'Someone Else's Fairytale' by Emily Mah Tippetts

Reviewer: Stephanie

5 stars!

Summary from Amazon:

Jason Vanderholt is Hollywood’s hottest actor. Chloe Winters hasn’t bothered to see most of his movies. When they meet by chance, he is smitten and Chloe becomes the woman every other woman in America is dying to be, but it just isn’t her fairytale.



It’s the end of May, school is almost out and you’re dying for summer vacation. This book needs to be at the top of your list of summer reads!


First I must say that what impressed me most about this book is the author’s ability to get me to cross genres. I am not a chick lit fan. I’ve tried to read many books in that genre – actually was able to finish a few, but never really left the book satisfied. But when I picked up “Someone Else’s Fairytale” I was hooked from page one.


Chloe Winters has a chance meeting with big star Jason Vanderholt when she and her friends are extras in a movie being shot at their college the University of New Mexico. While her friends are star struck, Chloe is indifferent, even though Jason makes a point to talk to her. Chloe has much more important things on her mind, like finishing college and getting into grad school, so she is surprised when Jason tracks her down and wants to be friends. She reluctantly agrees and makes it clear up front that friendship is all she’s interested in. But Chloe didn’t count on her feelings for Jason changing the longer she knows him. She thinks she knows what she wants but meeting Jason opens her eyes to a new world of possibilities. The relationship that follows is sweet and romantic.


At first glance I wondered if the plot seemed a bit cliché, but Emily made it work because her characters had depth. Chloe and Jason both surprised me. I wondered if Chloe could really come across as uninterested in this big movie star. She did because she truly was just that…uninterested. Plus the back story of a tragedy that happened to her when she was young really rounded out her character and gave her a strength that I admired and respected. When she does realize her feelings for Jason, her reactions, insecurities and fears are well-written and believable. I found myself liking her more and more as the book progressed.


Jason was definitely a lot nicer than I ever imagined a Hollywood star to be. However, he wasn’t perfect. He had made mistakes and his past was a hurdle that he and Chloe had to get over. He was very real, and his pursuit of Chloe was equal parts sweet and funny. His gestures didn’t always get him the desired outcome, but I loved watching them work on their relationship throughout the course of the book.
Chloe’s friends and Jason’s family rounded out the cast of characters, and I loved how both Chloe and Jason leaned on them for support.


This book really surprised me in a good way. I enjoyed it much more than I would have imagined and I can’t recommend it highly enough!