Behind the Scenes

Daylight Falls #1

by Dahlia Adler

High school senior Ally Duncan's best friend may be the Vanessa Park - star of TV's hottest new teen drama - but Ally's not interested in following in her BFF's Hollywood footsteps. In fact, the only thing Ally's ever really wanted is to go to Columbia and study abroad in Paris. But when her father's mounting medical bills threaten to stop her dream in its tracks, Ally nabs a position as Van's on-set assistant to get the cash she needs. Spending the extra time with Van turns out to be fun, and getting to know her sexy co-star Liam is an added bonus. But when the actors' publicist arranges for Van and Liam to date for the tabloids just after he and Ally share their first kiss, Ally will have to decide exactly what role she's capable of playing in their world of make believe. If she can't play by Hollywood's rules, she may lose her best friend, her dream future, and her first shot at love.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, New Adult, Fiction, Chick Lit, High School

331 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 24, 2014

About the author

Dahlia Adler is the award-winning author of seven young adult novels, editor of five young adult anthologies, and founder of the website LGBTQReads. As a book blogger, her byline has appeared on Buzzfeed, B&N Reads, Reactor, Parents.com, and more. She enjoys ’90s rock, rewatching Grey’s Anatomy, finding great cover songs, crying at commercials, and extremely short walks on the beach. She lives in the New York City suburbs with her family.

Reviews

[Alienor ✘ French Frowner ✘ · Rating 4 out of 5]

●• Reread 04/07 : Don't judge me. Trust me, I need it.•●

SPECIAL EDIT 04/24 (see below)

EXT. COUNTRY HOUSE - 04/22
In some one-horse town of French country, far later than the dusk, a woman's shrill cry split the dark silence.

INT. COUNTRY HOUSE - 04/22
Four pairs of eyes 3 of whom are pets, and yes, that's unnerving just the same are staring at a strange creature who's frantically clapping her hands.

ANNA, French Reviewer and Teacher, 30s and who isn't a creature, thank you very much, stops squealing.

ANNA
(excited)
That was sooo good!

INDY, 6, cat, resumes toileting after throwing another WTF?! glance around him.

JOY, 7 months, boxer, ambles over to the couch and sits down in front of Anna.

ANNA
(louder)
I mean, this book was just so freaking cute! No, no, I'm not saying it was perfect but come on, look at me! LOOK AT ME!

(stands up and does an awkward little dance)
It made me so happy!

JOY
(staring)
...

The phone RINGS. Anna drops the e-reader she was still clutching to her heart no comment, I know how lame it sounds and searches under the blanket to answer the call --

*3259 rings later*

ANNA
Hey sorry I couldn't find my fucking phone in time -

VOICE
(over phone)
Whatever but hey! What were you doing today? I tried to call you like, thousands times!

ANNA
Oh God you will not believe what I just read : a contemporary romance setting in (whisper) Hollywood.

VOICE
(incredulous)
You did not. I mean, you hate everything Hollywood related! You don't even know most of the actors' names in the movies you watch, and I don't even talk about your stupid gossip magazines phobia!

ANNA
I know, and that's exactly why I'm beyond enthusiastic right now. Hear me out : you know I crave for realistic and multi-layered characters and how much it's difficult to find believable and adorable romances lately, yet how stunning as it is, this book offered me everything I was desperate to read. Don't get fooled, I'm not saying that it's perfect, it really isn't, but even if the story isn't free of cliché, I fucking adored it - (starts writing down). Look, let me tell you what I loved, okay?







VOICE
Okay, okay, it does seem amazing, but didn't you just say that it wasn't perfect?

ANNA
But that's the beauty of it! Please don't expect a perfect book, because you would be disappointed. Indeed there are cliché (for example : Ally doesn't realize that she's gorgeous, Liam is well, insanely hot, we come across a few overused sayings...). However, how could I complain when the writing was compelling, the dialogues funny and that I ended loving the characters as they'd be friends of mine? When it seems that I haven't root for a couple that much for months? I couldn't. I won't.

▒ THE END ▒

PS : For once, after many books where French language was terrible, I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of grammar errors (except bonne nuit) and I wanted to throw a little thank you here, because that's amazing.

Edit : The truth is, I thought about the book again and I realized that almost all the women were portrayed in a bad way. I mean, it's mostly Ally's vision of them and I already said that she was far from perfect and could be annoying - her evolution was amazing and that's why I loved this book but still. Frankly, I think that it didn't bother me as much as usual because... Well, because it's Hollywood and I have preconceived ideas, I must admit, and I'm sorry about that. I fell in love with this story so much that it overtook my usual peeves, so please take this into account, for what it's worth.♡

Oh, and before I forget, of course,


For more of my reviews, please visit:

[Dahlia]

Hey, guys! Just wanna make sure you know that no matter what it looks like on Amazon, BN.com, or any other retail site, if you order a US paperback, they will ship you one with the old cover. If you want a US paperback with the new cover, the only place to get it is by contacting me for it directly. I'm sorry for anyone who's been inconvenienced!

[Marla Mei · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't take a bath until 2 am this morning and now I'll probably be sleeping with wet hair (it's so freaking hot here in the Philippines, just saying) just so I could finish this book and if that doesn't show how much I loved this book, then I don't what will.

What I loved and I'm sure people will love about Behind the Scenes:

1.) Imperfect but authentic characters. Ally may have annoyed the heck out of me but I couldn't find it in myself to hate her because I got where she was coming from. Ally's flaws just made her more relatable and realer.

2.) Ally and Van's friendship. I was already dreading the inevitable breakup of their friendship because I was so sure it would happen. In most YA books that I've read, girl friendships usually don't make it in the end or even if they do, they spend most of their times separated because the love interest gets between the frienship. That isn't even the case here! Van is on her way to becoming America's sweetheart but she is the kind of friend that would be there for you through thick or thin.

3.) Tight familial relationship. Yaaaaassssss.

4.) Van is Korean. Lezz go, Asians!

5.) That amazing first kiss. Honestly, just all those kisses and make-out sesh. I'm still getting tingles!

6.) Swoony romance. Very. Swoony. Like 100% swoony.

7.) Ally and Liam's French study sessions. The language. Not the kissing. But the kissing are very good too. See number 3.

8.) Liam's abs. They're so yummy, they deserve to be mentioned.

[Chelsea ✨Arielle’s Nebular Ally and Team Acrux✨]

*3.5 stars*


"Why the hell do you do all this stuff if you hate it? Is it, like, in The Rules of Being Attractive that you must become an actor-slash-model?"
He smiled slowly, my heart melting just a tiny bit with each new millimeter. "Does that mean you think I'm attractive?"


Ugh. I'm still not sure what to rate this. I can't decide whether to give this 3 or 4 solid stars, but 3.5 seems right. This book wasn't what I was expecting, but I also don't know what I was expecting. Hm. I am so odd-I mean, seriously, the blurb says exactly what it is and I still was surprised by it. Meh.




And more often than not, I can get past all the little idiosyncrasies and malfunctions of a story-really, I'm a pro. I look past the stupidest shit...but for some reason, these types of stories have the power to either make me hate them...or love them. But, it turns out that I hate them, more often than not.

I love you, but I have to date her for the media. I love you but I have to hug and kiss (pecks on the cheek or mouth, I guess) your best friend for the fans. I can't wait to spend time with you, but I have to hang out with her in public. Never mind that they can't even get some damn fro-yo without it blowing the whole media scandal right out the window.


He reached around and pulled me back, folding me into his arms. "Ally, listen to me." He tipped my chin up until I was staring directly into his ocean-colored eyes. "You are beautiful. So beautiful it hurts." He took my hand and placed it on the warm skin of his chest. "Tu as mon...How do you say 'heart' again?"
"Coeur," I answered, feeling my own squeeze.
"Tu as mon coeur," he repeated with a smile, stroking my cheek with his index finger.


But there were lots of things I liked about this, too. Namely Liam-



He was literally the only thing/person/event that didn't bother me. He was absolute perfection. Now, that doesn't mean his little media scheme didn't kill me-it did. But, for that, I blame Ally. Sorry, Ally, but you screwed up, bro-BIG TIME. I would NEVER have disillusioned myself to believe something could be so simple or easy. Never. From the very beginning, Liam tried to make the easy choice-the correct choice...but she quickly squelched that. And no, no one wants to play their jealous girlfriend card so early, but let's be honest-when does a fake relationship deal EVER work out in the feelings arena? Mmhmm. That's what I thought.

My point is, that while Ally wasn't a horrible lead, she also wasn't a bright lead, either-by any means. I mean...sigh. Come on. Just...really? I think that was my largest problem-you tell someone to do something, and then you get upset time and again over it. And I understand-fickle, right?! SO AM I! But agh I am such a hypocrite but....I just couldn't handle it from her. AND I HAVE NO CLUE WHY.




The writing was fresh and fun and easy to read. It flowed seamlessly from page to page with the ease of an exhaled breath. But, only sometimes, there was a liiiittle cheesiness in the dialogue between friends. Like, her and Liam? Perfect. The chemistry? So hot. Nail on the head. The dialogue wasn't forced and it felt authentic and adorable. They really loved one another and it seeped off the pages. But then she'd have a convo with her family or her best friend or the girls and guys at school-or Nate-and I would find myself rolling my eyes. I was being judgmental, sure, but more than once I heard this incessant little chant in the back of my mind-Lara Jean, Lara Jean, Lara Jean...



And oh GAHD, did I loathe Lara Jean. I'm being unfair, I know, because Ally is NOTHING like Lara Jean...but sometimes I'd see little glimpses of her naivety and it grated on me a bit-not a ton, just a teensy bit. I do believe this author deserves more recognition, and I am shocked to see this book hasn't even reached 1,000 people having read it yet.


"This is ridiculous, you know. You could get any girl you want."
"And so I did," he pointed out firmly, kissing me hard on the lips in a "stop talking like that" gesture.


Yikes. This review turned out to be a big old wash. I liked it and I didn't like it. Simple. I adored Liam. I adored how much he cared for her and did for her-even behind the scenes (har-har) when we couldn't see it. Their relationship and chemistry were adorable. But then there were the negative things like Ally not saying what she meant and getting mad about preventable things and cheesy friendship stuff and ugh. So....I don't know that this type of story is for me, but I also don't know that I'll ever stop trying. My mind is still trying to process what I think and feel so....hm.







For more of my reviews, please visit:

[Kelsey Macke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dahlia's book is SO FREAKING FRESH. Her characters are flawed and hilarious and smart and incredibly developed--don't let the Hollywood plot fool you. This story has depth and grit and heart by the tons.

She's written a book that I will read again and again, anytime I want to laugh and cringe and smile.

So great.

Also, #liamsabs

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stayed up until 1:30 in the morning to finish this book and I'm so satisfied it feels like my veins are full of champagne bubbles. Does that make sense? I DON'T CARE. Liam Holloway is my new jam.

[Liza Wiemer · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review: I loved every single one of these imperfect characters, even the ones who I loved to hate. Behind the Scenes takes you exactly there – behind the scenes of a TV production. Readers will experience the glamorous and not so glamorous life through Ally Duncan, the BtS’s main character who watches her best friend Vanessa land the lead role in TV’s hottest new teen drama. There, Ally meets Liam, Vanessa’s hot co-star, and eventually has an amazing first kiss. But life is never simple, and falling in love with a TV star has miles and miles of film’s worth of trouble. In addition, Ally has to deal with her father’s stage four skin cancer. It’s a heart-wrenching, painful experience to “watch” him suffer through treatment after treatment, knowing perfectly well that there’s a good chance he’ll die.

And then there’s JOSH! Oh this is one bad boy you will fall in love with! I definitely did. Josh, Josh, Josh. What I loved the most was that his heart was huge, even bigger than his ego. His goodness was some of the sexist, most yummy parts of this novel. Liam is definitely to swoon for, but so is JOSH!

Things people will love about Behind the Scenes:
1. The friendship between Ally and Van.
2. The friendship between Liam and Josh.
3. The kissing.
4. Van is an Asian beauty. Whoot!
5. Liam’s talent and his knack for languages, especially French.
6. Ally’s relationship with her younger sister Lucy.
7. Ally’s passion for Columbia University.
8. Fake relationships suck and are what help make this novel sizzle.
9. Imperfection. Many characters make mistakes. It’s how they react to what they’ve done and how they improve their circumstances.
10. THE ENDING! <3

I am looking forward to reading more books by Dahlia Adler!

[Sue]

February is such a slow month for me.
This is my third book and it's not bad at all, actually it was good.

All you need to know:

I love how Adler writes her female characters. I'm planning to make a short important review about that. I'm looking at you Last Will and Testament.

It's so hard to find a Liam in fiction and much more in real life.

Overall: For someone who haven't finish a book in a while, I genuinely enjoyed Behind the Scenes. Chapter twenty also made me cry.

[Kristen Lippert-Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, you know how you sometimes go, "Gosh, I'm in the mood to read something fun and sweet and OK, please throw a little sexy in there too. I like sexy. Who doesn't like sexy? Oh, and I'd prefer the MC to be smart and smart-alecky and someone who's believably flawed, doesn't behave perfectly 100% of the time, but you still can't help rooting for her..."

Yeah, well *this* is that book. The book your eyes are glued to on your commute and you LOL and don't care who's staring at you because the story is putting you in such a good, fizzy mood, and everyone can just stuff it if they can't stand the sight of you smiling down at the pages while you're reading.

Yep.

This is that book.

[Mallory · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Saray · Rating 2 out of 5]

No me da ninguna vergüenza admitir que, a veces, me apetecen libros sencillos, con dramas adolescentes y un romance cuco para desconectar y no pensar demasiado.
Pero también me estoy dando cuenta de se me quedan pobres. Eso y que tengo un límite de aguante. No soporto las historias de amor que surgen de golpe y porrazo, ni que todo se solucione rápido y maravillosamente bien, ni que los protagonistas vean problemas donde no los hay.
Y eso es lo que me he encontrado en Tras las cámaras. En vez de ser el libro que necesitaba para pasar un buen rato, me he encontrado con una historia insulsa y no muy bien desarrollada.

Reseña: https://beingsaray.blogspot.com.es/20...

[Sarah (is clearing her shelves) · Rating 4 out of 5]

27/9 - I'm surprised by how much of a good time I had reading this YA romance. I've previously read and and enjoyed both of them (although I did learn after finishing Out on Good Behaviour that it depicted the pansexual main character poorly, something that would have lowered my rating if I had known while I was reading), but I was a little nervous of how I would go with YA Adler vs NA Adler. The writing was on par with her previous books and Ally's voice seemed authentic to an older teen living on the outer edges of Hollywood. I wouldn't call this a 'romance', there were some romantic elements to the story, but as the closest Liam and Ally got to on-page sex (the actual deed was done between chapters, after the screen had faded to black) was a scene where she got down to her underwear, and it seemed to me that their age determined a lot of their behaviour, I felt like this belonged on my YA shelf instead of romance.

I didn't like Vanessa, practically from the first time she's introduced to us (over the phone) I was put off by the way Ally made excuses for her unacceptable behaviour. On page three

'She [Vanessa] hung up without waiting for me to say goodbye, which was also typical, but it's hard to blame Van for her flightiness when she's in a profession that forces her to be fake on a daily basis.'

That statement immediately gave me a dim view of Vanessa. I can't believe that everyone in Hollywood is a Kardashian or Miley Cyrus type of person. There must be some actors who are more normal, who look at the acting profession more like Liam does.

I liked Liam (my immediate idea of him was of him looking like a Hemsworth, Chris specifically, despite sharing a name with the youngest of the brothers) and while I completely understood where Ally was coming from with her insecurities and desire to have a 'normal' boyfriend, I also felt really sad for him. I felt like he did what she wanted, whenever possible, and got punished for it.

The only other thing that really bugged me was when, on page 89, Ally noticed the fridge magnet Liam had in his trailer, of a koala BEAR. How many times do we (Australians) have to explain that there is no such thing as a koala BEAR, they do not exist and never have. In fact there are no bears at all in Australia. Koalas are a marsupial who have a pouch they carry their young in, like kangaroos and possums. Sometimes, it feels like I'm talking to a wall. The next person who asks about a koala bear is getting a drop bear sicked on them!

I will definitely read the next book in the series.

[Candice Montgomery · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was every bit as comical and beautiful and sweet AND DOPE as I'd hoped. (And I mean, is anyone ELSE feeling this inadequate?) But again: the humor. Can we talk about the fucking humor??! So good! NEED more YA/NA/books period with serious injections of funny. And the book's authenticity. Jesus. Spot on. AND where do I get a Liam Holloway of my own? Because that boy is one seriously swoony motherfucker. And I'm mad excited for what's coming next because I am officially a member of Josh Chester's probably-filthy corner now, so.

[Vanessa J.]

Do you know my name? It's Vanessa. The synopsis says there's someone with that name, so that's why I'm gonna read this.

Just kidding.

Actually, it sounds interesting, and also the sequel to this book gets released this year, and my Twitter feed is infected with things about that book, so I couldn't help but feel a little curious.

[mich · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
I really liked the MC in this one, except for one really, really, REALLY stupid thing. It was stupid.

This was a quick, cute read with realistic feeling characters - I enjoyed it.

oh, and Liam is dreamy ;)

[Lea · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know, if I had to describe this book in five words, they would be a breath of fresh air.

It's fluffy, it's light, and it feels pretty damn good. I already knew Dahlia Adler could do no wrong since our priorities are pretty much the same (macarons, if you were wondering) and I'd read Last Will and Testament before, but DAMN. Behind the Scenes was good. Really, really good.

Yes, sometimes I wanted to slap Ally because she was just too good, and at times I wanted to hit Liam and tell him to get his head out of his ass, but the characters are so real. They make mistakes, they evolve, they learn. They're not perfect, physically or otherwise. So maybe Liam has a fan-club dedicated to his abs. (And no, I am not the founder. Seriously. I was shocked too.) Who wouldn't found a fan-club for someone's ? (Except for, you now, any sound person.)

OF COURSE wel all know how this is going to end. OF COURSE it's practically the same story as every romance book out there. OF COURSE it is. But you know what ? Every book out there has a twin. The difference is the execution, the writing, the characters.

In Behind the Scenes, the writing flows, the characters are the proud owners of functionning brain cells, and you pretty much love every moment spent reading the book.

[Maggie Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy shizz, this book.

You know how some books make you swoon and cry and yell at the characters and at the end you have this goofy smile on your face and just want to hug the book and never let go? That’s this book.

BEHIND THE SCENES is at the same time the incredibly swoony and delicious love story every girl wished she could experience/could have experienced as a teenager—falling for the gorgeous famous guy everyone has pictures of in their lockers and having him fall for you even harder—and the story of a girl’s growing into herself and dealing with difficult stuff at home and just trying to come out of it in one piece.

What else do I love about this book?
-The friendship between Ally and Van—I love seeing real friends in books. Not frenemies, not rivals—best friends who would do anything for each other.
-The behind the scenes ;) sneak peek into the world of young Hollywood, for better and for worse—fascinating and SO fun.
-The humor—I was laughing so hard at parts of this book. The characters are so witty and compelling and three-dimensional that I loved reading about even the ones I was supposed to dislike.
-Liam. Enough said, right? (Seriously though, if you are looking for a hot guy who’s also nice but a little bit troubled and it just makes him even hotter—here you go.)

And if nothing else, read for Liam’s abs. Totally worth it.

[Ana M. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Todavía no había puesto la puntuación más baja a un libro, pero para todo hay una primera vez, ¿no?

Siempre intento buscar algún punto positivo para destacar en un libro, pero me es imposible. Es un libro superficial que nos mete entre los bastidores de una serie de televisión para adolescentes. Podría ser llamativo, algo ligero para leer y con mucho drama, ¿verdad? Si tuviera que describir mi cara al leer este libro sería algo así: de tanto poner los ojos en blanco se le salieron de las cuencas.

No soy muy dada a este género, tiene que ser un libro que me llame mucho la atención para leerlo, pero de vez en cuando me gusta leer algo de este estilo para desconectar y pasar un buen rato. Nunca he sido de ver series de adolescente, me miraban raro porque no sabía de qué hablaban y eso ha podido influir a la hora de que no me guste el libro. Como ya he dicho es superficial, muy superficial. Chica mejor amiga de una actriz necesita dinero para ir a la universidad y conoce al chico/actor más sexy y deseado del mundo. Prometía ser entretenido, pero tantas vueltas y vueltas a lo mismo, escenas casi idénticas que se me hicieron muy repetitivas y una protagonista que se deja mangonear y no expresa lo que quiere... pudieron conmigo y mi paciencia.

Los personajes en general no me han gustado: la protagonista tiene un comportamiento infantil y mucha falta de personalidad, muchas de sus acciones me dejaron anonadada por lo ridículas y negativas que eran (no solo para los demás sino para ella misma), la mejor amiga pasó sin pena ni gloria y el protagonista masculino me enerva. El único personaje que puede salvarse es el mejor amigo del actor (cuyo nombre no recuerdo pero creo que es Josh) por decir las cosas claras y poner a todos en su lugar, pero apenas tiene aparición.

El final me lo esperaba y no por ello me ha gustado más. El único punto positivo es que se lee rápido, pero eso es todo lo positivo que puedo decir.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for celebrity-regular people romances, and was really excited to read BEHIND THE SECENS. While it's not my favorite of the category, I liked it nonetheless.

I enjoyed watching the beginning of Liam and Ally's relationship. I liked their banter, and could definitely see a connection between them. It was fun watching their relationship develop, especially as they began to open up to each other.

I also loved the friendship between Ally and Vanessa, as well as the book's commentary on the limited amount of roles for non-white people in Hollywood (Van is Korean). Ally even has a great relationship with her parents, though her family is in upheaval with her dad facing stage IV melanoma. That is actually the reason Ally starts working for her best friend Van and meets Liam - to make some money for college, because her parents' funds are going into her dad's cancer treatment.

I could understand Ally's struggles and insecurities about dating a celebrity. Especially when Liam and Van have to start fake dating in the public to boost interest in their new show. But Ally eventfully lost a lot of my sympathy and got on my nerves. Liam wasn't perfect, but it is Ally who drove me crazy.

I can only do so many contemporaries at a time, because I start getting very irritated by the repetitive plot flow. The 'obligatory' breakup/angst fest around 75% really grates on me, especially when it's accompanied by the MCs (in this case Ally) acting like idiots. The Nate storyline was especially annoying. I still don't fully understand who he was really interested in, or even his motives. But Ally was a complete moron for going to prom with him. I know she realized that, but it took her too long, especially after she was warned repeatedly.

Overall, BEHIND THE SECNES was a fun and swoony romance, with some deeper and relatable themes imbedded. I just wish the storyline in the second half hadn't been quite so conventional in its descent into drama before everything is fixed at the end. I feel bad picking on this book specifically, because it is an issue I have with most contemporaries. But I struggle with having everything break down in the last 1/4 of the book leading to what can be a several month break between the characters - sometimes longer, only to wrap up quickly and happily in the last 5%. It wreaks havoc on my emotions (not in a good way), and usually I've barely recovered when the book is over. It also just feels like authors are trying to follow some sort of unwritten rules about how their stories are supposed to develop.

Love Triangle Factor: None. Mild in action.
Cliffhanger Scale: Standalone

Find this and other reviews on my blog Love is not a triangle

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had Dahlia on the blog last month and, as you can see, we're kind of friends. And I've been stalking patiently waiting for her book to come out since the deal was announced because, really, how much does this sound like a ME book? SO MUCH. But other books came up (and I was too lazy to pull it from the bottom of my pile) until finally it was time.

I spent the first half of this book smiling while my heart hurt because Ally and Liam were so SAD. They were so cute together but it was so hard to be together and it kinda-physically hurt. Then the book continued and I literally made happy and frowny pages at the book as if hoping it would change its mind about what it was doing to Ally and Liam and Van. (Spoiler Alert: This method doesn't seem to work.)

I loved the characters Dahlia wrote. They were all realistic and had fears that haunted them. Ally was another excellent example of a character whose insecurities really ate at her life without her constantly thinking about it. Those concerns were on her mind, but her actions were what really reflected how she felt. It's hard to pull off and I've only seen it one other time I can think of, but it works for me and it's incredibly relatable, no matter what the situation. And Liam and Van were so far from the Hollywood stereotype, but still had demons to face. The realness of those three, and the surrounding cast, created amazing chemistry and interactions between all the characters.

The story never pulled punches. Maybe one problem would get alleviated, but another was running around the corner. There were difficult situations and they never really got easier. It's important for Ally to face all these issues now, but it still hurt a lot as a reader. She really developed and changed and the ending was incredibly reflective of where she was.

Dahlia's an incredible writer, and I say this without bias...mostly. Friends or not, though, it takes a lot for me to read most of a book in one sitting. Especially until 3:30 am. Because generally, if I'm staying up that late, it's doing mindless things on the internet. And not on a day where I have to be up and ready to leave the house by 9 am. It takes some SERIOUS SKILL, guys.

Basically, you should all be picking up this book. It doesn't have to be a summer read, because it definitely has some weight to it, but it does need to be a book in your life. Promise.

[Paula Stokes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've only read two Dahlia Adler books so far, but I feel like there are certain things you can expect from her work:

1. a main character who is flawed but still a good person

2. a swoony romance with a bit of extra sizzle

3. diversity

4. witty dialogue that makes you giggle (and wish you'd said that)

5. fast-paced prose that propels you through the story at a pace where you don't want to put down the book

That right there is pretty much a recipe for awesome when it comes to my reading choices, and BEHIND THE SCENES did not disappoint.

I loved main character Ally and how she felt so real. I loved the helplessness she felt with respect to her dad's health, the outsiderness she felt on the movie set, the way she handled these feelings by doing the wrong things. Sure, maybe I wanted to shake her once or twice, but real people do the wrong things sometimes.

I loved Liam and his abs (although I loved Josh more, TBH) and the way he struggled with feeling like a sellout phony vs. recognizing the opportunities his career presented him.

I loved Van and Ally's friendship with Van and the way diversity was portrayed in this book. I totally enjoyed the storyline and I cannot wait to read Van's book in a few months :)

**Oh, and bonus points for writing a character with cancer in a way that didn't detract from my reading enjoyment (I'm a former oncology RN.) I'm hoping that was just solid research and not from real-life experience. I always appreciate it when an author takes the time to get her science right.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

What is normal? At its heart, that's what BEHIND THE SCENES explores. Ally is a bright, relatable, "normal" girl who finds herself smack dab in the middle of crazy Hollywood. Her life is turned upside down in so many ways, her family is struggling with an illness, her friendships are tested, and her love life is splattered across America's headlines. Adler pens a story that is both fun and thoughtful, making it the perfect summer read. Captivating and enchanting, I can't wait to see what she does next!!

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Find this and other reviews at Ramblings of a Daydreamer.

I had my fair share of celebrity crushes as a teen (oh, who am I kidding, I still have a ton of celeb crushes and I’ve been out of my teens for ages), so a book about a regular teen girl dating a hot celebrity totally appealed to me. I liked that Adler put a new twist on the trope by having Ally actually live in Hollywood and be friends with a rising starlet, so her meeting/dating Liam wasn’t a chance encounter or a case of ‘girl stalks celeb, celeb happens to notice her, they have a meet cute, and start dating’. The story was also about a lot more than just their romance and the angst surrounding it; it had all the elements of what I adore most in YA: friendship, family, real life issues, genuine emotion, and character growth.

I really liked Ally. She was smart, funny, and driven. She knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to go after it. I enjoyed her relationship with her family, especially her dad. I really connected with her on that, since I lived through two years of my dad being in and out of hospital with cancer before he died. Her fear and uncertainty came through really well, and it broke my heart whenever she thought of the future without her dad, because I had so many of the same thoughts when my dad was sick. I also really liked her friendship with Vanessa. It was great to see them maintaining a friendship despite Van’s bursting schedule and rising popularity. Like a lot of Ally’s life, her friendship with Van couldn’t be ‘normal’, but they made it work. I loved how loyal they were to each other, how they stood up for each other, and considered each other in so many decisions, big and small.

And then there was Liam. I loved Liam. He was the kind of celebrity I would have crushed on as a teen and hoped he was as awesome in real life as Liam actually was. He was smart, patient, and sweet, and he cared so much about Ally.

It’s hard to explain how I felt about certain parts of the book. On one hand, I understood Ally’s reservations and issues about dating Liam, and why she got upset about some things. But on the other hand, she said from the beginning she didn’t want anything to do with people in Hollywood other than Van, and she didn’t want to date a celebrity because she wanted a normal life, a normal boyfriend., etc...but she starts dating Liam and then gets upset that they can’t have a normal relationship, even though she knew that would be the case. She drove me nuts at times because she knew how things were and how they needed to be, but she kept freaking out. And yet, I could always sort of rationalize her behaviour in a way, between her age, and the fact she really liked Liam and wished things could be different. It was the weirdest feeling while reading - being incredibly frustrated with Ally while going ‘well she is eighteen, it’s hard enough being a teenager, then throw all this other crap in...’ Despite those odd and sometimes confused mixed feelings on my part, it didn’t take away from the fact that Ally was a good person, and I appreciated that she was flawed and realistic.

Overall, I really enjoyed Behind the Scenes. Ally had a great, authentic voice, tons of growth, and was easy to connect to. She had great chemistry with Liam (who’s one of my new favourite swoony book boyfriends), and her relationships with her family and Vanessa added so much to the story. This book made me giggle, tear up, and swoon. If you’re a fan of contemporary YA, especially ones that explore a relationship between a celebrity and a non-celebrity, be sure to pick up Behind the Scenes!

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars!

This was a great book and just what I was looking for. It has fluff, romance, drama and Hollywood! Add to that mix great(well mostly great) characters and fun situations.

Our main character was really cute, but at times I was annoyed with how she thought about things. The whole Liam x Vanessa stuff. I wish she would have been just honest about it, instead of letting things spiral out of control like the way they did. But yeah, I guess if the author had done that, that book wouldn't have had the drama or the whole learning process.
I loved how our main character was with her family, how she tried to make her own money so she could go to college. I loved that she just didn't accept the money, but instead wanted to work for it, hard, and I was so proud of her. Not many people would say they would work for it if the have the option to get it for free.
Her friendship with Vanessa was great, though I didn't always get how these 2 are friends. Yes, I know, opposites attract and all that, but it was just a bit weird. Our main character is all study and work, while Vanessa is more play and have fun. Oh well, I still liked to see them together. And I loved the code-word they had for when a certain thing happened. It just made me laugh aloud.

Then we have Liam, ah Liam, swoon. He was so cute and sweet. I instantly liked him when we first met him on the set. He is a really kind and sweet guy and he genuinely likes our main character and tries to treat her well. I felt sorry for him when all kinds of drama started up. He doesn't deserve this, he deserved an explanation, a why, a how. After all, even though girls tend to think it, guys are not telepathic.

Vanessa was a fun character and I can't wait to see more of her in the next book. Even with her being a star in Hollywood she keeps her feet on the earth, doesn't float away or become a bitch like many others (*cough*Zoe*cough*) would do. It was refreshing. I was worried she might change, but throughout the book she stays a sweet person who you just want to befriend.

And I can so imagine that the drama got out of hand like this. Our main character didn't know that it would go like this, and like I said, she could have been honest and I think that would have been best. But I can also imagine why she got so angry and sad. She finally has a boyfriend and then finds out that she can't be with him for most of the time, that she can't be in public with him, and that she has to share him with her best friend for some marketing ploy. I just wanted to hug her at times and tell her things would be all right.

The book is filled with fluff and romance, but we also have a realistic plot going on. Our main character's dad is sick, he has cancer and throughout the book we are pretty much front-row on how he is doing. And I can honestly say that I was crying near the end when a certain thing was said.
I am happy they added this plot piece to the book, it gave more depth to all the characters as they were all connected and all cared dearly about the dad.

Ah, I have to give some extra credit to Josh. He was a great character and while he was a dick at times, I really liked him. I saw he didn't always mean harm.

All in all, this is a terrific book and I would really recommend it to everyone.

Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Nasty Lady MJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really 3.5 stars. To see the full review click the link

Hollywood YA books and me are like this.

Yes, I know they can be cliche. But I really do love a decent movie star YA story. Of course, it has to have semi-decent characters and it can’t be that big of a cliche because then I’ll just grow bored (see Will the Real Abi Saunders Please Stand Up).

Behind the Scenes was a book that I actually looked forward to. Instead of having the traditional girl being an actress or wannabe actress, we have a main character who actually has no intention of being involved in La La land and who had some actual real life problems other than teenage drama going on in her life.

I was kind of grimacing when I found out that Ally’s father was dealing cancer, mainly because that can be such a cliche plot line. I mean, look at all those Lurlene McDaniel books or Lifetime movies.

The thing is, the whole cancer plot was for the most part perfectly tolerable It’s resolution to me seemed a little too unrealistic, but given the alternative I’m happy with the ending. And for a book with the big C in it it wasn’t that overwhelming.

I also liked the romance in the book. Liam and Ally weren’t overly mushy and the chemistry was good. Good not great, mind you. But it was an enjoyable enough fling that I was able to read the book without grimacing. Also, unlike a lot of YA celebrities, Liam didn’t feel wooden. There were dimensions added to his character that were an added bonus.

Overall, I liked most of the characters in this book. There weren’t any of them that I particularly hated which is odd because usually in all YA books there’s one character I hate. In fact, I have to say for the most part I liked all them. And there were some I actually wanted to give a fictional hug to and that doesn’t happen often.

[Gaby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I'm friends with the author so I might be a little biased. BUT I'M NOT EVEN A LITTLE SORRY.

This book is:
Adorable
Dramatic
Swoony
Steamy
So perfectly teenager-y

Honestly, this book is like coming home from a long day at work and realizing there's still one last piece of chocolate cake left. It's the perfect light, fun (dare I say BEACH) read.

More on the specifics soon, I promise.

[booksneedcaffeinetoo · Rating 2 out of 5]

*groans*
nope.

RTC

1.5/5 stars

Content Warnings: cancer, mention of parental death, mentions of neglect, binge drinking, mentions of drug use/rehab, sexual assault (RANT: uhhhhhhhh the main girl also keeps trying to have sex with dudes who say “no” and is all “well he has an erection so he ‘must’ want me and no doesn’t actually mean no here” which is sexual assault but it NEVER called out because they are dudes and the book tries to paint them as saints for not having sex with her when she is emotionally unstable/drunk which I am all for recognizing dudes stopping sexual activities when their partner isn’t in the right head space BUT the guy said NO and she didn’t fucking stop!!!!! if the roles were reversed everyone would be freaking out)

[Brittany S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Initial Impressions 1/10/15: YAY I finally read this! It was so much fun. I loved the friendship between Ally & Vanessa. I always get scared with celeb-books because I hate the drama of bratty actors/actresses so I was SO glad it wasn't a diva best friend! Totally reminded me of Dee & Reagan in Open Road Summer. The romance was so cute and lots of fun.

Full review posted HERE on The Book Addict's Guide 2/18/15:

Shame on me for taking so long to read this book! I’ve been talking to the lovely Dahlia Adler for a while but only really got to know her after BEHIND THE SCENES had already come out so somehow this book fell to the wayside (aka: got stuck under my massive TBR pile) for way too long! I’m glad that I finally got to read her debut earlier this year because it was such lovely book and I pretty much inhaled it in two days!

The best thing to come out of BEHIND THE SCENES for me was the wonderful friendship between Ally and Vanessa. I absolutely loved how the two girls were there for each other through thick and thin but also that their friendship is imperfect — which made it even more realistic to me. While I’m definitely not in the same situation (my best friends aren’t the stars of their own TV shows, ya know?), my friends and I each have our differences which really make our friendships unique, and that was something that I really connected with in Ally and Vanessa’s friendship. They connect on so many things and they really love and support each other but they also end up butting heads on some hot button issues because even though they’re best friends, they’re bound to disagree on some important things. It just felt very realistic to me and opened up that line of connection for me to really feel like I knew these characters.

This also really spanned to the family aspect of the book as well. Ally is really tight with her family — especially with her father being sick — so that really sets up a situation where Ally needs to be there for her family, both emotionally and physically. Through Vanessa’s close friendship with Ally, she ends up sort of being part of the family too, which I loved seeing since that’s something I’ve had with a few of my best friend’s families. Vanessa is also there for Ally as she tries to support her family (and herself) throughout this hard time in her life. There’s a giant crossroads with Ally and her decision about college. She doesn’t want to leave her family but she’s always had her dream school in mind so it’s really a constant rotation of support between Ally, her family, and her best friends for everyone to really figure out the best possible situation. I really admired how well all of these relationships work and really how positive everyone seemed to be throughout it all!

What was also really fun about BEHIND THE SCENES was actually the “behind the scenes” look at Hollywood and the acting business. Obviously it’s not something that I know anything about so it’s really fun to get a glimpse at that lifestyle and also see the normality of it all. It’s easy to get caught up in the fame of celebrities but I really loved that the “human side” of each of the TV stars (minus the divas) was portrayed. These actors really are just normal people who have a job that makes them famous. It was just a really fun peek at that side of the business.

And of course, the romance was delightfully swoony. I really loved how it developed and it was really interesting to see each character’s approach and how so many people were actually involved. I loved Ally’s resistance, actually. She tried to think the worst of Liam because in her mind, he really was just a celebrity with a built-up reputation so it was especially exciting to get to know him more as Ally did! I really loved him.

All in all, BEHIND THE SCENES was another hit for me! I’ll admit that I had a few preconceived notions about a book portraying show business but that was something the characters and I learned — things are not always what they seem! It was so great to get to know these characters and I can’t wait to get to know even more in the companion novel, UNDER THE LIGHTS, this year!

[Sabrina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I went into this knowing full well that the road ahead was going to be littered with cliches. But indulging in sweet empty calories once in awhile never hurt anyone. It's quick and easy and leaves you with those warm fuzzy good feels. Unless it sends you spiralling into guilt laden self loathing. I did it to myself :(

Behind the Scenes started off surprisingly well. I geniunely liked Ally - she came across as relatable, mature, funny, smart. All good things. Her friendship with Vanessa was well written and believable and even given the cheese that is "Hot Famous Dude Falls for Normie" her relationship with Liam actually worked for me. The two had chemistry and neither of them felt like flat stereotypes. Their banter was cute. They clicked! IT WAS ALL THERE!!

And then the second half rolled around and it all went downhill. Ally just devolved into this insecure mess that didn't really fit with what we knew of her. But the baseless insecure bullshit just kept coming and coming that by the time I put this book down I just HATED Ally. Liam got relegated to background noise, Vanessa and her lifelong friendship devolved into a catfight , and pretty much all the other female characters served as beautiful, vapid, slutty pairs of tits. UGH. WHY??

I don't even want to touch upon the Josh character that was thrust upon us in the latter half. What is that dialogue? Who speaks like that? WHO TEXTS LIKE THAT?! Josh was pretty much a joke who served to get us to the "reunion/make up" scene. Other than that he was essentially pointless.

But what really pissed me off was how Nate was handled. Nate and Ally had a pretty good friendship and he didn't come across as a dick AT ALL. He was actually pretty likable. But we can't just have a happily ever after without villifying the supposed love rival. *rolls eyes* It came across so forced and stupid. Why could they not have just been friends? Was it really neccessary to completely nix out a decent character?

I think what annoyed me more about Behind the Scenes was it seemed to actually have potential to be something more. Yes it was always going to be a cliched romance but there was depth and relatability! And then there was nothing.

[Michelle Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that just makes me happy, you guys. It's sweet, and fun, and hilarious, and flirty, and... Okay, I *could* keep going, but I'm not sure I have enough room.

For a contemp to grab my heart, the characters have to shine, and Dahlia nailed it. The characters in BtS are so real and relatable (yes, even the ones under Hollywood's spotlight). Ally had me laughing out loud, Liam had me swooning, and Van is a BFF that I want for myself. I fell in love with one of the secondary characters (even though I'm not sure I was supposed to), which brings me to my next point: everyone in this story has a mind of their own. No cardboard cutouts here, y'all.

BtS is a book I'll read again and again with a grin on my face. Loved, loved, loved it.