I think I missed the memo where this was a romance? I'm not really complaining, but I was waiting for the thriller plot to come, and was delightfully surprised, when I went looking for the synopsis that it was, in fact, a romance.

This romance definitely had some more heavy topics, so if you're sensitive to plot lines with abortion or infertility, then please protect yourself.

I had a good time, and really liked the way that the heavier topics were handled, and seriously wanted to BONK Adrian on the head to stop being such an a-hole. I can't say I was totally rooting for him when we got to the end, but I was more rooting for Maiko's happiness, and if she likes it, I love it.

All in all it was a great time, and I'm always happy to read something Elissa R. Sloan writes.

Thank you to William Morrow and Netgalley for an early copy.

Elissa R. Sloan's latest novel "Double Exposure" has all the signature elements that her fans have probably come to expect, and for new readers, it's an approachable balance of fun and substance.

- Pop culture (this time in the form of a Hollywood super-couple as dual protagonists)
- Real world issues (including but not limited to: addiction, grief, and a controlling relationship)
- 1990s/2000s historical context

I enjoyed the characters of Maiko and especially Adrian, as well as the inclusion of social and political commentary in a way that felt organic to their lives.

Although the book is ostensibly centered on the "Madrian" romance, I think it's actually much more of a look at how life pushes and pulls at both us and our relationships over time.

Books about Hollywood or celebrity culture always catch my attention as a self-proclaimed pop culture junkie, and that was no different with Double Exposure. However, it fell a little flat for me. I didn't really connect with the characters and the pacing felt off — it moved along nicely, but the end was a bit rushed for my liking (this is a me thing and a common complaint I have with books 😂). This book covered a lot, and because of that, I wish it was more focused on a couple of the main issues, instead of having so many conflicts, traumas, etc.

But I do love me some romance (and second-chance romance) and I loved that aspect of the book. Overall, it was an okay book. I didn't love it and I didn't hate it. If you're looking for a solid, quick read this will do the trick!

This was a compelling story about the toxic up and down relationship between Adrian, an actor, and Miko, a Japanese American model turned actress as they work together, fall in and out of love and go through personal hardships over a number of years. The story tackles some tough subjects from abortion, unwanted pregnancies, drug addiction and domestic abuse. Fantastic on audio narrated by Natalie Naudus and while this might be difficult for some to read, I really enjoyed the realistic, raw, and vulnerable look into a Hollywood relationship that forces two people to fight their way back to each other. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and finished copy in exchange for my honest review!

I received this ARC from Netgalley and I am choosing to leave a review.

I could see this story playing out like a movie in my head. It felt so real and with mentions of actual movies I had to look up these characters to see if they were real. I loved their chemistry and how genuinely excited for each other they were when their careers started taking off.

I think the problems they faced in their relationship was pretty typical of what you'd expect in a Hollywood love story.

I don't want to get into anything spoilery, but I ate this book up. I could not put it down because I needed to know what happened and basically read it in one day. If you like hollywood romance stories, filled with paparazzi and drama then you'll love this one. But it's also a great example of how celebrities are real people with real feelings and emotions and when they make a mistake it's not something that a few people know about....it's known by millions. I liked the ending......it was maybe not as realistic as the rest of the book, but it made me happy. Wholeheartedly recommend.

This was just okay. Second chance romance meets Hollywood. I didn’t really connect with the characters per se. There seemed to be quite a bit of trauma thrown into each of the characters side stories. It was just ok.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the eARC.

Elissa Sloan captivated me with "The Unraveling of Cassidy Holmes" and I was so excited to be approved for an advanced copy of Double Exposure. I was immediately engrossed in this love story. It felt so real to me and my heart ached. So beautiful and well done.

🖤🖤🖤✨
3.75/5

𝘔𝘢𝘪, 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦. 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘵, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶.

This book was not at all what I was expecting when I went into it! And I mean that in the absolute best way. I will admit, it took me a little to get into and to appreciate the story that was unfolding before me. Two things about this book that took me a moment to adjust to were that one, this book took on a few too many touchy subjects (substance abuse, abortion, infertility, and domestic violence/abuse within a relationship) and two, the writing in this was brilliant in non-dialogue, but lacking for me in dialogue. And I’m a big dialogue lover. After I realized these two things, I honestly truly enjoyed this book. The ending was really good & I loved how the author wrapped up the story.

I really loved the two main characters, Maiko & Adrian. I felt their character development was well written & so was their love story. This book has three parts to it & I feel that Elissa R. Sloan did a wonderful job at writing such a long time period into the length of this book, which I also felt was the perfect amount of pages.

✨ need to repeat that I LOVED Maiko & Adrian…Mai stole my heart from the beginning. I related with her a lot & just wanted to hold her hand through this book. 🥹

📰 the snippets from the rags were great!

💜 this was my first Elissa R. Sloan book & will definitely not be my last. Will be digging into her back list!

🎥 I also enjoyed that this is kind of a new take on “old school” Hollywood, but make it millennial old school!!

🧡 Double Exposure is out now! I definitely recommend adding this to your TBR…the story was interesting and relatable and beautiful.

💢 be sure to read the triggers for this ahead of time!

Sloan did NOT disappoint!! Double Exposure was probably my most anticipated read of the month and she knocked it out of the park. I really have nothing to complain about. I was immediately pulled into Adrian and Maiko’s universe and didn’t want to turn away or give up on them. A and M forever!!

I loved the growth each of the characters went through and Sloan did not scare away from tough topics but thus is life. Real people with real problems.

I’ll read anything Sloan writes and be recommending this widely. Well done!

sometimes a love is too big for two people to handle but not too big for those same two people years later. that’s maiko and adrian. the two of them cannot seem to stay away from each other and hollywood can’t get enough of them together.

i think the book started a bit slow and it wasn’t a until around the 40% mark that things started to really pick up. there are a lot of heavy topics in this book and they seem to be one after another, sometimes more than one at a time. but it seemed very realistic to me so i didn’t mind it. other readers may find this overwhelming, since they are also triggers for some.

📚 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.
◾
🙏 Thank you to @williammorrowbooks, @netgalley and Elissa Sloan for an advanced copy of Double Exposure. All opinions are my own.
◾
🎯 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.
◾
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
◾
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.