Review of ‘Media Darling’ by Fiona Riley, Audiobook narrated by Lori Prince
I’ve read this lesbian celebrity romance book a couple of years ago and loved it and I was excited to check out the audiobook with Lori Prince narration. I’m glad I did as I loved it.
Emerson Sterling is a famous actress with a bad-girl reputation. Hayley Carpenter is a celebrity gossip journalist whose dream is to be a screenwriter. When their paths cross in an awkward situation, they start to form a bond that evolves into something deeper. But Hayley soon learns the high price to pay behind the apparent glamour of celebrity life.
I have to admit that I don’t care much about the celebrity lifestyle but this book got me hooked from the start because it’s so much more than a relationship between a celebrity and an ordinary person. This is a sweet romance with the addition of a critique of the media role in their portrayal of celebrities.
Both main characters, Emerson and Hayley, are multi-layered with their personalities well defined. Their chemistry is absolutely off the charts, Ms. Riley has done a great job at building their attraction slowly but surely. Some of the scenes of them together are cute and others are very sensual, that variety makes the romance even more enjoyable.
The secondary characters are well rounded, especially both mains’ best friends, Alison and Tremont. The setting of the story is very well written, the descriptions of the places in both LA and Maine are beautifully portrayed. The dialogues are very well written, sometimes funny and witty, others seriously deep and moving.
The plot is tightly woven, Ms. Riley has got the ebb and flow of the tension perfectly. Even though there is a good deal of drama, the conflict doesn’t feel contrived or artificially created, on the contrary, it makes sense and seems the logical consequence of the chain of events. Many readers are going to like the fact that the author takes her time to finish the book after the conflict is solved. The story has a perfect length, neither is rushed nor stretched.
The audiobook version, narrated by Lori Prince does justice to the written word which doesn’t surprise me as Ms. Prince is the consummate professional. As usual, her narrative pace is perfect, the voices distinctive and the performance of emotions poignant. If you like celebrity romance audiobooks, then this one is for you. 5 stars.
