Mile High

by Rebecca Chance

First class is about to get dangerous . . . Pure Air's new LuxeLiner is flying from London to LA - its inaugural journey - with a first-class cabin packed with A List celebrities. As the feuding crew compete to impress their famous passengers, the handsome pilot tries to win the attention of a pretty young stewardess. But one VIP singer is battling something seriously sinister: watching her every step is a very determined stalker, someone who will go to any lengths to get the star to satisfy their desires. At thirty thousand feet there is nowhere to run, and nowhere to hide . . .

Genres: Chick Lit, Romance, Fiction, Audiobook, Adult, Contemporary Romance

497 pages, ebook

First published August 1, 2015

About the author

Rebecca Chance was born in Hampstead to international art dealer parents, and grew up in the exclusive millionaire’s row surroundings of London’s St John’s Wood. Tiring of her cushioned, privileged existence, she ran away to Tuscany to live a wild bohemian life on a wine-making estate, where she lived in a 14th century villa in a Chianti vineyard, partying with artists, learning Italian, and picking grapes. But big city life was calling her, and after staying in Rome and Porto Ercole, she moved to Manhattan, lured by the glamorous single-girl existence and nonstop nightlife. She spent a decade living the Sex and The City dream in SoHo, equally at home in an uptown penthouse on Fifth Avenue overlooking the Metropolitan Museum, or downtown dancing on the bar of the Coyote Ugly for kicks. Eventually, a handsome American husband in tow, she moved back to London to settle down (as much as she can) and finally fictionalize some of her most exciting and glamorous experiences into her bestselling blockbuster novels.
Rebecca’s interests include trapeze, pole-dancing, watching "America’s Next Top Model", and cocktail-drinking.

Reviews

[Prabhjot Kaur · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Rebecca Chance and I always look forward to reading her books. I have read most of her work by this point.

Mile High is set up on a Luxe airline and it starts out very mysterious and interesting. As always, Rebecca Chance has created outrageous characters who are full of themselves. We have a rock star who is loved by all and who is also down to earth. We have an actress who is known for her powerhouse performances in the movies as opposed to her looks. We have a businessman who is trying to get the actress's attention. We have a celebrity chef who is a serial-cheater. There is also a stalker onboard who stalks the rock star, Catalina. There is also a murderer onboard. They are all travelling from London to LA on this flight.

Then we have the crew who is so bitchy that they seemed more entertaining than the actual entertainers on the flight. There are different levels of crew depending on which airline they work for and it creates a class difference. Crew working for high-class airline look down on the crew working on budget airlines.

The head of the crew, Lucinda is having an affair with the pilot and gets jealous when the pilot starts to flirt with the new female member of the crew, Angela. Lucinda sets out to get revenge from Angela and defame her as a whore when she sees the celebrity chef being interested in Angela.

I liked the bitching among the crew the best to be honest. I was expecting to like the mystery of the stalker as well as the murderer but I was really disappointed to read about both of them. I figured out the stalker pretty early. With the murderer, there wasn't enough to go on. I think Rebecca Chance wanted to add more drama and more interest by revealing that there is a murderer onboard but didn't elaborate anything. The murderer was barely mentioned few times save for an introduction.

The book dragged a lot in the middle and a lot of the information could have been skipped as it was pretty irrelevant and made for a longer read than it needed to be. Even though Rebecca Chance's writing was engaging, the chapters felt too long and I tend to not enjoy books with longer chapters that much. I prefer shorter chapters.

Everything was tied at the end nicely. As always, it was full of scandals, mysteries (even though a bit disappointing), sex and glamour. Overall, I enjoyed the book.

3.5 stars

[Mackenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Song for summary: Paparazzi by Lady Gaga

A highly entertaining read! The characters are famous, meticulous, and wealthy; while the plot is a glamorous, fast paced thriller overflowing with celebrities, champagne, and one determined stalker. This is another brilliant novel by Rebecca Chance, with just the right amount of scandal, stardom, and suspense to keep the pages turning. Mile High is an exhilarating ride that not only gives us a peak into first class, but also shows us that the line between love and obsession can be dangerously thin.

[Book Addict Shaun · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rebecca Chance is one of my favourite authors and I was extremely excited to read Mile High, especially after reading the blurb because I think to set a book like this on-board a luxurious plane is genius. I am quite a nerd when it comes to planes (and even love airports) and so I loved the opening of this book where we get to witness the 5-star luxury of the airport's lounge before stepping onto Pure Air's new LuxeLiner which really sounds like the most amazing plane in the world and I'd sell a kidney tomorrow for a ticket (well, perhaps not but I want to go on it)!

The LuxeLiner is Pure Air's newest plane, flying the highly sought-after London to LA route which will see the plane arrive into LAX at midnight (the best time apparently). For its inaugural flight the first-class cabin is packed with A List celebrities, and a crew who are battling each other to impress the passengers and their boss. One of the VIPs, Catalina, has a very determined stalker, a stalker who has managed to get a ticket for the flight and who is prepared to go to any lengths to get Catalina to satisfy their desires. There's also a murderer aboard the flight. A pilot who seemingly has a sex addiction and a whole host of famous faces that are about to make this a flight nobody will ever forget.

I loved trying to work out who some of the characters were based on, some quite obviously and some quite loosely. For example there's a rather brilliant and hilarious anecdote about what happened to the CEO of a lowcost Irish airline. And Pure Air is just one in a long line of businesses formed under the 'Pure' umbrella and headed up by a larger than life billionaire. I also loved the bitchiness amongst the crew. Rebecca Chance clearly has some sort of insight into the airline world because the whole thing was so incredibly believable. It's obvious that crew are viewed with respect depending on which airline they work for, and how high up in the food chain they are and it doesn't get much higher than working for Pure Air, especially on this flight.

As I said earlier the LuxeLiner sounds amazing and it was so exciting to read a story which was set in such a claustrophobic environment, especially as throughout the story everything is brewing before that finale and you know that until the plane touches the tarmac at LAX there's no way on or off the plane so it can be quite a tense read waiting for everything to play out especially with a really quick time frame which moves the book along nicely, with various trips back in time to learn more about Catalina and her situation and the various other characters that make up the flight. Catalina is a likeable character, one that I very quickly believed in and loved, probably because I love pop stars anyway and Catalina is like an amalgamation of them all.

Doesn't that all sound amazing? And it really was, up to a point. It's as action packed and as hot as I expect from Rebecca Chance but something was lacking for me. I found the ending to be rather lacklustre, and I felt that there were so many missed opportunities with the overall story. I am of course just a reader not a writer but you know when you feel a story hasn't fulfilled its potential? That's how I felt with Mile High. Perhaps it's because I read so many crime novels but one of the weaker elements was the stalker storyline. Apart from it being glaringly obvious who it was from the beginning, the whole thing culminated in a pantomime-esque finale. I did enjoy the book, and I do recommend it but for those new to Rebecca Chance I definitely recommend reading her earlier books before this one.

[Ana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Originally posted on This Chick Reads

*Copy provided by the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Actual rating 2.5/5

If I'm not mistaken, 'Mile High' is Rebecca Chance's 8th book, however the first one by her I've read. I have four of her previous books at home which I bought on friends' recommendation and for the gorgeous covers (yes, I'm a sucker for a gorgeous cover), but I never got around to reading them. So, when I got the opportunity to read this one for her blog tour, I jumped at the chance (excuse the pun). It was about time I check her writing and see why they compare her to Jackie Collins and put at her books at the very top in bonkbusters section.

I'm glad I gave the book a fair chance and discovered a new author, however I can't say it was totally my cup of tea. The plot is mainly set on Pure Air's new LuxeLiner, with 388 people on board, some VIPs and one very obsessed stalker. We get a glimpse of what it feels to be on such a luxurious flight and we see hierarchy not only in the people on board but among the crew too. I honestly had no idea there was such a rivalry between crew members, depending whether they work in economy or business flights. I really enjoyed the beginning, when LuxeLiner is ready to take off on the 10 hours journey to LA arriving exactly on midnight, with all these scenes where Oscar nominees and famous pop star and sneaked into the plane through secret passages. To a certain extent I even enjoyed meeting the crew members and the eccentric owner, however they all were too bitchy for me to like. Some of them, like the head of the crew, seemed professional but way too cold and bitchy for me. The only character which stood out for me was Catalina, the famous pop star which we follow back before the flight when she was on a tour and had the first encounter with her stalker. But speaking of the stalker, I really didn't find the mystery part so gripping our intense and could see pretty early on who this stalker is.

The very long chapters didn't help either, I felt there was too much narration and too little dialogue and the pacing was very slow. I'm glad I read this book and I'm not easily giving up on this author, as I've heard her previous novels are much better. But if you're new to Rebecca's writing, maybe it's better to read some of them and leave this one for later, or if you're into bonkbusters I wholeheartedly recommend 'Scandalous Lies' by Nigel May.

Though the writing wasn't bad, it didn't keep my attention either, and unfortunately I can't recommend this book to you. Maybe if the characters were less bitchy or the chapters shorter and the mystery element thought out better, maybe then I would enjoy it more. The cover is gorgeous and unlike her previous novels which have sparkly heels on the cover, this one is darker and more fun. For many reasons, I feel like Ms Chance stepped out of her comfort zone with this book, and that's why I feel sad for not enjoying it that much, but that won't stop me from reading her previous novels which come highly praised by my friends.

[Naaytaashreads · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF.

I had to DNF this one.
I was just wasn't into it.
I felt like the storyline was too slow and it was going nowhere.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very interesting read. It's my first ever Rebecca Chance, and I know she's super popular with other readers and I can sort of see why. Mile High is a ridiculously long read (it took me 6 hours, or thereabouts) and for the most part it kept me gripped throughout. I did want a little bit more action- when you're promised a ten-hour flight and a stalker who's desperate to get what they want, you kind of expect a lot more action and tension. But we actually rarely heard from the stalker, which made me sad. If we'd go to know their thought processes a bit more, it would have ratcheted up the tension hugely. I actually had no idea who the stalker was, and I changed my mind more times than I care to admit over who I thought it was.

I absolutely loved that the novel was set mostly on a plane. That was amazing, such a good concept and so well written. Why no other author has ever done that, that I know of, is quite a surprise because there's a lot of scope there, especially when it's a plane with as much hype as the PureAir LuxeLiner plane with all the celebs and gossip and scandal.

It was a bit of a slower read than I expected, at times (which if there'd been more tension and it'd had a bit more psychological thriller to it would have sped it up), but it definitely kept me hooked. All the different strands of the story were so interesting and you just never knew which characters to actually like, except Latisha and Cat. Apart from that, I was suspicious of the lot of them - the cabin crew, the other celebs, all of them!!!!

[Brooke Watton · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was TERRIBLE.
The only reason I finished it and didn't DNF was so I could write an honest review. Save your time and read anything else!

Firstly, it needed TW for SA/rape and also for animal cruelty.
Secondly, the plot wasn't terrible, but it was clear by the amount of secondary characters and stories that there wasn't any subsidence to the story. I mean, there was Lucinda/Bryan, Jane/Simone, Angela/Danny, Kevin/the pornstars, all with their own background story that added nothing to the book. And Michael Cargan Carr, who was just always there?!
The stalker bit was a complete let down as well.

[Agi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rebecca Chance has been on my radar for a long time already, but "Mile High" is the first book by her that I've read. Ms Chance has already a reputation of a great writer, and after reading this novel I can understand why - even though I'm hearing that this book is not her best one and that the previous novels are much, much better. Nevertheless, I am of course so going to check the other books as soon as time allows.

"Mile High" starts slowly, very slowly, it really takes its time to warm up to gain a pace. There were some things that bothered me a little and spoiled the reading, and one of them was that, in my opinion, the book concentrated on many, many things that were insignificant to the plot. There are many details - I truly don't need to know about Catalina's dancing routine during one of her past concerts, or about her video that she recorded some time ago, or how it is by other stars at their tours - such things are in no way significant to the story and only made me impatient. I really wanted to cry: SO WHAT! Please, give me some action, something that relates to the plot! In fact those were the last 80 pages that teemed in action, and as the book is almost 500 pages long, well... it dragged a little, and I was missing the action, the sharp short chapters and ever changing point of view that I am so used to get from my bonkbusters.

The story was of course a great view on how the other half is travelling, hmmmm. I travel only in economy, with no place for my legs and a tray leaning against my knees, so reading about all the VIPs treatments and features... well, no, it didn't depress me or something, no, it was just a way to learn something new (yes! Of course! I'm going to save money for my next 1st class ticket!). I am also not a specialist when it comes to the cabin - crew's interactions or hierarchy, but this what I read has just shocked me. I mean, it's only airlines, right? To categorise people according to the airlines they are flying, well... Also the way the women were treated by the "higher" in hierarchy members of the crew was awful, just awful, and when it's really like this, I don't want to be a stewardess when I grow up, no thank you.

When the characters were already talking (although mostly I had a feeling that this book is one long narration, as so few interactions took place there) I wasn't sure if they are eventually going to come to a conclusion, because there was so much inner monologuing between the lines that I really mostly lost my hope to get to the point sometime.

I was also a little confused by the author adding chapters about other characters that seemed to bring nothing to the book, as they had nothing to do with the plot. I guess I know what was the purpose of this, as Ms Chance was here and there adding some information that may be misleading for the reader, that may shake their opinion and that may make them change their minds about the characters and guessing, who the stalker is - I truly didn't know who is the stalker, and thanks to those extra information about different characters I was changing my opinion about who it can be.

I am a little disappointed, because there was so much potential in this story - setting the novel on a plane was in my opinion a brilliant idea, just imagine, a ten - hour flight, you are closed on a plane with a murderer, stalker, singer, actress and other VIPs - how much can happen? Much! At least I've expected tons of action, but it was slow, too slow for my liking, and the tension was not as palpable as I'd like it to be.

The cast of the characters was really good here, and they were all so different to each other and - except of Catalina and Latisha (although there was a moment that I suspected Latisha as well!) - you didn't know whom to trust, who is good and who is not. But really, to the last minute I didn't expect this person to be a stalker, as I haven't seen any connection, and hints, which is really great, as it is really hard to surprise me so much. I can't say that I had my favourite character, or that I warmed to them, as for example Catalina was drawn to be this little innocent lamb, nice, sweet and lovely, but it made me perceive her as a person without a backbone, without a mind of her own; some of the characters were a little too stereotyped for my liking, you know, the plane captain - a total womanizer, the director stewardess - a real bitch, etc... , and the other felt so childish, so spoiled, and so bitchy. Although they were all incredibly colourful, three - dimensional, vivid characters that felt realistic.
Yes, there were also moments that the plot felt a little too far - fetched. But even though there is a great number of characters and the story is told through many perspectives, I didn't lose a track for a moment, or never felt confused - maybe only with the backstage characters, the rest of the crew, oh yes, here I didn't know till the end who is who and why.

There is everything in this book. Apart from the stalker, we have a murder, romance, a lot of scandals, drama, danger, some sexy scenes (well, there is something like "mile club", no?) and some fun. It might not have been exactly this what I was expecting from this much acclaimed author, but it was enough to make me sure that I really want to read other Rebecca Chance's books. And I am also certain that you are going to find something that you'll like in "Mile High".

Copy received from publisher in exchange for a review.

[Samantha Bond23 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Rebecca Chance and have enjoyed all her previous books. However, this one really didn't float my boat at all. Can't really pinpoint but think there was a lot of dense paragraphs which made it seem more challenging than it was. Overall, ok but just didn't click with any of the characters.

[Zarina · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://www.pagetostagereviews.com/201...

I've been in love with Rebecca Chance's bonkbuster thrillers ever since I read Bad Sisters back in 2011 and I have devoured all her books since, right down to last year's Bad Brides. With a combination of glitz and glamour, characters not-so-loosely based on real-life famous faces, twist-and-turn storylines and, of course, steamy sex scenes, they're the perfect guilty pleasure reads. So to say that I was excited to read her latest novel, Mile High, for the official blog tour is an understatement!

The story is for the most part set inside an airplane, on the inaugural flight of Pure Air's LuxeLiner from London to Los Angeles. Passengers would normally already bathe in luxury beyond anything offered by competitive aviation companies, but as this is their very first flight promoting the exorbitant services they're going a step further with the publicity campaign and they've roped in a group of celebrities to be the first to enjoy the full-sized sleeping pods, freshly steamed lobsters and the rest of the decadence offered in the air.

Catalina is a world famous pop star on her way to the Oscars to perform and unbeknownst to her she has not only her personal assistant in tow but also the stalker who made her life miserable some months prior. Heading for the same destination are Oscar-nominated actress Jane Browne, who has her own secrets to hide, as well as celebrity chef Danny Zasio, who can't go one flight without breaking his marriage vows. The three celebrities already bring plenty of excessive baggage on board with them to fill an entire novel, but the crew members too create plenty of entertainment, from the serial-cheating pilot, right down to drug smuggling cabin crew and a new recruit from the far inferior ReillyFly, who is forced to go more than an extra mile to prove her worth among the snobby Pure Air crew.

As a long-time fan of Rebecca Chance's novels I went into her latest book with high expectations and that may have been its downfall. Because while it was a perfectly enjoyable read, it didn't have that sparkle and sense of the unexpected I've come to love in her writing. Nor was it as absurd or sensual as her previous novels, which made it too much like other books within the women's fiction genre, rather than being a distinct Rebecca Chance read that with each turning page becomes more exciting and addictive; filled with characters that are bitchy and horrible yet you can't help but totally fall for in a love-to-hate kind of way.

Mile High didn't hit those extremes as the characters were for the most part likeable, or they redeemed themselves along the way, rather than outrageously horrible, and non of the sexy scenes felt quite as creative as they did in previous novels, making this book more middle-of-the road. Combined with too much time spend on flashbacks taking place outside of the close quarters of the airplane, it didn't grip me as much as Rebecca's other novels. Don't get me wrong, it's a well-written and well-plotted story, but it wasn't as amazing Killer Heels, Killer Queens or the aforementioned Bad Brides, all of which were solid 5-star reads that I absolutely adored from start to finish.

While unfortunately this wasn't my favourite of the author's novels there was still plenty to enjoy within its pages, from a very creative threesome in the air, through to some unexpected twists and turns in particular involving Catalina's storyline. And where Rebecca excels as ever was by weaving in references to celebrities and brands yet twisting the names and backgrounds a little bit to pretend that their scandalous escapades are purely fictional, when we all know that they're based on some very persistent rumours floating around in the real world. Those are some of the most delectable parts of her novels and in Mile High she has (not so secretly) hidden some real gems among the scandal and mystery set in the sky.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know how I often say things like "perfect for your sun lounger" and "make sure this one's in your suitcase"? Mile High by Rebecca Chance was published by Pan on 13th August in paperback and for kindle, and those phrases should have been written for it. It's a long time since I read a really, really good bonkbuster - Greek holidays in the 70s and 80s were filled with them - and I'm really not sure why it's taken me so long to pick up a book by Rebecca Chance. For heavens sake, friends have been telling me how good she is for ages. I thought this book was simply wonderful - totally preposterous, over the top, with so many unbelievable characters and the most ridiculous story, but such immense fun and a simply perfect read.

Most of the action takes place on the inaugural flight of Pure Air's LuxeLiner to LA - and when I say action, I mean it in more ways than one. One of the fun parts is trying to match the many characters to the celebrities they're based on. There's the celebrity chef who can't keep it in his trousers, the Oscar nominated actress, the international singing star - all with the most fascinating background stories. And then there's the Pure Air contingent - the showman of a chairman, the highly efficient head of publicity, the philandering captain, and the wonderful crew made up of a mix of the thrusting and ambitious, the downright nasty, the naive innocents and the morally reprehensible. And the other main character is the LuxeLiner itself - described in such glorious and vivid detail, every VIP pod, walkway, barstool and blue light and napkin.

The stalker story at the book's centre is so well done - there's a flavour of Orient Express about this book, as you swing about wildly, suspecting absolutely everyone. And Cat at the story's centre is a great character, surprisingly likeable, with her passionate love story, and some great insights to what it's like to be a world superstar, on tour and at home. I loved actress Jane's story too - a little gentler, but moving enough to bring a little tear to the eye. The book's climax is quite wonderful - slapstick, violence and wonderful humour coming together totally perfectly.

I haven't made enough of the humour really - this book is also very, very funny, and some of the images in this book will stay with me for a long time, with a giggle every time I think of them. And the book is also overflowing with that "lives of the rich and famous" detail that's an absolute essential for the very best bonkbuster - everything from the labels on their clothing, what they drink, the problems of serving lobster on a luxury plane to the best brands of concealer.

Rebecca Chance, you're wonderful - I'm now officially a fan, and your books will be an essential part of my luggage for every future holiday.

My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for my advance reading copy

[Kath · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read a few books in this genre recently and I would probably have to consider them now to be my guilty pleasure. They, to me anyway, are delicious escapism. Larger than life characters with bank balances to match doing the things that people with too much money are destined to do but at the same time, falling into all the pitfalls that accompany that kind of behaviour / lifestyle.
In this book, we follow the lives of the people flying on Pure Air's new LuxeLiner. A brand new plane kitted out with a first class cabin to die for, A-List celebrities, airline dignitaries sharing this space along with staff who are hand-picked to make every indulgent demand seem to be just another basic request.
As the plane takes off, we then follow some of the cast in flashback as we learn more about what makes them tick, what has happened to take them to this point in their lives. We feature mostly on Catalina. A singer/songwriter who has recently gone through a bit of a personal ordeal and, what happens on the plane brings all that past into the present and makes for the main drama that occurs on the plane.
Alongside Catalina, there are a whole cast of great characters, all deliciously individual and who invoked the whole spectrum of emotions from me. There were ones I loved, Jane for instance, more I hated, their sneakiness really knew no bounds. Most of them, true I have found to this genre, putting on faces, hiding true motives, sometimes leading to near farcical action! I laughed out loud, I wept a bit, I screamed at the characters. I was, as a reader, really put through the wringer!
The main story, involving Catalina, was very well plotted. Starting months earlier and told in flashback, I always knew there was more to it, and what happens early on in the flight, I knew was going to come to a head on the flight itself, but what actually happens, who and why and all that, well... I am usually good and sussing people out through the masks they portray, but I have to put my hands up and say, "well, I really didn't see that coming!" Well done to the author for that! There were the obvious, and not so obvious, red herrings thrown in along the way, all of them most credibly explained at the end. Added to that the other "incidents" that occurred on the plane along the way gave me enough to keep me guessing, intrigued and interested but not too many to have made it over the top.
If you like a good read with colourful characters gritty enough to keep you interested and with some great farcical scenes, but not too taxing to read then this could definitely be worth your time, I certainly devoured every delicious page with glee.
I'll have to have a little look to see what else this author has written.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mile High is Rebecca Chance's eighth novel. I've been a fan of Rebecca's for a long time, her books are fun, indulgent, glamorous, flamboyant and saucy. Mile High seems to be the beginning of a new journey for Rebecca, she has a new publisher, the cover is completely different to her previous books and Mile High is most certainly falls more into the thriller genre, albeit a very glamorous thriller.

Most of the action takes place on board the inaugural flight of the LuxeLiner; the flagship aircraft of Pure Air, departing from Heathrow and landing at midnight in LA. Whilst most of the drama takes place in mid-air, there are also flashbacks to the lives of the two lead female passengers; Catalina, a hugely successful Latino pop star, and Jane, an Oscar-nominated actress. There's also a stalker, and a killer - there is lots and lots of action.

Rebecca Chance creates some goddam awful characters, and there are a few of them nestling within the pages of Mile High. Bitchy cabin crew, a celebrity chef who would shag anything that moved and a pilot who is so groomed and so smooth; Barbie's Ken really has nothing on this guy! She also gives us Catalina; a really fabulous character who, despite her fame and fortune, is a sweet, honest and quite gullible girl. The reader learns from the flashbacks that Catalina is being stalked. there is someone who is determined that 'Cat Is Mine', and has terrified the poor girl for months. Somehow, the stalker has managed to bag themselves a seat on LuxeLiner, amongst the VIP guests, but who is it?

There's an almost claustrophobic feel about this story.Whilst the description of the Luxe pods with their cashmere slippers and leather beds are wonderful, the reader is aware that there is nowhere for the characters to hide. They are cocooned, within the confines of the plane for the ten hour flight and this adds a tension to the plot.

I had no idea who the stalker was. I think I suspected almost every character in the story at least once throughout the novel, and the unveiling of the culprit at the end is done with drama and with humour. There's a sort of slapstick feel about it all at times, with Rebecca Chance's trademark, tongue-in-cheek humour shining through. She makes characters who take themselves completely seriously appear ridiculous and shallow, and I have no doubt that these Maliboobed, perma-tanned characters are based on actual, real people!

Mile High is a riot. It's glitzy and hedonistic, sizzling and steamy and I loved it!

[Tripfiction · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mile High (adventures at cruising altitude)

Join the passengers and crew aboard in the maiden flight of Pure Air’s LuxeLiner, Flight 111 from London to Los Angeles. It’s Mile High adventures at cruising altitude with no holds barred when it comes to passenger satisfaction and passenger shenanigans.

This is life at the nose end, First Class Luxury for the elite passengers who have been hand picked by Pure Air’s PR lady, Vanessa. Catalina (first name only) is a Latina pop princess who will be singing at the Oscars. And randy chef Danny Zasio is not only focussed on his corpulent lobsters but is always on the lookout for his next conquest. Add in an Oscar nominated actress, a variety of cabin crew and the head of Pure Air, Richard, er sorry, Lord Tony, and there is a good mix of colourful characters to offer entertainment at 37,000 feet. It is, in fact, like a flying box full of frogs.

At the heart of the plot is Catalina, who is being pursued by a stalker. “Cat is mine” is luridly scrawled at various venues culminating in the final written and graphic assault in her sleeping and living pod aboard the aircraft. The perpetrator is thus confirmed on board the jet. There are two air marshals on board, who grow increasingly wary of the various dynamics that seem to be escalating. Who is the perpetrator?

Learn about the – oftentimes – outrageous life on board, the colour of the tights required, the sleeping arrangements of the crew on long haul, the whiffy air that circulates in the cabin during the flight, and gain an insight into the pecking order amongst airline crew … basically, as a flight attendant you are more than likely to be working your way from the lowly low cost airlines up to first class, ideally on a Boeing 777.

Throw in a bit of humour to the heady plot, combine with some potent pills and you have an inflammatory mix of personalities and situations.

The author has clearly played around with inspiration based on actual airline companies and people – so it is fairly easy to spot the person on whom Lord Tony is based, and go on, guess on whom the tour company Bayes and Cocker is based…

This review first appeared on our blog, plus author QA: http://www.tripfiction.com/mile-high/

[Simona · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Book provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Mile High was my first book by Rebecca Chance. I’ve always heard so many great things about her books, but I never had the chance.

The blurb sounded really got me interested in the story. It’s a Pure Air’s new LuxeLiner flying from London to LA. The airline sounded great, I have to say. The plane is packed with A List celebrities and it was interesting to see how they interacted with each other and how the staff treats them. I liked that most of the story was set on the plane, a great idea and concept.

Catalina, one of the celebrities had to deal with a lot throughout the flight. Her stalker is on board and that added a lot of mystery. I changed my mind about who the stalker was several times.
There were also other characters on board and they had their story to tell as well, but it was kind of too much for me. At one point we read about Catalina’s story and then we also read about Jane and Simone or the pilot. I had difficulties relating to the characters and I felt that there was too much of a mixture. I liked Catalina and her story, especially the flashbacks to hers and Gerhardt’s part.
The flashbacks I really enjoyed, because it opened up the characters and it made them more authentic.

Generally, it took me a while to get into the story. I expected a lot more action, drama and tension and I didn’t get it. The story didn’t move on at points and the only parts that kept me were the flashbacks. Towards the end I got more hooked, because the drama increased and the tension was finally there.

I heard a lot of people say that this story is different from Rebecca’s other stories, so I’m definitely planning on reading her other books as well, even if tjis one was my taste.

[Kim Nash · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’d never read a Rebecca Chance novel, so when I was asked if I’d like to read and review Mile High for part of her blog tour I jumped at the chance having heard so many fabulous things about her writing and after meeting her at a book event in London.

Wow! I felt completely exhausted after reading Mile High. There was always something going on, and left you guessing till right towards the end as to who the stalker was. I had no idea it was going to be (oh no, you didn’t really think I was going to spoil it did you?)

I loved the bitchy comments that came out from some of the cabin crew, comments that Judge Rinder would have been proud of! In fact, I think I would have quite liked to work that flight!

At first, I really wanted to fly Pure Air, but I don’t think I’m that brave! In fact, I think it may have made me a little nervous of ever getting on a plane again! Although I think I’m more likely to bump into Angela than Lucinda!

It was hugely glamorous, brilliantly page-turning and thoroughly entertaining.

I enjoyed this book very much and will definitely be reading more Rebecca Chance in the future. I didn’t realise that she wrote in other genres and I’d love to check those out!

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always enjoy a Rebecca Chance book, I'm huge fan and jumped right into this latest offering. To say I loved this would be an understatement, it's one of those books that once you start you can't be away from it. Highly addictive and full on from beginning to end.
This has the usual engrossing drama, scandal and glamour and some devilishly dark characters.
I love a good bonk-buster as a change from all the crime books I read, they never pretend to be what they're not and never fail to disappoint. Mile High is a perfect summer read and highly recommend as always.
I'll be eagerly awaiting Rebecca Chance's next novel.

One thing was missing - the Glitzy Shoe on the cover!

[Nessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely love this author, as I always know that when a read one of Rebecca's books, I know that I'm in for a treat. Pure indulgence on so many levels, it's got everything.

I loved getting to know all of the different characters and there own individual stories which you get to discover as you progress through the book.

If you haven't read a her books before, then I highly recommend that you do.

[Rea Cobb]

Review to come on the 19th as part of the tour

[FH · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book got me out of my reading slump

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like Jackie Collins or Jilly Cooper bonkbuster thrillers then you will probably like this one, it's unusual in that it's set mainly on Pure Air's maiden flight LuxeLiner travelling from the UK to LA overnight carrying 388 people and some selected VIP's on their way to the Oscars. There are several sub stories going on but the main one is that of a pop star who is being stalked. This aircraft is pure luxury with VIP's having their own 'pods' on board in which to relax on the long 10 hour journey that is timed to arrive exactly at midnight in LA.

The chapters were very long and wordy, so much information meant that there was not a lot of dialogue in this novel. It could have been easily cut by half in my opinion as the pace was slow and laborious, I found myself skim reading in order to wade through it. It provided good insight into the world of cabin crew and some humour kept it going, I liked Karl but that was about it. All the characters lacked depth for me, Catarina the pop star came across as naïve and whingey, totally pathetic and needy. The bodyguard was not given enough background to make him viable, the background on the stalker was non existent and almost all the other characters seemed to be bitchy and two faced so not easily likeable.

I didn't really enjoy this book, having to skim read made it a bit disjointed for me but to wade my way through endless narrative looking to spot the point of it all was very tiresome. Maybe it jut wasn't for me, I wouldn't say don't read it but if you do don't expect too much. Not really memorable or exciting enough for me to award it any more than 3 stars.

I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second Rebecca Chance book I have read, certainly not as sexy/bordering on porn as the first one.

This book was funny/sad/clever/scary all at the same time. I loved the aeroplane/airport setting; it made the story extremely different to others of the genre.

[Natalie Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book I have read by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It has hilariously funny characters, a great plot and I was left guessing until the end as to the identity of the stalker, I changed my mind a few times as to who it could be and their identity came as a shock.

[Claire Chiswell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous

This book was fabulous which is what I have come to expect from a Rebecca Chance book !!!! Great storyline that had you guessing until the end.

[Michelle Hammond · Rating 2 out of 5]

Slow going & doesn't grab you & pull you in. The last 2 chapters it finally picked up pace but too little too late. Wouldn't recommend.

[Hrh Queencat · Rating 4 out of 5]

a fun book but annoying im parts

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unputdownable!

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good summer holiday read.

[Amity Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read fun story full of drama!

[Chelsey-Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book kept me guessing! Unpredictable, need a part 2!