Book Review: Holly(Woods) by Naomi Laeuchli

My Rating: 3.5 stars

Date Read: May 26, 2014

Source: Preview copy from the author

Publication Date: January 31, 2014

Publisher: N/A

Genres: Romance, mystery

Summary (taken from Goodreads): In the first book of the Holly(Woods) series, Holly has moved to Los Angeles in hopes of pursuing a film career. When she's cast in a small role on a popular TV show things start to look up, but she soon learns the world of Hollywood is a difficult one to navigate and not everyone can be trusted.

With the help of Evelyn Martin, a faded starlet, and Peter Glades, a man with a past he's desperate to keep hidden, Holly tries to learn the ropes and deal with the politics of fame that follows her budding relationship with Hollywood heartthrob Alan Ryder.
But just as Holly starts to find her footing, a dark secret from the past threatens to destroy everything she has worked for.

Review: I wasn't too sure what to think of this when I began reading. The plot seemed to be moving quickly and I didn't care for the main character, Holly. It seemed like it would be a quick, funny read, but I wasn't fond of the writing style.

I really think things improved throughout the book. Side characters really held my attention, and after awhile even Holly grew on me. I adored the romance and the side plot with Clint and Nikki. The writing also developed nicely and made the story much more enjoyable. I loved the way all the characters' stories connected, even the ones that never met up in the book.

If the entire story were like the last half, this would be at least a four-star book. The mystery aspect towards the end caught me by surprise, and there were some plot twists that I didn't see coming - it was a nice change, because I found the first half pretty predictable.

The characters also went through some nice development. They were fleshed out a bit through the story and some of them were shown to be much different from what I initially expected.

Overall, I do think this is a great start to the series. I already look forward to the second book, and I'm betting the story will only improve as it continues.