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Hero or Zero
A light-hearted, funny romance novel you will adore
When single mum Chloe Jones wins a magazine competition to have TV heartthrob Ethan Blake live with her for a month, she thinks her dreams have come true. And the presence of the handsome star in her home and small Scottish town certainly causes a stir. But when Chloe begins to see his true colours, will she find the courage to face him, and admit where her heart truly lies?
When single mum Chloe Jones wins a magazine competition to have TV heartthrob Ethan Blake live with her for a month, she thinks her dreams have come true. And the presence of the handsome star in her home and small Scottish town certainly causes a stir. But when Chloe begins to see his true colours, will she find the courage to face him, and admit where her heart truly lies?
300 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2014
18 people are currently reading
192 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
August 6, 2017
Hero or Zero is a good book. It starts off slow but quickly grows into something much bigger, our three main characters seem to be floating around in a love triangle for a tiny bit of time but the moment the main character figures out that one of them isn’t worth it. I love watching the struggle in her as she discovers this and as she develops her relationship with the right person.
In the end the book read a little slower than I wish it would have, not enough action to keep me interested in turning the pages. This is why the book got only 4/5 stars. Reviewed by Tori Jo on behalf of Books, Chocolate and Wine.
In the end the book read a little slower than I wish it would have, not enough action to keep me interested in turning the pages. This is why the book got only 4/5 stars. Reviewed by Tori Jo on behalf of Books, Chocolate and Wine.
May 27, 2015
First we meet Ethan Blake, (who believes he’s amazing), then there's Sean, Ethan’s agent and Drew Carmichael, Head of Client Management at the Limelight Agency. Drew comes up with an idea for a competition to help elevate Ethan’s celebrity status in the UK and possibly state side too. Ethan loathes the idea at first and only agrees to do it if the winner is good looking. (cue rolling of the eyes)
The lucky or should I say unlucky competition winner happens to be Chloe Jones, a thirty-something single mother who adores Ethan Blake and has watched everything he has starred in. Best friend Evie encourages Chloe to enter this competition as she too is aware of the level of admiration Chloe has for this Ethan Blake bloke. After winning the competition, Chloe goes on a huge shopping spree at Ikea to impress Ethan and to make him feel more at home. Feeling concern at Chloe’s spending and over-the-top reaction to her win, Evie offers a few words of caution that he may not be what Chloe has perceived, due to his celeb status. Chloe fails to let Evie’s kind advice sway her from her cheery mood and looks forward to the day when she’ll finally meet her Hero. But when Chloe finally meets him, will she feel the same way about her beloved Ethan when he starts to live with her and her son Danny?
In the early stages of reading Hero or Zero I grinned with delight and told myself, “Julie’s done it again!” There’s nothing better than choosing a book, out of the millions of other books that’s available out there by just the slide of a finger, and by the end of say a chapter or two, you know it’s a keeper. You just know because you can’t put it down. And again, like her first novel that I read quite recently, there are some lovely touches of humour and found myself getting absorbed into the journey of these characters.
Before Ethan’s imminent arrival the story covers a teeny bit of back story for a few of the other characters. We get to see Chloe’s family, how they interact with each other and to learn a few of their problems theach one are facing. There’s Max, struggling rock musician who is the so-called father of Chloe’s son, Danny. Chloe’s no-nonsense Mother and her brother Jamie, who’s bagged himself some woman trouble. The plot line involving Jamie takes us along until Ethan arrives on the scene. I liked the fact that Ethan didn’t show up in a flash and instead had to wait a while to see what this Ethan was going to be like around Chloe and her son Danny. This gave me something to look forward to, and just like real life, the celebrity certainly took his time to show up indeed.
Like her debut the author touched on a few things such as: rock music, leathers, rock artists and self-fish characters seeking success and money. The theme of money, success, selfishness and love is something I feel the author executes very well. Julie’s writing style in this book is catchy, an easy read, no saggy middle (again), she made every chapter count a nd it brimmed with interest offering a tinkle of suspense.
The subplot involving Jamie is a hilarious one and I won’t say too much there. I loved little Danny too, he’s very sweet while offering compliments to his Mother, Chloe. Ethan I couldn’t stand in every possible way and he couldn’t even be bothered to get Danny’s name right once. Rebecca, a very intelligent business woman did herself proud in how she dealt with Ethan towards the end. And there’s Chloe. I have a lot of admiration for her and how she handled herself while not only being in the presence of her hero, but, to have her hero in her house too? She could have easily lived out her fantasy and pushed Danny to one side. But instead, stayed very true to herself and loyal to her son. What a strong and sensible woman she is. And there's Sean, he was lovely and almost felt myself falling for him. Come on, who wouldn’t?
Hero or Zero carries a wonderful cast, beautiful Scottish locations, awkward situations and some important lessons along the way. I’m happy to say that I was pleased with the ending of this book and appreciated and how well it was written. It was just perfect. It wasn’t rushed and instead took time to explain everything. Everyone got what they truly deserved in the end, even little Danny . When I’ve enjoyed a book this much or when a book touches me, on the very last page, I can do nothing but go silent as I’m totally lost for words.
If you’ve read Julie’s first book, Rock My World, then you’ll certainly enjoy this one. Or if you’ve never heard of her and haven’t read any of her books, I highly recommend that you do. Hero to Zero is another fab read from an author who has become one of my favourites in this much loved genre of romantic comedy.
5/5
Reviewed by Anne.
The lucky or should I say unlucky competition winner happens to be Chloe Jones, a thirty-something single mother who adores Ethan Blake and has watched everything he has starred in. Best friend Evie encourages Chloe to enter this competition as she too is aware of the level of admiration Chloe has for this Ethan Blake bloke. After winning the competition, Chloe goes on a huge shopping spree at Ikea to impress Ethan and to make him feel more at home. Feeling concern at Chloe’s spending and over-the-top reaction to her win, Evie offers a few words of caution that he may not be what Chloe has perceived, due to his celeb status. Chloe fails to let Evie’s kind advice sway her from her cheery mood and looks forward to the day when she’ll finally meet her Hero. But when Chloe finally meets him, will she feel the same way about her beloved Ethan when he starts to live with her and her son Danny?
In the early stages of reading Hero or Zero I grinned with delight and told myself, “Julie’s done it again!” There’s nothing better than choosing a book, out of the millions of other books that’s available out there by just the slide of a finger, and by the end of say a chapter or two, you know it’s a keeper. You just know because you can’t put it down. And again, like her first novel that I read quite recently, there are some lovely touches of humour and found myself getting absorbed into the journey of these characters.
Before Ethan’s imminent arrival the story covers a teeny bit of back story for a few of the other characters. We get to see Chloe’s family, how they interact with each other and to learn a few of their problems theach one are facing. There’s Max, struggling rock musician who is the so-called father of Chloe’s son, Danny. Chloe’s no-nonsense Mother and her brother Jamie, who’s bagged himself some woman trouble. The plot line involving Jamie takes us along until Ethan arrives on the scene. I liked the fact that Ethan didn’t show up in a flash and instead had to wait a while to see what this Ethan was going to be like around Chloe and her son Danny. This gave me something to look forward to, and just like real life, the celebrity certainly took his time to show up indeed.
Like her debut the author touched on a few things such as: rock music, leathers, rock artists and self-fish characters seeking success and money. The theme of money, success, selfishness and love is something I feel the author executes very well. Julie’s writing style in this book is catchy, an easy read, no saggy middle (again), she made every chapter count a nd it brimmed with interest offering a tinkle of suspense.
The subplot involving Jamie is a hilarious one and I won’t say too much there. I loved little Danny too, he’s very sweet while offering compliments to his Mother, Chloe. Ethan I couldn’t stand in every possible way and he couldn’t even be bothered to get Danny’s name right once. Rebecca, a very intelligent business woman did herself proud in how she dealt with Ethan towards the end. And there’s Chloe. I have a lot of admiration for her and how she handled herself while not only being in the presence of her hero, but, to have her hero in her house too? She could have easily lived out her fantasy and pushed Danny to one side. But instead, stayed very true to herself and loyal to her son. What a strong and sensible woman she is. And there's Sean, he was lovely and almost felt myself falling for him. Come on, who wouldn’t?
Hero or Zero carries a wonderful cast, beautiful Scottish locations, awkward situations and some important lessons along the way. I’m happy to say that I was pleased with the ending of this book and appreciated and how well it was written. It was just perfect. It wasn’t rushed and instead took time to explain everything. Everyone got what they truly deserved in the end, even little Danny . When I’ve enjoyed a book this much or when a book touches me, on the very last page, I can do nothing but go silent as I’m totally lost for words.
If you’ve read Julie’s first book, Rock My World, then you’ll certainly enjoy this one. Or if you’ve never heard of her and haven’t read any of her books, I highly recommend that you do. Hero to Zero is another fab read from an author who has become one of my favourites in this much loved genre of romantic comedy.
5/5
Reviewed by Anne.
July 25, 2017
I just couldn't understand alot of the language spoken in the novel. There's definitely a language barrier that made it difficult for me to understand the flow of the dialogue. The characters accents were so British, I couldn't flow through the story to catch on. It's like I kept stopping trying to figure out what the character should or did mean. But I can't say it was an awful read. There's much drama and insight in the storyline. The romance was more directed towards Chloe's parents more so than Chloe. But, yet all worked itself out in the end. I wasn't surprised Ethan became a gigalo, lol that's how he broke into the show business to boot eh!?(<--did I say this right?)smdh..
May 19, 2019
My review is 4 stars.
Lovely and interesting idea like a fresh air. Both the characters are so interesting and awesomely cute together. I love British accent and the book with the language is always lovely and catchy. Strong characters with an interesting plot and awesome dialogues. A smooth romance drama. The pace of the book is uniform and I liked it.
Interesting book!!!
Lovely and interesting idea like a fresh air. Both the characters are so interesting and awesomely cute together. I love British accent and the book with the language is always lovely and catchy. Strong characters with an interesting plot and awesome dialogues. A smooth romance drama. The pace of the book is uniform and I liked it.
Interesting book!!!
September 4, 2018
Loved this book, great characters, cleverly written & thoroughly entertaining throughout.
October 13, 2014
Thank you to Julie Shackman for sending a copy of this book to me for review. I loved Julie’s debut novel Rock My World so when I was asked to review Hero or Zero I jumped at the chance.
The idea for this story was great and something that I’ve never seen before. It is something that everybody would love to do, meet their favourite actor/singer/author etc., but rarely get the chance to do. However, we don’t think about the possibility of them being the total opposite of what you think, a completely different person to the one you have married yourself off to in your imagination. What happens, if the person you want them not to be, is exactly the person they are?
This book gives us a great insight to celebrities and how they live, act and see the world (and their fans). It also shows us that meeting our favourite celebrities isn’t always what it may seem. I was lucky enough to meet one of my favourite author’s, David Nicholls, a few weeks ago at a book signing and to tell you the truth I was a little apprehensive of how he might be. I was so excited to meet him but as I was waiting in the queue I started to worry in case he disappointed me in some way. I didn't know how but I so badly didn't want him to let me down. Thankfully and as expected he was a lovely man that had all the time in the world to chat and have photographs with fans.
After reading this book I realise that I think I unknowingly had done what Chloe had, built up an image of him, like I have with many other celebrities I like and although I did know they could have a side to them you don’t see on TV, you still I really don’t want that side to be real.
From quite early on in the book you think you can guess the ending but trust me you can’t, yes there are a few things you guess but there is also a bit of a twist on what you think might happen. This takes nothing away from the story however as you are still completely hooked on Chloe's life and can't wait to see what will happen next.
I adored the character of Chloe; she is the perfect down to earth, normal, eccentric fan-girl that we can all relate to. You can laugh, cry and cringe with her throughout the whole book and she is such a likeable character that you can’t help but support and relate to her.
I absolutely loved Danny, it was a great addition to the book having a young child that says it as it is and doesn't know when he’s put his foot in it. He makes you laugh out loud and cringe for Chloe!
I hated Ethan pretty much right away, as soon as he started called Danny, Dylan and showed that he had no time of day for him or Chloe’s family, even though he will be spending a month with them. He also made my skin crawl the way he assumed he could have any woman he wanted, Chloe included, I just wanted to pop that big head of his! Ethan is well and truly a zero!! Not the hero we think at the start of the book.
Sean however was a gentleman from the start and although we didn't learn too much about him until near the end of the book, you could see his good intentions were always there from the little subtle things he did for Chloe and Danny. I loved the way throughout the story we got snippets from Ethan and Sean’s past which let us know how each of them got to where they are now and we get to learn a bit more about them this way.
I loved how at the end Julie jumps to 6 months later where we re-join Chloe and Ethan to see how their lives have turned out and it is just how I wanted! I was hoping throughout the book that we would get to read the article that Chloe writes on Ethan and Julie doesn't disappoint us! Although I wanted her to dish the dirt on Ethan and show the world the real Ethan Blake! I did admire her for not doing this though as we see that despite everything she is a loyal and caring woman. A lot of people that spend time with celebrities could learn a lot from her!
This is another fabulously written novel, showing how brilliant an author Julie is. She has the ability to make you laugh and keep you hooked throughout the whole of her books. This has made me want to re-read Rock My World to experience her writing again. Her books just keep getting better and better and I have a feeling she is one to watch! Thank you Julie for another wonderful novel!
The idea for this story was great and something that I’ve never seen before. It is something that everybody would love to do, meet their favourite actor/singer/author etc., but rarely get the chance to do. However, we don’t think about the possibility of them being the total opposite of what you think, a completely different person to the one you have married yourself off to in your imagination. What happens, if the person you want them not to be, is exactly the person they are?
This book gives us a great insight to celebrities and how they live, act and see the world (and their fans). It also shows us that meeting our favourite celebrities isn’t always what it may seem. I was lucky enough to meet one of my favourite author’s, David Nicholls, a few weeks ago at a book signing and to tell you the truth I was a little apprehensive of how he might be. I was so excited to meet him but as I was waiting in the queue I started to worry in case he disappointed me in some way. I didn't know how but I so badly didn't want him to let me down. Thankfully and as expected he was a lovely man that had all the time in the world to chat and have photographs with fans.
After reading this book I realise that I think I unknowingly had done what Chloe had, built up an image of him, like I have with many other celebrities I like and although I did know they could have a side to them you don’t see on TV, you still I really don’t want that side to be real.
From quite early on in the book you think you can guess the ending but trust me you can’t, yes there are a few things you guess but there is also a bit of a twist on what you think might happen. This takes nothing away from the story however as you are still completely hooked on Chloe's life and can't wait to see what will happen next.
I adored the character of Chloe; she is the perfect down to earth, normal, eccentric fan-girl that we can all relate to. You can laugh, cry and cringe with her throughout the whole book and she is such a likeable character that you can’t help but support and relate to her.
I absolutely loved Danny, it was a great addition to the book having a young child that says it as it is and doesn't know when he’s put his foot in it. He makes you laugh out loud and cringe for Chloe!
I hated Ethan pretty much right away, as soon as he started called Danny, Dylan and showed that he had no time of day for him or Chloe’s family, even though he will be spending a month with them. He also made my skin crawl the way he assumed he could have any woman he wanted, Chloe included, I just wanted to pop that big head of his! Ethan is well and truly a zero!! Not the hero we think at the start of the book.
Sean however was a gentleman from the start and although we didn't learn too much about him until near the end of the book, you could see his good intentions were always there from the little subtle things he did for Chloe and Danny. I loved the way throughout the story we got snippets from Ethan and Sean’s past which let us know how each of them got to where they are now and we get to learn a bit more about them this way.
I loved how at the end Julie jumps to 6 months later where we re-join Chloe and Ethan to see how their lives have turned out and it is just how I wanted! I was hoping throughout the book that we would get to read the article that Chloe writes on Ethan and Julie doesn't disappoint us! Although I wanted her to dish the dirt on Ethan and show the world the real Ethan Blake! I did admire her for not doing this though as we see that despite everything she is a loyal and caring woman. A lot of people that spend time with celebrities could learn a lot from her!
This is another fabulously written novel, showing how brilliant an author Julie is. She has the ability to make you laugh and keep you hooked throughout the whole of her books. This has made me want to re-read Rock My World to experience her writing again. Her books just keep getting better and better and I have a feeling she is one to watch! Thank you Julie for another wonderful novel!
June 19, 2015
Let me just start by saying this book was super adorable and made me completely fall in love with Chloe Jones; a level headed, strong, witty, single mother who harbors a major crush on the gorgeous, sexy actor, Ethan Blake.
The story starts off with Ethan Blake, up and coming British actor, in a meeting with his agent and manager discussing the possibility of a new competition that would attract tons of media attention and open the doors to American television for him…or so he hopes. Ethan wants nothing to do with this competition, but the temptation of American fame is too much so he agrees. Oh, did I tell you that he is the prize for the competition? Whoever wins, gets Ethan Blake living with them for a month!!! If only such a contest existed in real life!!!
His agent, Sean Jeffries must know the type of scumbag Ethan is because all he could think was, "He could just picture the poor, witless girl who would win this bloody competition. She had absolutely no idea what she was letting herself in for." This intro sets the story up perfectly.
Fast forward into Chloe Jones' life. A single mother with a highly dysfunctional family on a limited budget and absolutely no social life. She happens to sway away from her every day routine of things, enter the Ethan Blake competition and win! She can’t believe how drastically her life is going to change when she finally meets her hot, sensational hero!
Up to this point, I was expecting a lot of flirting, perfect chemistry and tons of hot sex…none of that happened. I was slightly disappointed but once you meet Ethan, you will understand. The book had a twist and it basically helps verify that you cannot help who you fall in love with. I loved the ending and was so glad when Chloe and her son finally got everything they deserved.
Overall the story was great, it kept my interest and I enjoyed all of the characters’ lives. What I did not enjoy was the POV changes and the immediate scene flips. One paragraph Chloe would be in her flat and the next paragraph she would be out to dinner with Ethan. For scene changes so huge, I would have preferred the old fashioned *** trick. The POV changes bothered me even more. I felt that the story should have remained in first person narrative under Chloe’s perspective. While it was nice to learn about both Ethan and Sean’s past, it should have been done in a different way, not just thrown into a few paragraphs in the third person perspective. It just made the flow a bit awkward by doing it that way.
On a positive note, I enjoyed the book so much that I cannot wait to delve into Ms. Shackman’s past work, “Rock My World", which is next on my list to review so stay tuned!
The story starts off with Ethan Blake, up and coming British actor, in a meeting with his agent and manager discussing the possibility of a new competition that would attract tons of media attention and open the doors to American television for him…or so he hopes. Ethan wants nothing to do with this competition, but the temptation of American fame is too much so he agrees. Oh, did I tell you that he is the prize for the competition? Whoever wins, gets Ethan Blake living with them for a month!!! If only such a contest existed in real life!!!
His agent, Sean Jeffries must know the type of scumbag Ethan is because all he could think was, "He could just picture the poor, witless girl who would win this bloody competition. She had absolutely no idea what she was letting herself in for." This intro sets the story up perfectly.
Fast forward into Chloe Jones' life. A single mother with a highly dysfunctional family on a limited budget and absolutely no social life. She happens to sway away from her every day routine of things, enter the Ethan Blake competition and win! She can’t believe how drastically her life is going to change when she finally meets her hot, sensational hero!
Up to this point, I was expecting a lot of flirting, perfect chemistry and tons of hot sex…none of that happened. I was slightly disappointed but once you meet Ethan, you will understand. The book had a twist and it basically helps verify that you cannot help who you fall in love with. I loved the ending and was so glad when Chloe and her son finally got everything they deserved.
Overall the story was great, it kept my interest and I enjoyed all of the characters’ lives. What I did not enjoy was the POV changes and the immediate scene flips. One paragraph Chloe would be in her flat and the next paragraph she would be out to dinner with Ethan. For scene changes so huge, I would have preferred the old fashioned *** trick. The POV changes bothered me even more. I felt that the story should have remained in first person narrative under Chloe’s perspective. While it was nice to learn about both Ethan and Sean’s past, it should have been done in a different way, not just thrown into a few paragraphs in the third person perspective. It just made the flow a bit awkward by doing it that way.
On a positive note, I enjoyed the book so much that I cannot wait to delve into Ms. Shackman’s past work, “Rock My World", which is next on my list to review so stay tuned!
June 15, 2015
Hero or Zero is a unique story, built on the life of a celebrity, mixing with the ordinary everyday folk.
When twenty-something single mum Chloe wins a competition to have her idol, Ethan Blake, live with her for a whole month, she is ecstatic. What more could a girl want?
Chloe pictures a ‘happy ever after’ fantasy in her head, in which Ethan falls madly in love with her, and they become a little family.
In reality, that’s all that it is deemed to be, a fantasy. Ethan likes Chloe, but for one thing only. He thinks that being a movie star means that he can have any woman that he chooses to, and seeing as he’s going to be living with Chloe for the month, then his luck is in!
Chloe is a bright, loveable, fun character who adores her young son Danny. She is strong and determined, but seems to go weak at the knees where Ethan is concerned. She has built up an image of him from the roles that he has played, and believes him to be a wonderful, amazing person. Unfortunately, she comes crashing down to earth when she eventually sees the real Ethan.
Ethan is a nasty piece of work. He is so big-headed, and will stop at nothing and for no-one in order to get to where he’s going in life, and for him, that’s to make it to the top in Hollywood, even if he has to sleep his way there.
When Ethan moves to the little Scottish Village for the month, he brings along his agent, Sean. Sean is staying in a local hotel so he can be on hand for Ethan’s every need, and to keep an eye on him.
Sean is a wonderful, mixed-up character. He’s moody but mysterious, and he makes Chloe feel a bit uncomfortable around him, as if he doesn't like her, when in fact that couldn't be further from the truth.
The story is a romantic love triangle, mixed in with comical scenes, mainly from sub plots running along side the main plot.
The book is written from multiple perspectives, with Ethan and Sean’s being shown in a series of flashbacks from their younger lives. We get to witness first-hand what happened in both of their separate pasts to make them act the way that they do today.
Hero or Zero is easy to read and light-hearted, with a dash of romance and plenty of excitement. It would be a perfect summer beach read, taking you into the celeb world, and proving that not everyone is as they seem.
I found the book a little hard to get in to at first, but once Ethan arrived to live with Chloe, the story picked up in pace.
Overall, I loved the uniqueness and the delightful characters, oh and the fact that I hadn't guessed the ending correctly, which was a nice touch.
I certainly look forward to reading more books by Julie.
When twenty-something single mum Chloe wins a competition to have her idol, Ethan Blake, live with her for a whole month, she is ecstatic. What more could a girl want?
Chloe pictures a ‘happy ever after’ fantasy in her head, in which Ethan falls madly in love with her, and they become a little family.
In reality, that’s all that it is deemed to be, a fantasy. Ethan likes Chloe, but for one thing only. He thinks that being a movie star means that he can have any woman that he chooses to, and seeing as he’s going to be living with Chloe for the month, then his luck is in!
Chloe is a bright, loveable, fun character who adores her young son Danny. She is strong and determined, but seems to go weak at the knees where Ethan is concerned. She has built up an image of him from the roles that he has played, and believes him to be a wonderful, amazing person. Unfortunately, she comes crashing down to earth when she eventually sees the real Ethan.
Ethan is a nasty piece of work. He is so big-headed, and will stop at nothing and for no-one in order to get to where he’s going in life, and for him, that’s to make it to the top in Hollywood, even if he has to sleep his way there.
When Ethan moves to the little Scottish Village for the month, he brings along his agent, Sean. Sean is staying in a local hotel so he can be on hand for Ethan’s every need, and to keep an eye on him.
Sean is a wonderful, mixed-up character. He’s moody but mysterious, and he makes Chloe feel a bit uncomfortable around him, as if he doesn't like her, when in fact that couldn't be further from the truth.
The story is a romantic love triangle, mixed in with comical scenes, mainly from sub plots running along side the main plot.
The book is written from multiple perspectives, with Ethan and Sean’s being shown in a series of flashbacks from their younger lives. We get to witness first-hand what happened in both of their separate pasts to make them act the way that they do today.
Hero or Zero is easy to read and light-hearted, with a dash of romance and plenty of excitement. It would be a perfect summer beach read, taking you into the celeb world, and proving that not everyone is as they seem.
I found the book a little hard to get in to at first, but once Ethan arrived to live with Chloe, the story picked up in pace.
Overall, I loved the uniqueness and the delightful characters, oh and the fact that I hadn't guessed the ending correctly, which was a nice touch.
I certainly look forward to reading more books by Julie.
March 1, 2015
Review first posted on my blog: http://spoonfulofhappyendings.blogspo...
Twenty-something Chloe Jones is a single mum and the most important thing in her life is her young son Danny. However, when she’s not busy taking care of him, she allows herself to dream away every now and again and usually handsome actor Ethan Blake makes an appearance in those dreams. Chloe knows it’s just a silly crush on a TV heartthrob, but she would love to meet Ethan someday and see whether he’s as perfect as she images him to be in her head. When she enters a magazine competition to win a chance of having Ethan Blake himself come and live with you for a month, Chloe never expects to actually win. But that is exactly what happens: Ethan Blake is on his way to her apartment and will stay with her for a whole month. Chloe can’t believe her luck, but will Ethan be able to live up to the image she has created of him or will he turn out to be someone else completely?
The main storyline of ‘Hero or Zero’ is something I think most of us will have dreamed about sometime in our lives: meeting your favourite celebrity and him/her becoming your best friend or perhaps even falling for you. This is exactly what happens to main character Chloe, who ends up winning a competition and having her favourite actor Ethan Blake as her new roommate for a whole month. The storyline was really entertaining and I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen when Chloe would finally meet Ethan and whether they’d fall for one another or not. Chloe is a wonderful heroine; she’s down-to-earth, warm, and really easy to relate to and her thoughts had me laughing out loud multiple times while reading the novel. I also really liked the other characters, such as Chloe’s son Danny, her best friend, and Ethan’s agent Sean.
The story is told from multiple perspectives and the reader gets to see things from different points of view. There are also a few flashbacks, explaining little things that happened in the past, which was great because it provides the reader with a chance to see where the characters come from and why they are who they are and do what they do. It personally took me a bit of time to really get into the novel, but as soon as I was immersed in the story I thought it was a really enjoyable read and I couldn’t wait to see how everything would end for Chloe. Overall, ‘Hero or Zero’ is another fun and enjoyable romantic comedy by Julie Shackman and I look forward to hopefully picking up her next read sometime soon!
Twenty-something Chloe Jones is a single mum and the most important thing in her life is her young son Danny. However, when she’s not busy taking care of him, she allows herself to dream away every now and again and usually handsome actor Ethan Blake makes an appearance in those dreams. Chloe knows it’s just a silly crush on a TV heartthrob, but she would love to meet Ethan someday and see whether he’s as perfect as she images him to be in her head. When she enters a magazine competition to win a chance of having Ethan Blake himself come and live with you for a month, Chloe never expects to actually win. But that is exactly what happens: Ethan Blake is on his way to her apartment and will stay with her for a whole month. Chloe can’t believe her luck, but will Ethan be able to live up to the image she has created of him or will he turn out to be someone else completely?
The main storyline of ‘Hero or Zero’ is something I think most of us will have dreamed about sometime in our lives: meeting your favourite celebrity and him/her becoming your best friend or perhaps even falling for you. This is exactly what happens to main character Chloe, who ends up winning a competition and having her favourite actor Ethan Blake as her new roommate for a whole month. The storyline was really entertaining and I couldn’t wait to find out what would happen when Chloe would finally meet Ethan and whether they’d fall for one another or not. Chloe is a wonderful heroine; she’s down-to-earth, warm, and really easy to relate to and her thoughts had me laughing out loud multiple times while reading the novel. I also really liked the other characters, such as Chloe’s son Danny, her best friend, and Ethan’s agent Sean.
The story is told from multiple perspectives and the reader gets to see things from different points of view. There are also a few flashbacks, explaining little things that happened in the past, which was great because it provides the reader with a chance to see where the characters come from and why they are who they are and do what they do. It personally took me a bit of time to really get into the novel, but as soon as I was immersed in the story I thought it was a really enjoyable read and I couldn’t wait to see how everything would end for Chloe. Overall, ‘Hero or Zero’ is another fun and enjoyable romantic comedy by Julie Shackman and I look forward to hopefully picking up her next read sometime soon!
July 14, 2016
Okay, a little slow to grab my interest
This was a cute story. There were a lot of British colloquialisms, so I think it may be difficult for some readers to enjoy. I lived in England for 3 years and had no trouble though. The characters were good and believable, and I liked the overall story. However, I felt like it took some time to really get underway and never completely grabbed my full attention. As for comedy, it was cute, but not really the LOL type humor I hoped for when downloading the book. The one thing I did struggle with were the transitions. I'm not certain if it was a formatting thing, but time would elapse or speakers would change without any page or paragraph breaks. It was jarring to jump to much later in the day without any indication that a scene ended. I was in a light, comedic mood when I started reading this book. It met the light qualification, but left me wanting for something more.
This was a cute story. There were a lot of British colloquialisms, so I think it may be difficult for some readers to enjoy. I lived in England for 3 years and had no trouble though. The characters were good and believable, and I liked the overall story. However, I felt like it took some time to really get underway and never completely grabbed my full attention. As for comedy, it was cute, but not really the LOL type humor I hoped for when downloading the book. The one thing I did struggle with were the transitions. I'm not certain if it was a formatting thing, but time would elapse or speakers would change without any page or paragraph breaks. It was jarring to jump to much later in the day without any indication that a scene ended. I was in a light, comedic mood when I started reading this book. It met the light qualification, but left me wanting for something more.
October 12, 2015
Yikes! This was a tough one to get into for me....too much English wit, I guess. Was hard to feel attached to the characters, though I couldn't give it up until the end...just to be sure Chloe wasn't a total idiot.
I'm not going to give up the end, but when it comes to the overblown, egotistical nightmare of the British star kind, Ethan Blake is a big ZERO, in my book. How his manager deals with him, I'll never know. When Chloe wins a month of him living in her apartment, with her son, I can't believe she thinks this is a good thing. Of course, she thinks he's all that. (He's NOT)!
When Ethan cannot get her son's name right, EVER, and she sees he's not interested in anything about HER, will she finally see he's nothing?
The end of the book made me happy - so I guess it was worth it.
I'm not going to give up the end, but when it comes to the overblown, egotistical nightmare of the British star kind, Ethan Blake is a big ZERO, in my book. How his manager deals with him, I'll never know. When Chloe wins a month of him living in her apartment, with her son, I can't believe she thinks this is a good thing. Of course, she thinks he's all that. (He's NOT)!
When Ethan cannot get her son's name right, EVER, and she sees he's not interested in anything about HER, will she finally see he's nothing?
The end of the book made me happy - so I guess it was worth it.
June 26, 2015
This review was first published at M's Bookshelf - Reviews By Mom - http://mssbookshelf.blogspot.com
Hero or Zero is a lovely, fun story. Although the story line is a bit simplistic, Julie's writing is funny, reads very smoothly and had me laughing out loud a few times. It's a fun story about a girl's dream come true, but maybe not quite as she'd expected. Call it a 'modern day fairy tale' with a happy ending.
It's a relaxing read with funny dialogues.
Hero or Zero is a lovely, fun story. Although the story line is a bit simplistic, Julie's writing is funny, reads very smoothly and had me laughing out loud a few times. It's a fun story about a girl's dream come true, but maybe not quite as she'd expected. Call it a 'modern day fairy tale' with a happy ending.
It's a relaxing read with funny dialogues.
September 30, 2014
Hero or Zero is a story with an unusual premise, but it is well told and very funny in parts. I laughed out loud each time Ethan said 'Dylan'. I enjoyed the interplay between the different generations and the forthrightness of the main character. A good book.
October 9, 2015
Hero or Zero review
Hero or Zero is an amusing romantic comedy written by author Julie Shackman. A Scottish girl's idol moves into her home for a month afterwardster she wins a publicity contest.
Hero or Zero is an amusing romantic comedy written by author Julie Shackman. A Scottish girl's idol moves into her home for a month afterwardster she wins a publicity contest.
October 4, 2015
This is a good book. Bit slow to begin with but more than makes up for it once you get into it. I really enjoyed reading it.
December 7, 2016
Didn't finish, hated what I read.
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