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Stars in Your Eyes
The National Book Award-winning author of Felix Ever After delivers a beautifully tender story of two grumpy/sunshine, fake-dating actors navigating their love story both on and offscreen—perfect for fans of Casey McQuiston and Alexis Hall.
Logan Gray is Hollywood's bad boy—a talented but troubled actor who the public loves to hate. Mattie Cole is an up‑and‑coming golden boy, adored by all but plagued by insecurities.
When Logan and Mattie are cast as leads in a new romantic film, Logan claims that Matt has “zero talent,” sending the film’s publicity into a nosedive. To create positive buzz, the two are persuaded into a fake‑dating scheme—but as the two actors get to know their new characters, real feelings start to develop.
As public scrutiny intensifies and old wounds resurface, the two must fight for their relationship and their love.
A heartfelt, hopeful, and nuanced story about identity, healing, and growth.
Logan Gray is Hollywood's bad boy—a talented but troubled actor who the public loves to hate. Mattie Cole is an up‑and‑coming golden boy, adored by all but plagued by insecurities.
When Logan and Mattie are cast as leads in a new romantic film, Logan claims that Matt has “zero talent,” sending the film’s publicity into a nosedive. To create positive buzz, the two are persuaded into a fake‑dating scheme—but as the two actors get to know their new characters, real feelings start to develop.
As public scrutiny intensifies and old wounds resurface, the two must fight for their relationship and their love.
A heartfelt, hopeful, and nuanced story about identity, healing, and growth.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published October 10, 2023
About the author
Kacen Callender
15 books2,466 followersKacen Callender is a Saint Thomian author of children's fiction and fantasy, best known for their Stonewall Book Award and Lambda Literary Award-winning middle grade debut Hurricane Child. Their fantasy novel, Queen of the Conquered, is the 2020 winner of the World Fantasy Award and King and the Dragonflies won the 2020 National Book Award for Young People's Literature.
Callender is Black, queer, trans, and uses they/them and he/him pronouns. Callender debuted their new name when announcing their next young adult novel Felix Ever After in May 2019.
Callender is Black, queer, trans, and uses they/them and he/him pronouns. Callender debuted their new name when announcing their next young adult novel Felix Ever After in May 2019.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,023 reviews
November 12, 2023
Remember Felix Ever After? Kacen Callender is back! This time with a hard-hitting adult novel that immediately became one of my favorites and formed lumps in my throat again and again.
Sometimes I read a book, and I don’t want to stop reading. Because it sucks me in, and I can’t let go. It happened when I read The Charm Offensive, and I felt the same need to read on and on when I started Stars in Your Eyes.
Just like Charm, Stars hit close to home. Mattie is called the golden boy. But he doesn’t feel like it. He wants to fit in. He wants to belong. He pretends to be confident. But at the same time, he’s ashamed of many things. He never breaks the rules, and he certainly doesn’t want to be different. I felt a pang in my gut when I got to know him better. Because Mattie is basically me. He even doesn’t drink for exactly the same reasons I don’t drink (and gets called boring. Where have I heard that line before 🤔).
Logan is the bad guy. He has issues. Many. Addiction issues. Fighting issues. Daddy issues. But he’s such a lonely kid inside that adult body and has severe traumas. His only coping mechanism is pushing people away, lashing out in anger, acting all the time so no one sees the real him. It’s like Libianca’s (feat. Cian Ducrot) song People (Cause when you see people, who don’t really know you, they don’t really know you). My stomach hurt time and again when Logan didn’t feel safe and closed himself off or let himself get used. When I finally discovered what had happened to him, bile came up from my stomach, and anger rushed through my veins.
The relationship between those guys is so precious. Mattie, sweet and caring, with all his insecurities, peels off Logan’s layers—layer after layer of self-destruction and hurt. And Logan, much kinder than people think he is, pushes Matt to color outside the lines, to break out and feel free. I loved the scene where Logan gets Mattie to dance in a club.
Be aware that Stars isn’t a romance. Yeah, it’s about falling in love. About falling in love with someone else. But first and foremost, it’s about falling in love with yourself. It’s about accepting who you truly are with all the doubt and confusion that comes with it, before you can accept someone else’s love.
Kacen Callender says that Stars is a deeply personal story. It’s tangible on every page. This book felt like a punch in the gut, and there are lots of triggers in this book. Therefore, this novel might not be for everyone. So please, check out the trigger warnings first! For me, Stars ended up as one of my most memorable 2023 reads. It’s a story I will never forget.
I received an ARC from Forever and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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Sometimes I read a book, and I don’t want to stop reading. Because it sucks me in, and I can’t let go. It happened when I read The Charm Offensive, and I felt the same need to read on and on when I started Stars in Your Eyes.
Just like Charm, Stars hit close to home. Mattie is called the golden boy. But he doesn’t feel like it. He wants to fit in. He wants to belong. He pretends to be confident. But at the same time, he’s ashamed of many things. He never breaks the rules, and he certainly doesn’t want to be different. I felt a pang in my gut when I got to know him better. Because Mattie is basically me. He even doesn’t drink for exactly the same reasons I don’t drink (and gets called boring. Where have I heard that line before 🤔).
Logan is the bad guy. He has issues. Many. Addiction issues. Fighting issues. Daddy issues. But he’s such a lonely kid inside that adult body and has severe traumas. His only coping mechanism is pushing people away, lashing out in anger, acting all the time so no one sees the real him. It’s like Libianca’s (feat. Cian Ducrot) song People (Cause when you see people, who don’t really know you, they don’t really know you). My stomach hurt time and again when Logan didn’t feel safe and closed himself off or let himself get used. When I finally discovered what had happened to him, bile came up from my stomach, and anger rushed through my veins.
The relationship between those guys is so precious. Mattie, sweet and caring, with all his insecurities, peels off Logan’s layers—layer after layer of self-destruction and hurt. And Logan, much kinder than people think he is, pushes Matt to color outside the lines, to break out and feel free. I loved the scene where Logan gets Mattie to dance in a club.
Be aware that Stars isn’t a romance. Yeah, it’s about falling in love. About falling in love with someone else. But first and foremost, it’s about falling in love with yourself. It’s about accepting who you truly are with all the doubt and confusion that comes with it, before you can accept someone else’s love.
Kacen Callender says that Stars is a deeply personal story. It’s tangible on every page. This book felt like a punch in the gut, and there are lots of triggers in this book. Therefore, this novel might not be for everyone. So please, check out the trigger warnings first! For me, Stars ended up as one of my most memorable 2023 reads. It’s a story I will never forget.
I received an ARC from Forever and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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August 15, 2024
I wish I could place Logan and his storyline in the hands of a genuinely talented writer
November 21, 2023
A book about two young Hollywood stars, one on the rise to fame, the other a former child star, and while filming a movie they fall in love. Sounds really interesting and fun, yes? It wasn't. Instead what we got was a coming of age story that felt like a YA novel instead of one for adults. And honestly, it was wayyyy more trauma than actual romance. I'd hesitate to call this a romance novel.
This book was a great example of telling and not showing. We were often told things happened off the page (especially a pivotal time in both the characters lives near the end) and there was a Greek chorus type vibe with inserted opinions via Youtube or online discussions. Personally, this book brought me to a mentally bad space and I felt there was some on the page trauma that didn't actually need to be on the page (but that's just my preferences). I never understood why Matty and Logan actually liked each other, they had great sexual chemistry but to be honest, they felt like they were better as each others messy relationships before you move on and find the real thing with someone else.
This is my first book by Kacen Callendar and while it didn't work for me, I'd be willing to read a different book by them in the future.
This book was a great example of telling and not showing. We were often told things happened off the page (especially a pivotal time in both the characters lives near the end) and there was a Greek chorus type vibe with inserted opinions via Youtube or online discussions. Personally, this book brought me to a mentally bad space and I felt there was some on the page trauma that didn't actually need to be on the page (but that's just my preferences). I never understood why Matty and Logan actually liked each other, they had great sexual chemistry but to be honest, they felt like they were better as each others messy relationships before you move on and find the real thing with someone else.
This is my first book by Kacen Callendar and while it didn't work for me, I'd be willing to read a different book by them in the future.
September 8, 2023
im chewing my fist im sobbing uncontrollably i’m kicking my feet i’m going insane this was so good this was exactly what romance should be i loved every second of it. this book took me to CHURCH the synopsis gave “fanfic i’ve already read 50x before” but this was just so much more than i could’ve ever expected like. i’ve never read anything like this before, beautiful exploration into trauma, wholly unique, complex and flawed characters, realistic relationship dynamics when hollywood is in the mix, this is the best i’ve felt about a romance since beach read. i love you kacen big brained genius im feeling not okay about this i need to never read a book again i’m gonna throw up. i wish the cover was better tho
thank you to libro.fm for the free audiobook ARC!
thank you to libro.fm for the free audiobook ARC!
October 15, 2023
Stars in Your Eyes by Kacen Callender
M-M romance. Mental health, trigger warnings. Grump sunshine, fake relationship troupes.
Mattie Cole has been hired in his first major role playing opposite Hollywood’s bad boy Logan Gray. Mattie is a bit star stuck from all the actors he’s now working with even though Logan trashed Mattie in a recent interview. For positive publicity, Logan and Mattie are told to participate is a fake dating scheme and are given specific instructions to flirt, been seen at a restaurant and confirm to paparazzi their relationship. Neither is thrilled but each needs the job and agrees. The more time they spend together, the easier it is to be in a real relationship. Until the past and secrets are unveiled.
I cried through the last quarter of this book because of their past trauma that still haunts each.
Logan has a lot of trauma from his past and learned as a child to simply shut down. To find ways to ignore or move the focus. His relationship with Mattie is different from anything he’s experienced before and his usual methods of self medication are not acceptable anymore. Logan’s father pays the bills but has nothing but profanity in his regard to Logan.
Mattie has the support of his mother and sister for his sexuality, but his father simply disappears when Mattie is in the house. Mattie pushes aside his emotions.
Both Mattie and Logan, have varying levels of shame and relationship issues that comes down to acceptance of self.
Emotionally explosive for anyone with feelings of self doubt or not loving yourself. And isn’t that all of us at some point?
And poignant: “Shame, though, is more about how much I hated myself. I hated myself so much, and I didn’t even know it.”
This book is a lot.
There are some chapters that confused me on timing but that is resolved and understood in the wrap up. And remember it’s categorized as a romance and we all know what that means.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley and the publisher. I will be recommending to bookclubs and readers that I know need to read it for self health.
M-M romance. Mental health, trigger warnings. Grump sunshine, fake relationship troupes.
Mattie Cole has been hired in his first major role playing opposite Hollywood’s bad boy Logan Gray. Mattie is a bit star stuck from all the actors he’s now working with even though Logan trashed Mattie in a recent interview. For positive publicity, Logan and Mattie are told to participate is a fake dating scheme and are given specific instructions to flirt, been seen at a restaurant and confirm to paparazzi their relationship. Neither is thrilled but each needs the job and agrees. The more time they spend together, the easier it is to be in a real relationship. Until the past and secrets are unveiled.
I cried through the last quarter of this book because of their past trauma that still haunts each.
Logan has a lot of trauma from his past and learned as a child to simply shut down. To find ways to ignore or move the focus. His relationship with Mattie is different from anything he’s experienced before and his usual methods of self medication are not acceptable anymore. Logan’s father pays the bills but has nothing but profanity in his regard to Logan.
Mattie has the support of his mother and sister for his sexuality, but his father simply disappears when Mattie is in the house. Mattie pushes aside his emotions.
Both Mattie and Logan, have varying levels of shame and relationship issues that comes down to acceptance of self.
Emotionally explosive for anyone with feelings of self doubt or not loving yourself. And isn’t that all of us at some point?
And poignant: “Shame, though, is more about how much I hated myself. I hated myself so much, and I didn’t even know it.”
This book is a lot.
There are some chapters that confused me on timing but that is resolved and understood in the wrap up. And remember it’s categorized as a romance and we all know what that means.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley and the publisher. I will be recommending to bookclubs and readers that I know need to read it for self health.
July 20, 2023
Oh dear. Callender says in the foreword that this is their first novel for adults, but halfway through and I'm pretty sure I'm reading a YA novel with adult characters. Simplistic, programmatic, paint-by-numbers YA. My first KC book and looks like it's going to be my last.
ETA: Unreadable. Simplistic language, simplistic characterizations, genuinely important issues such as racism and biphobia reduced to homilies and pablum. What I said in my progress note holds: the characters are nominally adults, but the book is paint-by-numbers YA.
Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC and I'm sorry I couldn't say anything more favorable.
ETA: Unreadable. Simplistic language, simplistic characterizations, genuinely important issues such as racism and biphobia reduced to homilies and pablum. What I said in my progress note holds: the characters are nominally adults, but the book is paint-by-numbers YA.
Thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC and I'm sorry I couldn't say anything more favorable.
April 18, 2023
i fucking SOBBED for five minutes straight after finishing this book, it hit me like a ton of bricks
it was so good and precious and please read it
it was so good and precious and please read it
October 11, 2023
Happy belated release day to this fresh and layered romance! Please read the trigger warnings for this book before diving in, but I highly recommend picking this up at your local library or bookstore!
E-ARC graciously provided to me by Forever in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much!
4 stars. Angsty, honest, and unflinching, Kacen Callender’s Stars in Your Eyes is a slightly unconventional but wholly compelling adult romance debut.
E-ARC graciously provided to me by Forever in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much!
4 stars. Angsty, honest, and unflinching, Kacen Callender’s Stars in Your Eyes is a slightly unconventional but wholly compelling adult romance debut.
June 25, 2023
Disclaimer: I received a free eARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
There are going to be a lot of people who pick this book up and discover it's not for them. Some will be people who prefer a strict romance novel structure with particular beats. Others will be lured in by the comparisons to Alexis Hall and Casey McQuiston, expecting a rom-com romp. That is not what this book is. It's intense and deals with very heavy subjects (child sexual abuse, rape, and addiction, just to name a few--full CW below) while using the general concept of a celebrity fake dating romance to examine fame and identity and so much more. If I'm being honest, grouping it in with commercial successes on the back copy may end up doing this book a disservice by setting up expectations that absolutely won't be met.
So my ask for anyone reading this book is to set those expectations aside. If you can't, this is probably not the book for you. If you can let yourself sink into this story, though, you will be treated to an incredibly thoughtful and compassionate story that I'd bet you can relate to on some level.
From beginning to end, the structure of this book is unique. The main story is interspersed with news clips and social media, A03 fics, therapy notes (my one mental health-related eye-twitch), and memoir excerpts...some of which jump around in the timeline but in intentional ways. When we first meet Matt and Logan, the former is a rising star struggling with the cutthroat world of Hollywood and the latter is buried under a lifetime of trauma caused by that world. Matt is sweet and earnest, but not without his issues: he struggles with internalized homophobia and is generally pretty repressed. Logan, on the other hand, is all sharp edges. We learn he has some significant unacknowledged trauma and is diagnosed with CPTSD. The studio making the rom com they're starring in together have decided that they need to fake date so that Matt's squeaky-clean image might help Logan's abysmal approval ratings.
At this point, you might think that you're about to get the typical fake date-sexual tension-give in and fuck-catch real feelings-low moment-resolution and HEA kind of celebrity fake dating romance. You'd be wrong. It's a lot messier than that, and therefore more authentic to the characters and their issues. Nothing in this book tries to hand-wave away the impact of compounded trauma, or the harm that hurting people sometimes inflict on others, nor does it let trauma excuse shitty behavior. These characters have to work for the HEA and readers alongside them.
The mental health rep is some of the best I've ever read. It's hard to be in Logan's head a lot of the time. He's hurting so badly and has never had anyone in his corner until Matt. The growing romance doesn't offer an easy fix, either. That, even more than the depiction of CPTSD itself, is what stands out to me about this book. What we see isn't Logan learning to love himself because Matt loves him. We see Logan struggle intensely with being offered a safe relationship for the first time ever. He is repeatedly triggered in ways neither of them expect but that ring true for someone whose concept of human relationship has gotten so messed up. We also see Matt struggle with the burden of being the only person supporting Logan. He gets sucked in, tries to be the hero, tries so hard, and still Logan is hurting. Still it's not clear if they can make it work.
(My one mental health-related eye twitch, by the way, is the "therapy notes" interspersed throughout the book. They are 100% there because of plot and character and I recognize that, and probably no one will care but me. But no therapist keeps notes like that. Or they shouldn't. What if they're subpoenaed?? *hyperventilates in counselor ethics*)
The other super interesting thing about this book that I hope someone smarter than me eventually tackles is what it does around ideas of celebrity, parasocial relationships, and persona versus identity. There's a meta kind of feel to it (the AO3 bits are genius). It's also very aware of how it differs from a standard romance novel and explicitly questions whether those assumed story beats are right for all romances. There will be purists who disagree, but in my view this is definitely a romance novel.
For all this, Stars in Your Eyes is careful and compassionate. Even when Logan is being awful, even when you're screaming at Matt to gtfo, you feel for them. It will still not be right for some readers, and I encourage anyone for whom sexual abuse is a particular trigger to approach with caution. But I also think that for the right reader this book will hit all the right notes.
Overall rating: 4.5
Hannah Angst Scale rating: 3
Content notes: child sexual abuse (), emotionally abusive parent (), homophobic parent (Matt's dad stopped speaking to him when he came out), on page sexual assault (), victim blaming, homophobia, biphobia, Logan has CPTSD and experiences symptoms on page (dissociation, somatic symptoms, fight/flight/freeze response, anxiety attacks), depression, suicidal ideation, passive self-harm (), drug and alcohol use, cheating by MC (? - ), Logan has previously been to rehab, open door sex scenes
There are going to be a lot of people who pick this book up and discover it's not for them. Some will be people who prefer a strict romance novel structure with particular beats. Others will be lured in by the comparisons to Alexis Hall and Casey McQuiston, expecting a rom-com romp. That is not what this book is. It's intense and deals with very heavy subjects (child sexual abuse, rape, and addiction, just to name a few--full CW below) while using the general concept of a celebrity fake dating romance to examine fame and identity and so much more. If I'm being honest, grouping it in with commercial successes on the back copy may end up doing this book a disservice by setting up expectations that absolutely won't be met.
So my ask for anyone reading this book is to set those expectations aside. If you can't, this is probably not the book for you. If you can let yourself sink into this story, though, you will be treated to an incredibly thoughtful and compassionate story that I'd bet you can relate to on some level.
From beginning to end, the structure of this book is unique. The main story is interspersed with news clips and social media, A03 fics, therapy notes (my one mental health-related eye-twitch), and memoir excerpts...some of which jump around in the timeline but in intentional ways. When we first meet Matt and Logan, the former is a rising star struggling with the cutthroat world of Hollywood and the latter is buried under a lifetime of trauma caused by that world. Matt is sweet and earnest, but not without his issues: he struggles with internalized homophobia and is generally pretty repressed. Logan, on the other hand, is all sharp edges. We learn he has some significant unacknowledged trauma and is diagnosed with CPTSD. The studio making the rom com they're starring in together have decided that they need to fake date so that Matt's squeaky-clean image might help Logan's abysmal approval ratings.
At this point, you might think that you're about to get the typical fake date-sexual tension-give in and fuck-catch real feelings-low moment-resolution and HEA kind of celebrity fake dating romance. You'd be wrong. It's a lot messier than that, and therefore more authentic to the characters and their issues. Nothing in this book tries to hand-wave away the impact of compounded trauma, or the harm that hurting people sometimes inflict on others, nor does it let trauma excuse shitty behavior. These characters have to work for the HEA and readers alongside them.
The mental health rep is some of the best I've ever read. It's hard to be in Logan's head a lot of the time. He's hurting so badly and has never had anyone in his corner until Matt. The growing romance doesn't offer an easy fix, either. That, even more than the depiction of CPTSD itself, is what stands out to me about this book. What we see isn't Logan learning to love himself because Matt loves him. We see Logan struggle intensely with being offered a safe relationship for the first time ever. He is repeatedly triggered in ways neither of them expect but that ring true for someone whose concept of human relationship has gotten so messed up. We also see Matt struggle with the burden of being the only person supporting Logan. He gets sucked in, tries to be the hero, tries so hard, and still Logan is hurting. Still it's not clear if they can make it work.
(My one mental health-related eye twitch, by the way, is the "therapy notes" interspersed throughout the book. They are 100% there because of plot and character and I recognize that, and probably no one will care but me. But no therapist keeps notes like that. Or they shouldn't. What if they're subpoenaed?? *hyperventilates in counselor ethics*)
The other super interesting thing about this book that I hope someone smarter than me eventually tackles is what it does around ideas of celebrity, parasocial relationships, and persona versus identity. There's a meta kind of feel to it (the AO3 bits are genius). It's also very aware of how it differs from a standard romance novel and explicitly questions whether those assumed story beats are right for all romances. There will be purists who disagree, but in my view this is definitely a romance novel.
For all this, Stars in Your Eyes is careful and compassionate. Even when Logan is being awful, even when you're screaming at Matt to gtfo, you feel for them. It will still not be right for some readers, and I encourage anyone for whom sexual abuse is a particular trigger to approach with caution. But I also think that for the right reader this book will hit all the right notes.
Overall rating: 4.5
Hannah Angst Scale rating: 3
Content notes: child sexual abuse (), emotionally abusive parent (), homophobic parent (Matt's dad stopped speaking to him when he came out), on page sexual assault (), victim blaming, homophobia, biphobia, Logan has CPTSD and experiences symptoms on page (dissociation, somatic symptoms, fight/flight/freeze response, anxiety attacks), depression, suicidal ideation, passive self-harm (), drug and alcohol use, cheating by MC (? - ), Logan has previously been to rehab, open door sex scenes
March 30, 2024
Some of the most one dimensional writing I've encountered in a book advertising itself for an adult readership. The lack of nuance is truly astounding. If this book wanted to be a romance it had to be longer, as written this is a hastily constructed contemporary novel that deals in cliche's instead of digging deep into the subject matter they decided to include. This is the third time I have attempted a book by Callender and this will also be my last.
June 19, 2023
Sweet, funny, sexy, moving - and really grappling with what it means to be a “Hollywood romance,” with all of the darkness that should imply.
I hadn’t read anything by Callender before, and I decided to read this thinking it would be light and fluffy - a palette cleanser. And it starts that way, but I think the book really shines in how Callender sets up two really fantastic main characters - Mattie is so *good* without ever feeling fake, and every bad decision Logan makes is heartbreaking because it’s so understandable - and then just follows things to their logical conclusion, even where I think a lot of authors might shy away from the realism. But I think the tone works *fantastically* - the way the story is framed by Mattie’s memoir (and Logan’s therapist’s notes, and… AO3 RPF) provides this safe little bubble where you know that no matter how bad it gets, things are going to work out (somehow!) in the long run.
It’s not quite perfect from a writing perspective - with all the costars and agents and managers and movie characters, there are a few too many generically-named side characters - but it reads like Callender looked at the movie star/fake dating trope and thought “huh, wonder if I can take that apart and put it back together again in the space of 350 pages.” They can!
CW for on-page attempted rape and description of revenge porn and references to the rape/sexual abuse of a child.
I hadn’t read anything by Callender before, and I decided to read this thinking it would be light and fluffy - a palette cleanser. And it starts that way, but I think the book really shines in how Callender sets up two really fantastic main characters - Mattie is so *good* without ever feeling fake, and every bad decision Logan makes is heartbreaking because it’s so understandable - and then just follows things to their logical conclusion, even where I think a lot of authors might shy away from the realism. But I think the tone works *fantastically* - the way the story is framed by Mattie’s memoir (and Logan’s therapist’s notes, and… AO3 RPF) provides this safe little bubble where you know that no matter how bad it gets, things are going to work out (somehow!) in the long run.
It’s not quite perfect from a writing perspective - with all the costars and agents and managers and movie characters, there are a few too many generically-named side characters - but it reads like Callender looked at the movie star/fake dating trope and thought “huh, wonder if I can take that apart and put it back together again in the space of 350 pages.” They can!
CW for on-page attempted rape and description of revenge porn and references to the rape/sexual abuse of a child.
June 25, 2023
I'm just sitting here staring at a white screen because I just don't really know what to say. This book has left me so full of thoughts and feelings, and utterly speechless at the same time. I can already tell it's made a lasting impression on me, and it's the best adult romance I've read so far this year. I might even go as far as saying it's my favourite Kacen Callender book (although that does make me want to apologize to Felix Ever After immediately).
This is a very emotional story, with a focus on healing and learning to love and accept yourself even more than on the romance. In the first half I already expected this to be a 5 star read, but the second half really cemented it as an all-time favourite for me, and I thought it was all so beautifully and thoughtfully done. I came to love both of these characters so much, and it was amazing to see how they brought out the best in each other. Mattie learned to overcome his feelings of shame, and to fully accept himself. Logan learned that he is worthy of love, and that he deserves to feel safe, and to work on healing.
This is a very emotional story, with a focus on healing and learning to love and accept yourself even more than on the romance. In the first half I already expected this to be a 5 star read, but the second half really cemented it as an all-time favourite for me, and I thought it was all so beautifully and thoughtfully done. I came to love both of these characters so much, and it was amazing to see how they brought out the best in each other. Mattie learned to overcome his feelings of shame, and to fully accept himself. Logan learned that he is worthy of love, and that he deserves to feel safe, and to work on healing.
June 8, 2024
While Stars In Your Eyes is a romance, it’s definitely NOT a rom-com. The story explores the lives of two young actors, one gay and one bisexual, who are thrown together as leads on a rom-com film. The publicity team decides they should fake a relationship, even though one (Logan) has disparaged the talent of the other (Mattie).
Logan is regarded as a “bad boy” in Hollywood but he’s a really good actor. Mattie is fairly new in Hollywood and is regarded as a “golden boy”. Logan has a really hurtful past and this affects him in so many ways. Mattie is filled with anxiety and, due to his upbringing, he feels shame over being gay.
Chapters are told from either Mattie or Logan’s POV plus snippets of others, such as social media posts, notes from a psychiatrist/psychologist, media articles, fan fiction, etc. It took me a little while to “get into” this book, partly due to all the snippets, but once I got past those issues, I was sucked into these guy’s lives. Logan, especially, has a horrific backstory and it has shaped how he deals with pretty much everything. Mattie begins to see past Logan’s public persona when he witnesses Logan being gracious with an assistant who spilled coffee on him, rather than the screaming Mattie had expected. In addition to the ups and downs in their relationship, this book exposes the pressure that celebrity can bring (cameras everywhere) and how the public can be purposely fooled by the film/TV industry with these fake relationships.
I was lucky enough to get my hands on both the digital book and the audiobook, and I loved the audio, as it is performed by a full cast.
(Note about the cover: I don’t think it does justice to the story. It shows a young man of indeterminate ethnicity - but basically white - in sunglasses. That’s it. The two leads are of mixed race and identify as black, so why not show that on the cover?)
From the author: Stars in Your Eyes is a deeply personal story that explores trauma's effects on relationships. While there is ultimately healing, hope, joy, and love, there is also content that might trigger some readers, including: mentions of past childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault, bullying and harassment online, suicidal thoughts, homophobia and biphobia, parental rejection and verbal abuse, and mentions of potential overdose.
From me: there are also a number of explicit scenes, so be aware of that also.
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the opportunity to read and listen to a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
Logan is regarded as a “bad boy” in Hollywood but he’s a really good actor. Mattie is fairly new in Hollywood and is regarded as a “golden boy”. Logan has a really hurtful past and this affects him in so many ways. Mattie is filled with anxiety and, due to his upbringing, he feels shame over being gay.
Chapters are told from either Mattie or Logan’s POV plus snippets of others, such as social media posts, notes from a psychiatrist/psychologist, media articles, fan fiction, etc. It took me a little while to “get into” this book, partly due to all the snippets, but once I got past those issues, I was sucked into these guy’s lives. Logan, especially, has a horrific backstory and it has shaped how he deals with pretty much everything. Mattie begins to see past Logan’s public persona when he witnesses Logan being gracious with an assistant who spilled coffee on him, rather than the screaming Mattie had expected. In addition to the ups and downs in their relationship, this book exposes the pressure that celebrity can bring (cameras everywhere) and how the public can be purposely fooled by the film/TV industry with these fake relationships.
I was lucky enough to get my hands on both the digital book and the audiobook, and I loved the audio, as it is performed by a full cast.
(Note about the cover: I don’t think it does justice to the story. It shows a young man of indeterminate ethnicity - but basically white - in sunglasses. That’s it. The two leads are of mixed race and identify as black, so why not show that on the cover?)
From the author: Stars in Your Eyes is a deeply personal story that explores trauma's effects on relationships. While there is ultimately healing, hope, joy, and love, there is also content that might trigger some readers, including: mentions of past childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault, bullying and harassment online, suicidal thoughts, homophobia and biphobia, parental rejection and verbal abuse, and mentions of potential overdose.
From me: there are also a number of explicit scenes, so be aware of that also.
Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the opportunity to read and listen to a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
October 2, 2023
When I hear Hollywood, co-stars filming a queer romcom, and fake dating I definitely imagine a romance on the fun, fluffy, or steamy side of things. While there are cute and spicy moments within Stars in Your Eyes, that’s not the majority of what this book is. A large part of the story is about how trauma continues to impact people throughout their lives and affects their relationships. I ended up really connecting with Mattie, Logan, their romance, and their own personal journeys. But I definitely think it’s important for people to understand what they’re getting into with this book, it’s heavy.
I appreciated the commentary on Hollywood that was present in the book. Mattie and Logan are both Black, colorism is talked about in relation to their ability to get roles since they have lighter skin. The ways that fans and the general public attack celebrities is also brought up. Sexual abuse in Hollywood comes up through Logan’s story, the impacts of past sexual abuse and learning how to get help is a large part of the plot.
The connection between Mattie and Logan becomes really beautiful throughout the book. It’s not an easy journey. They don’t start out on the right foot and a lot of mistakes are made along the way. I liked that the message of the book was that one person or a romance is not going to save/fix the other person.
I’ve previously read YA and middle grade titles from Kacen Callender, so it was cool to read an adult book from them. I’d definitely be interested in reading more adult romances from them in the future. Stars in Your Eyes had a very different feeling then I’m used to in the romance novels I typically read.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I appreciated the commentary on Hollywood that was present in the book. Mattie and Logan are both Black, colorism is talked about in relation to their ability to get roles since they have lighter skin. The ways that fans and the general public attack celebrities is also brought up. Sexual abuse in Hollywood comes up through Logan’s story, the impacts of past sexual abuse and learning how to get help is a large part of the plot.
The connection between Mattie and Logan becomes really beautiful throughout the book. It’s not an easy journey. They don’t start out on the right foot and a lot of mistakes are made along the way. I liked that the message of the book was that one person or a romance is not going to save/fix the other person.
I’ve previously read YA and middle grade titles from Kacen Callender, so it was cool to read an adult book from them. I’d definitely be interested in reading more adult romances from them in the future. Stars in Your Eyes had a very different feeling then I’m used to in the romance novels I typically read.
Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 2, 2024
One of the most beautiful books I've ever read.
It will stay with me for a while, and I'm obviously going to reread it in the future (after writing this review I'm going to reread the last chapters. I need to).
This is going to be a very hard review to write because I already know I won't be able to do this book justice. I'll try to list the things that impressed me most, and I hope it won't be too much of a mess (as my thoughts are at the moment).
Where to start.
The writing. It was compelling, the storyline drew me in. I didn't want to let go and when nearing the end, I kept checking how many chapters were left, just to be sure the author would have had enough time to give me some closure. And they did... in a way that felt believable and true to the characters.
The characters. The main characters Logan and Mattie stole my heart, broke it, smashed it to pieces really, and than glued it carefully together again. I loved and hated to be in their head (the story is told in alterning pov, first person present tense) because both povs were written with so much care I felt deeply with them, and subsequently I felt their love and pain. Although I usually don't like books that have snippets of online articles and video summaries thrown in between chapters, here I was very grateful for them, as they acted a few times as kind of a heads up for what was to come, and when the storyline went there I wasn't as devastated as I could have been.
Needles to say that I loved Mattie and Logan. Mattie because of his actions, but Logan despite of his actions. If I had to choose, Logan would be the character I cared for (and loved) the most. I hated how they both were treated sometimes, how vulnerable they were (again, espescially Logan). I won't even address Logan's family (too painful to go there) but I have to mention how disappointed I was with Mattie's mom. Obviously his father's behaviour was worse (not even talking to Mattie) but how Mattie just accepted that she never stood up for Mattie and stayed with his father was shameful.
I won't go into details about the storyline. It was done in a very balanced way, showing the good and the ugly. Sadly there was very much of the ugly, much more than I usually look for in books. It had to be there, though, to make the storyline work.
I appreciated how the author took care with their characters, and let them heal and find their way.
During the whole book I was skeptical how/if the author would write an ending that would manage to give me closure and maybe even a bit of hope. They surpassed all my expectations, though. The ending stayed true to what was possible in terms of healing. It satisfied my need to see both Mattie and Logan safe and content. And although I didn't dare hoping for it, the ending was what my romance-addicted heart was longing for, while staying true to the story's topics.
Now I'll go back to reread the last chapters, I feel I need the assurance how it all played out in the end.
Please be aware of the trigger warnings (from the author's note at the beginning of the book):
mentions of past childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault, bullying and harassment online, suicidal thoughts, homophobia and biphobia, parental rejection and verbal abuse, and mentions of potential overdose.
It will stay with me for a while, and I'm obviously going to reread it in the future (after writing this review I'm going to reread the last chapters. I need to).
This is going to be a very hard review to write because I already know I won't be able to do this book justice. I'll try to list the things that impressed me most, and I hope it won't be too much of a mess (as my thoughts are at the moment).
Where to start.
The writing. It was compelling, the storyline drew me in. I didn't want to let go and when nearing the end, I kept checking how many chapters were left, just to be sure the author would have had enough time to give me some closure. And they did... in a way that felt believable and true to the characters.
The characters. The main characters Logan and Mattie stole my heart, broke it, smashed it to pieces really, and than glued it carefully together again. I loved and hated to be in their head (the story is told in alterning pov, first person present tense) because both povs were written with so much care I felt deeply with them, and subsequently I felt their love and pain. Although I usually don't like books that have snippets of online articles and video summaries thrown in between chapters, here I was very grateful for them, as they acted a few times as kind of a heads up for what was to come, and when the storyline went there I wasn't as devastated as I could have been.
Needles to say that I loved Mattie and Logan. Mattie because of his actions, but Logan despite of his actions. If I had to choose, Logan would be the character I cared for (and loved) the most. I hated how they both were treated sometimes, how vulnerable they were (again, espescially Logan). I won't even address Logan's family (too painful to go there) but I have to mention how disappointed I was with Mattie's mom. Obviously his father's behaviour was worse (not even talking to Mattie) but how Mattie just accepted that she never stood up for Mattie and stayed with his father was shameful.
I won't go into details about the storyline. It was done in a very balanced way, showing the good and the ugly. Sadly there was very much of the ugly, much more than I usually look for in books. It had to be there, though, to make the storyline work.
I appreciated how the author took care with their characters, and let them heal and find their way.
During the whole book I was skeptical how/if the author would write an ending that would manage to give me closure and maybe even a bit of hope. They surpassed all my expectations, though. The ending stayed true to what was possible in terms of healing. It satisfied my need to see both Mattie and Logan safe and content. And although I didn't dare hoping for it, the ending was what my romance-addicted heart was longing for, while staying true to the story's topics.
Now I'll go back to reread the last chapters, I feel I need the assurance how it all played out in the end.
Please be aware of the trigger warnings (from the author's note at the beginning of the book):
mentions of past childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault, bullying and harassment online, suicidal thoughts, homophobia and biphobia, parental rejection and verbal abuse, and mentions of potential overdose.
November 21, 2023
Another queer fake-dating story, and another two-star review from yours truly. And the fact that, yet again, this is coming after having really loved another book by the author, despite a rocky start with their works, is just a little too weird and eerie. But I digress.
Initially I couldn't believe this was written by the same author that destroyed me with FELIX EVER AFTER. And then I remembered I had read THIS IS KIND OF AN EPIC LOVE STORY and gave it one star so, I mean.. I guess it makes sense. But this wasn't bad in that kind of way, it was just not what I expected.
Mostly, and I think what was the main villain here, was the writing. This was so stilted and awkward and I don't just mean the moments where things either turn into a "listened to a therapy and trauma podcast TedTalk" manual, though those sure didn't help either (please note, this story deals with a variety of potentially triggering topics so please seek these out if you think you have need of content warnings). Everything about these characters was at arm's length and that made it so hard to connect with Logan, in particular, because this was a character who had been through some absolutely horrible traumatic things and was rightly so completely fucked up by it and so, naturally, did plenty of fucked up things. He ended up feeling so one-dimensional, despite everything that would otherwise give him layers and complexity and emotional depth, and the same too was true of Mattie. While he didn't have the same level of trauma he had hurts that had forced him into a certain box and yet.. again, nothing. So flat.
Equally flat was the romance and the build-up and any attempt to sell their real-life chemistry outside of the forcing-the-chemistry for the movie and press shtick.
A book that should've drop kicked me in my feels was just.. dull. Even when I tried to force myself to feel things, to lean into the moments when the author tried really hard to sell a moment, I couldn't connect. I am hella bummed because stories like this, what is at the heart of this at least, are really important.
Also the random inserts, ranging from fanfic to tabloid to weird vlogging updates, were really not helping matters.
All this to say.. I haven't given up on the author. I think they said a lot of things in here, including valid criticisms on a variety of topics, but this will not make any memorable reading lists like I rather expected it to ala FELIX EVER AFTER. But what do I know; my flist is full of top marks and it has all the makings of a winner -- fake dating, Hollywood types and various antics, trauma recovery and healing, and so much more. So maybe, once again, it's just me.
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
Initially I couldn't believe this was written by the same author that destroyed me with FELIX EVER AFTER. And then I remembered I had read THIS IS KIND OF AN EPIC LOVE STORY and gave it one star so, I mean.. I guess it makes sense. But this wasn't bad in that kind of way, it was just not what I expected.
Mostly, and I think what was the main villain here, was the writing. This was so stilted and awkward and I don't just mean the moments where things either turn into a "listened to a therapy and trauma podcast TedTalk" manual, though those sure didn't help either (please note, this story deals with a variety of potentially triggering topics so please seek these out if you think you have need of content warnings). Everything about these characters was at arm's length and that made it so hard to connect with Logan, in particular, because this was a character who had been through some absolutely horrible traumatic things and was rightly so completely fucked up by it and so, naturally, did plenty of fucked up things. He ended up feeling so one-dimensional, despite everything that would otherwise give him layers and complexity and emotional depth, and the same too was true of Mattie. While he didn't have the same level of trauma he had hurts that had forced him into a certain box and yet.. again, nothing. So flat.
Equally flat was the romance and the build-up and any attempt to sell their real-life chemistry outside of the forcing-the-chemistry for the movie and press shtick.
A book that should've drop kicked me in my feels was just.. dull. Even when I tried to force myself to feel things, to lean into the moments when the author tried really hard to sell a moment, I couldn't connect. I am hella bummed because stories like this, what is at the heart of this at least, are really important.
Also the random inserts, ranging from fanfic to tabloid to weird vlogging updates, were really not helping matters.
All this to say.. I haven't given up on the author. I think they said a lot of things in here, including valid criticisms on a variety of topics, but this will not make any memorable reading lists like I rather expected it to ala FELIX EVER AFTER. But what do I know; my flist is full of top marks and it has all the makings of a winner -- fake dating, Hollywood types and various antics, trauma recovery and healing, and so much more. So maybe, once again, it's just me.
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
November 10, 2023
Thank you to Libro.fm and Forever for the complimentary audiobook listening copy in exchange for an honest review.
I love what this does. Stars in Your Eyes is a messy, heartfelt, terrifyingly real novel. It's a book about love — falling in love, feeling worthy of love, and knowing when to let love go — but it is not a romcom.
Stars in Your Eyes follows Logan Gray, Hollywood's certified bad boy, and Mattie Cole, up-and-coming golden boy. They are cast as leads in an upcoming romance movie, and after a series of media disasters, Logan and Mattie are convinced to start fake dating to create positive buzz.
I'm a huge fan of full-cast narrations of audiobooks and in the case of Stars the variety in the recording cast beautifully characterized each character. While in the beginning, I was a little confused by the format (having gone into the book without knowing its premise), once I caught on it felt so cool to be a part of such a living story. The book uses gossip columns, production schedules, clips from a memoir, fanfiction, and other media to supplement the story. It heightened my emotions, and more than once made me actually laugh out loud (looking at you, omegaverse fanfiction). And yeah, I did tear up at the end.
I loved how Logan and Mattie interacted, even in the most frustrating scenes. They had great chemistry and it never took away from their complexity. Their relationship is hard to read about, but it is also captivating. I stand by the fact that this story is personal and it is one that needs to be shared.
Stars in Your Eyes is an important story to tell, and the ways it tackles trauma from sexual abuse, internalized homophobia, and recovery from both is timely and authentic. The stakes are high in this book and while it is stressful, it's the way the story had to be. My heart was broken and carefully, slowly, impossibly stitched back together.
Definitely check out the trigger warnings (below) before reading, but I hope you consider picking it up. When you do, you're in for quite the journey.
Trigger Warnings: past childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault, suicidal thoughts, online harassment, verbal abuse, homophobia and biphobia, discussion of racism and colorism, parental rejection
I love what this does. Stars in Your Eyes is a messy, heartfelt, terrifyingly real novel. It's a book about love — falling in love, feeling worthy of love, and knowing when to let love go — but it is not a romcom.
Stars in Your Eyes follows Logan Gray, Hollywood's certified bad boy, and Mattie Cole, up-and-coming golden boy. They are cast as leads in an upcoming romance movie, and after a series of media disasters, Logan and Mattie are convinced to start fake dating to create positive buzz.
I'm a huge fan of full-cast narrations of audiobooks and in the case of Stars the variety in the recording cast beautifully characterized each character. While in the beginning, I was a little confused by the format (having gone into the book without knowing its premise), once I caught on it felt so cool to be a part of such a living story. The book uses gossip columns, production schedules, clips from a memoir, fanfiction, and other media to supplement the story. It heightened my emotions, and more than once made me actually laugh out loud (looking at you, omegaverse fanfiction). And yeah, I did tear up at the end.
I loved how Logan and Mattie interacted, even in the most frustrating scenes. They had great chemistry and it never took away from their complexity. Their relationship is hard to read about, but it is also captivating. I stand by the fact that this story is personal and it is one that needs to be shared.
Stars in Your Eyes is an important story to tell, and the ways it tackles trauma from sexual abuse, internalized homophobia, and recovery from both is timely and authentic. The stakes are high in this book and while it is stressful, it's the way the story had to be. My heart was broken and carefully, slowly, impossibly stitched back together.
Definitely check out the trigger warnings (below) before reading, but I hope you consider picking it up. When you do, you're in for quite the journey.
Trigger Warnings: past childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault, suicidal thoughts, online harassment, verbal abuse, homophobia and biphobia, discussion of racism and colorism, parental rejection
November 16, 2023
I've given this a C+ at AAR, 3.5 stars
All I knew about Kacen Callender’s Stars in Your Eyes when I picked it up for review was that it’s a celebrity fake-dating romance between a troubled bad-boy actor and his more likeable, sunny-natured co-star. Having enjoyed Ava Wilder’s How to Fake It in Hollywood – a deeply emotional, character-driven romance featuring complex, flawed but likeable characters – I’d hoped to find more of the same in Stars in Your Eyes, but unfortunately, the similarities between the two novels begin and end with the use of the celebrity fake dating trope.
Former child star Logan Gray has been acting since he was seven-years-old. Hugely talented – and hugely fucked up – he’s the quintessential Hollywood bad boy, complete with sex tapes on the internet, a drug and alcohol habit (he’s been to rehab twice), and a terrible attitude; he’s rude, he’s mean and basically doesn’t give a shit about anyone or anything, and his career is on the verge of tanking. His role as the lead character in the queer romcom Write Anything is the last ditch effort to save his career – although really, he’s not sure he wants to save it. But acting is all he’s ever known and he isn’t ready to think about what it would mean for him to leave it all behind.
Mattie Cole has always dreamed of being an actor, and is excited at being cast in his first big role – opposite Logan Gray, no less. That Logan badmouthed him in an interview just a few weeks before rehearsals are due to begin (calling him talentless) rankles, of course, but Mattie tries hard to get past it and focus on the job at hand. It’s not made any easier when Logan is no more pleasant to him to his face.
Another scandal before filming begins has the movie execs leaping into damage limitation mode. There are already calls for Logan to be dropped from the project and concerns that Write Anything is becoming a joke, so they come up with the idea that Logan and Mattie should pretend to be a couple. The public loves Mattie – he’s cute and has that “Southern charm thing going on” and the PR team think Logan ‘dating’ him will show the public that Logan is changing his ways. Mattie’s agent points out that it could go the other way, that Logan’s image will taint the public’s view of Mattie – but in the end, Mattie agrees to go along with it. This film is important to his career, and without Logan on board, it might not happen.
The plot progresses fairly predictably, but the romance happens very quickly and there’s little real chemistry between Logan and Mattie; even when we do get to see them spending time together and getting to know each other (and even though they do have sex) there’s no real sense of attraction or emotional connection between them. There are reasons for that – Logan has serious mental health issues (the book has TWs for childhood sexual abuse among other things) and spends the majority of the book trying to numb himself to them by being the selfish arsehole so many people believe him to be, because it’s one of his coping mechanisms (drugs, booze and meaningless sex being the others). So it didn’t really dawn on me until I was over half way through that this is yet another of those books that is being marketed as a romance when it isn’t one. The blurb promises a beautifully tender story of two grumpy/sunshine, fake-dating actors navigating their love story both on and offscreen and says they must fight for their relationship and their love – but what this book actually is, is a story about two young men who have experienced differing degrees of trauma, trying to come to terms with it – or not, in Logan’s case – while working in an incredibly demanding industry and being in a media goldfish bowl where their lives are not their own. The story deals with some very difficult subjects in a respectful and sensitive way, and when the extent of what Logan has been through is revealed, it’s horrifying. It’s clear from the beginning that he has some serious issues, that he has pretty much bought into the public’s view of him as a truly unpleasant, despicable person, and doesn’t believe someone as disgusting as he is deserves any sympathy or to be given the benefit of the doubt. People want the bad boy, they love to believe that’s who he is, so that’s who he gives them.
Mattie realises quite quickly that there’s more to Logan than meets the eye, and that no-one around him has ever bothered to ask if he’s okay. Although Logan is often just as shitty to him as he is to everyone else, Mattie genuinely does want to help him, to be there for him and to support him. But it’s hard to do that with someone who doesn’t want to be helped or won’t take that first step to help themselves. And while Logan does, deep down, know he needs help, his demons keep telling him he’s such a piece of shit, he doesn’t deserve it.
My problem with Stars in Your Eyes isn’t really with the story – because despite the lacklustre romance, it does pack an emotional punch – it’s with the execution. Kacen Callender is a new-to-me author who has written a number of books for children and young adults, and this is billed as his first adult story – but honestly, it feels very YA, despite the ages of the leads (early twenties) and the presence of a few sex scenes. It’s very… earnest, and, dare I say, preachy at times, and everything – thoughts, feelings and motivations – is explained to death. Most of the dialogue between Logan and Mattie doesn’t sound like the sort of thing anyone would actually say outside a therapist’s office – it’s clinical and kind of ‘therapy-speak’ – and at other times it’s very simplistic.
The characterisation isn’t great, either. While I absolutely understand why Logan is the way he is, and why he’s allowed himself to absorb so much negativity, it seems as though that is his entire personality. And Mattie, while sweet, is just too good to be true. He has issues of his own he’s not dealing with; he comes from a very traditional Black Christian family in Georgia, and his father has never accepted that Mattie is gay. Even years after he came out and although he’s had plenty of sex with men, Mattie is still not able to let go of the shame and internalised homophobia his father’s attitude towards him has fostered, and he knows that his desire for perfection stems from his need to prove he’s worthy of love. I did enjoy watching him working through it all and finding himself by the end of the book, seeing the transition between the fresh-faced newcomer and the more settled individual who has grown into the man he’s supposed to be.
I also had a problem with the structure. On the one hand, I liked that the author has incorporated things like vlog scripts, therapy notes, blog articles, social media posts, interviews and some truly dreadful-on-purpose RPF fanfic – but the downside to that is that it makes for a choppy read, especially in the first half of the book, when I was just getting to know the characters and their situation. The chapters are fairly short anyway, and the constant interruptions were frustrating.
There is also one really strange storytelling decision at the seventy-five percent mark that I’m going to put under a spoiler tag:
And the ending is rushed. There are big time jumps and it’s all telling rather than showing and feels almost as though the HEA is there only because it’s needed for it to fit the genre expectations.
Ultimately, Stars in Your Eyes is a hard book to rate. I hesitate to recommend it to romance readers because it really isn’t one – it’s stuck in that same limbo that so many m/f romances are in right now, of being a mix of romance and women’s fiction which doesn’t quite work for either audience (too much romance for some, too little for others). As a look at the way Hollywood chews people up and spits them out, at the way media and social media is so intrusive, and an exploration of response to trauma, it has some very pertinent things to say. But neither the romance nor the execution worked for me, so I’m going with a middling grade.
Note: This book contains references to childhood sexual abuse, drug use, suicidal ideation, and one scene of attempted sexual assault. (Full list of TWs can be found using Amazon’s “Look Inside” feature.)
This review originally appeared at All
All I knew about Kacen Callender’s Stars in Your Eyes when I picked it up for review was that it’s a celebrity fake-dating romance between a troubled bad-boy actor and his more likeable, sunny-natured co-star. Having enjoyed Ava Wilder’s How to Fake It in Hollywood – a deeply emotional, character-driven romance featuring complex, flawed but likeable characters – I’d hoped to find more of the same in Stars in Your Eyes, but unfortunately, the similarities between the two novels begin and end with the use of the celebrity fake dating trope.
Former child star Logan Gray has been acting since he was seven-years-old. Hugely talented – and hugely fucked up – he’s the quintessential Hollywood bad boy, complete with sex tapes on the internet, a drug and alcohol habit (he’s been to rehab twice), and a terrible attitude; he’s rude, he’s mean and basically doesn’t give a shit about anyone or anything, and his career is on the verge of tanking. His role as the lead character in the queer romcom Write Anything is the last ditch effort to save his career – although really, he’s not sure he wants to save it. But acting is all he’s ever known and he isn’t ready to think about what it would mean for him to leave it all behind.
Mattie Cole has always dreamed of being an actor, and is excited at being cast in his first big role – opposite Logan Gray, no less. That Logan badmouthed him in an interview just a few weeks before rehearsals are due to begin (calling him talentless) rankles, of course, but Mattie tries hard to get past it and focus on the job at hand. It’s not made any easier when Logan is no more pleasant to him to his face.
Another scandal before filming begins has the movie execs leaping into damage limitation mode. There are already calls for Logan to be dropped from the project and concerns that Write Anything is becoming a joke, so they come up with the idea that Logan and Mattie should pretend to be a couple. The public loves Mattie – he’s cute and has that “Southern charm thing going on” and the PR team think Logan ‘dating’ him will show the public that Logan is changing his ways. Mattie’s agent points out that it could go the other way, that Logan’s image will taint the public’s view of Mattie – but in the end, Mattie agrees to go along with it. This film is important to his career, and without Logan on board, it might not happen.
The plot progresses fairly predictably, but the romance happens very quickly and there’s little real chemistry between Logan and Mattie; even when we do get to see them spending time together and getting to know each other (and even though they do have sex) there’s no real sense of attraction or emotional connection between them. There are reasons for that – Logan has serious mental health issues (the book has TWs for childhood sexual abuse among other things) and spends the majority of the book trying to numb himself to them by being the selfish arsehole so many people believe him to be, because it’s one of his coping mechanisms (drugs, booze and meaningless sex being the others). So it didn’t really dawn on me until I was over half way through that this is yet another of those books that is being marketed as a romance when it isn’t one. The blurb promises a beautifully tender story of two grumpy/sunshine, fake-dating actors navigating their love story both on and offscreen and says they must fight for their relationship and their love – but what this book actually is, is a story about two young men who have experienced differing degrees of trauma, trying to come to terms with it – or not, in Logan’s case – while working in an incredibly demanding industry and being in a media goldfish bowl where their lives are not their own. The story deals with some very difficult subjects in a respectful and sensitive way, and when the extent of what Logan has been through is revealed, it’s horrifying. It’s clear from the beginning that he has some serious issues, that he has pretty much bought into the public’s view of him as a truly unpleasant, despicable person, and doesn’t believe someone as disgusting as he is deserves any sympathy or to be given the benefit of the doubt. People want the bad boy, they love to believe that’s who he is, so that’s who he gives them.
Mattie realises quite quickly that there’s more to Logan than meets the eye, and that no-one around him has ever bothered to ask if he’s okay. Although Logan is often just as shitty to him as he is to everyone else, Mattie genuinely does want to help him, to be there for him and to support him. But it’s hard to do that with someone who doesn’t want to be helped or won’t take that first step to help themselves. And while Logan does, deep down, know he needs help, his demons keep telling him he’s such a piece of shit, he doesn’t deserve it.
My problem with Stars in Your Eyes isn’t really with the story – because despite the lacklustre romance, it does pack an emotional punch – it’s with the execution. Kacen Callender is a new-to-me author who has written a number of books for children and young adults, and this is billed as his first adult story – but honestly, it feels very YA, despite the ages of the leads (early twenties) and the presence of a few sex scenes. It’s very… earnest, and, dare I say, preachy at times, and everything – thoughts, feelings and motivations – is explained to death. Most of the dialogue between Logan and Mattie doesn’t sound like the sort of thing anyone would actually say outside a therapist’s office – it’s clinical and kind of ‘therapy-speak’ – and at other times it’s very simplistic.
The characterisation isn’t great, either. While I absolutely understand why Logan is the way he is, and why he’s allowed himself to absorb so much negativity, it seems as though that is his entire personality. And Mattie, while sweet, is just too good to be true. He has issues of his own he’s not dealing with; he comes from a very traditional Black Christian family in Georgia, and his father has never accepted that Mattie is gay. Even years after he came out and although he’s had plenty of sex with men, Mattie is still not able to let go of the shame and internalised homophobia his father’s attitude towards him has fostered, and he knows that his desire for perfection stems from his need to prove he’s worthy of love. I did enjoy watching him working through it all and finding himself by the end of the book, seeing the transition between the fresh-faced newcomer and the more settled individual who has grown into the man he’s supposed to be.
I also had a problem with the structure. On the one hand, I liked that the author has incorporated things like vlog scripts, therapy notes, blog articles, social media posts, interviews and some truly dreadful-on-purpose RPF fanfic – but the downside to that is that it makes for a choppy read, especially in the first half of the book, when I was just getting to know the characters and their situation. The chapters are fairly short anyway, and the constant interruptions were frustrating.
There is also one really strange storytelling decision at the seventy-five percent mark that I’m going to put under a spoiler tag:
And the ending is rushed. There are big time jumps and it’s all telling rather than showing and feels almost as though the HEA is there only because it’s needed for it to fit the genre expectations.
Ultimately, Stars in Your Eyes is a hard book to rate. I hesitate to recommend it to romance readers because it really isn’t one – it’s stuck in that same limbo that so many m/f romances are in right now, of being a mix of romance and women’s fiction which doesn’t quite work for either audience (too much romance for some, too little for others). As a look at the way Hollywood chews people up and spits them out, at the way media and social media is so intrusive, and an exploration of response to trauma, it has some very pertinent things to say. But neither the romance nor the execution worked for me, so I’m going with a middling grade.
Note: This book contains references to childhood sexual abuse, drug use, suicidal ideation, and one scene of attempted sexual assault. (Full list of TWs can be found using Amazon’s “Look Inside” feature.)
This review originally appeared at All
October 5, 2023
The news today can focus heavily on entertainment relationships. Are you following Britney’s latest high jinx? Do you care about Taylor Swift or Timothée Chalamet’s relationships? Do you have TMZ, Page Six or Daily Mail bookmarked? Then Kacen Callender’s new novel, Stars in Your Eyes, might be perfect for you. It’s about a new Hollywood “it” couple, Matthew Cole and Logan Gray. A fake dating trope that turns into real romance with some spice. Please note the content warnings. “Stars in Your Eyes is a deeply personal story that explores trauma’s effects on relationships. While there is ultimately healing, hope, joy, and love, there is also content that might trigger some readers, including: mentions of past childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault, bullying and harassment online, suicidal thoughts, homophobia and biphobia, parental rejection and verbal abuse, and mentions of potential overdose.” What if your fake dating scam for publicity was revealed? What if a photo of a kiss with your ex-boyfriend turned up in the tabloids? When you’re in the public eye, everyone has opinions and they are not afraid to share them. Thanks to Kacen Callender, Forever/ Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 3, 2024
A moving contemporary romance that grapples with trauma and the way it changes us and impacts our relationships. Actors Logan and Mattie get off to a rough start but it’s not long before they’re consigned to have a fake relationship in order to provide the movie they’re working on with positive publicity. While the two couldn’t be more opposite, a connection is there, even if Logan initially wants to deny it. They decide to try to be friends, mostly because Mattie is unfailingly kind and because he starts to think there’s more to Logan than his bad behavior.
Logan is the embodiment of “hurt people hurt people.” He copes with his past trauma (see the CWs below) by abusing drugs and alcohol and having rough sex or sex that he doesn’t necessarily want to have. He’s never talked to anyone about what happened. He doesn’t have anyone in his life who truly cares about him. He’s caught in a cycle of pushing people away before they can hurt or reject him. As much as he’s drawn to Mattie and wants to believe he’s different from everyone else, it’s scary as hell to even try to trust someone, much less try to have a real romantic relationship.
Mattie wants to be there for Logan but he can see how easily he could lose himself while trying to save someone who needs to save themself. He makes promises he shouldn’t and has difficulty figuring out where the boundaries should be. One area where he does excel is consent. At first, this weirds Logan out. He’s never been asked to consent before or had a partner who kept checking in to make sure he’s really into whatever they’re doing. This in turn makes him see his trauma—and how badly people let him down—in a new light.
Mattie and Logan are constantly one step forward, two steps back, all while the press and their coworkers react to the news of their “fake” relationship as it becomes real. Everyone wants to warn Mattie away from Logan because of his reputation. There is a good guy in there though and their conversations give Mattie hope. Until it all falls apart.
It’s one of the best explorations of trauma from both sides and a hell of a thesis statement about the way someone with trauma deserves to be loved, regardless of it not being the linear process so often depicted in romance. Witness this late-in-the-book excerpt from Mattie’s memoir. He wrote, “Audiences expect a holding-hands-into-the-sunset, sparkly fireworks, wedding-bells sort of happily ever afters. A part of me resents this. I’ve come to think that real people with trauma might just begin to believe that love isn’t meant for them. Their stories don’t look like the romances we see on bookshelves and screens. Some would argue that a story that focuses on a person’s pain isn’t even a true romance.”
As much as I loved watching Logan and Mattie fall for each other, the way their relationship falls apart is where the story truly shines. It was a beautiful reflection of how far they’ve come and it gave me hope for both of them individually and as a couple. I only wish
There are some fun epistolary elements rounding out the story, from AO3 cringe to entertainment site articles. There are also completely inaccurate therapy notes, which do provide good context for Logan in treatment but therapists should not write notes like that in real life. Egads.
I’m so impressed with Kacen Callender’s foray into romance. I can’t wait to see what they do next.
Characters: Logan is a 24 year old bisexual mixed race (Black and white) actor. Mattie is a 23 year old 5’6 sober gay Black actor. This is set in LA and NYC.
Content notes: attempted rape and victim-blaming , CPTSD, dissociation, suicidal ideation, depression, past child sexual abuse , past ephebophilia , past image-based sexual abuse (leaked sex tape), substance and alcohol abuse, past rehabilitation stay for substance abuse, verbal abuse by Logan’s father, internet harassment including instruction to die by suicide, perceived and real infidelity , driving under the influence, physical assault, biphobia, homophobia (including rejection by Mattie’s father), internalized homophobia, acknowledgment of colorism, industry racism, rehabilitation stay for mental health, past parental depression (Logan’s mom), past film role of son whose dad dies by suicide, Hollywood diet (acknowledgment of fatphobic industry), past parental divorce, on page sex, power exchange, bondage, gag, alcohol, inebriation, hangover, sober MC (Mattie doesn’t like the taste of alcohol), gendered pejoratives, ableist language, mention of Mattie’s dad having a cancer scare (benign)
Logan is the embodiment of “hurt people hurt people.” He copes with his past trauma (see the CWs below) by abusing drugs and alcohol and having rough sex or sex that he doesn’t necessarily want to have. He’s never talked to anyone about what happened. He doesn’t have anyone in his life who truly cares about him. He’s caught in a cycle of pushing people away before they can hurt or reject him. As much as he’s drawn to Mattie and wants to believe he’s different from everyone else, it’s scary as hell to even try to trust someone, much less try to have a real romantic relationship.
Mattie wants to be there for Logan but he can see how easily he could lose himself while trying to save someone who needs to save themself. He makes promises he shouldn’t and has difficulty figuring out where the boundaries should be. One area where he does excel is consent. At first, this weirds Logan out. He’s never been asked to consent before or had a partner who kept checking in to make sure he’s really into whatever they’re doing. This in turn makes him see his trauma—and how badly people let him down—in a new light.
Mattie and Logan are constantly one step forward, two steps back, all while the press and their coworkers react to the news of their “fake” relationship as it becomes real. Everyone wants to warn Mattie away from Logan because of his reputation. There is a good guy in there though and their conversations give Mattie hope. Until it all falls apart.
It’s one of the best explorations of trauma from both sides and a hell of a thesis statement about the way someone with trauma deserves to be loved, regardless of it not being the linear process so often depicted in romance. Witness this late-in-the-book excerpt from Mattie’s memoir. He wrote, “Audiences expect a holding-hands-into-the-sunset, sparkly fireworks, wedding-bells sort of happily ever afters. A part of me resents this. I’ve come to think that real people with trauma might just begin to believe that love isn’t meant for them. Their stories don’t look like the romances we see on bookshelves and screens. Some would argue that a story that focuses on a person’s pain isn’t even a true romance.”
As much as I loved watching Logan and Mattie fall for each other, the way their relationship falls apart is where the story truly shines. It was a beautiful reflection of how far they’ve come and it gave me hope for both of them individually and as a couple. I only wish
There are some fun epistolary elements rounding out the story, from AO3 cringe to entertainment site articles. There are also completely inaccurate therapy notes, which do provide good context for Logan in treatment but therapists should not write notes like that in real life. Egads.
I’m so impressed with Kacen Callender’s foray into romance. I can’t wait to see what they do next.
Characters: Logan is a 24 year old bisexual mixed race (Black and white) actor. Mattie is a 23 year old 5’6 sober gay Black actor. This is set in LA and NYC.
Content notes: attempted rape and victim-blaming , CPTSD, dissociation, suicidal ideation, depression, past child sexual abuse , past ephebophilia , past image-based sexual abuse (leaked sex tape), substance and alcohol abuse, past rehabilitation stay for substance abuse, verbal abuse by Logan’s father, internet harassment including instruction to die by suicide, perceived and real infidelity , driving under the influence, physical assault, biphobia, homophobia (including rejection by Mattie’s father), internalized homophobia, acknowledgment of colorism, industry racism, rehabilitation stay for mental health, past parental depression (Logan’s mom), past film role of son whose dad dies by suicide, Hollywood diet (acknowledgment of fatphobic industry), past parental divorce, on page sex, power exchange, bondage, gag, alcohol, inebriation, hangover, sober MC (Mattie doesn’t like the taste of alcohol), gendered pejoratives, ableist language, mention of Mattie’s dad having a cancer scare (benign)
December 25, 2023
Okay, this was DEEP. I knew that this novel explored a lot of touchy subject matter, but DAMN. They went all in.
“The Stars in Your Eyes” is about two Hollywood Stars. Logan Grey is your stereotypical Hollywood Bad boy. He shows up to the read-through hungover, bruised from a fight, and in a PR nightmare as he releases his own sex tape to get out of a fake relationship. Mattie Cole is an up-and-coming golden boy who can do no wrong in the eyes of the public. He is young, innocent, and Hollywood’s little angel (or so they think). Their relationship starts horribly as Grey and Cole cannot stand each other. Grey believes that Cole is an amateur and a bad actor. Cole thinks that Grey is irresponsible and a mess. When Grey’s actions cause their upcoming film to gain a negative reputation, the PR team has to jump into action. The result is that Grey and Cole must prove the public wrong. Therefore, stage another fake relationship between the two stars. From their “fake dating” scheme, they slowly move through the stages of mutual understanding, friendship, no strings attached, to a stable and secure relationship. Okay, maybe not in that order. In between these stages, they learn the intricacy of each other’s personalities, motivations, and insecurities.
Personally, I loved the messiness of this relationship. While I cannot relate to their exact situations (Hollywood stars, sexual abuse, etc), I can relate to the pressure that comes with the phobias and stereotypes that are constantly thrown at the LGBTQ+ community. This novel touches on Homophobia- both in and out of the family household, Biphobia, Racism, Colorism, Sexual Abuse, Drug/Alcohol Abuse, Cyber Bullying, etc. This is important! These are issues that are consistently being seen in our community. Especially in 2023, we are battling politicians and leaders who think it is okay to attack our community. The novel brings a bright light to these topics that people are uncomfortable with thinking and talking about.
Although Logan and Mattie are extremely frustrating at times, I never stopped rooting for them. They are two individuals who don’t believe they deserve a happy ending because of their upbringing. To me, that is unacceptable. I am glad they both stood up to their demons and ultimately took responsibility for their actions and futures.
I recommend this novel to anyone looking for a story that will make you FEEL something. I would also recommend it to anyone looking for a thought-provoking, LGBTQ+ love story. This is not your typical rainbows and butterflies, but I enjoyed the more realistic point of view through the eyes of a gay and bisexual man.
“The Stars in Your Eyes” is about two Hollywood Stars. Logan Grey is your stereotypical Hollywood Bad boy. He shows up to the read-through hungover, bruised from a fight, and in a PR nightmare as he releases his own sex tape to get out of a fake relationship. Mattie Cole is an up-and-coming golden boy who can do no wrong in the eyes of the public. He is young, innocent, and Hollywood’s little angel (or so they think). Their relationship starts horribly as Grey and Cole cannot stand each other. Grey believes that Cole is an amateur and a bad actor. Cole thinks that Grey is irresponsible and a mess. When Grey’s actions cause their upcoming film to gain a negative reputation, the PR team has to jump into action. The result is that Grey and Cole must prove the public wrong. Therefore, stage another fake relationship between the two stars. From their “fake dating” scheme, they slowly move through the stages of mutual understanding, friendship, no strings attached, to a stable and secure relationship. Okay, maybe not in that order. In between these stages, they learn the intricacy of each other’s personalities, motivations, and insecurities.
Personally, I loved the messiness of this relationship. While I cannot relate to their exact situations (Hollywood stars, sexual abuse, etc), I can relate to the pressure that comes with the phobias and stereotypes that are constantly thrown at the LGBTQ+ community. This novel touches on Homophobia- both in and out of the family household, Biphobia, Racism, Colorism, Sexual Abuse, Drug/Alcohol Abuse, Cyber Bullying, etc. This is important! These are issues that are consistently being seen in our community. Especially in 2023, we are battling politicians and leaders who think it is okay to attack our community. The novel brings a bright light to these topics that people are uncomfortable with thinking and talking about.
Although Logan and Mattie are extremely frustrating at times, I never stopped rooting for them. They are two individuals who don’t believe they deserve a happy ending because of their upbringing. To me, that is unacceptable. I am glad they both stood up to their demons and ultimately took responsibility for their actions and futures.
I recommend this novel to anyone looking for a story that will make you FEEL something. I would also recommend it to anyone looking for a thought-provoking, LGBTQ+ love story. This is not your typical rainbows and butterflies, but I enjoyed the more realistic point of view through the eyes of a gay and bisexual man.
October 9, 2023
(Disclosure I wrote an entire review for this book that mentally took a lot out of me only to delete it forever accidentally so I'm rewriting with tears in my eyes and already know it's not going to be half as good as it originally was. 😭
4.5 ⭐
[I received a digital arc for a honest review]
Stars in Your Eyes by Kacen Callender is an Adult Contemporary. While it is a romance, it's not the heart and flowers romance people have come to expect. While there is a happy ending for our MCs it isn't a smooth or easy one.
"Audiences expect a holding-hands-into-the-sunset, sparkly fireworks, wedding-bells sort of happily ever after. A part of me resents this. I’ve come to think that real people with trauma might just begin to believe that love isn’t meant for them. Their stories don’t look like the romances we see on bookshelves and screens, reflecting their wounds. Some would argue that a story that focuses on a person’s pain isn’t even a true romance. Well, maybe it’s time we begin to redefine what romance should look like, then."
Logan is a childhood celebrity who has been a victim of sexual and verbal abuse since he was a child. He fully embraces the “villain” bad boy persona that the media has labeled him because he doesn't see himself as worthy of anything more. Mattie is a naive up-and-coming actor who carries shame for being gay thanks to his unaccepting father. When the movie the two are filming together needs a boost, they are told they need to being in a fake relationship to help each other careers. But behind closed doors, the fake relationship gets complicated and causes both of them to face their own demons.
Mattie. Everything new he offered— safety and love and real connection— felt scary and threatening and impossible because I hadn’t experienced it before.
UGh this book hurt, SO much trauma. Logan and Mattie's story is heartbreaking, with glimmers of hope and happy throughout it. No it's not all crushing, there are some date nights and sweet moments between all sexual and verbal abuse. There's also open door intimacy scenes, which are just as heavy as the rest of their relationship. I don't want to be spoilery, but there is a much expected third act break up, and I was worried that Mattie and Logan wouldn't actually make it back to each other. There's no few chapters of glossed over self progress and a bit declaration of love. Their reunion fits the rest of their journey perfectly.
But I don't know - maybe my healing was a part of our romance, too.
Overall, I really enjoyed the writing in /,em>Stars in Your Eyes, which i expected to since I loved the author's book Felix Ever After. The story flows steadily with Logan and Mattie's perspective and is further broken up by magazine articles, youtube videos, therapy notes, and parts of a memoir written by future Mattie. It's an emotional and powerful Adult contemporary romance with a hate to love fake relationship, actors, personal growth, facing trauma, hope, and finding one's self.
*Make sure to check trigger warnings because this one has a boatload of them*
4.5 ⭐
[I received a digital arc for a honest review]
Stars in Your Eyes by Kacen Callender is an Adult Contemporary. While it is a romance, it's not the heart and flowers romance people have come to expect. While there is a happy ending for our MCs it isn't a smooth or easy one.
"Audiences expect a holding-hands-into-the-sunset, sparkly fireworks, wedding-bells sort of happily ever after. A part of me resents this. I’ve come to think that real people with trauma might just begin to believe that love isn’t meant for them. Their stories don’t look like the romances we see on bookshelves and screens, reflecting their wounds. Some would argue that a story that focuses on a person’s pain isn’t even a true romance. Well, maybe it’s time we begin to redefine what romance should look like, then."
Logan is a childhood celebrity who has been a victim of sexual and verbal abuse since he was a child. He fully embraces the “villain” bad boy persona that the media has labeled him because he doesn't see himself as worthy of anything more. Mattie is a naive up-and-coming actor who carries shame for being gay thanks to his unaccepting father. When the movie the two are filming together needs a boost, they are told they need to being in a fake relationship to help each other careers. But behind closed doors, the fake relationship gets complicated and causes both of them to face their own demons.
Mattie. Everything new he offered— safety and love and real connection— felt scary and threatening and impossible because I hadn’t experienced it before.
UGh this book hurt, SO much trauma. Logan and Mattie's story is heartbreaking, with glimmers of hope and happy throughout it. No it's not all crushing, there are some date nights and sweet moments between all sexual and verbal abuse. There's also open door intimacy scenes, which are just as heavy as the rest of their relationship. I don't want to be spoilery, but there is a much expected third act break up, and I was worried that Mattie and Logan wouldn't actually make it back to each other. There's no few chapters of glossed over self progress and a bit declaration of love. Their reunion fits the rest of their journey perfectly.
But I don't know - maybe my healing was a part of our romance, too.
Overall, I really enjoyed the writing in /,em>Stars in Your Eyes, which i expected to since I loved the author's book Felix Ever After. The story flows steadily with Logan and Mattie's perspective and is further broken up by magazine articles, youtube videos, therapy notes, and parts of a memoir written by future Mattie. It's an emotional and powerful Adult contemporary romance with a hate to love fake relationship, actors, personal growth, facing trauma, hope, and finding one's self.
*Make sure to check trigger warnings because this one has a boatload of them*
December 29, 2023
Full review on my blog!
Thank you to the author Kacen Callender, publishers Hachette Books, and NetGalley an advance digital copy of STARS IN YOUR EYES. All views are mine.
As much as it is a romance, STARS IN YOUR EYES is a story about sexual assault, how we define it, and how to support a partner who has experienced it. For me, these topics trigger, but thanks to a thorough content warning in the front matter, I was able to go into the book prepared. Characters drove this one, so I was often shocked, but never surprised, about where the story traveled. Reading this story was both challenging and rewarding, traits the best books possess.
Three (or more) things I loved:
...
3. Really excellent description of ptsd resulting from early childhood stress aka child abuse or neglect: "Perfection was expected of Logan from an early age. He rebelled against this need for perfection as he grew older and realized that nothing he did could earn his father’s love or approval. Logan has since come to expect a certain level of hostility which, unfortunately, so much of the world has often obliged. Logan’s growing self-awareness for the connections of these traumatic events to his current behaviors is promising, and I have already begun to observe a great deal of improvement in the level of distrust he shows me, the staff, and the other clients. He still struggles with emotional distance, which is unusual after having been a patient here for a little over a year now." loc.1261
Three (or less) things I didn't love:
This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.
...
2. So. Much. Dialog.
...
More on my blog!
Rating: 🤩🤩🤩🤩.5 / 5 stars in your eyes
Recommend? Heck yes
Finished: October 11 2023
Format: Digital review copy, NetGalley
Read this if you like:
🌈 Queer fiction
🩷💜💙 Bi guy rep
👤 Accurate cPTSD rep
❤️🔥 Complicated romantic love
❤️🩹 Real communication and forgiveness
Thank you to the author Kacen Callender, publishers Hachette Books, and NetGalley an advance digital copy of STARS IN YOUR EYES. All views are mine.
As much as it is a romance, STARS IN YOUR EYES is a story about sexual assault, how we define it, and how to support a partner who has experienced it. For me, these topics trigger, but thanks to a thorough content warning in the front matter, I was able to go into the book prepared. Characters drove this one, so I was often shocked, but never surprised, about where the story traveled. Reading this story was both challenging and rewarding, traits the best books possess.
Three (or more) things I loved:
...
3. Really excellent description of ptsd resulting from early childhood stress aka child abuse or neglect: "Perfection was expected of Logan from an early age. He rebelled against this need for perfection as he grew older and realized that nothing he did could earn his father’s love or approval. Logan has since come to expect a certain level of hostility which, unfortunately, so much of the world has often obliged. Logan’s growing self-awareness for the connections of these traumatic events to his current behaviors is promising, and I have already begun to observe a great deal of improvement in the level of distrust he shows me, the staff, and the other clients. He still struggles with emotional distance, which is unusual after having been a patient here for a little over a year now." loc.1261
Three (or less) things I didn't love:
This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.
...
2. So. Much. Dialog.
...
More on my blog!
Rating: 🤩🤩🤩🤩.5 / 5 stars in your eyes
Recommend? Heck yes
Finished: October 11 2023
Format: Digital review copy, NetGalley
Read this if you like:
🌈 Queer fiction
🩷💜💙 Bi guy rep
👤 Accurate cPTSD rep
❤️🔥 Complicated romantic love
❤️🩹 Real communication and forgiveness
June 19, 2023
On the surface this seems like it’s just another fake dating romance set in Hollywood, but it ends up being much more by tackling the whole idea of who deserves a happily ever after and just how hard you might have to fight to get it. Here you’ve got a jaded former child star paired up with a fresh, up and coming actor to play opposite each other in a rom-com based on a popular novel. Both main characters are struggling with different issues both in their past and present and so you should take care to read the author’s note at the beginning for content warnings.
I had a hard time putting this down once I started it. This book can be a bit challenging to read at times, but thankfully due to some interesting narrative devices you are reassured about where it’s all going. I really enjoyed both characters, even when you want to scream at some of the decisions they make, you always have an understanding of why they act the way that they do. I also really enjoyed the contrast between the romance that played out in the movie they were filming and the actual real life relationship that took time to develop.
Many thanks to Forever and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Looking forward to seeing more adult romances from Kacen Callender in the future!
I had a hard time putting this down once I started it. This book can be a bit challenging to read at times, but thankfully due to some interesting narrative devices you are reassured about where it’s all going. I really enjoyed both characters, even when you want to scream at some of the decisions they make, you always have an understanding of why they act the way that they do. I also really enjoyed the contrast between the romance that played out in the movie they were filming and the actual real life relationship that took time to develop.
Many thanks to Forever and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Looking forward to seeing more adult romances from Kacen Callender in the future!
October 26, 2023
hmm it's like a 2 star for me. i really wanted to like this more than i did.
- the writing was soooo stilted. it was therapyspeak dialed up to a 100 and you would literally see characters write out step by step how they came to the emotional conclusions they did, so everything felt forced and slightly unreal (i will say this is something i notice in a lot of romances, i think it's bec oftentimes you are very much embedded in a close first person POV so the tone is confessional and exposition about people/feelings/thoughts is pretty normal—it was just extra bad in this one). there is zero subtext in this book. idk the writing felt very limp and lifeless to me, and technically clunky at times.
- dare is say there isn't alot of chemistry between the two leads? i found them both individually frustrating and as a couple. i was not rooting for them to be together and i maybe would have preferred if they just reconciled as friends in the end (!)
- the fake dating plot was extraneous. just added a complication to the whole dynamic that wasn't really needed imo. also i thought the MCs' interactions with hollywood/the acting industry were quite superficial and i wanted the book to actually say something interesting about fame/expectations/parasocial relationships but it never did. the interstitial mixed media pieces were fun i guess but never went deeper than that.
- the writing was soooo stilted. it was therapyspeak dialed up to a 100 and you would literally see characters write out step by step how they came to the emotional conclusions they did, so everything felt forced and slightly unreal (i will say this is something i notice in a lot of romances, i think it's bec oftentimes you are very much embedded in a close first person POV so the tone is confessional and exposition about people/feelings/thoughts is pretty normal—it was just extra bad in this one). there is zero subtext in this book. idk the writing felt very limp and lifeless to me, and technically clunky at times.
- dare is say there isn't alot of chemistry between the two leads? i found them both individually frustrating and as a couple. i was not rooting for them to be together and i maybe would have preferred if they just reconciled as friends in the end (!)
- the fake dating plot was extraneous. just added a complication to the whole dynamic that wasn't really needed imo. also i thought the MCs' interactions with hollywood/the acting industry were quite superficial and i wanted the book to actually say something interesting about fame/expectations/parasocial relationships but it never did. the interstitial mixed media pieces were fun i guess but never went deeper than that.
March 4, 2024
Kacen Callender can WRITE! Wow, I was blown away by this book. Stars in Your Eyes is every bit f*cked up, sad, emotional, but also so beautiful and swoony. 100% making it to my top reads of 2024. I can't recommend this one enough. It's giving all the feels and all the stars!
December 26, 2023
This book continues my annual Boxing Day tradition of reading something that makes me sob and send photographs of my tear-stained face to friends. Last year it was The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, this year it was Logan and Mattie’s story: the best romance that centres childhood trauma that I think I’ve ever read. Kacen Callender has done an incredible job of writing MCs who really do the work to get their HEA, making space for the hurt and harm they cause each other in the meantime. This is definitely one where you need the CWs - I recommend Leigh’s review for a very comprehensive list, but the book also has them at the front. If you’re able to tackle this one, it is going to reward you many times over.
A new favourite, that I’m going to reread often in the years to come.
A new favourite, that I’m going to reread often in the years to come.
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June 29, 2023"Stars in Your Eyes" is Kacen Callender's first adult romance, and overall I enjoyed it, despite the fact that my expectations were way out of line with what this book is actually doing. It's described as "a beautifully tender story of two grumpy/sunshine, fake-dating actors navigating their love story both on and offscreen—perfect for fans of Casey McQuiston and Alexis Hall." Listen, I've read almost everything by CMQ and AJH across genres, but this is clearly set up to imply I'm going to be getting a rom com along the lines of "RWRB" or "Boyfriend Material." And I can't overstate how much "Stars in Your Eyes" is NOT that kind of book.
(Read Hannah's review for excellent thoughts on this as well as a comprehensive, nuanced look at the book: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...)
I'm a sucker for a celebrity romance (in this case, both main characters are actors) and increasingly find "we have to pretend to be a couple for publicity" to be one of the few ways the fake dating trope works for me (as with "The Stand-In"). Mattie, the "boy next door," and Logan, the "bad boy," are co-stars in a romcom who start out hating each other. They do play to type, but their characters have a lot of depth and ultimately I believed in their evolving relationship.
Before I go any further, there are some significant content notes with this book. In the author's words: "[This] is a deeply personal story that explores trauma's effects on relationships. While there is ultimately healing, hope, joy, and love, there is also content that might trigger some readers, including: mentions of past childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault, bullying and harassment online, suicidal thoughts, homophobia and biphobia, parental rejection and verbal abuse and mentions of potential overdose."
So, that's a lot, and I'm not in a position to judge how it's handled. I personally did feel that the characters ended up in a hopeful and loving place, but I don't want to diminish the fact that this is a difficult read and indeed one many readers might need to skip.
Beyond that, a few minor quibbles: The interstitials between chapters of tabloid articles, fanfic, memoir excerpts, therapy notes, TikToks etc. didn't really work for me, and I'm honestly not sure why, but maybe it's because I'm too old? 😂 And while I didn't mind the first person present overall, I did have trouble following when, in the scenes of filming the movie, they refer to themselves/each other by their movie characters' names (Mattie plays Riley, and Logan, who is sometimes called Gray, plays Quinn).
One final note--I actually haven't read "Felix Ever After," though it's been on my TBR for awhile, so I can't compare this to that book.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc!
(Read Hannah's review for excellent thoughts on this as well as a comprehensive, nuanced look at the book: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...)
I'm a sucker for a celebrity romance (in this case, both main characters are actors) and increasingly find "we have to pretend to be a couple for publicity" to be one of the few ways the fake dating trope works for me (as with "The Stand-In"). Mattie, the "boy next door," and Logan, the "bad boy," are co-stars in a romcom who start out hating each other. They do play to type, but their characters have a lot of depth and ultimately I believed in their evolving relationship.
Before I go any further, there are some significant content notes with this book. In the author's words: "[This] is a deeply personal story that explores trauma's effects on relationships. While there is ultimately healing, hope, joy, and love, there is also content that might trigger some readers, including: mentions of past childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault, bullying and harassment online, suicidal thoughts, homophobia and biphobia, parental rejection and verbal abuse and mentions of potential overdose."
So, that's a lot, and I'm not in a position to judge how it's handled. I personally did feel that the characters ended up in a hopeful and loving place, but I don't want to diminish the fact that this is a difficult read and indeed one many readers might need to skip.
Beyond that, a few minor quibbles: The interstitials between chapters of tabloid articles, fanfic, memoir excerpts, therapy notes, TikToks etc. didn't really work for me, and I'm honestly not sure why, but maybe it's because I'm too old? 😂 And while I didn't mind the first person present overall, I did have trouble following when, in the scenes of filming the movie, they refer to themselves/each other by their movie characters' names (Mattie plays Riley, and Logan, who is sometimes called Gray, plays Quinn).
One final note--I actually haven't read "Felix Ever After," though it's been on my TBR for awhile, so I can't compare this to that book.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc!
November 17, 2023
4.5 stars!
WOW. "Stars in Your Eyes" by Kacen Callender is remarkable. It's vulnerable, raw, intimate, honest, and difficult to digest, but so worth reading. It's a fake dating romantic drama about two men in Hollywood; Logan, who was a child star and has become a bad boy thanks to his hard-partying, drug-and-booze-fueled lifestyle, and Mattie, an attractive up-and-coming young star catapulted to fame after just one performance, the new "boy next door," if you will. They have been paired up as costars on a new book adaptation called "Write Anything," a modern day reimagining of the film "Say Anything." Things get off to a rocky start between the two of them, and buzz for the film needs to bounce back...and quick. Logan and Mattie are forced to fake date to bring in some good publicity for the movie. As they bond over their shared trauma, dreams of stardom, and attraction to one another, they begin to actually fall for one another. Unfortunately, Logan and Mattie's pasts and the demons that haunt them threaten their new love story before it even has a chance to mature. This is a hefty, heavy read full of emotion, triggers, and themes of acceptance, love, finding yourself, coping from trauma, and identity in the world as well as in Hollywood.
I bawled my eyes out reading this book. I just wanted to hug Mattie and Logan so, so much. I loved the characters, despite their flaws. I enjoyed reading about their journey together and separately. The subplot about the nastiness, shadiness, and terrible nature in Hollywood is not new, but is still important and necessary conversation to have about how the industry chews people up and spits them out and lets people get harmed, even post-#MeToo movement where abuses of power remain unchecked and hidden for the right price. It is a devastaing read, but also has glimmers of hope and love and healing and acceptance sprinkled throughout its pages. Kacen Callender is a tremendous author. They write with such conviction, such importance, such earnestness. I enjoyed and appreciated the interludes of mixed media ranging from blog and gossip posts to interviews to memoir readings. Some readers may not like this, but I thought it was an interesting, creative choice. All in all, if you've read the trigger warnings and think you can handle this material, I enthusiasticly say you should read it.
Thank you to NetGalley, Kacen Callender, and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for my review.
WOW. "Stars in Your Eyes" by Kacen Callender is remarkable. It's vulnerable, raw, intimate, honest, and difficult to digest, but so worth reading. It's a fake dating romantic drama about two men in Hollywood; Logan, who was a child star and has become a bad boy thanks to his hard-partying, drug-and-booze-fueled lifestyle, and Mattie, an attractive up-and-coming young star catapulted to fame after just one performance, the new "boy next door," if you will. They have been paired up as costars on a new book adaptation called "Write Anything," a modern day reimagining of the film "Say Anything." Things get off to a rocky start between the two of them, and buzz for the film needs to bounce back...and quick. Logan and Mattie are forced to fake date to bring in some good publicity for the movie. As they bond over their shared trauma, dreams of stardom, and attraction to one another, they begin to actually fall for one another. Unfortunately, Logan and Mattie's pasts and the demons that haunt them threaten their new love story before it even has a chance to mature. This is a hefty, heavy read full of emotion, triggers, and themes of acceptance, love, finding yourself, coping from trauma, and identity in the world as well as in Hollywood.
I bawled my eyes out reading this book. I just wanted to hug Mattie and Logan so, so much. I loved the characters, despite their flaws. I enjoyed reading about their journey together and separately. The subplot about the nastiness, shadiness, and terrible nature in Hollywood is not new, but is still important and necessary conversation to have about how the industry chews people up and spits them out and lets people get harmed, even post-#MeToo movement where abuses of power remain unchecked and hidden for the right price. It is a devastaing read, but also has glimmers of hope and love and healing and acceptance sprinkled throughout its pages. Kacen Callender is a tremendous author. They write with such conviction, such importance, such earnestness. I enjoyed and appreciated the interludes of mixed media ranging from blog and gossip posts to interviews to memoir readings. Some readers may not like this, but I thought it was an interesting, creative choice. All in all, if you've read the trigger warnings and think you can handle this material, I enthusiasticly say you should read it.
Thank you to NetGalley, Kacen Callender, and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for my review.
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