Gaele Hi
Josie is a Georgia girl who moved to New York to make her name as a photographer, living with her best friend Zion: and both work for a tabloid as paparazzi. Josie knows she’s not cut out for the job – the constant intrusion into celebrity lives, her despicable boss, and the fact that she recognizes few (if any) B and lower list celebs don’t help. But, she needs the paycheck and the health insurance, so she is trying. When on an assignment to capture a picture of a celeb out and about in the city with her children, she’s set for the perfect shot – until it’s disrupted by a gorgeous and charming man, and while her own shots are ruined – she’s featured on another site siting on his shoulders to get the shot. Enter Micah, a rock star and publicity hound with a reported string of women in his past, a sister who is currently the focus of Josie’s boss, and an interest in Josie. She’s not immune to his charms despite everyone telling her that she is being used, or should use her new access to Micah to bring in the next big scoop. The two start a tentative friendship that is very flirty, and Josie isn’t all that sure that Micah is there for her or the boost she can bring to his career. From access to a ‘celeb party’ to secrets shared – she’s torn between wanting to keep the trust and secrets entrusted to her and her boss’ constant pushing, prodding and demands for more. Can this possibly work out in a way no one gets hurt? Josie is wonderful if a touch naïve to the cutthroat world of celebrity gossip. A good photographer who loves to capture the candid photos of people – ordinary people, and she doesn’t want to lose herself or become one of her soul-dead coworkers. When you add in Zion, and his commitment to care for her and watch out for her health, always there to talk her through situations, and a new interest in her from her father, gone some years from her life returning to India – she’s got more than just work stress and diabetes to manage, particularly when this ‘thing’ with Micah turns into a Thing. For his part – Micah is pretty open and easy-going – flirtation is in his bones, but commitment is a gene that Josie (and everyone warns her) is missing. Micah is an optimist with little to hide – he’s not exactly courting the press attention, but he doesn’t run from it – a problem when he and Josie start to appear linked in stories. Instantly engaging – Josie is a wonderful character with all of the questions and worries that someone new to the gossip rags should have – and her love for Zion and the tentative steps toward a friendship with Micah’s sister Eden, and their conspiring against her boss are clever and fun – she’s a character that has things she worries about, has her moments of insecurity and worry, and wants desperately to pursue her own art. Micah is the uber romantic – a bit of an exuberant puppy, he is a genuine caring soul as evidenced by Oscar and Felix, and his instant attraction to and caring for Josie is sweet, even as her boss and the industry try to pull them apart. A wonderful introduction to this writer and her stories – I’ve got to get the first in this series to get Eden’s story – and I hope that Zion’s is next. I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.