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No Matter What
India Steven is an ordinary English girl from an ordinary English city, until a chance meeting with major movie star Reece Brogan catapults her into a new and extraordinary life that takes her from the streets of North East England to the glamour-filled world of Hollywood.
From legal secretary to movie star almost overnight, she's living the dream. In a relationship with her drop-dead gorgeous, and incredibly sexy, co-star Kenny Ross, a house on the beach, and more money than she could ever imagine, it seems as though nothing can spoil her wonderful, new, glamorous life.
But hidden secrets, bitter jealousy, and a dangerous obsession are set to turn her incredible new life upside down, in ways she can't even begin to imagine...
No Matter What is an epic, sexy, rollercoaster of a ride through two decades in the glamorous - and sometimes not-so-glamorous - lives of people who, due to circumstances thrown upon them, or just fuelled with a desperate need, will do anything - anything - it takes to get what, or who, they really want. No matter what...
*Author's Note* Please be aware that this book contains some strong language, adult themes, and some scenes of a sexual nature.
From legal secretary to movie star almost overnight, she's living the dream. In a relationship with her drop-dead gorgeous, and incredibly sexy, co-star Kenny Ross, a house on the beach, and more money than she could ever imagine, it seems as though nothing can spoil her wonderful, new, glamorous life.
But hidden secrets, bitter jealousy, and a dangerous obsession are set to turn her incredible new life upside down, in ways she can't even begin to imagine...
No Matter What is an epic, sexy, rollercoaster of a ride through two decades in the glamorous - and sometimes not-so-glamorous - lives of people who, due to circumstances thrown upon them, or just fuelled with a desperate need, will do anything - anything - it takes to get what, or who, they really want. No matter what...
*Author's Note* Please be aware that this book contains some strong language, adult themes, and some scenes of a sexual nature.
826 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 28, 2011
12 people are currently reading
150 people want to read
About the author
Michelle Betham
42 books86 followersMichelle Betham is an ex-media technician turned author of super-sexy romance, usually involving rock stars, DJs, movie stars, hot businessmen, and bikers. But not usually all in the same book. Yet. A proud indie author, she also has six books published through One More Chapter, a division of HarperCollins Publishers, one of which is a pyschological thriller/romantic suspense written under the pen name of ML Roberts.
Addicted to binge-watching TV shows she struggles to think of a life before Netflix or Amazon Prime, loves music - especially rock and EDM; tattoos – of which she has many; spicy food, superheroes (she's a slightly obsessed Avengers fan-girl who harbours a particularly unhealthy obsession with Captain America), and Keanu Reeves – a crush that’s lasted well over twenty years, and one she blames entirely on ‘Point Break’. The original. She refuses to acknowledge any remake exists.
Her dream is to ride a Harley, visit Las Vegas, and be able to eat any amount of chocolate without putting on weight.
She lives in County Durham, north-east England, with her husband and their West Highland Terrier, Opie - named after her favourite biker in Sons of Anarchy! She can be found, most days, at her desk drinking tea and making up stories.
Addicted to binge-watching TV shows she struggles to think of a life before Netflix or Amazon Prime, loves music - especially rock and EDM; tattoos – of which she has many; spicy food, superheroes (she's a slightly obsessed Avengers fan-girl who harbours a particularly unhealthy obsession with Captain America), and Keanu Reeves – a crush that’s lasted well over twenty years, and one she blames entirely on ‘Point Break’. The original. She refuses to acknowledge any remake exists.
Her dream is to ride a Harley, visit Las Vegas, and be able to eat any amount of chocolate without putting on weight.
She lives in County Durham, north-east England, with her husband and their West Highland Terrier, Opie - named after her favourite biker in Sons of Anarchy! She can be found, most days, at her desk drinking tea and making up stories.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 25, 2016
Geeze, Louise. That was one hell of a long book and I'm a fast reader. I wanted to put India on a pedestal until she'd do something so stupid that I wanted to rattle the author's cage.
And I Get it, She loves Michael and even though he raped her and hurts her by telling secrets SHE sleeps with him.
Other than that it's a big epic drama. Kenny or Bobby were my favorite characters, along with Reece.
And I Get it, She loves Michael and even though he raped her and hurts her by telling secrets SHE sleeps with him.
Other than that it's a big epic drama. Kenny or Bobby were my favorite characters, along with Reece.
May 5, 2013
In the first 20 chapters we are learning about India's career and love life that see so high a person would need a plane to see. The only low was her breakup but even that changed for the better. We see her from a young naive 22 year old to a classy sophisticated 28 year old. The trials with family is not far from her life even though she is unaware. I'm glad her inner circle loves her but I have the feeling something is not quite right under the surface.
As the chapters fly by it reminds me of a soap opera of betrayal and deceit. I want to like everyone however with being in the middle of the book it's hard. It's like I need something to happen all of this cloak and dagger BS is really getting to me I feel restless.
Just got done with book 1 and the climax was pretty overwhelming starting in book 2 let's see where it goes. The relationship has turned into an obsession where one needs the other. Is that healthy?
As this journey continues I'm wondering how retarded India is. I mean trying to get pregnant because you have feelings for someone else. Geez really?!?! So we see India wrapped up in herself and oblivious to everything around her. She continues to mess up her life with failing relationships and lies.
I swear I don't think India learned her lesson about lies and secrets. Why not get everything out in the open?
As the story goes on about a broken actress and all of her failings we learn that maybe having a facade is the only way to live.
The conclusion was lame and heartbreaking. I mean everyone hurt everyone else and still no honesty so really did they not learn anything.
Overall it was a good story and I enjoyed it.
As the chapters fly by it reminds me of a soap opera of betrayal and deceit. I want to like everyone however with being in the middle of the book it's hard. It's like I need something to happen all of this cloak and dagger BS is really getting to me I feel restless.
Just got done with book 1 and the climax was pretty overwhelming starting in book 2 let's see where it goes. The relationship has turned into an obsession where one needs the other. Is that healthy?
As this journey continues I'm wondering how retarded India is. I mean trying to get pregnant because you have feelings for someone else. Geez really?!?! So we see India wrapped up in herself and oblivious to everything around her. She continues to mess up her life with failing relationships and lies.
I swear I don't think India learned her lesson about lies and secrets. Why not get everything out in the open?
As the story goes on about a broken actress and all of her failings we learn that maybe having a facade is the only way to live.
The conclusion was lame and heartbreaking. I mean everyone hurt everyone else and still no honesty so really did they not learn anything.
Overall it was a good story and I enjoyed it.
February 2, 2012
Whilst I did finish the book, and I did manage to follow the story, in my opinion it was just too long! I do enjoy epic books, but this just seemed to drag for me. I found myself often wishing for it to hurry up and finish. I frequently felt frustrated and annoyed with character's decisions (not wanting to say anymore so it doesn't spoil it for other readers). I didn't ever fully connect with the lead character India, and I just unfortunately found myself a bit bored with her at times.
Saying that though, this is just my opinion, and a lot of other people have rated this book very highly, so I would say to people still give it a chance if the synopsis grabs you. Michelle Betham is a very talented writer, her descriptions of situations and places and characters are so detailed that you can easily imagine yourself there with the characters. I just feel that the book could have done with being a bit shorter, and it didn't grab me like I was hoping.
Saying that though, this is just my opinion, and a lot of other people have rated this book very highly, so I would say to people still give it a chance if the synopsis grabs you. Michelle Betham is a very talented writer, her descriptions of situations and places and characters are so detailed that you can easily imagine yourself there with the characters. I just feel that the book could have done with being a bit shorter, and it didn't grab me like I was hoping.
March 9, 2012
An 800 page epic and I STILL didn't want it to end! I absolutely loved this - another fantastic book by Michelle Betham!
Can't wait to read another by this fabulous author!
Can't wait to read another by this fabulous author!
kindle-i-own-to-read
October 2, 2012Amazon Freebie 10/2/2012
March 11, 2012
This is an epic, epic book. At 800 pages it's no mean feat to devour and it's an amazing read. I don't like spoiler reviews, I like to read a book, not read the whole story before I peruse the first page but here goes:
India Steven is a normal girl, living in the UK and having fun with her best friend Charley, whittling her days away as a legal secretary. A chance meeting at a normally mundane, teeth gritting works do catapults India's life to LA, and a whole new glitzy direction. Charley is left behind, which in itself causes a set of devastating consequences to careen into their lives, as her jealousy sets her on a path to succeed too, No Matter What...
Kenny, Michael, Reece, Vince, and Terry are all strong male characters in the book, all holding a special place in their hearts for India, in different ways. This book works. Sometimes, when you read a large book with a lot of characters, you get halfway through and suddenly think 'who? what?'
No Matter What is not one of those books. It is brilliantly done, the characters are all realistic people with flaws and fears, aspirations and annoyances and I found myself totally immersed in the Hollywood world. Torn away from my Kindle cruelly by obligations such as children and sleep, my thoughts were often occupied by India's choices and next steps.
Discussing book plots with your toaster at 6am is the sign that you are in the grip of a great read, and I kid you not, this happened. Twice.
Betham's writing is well edited, well formed and flows easily. A book like this can 'drag on.' I myself have found this to be the case with Martina Cole's latest offering, and I feared that this book would be the same, but the author pulls off the numerous pages with aplomb.
Covering three decades of India's life (with a fair bit of great sex in that time!) the twists and turns keep on coming, and the tingling sensation in my fingers arrived several times. Boy I wanted to slap India for the choices she made!
This book is Martina Cole meets Dynasty meets Footballer's Wives (the good bits) and is a stonking book. If you are looking for a fast read, it's not for you, but it's a shame to miss it....
I have Betham's other books in my Kindle, and I shall certainly be checking these out soon. My long suffering toaster had better be ready for a nice early morning chat....
Rachel Dove, The Kindle Book Review
India Steven is a normal girl, living in the UK and having fun with her best friend Charley, whittling her days away as a legal secretary. A chance meeting at a normally mundane, teeth gritting works do catapults India's life to LA, and a whole new glitzy direction. Charley is left behind, which in itself causes a set of devastating consequences to careen into their lives, as her jealousy sets her on a path to succeed too, No Matter What...
Kenny, Michael, Reece, Vince, and Terry are all strong male characters in the book, all holding a special place in their hearts for India, in different ways. This book works. Sometimes, when you read a large book with a lot of characters, you get halfway through and suddenly think 'who? what?'
No Matter What is not one of those books. It is brilliantly done, the characters are all realistic people with flaws and fears, aspirations and annoyances and I found myself totally immersed in the Hollywood world. Torn away from my Kindle cruelly by obligations such as children and sleep, my thoughts were often occupied by India's choices and next steps.
Discussing book plots with your toaster at 6am is the sign that you are in the grip of a great read, and I kid you not, this happened. Twice.
Betham's writing is well edited, well formed and flows easily. A book like this can 'drag on.' I myself have found this to be the case with Martina Cole's latest offering, and I feared that this book would be the same, but the author pulls off the numerous pages with aplomb.
Covering three decades of India's life (with a fair bit of great sex in that time!) the twists and turns keep on coming, and the tingling sensation in my fingers arrived several times. Boy I wanted to slap India for the choices she made!
This book is Martina Cole meets Dynasty meets Footballer's Wives (the good bits) and is a stonking book. If you are looking for a fast read, it's not for you, but it's a shame to miss it....
I have Betham's other books in my Kindle, and I shall certainly be checking these out soon. My long suffering toaster had better be ready for a nice early morning chat....
Rachel Dove, The Kindle Book Review
October 24, 2012
I got this eBook when it was available as a free download from Amazon. I have also read Too Much Trouble in Paradise by the same author, you can read my review of this here.
I wasn’t sure what was going on in the prologue but it really sparked my interest with talk of India’s journey and telling the truth, it ended with her looking at something/someone she wished she hadn’t and this made me very keen to read on.
After the prologue it went back to where India’s journey began (before she was famous) and certain things started to make more sense. She lived every girls dream by becoming a movie star in the way she did but there were times when it was more of a nightmare for her. India’s friend Charley felt incredibly resentful about her new-found fame and things started to go downhill from there.
India managed to charm more than a couple of men, they all seemed to fall head over heels for her without her even trying and although I liked her character most of the time, there were times when she really annoyed me, particularly towards the end. She made some very surprising choices and I often felt like she made life far more complicated than it needed to be.
There were many lies and secrets throughout the whole book – some I was able to predict and some I wasn’t. There were so many ups and downs that after I had finished I felt like I had been on an emotional rollercoaster ride, I had laughed, cried and even shouted at this book. It reminded me of a soap because of all the drama, glitz and glamour. The book was incredibly long (over 800 pages) but I felt that it was appropriate for the story and it managed to hold my interest throughout.
I couldn’t predict how it would end but I did have hopes for how I would like it to end, unfortunately it didn’t happen how I had hoped it would but the epilogue did wrap everything up nicely so I wasn’t too disappointed. I look forward to reading the follow-up book Illusions of Love, which is waiting patiently on my Kindle, to see if my hopes for India will finally come true.
The book contained some strong language and sexual scenes so if you are likely to be offended by this then it probably isn’t for you.
This was a fascinating and emotional read, a real page-turner.
I wasn’t sure what was going on in the prologue but it really sparked my interest with talk of India’s journey and telling the truth, it ended with her looking at something/someone she wished she hadn’t and this made me very keen to read on.
After the prologue it went back to where India’s journey began (before she was famous) and certain things started to make more sense. She lived every girls dream by becoming a movie star in the way she did but there were times when it was more of a nightmare for her. India’s friend Charley felt incredibly resentful about her new-found fame and things started to go downhill from there.
India managed to charm more than a couple of men, they all seemed to fall head over heels for her without her even trying and although I liked her character most of the time, there were times when she really annoyed me, particularly towards the end. She made some very surprising choices and I often felt like she made life far more complicated than it needed to be.
There were many lies and secrets throughout the whole book – some I was able to predict and some I wasn’t. There were so many ups and downs that after I had finished I felt like I had been on an emotional rollercoaster ride, I had laughed, cried and even shouted at this book. It reminded me of a soap because of all the drama, glitz and glamour. The book was incredibly long (over 800 pages) but I felt that it was appropriate for the story and it managed to hold my interest throughout.
I couldn’t predict how it would end but I did have hopes for how I would like it to end, unfortunately it didn’t happen how I had hoped it would but the epilogue did wrap everything up nicely so I wasn’t too disappointed. I look forward to reading the follow-up book Illusions of Love, which is waiting patiently on my Kindle, to see if my hopes for India will finally come true.
The book contained some strong language and sexual scenes so if you are likely to be offended by this then it probably isn’t for you.
This was a fascinating and emotional read, a real page-turner.
January 24, 2012
The story starts of in 1991 when India is just an ordinary girl from the North East of England. India is working as a legal secretary for a prestigious firm of solicitors she is living a normal life working and living with her best friend Charley. They spend most weekdays having girlie nights in watching chick flicks and eating chocolate and most weekends out on the town.
India’s life is about to change dramatically and more than she could have ever imagined. When she and Charley attend a works event in walks the famous film star Reece Brogan and he shows an interest in India. He invites India over to L.A for a screen test for a part in a film starring along side another big film star Kenny Ross. They want an unknown face, someone fresh and exciting.
India is a success and she is catapulted into the life and glamour of becoming an A list star in Hollywood. India now has the actors in her real life that she had been only use to watching in films. They are Reece Brogan the film star who made all this happen for her he stays close to India, but he is keeping a secret from her. Kenny Ross who India finds she gets along with great and she is surprised just how at ease she feels in his company and film star director Michael Walsh who is secretly in love with India and is waiting for the chance to tell India how he feels. But with India drawn to Kenny will he ever get a chance?
This is a sensational novel by Michelle Betham. It is packed with drama, passion and tragedy. The book has got an excellent cast of characters. The story covers three decades of India’s life, from India’s normal life in the North East of England to the glamour and glitz of living the Hollywood lifestyle. So it is a nice long read and I found I could completely get lost and easily lose a couple of hours, when I was reading this book it’s just pure escapism at its best. I will look forward to reading more of Michelle Betham’s work.
India’s life is about to change dramatically and more than she could have ever imagined. When she and Charley attend a works event in walks the famous film star Reece Brogan and he shows an interest in India. He invites India over to L.A for a screen test for a part in a film starring along side another big film star Kenny Ross. They want an unknown face, someone fresh and exciting.
India is a success and she is catapulted into the life and glamour of becoming an A list star in Hollywood. India now has the actors in her real life that she had been only use to watching in films. They are Reece Brogan the film star who made all this happen for her he stays close to India, but he is keeping a secret from her. Kenny Ross who India finds she gets along with great and she is surprised just how at ease she feels in his company and film star director Michael Walsh who is secretly in love with India and is waiting for the chance to tell India how he feels. But with India drawn to Kenny will he ever get a chance?
This is a sensational novel by Michelle Betham. It is packed with drama, passion and tragedy. The book has got an excellent cast of characters. The story covers three decades of India’s life, from India’s normal life in the North East of England to the glamour and glitz of living the Hollywood lifestyle. So it is a nice long read and I found I could completely get lost and easily lose a couple of hours, when I was reading this book it’s just pure escapism at its best. I will look forward to reading more of Michelle Betham’s work.
August 27, 2012
Wow, this was a long book. As with most free kindle books, there are a lot of grammar issues. Other than that, the story was interesting. The main character is hard to relate to - she is completely needy and cannot seem to function without a man to take care of her. And she is enabled by everyone around her since they all think she is so fragile. It did keep me interested in the story and I am interested enough to consider reading the sequel just to see if India actually grows up and thinks about someone other than herself or if she continues to make a giant mess of her life.
**Update - Ok, I changed my review from 3 to 4 stars. Since I actually broke down and downloaded the sequel (Illusions of Love) I figured it had to be better than I initially thought. It made me want to continue and see how it all ended so that has to be a sign of a good book, right??.
**Update - Ok, I changed my review from 3 to 4 stars. Since I actually broke down and downloaded the sequel (Illusions of Love) I figured it had to be better than I initially thought. It made me want to continue and see how it all ended so that has to be a sign of a good book, right??.
July 9, 2012
A young girl from Englans suddenly uproots her life on the chance of becoming an actress and then her whole life is turned upside down and then some. It was a good read, somewhat predictable of what someone might think of a highly successful actress' life. There were enough twist and turns that kept you interested.
October 21, 2012
A very long book which spans 18 years. Very enjoyable for the first two thirds, had me gripped wondering what India would do but found myself getting frustrated with the character towards the end as I found it hard to sympathise with her choices. Overall a good read.
July 28, 2012
This book was entirely too long, the main character was not particularly likeable, very poorly edited, and repetitive. I kept reading, hoping it would improve, but it never did.
September 6, 2012
Long read. Around 1000 plus pages. This is one of the best celebrity fiction stories I've ever read. A must read for those who love to read such themes. =]
June 29, 2013
This is a long book, perfect for a holiday read, really great characters you can get into, definitely read the follow up, illusions of love, great ending.
October 2, 2013
This book went on and on forever
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews