Review: 4 stars!  Stripped (stand-alone)  A story about a small-town  girl who meets an infamous Hollywood actor & playboy!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 08 21, 2013
"In person... he's beyond perfection. I can't look away from him, but his beauty burns me, like staring into the sun."Stripped is the story of a sheltered daughter of a pastor, Grey Amundsen who after tragedy strikes heads to Los Angeles to attend USC majoring in film studies.  She plugs along until her school informs her that her grant is running out of funds.  If her internship at Fourth Dimension production studios continues to go well she has been promised permanent position, but she needs money to stay in school and graduate.  After searching for a job for weeks she succumbs and takes a job as a semi-nude stripper.  Her beauty and innocence combined with her background in dance quickly makes her the most popular stripper in the club.One night Grey aka Gracie is requested to strip in the VIP room and when entering she spots four of Hollywood's most famous heartthrob actors. One of them is Dawson Kellor.  The attraction is instantaneous and electric.  Gracie finds herself dancing just for him.  Imagine her chock the next day when she arrives at her internship for the first cast meeting for an upcoming movie, and finds Dawson starring as the lead.And so their whirlwind romance begins....  Very much a fairy tale with a movie star who can have any girl he wants zeroing in on Grey.  He is determined to have her at any cost, while Grey is determined to stay hidden and in school.  And both have demons in their pasts plus there is the issue of a stark difference in experience. Stripped follows Dawson's relentless pursuit of Grey, all under the harassing eye of the paparazzi."I've always gotten what I want. Always. And I want you all to myself. I don't want you working there anymore, and I knew you'd fight me on it, so I took the fight away from you."Hero: Dawson Kellor/25 years/blockbuster actor/son of actor/black-brown/quicksilver-hazelDawson Kellor with his dreamy movie star good looks, Hollywood family background, bad boy image and fame makes for an excellent hero. And for me he is what kept the story going.  Seven words to describe Dawson: candid, jaded, nurturing, controlling, determined, charismatic and flawed."I'm already losing myself in him, losing track of who I was and who I am and where that stops and he begins."Heroine:  Grey Leanne Amundsen, aka Gracie/College student intern-part-time stripper/daughter of a pastor/gold blond hair/grey eyes/curvyGrey Leanne Amundsen aka Gracie was - though there are mitigating circumstances with her sheltered religious upbringing and tragedy that has caused her to be completely alone in the world - for most parts annoying,  I just kept reminding myself that she is who Dawson wants.  Eight words to describe Grey: sweet, talented, loyal, alone, lost, meek, conflicted and a "damsel in distress"."You exude this effortless sensuality, but it's-- I don't know, it's not sexual, somehow. Like, it should be, considering what you do, but it's not. It's sensual, this weird mix of innocence and raw beauty."Stripped moves along at a pleasant pace though I might have felt their romance and feelings a little too insta-love.  Clearly Dawson is set on having Grey and though he is very good at expressing himself it never quite made sense to me.  I did not feel the plot needed for Grey to be quite so helpless.  That said Dawson's character very much conveyed that "butterfly in your belly, I can't believe it's really him" feeling and it was hard not to be smitten.Swoon-worthy hero!  Interesting plot idea!  Seductive setting (Hollywood)!  I am glad I got to meet the Dawson Kellor!"What do you need, baby? Tell me, so I can give it to you."***Hero rating: 4.5 starsHeroine rating: 3 starsSex scenes rating: 4 starsSex scenes frequency: 3.5 starsStoryline concept rating: 4.5 starsStoryline execution rating: 3.5 starsStorytelling skills rating: 4.5 starsStory ending rating: 4 starsBook editing rating (5 = no edits spotted): 5 stars************************************************Overall rating: 4 starsWould I recommend this book: Yes, maybe.Would I re-read this book: Probably not.Would I read future books by this author: Yes.