The Actress

by Marian Snowe

Tabby Gilbert won't let love get in the way of becoming a star.

As a hopeful young actress, Tabby's given the chance of a lifetime: a role in a television series that could make her a star. Tabby is determined to let nothing stop her rise toward fame, but she never could have predicted Moira Knox.

Moira, a critically acclaimed actress, sizzles in her roles on-screen, but off camera, she’s cold and so private that no one knows a thing about her life. She and Tabby clash immediately, and Tabby thinks things can't get much worse...until Tabby is cast as Moira's love interest.

The two actresses struggle to understand one another as they act out a passionate romance on-screen. Slowly, Tabby begins to glimpse the real Moira Knox, and the chemistry they try so hard to ignore threatens to set them afire. Torn between her career and her feelings for Moira, Tabby is poised for greatness...or a disastrous fall. Can love in the spotlight survive?

Genres: Lesbian Romance, Romance, Celebrity, Lesbian, Femme Femme, Queer, LGBT

156 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 24, 2017

About the author

Marian Snowe is an author of lesbian romantic fiction. She can often be found talking to trees, examining flower petals with a magnifying glass, or venturing with small steps into the frigid New England ocean. She lives with her vivacious, adventure-loving wife, Ruby Grandin, and two cats. She loves to settle down in a meadow or at her desk by a window (with a good view of the birdfeeder!) to write stories about ladies in love.

Reviews

[Diane Wallace · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay read!
Good beginning then at 47% the storyline became tedious ...

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detailed score: 3.75

If you’re a sucker for a celesbian romance like me then look no further.

The barrier to love was a little bit of a meh once revealed but it didn’t really matter.

Feel good. Tantalizing. Instalove but believably so. A little bit of angst

It won’t strain your brain but it’ll warm your heart - and, at the end of the day, isn’t that what we want from our lesroms?

[C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmm... 2.5

I cant say liked or hated the book but I did find myself skimming to get through certain parts. Too much of it was in Tabby's head and repeatative that i was waiting for something to happen. I also felt that the romance and connection between the two characters was under developed...you see it start with the horoscope scene but it never went anywhere.
Anyway, it was free on kindleUnlimited so if you got time or used up your book fund...why not?

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually enjoyed reading this book - but then again, I’m a sucker for celeb romance. Moira, the ever-private cold actress meets Tabby, the ever-friendly warm actress. My heart goes out to Tabby who can’t stopped herself from trying to get through to Moira who seemed to have build the ‘Great wall of China’ around her heart! But alas the wall come crumbling down! Loved the dialogues and the ‘life imitating art or was it the art imitating life’ scenes.

The ending was a tad too soon for me.

[Kurt · Rating 3 out of 5]

For what it is I enjoyed the beginning of the story with the perspective of the young actress, Tabby as she begins playing a large, important role in a new TV series. The back and forth of the affections of her co-star drove me mad however -It was longish.

By the 75% mark I was so weary of this back and forth of Moira's affections I.could.not.stand.it

[Ted · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was ok. I remember reading a book by her a couple years ago, this one was edited much better. There's a boat ton of inner dialog that slogged it down some. And first person is always a challenge. If you don't mind a bunch of conflict and angst, go for it.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a well-written book that hit me just right the last couple of days. One of my favorite plot elements is fake-relationship, and actresses working together in love scenes is nearly the same thing. This was the first book I've read by Marian Snowe, and I'm looking forward to reading more of her books.

[Paulina · Rating 2 out of 5]

*

Not very enjoyable. Tabby, the main character, was horribly irritating and unreasonable. She constantly jumped to conclusions and made everything out to be worse than it really was. She was unable to separate herself and her costar/love interest from the characters they were playing and it was creepy at best. Half of the time she hated Moira, everything about her was getting on Tabby's nerves, but somehow we were suppose to believe that Tabby had feelings for Moira. The parts about the tv show industry sometimes made little to no sense and maybe I can suspend my disbelief but not that much. And the fact that we barely got any glimpse into Moira and what kind of person she was made the relationship very thin, without any chemistry between the characters.

[Heinerway · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't like this book very much, but it had its moments.

[Starsandsun18 · Rating 3 out of 5]

My second book from the author. Ice Queen and Hollywood. I thought what a perfect combo. I was actually enjoying this at first until I didn’t.
Tabby is nice and most of the time I feel bad for her.
She’s a likable character but her naiveness is annoying sometimes. Also, for a new comer who wants to make a name she’s really brave to stand for whats right to her.

Moira on the other hand doesn’t really know what she wants and if she does she’s not showing it. I’m also amazed it the patience that Tabby’s been giving her. I don’t think she even deserves it.
Running circles until almost the end of the book. So, if you’re the not a fan of those this is not for you.
That’s the reason why I gave this a 3 also,
No solid connection between them.


3.5

[Mildred Gail Digby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet-spicy slowburn romance between Tabby, an actress/dancer and Moira, a mysterious ice queen. It’s told completely from Tabby’s POV in first-person.

A misunderstanding causes them to get off to a rocky start, but when circumstances force them to work closely together, the tension rises and the sparks fly.

The dancing scenes are written superbly, and I loved how the two women complement each other. The way they play off each other physically and emotionally is wonderful. I adore this type of sexual tension and Snowe writes it perfectly.

The constant push-pull and emotional drama drags on for just a little bit too long, but we do find out the reason. Moira starts out a complete enigma and becomes more interesting and human as we find out more about her. I enjoyed the build-up and small reveals as the story goes in. This story really fits the first person POV. I hate knowing both sides of the issue before the MCs do, so I was kept pleasantly involved right up until the end.

Overall, an entertaining story with a lot of emotions. The ending surprised me in a good way.



My rating: four stars

[Netgyrl (Laura) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐ - Audible - celebrity romance

Decent celebrity romance. Tabby jumps to a lot of conclusions with not much to go on which made me roll my eyes a few times. There romance is very start/stop because Moira doesn't want to get involved with another actress for *reasons*. I found that a bit frustrating but good on ya Tabby for never giving up hope! lol. The narrator did a good job.

[Loek Krancher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

She keeps women at a cool distance and plays hard to get. Emotional and dramatic chemistry affect their professionalism and personal discomfort makes it almost impossible to perform well. Things definitely get more and more complicated to play their roles with conviction. A tabloid journalist makes everything worse and they were going through a rough patch with a lot of roadblocks. Can a frozen heart burn again? Yes, I loved this story and I can surely recommend it. A great romance!

[Lisa R Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two actresses audition for the lead role in a new television drama. They are attracted to each other and lots of angst ensues. This book opens with “I knew how I felt about her, as clear as crystal: she aggravated the living hell out of me.” I liked this book from the get-go. By the middle of the book it’s like this “It was a crime to have an ass that perfect, I decided”. By the end, as written in the contract between lesbian romance readers and writers, “I wrapped my arms around her neck and stretched on my tiptoes to meet her lips”

This author has a great writing style and a good vocabulary, which she uses a bit in this book. Enjoy!

[Kexx · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this but it was short and didn't "delve" into any corners or look under any stones. There was so much more that could have been covered that wasn't, but fine and dandy. I'll look for more of Marian's to see if worth staying with her.

[Doreen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pure fanciful romance between actresses on a TV drama.

Tabby and Moira audition for the same role in a new TV series. Laurel is the main character in a story that is equal parts mystery and romance. Tabby has few on screen credits. Moira has just won critical acclaim in an art house film. Tabby happens into the audition as Moira nails a cold script reading. Even following Moira, her own performance is stellar. Much to her disappointment, Tabby will not get Laurel's part, but she settles for the role of the best friend who feels so much more than friendship.

Both on and off screen, Tabby and Moira struggle with complex and competing emotions. Tabby narrates and dances on a knife's edge of conflict. These characters need only a small push to move them forward, but both life and art manage to force them apart. The author uses setting, plot and characterization to create a compelling storyline. Tension and longing, coupled with chemistry and fear, make for rough going. Hard limits are tested and strong feelings run deeply. As much as I enjoyed the writing, I felt that this novel could have been longer. I'll be looking forward to the author's next book for more high quality lesbian romance.

[Ameliah Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lights, Action, Camera
Tabby is an up and coming actress who just landed her first major role. Unfortunately it’s not the one she auditioned for… that part went to Irish actress Moira. While Tabby is bubbly, personable and outgoing, Moira is quiet, reserved and elusive. Tabby doesn’t much care for her co-star and is horrified when the script calls for them to become romantically involved….As it turns out, maybe Tabby doesn’t mind Moira quite so much after all.

What a great book this is!!! It’s fun and light, flirty and serious, full of angst and desire, it was one of those books you don’t want to put down and I didn’t and finished at 3 am, lol. I absolutely adored the characters. Told from Tabby’s POV, You get great insight into her personality and spirit, her struggles and successes. I loved watching these two women traverse the world of a television drama. There were a lot of interesting settings and the relationship between Moriah and Tabby was complicated but wonderful. I find myself loving Ms Snowe’s work and this one cements that thought. Well done!

[Zingari · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried so hard to like this. I couldn't get behind the first person POV. I wanted to root for them(mains), but it was made harder by the fact that Moira was almost exactly like every "beautiful, and as cold as the marble they were sculpted from" stereotypical male love interests, and I'm not fond of that portrayal.

For a good portion of this it was as if Tabby was projecting all of her feelings and Moira stayed ridiculously unattached. When they finally did have their first real moment it was impossible to believe. I was seriously wondering how mentally stable Tabby was to think Moira had romantic feelings for her the first 56% of the book.

I'm sorry, but this was too unbelievable for me. I saw no connection.

[Gwyndolyn Abbey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg a definite success

I will definitely be reading this again. Probably my favorite book from Marian Snowe so far. Looking forward to more books to come.

[Maggie B · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read. A bit of angst, some great character development, a believable portrayal of the acting industry and a TV-show I’d really like to watch.

[Monique S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

If there is one thing I relly admire it is tenacity.

This is a really slow burning romance but at the same time also an enemies to lovers story (after a fashion) I started writing alog a similar idea, but my cgarcgters usually take on a life of their own and in that case I got so pissed of by another refuse of the MCs live interest, I simply dropped her from her role and introduced a replacmement, that took the MC in storm.

Here it was completly different.[spoiler] [Tabby's tenacity won the day in the end and what a fight it was, against herself, the director and the sponsors and worst of all her love interest's fears and injuries. But she overcame herself, Moira's fears and reticence and the bigoted porducer's attitude, a true lesbian heroine!]

I was captured from the start and read the whole story in half a day and well and truely enjoyed it.

[Jayy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the story at first. It was fun. Hence, I'm so into these kinds of plots. But, at some point at the middle of the story, I just couldn't respect the main character anymore, Tabby. I get it, she's into her co-star, she likes her and finds her attractive but boi, the way she chased Moira like a hopeless romantic is too much. There have been so many points at the story where Tabby SHOULD HAVE back down and give her self some respect, where she should have acted like a real person. I wanted her to explode. I wanted her to release all her emotions on how hurt and angry she was bcs her feelings are so valid. But no, she just got slightly hurt with a little outburst that didnt even last for 3mins, then chased her crush again like a puppy lmao. It's too much it became ridiculous. Their chemistry is just gone for me, I tried to push through til the end but even with happy ending, I just couldn't feel it.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ups and downs

The chemistry between Tabby and Moira is instant, but they can't seem to get it right. I don't know how many rides the relationship goes, but it seems never ending. Loved the TV series plot and how in some ways it reflected their relationship. Nice story and nice read.

[Cindy Stein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dancer-actress Tabby gets the secondary lead in a new TV show, sharing the spotlight with the mysterious Moira, an actress from Ireland who has drawn considerable notice after starring in an artistic independent film. Narrated from Tabby's POV, the book recounts her growing and agonizing attraction to Moira who initially shows little emotion in return but soon puts Tabby through a push-pull series of events.

Two actresses in a TV show where they are scripted to have a romantic involvement at the same time as their attraction grows, with one of the two providing the first person POV. Sounds a bit like the classic, And Playing the Role of Herself, especially given the tall and dark beautiful and enigmatic love interest. While this book is not an exact knock-off, there are some similarities, though enough differences to stand on its own (who knows, maybe this plot device is becoming a new lesfic trope).

Tabby's feelings for Moira, while laced with anxiety and self-doubt, never get too over the top melodramatic. We only learn a little bit about Moira, but that makes sense given how little she speaks and how we never get her own POV.

One star gets deducted for a few reasons. The reader isn't sure about how Tabby feels about being attracted to another woman until about halfway through the book (I kept wondering: is she a lesbian, bi, is this her first same-sex attraction?). Also, it's not clear where the book is set. It seems like LA, but there a lot of taking the subway to make me wonder (LA has a subway but it's not used a lot).

All in all, a decent romance, especially for those of us who like Hollywood settings.

[Kahra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never read a book with so few dialogs before, and that should be a real deal breaker for me, since one of the thing I love the most about romance novel is precisely the dialogs (preferably with at least one of the personage flirty or even cocky). In "The Actress" this is almost the opposite, with the icy (even almost b****y sometimes) Moira who is so distant and cold that she could almost look like more robotic than a robot itself!
And yet... I loved it!
The writing is very nice and easy to read, so much that even with the lack of dialogs, I couldn't stop reading it and was entranced with the development between the mysterious Moira and her (a bit masochist) costar Tabby.
I loved that it was only from Tabby's perspective, it could never have been as good if we knew Moira's perspective all along.
This is not the kind of romance novel I usually most enjoy, but I can only recommand reading it, if only for the lovely writing style, and to finally see the real (and human) Moira.

Ps: I also read "One more night" from the same author, and I still have to admit that One more night is my favorite ;)

[Fran Sappharc · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel I have previously read better in the two actresses not getting on trope. I have felt, in other books, the background was more detailed, more believable. The one sided storytelling certainly added to the feeling of only getting one side of the story. I don’t think that is the whole reason it felt one dimensional. Half way through the one sidedness and over dramatics were wearing a bit thin. I persevered, there were some good lines and images that showed potential. Then a plot twist, a couple of unexpected events and I was again interested. My speed reading was interest, not skim reading to move things along. However the life of an actress or the filming life of an actress never quite rang true for me. I didn’t buy the chemistry or why one main character was so smitten with the other. The writer has potential and the book is not a bad book, but it’s not yet a great book.

[Mayra Luria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marian Snowe holds true to her intention of writing character driven lesbian romances with complex women overcoming the struggles of living not only in this society but the challenges of personalities and unique experiences. The first book I read was "Hereafter" which was wonderful and she continues to amaze me with her writing.
"The Actress" is compelling on many levels because it shows that money and fame are not the answer to life. This is a dynamic and uplifting read... no spoilers from me, I'm sure there are enough out there. Enjoy!

[DR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written story about the foibles of being an actress with all the stress of dance rehearsals, tapings, lustful thoughts and the inevitable falling in love. Miss Snowe's word smithing effectively describes the emotional rollercoaster of Tabby and her incessant desire to want to know Moira. It's a romance novel and doesn't disappoint those who enjoy this genre. I'm an action/mystery kinda girl but this fit in with my holiday readings.

[Faraona del sol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story

I enjoyed the story of Moira and Tabby, both are actresses, but so different in reality. Moira is like a bird, beautiful and perfect, while Tabby is natural and warm. I'm glad that at the end, Moira softened up a little and confronted her fears, Tabby had a lot of patience, her resilient live won the battle.

[Heather Henkel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting Story

I found the story interesting. I don't know that I could have continued to pine after someone who hadn't been nicer to me no matter the reason. But I did enjoy reading the story.