Review: Stars Collide

Stars Collide (Backstage Pass - Book 1) by Janice Thompson

Publication Date: January 2011
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group/Revell Books
Genre: Christian Fiction, Contemporary Romance
ISBN-13: 9780800733452
ISBN: 0800733452

(Received for review from Revell Books)

Purchase: Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Christianbook.com, IndieBound

If you live in Morehead, KY or the surrounding area:
Purchase from our local independent bookseller: CoffeeTree Books
Borrow from our local library: The Rowan County Public Library

Janice Thompson on the Web: Website, Blog, Facebook, Twitter

Excerpt from Stars Collide

Synopsis (Book Blurb):

HER FUTURE'S SO BRIGHT SHE'S GOTTA WEAR SHADES

Kat Jennings and Scott Murphy don't just play two people who are secretly in love on a television sitcom - they are actually head over heels for each other in real life. When the lines between reality and TV land blur, they hope they can keep their relationship under wraps. But when Kat's grandmother, an eccentric star from Hollywood's golden age, mistakes their onscreen wedding proposal for the real deal, things begin to spiral out of control. Will their secret be front page news in the tabloids? And can their budding romance survive the onslaught of paparazzi, wedding preparations, and misinformed family members?

From the soundstage to a Beverly Hills mansion to the gleaming, Pacific Ocean, Stars Collide takes you on a roller-coaster tour of Hollywood, packing both comedic punch and tender emotion.

Thoughts:

Janice Thompson once again gives readers Christian Fiction with a strong dose of comedy and a whole lot of joy. Thompson's new series Backstage Pass, starts out with the novel, Stars Collide. The author is well known of her stories that show the lighter side of Christianity while still using solid Christian values and inspirational characters. Readers who were enthralled by her Wedding by Bella series will be captivated with by Thompson's foray into Hollywood.

Kat Jennings and her co-star Scott Murphy, play the romantic duo of Angie and Jack on the sitcom, Stars Collide. Much like the characters they play on TV, Kat and Scott are falling love, but they don't want the whole world to know. Their budding romance takes an interesting turn when Kat's grandmother, aging starlet, Lenora Worth accompany's her to the set on the day they are filming the Angie and Jack's wedding proposal. Lenora is suffering from the early onset of Alzheimer's and mistakes the onscreen proposal for the real thing. Living more in the past than the present Lenora starts making plans for Kat and Scott's wedding. How will they make her understand? Can their young love survive the pressure?

This is a great light-hearted love story! Thompson uses her unique ability to add comic relief to serious situations to create just the right balance in her latest book. If you liked the Wedding's by Bella series, you will love this one. Stars Collide has that same joyful attitude about it. The author provides situations for the characters to show their faith, even on a television set. She shows readers that being a Christian in any profession or circumstance doesn't have to be dull and boring. Thompson's books are all about the joyful and happy side of things. Her characters are fun to read and have a lot of depth to them.

Kat and Scott are put in a really difficult situation. Lenora has Alzheimer's and it's affecting her daily life, this seems more prevalent in the early parts of the book. By the end Lenora seems to be surviving in the moment. Some people might consider this inconsistent, but if you have been around those who suffer from Alzheimer's in the early stages they often slip in and out of reality. So, I think the author used that to her advantage with the plot. All of the characters in the book tend to be more on the perfect side than in some novels, but they still show vulnerability and make mistakes, but they rebound quickly and give the book a happy-ever-after ending.

The author sets up the rest of the series, but introducing us to minor characters that will become more prominent as the series continues. She does this seamlessly and the reader isn't left wondering how things are going to progress. I loved the sense of "old" Hollywood that pervades the book, from Lenora's recollections of days gone by to the mention of many old movies and televisions shows throughout the novel. It gave the book a feeling of the magical golden age of TV and movies. I liked how the author had the characters play a game throughout the book where one character would spout a line from an old TV show or movie and the other character had to tell where it came from, that was a really nice touch.

I am looking forward to the next book in the Backstage Pass series. This is definitely a book that Janice Thompson fans will not want to miss. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a romance that shows the lighter side of things. Christian Fiction readers will love it as well as readers of contemporary romance. At just over 300 pages it's a quick read, that packs a lot of comic relief throughout. What will they get into next?

Stars Collide is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!





Janice Thompson is a seasoned romance author and screenwriter. An expert at pulling the humor from the situations we get ourselves into. Thompson affords an inside look at TV land, drawing on her own experience as a screenwriter. She is the author of the Wedding's by Bella series and lives in Texas.