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HDU #1
HDU
Amanda Nathan just lost everything – her first real boyfriend to her lifelong best friend, her half of their shared apartment in St. Louis and her first post-grad job as a receptionist. Forced back under her parents’ roof in Merit, Missouri, the gossipy town she’d spent her life trying to escape, Amanda has but one saving grace – being an anonymous moderator on HDU, the Internet’s largest celebrity gossip community. Unemployed and alone, Amanda relishes in the one thing she has control over – Hollywood gossip. Now, her idea of fun is getting lost in the glamorous lives of others and posting nasty rumors about her former bestie’s favorite actor, Liam Brody, a playboy notorious for dumping his model girlfriends on a monthly basis.
So who would’ve thought that Liam Brody would be Amanda’s answer to escaping Merit? When the controversial womanizer needs an image boost to land a new role, he turns to none other than HDU for some good press. As it turns out, Liam is as eager to shed his playboy image as Amanda is desperate to move out of Merit. The solution to both problems? Fake a romance in which Hollywood’s biggest playboy falls for an unknown, sweet and shockingly plain Jane.
With the help of Ian, a fellow HDU moderator and self-developed expert on stardom, Amanda packs her bags for her new life in New York, where the overnight fame and glamour of being a celebrity girlfriend awaits. But Amanda soon discovers that their little ploy is a lot more emotionally complicated than she imagined. And while she finds that life works a thousand times better in her Hollywood circle, so does manipulation.
So who would’ve thought that Liam Brody would be Amanda’s answer to escaping Merit? When the controversial womanizer needs an image boost to land a new role, he turns to none other than HDU for some good press. As it turns out, Liam is as eager to shed his playboy image as Amanda is desperate to move out of Merit. The solution to both problems? Fake a romance in which Hollywood’s biggest playboy falls for an unknown, sweet and shockingly plain Jane.
With the help of Ian, a fellow HDU moderator and self-developed expert on stardom, Amanda packs her bags for her new life in New York, where the overnight fame and glamour of being a celebrity girlfriend awaits. But Amanda soon discovers that their little ploy is a lot more emotionally complicated than she imagined. And while she finds that life works a thousand times better in her Hollywood circle, so does manipulation.
309 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 29, 2012
21 people are currently reading
1711 people want to read
About the author
India Lee
19 books268 followersIndia Lee is an author of young adult and women’s fiction themed in the world of media and entertainment. She is a lover of fashion, entertainment, shoes, good food, coffee, jetsetting, mild debauchery, and dogs.
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January 19, 2013
OH NO THEY DIDN’T: THE NOVEL
HDU (aka How Dare You) came to my attention thanks to the website Oh No They Didn’t, a celebrity gossip community with a penchant for blistering commentary. No, I am not going to tell you who I am on there. Don’t ask. Ms. Lee was kind enough to reveal that HDU is inspired by ONTD, so I was immediately hyped to read. Who can say no to blistering celeb commentary that is more about the commentary than the celebs?
HDU is about an anonymous gossip community moderator who has lost basically everything until a very well known male celebrity invites her to pose as his fake girlfriend. Imagine if Perez Hilton was anonymous and was invited by Paris Hilton to become her fake boyfriend. Except ew, that sounds exceptionally gross.
Beyond the premise (which is rather unbelievable, knowing ONTD the way I do), this book was humorous and lighthearted. I admittedly do not read many self-published novels because I’ve had some bad experiences. Poor editing, poor covers, poor synopses, and poor author behavior are among them. But after a friend pressed me to read this one, I dove in and finished it quickly. It’s a sugary story good for when you’re low, and it brings all the emotions you could expect with a story of backstabbing, stages, tabloids, and awards ceremonies.
YOUNG HOLLYWOOD GONE WILD
Figuring out in your head what characters might be based on real celebrities is half the fun. For some reason, I kept picturing Liam Brody as the love child of Liam Hemsworth and Zac Efron, and Amanda Nathan as a less annoying Lena Dunham. I have no idea why. My mind works in mysterious ways.
The characters, despite some ridiculous choices they make and tiny slips out of character (like Amanda’s more flirtatious side), I really found myself pulling for Amanda to get the guy of her dreams. In my mind, which might not be reality, Amanda seemed like a girl caught between a rock and a hard place with three guys vying for her attention. But maybe I was making up a relationship between Amanda and her fellow moderator Ian, a damaged soul who aspires to make movies while dealing with drug issues. And her celebrity suitors? Both were interesting. Especially the British actor of her every fantasy…
This story is about a girl finding herself after escaping her best friend’s betrayal, a betrayal I didn’t quite get. Or a revenge I also didn’t understand. But this isn’t the type of story where you dwell. Move on and enjoy the ride, that is what I told myself.
NEW ADULT CONTEMPORARY THAT DEFIES EXPECTATIONS
I went into HDU expecting to find the usual NA tropes – broken girl, broody boy, a lot of sex. But there wasn’t any sex, and the girl is remarkably defiant and stands up for herself, even if she is caught in a world she doesn’t understand. And she’s ready to protect herself from this crazy new world. I loved Amanda and rooted for her, even if she did some things I could never connect with – like have a fake relationship with a celebrity she met over the internet.
The writing in HDU is very good, and it’s clear that Ms. Lee put a lot of time and effort into perfecting this story. Once I was done, I immediately went and picked up a copy of the first book of her Hidden Gems series off of Amazon (it was free!) because I have a feeling that her YA will be just as good. Juicy, celebrity-filled gossipy writing is my thing, and HDU helped me to discover that.
I cannot wait for book two! Any guesses on the title? My money is on IKR or TL;DR. I just like those two.
VERDICT: A light, fluffy, but serviceable story of celebrity gossip and improbable romances, HDU is warm and charming – and defied my expectations. A great read.
HDU (aka How Dare You) came to my attention thanks to the website Oh No They Didn’t, a celebrity gossip community with a penchant for blistering commentary. No, I am not going to tell you who I am on there. Don’t ask. Ms. Lee was kind enough to reveal that HDU is inspired by ONTD, so I was immediately hyped to read. Who can say no to blistering celeb commentary that is more about the commentary than the celebs?
HDU is about an anonymous gossip community moderator who has lost basically everything until a very well known male celebrity invites her to pose as his fake girlfriend. Imagine if Perez Hilton was anonymous and was invited by Paris Hilton to become her fake boyfriend. Except ew, that sounds exceptionally gross.
Beyond the premise (which is rather unbelievable, knowing ONTD the way I do), this book was humorous and lighthearted. I admittedly do not read many self-published novels because I’ve had some bad experiences. Poor editing, poor covers, poor synopses, and poor author behavior are among them. But after a friend pressed me to read this one, I dove in and finished it quickly. It’s a sugary story good for when you’re low, and it brings all the emotions you could expect with a story of backstabbing, stages, tabloids, and awards ceremonies.
YOUNG HOLLYWOOD GONE WILD
Figuring out in your head what characters might be based on real celebrities is half the fun. For some reason, I kept picturing Liam Brody as the love child of Liam Hemsworth and Zac Efron, and Amanda Nathan as a less annoying Lena Dunham. I have no idea why. My mind works in mysterious ways.
The characters, despite some ridiculous choices they make and tiny slips out of character (like Amanda’s more flirtatious side), I really found myself pulling for Amanda to get the guy of her dreams. In my mind, which might not be reality, Amanda seemed like a girl caught between a rock and a hard place with three guys vying for her attention. But maybe I was making up a relationship between Amanda and her fellow moderator Ian, a damaged soul who aspires to make movies while dealing with drug issues. And her celebrity suitors? Both were interesting. Especially the British actor of her every fantasy…
This story is about a girl finding herself after escaping her best friend’s betrayal, a betrayal I didn’t quite get. Or a revenge I also didn’t understand. But this isn’t the type of story where you dwell. Move on and enjoy the ride, that is what I told myself.
NEW ADULT CONTEMPORARY THAT DEFIES EXPECTATIONS
I went into HDU expecting to find the usual NA tropes – broken girl, broody boy, a lot of sex. But there wasn’t any sex, and the girl is remarkably defiant and stands up for herself, even if she is caught in a world she doesn’t understand. And she’s ready to protect herself from this crazy new world. I loved Amanda and rooted for her, even if she did some things I could never connect with – like have a fake relationship with a celebrity she met over the internet.
The writing in HDU is very good, and it’s clear that Ms. Lee put a lot of time and effort into perfecting this story. Once I was done, I immediately went and picked up a copy of the first book of her Hidden Gems series off of Amazon (it was free!) because I have a feeling that her YA will be just as good. Juicy, celebrity-filled gossipy writing is my thing, and HDU helped me to discover that.
I cannot wait for book two! Any guesses on the title? My money is on IKR or TL;DR. I just like those two.
VERDICT: A light, fluffy, but serviceable story of celebrity gossip and improbable romances, HDU is warm and charming – and defied my expectations. A great read.
September 19, 2013
I kind of feel like this book proves my point on how utterly stupid the "new adult" sub-genre is. If I'm not mistaken this was out or at least written before people started trying to make that ridiculous category happen. This is a story about adults of a younger age (although in the Hollywood microcosm that mirrors high school so well), written as an adult book. It's not an obvious marketing ploy like all the books written since NA became a thing (not previously released books reclassified from what they originally were). It doesn't rely on the juvenile writing and tired, often offensive, NA tropes to be interesting. The characters manage to come together without sexual assault being involved. Imagine that! In the book the main characters didn't screw everything that moves, nor was there a virgin defined by being one and running around acting like it's a fate worse than death.* In fact, there's no sex at all, which is completely refreshing — until, of course, the final scene.
The premise of the book is very fanfic-like in how over the top improbable it is. And a lot of things happened in plot, quite a bit of which were also improbable. But it is also just a fun read. I found myself rushing back to read it whenever I had to stop.
This is probably the most high quality self-published book I've read from someone who wasn't traditionally published first. There were some errors but less than quite a lot of traditionally published books now. My only big complaint was formatting: the site posts, comments, emails, and texts needed to be italicized to set it off from the exposition. That worked its way in later in the book, but it needed to be consistent throughout. Early on it was confusing going straight from a gossip site post to the main story.
I really liked that a small part of the story was told through gossip site stories. Instead of reading as outsiders with no knowledge of the truth like in real life, we read them as insiders in this book and are put in the perspective of the characters reading half-truths, outright lies, horrible statements, and even the actual truth. Also, Lee pretty much — hilariously — nailed ONTD comments. No wonder everyone's convinced she's a member there.
The story focused on Amanda's journey from down and out "nobody" college graduate with no clue what to do with her life, to center of the public eye as the girlfriend of a notorious Hollywood "bad boy". I liked Amanda, though she kind of made it hard sometimes. She could be too naive at times, and a little too nice. She didn't listen when warned about some people who could be awful. She wasn't proactive at all, and I figured she would have learned she needed to be by later on in the book. For instance, quite a few times she knew someone was going to do something, typically something that was going to bite her in the ass, but didn't do the smart thing to forestall their action. She often didn't speak up when she should have. I didn't get how she could be so bluntly honest with Liam, someone she didn't know and who hadn't done anything to her, but let her heinous ex-best friend and townspeople get away with treating her horribly. Or why she didn't get angrier at the people dismissing her when she chose to stand by her friend, Ian — someone who had been there for her when she needed him, and was instrumental in setting her life on this path — at personal cost to her. That was something I really liked about Amanda: how loyal she was. Even Liam knew that about her.
I really liked the romance. Well, once it happened. Amanda and Liam had some great snark. Their dialogue was funny, fun, and became quite sweet. I loved how their relationship evolved. The problem is that there wasn't enough of it. They were barely together at all the first fifty percent of the book. In the second half they got closer but it was more truncated than it should have been and they were apart again for quite a bit until the very end. It left me wanting so much more on Liam/Amanda front. Especially having Liam around in the story at all. I came to adore him and just wanted more of the two of them together.
Even with the over the top story and some frustrating, eye roll-inducing scenes, I really enjoyed reading this book. I'd be moving on to the sequel immediately if I didn't have library books I have to read.
*You know, I actually thought I was maybe being over the top bitchy in that first paragraph (even though I meant every word and it is exceedingly true). But then while posting I saw an ad for an NA book, the copy of which changed my mind. I don't think I was bitchy enough.
The premise of the book is very fanfic-like in how over the top improbable it is. And a lot of things happened in plot, quite a bit of which were also improbable. But it is also just a fun read. I found myself rushing back to read it whenever I had to stop.
This is probably the most high quality self-published book I've read from someone who wasn't traditionally published first. There were some errors but less than quite a lot of traditionally published books now. My only big complaint was formatting: the site posts, comments, emails, and texts needed to be italicized to set it off from the exposition. That worked its way in later in the book, but it needed to be consistent throughout. Early on it was confusing going straight from a gossip site post to the main story.
I really liked that a small part of the story was told through gossip site stories. Instead of reading as outsiders with no knowledge of the truth like in real life, we read them as insiders in this book and are put in the perspective of the characters reading half-truths, outright lies, horrible statements, and even the actual truth. Also, Lee pretty much — hilariously — nailed ONTD comments. No wonder everyone's convinced she's a member there.
The story focused on Amanda's journey from down and out "nobody" college graduate with no clue what to do with her life, to center of the public eye as the girlfriend of a notorious Hollywood "bad boy". I liked Amanda, though she kind of made it hard sometimes. She could be too naive at times, and a little too nice. She didn't listen when warned about some people who could be awful. She wasn't proactive at all, and I figured she would have learned she needed to be by later on in the book. For instance, quite a few times she knew someone was going to do something, typically something that was going to bite her in the ass, but didn't do the smart thing to forestall their action. She often didn't speak up when she should have. I didn't get how she could be so bluntly honest with Liam, someone she didn't know and who hadn't done anything to her, but let her heinous ex-best friend and townspeople get away with treating her horribly. Or why she didn't get angrier at the people dismissing her when she chose to stand by her friend, Ian — someone who had been there for her when she needed him, and was instrumental in setting her life on this path — at personal cost to her. That was something I really liked about Amanda: how loyal she was. Even Liam knew that about her.
I really liked the romance. Well, once it happened. Amanda and Liam had some great snark. Their dialogue was funny, fun, and became quite sweet. I loved how their relationship evolved. The problem is that there wasn't enough of it. They were barely together at all the first fifty percent of the book. In the second half they got closer but it was more truncated than it should have been and they were apart again for quite a bit until the very end. It left me wanting so much more on Liam/Amanda front. Especially having Liam around in the story at all. I came to adore him and just wanted more of the two of them together.
Even with the over the top story and some frustrating, eye roll-inducing scenes, I really enjoyed reading this book. I'd be moving on to the sequel immediately if I didn't have library books I have to read.
*You know, I actually thought I was maybe being over the top bitchy in that first paragraph (even though I meant every word and it is exceedingly true). But then while posting I saw an ad for an NA book, the copy of which changed my mind. I don't think I was bitchy enough.
October 15, 2013
'Dear PrettyKitty29,
Hi, my name is Liam Brody. From the looks of your charming website, you've heard of me.
Believe it or not, I've heard of you too. I was recently tipped off about your little gossip community. I probably shouldn't call it little. You are one of the busiest gossip communities on the Internet.
Congratulations. I'm always impressed with people who manage to stay indoors so much. You must have a sufficient amount of Vitamin D.'
Looking for a book that puts A Cinderella Story, Gossip Girl and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days to shame?!
India Lee's stunning chick lit novel with a celebrity twist is a must-add to your TBR list.
HDU is a work of art; a winning combination of the daunting world of stardom mixed with the realm of late-night blogging. With brilliantly delivered comedy, refreshingly real characters and an engaging and unpredictable plot, this novel is sure to go far with any reader who happens to be single, female, a lover of donuts, longing for a Princess Diaries-esque moment, or all of the above.
Amanda Nathan is a heroine with a fiery attitude, her blog posts on her site HDU - 'How Dare You?!' - witty and unrelenting as she tears apart the rich and shameless.
Liam Brody, Hollywood bad boy, is often the target of her scorn - mainly because he's a womaniser, too good-looking, a horrid person...and too good-looking.
But don't be fooled by this novel's blurb.
What may seem like your typical YA/NA romance, featuring a guy with brooding expressions and magical eyes that make the heroine want to melt into a puddle of goo on the floor...is actually a hilarious story of a cute guy who's actually not so bad once you get to know him, a girl whose gossiping town will be the death of her, and the story of how they pretended to date so that both of them could achieve their dreams.
Interspersed with blog posts and comments, news headlines, sunglasses, ugly laughs, beautiful moments, sufficient amounts of Vitamin D, and a love that will have you wanting one of your own, HDU will dare you to take chances, make mistakes and follow your dreams wherever they take you. :)
September 16, 2013
I'm not sure what to make of this book. I didn't love it. But I didn't hate it either. I was mildly annoyed by it with a frequency that, were it not for my read-52-books-in-a-year-what-were-you-thinking pledge in January and the irresistible appeal of a surely trainwrecky romance novel about ONTD of all things, would have made me put it down much sooner. But I didn't hate it, and I think I'm kind of reeling from that because I have read a lot of really shitty romance novels in the past few months that I absolutely hated and felt were violently misogynistic rapey garbage. HDU is not... quite. Violently misogynistic and rapey, I mean. It might be garbage. My taste is suspect.
First, I would like to commend this book and its author and everyone involved in the process for the fact that it's not in the fucking first person. Thank. God. I am so sick of romance novels in first person POV - I've said it repeatedly, but it's fucking lazy and boring and does absolutely nothing for the narrative but severely limit very necessary information we need as readers. HDU is written in the third person limited style, so we're mostly in Amanda's head the whole time, but slightly removed enough that it's not fucking weird that this chick for some reason remembers every single exact piece of dialogue ever spoken to her over the course of like six months or more and other silly details.
Second, I would also like to give mad props to this book for featuring a male romantic lead who is initially portrayed as a "womanizing douchelord" and kind of a misogynist and manages to do so without also making him a crazy psychotic abusive piece of shit who should probably be put in a mental ward before he goes total Texas Chainsaw Massacre, a trope that apparently occupies 90% of romance novels. So, hey! Good for you, book. Liam Brody (ugh, how I'm coming to loathe the name Liam!) engages in a thoroughly convincing transformation from misogynist womanizer to sensitive, caring leading man without losing his sarcastic and admittedly kind of tepid charisma. Liam is a jerk, but not unforgivably so, and the book does actually manage to turn him around in a way that seems natural. I believed it, like I believed his romance with Amanda, which is a slow, gradual thing that takes place over the course of the entire book, rather than hitting us over the head with stupid suspension-of-disbelief-breaking insta-love within the first five pages and then spending the next 295 trying to justify that insta-love. Again, a trope that apparently 90% of other romance novels fall victim to. So there's that! That's a thing.
The character of Ian Marsh is kind of interesting, and I say that because he's just about the only character who is not a cartoon cardboard cutout villain who is allowed to have flaws. Ultimately though I was too annoyed by how the text kept coyly babying him without explaining why, leaving you to think you're intended to just forgive him all his transgressions because he's a wounded troubled boy with a tragic past who needs to be fixed with cuddles and love. Gag me. That said,
The book really suffers due to three things. First, the book kind of hates ONTD, which surprised me because I went into this expecting a funny, sarcastic, irreverent tribute to one of the most obnoxious celebrity gossip sites on the internet. ONTD (here called HDU, which is a terrible acronym with an awful mouthfeel - I kept hearing it in my head as 'huh-day-oo') is not great, but it's not the worst online gossip rag, either. (That'd be Perez Hilton's blog & fans and TWOP. Sorry, not sorry.) The book spends a lot - and I mean a lot - of time talking about how sad and pathetic Amanda is for moderating and caring about HDU, and how sad and pathetic these obsessive weirdos are for their internet celeb gossip hobby, as if posting to HDU/ONTD is any more obsessive and invasive than people who pick up literally any magazine ever every week. I will defend the internets to the ends of the earth, though, so having this book talk about Amanda's sad pathetic lonely life because she chose to spend her time tooling around on an internet forum rather than, I don't know, going out and getting drunk? made me kind of buttmad. Whatevs.
Second, the book has some major girl-hate fetishism going for it. It tries to trick you into thinking it doesn't, but then the big reveal comes at the end and, oh yeah, you were right all along: every female character in this (except Amanda, of course, and the very very tertiary character Wendy Vogel) are the villains. Every antagonist is a woman, and Amanda spends an unreasonable amount of time worrying about her douchelord fuckstain friend Ian Marsh - whom she and everyone else has very good reason to hate and cut out of their life, after he apparently tries to ruin a vulnerable young woman's reputation by outing her drug addiction for his own selfish gain and then makes a fool of himself and tries to hit another man over the head with a bottle - as if it's a foregone conclusion that he's innocent and it's the catty evil manipulative cackling harpy villains who led him down a ~path to ruin~. (Wow, that was some sentence. I need an editor.)
Megan is transparently evil in a way that I did not for a second believe and in fact was frequently annoyed by, because a big hullabaloo was made over her evil vicious boyfriend-stealing ways, but the text never seems to acknowledge that, you know, it takes two to cheat. Megan did not 'steal' Amanda's boyfriend, sorry, he left of his own volition; as a grown-ass man, he was always capable of deciding whether or not to cheat on his girlfriend with her best friend. Megan didn't hypnotize him with her perfect cheerleader vagina because that is not a thing that could happen in this universe (IS IT? DOES PART 2 TURN INTO SOME CRAZY SCI-FI SHIT?), but the book sure wants you to think she did.
Most girls who were not Amanda were portrayed as vapid, shallow skanks throwing themselves at attractive men too good for them; Liam's exes were portrayed as having "used" him every bit as much as he did them in an attempt to sneakily excuse him for his behaviour. See, what he did was bad, but not that bad because they were just using him anyway! Hmm. Mm-hmm.
The third major problem this book has its its protagonist... Which, look, I cut female characters a lot of slack where other people tend to go quite harsh, but Amanda Nathan is not an engaging character, in fact she is unreasonably stupid and annoying. She also suffers from what the book keeps pointing out is wrong with Casey - she's so fucking boring you guys. She has no flaws and never does anything wrong and never really makes any mistakes, which has the side effect of making her appear to have very little agency, since she doesn't really ever do much but react to what other people do for her or around her. We're first treated to several chapters of inane pity parties from her that are so obnoxious and difficult to get through that I wanted to punch myself in the face just as a distraction, and then we're treated to her making a series of vapid observations and stupid decisions. She suffers a bit from Romance Novel Female Protagonist Fugue State, often doing things without realising what she's doing them and only figuring it out in retrospect.
I also could not stop rolling my eyes at how much emphasis is placed on how totally ordinary and plain Amanda is, and how the major plot of the novel basically hinges on exactly that, only for the book to do a 180 and be like "no wait, she's actually really crazy hot and sexy!" But she's a size 8 (omg, a size 8! Unheard of! - why are these women always a size 8?) so I guess that's enough to cancel out her total smokin' hotness in every other way? Mmkay, but I just think it's super dumb to make such a big deal about your MC's ~plain Jane~ status and then revoke that, and also it's really super dumb for real to pretend as if a guy dating a woman who is totally smokin' but slightly larger than other women after a string of supermodels means that he's no longer a shallow sexist because um...? Because he fell in love with her personality and not her looks, for who could ever learn to love asize 8 beast? Like for real, book? You're going there?
Because I did not buy the whole crux of the plot, sorry. It just didn't seem like real life to me, it read much more like the setup to a bad romcom than something that would ever happen in the real world. Your mileage may vary.
This book is not very well-written. It's not terrible, though it is obviously self-published - there are a lot of awkward turns of phrases, grammatical errors, and typos that would never have gotten past a professional editor, and God help me if I ever have to see the verb "cooed" again - but it's generic and amateurish. It's not too dialogue-heavy, but the prose is bland, the description passive and lifeless; I'd put it at about a sixth grade reading level. Of course, that also makes it very easy to read; I got through it in what, a day? Two days?
That said, this is not a terrible book. I don't have a real problem with it. It was refreshing to see a story about an ordinary, down-to-earth girl attempting to fix, change, tame, etc a wild super-celebrity womanizer, a kind of Beauty and the Beast slash Pygmalion slash Cinderella story, and have that actually achieve what it set out to do - Liam actually develops and changes as a person, the book doesn't just assure us that he did without showing us any of that. As characters, Liam and Amanda are fine, they have chemistry, I believed their romance, and there is some genuinely interesting plot stuff going on here that doesn't hinge entirely on stupid manufactured relationship drama like 90% of the books I've read lately have.
So, there you go. I'm not going to recommend it except as a far superior alternative to garbage like Beautiful Disaster or Stripped. 2.5 stars. Not good. Not terrible. Average. You know, like Amanda Nathan.
Instances of vomit: one! And, it happened off-screen!
First, I would like to commend this book and its author and everyone involved in the process for the fact that it's not in the fucking first person. Thank. God. I am so sick of romance novels in first person POV - I've said it repeatedly, but it's fucking lazy and boring and does absolutely nothing for the narrative but severely limit very necessary information we need as readers. HDU is written in the third person limited style, so we're mostly in Amanda's head the whole time, but slightly removed enough that it's not fucking weird that this chick for some reason remembers every single exact piece of dialogue ever spoken to her over the course of like six months or more and other silly details.
Second, I would also like to give mad props to this book for featuring a male romantic lead who is initially portrayed as a "womanizing douchelord" and kind of a misogynist and manages to do so without also making him a crazy psychotic abusive piece of shit who should probably be put in a mental ward before he goes total Texas Chainsaw Massacre, a trope that apparently occupies 90% of romance novels. So, hey! Good for you, book. Liam Brody (ugh, how I'm coming to loathe the name Liam!) engages in a thoroughly convincing transformation from misogynist womanizer to sensitive, caring leading man without losing his sarcastic and admittedly kind of tepid charisma. Liam is a jerk, but not unforgivably so, and the book does actually manage to turn him around in a way that seems natural. I believed it, like I believed his romance with Amanda, which is a slow, gradual thing that takes place over the course of the entire book, rather than hitting us over the head with stupid suspension-of-disbelief-breaking insta-love within the first five pages and then spending the next 295 trying to justify that insta-love. Again, a trope that apparently 90% of other romance novels fall victim to. So there's that! That's a thing.
The character of Ian Marsh is kind of interesting, and I say that because he's just about the only character who is not a cartoon cardboard cutout villain who is allowed to have flaws. Ultimately though I was too annoyed by how the text kept coyly babying him without explaining why, leaving you to think you're intended to just forgive him all his transgressions because he's a wounded troubled boy with a tragic past who needs to be fixed with cuddles and love. Gag me. That said,
The book really suffers due to three things. First, the book kind of hates ONTD, which surprised me because I went into this expecting a funny, sarcastic, irreverent tribute to one of the most obnoxious celebrity gossip sites on the internet. ONTD (here called HDU, which is a terrible acronym with an awful mouthfeel - I kept hearing it in my head as 'huh-day-oo') is not great, but it's not the worst online gossip rag, either. (That'd be Perez Hilton's blog & fans and TWOP. Sorry, not sorry.) The book spends a lot - and I mean a lot - of time talking about how sad and pathetic Amanda is for moderating and caring about HDU, and how sad and pathetic these obsessive weirdos are for their internet celeb gossip hobby, as if posting to HDU/ONTD is any more obsessive and invasive than people who pick up literally any magazine ever every week. I will defend the internets to the ends of the earth, though, so having this book talk about Amanda's sad pathetic lonely life because she chose to spend her time tooling around on an internet forum rather than, I don't know, going out and getting drunk? made me kind of buttmad. Whatevs.
Second, the book has some major girl-hate fetishism going for it. It tries to trick you into thinking it doesn't, but then the big reveal comes at the end and, oh yeah, you were right all along: every female character in this (except Amanda, of course, and the very very tertiary character Wendy Vogel) are the villains. Every antagonist is a woman, and Amanda spends an unreasonable amount of time worrying about her douchelord fuckstain friend Ian Marsh - whom she and everyone else has very good reason to hate and cut out of their life, after he apparently tries to ruin a vulnerable young woman's reputation by outing her drug addiction for his own selfish gain and then makes a fool of himself and tries to hit another man over the head with a bottle - as if it's a foregone conclusion that he's innocent and it's the catty evil manipulative cackling harpy villains who led him down a ~path to ruin~. (Wow, that was some sentence. I need an editor.)
Megan is transparently evil in a way that I did not for a second believe and in fact was frequently annoyed by, because a big hullabaloo was made over her evil vicious boyfriend-stealing ways, but the text never seems to acknowledge that, you know, it takes two to cheat. Megan did not 'steal' Amanda's boyfriend, sorry, he left of his own volition; as a grown-ass man, he was always capable of deciding whether or not to cheat on his girlfriend with her best friend. Megan didn't hypnotize him with her perfect cheerleader vagina because that is not a thing that could happen in this universe (IS IT? DOES PART 2 TURN INTO SOME CRAZY SCI-FI SHIT?), but the book sure wants you to think she did.
Most girls who were not Amanda were portrayed as vapid, shallow skanks throwing themselves at attractive men too good for them; Liam's exes were portrayed as having "used" him every bit as much as he did them in an attempt to sneakily excuse him for his behaviour. See, what he did was bad, but not that bad because they were just using him anyway! Hmm. Mm-hmm.
The third major problem this book has its its protagonist... Which, look, I cut female characters a lot of slack where other people tend to go quite harsh, but Amanda Nathan is not an engaging character, in fact she is unreasonably stupid and annoying. She also suffers from what the book keeps pointing out is wrong with Casey - she's so fucking boring you guys. She has no flaws and never does anything wrong and never really makes any mistakes, which has the side effect of making her appear to have very little agency, since she doesn't really ever do much but react to what other people do for her or around her. We're first treated to several chapters of inane pity parties from her that are so obnoxious and difficult to get through that I wanted to punch myself in the face just as a distraction, and then we're treated to her making a series of vapid observations and stupid decisions. She suffers a bit from Romance Novel Female Protagonist Fugue State, often doing things without realising what she's doing them and only figuring it out in retrospect.
I also could not stop rolling my eyes at how much emphasis is placed on how totally ordinary and plain Amanda is, and how the major plot of the novel basically hinges on exactly that, only for the book to do a 180 and be like "no wait, she's actually really crazy hot and sexy!" But she's a size 8 (omg, a size 8! Unheard of! - why are these women always a size 8?) so I guess that's enough to cancel out her total smokin' hotness in every other way? Mmkay, but I just think it's super dumb to make such a big deal about your MC's ~plain Jane~ status and then revoke that, and also it's really super dumb for real to pretend as if a guy dating a woman who is totally smokin' but slightly larger than other women after a string of supermodels means that he's no longer a shallow sexist because um...? Because he fell in love with her personality and not her looks, for who could ever learn to love a
Because I did not buy the whole crux of the plot, sorry. It just didn't seem like real life to me, it read much more like the setup to a bad romcom than something that would ever happen in the real world. Your mileage may vary.
This book is not very well-written. It's not terrible, though it is obviously self-published - there are a lot of awkward turns of phrases, grammatical errors, and typos that would never have gotten past a professional editor, and God help me if I ever have to see the verb "cooed" again - but it's generic and amateurish. It's not too dialogue-heavy, but the prose is bland, the description passive and lifeless; I'd put it at about a sixth grade reading level. Of course, that also makes it very easy to read; I got through it in what, a day? Two days?
That said, this is not a terrible book. I don't have a real problem with it. It was refreshing to see a story about an ordinary, down-to-earth girl attempting to fix, change, tame, etc a wild super-celebrity womanizer, a kind of Beauty and the Beast slash Pygmalion slash Cinderella story, and have that actually achieve what it set out to do - Liam actually develops and changes as a person, the book doesn't just assure us that he did without showing us any of that. As characters, Liam and Amanda are fine, they have chemistry, I believed their romance, and there is some genuinely interesting plot stuff going on here that doesn't hinge entirely on stupid manufactured relationship drama like 90% of the books I've read lately have.
So, there you go. I'm not going to recommend it except as a far superior alternative to garbage like Beautiful Disaster or Stripped. 2.5 stars. Not good. Not terrible. Average. You know, like Amanda Nathan.
Instances of vomit: one! And, it happened off-screen!
March 5, 2013
Loved this I have to say! So much drama and I sapped it up. This book made me laugh so many times, Liam and Amanda's relationship buckled me! I loved them together. I would have loved to have seen what Amanda had planned for Casey always knew she was a manipulative biatch who could only ever think of herself, what a cow! Megan, eugh, she got off lightly to say the least.
I would have also liked to have seen a happy ending for Ian he didn't deserve what happened to him!
HONESTLY? I'd like a sequel! This book kept my interest the whole way through, thoroughly enjoyed it and never left room for boredom. You have to keep up, Hollywood waits for no one!
I would have also liked to have seen a happy ending for Ian he didn't deserve what happened to him!
HONESTLY? I'd like a sequel! This book kept my interest the whole way through, thoroughly enjoyed it and never left room for boredom. You have to keep up, Hollywood waits for no one!
July 16, 2013
Yum! I ate that up like a tub of delicious vanilla frosting!
I feel like this excited Liz Lemon right now.
The story begins with a post on HDU about Liam Brody, 25 year old actor who I learn is a sleazebag that dates and dumps models on practically a daily basis. He's nothing but a womanizer. So, of course, I hate him.
Then enters our MC, Amanda Nathan. She's a 22 year old, small town girl in Missouri without a clue as to what she wants to do with her life. Thus she spends her days indoors on her laptop as a moderator known as PrettyKitty29 on HDU, a popular celebrity gossip site, entertaining herself with the more glamorous lives of celebrities rather than facing her own life. And one of the best things she does on HDU is hate on Liam Brody for being his disgusting self.
But Amanda's life changes when Liam Brody emails her, offering a bribe in exchange for kind words about him on HDU because he needs positive publicity to land a role in a movie he's auditioning for.
“It’s hard to get a second audition for such a dignified role when America knows you best as a…” he clicked around his computer for a bit and squinted, reading off of his screen. “A ‘womanizing douchelord.’”
Haha! That's your own fault buddy!
But he explains why the movie role is so important to him and against my wishes I find myself buying it as he tells this story about his brother.
Gah! It's so cute!
But Amanda doesn't fall for Liam as easily as I do. No sir. She does not let his little "speech" sway her into accepting his bribe.
It's only when her life in her nosy small town gets completely unbearable that Amanda turns to Liam Brody as her ticket out of town and into the world of celebrities in New York.
She promises to write favorable articles about him if he pretends to be her boyfriend for a few weeks. (And she also lists out a bunch of other demands like she's the boss of him or something).
And he totally accepts her demands!
Dear “Babe”,
It’s a deal.
Like who is this guy? He just agrees to pretend to date some girl he's never even met before, and all because he really wants to land a role in an upcoming movie? That's dedication right there. She could be a 500 lb. man for all he knows!
Their first meeting of one another...
“Are you the ballsy girl I’ve been talking to?” Amanda managed a weak smile of confirmation. “Yeah, I don’t think so. You seem too nice to be her.”
Aww.
“Loosen up,” he said. “You’re supposed to like me if we’re dating.”
Is he for real? He's acting so nice and normal despite the fact that Amanda's put all these demands on him. Maybe he's not as bad as Amanda thought???
But then this happens.
To her mortification, his eyes then scanned her body from head to toe. “I’m pleasantly surprised.”
Nope. Nope. Not cool dude. That's like an insult right there.
But let me just say that this guy is actually super amazing to Amanda. Like seriously. They are strangers to one another and yet he treats her so sweetly even though she's like practically blackmailing him into posing as her boyfriend. (I'm not trying to make Amanda sound bad here. Because she really isn't. I'm just pointing out that Liam is super thoughtful.)
Let me give you a little taste of what I mean...
- He says something stupid but then immediately rescinds it and tries to comfort Amanda. (And at this point they've only known each other for a few short hours).
“What, is this the part where the makeover happens? I thought the point was to keep you ugly,” he said. When the smile fell from Amanda’s once-again stony face, he laughed so hard he was compelled to give her knee a little squeeze. “Kidding. We’ll figure it out tomorrow. Just never make that face again.”
- He solves Amanda's clothes debacle when she cannot find a decent outfit to wear for their first "date" because her wardrobe consists of frumpy clothes she's owned for years.
“Catch,” he said, tossing her the sweater. “Girls are supposed to look good in guy clothing.”
- He compliments her even when the paparazzi can't hear.
“I like that dress,” he said.
“They can’t hear through the window.”
He rolled his eyes. “Thanks, I know.”
“Trust me, you’re not like them. You’re real and natural and nice.”
- He makes her tea and is always listening to her troubles and drama. Like he doesn't have enough going on in his own life.
- He tries to calm her down when she's having a meltdown.
“I know, but my publicist is on it,” Liam said, scooping her up from the floor and sitting her on the couch. He peeled her hands off her face. “It’ll blow over in a few hours,” he said. “In the meantime, just don’t go online, don’t read comments, don’t listen to what anyone has to say. Just hang out here and we can watch a movie until you have to go to dinner. Do you have your… outfit and your… shoes and stuff picked out?” Amanda peered up at him slowly and quizzically. He knelt before her on one knee, his brows slightly knit, his head cocked to try and meet her eye. Sympathetic was a strange look on him.
- And yeah, the list goes on and on. It's the sweetest thing.
And of course there are like a million cute moments along the way as Liam and Amanda get to know one another. I seriously loved every moment between the two of them.
Now, there's a lot that happens in this book besides just the growing sexual tension between Liam and Amanda. We've got crazy people everywhere! And I'm not talking about the paparazzi - though they are totally crazy as well.
We've got haters and deceivers and drama galore. We've even got online articles and gossip columns feeding the crazy train.
But if I were to name a winner for the most disturbed person in this book, it would be Megan. Aka, Amanda's ex-friend.
So... Megan is really insane-o. She thinks because she's gorgeous she can have whatever she wants. Including Liam.
“God, Mandy, you should just let someone else have him so all that energy doesn’t go to waste.”
Like who do you think you are Megan?
But she doesn't stop there.
“I know she can’t keep you.”
“She doesn’t deserve you, I’m just being honest.” He ignored her as he took out his wallet. Megan persisted. “Let’s pretend you’d never met either of us before,” she said, leaning forward on the table so that her cleavage plunged. “And you saw me and Amanda. Who would you go for, realistically?”
And Megan says all of this on a dinner date with Amanda and Liam where they're all supposed to be pretending like they are friends or something. Like why, Megan? You think it's acceptable to treat a friend like that? To try to steal her boyfriend so openly? What is wrong with you!
There's seriously so much drama going on in this book and I love it!
I am so excited for the next one to come out!
I just hope Megan isn't in it.
If she is present, I'm telling my girl Amanda to get behind me while I whack Megan in the head.
I feel like this excited Liz Lemon right now.
The story begins with a post on HDU about Liam Brody, 25 year old actor who I learn is a sleazebag that dates and dumps models on practically a daily basis. He's nothing but a womanizer. So, of course, I hate him.
Then enters our MC, Amanda Nathan. She's a 22 year old, small town girl in Missouri without a clue as to what she wants to do with her life. Thus she spends her days indoors on her laptop as a moderator known as PrettyKitty29 on HDU, a popular celebrity gossip site, entertaining herself with the more glamorous lives of celebrities rather than facing her own life. And one of the best things she does on HDU is hate on Liam Brody for being his disgusting self.
But Amanda's life changes when Liam Brody emails her, offering a bribe in exchange for kind words about him on HDU because he needs positive publicity to land a role in a movie he's auditioning for.
“It’s hard to get a second audition for such a dignified role when America knows you best as a…” he clicked around his computer for a bit and squinted, reading off of his screen. “A ‘womanizing douchelord.’”
Haha! That's your own fault buddy!
But he explains why the movie role is so important to him and against my wishes I find myself buying it as he tells this story about his brother.
Gah! It's so cute!
But Amanda doesn't fall for Liam as easily as I do. No sir. She does not let his little "speech" sway her into accepting his bribe.
It's only when her life in her nosy small town gets completely unbearable that Amanda turns to Liam Brody as her ticket out of town and into the world of celebrities in New York.
She promises to write favorable articles about him if he pretends to be her boyfriend for a few weeks. (And she also lists out a bunch of other demands like she's the boss of him or something).
And he totally accepts her demands!
Dear “Babe”,
It’s a deal.
Like who is this guy? He just agrees to pretend to date some girl he's never even met before, and all because he really wants to land a role in an upcoming movie? That's dedication right there. She could be a 500 lb. man for all he knows!
Their first meeting of one another...
“Are you the ballsy girl I’ve been talking to?” Amanda managed a weak smile of confirmation. “Yeah, I don’t think so. You seem too nice to be her.”
Aww.
“Loosen up,” he said. “You’re supposed to like me if we’re dating.”
Is he for real? He's acting so nice and normal despite the fact that Amanda's put all these demands on him. Maybe he's not as bad as Amanda thought???
But then this happens.
To her mortification, his eyes then scanned her body from head to toe. “I’m pleasantly surprised.”
Nope. Nope. Not cool dude. That's like an insult right there.
But let me just say that this guy is actually super amazing to Amanda. Like seriously. They are strangers to one another and yet he treats her so sweetly even though she's like practically blackmailing him into posing as her boyfriend. (I'm not trying to make Amanda sound bad here. Because she really isn't. I'm just pointing out that Liam is super thoughtful.)
Let me give you a little taste of what I mean...
- He says something stupid but then immediately rescinds it and tries to comfort Amanda. (And at this point they've only known each other for a few short hours).
“What, is this the part where the makeover happens? I thought the point was to keep you ugly,” he said. When the smile fell from Amanda’s once-again stony face, he laughed so hard he was compelled to give her knee a little squeeze. “Kidding. We’ll figure it out tomorrow. Just never make that face again.”
- He solves Amanda's clothes debacle when she cannot find a decent outfit to wear for their first "date" because her wardrobe consists of frumpy clothes she's owned for years.
“Catch,” he said, tossing her the sweater. “Girls are supposed to look good in guy clothing.”
- He compliments her even when the paparazzi can't hear.
“I like that dress,” he said.
“They can’t hear through the window.”
He rolled his eyes. “Thanks, I know.”
“Trust me, you’re not like them. You’re real and natural and nice.”
- He makes her tea and is always listening to her troubles and drama. Like he doesn't have enough going on in his own life.
- He tries to calm her down when she's having a meltdown.
“I know, but my publicist is on it,” Liam said, scooping her up from the floor and sitting her on the couch. He peeled her hands off her face. “It’ll blow over in a few hours,” he said. “In the meantime, just don’t go online, don’t read comments, don’t listen to what anyone has to say. Just hang out here and we can watch a movie until you have to go to dinner. Do you have your… outfit and your… shoes and stuff picked out?” Amanda peered up at him slowly and quizzically. He knelt before her on one knee, his brows slightly knit, his head cocked to try and meet her eye. Sympathetic was a strange look on him.
- And yeah, the list goes on and on. It's the sweetest thing.
And of course there are like a million cute moments along the way as Liam and Amanda get to know one another. I seriously loved every moment between the two of them.
Now, there's a lot that happens in this book besides just the growing sexual tension between Liam and Amanda. We've got crazy people everywhere! And I'm not talking about the paparazzi - though they are totally crazy as well.
We've got haters and deceivers and drama galore. We've even got online articles and gossip columns feeding the crazy train.
But if I were to name a winner for the most disturbed person in this book, it would be Megan. Aka, Amanda's ex-friend.
So... Megan is really insane-o. She thinks because she's gorgeous she can have whatever she wants. Including Liam.
“God, Mandy, you should just let someone else have him so all that energy doesn’t go to waste.”
Like who do you think you are Megan?
But she doesn't stop there.
“I know she can’t keep you.”
“She doesn’t deserve you, I’m just being honest.” He ignored her as he took out his wallet. Megan persisted. “Let’s pretend you’d never met either of us before,” she said, leaning forward on the table so that her cleavage plunged. “And you saw me and Amanda. Who would you go for, realistically?”
And Megan says all of this on a dinner date with Amanda and Liam where they're all supposed to be pretending like they are friends or something. Like why, Megan? You think it's acceptable to treat a friend like that? To try to steal her boyfriend so openly? What is wrong with you!
There's seriously so much drama going on in this book and I love it!
I am so excited for the next one to come out!
I just hope Megan isn't in it.
If she is present, I'm telling my girl Amanda to get behind me while I whack Megan in the head.
January 2, 2013
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HDU by India Lee was such an entertaining read and took a unique turn on the whole “dating a celebrity” novels that have been written lately.
HDU is about 23 year-old Amanda, who is back home living with her parents after her childhood best friend and roommate stole her boyfriend. After feeling like a complete failure in her small Missouri town, not letting others know the truth about the town’s “perfect girl” who is really a backstabbing friend. Amanda is left with nothing but the celebrity blog she helps moderate (I totally think this sounded like the famous OhNoTheyDidn’t blog on livejournal's site).
Amanda receives a message from the famous heartthrob Liam (I pictured Zac Efron as Liam, whose with me on this?), who needs a favor. Amanda is intrigued and thinks this “favor” could be the ticket to NYC and away from it all. Liam needs to find a normal girl to date for publicity purposes and Amanda is his girl. The two take on New York and the paparazzi and become Liamanda (totally cute). As their “relationship” starts to turn into more, of course drama must be around the corner and everything crumbles apart. The story ends on a high but definitely leaves a lot of questions unanswered with the need to know more. I am so glad Ms. Lee will be writing HDU #2, I think I might go nuts a bit not knowing where Liamanda go next in their relationship.
I loved the original story line, yes a book about a normal girl falling in love with a hot celebrity guy isn’t original but how the plot came about and the characters made it special. I really liked Amanda and was rooting for her the entire time. I ADORED the bickering and playful flirting between Liam and Amanda throughout their relationship from the very beginning, as if Liam had no effect on her just because he was a celebrity. Their relationship was a long buildup and totally PG. There are no love scenes in this book, it is YA.
During Amanda’s time in NYC she meets her celebrity crush Dylan (I pictured Rob Pattinson, plus he is British like Dylan). I liked his character a lot at first, I even thought he and Amanda were more compatible but at the end I did not like him for Amanda at all, he had no balls like Liam did. I hated there was not a lot of scenes between Liam and Amanda; I am hoping book 2 will have them together more.
I give HDU 4 stars. Can’t read what comes next for Liamanda!
I am definitely Team Liam!
HDU by India Lee was such an entertaining read and took a unique turn on the whole “dating a celebrity” novels that have been written lately.
HDU is about 23 year-old Amanda, who is back home living with her parents after her childhood best friend and roommate stole her boyfriend. After feeling like a complete failure in her small Missouri town, not letting others know the truth about the town’s “perfect girl” who is really a backstabbing friend. Amanda is left with nothing but the celebrity blog she helps moderate (I totally think this sounded like the famous OhNoTheyDidn’t blog on livejournal's site).
Amanda receives a message from the famous heartthrob Liam (I pictured Zac Efron as Liam, whose with me on this?), who needs a favor. Amanda is intrigued and thinks this “favor” could be the ticket to NYC and away from it all. Liam needs to find a normal girl to date for publicity purposes and Amanda is his girl. The two take on New York and the paparazzi and become Liamanda (totally cute). As their “relationship” starts to turn into more, of course drama must be around the corner and everything crumbles apart. The story ends on a high but definitely leaves a lot of questions unanswered with the need to know more. I am so glad Ms. Lee will be writing HDU #2, I think I might go nuts a bit not knowing where Liamanda go next in their relationship.
I loved the original story line, yes a book about a normal girl falling in love with a hot celebrity guy isn’t original but how the plot came about and the characters made it special. I really liked Amanda and was rooting for her the entire time. I ADORED the bickering and playful flirting between Liam and Amanda throughout their relationship from the very beginning, as if Liam had no effect on her just because he was a celebrity. Their relationship was a long buildup and totally PG. There are no love scenes in this book, it is YA.
During Amanda’s time in NYC she meets her celebrity crush Dylan (I pictured Rob Pattinson, plus he is British like Dylan). I liked his character a lot at first, I even thought he and Amanda were more compatible but at the end I did not like him for Amanda at all, he had no balls like Liam did. I hated there was not a lot of scenes between Liam and Amanda; I am hoping book 2 will have them together more.
I give HDU 4 stars. Can’t read what comes next for Liamanda!
I am definitely Team Liam!
January 7, 2013
A bit of background- heard about this book on via twitter who linked the post to ONTD- someone had written a book about the website! I downloaded it, expecting it to be... not like it was. It was actually, a rather enjoyable and gripping read. After reading loads of dick lit, it's strangely nice to read a book where I actually liked and rooted for the characters!
Summary: Amanda Nathan is the moderator for HDU (How Dare You), an aggregate gossip site. Meaning; she's the one who shifts through the queue, giving permission for the content to go through, and helps to maintain order with the message boards. She's moved back home, smarting from heartache, and in a twist of fate, via her website, gets the opportunity to be in a relationship with Liam Brody. On the surface of it, it's a win win situation. She gets to show that the best revenge is living well, and for Liam Brody, it's positive publicity to net him the role of his dreams.
The characters in this book were good. Amanda is likeable, so are Ian (her fellow co mod) and Liam. I didn't necessarily buy the romance between Amanda and Liam because they were apart most of the time, and Amanda had so much going on, and Ms lee can't write unfulfilled sexual tension to save her life, but I liked the characters enough to accept the romance, if that made sense?
Overall, the best part of the book are the blog entries: the real time commentary, the snarky comments by posters. How perceptions of celebrity changes from hour to hour. In the age of the celebrity blog, it's great to see how bloggers have a hand in documenting the rise and fall of celebrity, and how a canny star can twist perceptions as they go on. I wish Ms Lee would have had more comments from HDU, because they were insightful and veering on bitchy (that's how we do on celeb blogs). What was nice about the book is that it felt like now: cell phones, instagram, portable camcorders, etc.
In addition, it's nice to cheer for a female lead who's a decent person, and not passive aggressive or too perfect about it. Amanda is loyal, and it costs her, for example, but she learns from her mistakes.
Why this book isn't a five: odd punctuation errors, the inability to take advantage of what an ebook might offer (in terms of say, mock screencaps for phone messages, mock caption videos - our lived present is so visual, and this book is bland, especially with the high tech entertainment we're a part of now), and unconvincing sexual chemistry with the leads. I think the book needed more space/words for the characters to breathe because various situations seemed to be forcibly truncated.
Overall, I can't hate. It's a relatively good fluffy read. It's enough for me to be interested in HDU2
Well done, Ms Lee. I d/l the book to engage in a shared ONTD smackdown, but I'm glad to report nothing but good will.
Summary: Amanda Nathan is the moderator for HDU (How Dare You), an aggregate gossip site. Meaning; she's the one who shifts through the queue, giving permission for the content to go through, and helps to maintain order with the message boards. She's moved back home, smarting from heartache, and in a twist of fate, via her website, gets the opportunity to be in a relationship with Liam Brody. On the surface of it, it's a win win situation. She gets to show that the best revenge is living well, and for Liam Brody, it's positive publicity to net him the role of his dreams.
The characters in this book were good. Amanda is likeable, so are Ian (her fellow co mod) and Liam. I didn't necessarily buy the romance between Amanda and Liam because they were apart most of the time, and Amanda had so much going on, and Ms lee can't write unfulfilled sexual tension to save her life, but I liked the characters enough to accept the romance, if that made sense?
Overall, the best part of the book are the blog entries: the real time commentary, the snarky comments by posters. How perceptions of celebrity changes from hour to hour. In the age of the celebrity blog, it's great to see how bloggers have a hand in documenting the rise and fall of celebrity, and how a canny star can twist perceptions as they go on. I wish Ms Lee would have had more comments from HDU, because they were insightful and veering on bitchy (that's how we do on celeb blogs). What was nice about the book is that it felt like now: cell phones, instagram, portable camcorders, etc.
In addition, it's nice to cheer for a female lead who's a decent person, and not passive aggressive or too perfect about it. Amanda is loyal, and it costs her, for example, but she learns from her mistakes.
Why this book isn't a five: odd punctuation errors, the inability to take advantage of what an ebook might offer (in terms of say, mock screencaps for phone messages, mock caption videos - our lived present is so visual, and this book is bland, especially with the high tech entertainment we're a part of now), and unconvincing sexual chemistry with the leads. I think the book needed more space/words for the characters to breathe because various situations seemed to be forcibly truncated.
Overall, I can't hate. It's a relatively good fluffy read. It's enough for me to be interested in HDU2
Well done, Ms Lee. I d/l the book to engage in a shared ONTD smackdown, but I'm glad to report nothing but good will.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2013
(First review, please bear with me.)
As a full time fan-girl the premise for this book is pretty much my ultimate fantasy, but I've been disappointed every time I pick one up - until now! (I'm not going to summarise the plot since it's right there ^)
First of all, the writing is actually good (I didn't feel like I was reading mediocre fanfiction) and while the plot isn't entirely original (or believable - but isn't that the point?), the humour and easy wit made up for it.
What really drew me in is the fact that Amanda is someone I can relate to: she's normal. She wasn't immune to Hollywoods' glamour or charm, she's not a hermit so that she is oblivious to celebrity gossip or overexposed to them that she's immune. In fact, she's the opposite and falls somewhere between hysterical fan-girl and normal human being, and she gradually gravitates towards the later as the book progresses.
The greatest thing I can empathise with Amanda is the fact she had no idea what to do, which was a nice change of pace from those girls who may be unpopular but at least they're really hard working and have their 4.0 GPA and lifelong ambition to be a doctor/lawyer/etc to fall back on. Instead, Amanda's rather ordinary; she has a sense of humour, a university degree she's not sure what to do with, and not completely fashion inept but definitely not without her awkward moments, and is basically addicted to the internet.This pretty much sums up my life.
The characters aren't whiney or overdramatic and definitely more than 2-dimensional. There are no overly cliche characters and it doesn't have any of those cheap and unrealistic ploys to get the couple together (spoiler alert: no one gets sick so that the other had to nurse them to health) or major misunderstandings that have you slamming your head against the wall. Her relationship with Liam was gradual and I enjoyed the progression of their friendship with that underlying sizzle of attraction. The only thing this book lacked were steamy love scenes - but I'm holding out hope for the sequel!
This is a fun read! Not life-changing or thought-provoking, but definitely entertaining.
As a full time fan-girl the premise for this book is pretty much my ultimate fantasy, but I've been disappointed every time I pick one up - until now! (I'm not going to summarise the plot since it's right there ^)
First of all, the writing is actually good (I didn't feel like I was reading mediocre fanfiction) and while the plot isn't entirely original (or believable - but isn't that the point?), the humour and easy wit made up for it.
What really drew me in is the fact that Amanda is someone I can relate to: she's normal. She wasn't immune to Hollywoods' glamour or charm, she's not a hermit so that she is oblivious to celebrity gossip or overexposed to them that she's immune. In fact, she's the opposite and falls somewhere between hysterical fan-girl and normal human being, and she gradually gravitates towards the later as the book progresses.
The greatest thing I can empathise with Amanda is the fact she had no idea what to do, which was a nice change of pace from those girls who may be unpopular but at least they're really hard working and have their 4.0 GPA and lifelong ambition to be a doctor/lawyer/etc to fall back on. Instead, Amanda's rather ordinary; she has a sense of humour, a university degree she's not sure what to do with, and not completely fashion inept but definitely not without her awkward moments, and is basically addicted to the internet.
The characters aren't whiney or overdramatic and definitely more than 2-dimensional. There are no overly cliche characters and it doesn't have any of those cheap and unrealistic ploys to get the couple together (spoiler alert: no one gets sick so that the other had to nurse them to health) or major misunderstandings that have you slamming your head against the wall. Her relationship with Liam was gradual and I enjoyed the progression of their friendship with that underlying sizzle of attraction. The only thing this book lacked were steamy love scenes - but I'm holding out hope for the sequel!
This is a fun read! Not life-changing or thought-provoking, but definitely entertaining.
January 29, 2013
Unexpectedly charming? I'm surprised because I really want to read more, but I don't know why that is - that's partly the charm of the main character, sure, but I'm wondering if I think that because it feels distinctly like a series that's - unfinished? There were reasonable resolutions, and I liked that there were so many things happening and that there was as messy as it was, but at the same time I didn't get into it, and everything that was happening felt so transitory - nothing settled, nothing finished, nothing permanent.
I thought the lead couple was cute, but there wasn't a clear enough shift in feelings (especially on the dude's part) for it to be particularly believable, even if it was compelling. Their few scenes together were really cute! I want more of that!! The premise of this 'ship is one of my favourite premises for anything, but I wish we'd gotten that a little more fleshed out, something I could get properly into!
Sidenote: I have to say, this was one of the few times I've read books with internet involvement that didn't make me wince in embarrassment!! Liked the nods to and use of the webpages and comment sections, the easy terminology (fandoms!), but not showy or exasperating and definitely like someone who got it. I like it when things realise that internet culture isn't about only losers, but that people can also rely on information like that and a community like that in a big way.
Anyway, super looking forward to HDU2. With more of the 'ship and with more of Amanda settling down for real in NYC, it could be really great!
I thought the lead couple was cute, but there wasn't a clear enough shift in feelings (especially on the dude's part) for it to be particularly believable, even if it was compelling. Their few scenes together were really cute! I want more of that!! The premise of this 'ship is one of my favourite premises for anything, but I wish we'd gotten that a little more fleshed out, something I could get properly into!
Sidenote: I have to say, this was one of the few times I've read books with internet involvement that didn't make me wince in embarrassment!! Liked the nods to and use of the webpages and comment sections, the easy terminology (fandoms!), but not showy or exasperating and definitely like someone who got it. I like it when things realise that internet culture isn't about only losers, but that people can also rely on information like that and a community like that in a big way.
Anyway, super looking forward to HDU2. With more of the 'ship and with more of Amanda settling down for real in NYC, it could be really great!
December 23, 2012
I never peek ahead when I'm reading, I usually just trust the author to give me what I want at the end of the story, a HEA. Only been burned once (that book will live on in infamy!) But this book came this close (holds fingers a scant bit apart.) I found myself looking at how much was left to go in the story - 97%, 98%....99%! Surely, I was not going to left hanging??? Whew! Close, but she delivered. And delivered well.
I read this book with an unconscious smile on my face. I love books like that; subconsciously, my mind is telling me, This is good. The premise was different from my usual reads. IOW, it's G, peeps. :) But that's okay, it was a nicely done break. The h is a celebrity blogger looking for revenge against a back-stabbing friend (how do people manage to have such bad friends?), the H a celebrity looking for friendlier posts to help him land a role. They make a deal, she moves to the Big Apple, and celebrity life ensues. The writing was excellent, the neat way of inserting the posts from various blogs felt real life, and the MCs were fabulous. Best of all, while I hate the fact that I didn't get to see enough of Liamanda together in Book 1, I can't wait to see them in action in Book 2. Soon, please! :)
I read this book with an unconscious smile on my face. I love books like that; subconsciously, my mind is telling me, This is good. The premise was different from my usual reads. IOW, it's G, peeps. :) But that's okay, it was a nicely done break. The h is a celebrity blogger looking for revenge against a back-stabbing friend (how do people manage to have such bad friends?), the H a celebrity looking for friendlier posts to help him land a role. They make a deal, she moves to the Big Apple, and celebrity life ensues. The writing was excellent, the neat way of inserting the posts from various blogs felt real life, and the MCs were fabulous. Best of all, while I hate the fact that I didn't get to see enough of Liamanda together in Book 1, I can't wait to see them in action in Book 2. Soon, please! :)
February 2, 2013
This is basically wish fulfillment fic but it was pretty fun! I mean, this is ONTD: the Novel, so really what else could it be? Plus, fake dating is one of my favorite tropes. ONE OF MY ALL-TIME FAVORITES. And fun references like LJ's Diner!
What I really think this needed was a better editor (or, you know, beta reader, because really). The first half of this was REALLY GREAT, and then it just became a little messy towards the end. The romance, in particular, needed a little bit more detail. There's subtle, yes, and then there's not enough, and this aired more towards the latter and less towards the former. (And you all know how I love the former.)
I like that there's a sequel because while this does fine as a stand alone, I think there's more that I'd like to see explored. Liam's brother, for one. Ian's recovery, for another. The actual relationship between Liam and Amanda. Also, I would love to see Amanda have a female friend who was a genuine friend.
But overall, I spent a good portion of this book laughing out loud and trying not to look like a complete idiot on the subway. I enjoyed this a good deal.
I may need to go track down the ONTD post about this at some point.
What I really think this needed was a better editor (or, you know, beta reader, because really). The first half of this was REALLY GREAT, and then it just became a little messy towards the end. The romance, in particular, needed a little bit more detail. There's subtle, yes, and then there's not enough, and this aired more towards the latter and less towards the former. (And you all know how I love the former.)
I like that there's a sequel because while this does fine as a stand alone, I think there's more that I'd like to see explored. Liam's brother, for one. Ian's recovery, for another. The actual relationship between Liam and Amanda. Also, I would love to see Amanda have a female friend who was a genuine friend.
But overall, I spent a good portion of this book laughing out loud and trying not to look like a complete idiot on the subway. I enjoyed this a good deal.
I may need to go track down the ONTD post about this at some point.
March 6, 2013
I like this book. Ms. Lee has a good flow and can really write chemistry.
Amanda has a lot to learn and I enjoyed seeing her character develop. She really takes on a new personality, yet remains herself.
Amanda and Liam's relationship kicked ass.
“I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings before, Amanda.”
“You didn’t hurt my feelings. I’m not five.”
I loved that Amanda genuinely did not swoon over every little thing Liam did. This was such a massive relief to me. Their relationship progresses steadily but slowly. There's such a wonderful air of subtlety. Definitely no insta-love. They have to learn to be friends first.
There are less scenes with them together then I thought there would be. Amanda actually does have her own life in the city. I love that she kept her simplicity and her wholesomeness (?).
Amanda has a lot to learn and I enjoyed seeing her character develop. She really takes on a new personality, yet remains herself.
Amanda and Liam's relationship kicked ass.
“I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings before, Amanda.”
“You didn’t hurt my feelings. I’m not five.”
I loved that Amanda genuinely did not swoon over every little thing Liam did. This was such a massive relief to me. Their relationship progresses steadily but slowly. There's such a wonderful air of subtlety. Definitely no insta-love. They have to learn to be friends first.
There are less scenes with them together then I thought there would be. Amanda actually does have her own life in the city. I love that she kept her simplicity and her wholesomeness (?).
June 27, 2015
Sooooo, this is fun. Actually, the first half is fun, the second is a little too dramatic and depressing, but yet enjoyable. Wish I liked Amanda more, though.
November 28, 2012
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE REVIEWS AT READING, EATING AND DREAMING I WAS BLAIR WALDORF
HDU was the perfect book for young adults who want to get lost in an exciting, dramatic world full of celebrities, fame, drama, secrets, romance and more.
If you enjoyed the Hidden Gem series by India Lee then you'll enjoy this series. If you thought the Hidden Gem series was cute but a little young, then you'll really love this new series because it caters to a slighter older crowd.
I really enjoyed the ups and the downs of this dramatic romance novel. Just like in the Hidden Gem series, I loved reading the blog post and magazine articles throughout this novel. The articles and blog posts are such a great way to learn about and connect with the characters. I really connected with the main character Amanda. She is definitely the type of character readers can root for. I felt strong dislike toward her enemies, loyalty toward her friends, self-conscious about the fame, and giddy about a certain boy (or two). Amanda grew on me throughout the novel. Don't get me wrong, I liked her from the very first chapter, but I liked her even more the more I got to know her character.
It's remarkable how fast and effortless Ms. Lee is able to bring me into her fictional worlds. I love how she is able to pull such strong emotions out of me throughout her novels. She was able to do that in the Hidden Gem series as well as with this new series. I didn't even realize how absorbed I was in this novel until I looked at the clock realized it was past midnight, I hadn't put this book down for a second, I forgot to eat dinner, and I needed to shower and get my butt in bed so I wouldn't snooze through my alarm clock the next morning. If you can't tell from the name of my blog: Reading, EATING and dreaming, I don't just read through meals very often. Eating is my second favorite thing to do. :) But I was so wrapped up in this novel that I didn't even realize I had read through dinner. How crazy is that?
There will be a follow-up novel to HDU. But don't worry, this novel leaves off on a strong, happy note with an exciting promise of what's to come in the future.
I gave HDU (HDU #1) by India Lee 4 STARS. I really, really enjoyed this novel and I definitely recommend this novel to young adults who are looking for a great escape into an exciting and glamourous world. I can't wait to the watch the romance and drama continue in the next novel in this series.
-XOXO
READING, EATING AND DREAMING
HDU was the perfect book for young adults who want to get lost in an exciting, dramatic world full of celebrities, fame, drama, secrets, romance and more.
If you enjoyed the Hidden Gem series by India Lee then you'll enjoy this series. If you thought the Hidden Gem series was cute but a little young, then you'll really love this new series because it caters to a slighter older crowd.
I really enjoyed the ups and the downs of this dramatic romance novel. Just like in the Hidden Gem series, I loved reading the blog post and magazine articles throughout this novel. The articles and blog posts are such a great way to learn about and connect with the characters. I really connected with the main character Amanda. She is definitely the type of character readers can root for. I felt strong dislike toward her enemies, loyalty toward her friends, self-conscious about the fame, and giddy about a certain boy (or two). Amanda grew on me throughout the novel. Don't get me wrong, I liked her from the very first chapter, but I liked her even more the more I got to know her character.
It's remarkable how fast and effortless Ms. Lee is able to bring me into her fictional worlds. I love how she is able to pull such strong emotions out of me throughout her novels. She was able to do that in the Hidden Gem series as well as with this new series. I didn't even realize how absorbed I was in this novel until I looked at the clock realized it was past midnight, I hadn't put this book down for a second, I forgot to eat dinner, and I needed to shower and get my butt in bed so I wouldn't snooze through my alarm clock the next morning. If you can't tell from the name of my blog: Reading, EATING and dreaming, I don't just read through meals very often. Eating is my second favorite thing to do. :) But I was so wrapped up in this novel that I didn't even realize I had read through dinner. How crazy is that?
There will be a follow-up novel to HDU. But don't worry, this novel leaves off on a strong, happy note with an exciting promise of what's to come in the future.
I gave HDU (HDU #1) by India Lee 4 STARS. I really, really enjoyed this novel and I definitely recommend this novel to young adults who are looking for a great escape into an exciting and glamourous world. I can't wait to the watch the romance and drama continue in the next novel in this series.
-XOXO
READING, EATING AND DREAMING
December 14, 2012
let me gush first, then I'll start the review.
OH MY GOD!!! I, like Amanda, thought Liam was a womanizing doucelord. but as soon as they meet, I'm rooting for Liam and I didn't even realize it. when I did, I stopped and thought, WTF? but then hardy comes and I am like, Hell, yeah!!! I found somebody to hate! And poor Ian! I do hope he recovers and shows the world what he is.
I have never suspected Carey though!! :'(
OK, ranting is finished.
What I liked about the book:
the characters: the characters were lively and engaging. Amanda was, for a lack of better word, normal. she was quite strong too. if I were in her shoes, I would have definitely thrown a tantrum, or worse, went back to home. she didn't and kudos for that.
Liam was awesome. sure at first he was a jerk, but who aren't in that situation? I'm sure he was just getting rid of the frustration.
the side characters were well drawn too. I felt so bad for Ian!!! And when Megan went blotchy and red, I let out a whoop(very quietly, my mom was sleeping in the next room and it was 3 am!)!!
the banter I have to dedicate a paragraph to the banter! it was so...funny! I couldn't wipe of a grin from my face and received some very pointed looks from my family! I loved the humor.
the long pace the book was very long. but it worked, because the story needed the premise.
What I didn't like:
the mother character I don't like her in both the senses that she was a shitty mother and she wasn't drawn out properly. she had almost unbelievable support for Megan. don't get me wrong, but mothers usually suspect something is up when you aren't talking about you best friend for 11 years who you have been living with past 2 years. At least my mother would have.
the on you face scene which was very small yep, I named the scene. It was a dream come true! I would have liked it to stretch a little (ok, a lot) more!
To sum it up, it was an awesome book. Light, funny, yet has a superb writing. It's pure entertainment. If you like funny, full-of-banter romance where the main character grows a lot, this is for you. And if you are looking for a good Hollywood based novel, romance or otherwise, give it a try.
OH MY GOD!!! I, like Amanda, thought Liam was a womanizing doucelord. but as soon as they meet, I'm rooting for Liam and I didn't even realize it. when I did, I stopped and thought, WTF? but then hardy comes and I am like, Hell, yeah!!! I found somebody to hate! And poor Ian! I do hope he recovers and shows the world what he is.
I have never suspected Carey though!! :'(
OK, ranting is finished.
What I liked about the book:
the characters: the characters were lively and engaging. Amanda was, for a lack of better word, normal. she was quite strong too. if I were in her shoes, I would have definitely thrown a tantrum, or worse, went back to home. she didn't and kudos for that.
Liam was awesome. sure at first he was a jerk, but who aren't in that situation? I'm sure he was just getting rid of the frustration.
the side characters were well drawn too. I felt so bad for Ian!!! And when Megan went blotchy and red, I let out a whoop(very quietly, my mom was sleeping in the next room and it was 3 am!)!!
the banter I have to dedicate a paragraph to the banter! it was so...funny! I couldn't wipe of a grin from my face and received some very pointed looks from my family! I loved the humor.
the long pace the book was very long. but it worked, because the story needed the premise.
What I didn't like:
the mother character I don't like her in both the senses that she was a shitty mother and she wasn't drawn out properly. she had almost unbelievable support for Megan. don't get me wrong, but mothers usually suspect something is up when you aren't talking about you best friend for 11 years who you have been living with past 2 years. At least my mother would have.
the on you face scene which was very small yep, I named the scene. It was a dream come true! I would have liked it to stretch a little (ok, a lot) more!
To sum it up, it was an awesome book. Light, funny, yet has a superb writing. It's pure entertainment. If you like funny, full-of-banter romance where the main character grows a lot, this is for you. And if you are looking for a good Hollywood based novel, romance or otherwise, give it a try.
March 5, 2013
Short verdict: 3.5 Stars. Addictive. I'm not even sure what was so good about it, but I couldn't stop.
Honestly, found the Amanda too normal and too upbeat/polite for my liking, despite her more assertive online persona. Overall, Amanda was quite the pushover. While her self-consciousness was understandable, I dunno, something about it rubbed me the wrong way. To me, it felt like she was looking down on the "glamorous" world. Was a little miffed her outright rejection of Liam's advice. Like, even if I didn't believe the guy, I would never dismiss anyone's warning so offhandedly. Then her hardcore fangirling for Dylan was also somewhat offputting. It was as if she couldn't draw the line between a fantasy crush and actual romantic feelings.
Then, everyone (and the media) kept finding Amanda adorable and cute for being so clumsy and foot-in-mouth. >_> Uuuugh. Seriously, it's as if she could do no wrong (for most of the book). This is more of a personal pet peeve more than anything. Being clumsy is not cute. I find it annoying more than anything. But hey, different strokes.
Furthermore, I didn't really feel that much chemistry between Amanda and any of the love interests. It just was not there. At best, a little grabby grabby, but nothing really emotional. Like, I didn't really feel as if any of the characters were actually falling in love. It was more like a really really good friendship.
Buuuuut, I couldn't stop reading this book!! I love a good revenge story, it was there (at first). After that portion, I honestly don't know why I couldn't stop. There are so many things I didn't like about the book, but it was so addictive. Maybe I was so emotionally involved with the characters, I couldn't stop. And I suppose it doesn't hurt that the story reads like a soap opera.
Honestly, found the Amanda too normal and too upbeat/polite for my liking, despite her more assertive online persona. Overall, Amanda was quite the pushover. While her self-consciousness was understandable, I dunno, something about it rubbed me the wrong way. To me, it felt like she was looking down on the "glamorous" world. Was a little miffed her outright rejection of Liam's advice. Like, even if I didn't believe the guy, I would never dismiss anyone's warning so offhandedly. Then her hardcore fangirling for Dylan was also somewhat offputting. It was as if she couldn't draw the line between a fantasy crush and actual romantic feelings.
Then, everyone (and the media) kept finding Amanda adorable and cute for being so clumsy and foot-in-mouth. >_> Uuuugh. Seriously, it's as if she could do no wrong (for most of the book). This is more of a personal pet peeve more than anything. Being clumsy is not cute. I find it annoying more than anything. But hey, different strokes.
Furthermore, I didn't really feel that much chemistry between Amanda and any of the love interests. It just was not there. At best, a little grabby grabby, but nothing really emotional. Like, I didn't really feel as if any of the characters were actually falling in love. It was more like a really really good friendship.
Buuuuut, I couldn't stop reading this book!! I love a good revenge story, it was there (at first). After that portion, I honestly don't know why I couldn't stop. There are so many things I didn't like about the book, but it was so addictive. Maybe I was so emotionally involved with the characters, I couldn't stop. And I suppose it doesn't hurt that the story reads like a soap opera.
December 29, 2014
Overall, a solid 3.5 stars for me, maybe even 3.75. This book was like fictional crack to me, haha. I LOVED IT SO MUCH. But let's be real, I was never not going to love what was essentially OC fic about ONTD.
That said, I liked the first half of the book a lot more than I did the second. The first half, I laughed out loud in glee constantly and couldn't stop reading, the second half got a little too dramatic for me at times and utterly ridiculous at other times, and the end felt really lackluster and incomplete. Apparently, there's going to be a sequel though, so hopefully that can be forgiven.
But yeah, THE FIRST HALF WAS AMAZING!!!
That said, it was still a really fun read, especially for someone like me, who was always going to eat a book like that up with a spoon, basically.
That said, I liked the first half of the book a lot more than I did the second. The first half, I laughed out loud in glee constantly and couldn't stop reading, the second half got a little too dramatic for me at times and utterly ridiculous at other times, and the end felt really lackluster and incomplete. Apparently, there's going to be a sequel though, so hopefully that can be forgiven.
But yeah, THE FIRST HALF WAS AMAZING!!!
That said, it was still a really fun read, especially for someone like me, who was always going to eat a book like that up with a spoon, basically.
August 27, 2015
HDU by India Lee, won me over as soon as I read, “This douchelord makes hating easy! And borderline fun. Okay, just plain fun.” Did I mention that was at 0% read according to my Kindle? Yeah, I’d say it was pretty much insta-love.
So, we start off with a miserable Amanda Nathan who just lost her boyfriend, best friend, job, home, and I’d say basically all her self-worth by the time she retreated back to her parents’ home in small town Missouri. She found her only solace, while holed-up in her childhood bedroom, working as a moderator for HDU—a celebrity ‘news’ site. One of her favorite parts of being a moderator? …wielding insults at “the misogynistic evil that is Liam Brody,” (a.k.a. the ‘douchelord’).
Approximately 3-months after her return home, Amanda received an email from the douchelord himself, which contained an interesting proposal and he ended it by telling her to name her price. Her price? In short, Amanda was moving to NYC as the faux girlfriend of the infamous actor Liam Brody!
The dynamic between the two was amazing. The banter was just downright entertaining. Then, Amanda meets her celebrity crush who she had lusted after since her adolescence. After a few encounters it was obvious that there’s a mutual attraction. I’ll admit the author had me sweating it out there for a bit. I won’t say how it ends, but thank you India Lee you had me worried!
If you like a light, entertaining book that has its fair share of drama, manipulation, and deceit, but also humor, wit, and loyalty—this is a definite must read!
I can’t wait for HDU 2! I want to see what Lee has in store for all of the characters, but especially Amanda, Liam, Ian,Casey, and Megan.
So, we start off with a miserable Amanda Nathan who just lost her boyfriend, best friend, job, home, and I’d say basically all her self-worth by the time she retreated back to her parents’ home in small town Missouri. She found her only solace, while holed-up in her childhood bedroom, working as a moderator for HDU—a celebrity ‘news’ site. One of her favorite parts of being a moderator? …wielding insults at “the misogynistic evil that is Liam Brody,” (a.k.a. the ‘douchelord’).
Approximately 3-months after her return home, Amanda received an email from the douchelord himself, which contained an interesting proposal and he ended it by telling her to name her price. Her price? In short, Amanda was moving to NYC as the faux girlfriend of the infamous actor Liam Brody!
The dynamic between the two was amazing. The banter was just downright entertaining. Then, Amanda meets her celebrity crush who she had lusted after since her adolescence. After a few encounters it was obvious that there’s a mutual attraction. I’ll admit the author had me sweating it out there for a bit. I won’t say how it ends, but thank you India Lee you had me worried!
If you like a light, entertaining book that has its fair share of drama, manipulation, and deceit, but also humor, wit, and loyalty—this is a definite must read!
I can’t wait for HDU 2! I want to see what Lee has in store for all of the characters, but especially Amanda, Liam, Ian,
June 21, 2013
Okay, I loved this book. And considering it was a freebie on Amazon, I wasn't expecting more than a couple laughs and maybe an eye roll or two. But alas, the wit and likeability of these characters, even douchelords, makes you really root for them. There were so many lines that made me LOL or just left a perpetual smile on my face that even my husband commented on it. ("Why is it that every time I look at you while you're reading that book, you've got this stupid grin on your face?").
First, there's Amanda, who you can't help but like. She actually started out a little depressing for me, and after what happened to her with her ex-BFF, I guess that's understandable. I'm glad she got over it. I really liked Ian in the beginning, was disappointed in him throughout most of the rest of the book, but hopefully he'll redeem himself more later. And then there's Liam, who was totally deserving of the title Pretty dubbed him with, but who really seemed to redeem himself as you could start to see him falling for Amanda. I know that Dylan was the nice guy (who turned a bit douchelord himself in the end), but I was rooting for Liam the whole time. I was disappointed that Amanda didn't confide more in him, but her bright-eyed naïveté and determination to handle things for herself made her decision of non-disclosure to Liam a bit more understandable, and even admirable. Overall, Amanda was a totally relatable character who stayed true to her Plain Jane-ness and Midwestern morals in a far-fetched plot that has now made me create a new shelf called Guilty Pleasures just for this book...and sequels, because ill no doubt be reading those too.
First, there's Amanda, who you can't help but like. She actually started out a little depressing for me, and after what happened to her with her ex-BFF, I guess that's understandable. I'm glad she got over it. I really liked Ian in the beginning, was disappointed in him throughout most of the rest of the book, but hopefully he'll redeem himself more later. And then there's Liam, who was totally deserving of the title Pretty dubbed him with, but who really seemed to redeem himself as you could start to see him falling for Amanda. I know that Dylan was the nice guy (who turned a bit douchelord himself in the end), but I was rooting for Liam the whole time. I was disappointed that Amanda didn't confide more in him, but her bright-eyed naïveté and determination to handle things for herself made her decision of non-disclosure to Liam a bit more understandable, and even admirable. Overall, Amanda was a totally relatable character who stayed true to her Plain Jane-ness and Midwestern morals in a far-fetched plot that has now made me create a new shelf called Guilty Pleasures just for this book...and sequels, because ill no doubt be reading those too.
August 17, 2013
I really liked this book! I'm surprised that I liked this book because I'm generally not a fan of young adult books, but I thought, what the heck, I'll give this a try cause I'm tired of reading books about virgins and people with broken pasts to excuse their crummy behavior. While the premise of this book isn't original or realistic(ordinary girl starting a relationship with a gorgeous celebrity), what made it different was the humor and wit in this book. I enjoyed the celebrity forum posts/comments that was written in.
The MC Amanda is someone that you couldn't help but like and want as a friend because of her fierce loyalty. The ex-best friend, Megan, reminded me of Regina from Mean Girls, but on steroids. She was that big of a bitch. I absolutely adored Liam. It could've been so easy to play up the womanizing douchelord title, but underneath all of the modelizing was a sweet guy who did and said nice things for Amanda, even though she was basically manipulating him to be her boyfriend in exchange for her posting up nice articles about him on the celebrity forum that she moderates. I liked the sexual tension between them. It wasn't a blatant, simmering, slap-in-the-face sexual tension, but an underlying one that you could see from their publicized kisses that would end up in makeout sessions. I really liked that fact that it wasn't an insta-love and that they spent time getting to know each other.
I'd recommend this for those that want an light, easy read with little angst. I can't wait to read HDU 2, even though there's no expected release date.
The MC Amanda is someone that you couldn't help but like and want as a friend because of her fierce loyalty. The ex-best friend, Megan, reminded me of Regina from Mean Girls, but on steroids. She was that big of a bitch. I absolutely adored Liam. It could've been so easy to play up the womanizing douchelord title, but underneath all of the modelizing was a sweet guy who did and said nice things for Amanda, even though she was basically manipulating him to be her boyfriend in exchange for her posting up nice articles about him on the celebrity forum that she moderates. I liked the sexual tension between them. It wasn't a blatant, simmering, slap-in-the-face sexual tension, but an underlying one that you could see from their publicized kisses that would end up in makeout sessions. I really liked that fact that it wasn't an insta-love and that they spent time getting to know each other.
I'd recommend this for those that want an light, easy read with little angst. I can't wait to read HDU 2, even though there's no expected release date.
January 3, 2013
So this was fun! It kind of reminded me of The Ivy books. It's that same kind of addicting book that maybe you nitpick along the way, but, when you're done, you just want MORE.
And yeah. HDU is ONTD. The book uses the word "stan"!!!
Anyway, for the interest of posterity or something, here are some of the nitpicks:
The character of Megan was way over the top. Which is a problem itself, but, also made it incredibly unbelievable that Amanda would be best friends with her for so long.
The romance wasn't all that well developed. It definitely had some good moments that made me ~feel things~, but I started thinking about the bechdel test and how this seemed some kind of opposite version of it. Not in that it was particularly good at female friendships (too many females ended up "evil"), but in that it didn't give the romance the focus it probably should've had.
Similarly, there was this weird kind of love triangle that never quite worked.
Some parts of Amanda's fame didn't ring true to me, but I might just not pay enough attention to celeb gossip.
But it's fun! I'd recommend it! Hidden Gem by the same author is free on Amazon right now, so I downloaded it, though I probably won't read it right away.
And yeah. HDU is ONTD. The book uses the word "stan"!!!
Anyway, for the interest of posterity or something, here are some of the nitpicks:
The character of Megan was way over the top. Which is a problem itself, but, also made it incredibly unbelievable that Amanda would be best friends with her for so long.
The romance wasn't all that well developed. It definitely had some good moments that made me ~feel things~, but I started thinking about the bechdel test and how this seemed some kind of opposite version of it. Not in that it was particularly good at female friendships (too many females ended up "evil"), but in that it didn't give the romance the focus it probably should've had.
Similarly, there was this weird kind of love triangle that never quite worked.
Some parts of Amanda's fame didn't ring true to me, but I might just not pay enough attention to celeb gossip.
But it's fun! I'd recommend it! Hidden Gem by the same author is free on Amazon right now, so I downloaded it, though I probably won't read it right away.
January 18, 2013
This book was ridiculous, and not necessarily in a good way?
Basically, Amanda Nathan writes for a thinly-veiled ONTD (HDU in the book). Through a series of scathing articles about movie star Liam Brody, she finds herself being messaged by said star. Shenanigans ensue -- Amanda is contracted to be Liam's fake girlfriend.
We all know where this less wholesome version of Win a Date With Tad Hamilton is going, of course, I don't have to spell that out. That wasn't the problem. The problem is that Amanda is a bland character. I don't know why she's exceptional, why movie stars love her, why everyone loves her. I found her not unlikable, but not likable either. Megan, the childhood best friend, is cartoonishly evil. In fact, this is not a book that is female-friendly. Amanda barely has any female friends -- the ones that are presented in the book are horrible and mean. Only the men are nice (super, awesome, whatever).
Also, obviously, this book feeds into the Bad Boys Just Need the Right Girl myth. Previous to Amanda, Liam is a womanizing douchebag. But Amanda is just everything he's ever wanted. Let me just roll my eyes for the rest of forever.
Basically, Amanda Nathan writes for a thinly-veiled ONTD (HDU in the book). Through a series of scathing articles about movie star Liam Brody, she finds herself being messaged by said star. Shenanigans ensue -- Amanda is contracted to be Liam's fake girlfriend.
We all know where this less wholesome version of Win a Date With Tad Hamilton is going, of course, I don't have to spell that out. That wasn't the problem. The problem is that Amanda is a bland character. I don't know why she's exceptional, why movie stars love her, why everyone loves her. I found her not unlikable, but not likable either. Megan, the childhood best friend, is cartoonishly evil. In fact, this is not a book that is female-friendly. Amanda barely has any female friends -- the ones that are presented in the book are horrible and mean. Only the men are nice (super, awesome, whatever).
Also, obviously, this book feeds into the Bad Boys Just Need the Right Girl myth. Previous to Amanda, Liam is a womanizing douchebag. But Amanda is just everything he's ever wanted. Let me just roll my eyes for the rest of forever.
December 22, 2012
This was actually pretty cute. Definitely the book equivalent of a chick flick, where I go into it thinking of how silly it will be, prepared to roll my eyes the whole time. Then I leave and have to go, "Aww... that was kinda cute."
I mean, parts were still kinda silly. Like all the HDU commenters. Pfff. Girl, I have been around ONTD long enough to know that there are haters and stans for every celebrity. I don't care how far a character!celebrity fell in the shame spiral, there would still be stans. ALSO
But it was cute. The only bothersome thing is that Ian's storyline wasn't finished at all. Maybe there's supposed to be a sequel, idk. But I would have liked more closure!
I mean, parts were still kinda silly. Like all the HDU commenters. Pfff. Girl, I have been around ONTD long enough to know that there are haters and stans for every celebrity. I don't care how far a character!celebrity fell in the shame spiral, there would still be stans. ALSO
But it was cute. The only bothersome thing is that Ian's storyline wasn't finished at all. Maybe there's supposed to be a sequel, idk. But I would have liked more closure!
January 5, 2013
I lowered my rating to 2 stars after a few days. My original rating of 3 actually grated on me all that time for a simple reason. I did enjoy the story a lot. I agree with my fellow reviewers that this is an interesting twist on the celebrity-dating premise. I accept that complications in romantic fiction are a necessity, I can live with that. A girl with a heart so big she can't for the life of her decide on one guy and stick the frack to him isn't. I hate the concept. It was tired and old 50 years ago and it's simply obnoxious now, no matter how favorably it was received in Twilight and how smartly it was used in The Hunger Games.
Letting that alternative celebrity crush go too far just killed my regard for the book. Deciding that if you ever grab the book again to re-read it, you're going to just skip 50 pages not to get angry at the author for ruining what otherwise would have been a goodie is not much of a recommendation, I guess. Still, if you don't mind the one-girl-two-guys crap, this might go down well with you.
Letting that alternative celebrity crush go too far just killed my regard for the book. Deciding that if you ever grab the book again to re-read it, you're going to just skip 50 pages not to get angry at the author for ruining what otherwise would have been a goodie is not much of a recommendation, I guess. Still, if you don't mind the one-girl-two-guys crap, this might go down well with you.
November 10, 2013
Oh man, I had so much fun reading this, it was total catnip for me. I stayed up way too late just because I could not put it down. I kept feeling half-euphoria because what an exciting, dreamy adventure! and also, fake dating! aaaand half-dread at the inevitable second-hand embarassment that would come with the "new celebrity forgets her friends/gets into drugs/does really stupid things/reveals everything about her fake dating".
December 1, 2012
There is something special about India Lee's writing voice, I LOVE everything she writes. Every character is unique and exciting and real. She also has a way of taking fame and celebrity status and showing the good and the bad, in a very real way. I have loved everything that she has written and can't wait for her next book.
In HDU, Amanda Nathan has had it rough. Her best friend slept with and stole her boyfriend. So she's back at home being a moderator for the site HDU- when she is approached by actor Liam Brody to be his fake, but normal girlfriend to help his image. She sees it as a chance to make something of her life and use his connections to start new.
Anyways it's a fantastic book, I LOVE Amanda because she is a real and hilarious woman. And extremely relatable :) Anyways LOVED this book I HIGHLY recommend it.
And if you haven't read the Hidden Gem series you should!
In HDU, Amanda Nathan has had it rough. Her best friend slept with and stole her boyfriend. So she's back at home being a moderator for the site HDU- when she is approached by actor Liam Brody to be his fake, but normal girlfriend to help his image. She sees it as a chance to make something of her life and use his connections to start new.
Anyways it's a fantastic book, I LOVE Amanda because she is a real and hilarious woman. And extremely relatable :) Anyways LOVED this book I HIGHLY recommend it.
And if you haven't read the Hidden Gem series you should!
May 14, 2013
This was entirely too much fun. There were some things that bothered me through the book, but overall it was a very entertaining and enjoyable read. I really missed a sex scene and Dylan/Amanda was utterly boring. I kept hoping she'd realize her "crush" for Dylan was nothing more but fangirl infatuation. It all worked out in the end though, so cheers.
I see that there's a book two coming up and I wonder if it is about Liam and Amanda. i'd totally be okay with another book of their relationship and all the headlines (Go Liamanda!) but if it is about them I'm afraid of all the drama that will be coming.
I see that there's a book two coming up and I wonder if it is about Liam and Amanda. i'd totally be okay with another book of their relationship and all the headlines (Go Liamanda!) but if it is about them I'm afraid of all the drama that will be coming.
December 1, 2013
This was a decent read. I was interested for the most part but never felt fully engaged or immersed.
I was almost at the 60% mark before I figured out who the H was going to be. And the reason that I couldn't figure this out is because the h looked at no one as a potential boyfriend. There were no "moments" to indicate who the H was going to be even though I thought I had an idea.
But I enjoyed the book enough. Some parts were over the top. I will read the second book but I like romance in by romance books so I wouldn't characterize this as a romance.
I was almost at the 60% mark before I figured out who the H was going to be. And the reason that I couldn't figure this out is because the h looked at no one as a potential boyfriend. There were no "moments" to indicate who the H was going to be even though I thought I had an idea.
But I enjoyed the book enough. Some parts were over the top. I will read the second book but I like romance in by romance books so I wouldn't characterize this as a romance.
December 1, 2012
I had so much fun reading this, and that's why I have awarded it, *gasp*, 5 stars. I will admit it's not literary genius or anything, but I like to rate books by how much I enjoy them. Liam turned out to be so sweet; Ian not so much. In fact, he was a wreck. Poor guy.
Anyway, this is good stuff; I would definitely recommend. I read it straight through. :)
Anyway, this is good stuff; I would definitely recommend. I read it straight through. :)
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