Review – Love Unscripted by Tina Reber

Publisher: Atira
Publish Date: Out Now
How I got this book: NetGalley

An A-List Movie Star…
Ryan Christensen just wanted to be an actor. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine a life where fans would chase him, paparazzi would stalk him, and Hollywood studios would want to own him. While filming in Seaport, Rhode Island, Ryan ducks into a neighborhood bar for a quick escape from legions of screaming fans…and finds much more than he expected.

A Small Town Girl…
Nursing a recent heartbreak, Taryn Mitchell believes men are best kept at a safe distance. But when Ryan Christensen unexpectedly bursts through the front door of her pub, she can’t help but be drawn in by his humor, charm, and undeniable good looks. At six foot two, with dirty blond hair, blue eyes, and an incredible body, Ryan has every girl in Seaport swooning. But Taryn isn’t every other girl.

A Relationship that Doesn’t Follow the Script…
Despite her better judgment, Taryn soon finds herself falling hard for Ryan. But is their bond strong enough to survive the tabloid headlines, the relentless paparazzi, and the jealous fans who seem determined to tear them apart?
*Blurb from Goodreads*

After reading What I Did For Love by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, I’ve been intrigued by books that have a celebrity hero or heroine. When I saw this book come through my email from NetGalley, I checked out some of the reviews and decided to take a chance on it. While there were some things that got under my skin while reading, I’m so glad I took the chance on this book.

Taryn is a local girl who spends all of her time making her bar a success. After her last failboat relationship, she doesn’t have the time or patience for men. When some huge movie project comes to town, Taryn isn’t nearly as thrilled as all the other women to have some hot-shot actor in town, but if it boosts her business, she won’t complain.

Ryan loves acting, but all the drama that goes along with it is drama that he could do without. After running from a horde of screaming fans and into the safety of Taryn’s bar, he’s smitten with the one woman who doesn’t really seem to care who he is. But Ryan and Taryn don’t have an easy time making a relationship work. Instead, they are stuck dealing with the paparazzi, stalker fans, and the tabloids who can’t get one story straight. Despite their desire to be together, both Ryan and Taryn fear that they will never be able to survive.

I loved how realistic Reber made their lives and romance seem. Ryan and Taryn were constantly hounded by the press, by crazy fans, and the ability to live their own life went swirling down the drain the moment they were linked together. The drama and stress it put on their relationship seemed so real and rang true to me. I really liked that aspect. But I have to admit, the angst did start to wear on me after awhile. The book was so long and the drama never-ending. It felt as if every time they took a step forward as a couple, some outside force would send them back a step or two.

While I liked the realistic nature of their romance, it did at times feel juvenile. Taryn and Ryan seemed to struggle with being open and honest with each other, and while I could see why they both had issues with trusting their partners, it felt as if they talked as if they were committed 100% to making it work, and yet they both never seemed to follow through with their commitments to each other. While I like a good angsty and drama filled relationship every now and then, this one almost went too far for me to really enjoy it.

One of the things I want to point out is that many of the reviews I read talked about the poor editing. This edition from Simon & Schuster seemed to get rid of many of those issues. I never once noticed any spelling or grammar issues. I did however, get the feeling that while the writing itself was cleaned up, the pacing could have been worked on more. So much happened in this book from start to finish. I’m usually the kind of girl who can sit and read a whole mass market paperback in one sitting, but this took me three days to get through. THREE! While the story kept me engaged, the book just went on and on and on and on and on.

All in all I’m glad I picked up this book to review. Yes, there were some pacing issues, and as a romance reader who prefers my romance with a little less angst, the overall relationship between Taryn and Ryan did start to wear on my after awhile. That being said, I really enjoyed both Taryn and Ryan as individuals and was rooting for them to make it from the beginning. I liked the fact that they had to struggle to be together, that they had to really step outside their comfort zones and learn to trust in one another. I don’t know that I’m ready to read the sequel yet (and really… back to pacing issues), but I did enjoy this book.
I give Love Unscripted a B-

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