Review: Sigh.....I need a Berkeley
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 03 10, 2014
This is the first book in The Brightside series and debut book by former fashion designer Katie Delahanty.Olivia Bloom moves to LA from Pittsburgh with her sights on being a costume designer.  She comes face to face with one of her celebrity crushes, Berkeley Dalton at a job and goes all fan girl on him.  With the "bluest eyes I've ever seen, perfectly formed jaw, messy dark hair," Berkeley was the lead singer for Berkeley and the Brightside.  She's mortified, but thinks it was a chance meeting, but she was mistaken.  Their paths keep crossing and each time she gets tongue-tied and is a wreck.  Olivia sees herself as ordinary and can't understand why someone famous would look twice at a girl from Pittsburgh, but Berkeley sees more in her and can't resist her.Their relationship starts off with a slight bump and this leaves Olivia doubting him and herself.  Berkeley sets off trying to prove himself and make up for his mistake, but being a celebrity comes with complications.  Olivia is thrown into a world where everything is not always as it seems and it's easy to get lost in it.  She gives her heart, but forgets to trust him and not them.This book read a lot like a Young Adult book.  The uncertainty was there as well as the angst and self insecurities.  It was hard buying into the whole rock star thing when they acted more like guys on a sitcom.  The whole chemistry thing felt more like high school discomfort and I would have liked more grown-up heat (they are in their mid-20's after all).  Berkeley was deep and it was different seeing that side of a rock star.  Olivia seemed weak to me and immature and I had a hard time cheering for her.  She never seemed to be able to make decisions for herself, and she forgot the key to trust is asking instead of assuming.  What I really liked was what appeared to be a realistic look into dating a celebrity, especially one that you fangirled before you dated.  I like how she could separate the personas he had to have and how she loved the real him.  It made me think about real challenges they would face.  Berkeley was a little dry, but he loved with his whole soul.  I love how he didn't "hold out."