Celebrity Crush

November 1, 2024

DEBUT Emmy Ellison has a huge crush on Jason Connor, one of the leading members of the TV show Lost Star Dance Troupe Saves the Universe. So much so, that she wrote the book #CelebrityCrush, with the main character inspired by Jason. When the book starts climbing the bestseller list and the movie is optioned, Jason is picked for the leading role, and the two go on a combination book and movie promotional tour. With every social media post, Emmy's book sales rise even higher, so in an effort to keep the momentum going and to clean up Jason's bad boy image, the two hatch a plan to fake date. When one sultry night in a jacuzzi is captured on film, the plot only thickens for the main characters in real life. With prose interspersed with vlog scripts, tweets, texts, podcasts, and celebrity talk show scripts, this book is full of Hollywood glamour that soap opera fans and romance readers alike will flock towards. VERDICT Set against a Hollywood backdrop, readers will enjoy Swift's fun and glitzy debut novel filled with just enough twists to keep them guessing.--Erin Holt

Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 16, 2024
Swift delights in her debut rom-com. Thirteen years after Emmy Ellison’s Hollywood dreams were crushed, she goes viral by creating a poll asking readers which famous heartthrob they think inspired the hunky hero of her debut romance novel. She’s catapulted to bestseller status and a film adaptation of Hashtag Celebrity Crush is fast-tracked. When the studio agrees to cast the muse in question—Jason Connor—as leading man and Emmy gets to meet him, she’s living her wildest fantasies. Jason’s reputation is in shambles following a messy breakup, and he needs this project to rehabilitate his public image. As he and Emmy embark on a press tour together, both of their stars rise and they grow close. But Emmy can’t bring herself to reveal to Jason—who has yet to read the book or the entire script—that she drew from some of the most painful moments of his life for her story. When he finds out, it could keep them from their Hollywood ending. Swift leans into the wish-fulfillment of her premise, giving readers a glamorous peek into the celebrity lifestyle. Readers will root for Emmy as she travels the path from obscurity to fame and swoon over Jason’s “Hugh Jackman–like” charm and desire to be seen for more than his on-screen persona. This is sure to win fans.