A full review is included at the end of this post, but in short, I loved "Star Bright" and highly recommend it for all fans of contemporary romance. I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book in this series!
About "Star Bright"
Stella Spencer has one enemy—her secrets.
The world’s obsession with the Bright Young Things is real. Every lavish party thrown by the most exclusive group in New York is a spectacle, stalked not only by the media, but by the police commissioner, who’s declared war. He’s out to ruin everyone’s good time, starting with uncovering the mysterious benefactor leading the group, thus answering the question on everyone’s lips.
Who is Cecelia Beaton?
And no one knows it’s Stella.
If society finds out the truth, her plans will unravel. And with one smoldering look from a stranger, her carefully ordered world catches fire.
Levi Hunt has one plan—get the story.
His future at Vagabond magazine depends on his ability to do the one thing no one can: infiltrate the Bright Young Things. If he can find out who Cecelia Beaton is, he’ll earn enough notoriety to permanently secure his career.
His dreams are at his fingertips, so long as he doesn’t blow his cover. But one night with the brightest, most brilliant young thing of all, and he knows he’ll have to make a choice.
The job he loves or the woman of his dreams.
Secrets and lies. Love and laughter. And two people with something to hide and everything to gain.
Welcome to the party.
My Review
I think "Star Bright" may be my new favorite book by Staci Hart! With this story, Ms. Hart brilliantly captured the Great Gatsby/Roaring Twenties vibe that the original Bright Young Things exemplified, while also creating a modern cast of incredibly likeable, three-dimensional characters and an engaging plot that kept me turning the pages well past my bedtime. I had all the feels by the time I reached the end, and I absolutely loved it.
I expected the female lead character of "Star Bright," Stella Spencer, to be rather jaded given her wealthy upbringing, but she actually came across as kind and sweet, and there was a vulnerability to her that she wasn't quite able to hide beneath her party girl veneer. She joked about being a "poor little rich girl" and it was true in a way, but I found her to be very relatable because of her obvious yearning for the love and close family connections she lacked while growing up. As an adult, Stella essentially created her own family with her band of "strays," and the Bright Young Things grew out of that because of her desire to be part of something larger than herself.
Family connections were important to the male lead, Levi Hunt, too, whose only relative was his foster dad Billy since his biological parents had abandoned him at the age of eight. His determination to learn more about the Bright Young Things and write a story about the movement was largely motivated by his desire for a promotion to war correspondent, which came with a hefty raise that would allow him to care for Billy in his old age. Given their common yearning for the love of family, it was easy to understand why Stella and Levi were drawn to each other despite their vastly different backgrounds, and I loved watching their relationship develop over the course of the story.
The book's secondary characters were just as wonderful as Levi and Stella, particularly Stella's best friends Betty, Joss, and Zeke/Zelda (aka "Z"). I look forward to learning more about each of them in future stories.
Overall, I loved "Star Bright" and highly recommend it for all fans of contemporary romance. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book in the series!
I expected the female lead character of "Star Bright," Stella Spencer, to be rather jaded given her wealthy upbringing, but she actually came across as kind and sweet, and there was a vulnerability to her that she wasn't quite able to hide beneath her party girl veneer. She joked about being a "poor little rich girl" and it was true in a way, but I found her to be very relatable because of her obvious yearning for the love and close family connections she lacked while growing up. As an adult, Stella essentially created her own family with her band of "strays," and the Bright Young Things grew out of that because of her desire to be part of something larger than herself.
Family connections were important to the male lead, Levi Hunt, too, whose only relative was his foster dad Billy since his biological parents had abandoned him at the age of eight. His determination to learn more about the Bright Young Things and write a story about the movement was largely motivated by his desire for a promotion to war correspondent, which came with a hefty raise that would allow him to care for Billy in his old age. Given their common yearning for the love of family, it was easy to understand why Stella and Levi were drawn to each other despite their vastly different backgrounds, and I loved watching their relationship develop over the course of the story.
The book's secondary characters were just as wonderful as Levi and Stella, particularly Stella's best friends Betty, Joss, and Zeke/Zelda (aka "Z"). I look forward to learning more about each of them in future stories.
Overall, I loved "Star Bright" and highly recommend it for all fans of contemporary romance. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book in the series!
*ARC provided by the author. All opinions expressed are my own.
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