Review: A great behind the scenes, what if story...
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 18, 2012
Elise Marion has opened that world behind the scenes with The Secret Life of Avery O'Dea.  With characters that come alive and demand that they are seen as more than their individual labels of celebrity and paparazzo when a chance encounter at a grocery store starts to unravel a carefully constructed faade.While the characters come alive, the setting is easy to visualize, and the confusion and doubt that Avery experiences in her frustration with the situation the publicity team created for her is well-defined and explored.  Conversations are very well created, and fit quite smoothly into the plot, with voices clearly defined for each character.  Even Dom's questionable ethical choices to keep the eviction notice from his doorstep are presented as causing him difficulties - a nice change to the generalization that paparazzi are unfeeling and uncaring about consequences to the subjects of their photos.Elise writes with a breezy style that gently leads the reader from one thought to the next, providing obstacles without truly steering you to the direction you "should' take.  What appears to be a light-hearted read can be so much more as you start to identify with the characters and see the world they occupy in a different light.  A fun, quick read that stays with you when you catch that next flash of headline from the Celebrity gossip item you see in the checkout line.I received an eBook copy from the author for purpose of honest review.  I was not compensated for this review, and all conclusions are my own responsibility.