Between the Lines by Tammara Webber
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
After reading Easy and falling in love with Webber’s characters there, I knew I had to find all her other stuff! Between the Lines is the first of three in a series, and if Goodreads would offer us half stars I’d have given this a 3.5.
“Fame is people screaming your name, loving you, hating you, all on a whim.”
The boy of the moment in Hollywood is Reid Alexander. He’s enjoying his status as the “it boy” to its fullest extent. When he signs on to do a high school version of Pride & Prejudice set in current times, he finds that he has hot chemistry with the practically unknown female lead Emma. But he also finds out that his ex-girlfriend from a few years ago is also going to be on set, as well as an Indie star named Graham. Suddenly he’s having to work for a relationship.
Emma’s lived a life that from the outside peers might be jealous of. No school, only on set tutors, doing commercials, and attending try outs and suddenly she’s cast as the female lead opposite Reid Alexander. Every girls dream. I mean even her best friend has posters of him adorning her bedroom walls. But she is struggling with trying to figure out what she wants out of life. At almost 18 she isn’t sure she wants to go to college and her family is no help. A stepmom who is more concerned with her status in the celebrity world and a father who comes across as uncaring are no help at all. Then Graham enters her life and she forms an immediate bond with him.
I thought for sure this was going to be a light read, quick and funny… and it was to some extent, but it also really made me think… Look at all the child stars and the young ages they start in the business. The ‘stars’ of this book all fall in the 17-18 age range and the things that are happening in their lives are a bit depressing. Sex, drugs, alcohol… all before they are most likely ready for it.
Reid was so intriguing to me as a character though. I think at one point I swear I wanted to hate him, but I really couldn’t. He kept weaseling his way into my heart and even though he was arrogant, conceited and pretty much an asshole, I think the reason I couldn’t hate him was because his life wasn’t as perfect as people seemed to think it was. With parents who are practically non-existent in his life and no real good examples of healthy relationships it’s hard to hate him. (at least it was for me)The following quote from Reid summarizes his view on relationships…
If I met you last night, and brought you back to my place, or followed you to yours, and we had sex, that’s what we asked for from each other. It’s what I got, and what you got. I don’t know you. You don’t know me. Thanks for playing, and we’re done. If by some fluke anything was said at some point during this entire exchange that made me curious enough to see you again, I would.
Has that happened before? A couple of times. Did it last? Clearly, no.
Emma was refreshing to say the least. At this point in her life, all she wants is a normal life. She is tired of the auditions, tired of missing out on all the things a ‘normal’ highschooler might do and the most important thing to her, is her friendship with Emily. Even totally devastated by a boy, her main concern is the fight she had with her best friend.
and finally, Graham… I’m not sure there’s a lot I can say about him other than he’s lovely. He’s quiet and hasn’t fallen prey to the hollywood life that many of their costars have been affected by and I loved that about him. This job is a means to an end for him… gives him the money he needs to live. The friendship and relationship that evolves between him and Emma was lovely to watch too.
“He releases one wrist long enough to catch it with his other hand, and he flattens my hands to the bed on either side of my head. His eyes are black in the low light of the room. ‘Do you surrender?’
My heart is pounding, and I’m tingling from head to toe. ‘Surrender to what?’ I whisper, my chest rising and falling, my eyes locked on his.
His gaze doesn’t waver. ‘A kiss.’ ”
I’m looking forward to see what the last two books in the series bring. You can definitely see the growth in Webber’s writing from this book to her most recent Easy, but I still enjoyed the story and hope to find out more about Reid, Emma and Graham in book 2!
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