What do you think?
Rate this book
Unscripted
As a producer on a reality dating show, Abby Edwards knows that true love is a myth. Her career and her friends are all she needs. Right?
When her screenwriter ex makes a hit movie based on their relationship, Abby's faults are projected on screens across the country. Suddenly the fact that her job depends on orchestrating hot tub hook-ups doesn't seem so impressive.
Her friends rally to help. Zoe thinks she needs to meet a guy. Stephanie suggests an attitude adjustment. Nancy wants her to get in touch with her inner Goddess. Abby knows they mean well, but she prefers to focus on her work. Unfortunately, she's already embarrassed herself in front of her new boss, Will Harper, who she would find totally crush-worthy if he weren't so irritating.
Abby's about to be reminded that life doesn't follow a script--and good things happen when you least expect it...
97,000 words
When her screenwriter ex makes a hit movie based on their relationship, Abby's faults are projected on screens across the country. Suddenly the fact that her job depends on orchestrating hot tub hook-ups doesn't seem so impressive.
Her friends rally to help. Zoe thinks she needs to meet a guy. Stephanie suggests an attitude adjustment. Nancy wants her to get in touch with her inner Goddess. Abby knows they mean well, but she prefers to focus on her work. Unfortunately, she's already embarrassed herself in front of her new boss, Will Harper, who she would find totally crush-worthy if he weren't so irritating.
Abby's about to be reminded that life doesn't follow a script--and good things happen when you least expect it...
97,000 words
273 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2011
5 people are currently reading
166 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
December 18, 2011
I loved this book from start to finish. It was smart, funny, and very witty. I can also appreciate the subject matter considering I used to work in the entertainment industry and know how gruelish it can be. The romance was a small part of the story, which I loved. If your looking for a fun showbiz fiction, this is the book to read!
November 23, 2011
http://chicklitaholic.blogspot.com/20...
Have you ever wanted to know what really goes on behind the scenes of your favourite reality television show? I know that I have always wanted to find out the gossip and dirt on what really goes happens and Unscripted by Natalie Aaron and Marla Schwartz defiantly takes you there. Add a splash of romance and some chick lit and you have a novel that you will fly through.
As a producer on a reality dating show, Abby Edwards knows that true love is a myth.
When her screenwriter ex makes a hit movie based on their relationship, Abby's faults are projected on screens across the country. Suddenly the fact that her job depends on orchestrating hot tub hook-ups doesn't seem so impressive. Her friends rally to help. Zoë thinks she needs to meet a guy. Stephanie suggests an attitude adjustment. Nancy wants her to get in touch with her inner Goddess. Abby knows they mean well, but she prefers to focus on her work. Unfortunately, she's already embarrassed herself in front of her new boss, Will Harper, who she would find totally crush-worthy if he weren't so irritating.
Natalie Aaron and Marla Schwartz have both worked in reality television before, which really added an extra layer to Unscripted. I loved the way in which they were able to weave some extreme and hilarious goings on behind the scenes into their story. I was constantly left wondering whether these happenings were entirely made up or whether Natalie and Marla brought these in from first hand experience. With Unscripted being written by two different authors I have to admit I was a little sceptical that it would be obvious that which author had written which parts. Well my worries were sent packing, I found that the writing flowed smoothly with no interruptions. Unless you knew beforehand, there is no tell tale signs that Unscripted has been written by two different authors. While the pace of Unscripted was a little slow to begin with, once I got started on the story I found it very hard to put down. I kept flying through the pages, ready to find out what the reality stars were going to get up to next. I did, however, find the ending to be a little abrupt. I got to the last few pages and was really beginning to wonder how Natalie and Marla were going to wrap up the story in that limited amount of space. While I don’t want to give anything away, I will say that I would have liked the ending to progress a little more.
As a character, I really connected with Abbey finding her to be smart and funny, which are two qualities I enjoy a main character to have. I loved in way in which we see her at her lows and her highs, giving a full range of her character. I really enjoyed her interaction with her best friend, ,they go through some rough times in their friendship and I liked the way it was handled. I was constantly torn between thinking that they shouldn’t be friends anymore to wanting them to work through their differences. Something that anyone who has ever had an argument with a close friend can relate to. As well as liking Abbey, I also enjoyed reading about the secondary characters as well, finding almost all of them to be intriguing. My only issue, in terms of characters, was with the romance aspect between Abbey and her co-worker Will. I just felt that there was not enough of it and would have loved to see this develop more. While it is underlying throughout most of the novel, I really would have liked to see more of it. I would also have enjoyed seeing more of Will as a character as even at the end of the novel, I felt I knew very little about him.
Overall. I did enjoy Unscripted, finding it to be unique. In the romance and chick lit genre all too often some novels become predictable and similar, I really enjoyed how Unscripted took a different route into an area that has had very little exploration in this genre. Unscripted is a light, entertaining, charming read that will have you laughing out loud from beginning to end. If you are looking for a twist on a romance or chick lit novel I would defiantly recommend Unscripted.
Have you ever wanted to know what really goes on behind the scenes of your favourite reality television show? I know that I have always wanted to find out the gossip and dirt on what really goes happens and Unscripted by Natalie Aaron and Marla Schwartz defiantly takes you there. Add a splash of romance and some chick lit and you have a novel that you will fly through.
As a producer on a reality dating show, Abby Edwards knows that true love is a myth.
When her screenwriter ex makes a hit movie based on their relationship, Abby's faults are projected on screens across the country. Suddenly the fact that her job depends on orchestrating hot tub hook-ups doesn't seem so impressive. Her friends rally to help. Zoë thinks she needs to meet a guy. Stephanie suggests an attitude adjustment. Nancy wants her to get in touch with her inner Goddess. Abby knows they mean well, but she prefers to focus on her work. Unfortunately, she's already embarrassed herself in front of her new boss, Will Harper, who she would find totally crush-worthy if he weren't so irritating.
Natalie Aaron and Marla Schwartz have both worked in reality television before, which really added an extra layer to Unscripted. I loved the way in which they were able to weave some extreme and hilarious goings on behind the scenes into their story. I was constantly left wondering whether these happenings were entirely made up or whether Natalie and Marla brought these in from first hand experience. With Unscripted being written by two different authors I have to admit I was a little sceptical that it would be obvious that which author had written which parts. Well my worries were sent packing, I found that the writing flowed smoothly with no interruptions. Unless you knew beforehand, there is no tell tale signs that Unscripted has been written by two different authors. While the pace of Unscripted was a little slow to begin with, once I got started on the story I found it very hard to put down. I kept flying through the pages, ready to find out what the reality stars were going to get up to next. I did, however, find the ending to be a little abrupt. I got to the last few pages and was really beginning to wonder how Natalie and Marla were going to wrap up the story in that limited amount of space. While I don’t want to give anything away, I will say that I would have liked the ending to progress a little more.
As a character, I really connected with Abbey finding her to be smart and funny, which are two qualities I enjoy a main character to have. I loved in way in which we see her at her lows and her highs, giving a full range of her character. I really enjoyed her interaction with her best friend, ,they go through some rough times in their friendship and I liked the way it was handled. I was constantly torn between thinking that they shouldn’t be friends anymore to wanting them to work through their differences. Something that anyone who has ever had an argument with a close friend can relate to. As well as liking Abbey, I also enjoyed reading about the secondary characters as well, finding almost all of them to be intriguing. My only issue, in terms of characters, was with the romance aspect between Abbey and her co-worker Will. I just felt that there was not enough of it and would have loved to see this develop more. While it is underlying throughout most of the novel, I really would have liked to see more of it. I would also have enjoyed seeing more of Will as a character as even at the end of the novel, I felt I knew very little about him.
Overall. I did enjoy Unscripted, finding it to be unique. In the romance and chick lit genre all too often some novels become predictable and similar, I really enjoyed how Unscripted took a different route into an area that has had very little exploration in this genre. Unscripted is a light, entertaining, charming read that will have you laughing out loud from beginning to end. If you are looking for a twist on a romance or chick lit novel I would defiantly recommend Unscripted.
March 26, 2012
I like nothing better than a book that makes me laugh, so I got a real kick out of reading "Unscripted," the hilarious debut novel of talented newcomers Natalie Aaron and Marla Schwartz. According to their bio, these ladies have toiled behind-the-scenes in reality television for many years, so they know whereof they speak! And their insider's knowledge of that stressful, often chaotic world, as well as the anything-for-ratings mindset of the people who work in it, gave the characters and their trials and tribulations a wonderful authenticity that really added to my enjoyment of the book. In my opinion, the best fiction always has the ring of truth to it!
The thirtysomething heroine of "Unscripted," one Abby Edwards, is at a crossroads in her life, both personally and professionally. She's between jobs (Who knew that producers in reality TV had to bounce from show to show every few months?), her best friend/roomie, Zoë, has finally bullied her SO into popping the question, so now Abby's living arrangements are up in the air, and worst of all, Abby's screenwriter ex is receiving accolades for his new movie, which is based (sort of) on their relationship and paints a very unflattering portrait of her. Abby ends up taking a job on a clip show where her yummy new boss is someone she had an embarrassing encounter with years ago (Abby's still fretting about it, while Will acts as if he doesn't even remember her, or the incident.) And this is where the fun begins as Abby navigates her way through the treacherous waters of a very demanding job and potential romance!
Abby was such an entertaining and likable heroine; I loved her "voice," which was so smart and funny and self-deprecating, and I rooted for her all the way through the book. The supporting characters in "Unscripted" were equally well-drawn and added a lot of flavor to the story. Abby's New Age-y friend Nancy was particularly amusing because she was always dragging Abby into nutty situations like goddess parties (I still crack up every time I think about that chapter in the book.) It was nice that Abby had such a good rapport with most of the men in her life (Knit Cap at work being the one exception and he was such a creeper that I wanted to reach through my Kindle screen and smack him myself!) The slow burn between Abby and Will was done exceptionally well, as I could really see the development of Abby's feelings for him and I understood her doubts and fears because Will was so enigmatic (Was he attracted to Abby at all? Did he have something going with Lisa, the witchy, but gorgeous, supervising producer?) The romantic storyline is something that I think all Chick Lit readers will delight in.
The authors ended "Unscripted" with a great set-up for a sequel, so I'm hoping that we will see Abby and at least some of her posse in a follow-up very soon (Hint, Hint, Marla and Natalie!) Meanwhile, I encourage everyone to read "Unscripted." This is a novel that is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face!
Review originally posted on Chick Lit Central:
http://chicklitcentraltheblog.blogspo...
The thirtysomething heroine of "Unscripted," one Abby Edwards, is at a crossroads in her life, both personally and professionally. She's between jobs (Who knew that producers in reality TV had to bounce from show to show every few months?), her best friend/roomie, Zoë, has finally bullied her SO into popping the question, so now Abby's living arrangements are up in the air, and worst of all, Abby's screenwriter ex is receiving accolades for his new movie, which is based (sort of) on their relationship and paints a very unflattering portrait of her. Abby ends up taking a job on a clip show where her yummy new boss is someone she had an embarrassing encounter with years ago (Abby's still fretting about it, while Will acts as if he doesn't even remember her, or the incident.) And this is where the fun begins as Abby navigates her way through the treacherous waters of a very demanding job and potential romance!
Abby was such an entertaining and likable heroine; I loved her "voice," which was so smart and funny and self-deprecating, and I rooted for her all the way through the book. The supporting characters in "Unscripted" were equally well-drawn and added a lot of flavor to the story. Abby's New Age-y friend Nancy was particularly amusing because she was always dragging Abby into nutty situations like goddess parties (I still crack up every time I think about that chapter in the book.) It was nice that Abby had such a good rapport with most of the men in her life (Knit Cap at work being the one exception and he was such a creeper that I wanted to reach through my Kindle screen and smack him myself!) The slow burn between Abby and Will was done exceptionally well, as I could really see the development of Abby's feelings for him and I understood her doubts and fears because Will was so enigmatic (Was he attracted to Abby at all? Did he have something going with Lisa, the witchy, but gorgeous, supervising producer?) The romantic storyline is something that I think all Chick Lit readers will delight in.
The authors ended "Unscripted" with a great set-up for a sequel, so I'm hoping that we will see Abby and at least some of her posse in a follow-up very soon (Hint, Hint, Marla and Natalie!) Meanwhile, I encourage everyone to read "Unscripted." This is a novel that is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face!
Review originally posted on Chick Lit Central:
http://chicklitcentraltheblog.blogspo...
December 8, 2011
Unscripted is a story about a 30-something single woman working as a producer of reality shows in LA. Jaded as a result of both the scripted romances she sees at her job and her only long-term relationship going sour, Abby has basically given up on finding true love in favor of working long hours and spending time with her friends. To make matters worse, her ex boyfriend has produced a movie based "loosely" on their relationship. It does not paint her in the best light and is a hit at the box office. Everyone in Abby's world seems to be moving up and succeeding in life and love while Abby is seemingly stuck in an existence of moving from reality show to reality show with no sense of security or consistency.
I absolutely loved this book. I didn't want to put it down, yet didn't want to finish it either! I loved it. (I think I said that already.) It was chick-lit at its finest, but not the kind of chick-lit where you need to suspend reality big-time; just a bird's eye view into a regular woman's struggles with friendship, career and love, all accomplished with a light, humorous, easy-breezy writing style.
The main character, Abby, was incredibly relatable and her relationships with the characters in the book were as well, from her friendships with Zoe, Stephanie and Nancy, to her fear of the scary yet perfect Lisa, to her adorable crush on her boss Will. I felt every emotion along with Abby from her annoyance with Zoe's materialistic attitude and Nancy's "Pollyanna" antics, to her reactions to Lisa's quiet insults, to the fast paced beating of her heart whenever Will was around. There were moments when I wished she stood up for herself more but, like I wrote above, she was very relatable and it's always easier to tell someone else to speak her mind than actually do it yourself! In almost every circumstance, I probably would have behaved just like Abby.
In sum, for chick-lit readers everywhere, this book has it all. I look forward to reading more from these authors. Maybe a sequel?
I absolutely loved this book. I didn't want to put it down, yet didn't want to finish it either! I loved it. (I think I said that already.) It was chick-lit at its finest, but not the kind of chick-lit where you need to suspend reality big-time; just a bird's eye view into a regular woman's struggles with friendship, career and love, all accomplished with a light, humorous, easy-breezy writing style.
The main character, Abby, was incredibly relatable and her relationships with the characters in the book were as well, from her friendships with Zoe, Stephanie and Nancy, to her fear of the scary yet perfect Lisa, to her adorable crush on her boss Will. I felt every emotion along with Abby from her annoyance with Zoe's materialistic attitude and Nancy's "Pollyanna" antics, to her reactions to Lisa's quiet insults, to the fast paced beating of her heart whenever Will was around. There were moments when I wished she stood up for herself more but, like I wrote above, she was very relatable and it's always easier to tell someone else to speak her mind than actually do it yourself! In almost every circumstance, I probably would have behaved just like Abby.
In sum, for chick-lit readers everywhere, this book has it all. I look forward to reading more from these authors. Maybe a sequel?
November 20, 2011
Unscripted by Natalie Aaron and Marla Schwartz and is light, fun read set in the underbelly of reality television — a perfect setting as the authors have extensive experience in said underbelly.
Abby Edwards is a segment producer who isn’t exactly where she wants to be in her personal or professional life, so her eclectic “supporting cast” tries to help her along, each in his or her own way. Her screenwriter ex-boyfriend, for example, splashes intimate details about their former relationship on the big screen. Ahem. Life goes on for Abby as she throws herself into work, a possible new love interest, and various feel-good schemes by her girlfriends, including a detox foot bath party.
I really enjoyed this book; I looked forward to sneaking in a few pages of reading here and there throughout the day, and that is always a good sign.
I could have done with slightly less detail on the television show Abby was working on, a slightly faster pace in the beginning, a bit more character development of the man Abby develops a crush on, and a more fleshed out ending, but because Unscripted kept me turning pages every day, I’m giving it four stars.
I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a light chick-lit book full of chuckle-worthy situations and fun, quirky characters; there are a few (completely non-gratuitous) salty words used throughout, but if you don’t mind that as a parent, I think this would be a great book for teens as well as it touches on issues of self-esteem and standing up for oneself.
Abby Edwards is a segment producer who isn’t exactly where she wants to be in her personal or professional life, so her eclectic “supporting cast” tries to help her along, each in his or her own way. Her screenwriter ex-boyfriend, for example, splashes intimate details about their former relationship on the big screen. Ahem. Life goes on for Abby as she throws herself into work, a possible new love interest, and various feel-good schemes by her girlfriends, including a detox foot bath party.
I really enjoyed this book; I looked forward to sneaking in a few pages of reading here and there throughout the day, and that is always a good sign.
I could have done with slightly less detail on the television show Abby was working on, a slightly faster pace in the beginning, a bit more character development of the man Abby develops a crush on, and a more fleshed out ending, but because Unscripted kept me turning pages every day, I’m giving it four stars.
I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a light chick-lit book full of chuckle-worthy situations and fun, quirky characters; there are a few (completely non-gratuitous) salty words used throughout, but if you don’t mind that as a parent, I think this would be a great book for teens as well as it touches on issues of self-esteem and standing up for oneself.
December 24, 2011
originally posted at http://www.longandshortreviews.blogsp...
Can you really believe in love when you work for a show that proves love is just another commodity to be bought and sold? Living in a big city, working for a reality TV show, Abby Edwards runs into that question all the time. Not believing in love just becomes easier when working in this industry. Until one day when Will Harper comes into her life and things get all turned around. Ten years, filled with life, friends and love happen and then our two characters met again in a meet cute way. Will the same feelings from that long again still be there or will their show be cancelled before it even makes the cut?
This was a great read that really showed what talented writers both Natalie Aaron and Marla Schwartz are. Not once did the story drag or move too quickly, and the story line itself was so believable that it really drew me in. Quite a few times I laughed out loud at the characters, I cried along with them, and felt like these were people that I would know in the real world.
It was a real pleasure to get to read this book, and I know that anyone else who gets the privilege to read this will feel the same way. These are two authors to look out for, not only for their natural talent but also because they know just how to weave a good story without making it look like work in the least. This book will definitely go onto my keeper shelf and I will be looking for these authors again.
Can you really believe in love when you work for a show that proves love is just another commodity to be bought and sold? Living in a big city, working for a reality TV show, Abby Edwards runs into that question all the time. Not believing in love just becomes easier when working in this industry. Until one day when Will Harper comes into her life and things get all turned around. Ten years, filled with life, friends and love happen and then our two characters met again in a meet cute way. Will the same feelings from that long again still be there or will their show be cancelled before it even makes the cut?
This was a great read that really showed what talented writers both Natalie Aaron and Marla Schwartz are. Not once did the story drag or move too quickly, and the story line itself was so believable that it really drew me in. Quite a few times I laughed out loud at the characters, I cried along with them, and felt like these were people that I would know in the real world.
It was a real pleasure to get to read this book, and I know that anyone else who gets the privilege to read this will feel the same way. These are two authors to look out for, not only for their natural talent but also because they know just how to weave a good story without making it look like work in the least. This book will definitely go onto my keeper shelf and I will be looking for these authors again.
December 5, 2011
This was a really fun book. Well written--and very smoothly, considering it was the combined work of two writers. I especially enjoyed the inside look at reality TV production. It could have benefited from more build-up of the romance, but overall, it was a great read and I liked it a lot.
December 30, 2011
Very realistic and laugh out loud funny.
I loved Abby, she seemed like one of my girlfriends. I felt as if I really knew her and I love that she had the same doubts and fears that the rest of face.
She is so down to earth and funny that you can't help wanting her to have a happy ending.
I loved Abby, she seemed like one of my girlfriends. I felt as if I really knew her and I love that she had the same doubts and fears that the rest of face.
She is so down to earth and funny that you can't help wanting her to have a happy ending.
January 14, 2012
Originally posted at: Romance Around the Corner
Unscripted follows our heroine, Abby Edwards, as she tries to make a living in Hollywood while working as a producer in the world of reality TV. We see her trying to come to terms with the fact that her dream of being a screenwriter won’t come true, having a job that is hard and demanding but not as rewarding as she would like, and overall struggling to find her place, be successful and achieve happiness. In the process we meet Abby’s best friend Zöe, who has her own struggles, and a set of different characters that are part of Abby’s life, some of them help her, some of them become obstacles, but all of them impact her in some way. All of this is set against the background of Reality TV, a complex and interesting world that acts almost like another character.
You probably can tell by now but this isn’t a romance (mostly because I didn’t mention the hero), Abby has a romantic interest but the romance is almost an afterthought. Will, the romantic interest, is more of a secondary character than anything else, he’s not the hero, the book doesn’t have one, the story is all about Abby, and on a lesser scale, about Zöe. If I had to label it I would say it’s more into the realm of women’s fiction and/or chick lit, it had all the components to be one: the main character is a woman struggling to find happiness, it’s told in first person, she gets in trouble a lot, some of those troubles are supposed to offer some comedic relief, and by the end of the book Abby achieves her happily ever after, or maybe not.
You see, there were a lot of reasons why this book didn’t work for me but I couldn’t see past through two of them. First of all, there’s no journey. The Abby that we meet when the book begins is the exact same person we say goodbye to at the end. She goes through a lot during the book, she loses her job, finds a new one but the boss turns out to be a dreaded character from her past, her best friend moves out of their apartment leaving Abby unable to pay for rent, she gets explosive diarrhea during a job interview, she has to deal with the coworkers from Hell, her ex-boyfriend writes a movie based on her, etc. But that’s it, the book is about a series of unfortunate events but not about how Abby grows and learns from them, and believe me, this is a person who could use some maturing. So when the book ends and she finds a guy, gets a new job with him (because when you get your HEA is OK to mix business with pleasure, right?) and claims that she finally feels happy, I don’t believe it. Not only that, but because she was never a likeable character I’m not emotionally invested in her happiness, so I don’t really care about what happens to her.
This leads me to the second reason why I didn’t like the book: the characters. This story has a huge cast of unlikeable characters, I don’t mean that they were realistic and had both positive and negative personality traits just like everyone does, I mean that they didn’t have redeeming qualities. Abby was unhappy and hated her job, she does nothing but complain, she mentions that there are aspects of her job that she enjoys and she was responsible and hardworking, but she was also miserable. She claims that her dream is to be a screenwriter, but she never makes an attempt to pursue it, then she says that she wants to have her own production company and sell shows, but again, she doesn’t do anything about it. She was obnoxious and most of the time not a good person. I usually like heroines that are funny and a bit of a smartass but she kept rubbing me the wrong way. Here are some quotes to give you an idea of what I mean:
Granted, she is talking to one of those unlikeable characters I mentioned, but she is like this all the time:
And then (the emphasis is mine):
This is what goes through her head when one of her bosses has an accident and she has to replace him:
See? Is this supposed to be funny?
It was exhausting to be in her head throughout the book, which is why this next quote made me laugh out loud:
Believe me, you don’t want to know…
Then there’s Zöe, who is immature, materialistic, self-centered and the biggest asshole in a book filled with assholes. I’ll let her speak for herself.
In this scene Zöe is telling Abby that she finally convinced her boyfriend to get married:
I can actually appreciate that Abby is a good (?) friend and that she doesn’t judge Zöe and stays by her side even when she acts like a spoiled brat because that’s how life works, we all have friends like that and we love them just the way they are. But I don’t want to read a whole book about people I don’t like, just because you like your friends, doesn’t mean I have to like them as well.
There were characters I did like, one of them was Zöe’s boyfriend, and the other was Will, but I have a feeling that the only reason I liked him was because we never get to know him.
The whole Hollywood aspect of the book was detailed and it’s obvious that the authors know what they are talking about. It was very interesting to see the behind the scenes of a reality show and how hard it is to make it in the business. I have a newfound appreciation for all the people working in reality TV.
The book isn’t boring and I was curious to see how it was going to end. To me the most interesting part about it were all the details about TV shows and TV production. It’s well-written and fast-paced, but unfortunately the lack of character development and of characters that I could actually root for and like, ruined the story for me.
Source: we received an e-ARC of the book through NetGalley for review purposes.
NOTE: the quotes were taken from the unfinished galley, they may appear different in the final version.
Unscripted follows our heroine, Abby Edwards, as she tries to make a living in Hollywood while working as a producer in the world of reality TV. We see her trying to come to terms with the fact that her dream of being a screenwriter won’t come true, having a job that is hard and demanding but not as rewarding as she would like, and overall struggling to find her place, be successful and achieve happiness. In the process we meet Abby’s best friend Zöe, who has her own struggles, and a set of different characters that are part of Abby’s life, some of them help her, some of them become obstacles, but all of them impact her in some way. All of this is set against the background of Reality TV, a complex and interesting world that acts almost like another character.
You probably can tell by now but this isn’t a romance (mostly because I didn’t mention the hero), Abby has a romantic interest but the romance is almost an afterthought. Will, the romantic interest, is more of a secondary character than anything else, he’s not the hero, the book doesn’t have one, the story is all about Abby, and on a lesser scale, about Zöe. If I had to label it I would say it’s more into the realm of women’s fiction and/or chick lit, it had all the components to be one: the main character is a woman struggling to find happiness, it’s told in first person, she gets in trouble a lot, some of those troubles are supposed to offer some comedic relief, and by the end of the book Abby achieves her happily ever after, or maybe not.
You see, there were a lot of reasons why this book didn’t work for me but I couldn’t see past through two of them. First of all, there’s no journey. The Abby that we meet when the book begins is the exact same person we say goodbye to at the end. She goes through a lot during the book, she loses her job, finds a new one but the boss turns out to be a dreaded character from her past, her best friend moves out of their apartment leaving Abby unable to pay for rent, she gets explosive diarrhea during a job interview, she has to deal with the coworkers from Hell, her ex-boyfriend writes a movie based on her, etc. But that’s it, the book is about a series of unfortunate events but not about how Abby grows and learns from them, and believe me, this is a person who could use some maturing. So when the book ends and she finds a guy, gets a new job with him (because when you get your HEA is OK to mix business with pleasure, right?) and claims that she finally feels happy, I don’t believe it. Not only that, but because she was never a likeable character I’m not emotionally invested in her happiness, so I don’t really care about what happens to her.
This leads me to the second reason why I didn’t like the book: the characters. This story has a huge cast of unlikeable characters, I don’t mean that they were realistic and had both positive and negative personality traits just like everyone does, I mean that they didn’t have redeeming qualities. Abby was unhappy and hated her job, she does nothing but complain, she mentions that there are aspects of her job that she enjoys and she was responsible and hardworking, but she was also miserable. She claims that her dream is to be a screenwriter, but she never makes an attempt to pursue it, then she says that she wants to have her own production company and sell shows, but again, she doesn’t do anything about it. She was obnoxious and most of the time not a good person. I usually like heroines that are funny and a bit of a smartass but she kept rubbing me the wrong way. Here are some quotes to give you an idea of what I mean:
“Sure!” I’ll send the letter again, you vapid hooker. “I’ll follow up tomorrow to make sure that you received it.”
She mumbles a thanks and hangs up.
Granted, she is talking to one of those unlikeable characters I mentioned, but she is like this all the time:
“Call me when you’ve actually booked an actor. From the show.”
Click. So pleasant. Like an old friend.
Now, I wish I could say that I’m exaggerating this woman’s behavior, but alas, I am not. I have no idea what she looks like, but if voice is any indication on appearance, then she’s a plastic, cadaverous hag who smokes at least a pack a day, and if you wrung her dry, the only thing that would flow out of her would be martinis and Botox.
And then (the emphasis is mine):
“I look down on Will’s list. The first name is Luke Canyon, action star extraordinaire, and client of, can you guess it? Sasha Leeds. Okay, desperate times, desperate measures. In my world, that translates to pawn your dirty work off on the person below you, in this case, Christine.”
This is what goes through her head when one of her bosses has an accident and she has to replace him:
Why did Peter have to get in a car wreck now? Nice. Peter is laid up in the hospital with broken bones and all I can do is think about how much I don’t want to do this interview today. I am going to hell. But, let me just say in my defense, I had a shit night’s sleep. In fact, I think I might even be getting sick. Last night my throat was a little sore and it still feels a little scratchy today.
See? Is this supposed to be funny?
It was exhausting to be in her head throughout the book, which is why this next quote made me laugh out loud:
“What it must be like to be inside your head,” Will muses as he takes a bite of his sandwich.
Believe me, you don’t want to know…
Then there’s Zöe, who is immature, materialistic, self-centered and the biggest asshole in a book filled with assholes. I’ll let her speak for herself.
In this scene Zöe is telling Abby that she finally convinced her boyfriend to get married:
“Well, I told him I wasn’t getting any younger, and that I wanted to get married. I also told him if he wasn’t ready, then I wasn’t going to take that crap and wait around. I basically said I was going to start dating other guys.”
“And he obviously took it well,” I reply, biting back a judgmental tone.
“Not exactly. He kind of yelled at me for backing him into a corner and stormed out. But he called me about four hours later and said that he didn’t want me to date anyone else and so if I wanted to get engaged, we’d get engaged.”
How romantic. This certainly wasn’t the Lizzie/Darcy moment Zoë had been dreaming of since she read Pride and Prejudice in the eleventh grade. Without even thinking, I shake my head and frown.
“What? You’re not happy for me?” she asks, her smile fading.
“No, no. I’m totally happy for you.” Even though you’ve completely settled for a pseudo proposal from a guy who you have just blackmailed into marriage. “I was just shaking my head because I’m in shock. I mean it’s great news. I can’t believe it.”
Zoë looks relieved. “I told him I thought we should go ring shopping tomorrow and he sounded fine with it,” she says, her smile returning. “I think anything less than two and a half carats is too small, don’t you think?” she asks, glancing down at her petite ring finger.
I can actually appreciate that Abby is a good (?) friend and that she doesn’t judge Zöe and stays by her side even when she acts like a spoiled brat because that’s how life works, we all have friends like that and we love them just the way they are. But I don’t want to read a whole book about people I don’t like, just because you like your friends, doesn’t mean I have to like them as well.
There were characters I did like, one of them was Zöe’s boyfriend, and the other was Will, but I have a feeling that the only reason I liked him was because we never get to know him.
The whole Hollywood aspect of the book was detailed and it’s obvious that the authors know what they are talking about. It was very interesting to see the behind the scenes of a reality show and how hard it is to make it in the business. I have a newfound appreciation for all the people working in reality TV.
The book isn’t boring and I was curious to see how it was going to end. To me the most interesting part about it were all the details about TV shows and TV production. It’s well-written and fast-paced, but unfortunately the lack of character development and of characters that I could actually root for and like, ruined the story for me.
Source: we received an e-ARC of the book through NetGalley for review purposes.
NOTE: the quotes were taken from the unfinished galley, they may appear different in the final version.
January 27, 2012
Is love real or is it a myth? This is the question that thirty-two year old Abby Edwards questions while working as a producer on reality TV shows. Abby hasn't gotten over the pain of a failed relationship, and her cynical view of dating is that working in reality TV is the best antidote to dating, it's enough to make you celibate! Abby's friends think that she needs to move on with her life: BFF Zoe likes to set her up on dates, Stephanie likes to keep it real and tell it like it is, and Nancy thinks Abby needs to release her negative energy and focus on the positive. While she loves her friends, Abby sticks to working herself ragged on the reality shows, but along comes a man that just plain makes her go bonkers! Will Harper is Abby's new boss, but they share a past, they worked together eight years ago and she made a total fool of herself in front of him, the only thing is that he doesn't remember her. Between the long hours of producing the reality show and obsessing over Will, Abby can't help but wonder if she is being left behind while all her friends' lives are moving forward. To add to her misery, her ex-boyfriend has a hit screenplay, and it's about their relationship, and it doesn't portray Abby in a good light! Can it get any worse? Her dream has always been to write for television, but can her dream become a reality? Can her attraction for Will lead to a romance, maybe even love? Is it possible to move forward in life like her friends have? Follow Abby's journey of self-discovery in Unscripted!
Unscripted was such a fun book to read! As an admitted reality TV fanatic, I loved that this story centered around the production of reality TV shows. I absolutely loved how the authors utilized their experience in the reality TV industry, and gave their readers an in-depth behind-the-scenes look at what really happens in producing reality shows. The storyline was well written and intriguing, it felt like the authors magically transport their readers into the reality TV world, it is that entertaining! I loved getting to know all of the characters, they were so realistic, each of their individual personalities added so much more depth and appeal to the story as a whole. I have to admit that my favorite characters were Abby and Stephanie. I loved both of them because their cynical and sarcastic outlook are so close to mine, I found myself snickering along with them. Of course I also had some least favorite characters: Zoe the selfish bitch and Lisa the all-around total bitch. I found myself gritting my teeth in annoyance when I was reading their portion of the story. Need I say anymore? There is just one little thing that left me wistful, I wanted to see fireworks between Abby and Will throughout the book, but I don't want to give any spoiler information, so I'll just say that I did love their interactions, but I was left wanting more. *sigh* In any case, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this fast-paced entertaining book. Kudos to the authors on a great debut novel! Chick Lit fans, put Unscripted on your TBR list, it's a must read!
Disclaimer: At the request of the authors and Chick Lit Plus, an Adobe PDF edition of the book was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest review and participation in the virtual book tour event.
Virtual Book Tour Event: On Friday, January 27, 2012, in association with Chick Lit Plus, Natalie Aaron and Marla Schwartz participated in a virtual book tour event with an Author Guest Post on Jersey Girl Book Reviews.
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...
Unscripted was such a fun book to read! As an admitted reality TV fanatic, I loved that this story centered around the production of reality TV shows. I absolutely loved how the authors utilized their experience in the reality TV industry, and gave their readers an in-depth behind-the-scenes look at what really happens in producing reality shows. The storyline was well written and intriguing, it felt like the authors magically transport their readers into the reality TV world, it is that entertaining! I loved getting to know all of the characters, they were so realistic, each of their individual personalities added so much more depth and appeal to the story as a whole. I have to admit that my favorite characters were Abby and Stephanie. I loved both of them because their cynical and sarcastic outlook are so close to mine, I found myself snickering along with them. Of course I also had some least favorite characters: Zoe the selfish bitch and Lisa the all-around total bitch. I found myself gritting my teeth in annoyance when I was reading their portion of the story. Need I say anymore? There is just one little thing that left me wistful, I wanted to see fireworks between Abby and Will throughout the book, but I don't want to give any spoiler information, so I'll just say that I did love their interactions, but I was left wanting more. *sigh* In any case, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this fast-paced entertaining book. Kudos to the authors on a great debut novel! Chick Lit fans, put Unscripted on your TBR list, it's a must read!
Disclaimer: At the request of the authors and Chick Lit Plus, an Adobe PDF edition of the book was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest review and participation in the virtual book tour event.
Virtual Book Tour Event: On Friday, January 27, 2012, in association with Chick Lit Plus, Natalie Aaron and Marla Schwartz participated in a virtual book tour event with an Author Guest Post on Jersey Girl Book Reviews.
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...
March 15, 2012
Review to come
Merged review:
Every day you can find a reality show on TV. I think the market is over-saturated with them. I have to roll my eyes at shows like The Bachelor. It's not real. I don't understand the motivation to going on a reality show. Fame must be the motive. But what about the people behind the scenes? What is their motivation? I wonder about that sometimes. Like who are the geniuses that brought us "Joe Millionaire" and "Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire?" Unscripted by Natalie Aaron and Marla Schwartz takes us behind the scenes of reality TV.
Abby Edwards is very cynical when it comes to love. Finding her next job and relationships with her friends are what's important, romance is not part of the equation. Her job as a producer on the dating show Matchmaker is about to end. Where is her next gig going to come from? Is this type of career what she really wants? Splicing together footage is the easy part of the job. Playing therapist/pastor/mom/dad/aunt/uncle/shoulder to cry on for the babies on her reality show are the hard part. Either the contestants come to her or the network forces her to deal with their petty problems. But even that wears on Abby. How many times can you watch a grown man or woman act like a baby?
Her friends are an interesting bunch, especially her closest friend and roommate Zoe. Zoe has found love, but for her it has an expiration date if her boyfriend, Jeff, doesn't propose. Even when she gets the proposal it was forced. Zoe wants marriage and family, but only if her husband has a sizable bank account. Jeff has a "good" job, but as soon as he takes a job with a lower salary there is trouble in paradise. It doesn't matter if the job makes him happy and could lead to an even better opportunity. All that matters is that Zoe might not be able to fulfill her dream of a big house, children, and life as a housewife. I found Zoe to be extremely selfish and self-centered. I'm surprised Abby and Zoe were friends. Abby doesn't care about appearances the way Zoe does.
Abby's life is thrown for a loop when she goes to work alongside Will, a handsome producer. She's not sure how this will work since the last time Abby saw Will she mistook him for a lowly production assistant. But it goes better than expected as Will comes to respect her ideas. Abby starts feeling butterflies whenever he is around, but does Will feel the same. Her jaded views about love keep Abby from acting on her feelings.
The relationship Abby has with herself is at the heart of the book. When her friendship with Zoe hits a rough patch, Abby is forced to look at her own life. Is she really happy? What will it take to make her happy? Is fantasizing about Will just a quick fix? The sooner Abby can answer those questions, the sooner she can be happy. The book also delves into the ugly side of reality TV. We get a very vivid picture of all the backstabbing, power struggles, and manipulation that goes on. Abby does more than her fair share of work, but someone with more power is always standing by to take credit. In the end, I wish some of the romance elements had been explored more. The ending, while very hopeful, leaves you wanting more of Abby's story. The way the book ended, life was just beginning for Abby.
Rating: Superb
Note: I received an e-copy from the authors in exchange for an honest review.
Merged review:
Every day you can find a reality show on TV. I think the market is over-saturated with them. I have to roll my eyes at shows like The Bachelor. It's not real. I don't understand the motivation to going on a reality show. Fame must be the motive. But what about the people behind the scenes? What is their motivation? I wonder about that sometimes. Like who are the geniuses that brought us "Joe Millionaire" and "Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire?" Unscripted by Natalie Aaron and Marla Schwartz takes us behind the scenes of reality TV.
Abby Edwards is very cynical when it comes to love. Finding her next job and relationships with her friends are what's important, romance is not part of the equation. Her job as a producer on the dating show Matchmaker is about to end. Where is her next gig going to come from? Is this type of career what she really wants? Splicing together footage is the easy part of the job. Playing therapist/pastor/mom/dad/aunt/uncle/shoulder to cry on for the babies on her reality show are the hard part. Either the contestants come to her or the network forces her to deal with their petty problems. But even that wears on Abby. How many times can you watch a grown man or woman act like a baby?
Her friends are an interesting bunch, especially her closest friend and roommate Zoe. Zoe has found love, but for her it has an expiration date if her boyfriend, Jeff, doesn't propose. Even when she gets the proposal it was forced. Zoe wants marriage and family, but only if her husband has a sizable bank account. Jeff has a "good" job, but as soon as he takes a job with a lower salary there is trouble in paradise. It doesn't matter if the job makes him happy and could lead to an even better opportunity. All that matters is that Zoe might not be able to fulfill her dream of a big house, children, and life as a housewife. I found Zoe to be extremely selfish and self-centered. I'm surprised Abby and Zoe were friends. Abby doesn't care about appearances the way Zoe does.
Abby's life is thrown for a loop when she goes to work alongside Will, a handsome producer. She's not sure how this will work since the last time Abby saw Will she mistook him for a lowly production assistant. But it goes better than expected as Will comes to respect her ideas. Abby starts feeling butterflies whenever he is around, but does Will feel the same. Her jaded views about love keep Abby from acting on her feelings.
The relationship Abby has with herself is at the heart of the book. When her friendship with Zoe hits a rough patch, Abby is forced to look at her own life. Is she really happy? What will it take to make her happy? Is fantasizing about Will just a quick fix? The sooner Abby can answer those questions, the sooner she can be happy. The book also delves into the ugly side of reality TV. We get a very vivid picture of all the backstabbing, power struggles, and manipulation that goes on. Abby does more than her fair share of work, but someone with more power is always standing by to take credit. In the end, I wish some of the romance elements had been explored more. The ending, while very hopeful, leaves you wanting more of Abby's story. The way the book ended, life was just beginning for Abby.
Rating: Superb
Note: I received an e-copy from the authors in exchange for an honest review.
November 17, 2011
Reviewed at http://bookstobrightenyourmood.blogsp...
Unscripted is a really sweet,really fun romance title,that if it weren't that detailed in some parts,it could have easily ranked among my favorite contemporary romance titles!
The authors have done an amazing job creating the characters in this book!And I don't only mean the main protagonists,but the secondary ones as well!Abby is a down to earth,maybe even average woman,you can totally relate to as a reader and love her for all her insecurities and sweetness!I just loved Abby and could see in her parts of myself or parts of girls I know.A really likeable character.
Around Abby is woven a really intricate,and really detailed story about getting what you want from life and copying with daily problems!
I really liked all those details around the production of a tv-show,especially a reality.I really enjoyed knowing all those "dirty" facts that we all suspect but never really even imagine the extends to which some people are ready to go to get famous!
That being said, despite the fact that the details were really well written,and with a good sense of humor,I personally thought that the story was a bit slow at times and heavy on details from Abby's life that didn't really add up to the story.
And just when things started to get interesting, Boom!, story ends!I would really have liked the ending to be a bit more detailed and the juicy part of a romantic story,not to just sum up into two or three chapters.Especially when throughout the rest of the book,the authors didn't really built any romantic tension between their protagonists.Things just pretty much wrapped up in a pretty package,The End.
I'd really love a little bit more, especially since it's a romance title we are talking about.
And speaking of more,I'd also would like to know more about Will...For a protagonist,he really didn't get his share of attention in this book and I just wanted more of him!
But despite the fact that for a romance title,Unscripted is "cleaner" than many YA titles I've read (there was really just a single kiss scene troughout the whole book),and that's not what I was expecting when picking it,it was easily read and really enjoyable in overall!Honestly, I loved it!
January 13, 2012
Natalie Aaron and Marla Schwartz are on tour with CLP Blog Tours. Unscripted follows loveable heroine Abby Edwards, who works as a reality TV show producer. Abby has been currently burned in a relationship, and has given up on dating. True love couldn’t possibly be true in the land of LA. Abby throws herself into her work, but friction in her friendship with BFF Zoe throws her world off balance. It doesn’t help that her new boss is deliciously hunky but she can’t decipher his attitude towards her. And then there’s the ex-boyfriend, a screenwriter who has just hit it big with a movie based “loosely” on their relationship. Abby needs to get a handle on her life, and learn that not everything will follow a script. But can she rewrite her own reality for success?
I had so much fun reading Unscripted! Aaron and Schwartz have both worked as producers, and the behind the scenes peeks readers will get are hilarious and border on unbelievable. I absolutely lost it during the scene where the “bachelorette” who submitted her tape as a joke and had no interest in LA went all diva on the workers and decided fame wasn’t something to ignore. The romance between Abby and boss Will was written in a really sweet way. I loved seeing the characters get a second chance ten years later. I didn’t so much like BFF Zoe, she just gave me an ick feeling and I wondered why Abby would put up with that. Strangely, I had a friend that had a lot of Zoe qualities and she tested my patience one too many time. That friendship has since been severed. I was wishing that Abby would see the light with her, but the other two friends were great additions to the cast! Overall, Unscripted is a fast-paced read that chick lit fans must get their hands on! I’m happy to say that Unscripted is my first Favorite of 2012!
I had so much fun reading Unscripted! Aaron and Schwartz have both worked as producers, and the behind the scenes peeks readers will get are hilarious and border on unbelievable. I absolutely lost it during the scene where the “bachelorette” who submitted her tape as a joke and had no interest in LA went all diva on the workers and decided fame wasn’t something to ignore. The romance between Abby and boss Will was written in a really sweet way. I loved seeing the characters get a second chance ten years later. I didn’t so much like BFF Zoe, she just gave me an ick feeling and I wondered why Abby would put up with that. Strangely, I had a friend that had a lot of Zoe qualities and she tested my patience one too many time. That friendship has since been severed. I was wishing that Abby would see the light with her, but the other two friends were great additions to the cast! Overall, Unscripted is a fast-paced read that chick lit fans must get their hands on! I’m happy to say that Unscripted is my first Favorite of 2012!
March 6, 2012
Posted on Book Chelle.
Unscripted by Natalie Aaron and Marla Schwartz is a fun contemporary fiction, set behind the scenes of reality television.
Abby Edwards is a segment producer who can manage everyone's life but her own. For Abby, it seems like everyone knows their path in life except her. Her friends are successful, or happy and content about their own life. Her screenwriter ex-boyfriend has just released a movie, loosely based on their relationship, filled with (exaggerated) intimate details.
Abby has a lot of insecurities and vulnerabilities, but that's why I connected to her so easily. Her inner dialogue is filled with quick wit and made of comedic win. Abby is loyal, but at times a little judgmental. I suppose, living in Los Angeles, and being in the "industry," you are expected to be a certain way. With that said, Abby's personality quirks were understandable.
I felt that Unscripted had a strong plot. I liked the seamless writing between the two authors. They paced the story at a natural pace. The characters were well-rounded, and I definitely had my favorites. The subject was interesting and kept me interested while reading the book.
There was a lot of detail that filled the pages of Unscripted. A lot of those details were based around the television shows that Abby was a part of, but I liked it. Aaron and Schwartz kept me entertained, and it helped build Abby's character as well as the others. I expected a little more romance than what Unscripted had to offer, but that was due to my own expectations from Carina Press. Also, I wish that the end wasn't so rushed. I want to know more than what was said.
For lovers of chick-lit filled with romantic heart-felt moments and equally witty banter, I highly suggest Unscripted.
Unscripted by Natalie Aaron and Marla Schwartz is a fun contemporary fiction, set behind the scenes of reality television.
Abby Edwards is a segment producer who can manage everyone's life but her own. For Abby, it seems like everyone knows their path in life except her. Her friends are successful, or happy and content about their own life. Her screenwriter ex-boyfriend has just released a movie, loosely based on their relationship, filled with (exaggerated) intimate details.
Abby has a lot of insecurities and vulnerabilities, but that's why I connected to her so easily. Her inner dialogue is filled with quick wit and made of comedic win. Abby is loyal, but at times a little judgmental. I suppose, living in Los Angeles, and being in the "industry," you are expected to be a certain way. With that said, Abby's personality quirks were understandable.
I felt that Unscripted had a strong plot. I liked the seamless writing between the two authors. They paced the story at a natural pace. The characters were well-rounded, and I definitely had my favorites. The subject was interesting and kept me interested while reading the book.
There was a lot of detail that filled the pages of Unscripted. A lot of those details were based around the television shows that Abby was a part of, but I liked it. Aaron and Schwartz kept me entertained, and it helped build Abby's character as well as the others. I expected a little more romance than what Unscripted had to offer, but that was due to my own expectations from Carina Press. Also, I wish that the end wasn't so rushed. I want to know more than what was said.
For lovers of chick-lit filled with romantic heart-felt moments and equally witty banter, I highly suggest Unscripted.
January 27, 2012
Reviewed at: Over A Cuppa Tea
Review date: 28 Jan 2012
Review link: http://cleffairy.com/?p=6717
This book gave me a good laugh. A wonderful read when you are feeling down or when you're feeling that the world is against you. Very lighthearted read and would definitely tickles you funny bones. I do take pity on the heroine, though. She was placed in akward predicament many times, but thank God everything worked out well for her...most of the times. I suppose this book teaches me to take everything with a pinch of salt, and everything will be okay...most of the times.
Everyone who loves a good comedy romance should read this book. It's positively funny and heartwarming.
I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. I received an ARC of this book from Carina Press.
Review date: 28 Jan 2012
Review link: http://cleffairy.com/?p=6717
This book gave me a good laugh. A wonderful read when you are feeling down or when you're feeling that the world is against you. Very lighthearted read and would definitely tickles you funny bones. I do take pity on the heroine, though. She was placed in akward predicament many times, but thank God everything worked out well for her...most of the times. I suppose this book teaches me to take everything with a pinch of salt, and everything will be okay...most of the times.
Everyone who loves a good comedy romance should read this book. It's positively funny and heartwarming.
I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. I received an ARC of this book from Carina Press.
October 29, 2011
This book has some great characters, the kind you love and hate! It is told in first person and usually the type of book I avoid but after I started reading it became very interested in the outcome. Great story with a great ending. I enjoyed it.
November 28, 2011
Unscripted by Natalie Aaron and Marla Schwartz is an entertaining novel that reveals the production side of reality TV. To read my review in its entirety, please visit http://bookreviewsandmorebykathy.com/...
November 29, 2011
Fans of reality TV will love the fictional behind-the-scenes look at their favorite pastime in this dishy contemporary novel.
Read the full review at http://www.nightsandweekends.com/arti...
Read the full review at http://www.nightsandweekends.com/arti...
December 18, 2011
Loved this book! Fun and sassy, it was like reading about an old friend. Loved the backdrop of reality television producing-it was very interesting and entertaining. Do yourself a favor and download Unscripted to your eReader ASAP!
September 7, 2016
A really fun read with great characters!
November 28, 2011
Giving this 3 1/3 stars!
Unscripted is jointly written book by Natalie Aaron and Marla Schwartz and their debut novel (Released by Carina Press).
Abby Edwards works as a producer on reality shows. Whilst she knows there is no such thing as true love she has to convince the contestants on the Dating Show there is such a thing.
With the support of her friends around her, she is able to tolerate hook-ups in hot tubs .. but only just!! Each of her friends think they know how they can improve her life, Zoe thinks she needs to meet a new man, Nancy wants her to find her inner goddess and Stephanie thinks she needs an attitude adjustment ... all Abby wants is to do well at work.
This would not be problem if it wasn't for new Boss, Will harper. Unfortunately 10 years ago she made a fool of herself in front of him, added to that he is super attractive just makes her fall to pieces in front of him!
"Abby's about to be reminded that life doesn't follow a script—and good things happen when you least expect it..."
Can Abby find happiness at work? are her friends suggestions helpful or cause more trouble than they are worth? Can she actually work with Will?
This is a great book with a strong plot throughout and great connections with all the friends. The leading lady is very believable and easy to like! There are elements of humour throughout this book. I found the story very easy to read (be warned there is quite a lot of swearing within it if you do offend easily - wasn't a problem for me), I did feel the ending was a very sharp and would have liked to have seen the final chapters expanded a bit more.
It is really obvious that both the Authors have worked in this field before as the detail around the television work is very precise and not something that is brushed over.
Great read and not a mushy Chick Lit book by any means! I would not class this as a traditional romance novel - whilst there is certainly some in the book it isn't the main thread of the story!
Thank you so much Marla and Natalie for sending me a copy and I wish you lots of success with it!
Unscripted is jointly written book by Natalie Aaron and Marla Schwartz and their debut novel (Released by Carina Press).
Abby Edwards works as a producer on reality shows. Whilst she knows there is no such thing as true love she has to convince the contestants on the Dating Show there is such a thing.
With the support of her friends around her, she is able to tolerate hook-ups in hot tubs .. but only just!! Each of her friends think they know how they can improve her life, Zoe thinks she needs to meet a new man, Nancy wants her to find her inner goddess and Stephanie thinks she needs an attitude adjustment ... all Abby wants is to do well at work.
This would not be problem if it wasn't for new Boss, Will harper. Unfortunately 10 years ago she made a fool of herself in front of him, added to that he is super attractive just makes her fall to pieces in front of him!
"Abby's about to be reminded that life doesn't follow a script—and good things happen when you least expect it..."
Can Abby find happiness at work? are her friends suggestions helpful or cause more trouble than they are worth? Can she actually work with Will?
This is a great book with a strong plot throughout and great connections with all the friends. The leading lady is very believable and easy to like! There are elements of humour throughout this book. I found the story very easy to read (be warned there is quite a lot of swearing within it if you do offend easily - wasn't a problem for me), I did feel the ending was a very sharp and would have liked to have seen the final chapters expanded a bit more.
It is really obvious that both the Authors have worked in this field before as the detail around the television work is very precise and not something that is brushed over.
Great read and not a mushy Chick Lit book by any means! I would not class this as a traditional romance novel - whilst there is certainly some in the book it isn't the main thread of the story!
Thank you so much Marla and Natalie for sending me a copy and I wish you lots of success with it!
January 19, 2012
Big props to Jess Faraday for recommending this book to me. Like Jess, I really enjoyed this book. The writing is very smooth, and particularly seamless for a two-author book, the characters are rounded and fun (though I'd have liked a bit more of a glimpse of Will), and the situation and setting (reality TV in L.A.) were new and interesting to me. I enjoyed the peek into reality TV - which confirmed that I'm not missing much by not watching - and the world of television production in general.
A fun read, which I kept finding ways to read when I should (or could) have been doing other things.
A fun read, which I kept finding ways to read when I should (or could) have been doing other things.
November 14, 2011
I loved this book in the beginning. Abby was funny and a smartass, two things I generally love in people. It went downhill with all of the reality television crap. Way, way, way too much of it. The story was totally lacking the actual story part of Abby and Will, and Abby and Matt.
November 29, 2011
This was a super fun read. The writing is funny and smart and the story is hilarious and everything you could want from good chick lit.
October 3, 2017
Seems pretty well written but overall pointless. There was no defining characteristic to this book. Romance..sure. But there isn't any other story to it. It's like reading someones journal. Day to day events that seem a little interesting but just no real ups or downs. Does that make sense? Most stories have a definite moment of suspense or drama or something that makes you want to keep reading. It also has a definite end - happy or not. This book just seems a endless day by day or blah.
October 24, 2014
When I requested Unscripted on NetGalley, it was mainly because I really enjoy books that are set behind the scenes, particularly behind the scenes of reality TV. I’m pleased to report that a lot of Unscripted is indeed about a producer for TV and there’s a lot of fascinating goings-on (although at this point, I think we’re all aware that “reality” TV is no more real than Gossip Girl). For that, the book totally wins because it very much fulfilled everything I ask for in a novel about TV. Where the book falls down, is pretty much the simple fact that the book is, to all intents and purposes, plotless.
If you asked me what Unscripted was about I’d be pretty stumped. It’s not about Abby’s job as a producer, it’s not (as the blurb will have you believe) about Abby getting over the fact her ex write a movie about her (in fact, it takes ages for that to even happen, and, sure, Abby does freak out a bit, but it’s not a life-changing event). There’s nothing you can point to and say “that’s what it’s about.” I enjoyed reading it, and it only took me a couple of days, but it’s the kind of book that leaves you wondering what it is you’ve just read. The romance (and I use that term in its loosest sense) isn’t even a major part, either. It could have been – oh, boy, could it have been; the prospect for some flirting and banter was there, but no one took advantage of that, so instead, the romance we DO get is shoe-horned in on the final page, almost as an afterthought. Like “Woops, we forgot to get them together, we must rectify that.”
I’m loathe for this to be a “bad” review, because I did enjoy the book and I did like the look into Abby’s job. Abby, too, is a really likeable character. But again, something good is ruined, as Abby’s (supposed) best friend Zoe is one of the most spoiled, selfish characters you will ever have the displeasure to meet. She’s the type of person who dumps her boyfriend/fiance because he takes a paycut for a job. Because “$1500 a week isn’t enough” of a salary. She’s the kind of character you want to punch, because right after dumping her lovely boyfriend (who deserved better, really) she shacked up with a 60-something restauranter, and wanted us to believe she was with him because she loved him, not because of his money. Abby is the sap who enables Zoe to be like that, if I’m honest. She regularly keeps her gob shut for the purpose of keeping the peace, when a good talking to might have done Zoe some good. She ruined a massive portion of the book; basically, every scene she was in had me gritting my teeth in anger over her antics.
Unscripted did have bright spots – Abby, Will (Abby’s boss), the whole behind the scenes look was really well done (as it should be since both authors are producers in TV) but it didn’t really have a plot and Zoe really, really, really annoyed me and I just kept waiting for her to get some kind of comeuppance, but no, Princess Zoe gets away with being a total and utter cow. The writing was really good and it kept me reading two nights in a row, much longer than I usually like to stay up reading, and there’s definitely something there that tells me these two authors have talent, but you can also tell it’s a debut novel as I’ve said above, with all those issues. It left me on the fence, I liked it, I really did but it also left me with the feeling that it could have been done better, much better.
If you asked me what Unscripted was about I’d be pretty stumped. It’s not about Abby’s job as a producer, it’s not (as the blurb will have you believe) about Abby getting over the fact her ex write a movie about her (in fact, it takes ages for that to even happen, and, sure, Abby does freak out a bit, but it’s not a life-changing event). There’s nothing you can point to and say “that’s what it’s about.” I enjoyed reading it, and it only took me a couple of days, but it’s the kind of book that leaves you wondering what it is you’ve just read. The romance (and I use that term in its loosest sense) isn’t even a major part, either. It could have been – oh, boy, could it have been; the prospect for some flirting and banter was there, but no one took advantage of that, so instead, the romance we DO get is shoe-horned in on the final page, almost as an afterthought. Like “Woops, we forgot to get them together, we must rectify that.”
I’m loathe for this to be a “bad” review, because I did enjoy the book and I did like the look into Abby’s job. Abby, too, is a really likeable character. But again, something good is ruined, as Abby’s (supposed) best friend Zoe is one of the most spoiled, selfish characters you will ever have the displeasure to meet. She’s the type of person who dumps her boyfriend/fiance because he takes a paycut for a job. Because “$1500 a week isn’t enough” of a salary. She’s the kind of character you want to punch, because right after dumping her lovely boyfriend (who deserved better, really) she shacked up with a 60-something restauranter, and wanted us to believe she was with him because she loved him, not because of his money. Abby is the sap who enables Zoe to be like that, if I’m honest. She regularly keeps her gob shut for the purpose of keeping the peace, when a good talking to might have done Zoe some good. She ruined a massive portion of the book; basically, every scene she was in had me gritting my teeth in anger over her antics.
Unscripted did have bright spots – Abby, Will (Abby’s boss), the whole behind the scenes look was really well done (as it should be since both authors are producers in TV) but it didn’t really have a plot and Zoe really, really, really annoyed me and I just kept waiting for her to get some kind of comeuppance, but no, Princess Zoe gets away with being a total and utter cow. The writing was really good and it kept me reading two nights in a row, much longer than I usually like to stay up reading, and there’s definitely something there that tells me these two authors have talent, but you can also tell it’s a debut novel as I’ve said above, with all those issues. It left me on the fence, I liked it, I really did but it also left me with the feeling that it could have been done better, much better.
August 24, 2015
I'm glad I pushed through on this one, because I ended up enjoying it. It's closer to women's fiction than it is romance (the guy is pretty much a nonentity, although sweet, and is not the focus at all) and the plot is much more about reality tv and having a less glamorous job in LA while still being expected to have the glam lifestyle than anything it says on the back cover (the ex with a movie out is an extremely brief plotline and focuses much more on the professional aspect than on her romantic life).
I enjoyed it because I have several family members who are producers or camera operators on junk reality shows and there were a lot of enjoyable honest moments from that aspect. If I had picked this up hoping for more of a romance, I might have been more annoyed.
Even though it felt addictive and I was eager to finish this last night, there were a lot of problems that I did not like. The main character, whose head we are in, is extremely mean to other women. Not even her friends, who she seems to tease but love even with their foibles, or her possible rival, but peripheral women. Women who participate on her reality shows (who she is more or less exploiting!), women she meets at parties, women who happen to be in the same restaurant or on the same street as her. She never stops talking about how other LA women have perfect manicures or tans or more money or fake boobs or they are too skinny. It makes for a really annoying and depressing read. I can't stand heroines with "not like other girls" syndrome. It does NOT make her more likeable. It makes me almost put down the book and not bother anymore.
I enjoyed it because I have several family members who are producers or camera operators on junk reality shows and there were a lot of enjoyable honest moments from that aspect. If I had picked this up hoping for more of a romance, I might have been more annoyed.
Even though it felt addictive and I was eager to finish this last night, there were a lot of problems that I did not like. The main character, whose head we are in, is extremely mean to other women. Not even her friends, who she seems to tease but love even with their foibles, or her possible rival, but peripheral women. Women who participate on her reality shows (who she is more or less exploiting!), women she meets at parties, women who happen to be in the same restaurant or on the same street as her. She never stops talking about how other LA women have perfect manicures or tans or more money or fake boobs or they are too skinny. It makes for a really annoying and depressing read. I can't stand heroines with "not like other girls" syndrome. It does NOT make her more likeable. It makes me almost put down the book and not bother anymore.
Read
August 25, 2012 Not being a fan of reality tv, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book but thought that it sounded like a fun read, and also that if I didn’t like it, maybe I would finally understand the appeal of reality tv.
I still don’t really understand reality tv, but this book is hilarious. Part of me wanted to ask someone, “Is that really what goes on?” But I’m sure that it is.
Abby is such a great character and the situations she find herself in are completely ridiculous, but I couldn’t stop laughing. The best scenes involve her hippie, new age type friend Nancy. Will is also a great character and I don’t disagree with the claim that he is “totally crush-worthy.”
I think that fans and non fans of reality tv are going to love this novel. Reality tv plot aside, anyone can relate to friends who get you into awkward situations, try to set you up with strange men, and have awkward dating lives themselves.
There are characters to root for and characters that you can’t stand and want to see fail. I still don’t know how I feel about Zoe, at least other than frustrated.
The pacing of the novel is great and it’s a very quick read. I read it in a few sessions and stayed up very late the last night just having to finish it. The last few pages are so worth it. I would read the book over and over again just for that ending.
I still don’t really understand reality tv, but this book is hilarious. Part of me wanted to ask someone, “Is that really what goes on?” But I’m sure that it is.
Abby is such a great character and the situations she find herself in are completely ridiculous, but I couldn’t stop laughing. The best scenes involve her hippie, new age type friend Nancy. Will is also a great character and I don’t disagree with the claim that he is “totally crush-worthy.”
I think that fans and non fans of reality tv are going to love this novel. Reality tv plot aside, anyone can relate to friends who get you into awkward situations, try to set you up with strange men, and have awkward dating lives themselves.
There are characters to root for and characters that you can’t stand and want to see fail. I still don’t know how I feel about Zoe, at least other than frustrated.
The pacing of the novel is great and it’s a very quick read. I read it in a few sessions and stayed up very late the last night just having to finish it. The last few pages are so worth it. I would read the book over and over again just for that ending.
January 2, 2025
This book sounded interesting from the blurb, but I didn't have high hopes when I saw the average rating. You never know, though, so I decided to go ahead and pick this one up. Unfortunately, my suspicions were correct. It was "okay." That's about all I can say. I'd put it more in the category of just plain fiction than of a romance because there just wasn't any romance. We did get an interesting view of reality television, a look into the main female character's hectic life, a spat between roommates, and a blip of a romance in the last few pages. That's not what I was thinking when I saw the cover, but oh well.
Abby Edwards works on television shows, and she's pulled into a reality dating show with a producer, Will Harper, who is swoon-worthy. We honestly don't get a lot of glimpses of Will and his character, but Abby is well-fleshed out. She's interesting, hard-working, and a problem-solver. If there had been an actual romance going on between her and Will during the majority of the book, I would have said that this would have been a hit. She's a very likeable character. But I didn't get that.
If you are okay with this type of a story, then go ahead and pick this book up. You'll get some cool behind-the-scenes reality television stuff, character drama, and a decent fiction story. What you will not get is a romance.
Abby Edwards works on television shows, and she's pulled into a reality dating show with a producer, Will Harper, who is swoon-worthy. We honestly don't get a lot of glimpses of Will and his character, but Abby is well-fleshed out. She's interesting, hard-working, and a problem-solver. If there had been an actual romance going on between her and Will during the majority of the book, I would have said that this would have been a hit. She's a very likeable character. But I didn't get that.
If you are okay with this type of a story, then go ahead and pick this book up. You'll get some cool behind-the-scenes reality television stuff, character drama, and a decent fiction story. What you will not get is a romance.
November 12, 2013
"Unscripted" by Natalie Aaron & Marla Schwartz is a fun look at the crazy world of reality TV shows, with some romance thrown in. Abby Edwards is a producer for a reality TV dating show. When her ex-boyfriend is the screenwriter of a wildly successful movie she is left feeling that her life is going nowhere and not at all what she'd hoped it would be. She's been stuck in the reality world rut, scrabbling from one show to the next, with no way out.
On her current show she reconnects with a director she worked with in the past, Will Harper. Sparks fly for Abby right away but she's pretty sure he doesn't like her at all. As production on the show gets underway her friends, Zoe, Stephanie and Nancy, offer advice and moral support. The wackiness that entails during the taping of the show, as well as the cast of oddballs working with her keeps the laughter flowing.
I really liked the characters in the book. Abby was a very down-to-earth, believable character. I could sympathize with her struggles and the trouble she got into. Her friends were all quirky in their own way and helped Abby in her growth. I think the romance aspect could have been a little more developed though. It was more of a side issue to the stagnant career.
All in all a very fun read!
On her current show she reconnects with a director she worked with in the past, Will Harper. Sparks fly for Abby right away but she's pretty sure he doesn't like her at all. As production on the show gets underway her friends, Zoe, Stephanie and Nancy, offer advice and moral support. The wackiness that entails during the taping of the show, as well as the cast of oddballs working with her keeps the laughter flowing.
I really liked the characters in the book. Abby was a very down-to-earth, believable character. I could sympathize with her struggles and the trouble she got into. Her friends were all quirky in their own way and helped Abby in her growth. I think the romance aspect could have been a little more developed though. It was more of a side issue to the stagnant career.
All in all a very fun read!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews