Haruka Iwasaki Recommends Jasmine Guillory, Rachel Reid, Alexandra Romanoff, and More
“Who is your celebrity crush?” is a wonderful question to get to know someone: you just know someone by learning which out-of-reach celebrity holds their imagination. Romance novels where celebrities and lay people fall for one another are a special kind of fun but they probe real questions – how does one’s public persona change the narrative of a love story, how can fame be a burden, what’s the power dynamic between lovers when status and wealth are starkly different?
There is always a reason for someone to not find their happy ending, but that doesn’t stop these couples below so I hope that—along with enjoying these next books—my celebrity crush will find love and happiness, even if it’s not with me.
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Jasmine Guillory, While We Were Dating
Sixth in Guillory’s The Wedding Date series, this romance is a stand alone book that’s a perfect introduction to the trope. Ben, a talented ad executive, pitches a huge campaign featuring a bona fide movie star, Anna, and charms her so much that when his company eventually lands the campaign, Anna makes sure that he is the lead on the project. Their light flirtation leads to something more; Anna reveals her celebrity-induced anxiety while Ben shares he has a long lost sister who wants to get in touch. There is a lovely running theme on the importance of mental health and therapy (I love a man who is in therapy!) When Anna has to deal with a family emergency, they decide to fake-date to help her public image which only leads them to get closer. When will they realize they are meant to be?
Robinne Lee, The Idea of You
By its most basic definition, a romance novel is a romance novel because it must always have a happily ever after and so, if you’re following that rule—spoiler alert—this next book would not be shelved in the romance section. But I still recommend this title because it has everything a celebrity/normal person romance novel should have except for that pesky little happy ending: the pressure cooker environment of fame, the claustrophobia of boyband mania, the secret dalliances in the most exotic hotels and locations. Soléne, a thirty-nine year old art gallery co-owner in Los Angeles, meets Hayes, one of the five members of August Moon when Soléne takes her daughter Isabelle and friends to meet them in Las Vegas. Hayes is twenty years old, on a whirlwind world tour, and creating the band’s second album, but pursues Soléne for a simple lunch that quickly turns into a love affair. Despite the chaos of fame that slowly starts to build around them, they develop real feelings for each other. This book explores the idea that even when you know the relationship will end, it is always worth it to experience love.
Rachel Reid, Game Changer
Scott Hunter, the star hockey player of the New York Admirals, is having a bad streak of games and steps into a smoothie place after a run where he meets Kip, a twenty five year old who works in food service while he decides what to do with his history degree. Scott wins that evening’s game and, crediting the smoothie with his changing luck, visits Kip at his smoothie shop again (this time with more flirtation), Later they meet again at a fancy gala where Kip is working as a caterer. They decide to go out for burgers after and quickly start a fun, loving relationship but have to operate completely in secret since Scott is not out as a gay hockey player. The happy scenes between Kip and Scott show that happiness and steadiness in a relationship is not boring at all and getting to know your new partner is a fascinating process.
This romance novel explores the long distance part of being in a relationship with a celebrity: there are tons of spicy scenes that involve Skype or old-school talking over the phone and reunions after many days apart. Because Kip feels a little lost in his career, there is a bit more of a Cinderella dynamic with an enormous class difference between the two men and higher stakes because of the danger in publicly outing an athlete before Scott and Kip are ready for what comes afterward. This is a really sweet love story and the first book in the Game Changers series that helped create the popular show Heated Rivalry.
Laura Wood, Let’s Make a Scene
Cynthie Taylor, an actress dubbed “Hollywood’s golden girl,” is in the middle of a PR scandal: she was caught with the director of her latest project, who went back to his pregnant wife even though he told Cynthie that he was in the middle of getting divorced. She receives an offer to work on the sequel of her super popular Jane Austen-esque romance movie that happened to be her first real acting job. Along with making the sequel, a documentary crew will be filming the entire behind-the-scenes process and the relationship between Cynthie and her co-star Jack Turner-Jones, who are actually rivals but also faked a romance during the press trail of the first movie thirteen years ago. Cynthie needs to change her image and Jack, a son of a well-known acting couple, wants to quell the rumors that his writers may be kicking him off his sexy vampire show. Besides their celebrity identity, the novel explores what an actor’s life can look like with personal trainers, hair and makeup teams, and having every move analyzed by the press, paparazzi, and social media followers. The enemies to lovers dynamic between Cynthie and Jack is delicious and believable. This story is told in two timelines, with dual POV, in the present and thirteen years ago during the filming process of the first film, which gives a great look into what filming a regency era movie can be like. An excellent read!
Alexandra Romanoff, Big Fan
This is a debut novel from an independent publishing company called 831 Stories, where all of their long-form novellas are elegantly printed in two tone colored blocks. Maya, a political consultant, is recovering from her divorce with an ex-husband, a member of a well-known political dynasty, who had a high-profile sex scandal that ended up almost ruining her career. Maya is working on pushing a universal basic income policy and networks her way into a gubernatorial candidacy. That same night, her former boy band crush, Charlie Blake, reaches out to her for help with his act two solo music career. In her childhood, Maya was one of the presidents of his official fan club. Charlie then helps Maya get national attention for her campaign. There’s politics, boy band fandom, and the DC bubble. Big Fan is the crossover between The Idea of You and Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld. It’s super enjoyable, smart and sexy and you can read it in one sitting.
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