The Proposal

The Beautiful People #1

by Danielle Blanchard Benson

Remember the turn of the 21st century? Movie stars were larger than life, event films were the norm and it was the last breath of an era tinged with equal amounts of innocence and cynicism.
The Beautiful People is a unique look at young Hollywood during a particular time in the film industry when movie stars still carried their own particular magical brand of clout and films made mega-bucks.
Meet the cast of characters in this cutting-edge, no-holds-barred look at the film industry...
Thomas The Heartthrob with International Superstar Status
Bret The good looking former rapper turned Last Action Hero
Kevin The Director with the Midas Touch
Cristal The stunning Ingénue ex-actress turned Power Agent
Christina The gorgeous Blonde Bombshell
Gray Christina's sexy bisexual best friend & Partner in Crime
Ben The handsome Waiter turned Actor
Jade The voluptuously beautiful British Actress
Rick The Boy-Toy turned It-Boy Eye Candy
Brenda The University Student turned Exotic Dancer
Elin The enigmatic and gorgeous Wild Card


From the gritty streets of San Fernando Valley to the ritziest addresses in Beverly Hills, the Pacific Palisades and Bel Air, The Beautiful People takes you on a ride. The journey to fame and fortune in Hollywood is not for the faint of heart.


This is a Serial, not a Series, and the novellas should be read in order to completely understand what is going on in the story.


The Beautiful People series
The Book One
The Hook Book Two
Heartbreaks & Lust Book Three
Red Carpet Book Four
The Beautiful Part One (Books One through Four)
No Love & Other Book Five
Book Six
Confessions From A Film Book Seven
Birthdays, Funerals & The Book Eight
The Beautiful Part Two (Books Five through Eight)

168 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 7, 2011

About the author

Also see Elle Chardou and Danielle Blanchard.

Reviews

[R.J. Palmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, first and foremost let me issue my most abject and heartfelt apologies to the author. Ms. Benson, I judged a book by its cover and you can take me to task for it later for I was sure that this was going to be erotica and since I’m not a fan of erotica or romance either one, I was gearing myself up to work pretty seriously at finding some positive points about The Beautiful People. I stand corrected and I have found myself most pleasantly surprised that the story line was not all lurid sex scenes and shameless hook ups.
The Beautiful People was more a storyline about celebrity in a dog eat dog world where nothing is as it seems and no one is genuine. One consistent thread jumped out at me continuously from the story and it’s quite simple: Fame comes at a price and the cost is high. With few exceptions, the characters were largely spoiled, selfish and vain and used others to further their own ends. At least they tended to be honest about it with themselves and everyone else. One lament from one character was that he couldn’t trust anyone and to me that must be terribly desolate.
In this book Ms. Benson paints a vivid picture of what goes on in Hollywood and I must say that it doesn’t cast celebrities in a terribly flattering light. With parties and substance abuse and the casting couch leading the way, this illustrates the cutthroat world that is the lives of the famous and fabulously wealthy and that beneath it all are a whole plethora of insecure and lonely individuals who are judged solely based on looks, money and connections. It also shows the less illustrious side of Hollywood glitz and glamour; the dark and naughty secrets and the juicy little tidbits that fuel the gossip mill in a world where a person would sell their soul or their body for their big break.
Were I to have to give The Beautiful People a star rating (because I know I will at some point) I’d have to give four stars because there are numerous examples of crude language and colorful metaphors aplenty. There were a few misused words though they didn’t take anything away from the storyline. I must also applaud Ms. Benson because she wrote a novel that keenly illustrates a largely superficial world where fortune and fame are not just a religion, but a way of life and she did so in a way that took a two dimensional world and turned it into a three dimensional work with no apologies to anyone. Well done, Ms. Benson, well done!

[Elle Chardou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I wrote the book so I can't be completely objective. I believe this is a pretty good start for someone who is first wandering into the world of publishing. It is a great beach read and as long as it isn't taken too seriously, some very nice mindless reading to pass the time.