Star Struck by Jane Lovering

Star Struck by Jane Lovering
Buy Star Struck by Jane Lovering at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Women's Fiction
Reviewer: Sue Magee
Summary: Talented writer creates a part which attracts the woman to whom he is attracted: a story of damaged people trying to make a fresh start, if circumstances will let them.
Buy? Maybe	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 304	Date: September 2011
Publisher: Choc Lit
External links: Author's website
ISBN: 978-1906931698
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It's only a few months since I read Please Don't Stop the Music, Jane Lovering's debut novel and I was delighted at the thought of another book from her. Perhaps my expectations were too high, because I enjoyed a good story, but I wasn't quite so impressed this time around.

Skye Threppel had a year of memories wiped out in a car accident which cost the lives of her best friend and fiancé. The physical scars were healing – although they were still very visible – but, eighteen months on, she struggled with meeting people and being anywhere but the cosy womb of her little terrace house in York. She used to be an actress but the accident has ruined her career and her confidence. It was a massive step when her friend Fe (that's short for Felix, by the way) persuaded her to go with him to the Fallen Skies TV convention in Nevada - giving her a chance to meet Gethryn Tudor-Morgan, the actor she idolises.

I loved the way that Please Don't Stop the Music revolved around damaged people doing their best to get on with their lives in the best way that they could. We've got the same theme in Star Struck. It's not just Skye who has problems: when she arrived at the motel where the convention was being held the first person she encountered was Jack Whittaker, the writer who seemed to be known to all and sundry as Iceman. He was cold of heart and didn't let anyone get close to him – yet he seemed to take an immediate shine to Skye. How would he cope with the past he had no intention of revealing?

And what of Gethryn Tudor-Morgan? Well, Skye had fallen for the part he played, written, incidentally, by Jack Whittaker, and the man behind the part was somewhat different. Still heart-stoppingly gorgeous to look at – yes – but let's just say that no one would accuse him of being chivalrous. He seemed to be attracted to vulnerable women and Jack was constantly worried about the damage he would do to Skye. There's a touch of Cyrano de Bergerac here, although almost in reverse: talented writer creates a part which attracts a woman to whom he's attracted, but primarily it's a story about redemption and the power of love.

Please Don't Stop the Music was set in Jane Lovering's home town of York and I felt that I walked the streets with her characters, but I didn't get the same feeling with Nevada. Yes it's hot and it's dusty, but beyond that I didn't really get any feeling of place. I was a little disappointed too that Jane Lovering's trade-mark sense of humour wasn't anywhere near as much to the fore this time around.

Yes, I know I'm mean. It's a good story – I was just expecting so much more.

I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag. For a modern-day rewrite of Cyrano de Bergerac we can recommend The Food of Love by Anthony Capella.

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