I’ve always been fascinated by the spectacle of celebrity, particularly as a backdrop for romance stories. The place where the fantasy of fame meets the hard realities of the spotlight is rife with dramatic and comedic possibilities. Plus, there’s that thrill of getting to peek behind the VIP barricade and/or stage door to see how the sausage is made (so to speak). And let’s not forget the tropes! Celebrity romance stories are tailor-made for so many of my favorites—fake relationship, forced proximity, fish out of water, rags to riches, reformed rake, taming the beast, and so many more. Given all that, it’s no surprise I love to read them as much as I love to write them. Below are five of my top five celebrity romances written by some of my favorite authors, plus a brand new one written by me! Act Like It by Lucy Parker This is the first book in Parker’s excellent London Celebrities series, focusing on the West End theater scene. When a stage actor and notorious misanthrope finds himself in need of an image boost, he reluctantly agrees to a faux-mance with a resilient up-and-coming stage actress, leading to two of my favorite romance tropes—grumpy/sunshine…

Hi, Olivia! Welcome to Fresh Fiction. Please tell us about yourself and your new book, SPOILER ALERT.  Hi! I’m Olivia Dade, a lifelong nerd and enthusiastic, pants-averse hag. I’m also a writer, and Spoiler Alert is my print debut. I’m incredibly excited about it, because the story tackles so many topics close to my heart: fandom, fanfiction, fatness, friendship, and family. It also contains a startling number of dirty geology puns, because no one stopped me!  Put briefly, the story is about a himbo actor, Marcus, who is secretly smart and hates how his worldwide-hit TV show has gone off the rails in recent seasons. He pours his frustration into anonymous fanfiction with the help of his online BFF, April–but if anyone found out he’d been criticizing his own show so openly, his career would be over. Which is a problem, especially once he meets April in person and falls in love. . . but can’t tell her they already know one another. Spoiler Alert is a sweet-hot romcom with lots of banter and emotion and nerdery, and if you read it, I hope you absolutely love it. The world of fandom is a relatively recent phenomenon in pop culture….

This has been a roller coaster of a year when it comes to books and reading. I don’t think a read a full book in the month of March, but I read over 10 books in July! With Fall quickly approaching, here are a bunch of wonderful and intriguing titles coming out this month through the end of the year, and I cannot wait for everyone to read them. AUGUST Here to Stay by Adriana Herrera – Two New Yorkers get together while they’re both working in Texas. There’s some workplace drama, instant attraction, and much more. Sexy, fun, and low angst. You Had Me at Holaby Alexis Daria – This felt like reading an entire season of Jane the Virgin. Clever, funny, and ultimately, uplifting. Out on the Ice by Kelly Farmer – So we can’t go to hockey games, but we CAN read about them. badass ladies to boot? Sign me up. Also look for: Marriage by Arrangement by Sophia Singh Sisson, Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles *** SEPTEMBER When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole – I am not a thriller reader. I repeat – I am NOT a thriller reader. but I stayed up…