The Fame Game

by Ronica Black

Luna Kirkman has been in the limelight since she was six years old. A child of Hollywood, she’s known both great success and great struggle. Now, after a long stint in rehab, she’s back on her feet. There’s only one problem. Her love life. As she nears her fortieth birthday, her heart, as well as her management, want her to settle down. So when her manager sets her up with fellow actor and heartthrob, Beau Paget, Luna is game but a bit hesitant. Beau has the looks and the reputation she needs for her image, but it’s his sister she’s interested in.

Chloe Paget hates everything Hollywood: the fuss, the fame and even the fortune. And for the most part, she avoids it at all costs. Unfortunately, her brother Beau is one of Hollywood’s biggest stars. So she’s less than thrilled to hear that he’s dating Luna Kirkman, Hollywood’s most notorious wild child. But as she tries her best to warn her brother off Luna, she discovers there’s more to Luna than her image. A lot more.

Genres: Romance, LGBT, Lesbian

240 pages, Paperback

Published September 9, 2025

About the author

Ronica Black is an award-winning author and a three-time Lambda Literary Award finalist. Her books range from romance and erotica to mystery and intrigue, and she enjoys trying her hand at all. Ronica also enjoys drawing, painting, and sculpting. She lives in Glendale, Arizona, with her partner, where she relishes a rich family life and raising a menagerie of pets.

Reviews

[Stuffl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, this book leaves me with mixed feelings. The first 20 percent was really great, but then it just felt off. The chemistry, which I really liked, became much less apparent and the tension was simply gone.

I missed the character development. Luna and Chloe remained rather bland and went round and round in circles. There was no tingle and the slow burn didn't really burn, if you know what I mean.

The conflict, or rather the conflicts, were always the same, and I found the last argument in particular a bit sudden. Where was the romance? The big emotions? Considering that Luna had been dating men the whole time and suddenly developed feelings for a woman, I expected more struggle and reflection.

The plot itself had a lot of potential. I mean, a forbidden love at first – that alone creates tension, right? The writing was decent and the cornerstones of the romance were good. But somehow... I felt like something was missing. I also found the book quite short, and for me, the ending was really just the beginning for Chloe and Luna, and I wanted to know how it continued. An epilogue would have been nice. That might have answered many of my questions.

However, I liked the portrayal of the tabloid press. All the negative aspects, crossing boundaries, lying in wait, and always feeling like you have to turn around and check if someone is there. I think that was portrayed very realistically.

A book that I can only recommend to a limited extent.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

[Lyn Denison · Rating 4 out of 5]

A believable depiction of the movie industry, to its extremes from best to worst. As to becoming famous, be careful what you wish for. However, a HEA after much heartache.

[Siddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Luna is a well known Hollywood actress, currently in a long running serial. A few years before she was in rehab after bad problems with her boyfriend, and drugs and alcohol. Now she is clean, but still has to actively not drink. Still the memories of her fans are long, and so with help from her agent Mel she has to work to clean her image.
Chloe runs an event planning business, and since a bad breakup a few years before has kept away from relationships. Her younger brother Beau is a Hollywood actor, trying to keep his image clean. Some close calls recently means his agent contacts Mel, Luna’s agent, and arrange for them to ‘date’ for public consumption. However, Luna finds Chloe more interesting. Beau is a pig about that. He seems to be the squeaky clean one in the story, but he just becomes a complete ass.
This is a complicated and over-long story. The first half is really good, interesting and well written. The ending, however, is a cop out, as though the writer lost interest in the story, and just wanted to finish it. So many loose ends. Not every story needs a happy ending, not every loose end needs to be cleared up; life goes on. However, to craft a good story, writers usually have to follow a plan and towards the end this story loses the plot.
I really enjoyed the beginning, but hated the ending.

[Tylah Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so excited about this one, the premise really interested me BUT it just ended up infuriating me for the most part. Beau was super annoying, I just wanted him to shut up every time he spoke. I loved Chloe and Luna’s characters but the back and forth of “I want to be with you” to “I can’t handle this” just got tiresome after the third time!!!!! It just took way too long for the story to actually get where it needed to go but I was rooting for them the whole time despite it all 😅

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book!

[Carol Hutchinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Celebrity drama at its finest!

Luna is getting her life back on the straight and narrow after being a Hollywood wild child. She is set up to go out with Beau, who needs to improve his reputation with a stable relationship. Beau’s sister Chloe is just trying to be successful in her catering ventures and is not interested in any of the fortune and fame, but meeting Luna messes with some of her plans.

The tension between Luna and Chloe at the start was what really got me hooked. Chloe had thoughts about Luna that when they had an incident on a set, Chloe was certain they were all valid. She wasn’t too pleased to find Luna and Beau dating but as she got to know Luna she learned she had perhaps judged her too quickly. In getting to know Chloe, we really got the opportunity to learn just how Luna had changed for good and had similar thoughts about Hollywood and fame herself.

Naturally the setting led to lots of drama and tension throughout the whole story, and not just with Chloe and Luna. Chloe and Beau had been through so much, and it explained a lot about why Beau and Chloe were both unhappy about each other being with Luna. I felt all that emotion and completely empathised with all their actions, and completely understood the reasons for how they were feeling and how they all reacted to things.

I loved every second of this and really recommend it! Just great!

[Sue Plant · Rating 5 out of 5]

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

luna kirkman is a child of hollywood.... she is also known as a wild child but since rehab she has turned her life around for the better .... if only the pap would leave her alone

her manager comes up with an idea .... which is to date beau paget the latestheartthrob of hollywood ...she cant really say no so against her wishes a date is arranged

chloe is doing a massive favour for her friend and has undertaken getting the lunches ready for tv company.... shes not in her element and when an accident happens that sees her and luna on the floor covered in food ...her day cant get any worse... yeah it can....

so imagine her horror whilst out on a blind date when she comes face to face with her brother and luna .... its not the ideal situation or the fact that her blind date has the hots for luna....

a fun light read about the lives of the rich and famous and what they have to put up with in regards to their personal lives and the way the pap are always in their face

chose your friends wisely i will take from this book

[Veronica John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a tough book to review because overall it was a great book so I read it all in one day. I really liked the theme of this book: Straight A-list actress falls for working class lesbian. My only real issue with the book was the ending. *spoilers* The book ends when our 2 MCs decide to give a relationship a chance so we never get to see them as a couple. Epilogues have become so standard that I was shocked this book didn’t have one since it absolutely needs one (in my opinion). This was a 5 star book for me until the end where I was left disappointed and wanting more.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

[SusieQ · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, the story revolves around a well-known star who, after going through rehab, picked up the pieces and started living differently. The struggles of not drinking or using drugs may have been a little underrepresented, but the personal transformation and the impact it has on both the person and their surroundings, and vice versa, are beautifully described. Not everything fits the way it used to.

I also appreciated how the emphasis on image was portrayed—what you have to sacrifice for fame, what the outside world gets to see, and how stories, even if they’re not true, keep being repeated for the sake of sales.

In the book, I didn’t really feel that being a lesbian was the main issue; rather, it was more about the overall image, which I found refreshing. The main characters share a strong connection, they understand each other, but paparazzi and fame create challenges. Following the heart while walking a path that isn’t always desired, along with personal and sometimes strained relationships, makes for a well-balanced whole.

The only thing I missed was a bit more intimacy—a full-body hug, holding hands, or sleeping and waking up together. That would have made the love feel even more convincing to me. I would rate this book 3.5 stars.

I received a free copy of this book and chose to write this review voluntarily.

[Sanchia · Rating 3 out of 5]

🌟3🌟 Honestly, I wish we got more from this book…

Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for providing this ARC!

The Fame Game follows the chaotic, celebrity life of Hollywood “wild child” Luna Kirkman as she forms a publicity relationship with fellow Hollywood star Beau Paget, but instead finds herself falling madly for his sister, Chloe Paget…

By no means do I think this book was necessarily “bad”, just maybe underdeveloped. My main reasoning for feeling this way stems from the characters themselves and how hugely disconnected I felt from both Chloe and Luna. Although I’ve read over 200 pages of their love story, I still feel as though I don’t know them as characters. Aside from their jobs, what makes them genuinely happy in life? How did Luna get into acting? What motivates them to continue to pursue the lives they currently lead? Personas aside, I have a very vague idea of what these characters look like. At various moments along the narrative, we’re drip fed information on their appearance and features, like hair colour and eye colour, but everything else feels rather nondescript.

Throughout the book, potentially due to my own disconnection from the characters, I couldn’t help but equate the storytelling to when a friend is reciting the happenings of another friend group that you’re not apart of and thus don’t feel as connected to the story as your friend does (if that makes sense). In other words, the characters were likeable enough for me to root for them, but it felt as though I was rooting for them because they were likeable enough and less so because I felt any connection to them.

Zeroing in on Luna, I would have loved to see her own mental reflections on her sexuality as well as what her romantic feelings for Chloe have made her realise about herself. This isn’t to say that she needed to be completely drowned in realisations about her sexuality, but her having a moment to sit back and think about what her feelings for Chloe mean for herself - especially because it was stated that Luna had never dated outside of men before - would’ve been nice to see.

Additionally, the end felt very abrupt and I wasn’t necessarily expecting the story to end where it did. Although we know that Luna’s life of fame was becoming a huge stressor for her, I never expected her to run away from said life so quickly and I can’t recall us getting any introspective perspective into potential thoughts of hers to run away. In the same vein, we also don’t get to see much on how Chloe comes to her decision on deciding to stay with Luna despite Luna’s busy and chaotic life - it feels like she just up and decided that she was ready to take on what comes with Luna’s lifestyle.

Lastly, the homophobia and lesbophobia was rife from all the side characters and it felt like none of it was really called out head on. Maybe it’s a reflection of how Hollywood regards queer identities at this time, but it was still shocking to see. The only character who had a moment of not being so homophobic was Mel, but that was on his death bed…so I’m undecided on whether that felt authentic. Generally, it would have been nice to see at least one person not be so immediately homophobic at the mere mention of Luna liking Chloe or vice versa.

With that being said, I did enjoy the author’s writing of dialogue - it felt natural and I could genuinely picture these conversations and interactions playing out in real life. And, the narrative itself wasn’t too bad, I just wish it was fleshed out a bit more to found a better connection with the characters.

(P.S. I spotted some errors, mistyped words and potentially missing words from the text, so some more editing would be useful.)

TW: Cursing, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Medical Content, (Minor Mentions of:) Drunk Driving; Car Crash, Alcoholism

[Scott Cutlip · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Fame Game isn’t going to win any awards for originality. A Hollywood star who is dating an actor for publicity, but finds herself attracted to the star’s sister? I’ve definitely read that one before. However, if a story is well-told, it doesn’t have to necessarily be original. The romance between Luna and Chloe (sister of Beau) is okay, although for too long it seems like Chloe has one foot ready to run away from the relationship. I understand it, story-wise, but her reluctance makes Luna feel a little pushy at times.

But neither Luna nor Chloe is the problem in the novel. Their romance isn’t particularly interesting, but it’s also not bad. No, the problem is Beau and the lack of resolution with Beau. Beau, like the actor brothers in other novels like this I’ve read, is also dating someone else. That’s where the similarity ends. Quite honestly, the way Beau acts in this book makes him seem like he might be abusive to Luna and his sister, or at the very least dangerously controlling, and it’s not really touched upon near the end of the book. The entire Beau plot and lack of resolution leaves a very bitter taste in my mouth. I personally rated this a 2.5, but will reluctantly give it a 3 star, as I think a 2 star is too harsh.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bold Stroke Books for this ARC.

[Kaye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Luna Kirkman is a successful actress almost growing up before the camera. She is happy and her career has recovered after a stint in rehab and two years of sobriety. Her manager lines her up with Beau Paget, a handsome leading man, hoping that being seen together will give a boost to both of their careers with positive press. Beau runs into his sister Chloe while they are out together. And Luna finds herself intrigued by Chloe more than Beau. Chloe is an event planner but doesn’t love all the press and publicity in Beau and Luna’s world.

The story is okay but was missing a few things. Luna seemingly has never been attracted to a woman before but there is no discussion of that. There is very little build up between the two. And the constant paparazzi is bad and the game of it all with the actors careers felt very one note. And paparazzi is and should be a villain but the pair choose to interact in public places and the disguises never worked so whose fault is it that they get their photos in the press. It was surprising there were very few good people in the book other than the female leads. And I was genuinely shocked at the feelings declaration as I felt there had been no build up to it. I am going to give three stars for the basic story but I thought there were missed opportunities on the romance side.

[Cindy Stein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hollywood star Luna has been advised to improve her image by dating a male heartthrob actor. On their first date, Luna meets Chloe, the actor's sister and has an immediate attraction. Chloe, an event planner, isn't a fan of the Hollywood star culture but has to admit that she finds Luna attractive. Chloe and her brother have a very close relationship, cemented after their parents' deaths when the siblings were in their teens. So any possible relationship between Luna and Chloe has many built-in complications.

This is a good story set up and the book does a good job of portraying the madness of Hollywood star culture, including being stalked and chased by the paparazzi. Although I liked the book, there were a couple of plot issues I had. First, if Luna is a recovering alcoholic who's been through treatment and is working the 12 steps, why doesn't she ever go to any AA meetings? Second, the plot probably has one too many coincidences, including the hiking meet-up. And, finally, the resolution of the book in the final chapter is incredibly rush and could have really used an additional chapter to explain the changes that took place, including how Chloe ends up finding out where Luna is living.

I was provided an ARC by the publisher via NetGalley.

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

From my perspective, The Fame Game, was a tale of two halves. For the first half of the book, I was excited about the story, fully engaged with both of the main characters, and the story seemed to be moving in a cohesive direction. In the second half, the action seemed to focus on wash, rinse, and repeat. The reader continued to hear about Chloe's brother's (Beau) disregard for her possible relationship with Luna, as Beau continued to fake date Luna to further his career. Luna's friends, Hillary and Jo, were also a major source of irritation to Luna and to the reader for their lack of support when Luna needed it the most following a tragic event. The book was categorized as a "contemporary romance", but realistically should have been characterized as a book about co-dependency since the theme was continually prevalent. Finally, this book could use some editing. There were multiple errors found throughout the book which thankfully isn't a common occurrence for most Bold Strokes books. 3 stars

I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Georgie Luttrell · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise of this book sounded really fun - a Hollywood romance where the IT girl doesn’t fall for the IT boy…she falls for his sister. Something no one ever sees coming.

However, this story didn’t end up feeling entirely fleshed out to me. By the end of the book I still didn’t really know much about who the characters actually are as people and while Luna and Chloe had chemistry from the beginning, it seemed to taper off a bit.

My other issue with this book was the number of times both Chloe and Luna speak aloud to themselves. I don’t know about anyone else, but very rarely am I saying full paragraphs of thought out loud to myself. I also felt that the dialogue itself was a little unrealistic sometimes - and a lot of conversation between characters felt far too forced and not natural enough. I struggled with the flow of conversation.

I did really enjoy the Hollywood backdrop and the fact that the pressure of the media and of the fame machine really can push people into doing crazy things to protect their image and their career but overall, this book just wasn’t the one for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Stroke Books for this ARC!

[The Sapphic Book Lounge · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Fame Game by Ronica Black is a sapphic romance that appeals to those readers that loves a Hollywood fake dating trope but with a twist. Luna is a Hollywood actress who has had her fair share of media drama as she dealt with alcoholism in the spotlight. She's put in the work, completed rehab, and is ready to turn her reputation in the industry around. Beau is a Hollywood heartthrob and notorious bachelor who is looking for his Mrs. Right. Luna and Beau's management collaborate to push the two together, making a darling Hollywood couple that will help boost Beau's project and Luna's reputation. There is only one problem, Luna and Beau aren't really attracted to each other, and to make it more complicated, Luna is more interested in Beau's sister, event planner, Chloe.

This read is won't contain a lot of surprises but it is a fairly quick read that provides the reader with an array of topics to relate to. Black does a great job of incorporating the life challenges of addiction, codependency, trauma, anxiety, and loss that plague more than just the Hollywood elite without the book feeling too heavy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldstroke Books for the ARC.

[Aleana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Luna been in the limelight since she was a child she known for her success and title of wild child. Luna after having completed her stint in rehab she wants to continue with her life if only the paparazzi would leave her alone. Luna wants to focus on her love life when her manager convinced her to date a fellow actor Beau who can help with image but things gets complicated when she meets his sister Chloe who she feels drawn to. Chloe doesn’t like fame a fortune but her brother Beau is famous and she not exactly thrill about him dating Luna who could damage his image but as she starts to spend time with Luna she realizes there more to her then she thought. I enjoy this read I didn’t really like Luna friends Hillary and Jo and their lack of support at time Luna needed them.


I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

[Sharondblk · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this, but I didn't love it. It was well enough written, and the main characters were cute - with their dogs, and their not drinking alcohol. It just seemed a little surface level. the second half plays into the (very soft) tension established in the first half, but there is no exploration about why Luna's parents are so awful, or of Beau's very extreme reactions. I enjoyed reading this, but I didn't feel like I was visiting in their world, like I do with the best books.
The cover is amazing and I love it so much.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books, Inc for the digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had so much potential with that storyline, I liked the writing, so it could have been an amazing read but now I just feel underwhelmed. We never really get to know Luna and Chloe, their backstories and where they come from and why so hard to make their relationship work. It is all about missed opportunities, blocking by people around them, Luna’s horrible “friends”, Chloe’s unsupportive brother Beau that I really hate how he acted after all his sister has done for him. Then having the love story not really start until the very last few pages is such a disappointment.

I received a free ARC via NetGalley and leave a review voluntarily.

[AJ Sneed · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Fame Game by Ronica Black is a sapphic romance with a Hollywood fake-dating twist. Luna, a recovering actress trying to rebuild her image, is paired with heartthrob Beau for good press—but she finds herself drawn instead to his sister, Chloe. The book captures the chaos of celebrity life, from paparazzi chases to industry pressures, while also weaving in themes of addiction, trauma, and loss.

It’s a quick, engaging read with solid representation, though at times the plot leans on too many coincidences and the ending feels a bit rushed. Still, fans of Hollywood romance tropes with a queer twist will enjoy the mix of drama, romance, and vulnerability.

[Jules · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ms Black has been writing novels for about 15 years now, however it seems forever since I have read one. The Fame Game was a welcome return for me to her writing, if not completely satisfying. I don’t now what I expected; maybe more character development. Why did Beau go from Mr Perfect to being a arsehole? Why did Luna have no other friends besides fake ones if she had been around for so long? And her sudden attraction to a woman could have been done better. Having said this, I do look forward to reading more books by Ronica Black, with an epilogue please to end the story completely.
3 1/2 stars.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel had all the drama one would expect from a Hollywood/celebrity novel, balanced by an emotionally driven plot and well-developed and likable main and side characters. I would have liked about another 20% more to this story; though I liked both characters, I wish we got to know them outside of their defined roles a bit better. However, this was a fun, emotionally light read that I would definitely recommend to someone who wants to be pulled out of their own life and into someone else’s drama for a while.

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable read overall, however it felt pretty surface level. We didn’t get to actually meet and know the characters at a deeper level. It’s really not even clear why our two MCs are attracted to each other. I would’ve liked to have more depth and chemistry with the characters.
The ending was very abrupt, it feels like it’s missing many chapters.

[Rainy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Bold Strokes Books, Inc. | BSB genre and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

This is a quick and easy read. As intrigued as I was I don't feel like this delivered for me. The repetitive will they/wont they and should they/shouldn't they had me rooting for them to just walk away then work it out.

[Fran Sappharc · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read a Ronica Black novel I know I will be emotionally invested and put through the wringer. I am here for it! Which is just as well as there isn't much time to savour everything working out!

[L · Rating 1 out of 5]

Book started ok and then it just kept getting worse ???

Idk how i managed to finish it if I’m honest

[Quinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, Bold Strokes Books and Ronica Black for this ARC! I am happily leaving my honest review.

The Fame Game was a really engaging and fun celebrity sapphic love story. I generally shy away from celebrity based romance because I tend to gravitate toward stories with real people and real life scenarios. However, the cover of this book was bright and so quintessentially Hollywood that it captured my attention and the blurb captured my interest. The story follows Luna, a Hollywood starlet who has been acting since she was a kid. She, like many child actors, has difficulty coping with the demands of fame and turns to drugs and alcohol. After a period in rehab she emerges stronger and healthier than she has ever been. In an effort to tame her crazy out of control addict celebrity image she agrees to be set up with Hollywood's hottest male heartthrob, Beau Paget. The only issue is, despite her lifelong heterosexuality, she hasn’t the slightest interest in Beau and instead finds herself desperately attracted to his sister! I loved this premise!! I absolutely love a story of self discovery and realizing who you truly are.

The story in this book was really entertaining and definitely kept me engaged all along. The strength it takes to confront and attempt to treat addiction is admirable and made me like Luna immediately. The author does a good job of representing how difficult and strange it feels to try to live life as you once did but sober. Luna being in an environment where substance abuse is normalized and wealth and fame can afford you anything you want, the transition isn’t easy but she does it. I respect the hell out of her for that. I wasn’t crazy about Beau and was happy to know that his character was not who Luna would end up with. Chloe was a sight for sore eyes to Luna and was like a breath of fresh air. She is not a Hollywood starlet or part of the Hollywood celebrity world at all. I feel like that is a huge part of the initial intrigue. Chloe is smart, down to earth and real. The thing is, she hates all things Hollywood and Luna's reputation doesn't precede her. I kind of expected an uphill battle here.

This book is pretty straight forward and there aren’t a lot of twists and turns. I kind of had an expectation of getting a sweet celebrity toaster oven sapphic romance and that is what I got. Luna's character was written with a healthy dose of strength, courage and resilience. She never gave up on herself and lived with an open mind and heart. Even though it is explained that Luna hadn’t ever been with a woman she didn’t seem confused or frightened by her attraction and feelings for Chloe. She was a woman undeterred to get her girl and didn’t question how she felt! I loved that and admired that kind of strength and resolve. Chloe was guarded but was as real as it gets. Ronica Black does an excellent job of creating a couple of leading ladies that I really like and root for. I wanted Luna and Chloe to get together and make it work and was thrilled when they finally did. The writing was purposeful and heartfelt. The crazy Hollywood world of invasive paparazzi and living behind a facade was described so well. I really felt like I got a unique insight into a world I could never understand.

This was overall a really good celebrity coming of age/self discovery wlw story. It could have benefited from an epilogue or a longer and more developed ending. I was thrilled for our girls to find their way together but wanted more intimacy and just more relationshipy type stuff from them. I wanted a bit more of them as a couple. That is not to say that this wasn’t a really fun and worthwhile read! I definitely recommend for anyone who enjoys a celebrity component to a slow burn, first time, self discovery wlw story!