Shuttergirl

by CD Reiss

I am not hurt.



I don't need a second chance with him, or a life I thought I had.



While he was out forgetting me to become a movie star, I was building a career out of nothing. A career as a paparazzi, but a career. For a foster kid who bounced around every home in Los Angeles, that wasn't easy.



This camera is all I have.



He's nothing to me. Every time I take his picture and sell it, I remind myself that I did it all without him or his approval, his cinnamon smell or his lithe body. He can light up the screen like a celestial body, but he's nothing to me.



He can throw my camera off a balcony, and nothing has to change. We can stay king and queen of the same city, and different worlds.



Except this is Hollywood, and here, anything can happen.

• ISBN10: 1942833067
• ISBN13: 9781942833062
• Publish Date: 18 May 2015
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Everafter Romance
• Format: eBook
• Language: English

Reviews

[Berls]

3.5 stars

This was a fun, quick read. Every now and then, I enjoy reading a book that takes me to places that are unrealistic for me to even imagine - the billionaire, the movie star, the rock star, etc. Well this featured the movie star. And of course, Shutter Girl (as Laine is called in her role as a paparazza) does not belong on his world. She dances on the edges of it, taking pictures of the rich and famous, but not one of them. I feel like that's a standard for the Rich and Famous trope (is it a trope?) - you gotta have one character who's more like us ordinary folk falling in love with the unattainable, right?

This was unique, seeing it through the role of a paparazza though. It was a fun lens. And Laine is a complex character - from her foster child youth to her teens in the definitively wrong crowd - she's had to work to make something of herself. Unlike Michael, who was born with the definitively silver spoon in his mouth. Their paths crossed as adolescents, when one foster home brought Laine briefly into his sphere - and it left a mark on both of them.

I enjoyed their romance and I especially enjoyed the ending - it's what moved this from 3 stars to 3.5. I actually got a little choked up listening to to roughly the last 10 minutes or so. It's not a book that will blow your mind, but it's got some good character depth, solid romance, and even a swoon or two.

The narration is quite good. I think I've mentioned previously that I would listen to Christian Fox read a phone book and love it. He's that good. Jo Raylan is new-to-me, but held her own alongside Christian Fox, which says something. Definitely would recommend listening if you enjoy audiobooks.

[leelu92]

4.5 stars


 

I've read one whole book by Ms. Reiss and I have several more on my Kindle.  The first book I read, Beg (Book 1- Songs of Submission) was EXCELLENT and I am constantly kicking myself about needing to read more of the series.

Enter Shuttergirl.  When I hosted the cover reveal, I knew this was a book I needed to read.  I was not disappointed one single bit.  Not one bit.

I have a notebook that I keep review notes in and sometimes I take lots of notes and sometimes I get so wrapped up in a book, I don't.  Fortunately (unfortunately?) I did not take a lot of notes on this one because this book totally ATE MY BRAIN.

From the very beginning, the connection between Michael and Laine is undeniable even after their years spent apart and living on different sides of the camera lens. Laine is the paparazza and Michael is her prey.  Every time she takes a picture of him, she remembers him. She remembers the kindness he offered her when they were schoolmates.  His kindness to her does not keep her from selling the pictures to the highest bidder.  Laine is nothing if not a survivor and she is an INCREDIBLE character. None of this whiny, oh woe is me crap from her. Thank the baby Jesus for a well written damaged but strong and confident female MC.

Due the nature of their professions, Michael and Laine have no business orbiting in each other's worlds any closer than the already do.  So I kept wondering how the heck Ms. Reiss was going to make it work.  You want to know how?  CHARACTER GROWTH.  Shit happens you know?  We make decisions and they impact our lives in all kinds of ways. Michael and Laine navigate their relationship amidst the twists, turns and pressures of their lives.  Laine goes from being on one end of the camera- the paparazza, to the girlfriend of a movie star.  Her professional life is thrown into turmoil in a matter of hours after a picture of her and Michael is taken. Laine's life changes as fast as the click of the shutter.

One of the signs of a good book for me is the ability of the author to keep me wondering how in the world two characters can overcome their circumstances to be together.  Ms. Reiss and her raw, elegant and lyrical prose kept me riveted and her depiction of Los Angeles creates a character all on its own.

As Shakespeare so famously wrote- "The course of true love never did run smooth".  Ms. Reiss gives us a raw, passionate and brave love story between Michael and Laine and I for one am glad I took the journey with them.

 

I stroked his hair, waist deep in peace, all worry gone for the moment, and floating in no more than an ocean of gratitude. I must have been more vulnerable than I realized, or he’d reopened some wound with his kindness, because though my sweet reverie stayed, as the minutes passed, a layer of need fitted itself on top of it.

I needed to tell him, if not the details, the outlines of who I was.

“I want you to know,” I whispered, starting somewhere small, then everything I didn’t want to say spilled out. “I have stuff. I’ve never been to jail, but you know, it’s stuff, and it’s ugly, and it scares me. Because, I mean, you’re so perfect, and I’m… I’m just a mess. I’m not whole. I’m a bunch of pieces of a person I cobbled together.” My eyes got wet when I thought of the comparisons between us and that picture in my silverware drawer. “So if you have to move on when you realize that, I’ll understand. You have an image, and if anyone understands protecting a career, it’s me. I mean, I’ll be mad, don’t get that wrong, but also.” I swallowed and blinked, shifting my head so he wouldn’t feel the tear on his forehead. “I won’t blame you.”

I waited for an answer. Anything. A change in position or a word on any subject. The weather. Sports. Something. But all he did was breathe.

I smiled so wide, tears fell into my mouth. He was sleeping.

Purchase:

 This review was originally posted on Straight Shootin' Book Reviews

[Lynn]

Shuttergirl is about a second chance, slow burn romance which breaks down barriers to beat the odds. Don't be fooled into thinking this is a Hollywood style, glitzy and sugar-coated story, because it isn't. This is a gritty and realistic portrayal of two people who technically should not strike up a relationship under any circumstance.

Laine Cartwright has never forgotten the boy who befriended her during her brief spell at Breakpoint School. As a child she spent most of her time being shifted from one foster home to another and Michael Greydon is one positive memory from her past she's unwilling to let go of.

To the outside world Michael Greydon has the world at his feet. The son of actors, he was born into Hollywood royalty and is on the verge of super stardom in his own right. However, his “perfect” life is far cry from reality. Every time he sees “Shuttergirl,” he remembers the beautiful girl who watched him practicing tennis at school and who abruptly disappeared from his life, leaving a lasting impression.

This is a romance about two people that appear to be at the opposite ends of the spectrum...a movie star and a papparazzi girl. Laine is a survivor and a woman of integrity and Michael is truly a good guy in a sea of sharks that is the film industry. The plot moves effortlessly between the alternating point of views of the protagonists leaving us in no doubt about the chemistry and emotional attachment between them. One of the surprising things (to me) is the impact of the setting to this story. Los Angeles is a multifaceted character entwined in the lives of Michael and especially Laine. We see so much of this city through Laine's eyes as she ducks and dives through the back alleys, hiding behind the lens of her beloved camera. All in the name of survival.

This is the first book I have read by this author (although I do admit to having unread e book copies on my Kindle). I'm impressed by the fluidity of her writing and will be reading more from her very soon.

***arc generously received in exchange for an honest review***