Like Micah, I assumed a lot about Katya Avery, and I’m not proud of it. A gorgeous twenty-two-year-old actress, dating another hot Hollywood actor (Jake Gorboni) brings a certain stereotype to mind, and in the end, Katya doesn’t deserve my judgment. My mistake was I didn’t realize how complicated her life is or what she was willing to do for others at her own expense. Her brother’s accident and subsequent brain injury weigh heavy on her, both mentally and financially, and like many of us, while she tries her best to get by, others in her life take advantage of her. There were points in the story where I wanted to slap Katya because she let others control her, and strong, smart women don’t let life get the best of them, but now that I know her better, I understand why she made the choices she did and how hard it was for her to make those choices.
Micah, on the other hand, is easier to know. He didn’t want to be Katya’s dirty little secret because he spent his entire life being second to his famous brother Tom, and because of the history he had with Jake. Micah couldn’t play second to Jake after what Jake did. Agreeing to hide their relationship while Katya and Jake shared a public relationship would have been a no-go for most guys, but Micah is a dream. He’s the kind of guy who puts other’s first and makes the world better. He’s “a giver.” But don’t think he’s a pushover. He’s not. He stands his ground in the end.
I love this story because most romance novels are all about the alpha-male and Between Scenes is not. Micah is a gorgeous, easy-going cartoonist who doesn’t get rattled by setbacks. He’s not the type of guy who tells a girl what she can and can’t do. He’s the guy that every girl deserves. Jake is the opposite, with his self-serving attitude. Jake has all the power, and he yields it to get what he wants (Katya). Although Katya spends most of the story working through her feelings for both the guys as she navigates her acting career, she eventually gets life figured out. This story has The right balance of comedy and drama. I laughed throughout, and cried in parts, unsure if there would be a “happily-ever-after,” but Katya makes the right choice in the end.
Schussler writes another sexy and entertaining Hollywood story, and this one may just be my favorite. She flawlessly reacquaints the reader with characters from the Between the Raindrop series, blending them into this spin-off novel. Liam and Megan’s wedding pulls in all the essential characters from the other books, making this book the best yet. I love meeting up with old friends and can’t wait for more from Susan Schussler.