Confessions of a Readaholic: Under the Lights Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway

Under the Lights Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway

Under the Lights by Dahlia Adler

Release Date: June 30, 2015
Publisher: Spencer Hill Contemporary
Series: Daylight Falls, Book 2
Rated: YA/NA 15+
Format: eGalley
Source: NetGalley
Buy: Amazon ● The Book Depository ● B&N ● Kobo
Goodreads ● Website

Josh Chester loves being a Hollywood bad boy, coasting on his good looks, his parties, his parents' wealth, and the occasional modeling gig. But his laid-back lifestyle is about to change. To help out his best friend, Liam, he joins his hit teen TV show, Daylight Falls...opposite Vanessa Park, the one actor immune to his charms. (Not that he's trying to charm her, of course.) Meanwhile, his drama-queen mother blackmails him into a new family reality TV show, with Josh in the starring role. Now that he's in the spotlight—on everyone's terms but his own—Josh has to decide whether a life as a superstar is the one he really wants.

Vanessa Park has always been certain about her path as an actor, despite her parents' disapproval. But with all her relationships currently in upheaval, she's painfully uncertain about everything else. When she meets her new career handler, Brianna, Van is relieved to have found someone she can rely on, now that her BFF, Ally, is at college across the country. But as feelings unexpectedly evolve beyond friendship, Van's life reaches a whole new level of confusing. And she'll have to choose between the one thing she's always loved...and the person she never imagined she could.

I think I didn’t read the blurb carefully enough because I didn’t realise that this was more of a New Adult novel than Young Adult until I’d started reading the book. I don’t typically read NA books–in fact I stay away from them most of the time–but with this one I decided to just plunge in and take a chance. And I’m so, so, so glad I did. I really enjoyed this one, and I wish that I’d read the first book Behind the Scenes before I read this one, even though I didn’t need to. It would definitely help to read the first book, because so many of the characters crossover into this one, even though the focus shifts from Ally and Liam to Josh and Van, but you don’t need to. This book is definitely aimed at older readers for sure though because of language and sexual content.

I don’t know exactly how I feel about Josh’s character. Even though he seems to fit under the d-bag category, there’s something more that just makes you pause just before you banish him to douche territory. He objectifies women, which really pissed me off, but there was definitely character growth. Not too much, but just enough for me to see him differently. I really liked Van’s character though. I enjoyed seeing her personal growth and how she comes to terms with her sexuality. It was actually pretty interesting to see not that not only is she a POC but also a lesbian. This book does bring up the fact that POC, Asians in this instance, tend not to get main roles. This is SO TRUE. It’s only now that people have started to address this, and while there are a few changes and a few revolutionary shows and films that have started bringing in other backgrounds and races into the mix, it’s still in the baby-stages. Vanessa’s struggle with trying to balance her public and private world felt very real at times, and I’m so glad that Adler not only acknowledges it because makes it the central point of the story.

After reading this one, I’m kind of thinking about pursuing more New Adult books. Not at the moment, but maybe in the near future because Under the Lights was a such a great read. Aspiring actors, Hollywood fanatics, TV lovers, drama queens, diversity advocates–EVERYONE will find something they love when reading Dahlia Adler’s book. Now, excuse me while I desperately try to get my hands on the first book because I’ve fallen for the world of glitz, glamor and Daylight Falls.

If you like this, try...

Secrets of My Hollywood Life by Jen Calonita ● Goodreads
Fanfare by Renée Ahdieh ● Goodreads

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DAHLIA ADLER

I'm an Associate Editor of Mathematics by day, a Copy Editor by night, and I blog at The Daily Dahlia, YA Misfits, and the Barnes & Noble book blog. I also write contemporary YA (The Daylight Falls duology) and NA (The Radleigh University series). Rec-ing books is approximately my favorite thing in the universe, with macarons being a close second. Come say hi on Twitter, where I'm @MissDahlELama!

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