I love that the MMC, James is very protective of Kat. She’s a struggling actress and working through a hard time. I loved the fact that this book was a workplace romance and they fall for each it was so beautiful. This was a refreshing rom com!

Received as a ARC

Oh my gosh, this was such a cute book. I loved the chemistry between the two main characters. Of course, the drama to keep them apart was so good, and I found myself continuously cheering them on for their happy ending!

Thank you Netgalley, Flower & Bear Books, and Ivy Dawes for this ARC for an honest review.

Kat has had a rough time. She was dropped from her agent, dumped by her boyfriend and is struggling to find her way. Her friend gets her a job as a personal assistant for an actor, who is disrespectful and mean to her. At this job, she meets James, who at first introduces himself by his middle name, Alex. James is a lead actor in the film, but due to costume makeup, Kat doesn't know who he really is and James likes that. However, James' father wants him to be in a fake relationship with another actress. Soon after forming a friendship, the truth comes out and Kat and James have to decide how they want to move forward.

From the beginning, I had a feeling I was going to love this book and I was right. It has everything a romcom needs. It has its light-hearted and funny moments, but there were also times where you feel for the characters and what they are going through. I really loved both James and Kat. Kat started off not really knowing what she wants in her life, but as she move through the story she gets stronger and learns to put herself first and work on herself. James is such a great guy and I love the way he is with Kat and how he makes her feel good about herself. I also loved that he wasn't perfect, especially with the relationship contract situation. However, in the end, he respects Kats decisions and works on himself as well.

I enjoyed the fact that the whole "hidden identity" didn't last the whole story because then we got to see their friendship/relationship grow as themselves. They used Kats ex, Dane, once or twice after the beginning of the story, but I wish they would have either done more with him or left him out. I felt like that part was kind of just put in there, but it doesn't change my thoughts on the story. I love it and I read it in one day! It says this is Book 1 and I cannot wait for the rest of series.

I really enjoyed this book. The couple is really cute together and I love that they both got what they wanted in their careers

thank you to Ivy Dawes and NetGalley for this ARC! This book was like the perfect book for people who want a safe romance story without too much suspense and a very happily ever after! Im kinda in a reading slump at the moment so i would have needed maybe something little bit more fast paced, but i still very much liked this book.

The story follows both Kat and James and their love. Kat has her whole life turned around when she gets dumbed by both her acting agency and her boyfriend. And then she kinda stops going to work, but luckily her best friend gets her a job in the industry as a personal helper (? PA - i kinda forgot what the words stand for :D). The job sucks but then Kat meets Alex who is an actor and who she instantly clicks with. But oh no, Alex is really James Everett, super famous movie star, and this love just got so much more complicated.

This book was a bit too insta love for me, even though in the end they kinda took forever to get together. I however really enjoyed Kat's personal growth very much and reading about her journey. James' growth however was kinda minimal, i didn't even realise he was supposed to be over 30, he felt more like 25 or something the way he acted sometimes.

This book was very easy to read and it was fun getting more inside look to the movie industry. Most of the characters were very nice and multidimensional. Finley the fish was so cute and i loved Rosie and Taylor. I'm kinda sad that they probably won't get their own book but i think the next books pair is going to be awesome and much more my cup of tea, i mean come on now, the end scene with them both was sooooo amazing!! i can't wait for that book!!

3,5/3,75 stars, really enjoyable, maybe not what i needed at the moment but very solid debut book!

After being dropped from her agent and dumped by her longtime boyfriend, Kat finds herself working as a production assistant on a Starlight Studios film. While wandering around the set, Kat meets a background actor who is unrecognizable with his special effects makeup, named Alex and sparks fly. Little does she know, Alex is actually James Everett, the lead actor in the film.

One of my favorite things about this book is the dual perspectives from Kat and James. It's always interesting to be in a character's head, so I loved the way this was written. Kat is such a relatable character, as well. It is very common to feel lost in your 20s, especially after so many big changes. However, despite her feelings, Kat makes the mature decision to pause her relationship with James so she can do what is best for her. As a reader, this is so admirable! Rather than being a "damsel in distress," Kat steps up and creates her own happiness!

This book was super cute. It was a lot of spice but it added to the story also. And, I like how the author did a good job of making the characters seem relatable and still real.

I want to thank netgalley and the author for an ARC of this book!

I really liked this book. I liked both the main characters and thought their romance was very cute! I liked the conflict of the contract and how they basically had to keep their relationship a secret the whole time, I thought it made things interesting. I like how James was basically obsessed with her and he was really sweet.

I juts didn't like how quickly the characters got together, it felt like they were together halfway through the book and to me it felt like the ending dragged a little bit.

Either way I would definitely recommend this if you want a cute, light read with a little bit of forbidden romance.

Starstruck is the debut novel from Ivy Dawes and the first installment of the Starlight Studios series! In this story we are introduced to Kat and James who meet while working on the production of a movie that unbeknowst to Kat when she first meets him, James is staring in. Their connection and chemistry is instanteous. While getting to see their relationship grow we also get a behind the scenes look at the drama of a movie set which was a fun setting for this romance. Overall the book and the characters were enjoyable. I would give this a solid 3 stars (To me 3 stars ubducates a good book). The pacing of the story was great, for me one of my biggest hangs ups is when I find a story progesses too slowly and I lose interest and that was not the case here. I didn't feel any intense emotions one way or another from this story but I think that is alright because sometimes it is nice to just have a comfort read.. While I liked all of the characters I didn't fall in love with any of them. So for those reasons I didn't rate it higher but overall was a good read and a great debut novel!

Kat is a failed actor turned production assistant. She is in charge of getting Branson Sullivan to his scenes on time and following through on his ridiculous list of demands. She took the job on pure necessity and to run away from her life and her previous break up with Dane.
James is an actor, who also has a part in the movie Kat is working on. His father owns the production company and is using this movie as a chance for James to prove himself. If shooting the movie goes well, James will get the chance he has been waiting for a senior role in the company.
Both characters are using this movie to try to move onto something new and to move on with their lives past who they used to be.
Overall, I really liked this story. The spice leaves you hanging at times but makes it feel like there is more on the line because of it. There is enough drama to push me to want to keep reading. While James being a well known actor adds another dimension to any grand gestures and shows that anyone can have a dysfunctional family.
I love a good, quick, romance with a happy ending, and this fit the bill perfect.

Thanks Netgalley and Flower & Bear books for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this book, I don't typically gravitate to books about actors, however after reading this one I might need to start branching out. It was such a good read. I just loved James he was so obsessed with Kat and I loved how supportive he was of her and just wanted her to be happy. He has a very tough relationship with his dad which brought tension to the relationship however I loved how he fought for kat and was adamant to make the relationship work.

I really enjoyed kat as well she really grew into herself as the book went on and It was so nice to see her become more confident and say what she wanted and deserved. The book flowed so well and the writing style was great. I love when you get both povs of the characters as I feel like you can truly see both their feelings towards each other.

Can't wait to read the second book in the series, I have a feeling that one will be even better.

Thank you to NetGalley, Victory Editing co-op and Flower & Bear Books for the eARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts are my own.

I never would have guessed that this was Ivy's debut novel! It was engaging and hooked me right from the start. Please be sure to check the content warnings before reading.

Kat was dropped by her agent and dumped by her boyfriend. Luckily, her friend gets her a job as a personal assistant on a movie set at Starlight Studios in LA, but unfortunately, she has to work for a grumpy, perpetually late lead actor. He sends her scavenging all over LA to find the most random, yet specific items for him. She's considering quitting until she meets a "background actor" on the set and they instantly hit it off.

James is one of the leads for the movie being produced at Starlight Studios. The movie studio his father owns and that he's trying to get a leadership role with. His character was injured, so he's wearing a prosthetic with lots of fake blood when he runs into Kat backstage. She doesn't recognize him in his costume, and he decides it's nice to not be used for his money or status. James would really like to pursue something with Kat, but his father is pushing him to enter a contractual fake relationship with one of the female leads in the upcoming movie for promotion of the film.

Tropes:
Dual POV
instant love
workplace romance
celebrity romance
hidden identity
forbidden romance
spicy & steamy (open-door intimacy scenes)

This was such a cute read. The characters were really well written and easy to root for. I finished this in one day, couldn’t wait to see what happened.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️ 3/5 (a few spicy scenes with detail)

Wow! This had everything I could want in a book! A huge thank you to NetGalley and Ivy Dawes for allowing me to read this incredible book early and share my thoughts with other readers.

Let me start by saying, I love all these tropes so this book was an instant sign up for me. What I wasn't expecting is to read all of my favorites in a completely new way. He falls first but reading Jame's fall first, felt like reading this trope for the first time- It gave me the butterflies, dang it! Usually, the big reveal that he isn't who he first says is the main conflict but when that happened so early on, I was excited to see what else would happen and let's say I was incredibly impressed with the plot from the first page to the very last page.

I have a not-so-little book boyfriend crush on James because from the moment he unabashedly takes care of her in front of everyone and anyone, I was a melted puddle on the ground. He sees her and treats her for the beautiful, talented person she is despite her self-talk always making her question her own worth. There are few relationships, and what a gift to read this done in a masterfully artful way, where a person is able to grow and become a better version of themselves within a relationship. These two found it. They help each other grow, define boundaries and become their best selves together.

There is incredible mental health representation in this book. As someone who struggles with anxiety, depression and has felt the wrath of panic attacks, I felt so incredibly seen and supported as Kat describes this horrifying experience in all the words I've never had myself. James's reaction is 12/10 exactly what everyone deserves and the treatment a person should get when experiencing this. He immediately prioritizes her and is calm, reassuring, non-judgemental and loving. He then walks her slowly through breathing and then grounding techniques.Thank you Ivy Dawes from the bottom of my heart for talking about and teaching good coping skills. <3

James says two of my favorite things of all time first is immediately after they fight and good communication trope might be the new sexiest thing to read. When he says "I don't like how we ended that conversation downstairs. Can we talk?". YES! How sexy is that.
Also I may have a new favorite praise trope, when he says "my girl", that might just be my new "good girl". That is HOT AF.

Finally, the ending was perfection. I can't say much without wanting to say everything, but it was a perfect tribute to the entire story and their journeys together with both obvious and subtle nods to how far they came.

This book is definitely for you if you like:
Fake Dating (not in the way you expect though!)
Travel Romance
Celebrity Romance
He Falls First
Mental Health Rep
Forbidden Romance
Dual POV
HEA

Shoutout for my favorite microtropes as well: making her pancakes, grey sweatpants, getting her fries when she's had too much to drink, carrying her to bed, wearing his jacket when she's cold, best friends who get together

Don't sleep on this one, the hype is real because this was better than I could have hoped!

This book was surprisingly more than I expected. I thought it would be a simple romantic comedy but I was happily surprised to find a deeper depth to the story than I was originally expecting. I also felt like the celebrity romance wasn’t cliche or super cheesy. This is a cute and simple read and I think anyone who likes contemporary romance would enjoy this!

this book was so cute! one of my favorite things that MMC say is 'my girl' and james LOVED saying that. i think these two are so good together. i also loved that in the end they both got what they wanted for themselves career wise and still were with each other.

This was such a cute book! I really loved the writing style and I enjoyed the plot quite a bit. The romance was so cute and well written.

ARC provided by NetGalley.
This review may contain spoilers!

I enjoyed Starstruck, it was a fun read with lovable characters and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a nice fun romance book!

This book does contain a 3rd act breakup which I was unaware of going in, and as it isn't my favourite trope, I was cautious but it was resolved in a way I appreciated.

Overall, I enjoyed it and would recommend! (Just make sure you're aware of the tropes!)

4.5🌟
Such an easy, fun read. Loved the romance between Kat and James. Really enjoyed the story and the side characters. I enjoyed how both Kat and James had struggles and how we were able to see them overcome these together throughout the book. Definitely recommend this book!
Great debut for Ivy Dawes, can’t wait to see what else she writes!

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchanged of an honest review.

I enjoyed reading this book. About Kat, who wants to be an actress, but is struggling to get past auditions. James, who is an actor and wants to have a bigger role in his family´s business. They meet each other while James has prosthetics on his face and he went along with it, to be anonymous for a little while. It did not take long before Kat finds out, who James is and their relationship is a rollercoaster.

James is a swoony guy, who makes you feel special. Kat is funny and feisty. Their story is cute and sizzlingly hot.