Allison Brinkley and her husband thought that moving their kids from Dallas to Manhattan was going to be a fun adventure. Allison didn't expect to be living in an apartment a fraction of the size of home they were used to living in. She wasn't expecting that finding the right schools would be so difficult. She didn't expect her oldest daughter to become so combative and hateful with the move. And she didn't expect to have such a hard time finding and keeping a job as a teacher. Allison was really starting to question their decision when she gets into a minor fender bender with a black BMW. Her efforts to do the right thing leads her to the penthouse of a Central Park West building. It is there that she finds a beaten and battered teen superstar. Carter Reid is known for his musical ability and his hard-partying ways. But Allison doesn't see a music star with a penchant for partying. She sees a child who is alone and in need of help. Allison comes back to check on him daily and soon finds herself with a job as his Personal Assistant. In charge of preparing him for a role on Broadway, Allison has her work cut out for her. But she is not one to give up on a job or on a person. Soon her whole family is involved with getting Carter ready for the stage and a village it does take. Will Carter be able to show his critics that he is worthy of the role?
Typically I reserve the "Best of Designation" for those books that evoke such strong emotion from me, whether it be laughing or crying. Limelight is getting a "Best of" label because I don't think that I have ever cheered for a fictional character as much as I cheered for Carter Reid. Allison Brinkley is a mom first and foremost and that is true with every word in this book. She is utterly devoted to her children and when she comes across Carter Reid all she can think about is how alone he is. She was a little unsure of herself in the beginning, the star power can be intimidating, but her confidence grew as Carter's confidence grew. In my head, I compared Carter to a younger version of Justin Beiber. And it was easy to see him as a "little-lost boy", he drew out my own maternal instincts. I loved how Allison didn't let him get away with anything. She held him accountable and made him honor his commitments. It was refreshing. It was also refreshing to see how the Brinkley family was so "normal". No marital issues between Allison and Michael. Normal kid stuff with their three children. The normalcy is why I think Carter turned out to be so good to them. I did get a little teary in the end, but the author set it up for more books featuring Allison and the rest of the Brinkley family. And I think that even includes Carter Reid.
Bottom line - I admit it, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Limelight. Limelight was fun and fresh with a surprising amount of depth to the characters. Besides, who doesn't love a good "behind the scenes" kind of story and Limelight takes you behind the scenes of a Broadway play.
Details:
- Limelight by Amy Poeppel
- On Facebook and Instagram
- Pages: 416
- Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books
- Publication Date: 5/1/2018
- Buy it Here!
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