploring one's sexuality, the morality of abortion, equality of pay, marital abuse...it's pretty rough.

For me, the narrative read fairly detached from the characters. I felt a certain level of separation from what was actually happening in a way that made me not care incredibly deeply about it. In some ways I'm actually glad for that, considering the paragraph above. In some ways it compares to Sally Rooney's Normal People, but it was missing the depth of emotion and true connection I felt in that book. Normal People wrecked me. This one just leaves me with a lingering feeling of depression. ha.

In the end, both main characters seemed to achieve some level of growth, which was good to see. I'm glad of the very last scene - for me, that alone earned it an extra star. Obviously I don't want to spoil anything, so I will leave it at that!

If you are someone who enjoys a darker tone in their stories, this one might be a hit for you. I tend to enjoy uplifting books that feel good at least 90% of the time spent reading it. This one is more like 20% good feelings, 80% hopelessness. That sounds harsh when I write it out, but it's how it made me feel.

I was intrigued by the blurb for Double Exposure and I’ve been seeking more heavy-hitting emotional romances and love stories, so I took a chance on it. When I saw some judgemental negative reviews, I worried about it, but still gave it a shot, and I’m happy I did because I really enjoyed it. It's a story spanning 25 years of a pair of lovers - Maiko and Adrian - as they are in and out of a relationship and each other’s lives over time. They came together in their early 20s, her as a struggling model/actress and him as an aspiring actor/screenwriter in LA hoping for their big breaks. As both of their careers take off, so does their relationship - they’re now Madrian - Hollywood’s golden couple and studio gold. But after years together and on the verge of marriage, the drive and passion that drew them together eventually pulls them apart. But Hollywood can’t get enough of Madrian, so together or not, they continue to be thrown into each other’s path. He has moved on with a top pop star (think TS) and she marries a much older and acclaimed producer, and yet… the old attraction is still there. Each has had personal struggles - death of a parent, miscarriage, abortion, infertility, addiction, domestic abuse… and yet they still turn to one another in times of need, but after everything that’s happened, do they even have a chance at happy endings for themselves? For readers who loved How to Fake it in Hollywood or Right on Cue, this emotional and heartbreaking romance will take you on a rollercoaster - it is a fast-read, and not a lot is given to prose or development, so the plot moves right along.

Loved the push and pull and how they both really had a life in between their relationships. Hated both exes

I have read and enjoyed Elissa Sloan's work in the past, but this one was a bit of a miss for me. The pacing felt off to me.

Ben and JLo
Brad and Angelina
Justin and Brittney
David and Victoria Beckham
Maiko and Adrian

Hollywood power couples have always been a fan favorite of the media and also the general public. We obsess over them, we root for their successes and also feel personally offended when something happens. Culturally, they are a fascination that people can never get enough of and this book explores that with the relationship between Maiko and Adrian.
This is the story of one couple and how they fell in love, how fame and fortune tested them and how it ultimately drove them apart. Maiko and Adrian meet when they are both aspiring models/actors. They do a couple of model shoots together and fall in love. He makes it big when he is cast in a superhero movie franchise and she also explodes in popularity and becomes a supermodel. Fame and fortune change them both and they ultimately break up.

Over the years they keep bumping into each other on movie sets and even though they are both with other people their connection is always there and the public love to see them together on screen. This book follows them both on their whirlwind careers while they each battle their own demons and celebrate their successes.
I really enjoyed this journey that they both went on. They both had their flaws and their reasons but both showed growth and strength. I'm a sucker for a love story that spans decades and even though they weren’t together the whole time they were always a part of each other's lives and thoughts.

I appreciated Maiko’s strength. She was not a pushover and trusted her gut even when she wasn’t sure of the truth. She knew her boundaries and didn’t let any man overstep them. I was so proud and heartbroken when she left Adrian because you knew they loved each other but that wasn’t enough and she knew there was nothing she could do to change his ways, he had to change himself first.
Then with Thomas, the gaslighting was awful but when she saw it happen she didn’t cower, she took inventory and figured it out on her own and fought her way out.

Adrian was a little weak minded but at the same time thoughtful. He didn’t mean to be such a bad partner at times but he was his own worst enemy. I did like how he grew throughout the book and even though he battled his demons, he overcame them and knew his limits and most importantly, he knew what he wanted.
A very solid second chance romance that spans years that was well written and kept great pace. It didn't jump too far ahead and spent the correct amount of time at each section of their lives.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for sharing this book’s digital advanced review copy with me in exchange for an honest review.

I read this book through a digital ARC from NetGalley
Author: Elissa R. Sloan
Genre: Romance, Women’s Fiction
Troupe: Second Chance Romance

This book was fine, I think it had the bones to be great but the pacing was a little off, the writing a little clunky, and didn't truly love the characters enough to root for them.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

This was an addictive novel that I read over the course of one afternoon. I devoured this novel. I loved this story and I think EIissa R. Sloan knows how to write a good thriller/drama. I am excited to check out the audiobook as well, because I think this book will be fabulous on audio!

If you love Hollywood gossip and a sexy romance, I can guarantee you will enjoy this book. My only complaint is that the ending seemed a little bit too abrupt.

4.5 stars rounded up

Many Thanks again to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Double Exposure is a difficult book for me to review because it's unlike many (if any) other romances currently hitting shelves. It rides the line between literary and upmarket with complicated characters and triggering subjects while also maintaining a hefty dose of "will they/won't they" tension. It examines love from the POV of two famous people conducting a romance in the public eye. Both have gone into their notoriety willingly with differing results. Maiko, a model, struggles with disordered eating and undergoes multiple abortions during the course of the novel, and Adrian has his own struggles with body image, self-esteem and substance abuse. The book takes place in the early aughts and really feels like a piece of nostalgia from that time. I'd recommend it to anyone who might be new to romance as a genre after reading mainly literary or general fiction.

Thank you to William Morrow for allowing me access to this digital ARC to review!

2.5 stars rounded up because two stars is unfair to the author, but I found myself bored and flicking through as it seemed like endless chapters of Maiko's horrible husband deliberately putting her and Adrian together and neither of them taking charge of their lives.

To me this book started strong but then was just okay but the writing also didn't really engage me.

Thanks to William Morrow and Netgalley.

Thank you William Morrow for Double Exposure. I tend to enjoy Hollywood stories, behind the scenes stories and complex romance stories. Something was a bit off with this one for me, perhaps it was too slow a start, a bit too much disjointed character perspectives, and a pace that never got me truly into the characters and their stories. I was left feeling a little uninterested in returning to the book, not engaged enough to see what would happen/what did happen.

Loved!!! This was a fun nod at celeb culture and the "what could've been" relationship trope. I really enjoyed this one and it was a super fast read.

I tried to read this book, but I couldn’t relate to the characters or story. I suspect that it might be enjoyed by a different demographic.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.