Review: Playing With Her Heart – Lauren Blakely

When you’re acting the role of a lifetime, how can you know if love is real—or all just a part of the show?

Twenty-three year old rising theatre star Jill McCormick has built a life out of pretending. Pretending she’s happy, pretending her long-distance crushes add up to something real, pretending she’s not haunted by the dark secret that shattered her world six years ago. Cast in her first Broadway show, she desperately needs to keep her façade intact, but that’s before she comes face to face with her devastating new boss…

Hot-shot director Davis Milo knows the first rule of directing: never fall for your leading lady. Captivated by Jill’s raw talent, he fights his feelings, but watching Jill on-stage with another man is more than his jealous streak can take. Keeping things professional isn’t an option. He wants all of her.

Soon the ingénue and her director are staying late in the empty theatre, their private rehearsals spiraling into new, forbidden territory. Caught up between fiction and reality, Jill struggles to find the truth in all their staged kisses. But how can she be sure that what she feels is real, and not a part of the play? And when two people spend their lives pretending, what happens after the final curtain falls?

Series: Caught Up in Us #3
Release Date: August 20, 2013
Publisher: Lauren Blakely
Source: Inkslinger PR
Reviewer: Shannon
Rating:

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Reviewer’s Thoughts

I really enjoyed this story.  I loved that it took place on Broadway.  I loved the way the story was written where you felt like you were right there in rehearsals, dates and so on with the characters.  As a reader, I immediately cared about David and Jill and desperately wanted them to find a way beyond their past experiences and get it right with each other.  More importantly, I wanted Jill to have the chance to show everyone just what it was Davis saw her in when he so desperately wanted to cast her as his leading lady.

Jill McCormick has always dreamed of making it on Broadway.  It’s been her one way of dealing with the death of her high school ex-boyfriend and the burden of guilt she has carried around with her because of it.  When she’s cast as the understudy in hotshot director Davis Miles’ new show, she’s ecstatic, especially since she’ll be able to work with the actor she has had a crush on for six year, Patrick.  Jill finds herself torn between the safe bet, Patrick, and the man who breaks through all her barriers, Davis.  She keeps telling herself that it’s sweet, friendly Patrick that she wants, but finds herself unable to stay away from sexy Davis and all the things he makes her feel and want to do.  Jill is afraid of everything she feels and she’s worried that the all consuming feelings she has are going to destroy Davis and herself, much like what happened six  years ago.

On the flip side, Davis Milo has a rule to never date an actress again.  When a previous relationship came to an abrupt end because he could no longer provide what Madelaine needed, he vowed to stay away from actresses.  He wants a relationship with someone who is going to love him for him and with an all consuming passion.  When he loves, he’s not afraid to give all of himself.  He finds himself falling for Jill, despite his best intentions not to.  But when he decides to give him, he gives everything in hopes that Jill wants all of it.

Davis has an uphill battle when it comes to Jill and her fear of passion and love. He’s a man who is up to the task and he does all he can to break down all her walls.

This was my first Lauren Blakely book and it’s made me want to go back and read the other 2 books in the series.  They’re on my Kindle, waiting.