Valerie S. (VolunteerVal) -
I enjoy reading because books provide the opportunity to experience cultures, places, careers, events, and time periods completely different from my own. I'll never be a young Black makeup artist living in Alabama who takes a short-term job on a movie set, but by reading Her Part to Play by Jenny Erlingsson (who lives in Iceland!), I can âwalk a mileâ in heroine Adanne's life and see how hers and mine compare and contrast.
Adanne's life has more than its share of loss and worry. Her makeup artist career in Hollywood was derailed by a thoughtless actor, her young nephew is battling cancer, she misses her deceased parents, and the community center that is so meaningful to their family is struggling. Desperate to earn extra income, she accepts a short-term job on the set of a movie that's filming in her home town. And wouldn't you know, she's assigned to do makeup for John Pope, the very actor who ruined her chances of advancing in her career.
This "opposites attract" romance is a great blend of small town life, celebrity glamour, rich descriptions of delicious Southern food, and a glimpse behind-the-scenes of a professional makeup artist. It has a somewhat unusual storytelling style that kept me turning the pages. For example, readers don't learn the details of the first encounter between Adanne and John until the final fourth of the book. There's a strong subplot of faith which felt more authentic in Adanne's life than in John's. I liked the secondary characters and felt they served the story well.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Revell and JustRead Publicity Tours; all opinions are my own.
Adanne's life has more than its share of loss and worry. Her makeup artist career in Hollywood was derailed by a thoughtless actor, her young nephew is battling cancer, she misses her deceased parents, and the community center that is so meaningful to their family is struggling. Desperate to earn extra income, she accepts a short-term job on the set of a movie that's filming in her home town. And wouldn't you know, she's assigned to do makeup for John Pope, the very actor who ruined her chances of advancing in her career.
This "opposites attract" romance is a great blend of small town life, celebrity glamour, rich descriptions of delicious Southern food, and a glimpse behind-the-scenes of a professional makeup artist. It has a somewhat unusual storytelling style that kept me turning the pages. For example, readers don't learn the details of the first encounter between Adanne and John until the final fourth of the book. There's a strong subplot of faith which felt more authentic in Adanne's life than in John's. I liked the secondary characters and felt they served the story well.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Revell and JustRead Publicity Tours; all opinions are my own.
