Entries Tagged 'Acting' ↓
January 31st, 2010 — 1.5 Stars, Acting, Artist, Beauty and Fashion, Book Review, Comedy of Manners, Contemporary, G-I, Gypsy, Low Self Esteem/Confidence, United States of America
I picked this up from the library because it was recommended in the AAR forums as a book about heroines who have low self-confidence. The heroine in Sexiest Man Alive has panic attacks around men, especially good looking men. On the whole it’s a semi-cute read, but it’s very campy in a bad way, like it tries to hard. I show you what I mean…
Jasmine Burns really wants to be a costume designer, but she can’t even make it through the interview with Arturo because he’s handsome. Her sister Amy is a psychic gypsy who lost her powers. Amy gives Jasmine the name of her One True Love. Two thousand dollars poorer, Jasmine has a name, Josh Toby. The only Josh Toby she knows is the gorgeous Hollywood actor, which means she’s screwed because she’ll never leave New York to find him.
Through a quirk of fate, Arturo loves Jasmine’s work and hires her to be his assistant even with her bolt, barf, and run. She is sworn to secrecy and meets him at a restaurant to discuss the details. The secret she has to keep? Josh Toby is in town to do an off Broadway performance as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet. She runs.
Her sister catches her in a taxi and drops her off at a library where another Josh Toby exists. He is a carrot top, extremely shy librarian. Jasmine is relieved. Josh thinks she is a homeless nutcase. One True Love indeed!
The actor Josh Toby pursues Jasmine. He needs her to disguise him from the paparazzi and of course he’s instantly attracted to her weird and quirky behavior. He figures it’s because he’s a famous actor. Josh finds himself spilling a bunch of secrets. How his Hollywood girlfriend, Cleo Chan, is really not his girlfriend. They pose that way for publicity and to keep the crazies away. Oh and how he’s terrified of onstage acting… so the two can bond over irrational fears, which of course they overcome without much difficulty at all later in the novel.
Cleo Chan meanwhile is in love with Josh Toby and is determined to get him back. It doesn’t help that Amy also tells her that Josh Toby is her One True Love. You can guess from here what hijinks end up happening. It’s totally predictable and very unsatisfying.
Rating: 1.5 Stars
Buy: Sexiest Man Alive
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October 25th, 2009 — 5 Stars, Acting, Bastard, Book Review, Bride Stealing, Entrepreneur, Foster/Orphan, Great Britain, Historical Romance, Lisa Kleypas, Mistaken Identity, Pregnant, Regency, Rogues and Rakehells, Victorian, Virgin Heroine
Because You're Mine is a delicious, exquisite, and absorbing read. Absolutely delightful from start to finish. The pacing, diction, plot, and characters were all to my liking. There was nothing in the novel that drew me out of the reading experience. Honestly, I just couldn't put it down. I have a love of all Kleypas novels. She is simply a fantastic author.
Madeline Matthews is in trouble, but not the trouble one would usually expect. No, most of society would say Madeline was not in trouble at all as she was on the verge of making a most excellent match. For Maddy however the upcoming nuptials was the kiss of death. Marriage to Lord Clifton (cue many a bad guy's looks and smell) was tantamount to a gilded cage. He desired her only as his blue blood broodmare, a situation she could not endure. Explaining her feelings to her parents gained her nothing so Maddy hatched a plan that would in essence remove her as a possibility to be Lord Clifton's wife.
The plan is nothing short of daring as Maddy escapes boarding school and travels to London with a crazy plan to throw herself at Logan Scott's feet. Why him? She saw a print of his image and decided that he would be the one she would lose her virginity to... and her approach would be forward, because how else could a girl like herself gain the handsome actor's attention?
Logan Scott is attracted and irritated with the young girl. He knows she is a well bred lady, and a young untouched one at that. He refuses to give into her bewitching charm and plea to take her to his bed. In fact he tries to immediately send her packing. Unfortunately for him he just won't be able to help himself. A constant temptation, Maddy is underfoot all the time because the comanager of the Capital, the Duchess of Leeds, hires her to be an all around assistant for the theater.
Who will surrender first to the emotions brewing behind the curtains?
Rating: 5 Stars
Originally posted 2009-02-18 05:08:52. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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July 20th, 2009 — 3.5 Stars, 4 Stars, Acting, Book Review, Contemporary, G-I, Great Britain, Jane Austen, Love Triangle, Regency, United States of America
Do you hide your Austen movie DVDs so nobody will know you’re in love with Mr. Darcy? If so, then you might also benefit from a trip to Austenland. When Great-Aunt Carolyn dies, she leaves Jane Hayes with a nonrefundable reservation at an exclusive resort… that caters to women (and possibly men) with Austen fantasies.
Did Carolyn do this for Jane to kick her Darcy infatuation or to encourage it? Jane thinks it was done in hopes to give Jane freedom from her impossible daydream, but I think it was meant to help her stop getting in the way of her own Mr. Darcy.
When Jane arrives she’s immediately dubbed Miss Jane Erstwhile and forced to fork over all her modern clothes and gadgets. The first man she meets on the site is Theodore the gardener, his real name is Martin Jasper. He’s there to act as dance instructor, as nobody else was available. He’s tall, good looking, and inspires quite a bit of lust in Jane.
As she meets the lead actors and paying players, Jane dithers back and forth between being really into it and thinking it all a lark. Mr. Nobley is the most Darcy-like of the men and she finds him irritating and (a tad) boring (in the beginning) but undeniably sexy. She makes it her business to pick and poke fun in homes of eliciting conversation and smiles from him.
The novel revolves around her relation with these two men. Each of the chapters starts out with the details of one of her past relationships: how they met, what they did, and why they broke up. Parts of the narrative were frankly bizarre as I was reading it from third person heroine point of view and she sometimes referred to Erstwhile as if the woman wasn’t herself. It was like the author was getting in the way of the heroine.
Will finish by saying the ending was great – and I wouldn’t mind seeing this as a three hour BBC miniseries!
Rating: 3.5-4 Stars
Buy: Austenland
Find and buy more Shannon Hale novels.
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June 17th, 2009 — 2 Stars, 2.5 Stars, A-C, Acting, Book Review, Contemporary, Erotica, Executive, Flaws, Friends, United States of America
This was a very sweet storyline, but there are some flaws. Amery writes a light humorous story. She's dead funny on BOBs and teenage girl crushes.
Jake is a former Broadway star. He's one of New York's up-and-coming directors. Legions of fan girls inspired that career sidestep, allowing Jake to enjoy the theater but without the scary mob. This weekend, he's back home participating in a egad... bachelor auction all for his best friend's little sister.
When Jake spies his high school ex waving her paddle, he knows he's doomed. A beautiful blond in the back is his only chance. By only chance, I mean, the only option he finds acceptable. Mouthing the words, "Help me," at her, Jake is relieved when she enters the bid war.
Sophie feels her blood shimmer at those words. She can hardly believe it, Jake was her high school crush, getting him to help out at the event was a feat but this... this could be the coup of a lifetime. Now if she could get him to break that no relationship rule...
Overall, I felt it could use more polish as there were several parts where I felt I was observing far above the scene instead of being a part of the scene. Does that make sense? Kind of like watching yourself dream, a bit out of body, not quite grounded in the tale. I wanted more sticky in the writing, something that would grab me and hold me in the moment.
Rating: 2-2.5 Stars
Buy Paperback: Saving Sophie
Buy Kindle: Saving Sophie
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April 8th, 2009 — 1 Star, Acting, Contemporary, G-I, Guest Reviews, Journalism, United States of America
By: Cara Lynn, guest reviewer
Some Nerve by Jane Heller promised to be an interesting book, but it turned out to be less than I had hoped for.
The cover looked intriguing, but alas, the story could have been summed up in about 10 pages.
Plus it is quite dated, printed in 2006, and opening with Britney Spears pregnant with her first child. It shows how careful one should be in including various trivia, even if the book is about the fictional Ann Roth, who writes about celebrities.
When Roth's boss demands she go for the main man, the big get, Malcolm Goddard who refuses all interviews and thinks the worst of interviewers to the stars, she has every intention of being the killer journalist her boss expects.
Alas, she is afraid to fly. Goddard knows this too and says he will accept the interview only if she does it aboard his plane.
She can't do it.
She is fired and goes back to her family, where Goddard ends up hospitalized to avoid the paparazzi. She, in turn, decides to become a candy striper in order to get close to him and get a story.
Of course, they fall in love. Goddard doesn't recognize her. She doesn't tell him at all. He thinks she is honest. She wishes she were. Someone sends her story, not her. But all ends well in the end.
There is humor, some laughs out loud, but for the most part this book details again and again and again and...you get the idea...about her fear(s). I ended up skipping huge sections of it except for a sentence here and there.
And there are some decidedly unlikeable characters and situations in the book.
I give it a 1.
I will read at least one more of her books.
If you would like to write LRP a review, we would love to have you. There are many romances and only me to review. Your participation would greatly help out LRP's growing archive. Look here for submission guidelines.
Originally posted 2008-07-10 05:18:22. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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January 3rd, 2009 — Acting, Contemporary, Contests, Covers, Highlander
Excellent, Love Romance Passion has it's second entry for the Highlander Romance Novel Cover Contest. This entry was submitted by Sasha, who also participated in the Pirate Novel Cover Contest. Leave a comment to vote for this entry as the winner is chosen based on the amount of comments they receive. Feel free to vote more than once as new entries come in that strike your fancy.
Model: Florent (the fantastic Sir Flowee!)
Designer: Sasha
Romance Novel Title: Laird of the Manor
The Tale:
Enchanting and alluring, Highland Laird Iain Buchanan was born to a clan of warriors. Living in the 21st century, he embraces his Caledonian heritage by reenacting the acts of his ancestors pasts each year in the Scottish Highland Games! He still lives in his family's ancient manor housed in Northern Scotland aka the Scottish Highlands.
Artist Comments:
Image took about 20-25 hours over 3 weeks to manipulate.
I looked at the covers of Karen Marie Moning's books for inspiration ([link]) and I spent way too much time listening to Blake ([link]) and Celtic Thunder to get *inspired* ([link])
**NOTE: yes, ALL parts of the graphic are manipulated together: Florent, Florent's Shadow, the sky, the cuffs, the kilt, the manor, the Highland beach, the tattoo, the lights etc. etc. etc. Nothing came together, I composed the entire thing! **
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December 5th, 2008 — Acting, Bodyguard, Covers, Fabio Search, Secret Agent, Sports, Warrior
This man is 260 pounds of pure muscle. Third-generation WWE Superstar, short-time professional football player, and Hollywood actor he is one of the most recognized celebrities. Dwayne Johnson is the Rock. He ranked #61 on VH1's 100 Hottest Hotties, which I think is such a shame because the Rock could give any woman heart palpitations from a mile away.
However, if you think this gorgeous hunk could protect you from spiders with all his rippling pectorals you’ll be surprised to learn that he has a fear of them. But while this domestic task may be beyond him, he could certainly cook you one of his family favorites in the kitchen!
We have seen him in several well known movie titles, the first being the The Scorpion King
. He’s currently filming 3 for release in 2009. Seeing him in Get Smart
was fun as the Rock always wanted to be a villain in a James Bond movie, and Get Smart is a great spoof of the Bond films.
In the past he's been nominated the worst actor for the Razzie awards and finally received one for his part in Doom
. I say to this - who cares? Show some more skin! We love the Rock because he's gorgeous. If others think he has the acting range of well a rock, that's their problem. He'll sell tickets to any movie he's in and that's the bottom line. I also think he could sell a ton of books too - yum!
The Rock is married to Dany Garcia and has a daughter, Simone Alexandra. The young girl in Game Plan is not his daughter for those wanting to know.
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