Review – Honeymoon Stage by Margaux Eliot
Synopsis
It’s the night before her wedding, and Cassidy Baum isn’t sure she wants to get married…Or maybe she just doesn’t want to get married on set, surrounded by cameras and crew, with the crushing weight of everyone watching. As a production assistant, Cassidy’s used to being behind the camera, not in front of it. But her fiancé is a former child star and musician, and their wedding makes the perfect spin-off for Honeymoon Stage, the groundbreaking celebreality show she once worked on. Five years ago, the show fell apart―for dramatic reasons, Cassidy is still struggling to understand. Now, Cassidy is forced to reckon with what happened on set to search out the truth once and for all before her wedding is broadcast to the world. Rumors, lies, and suspicions come rushing back. And if Cassidy can’t figure out a way to make sense of the past, her own happily ever after may not be so happy after all.
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Review
This book is for fans of reality TV, misunderstandings, and a tribute to the early 2000s.
Cassidy finds herself as a PA on a reality television show with a couple who may or may not love each other. She knew Maggie as a child, but they had not seen each other in at least a decade. Along the way, she meets the love of her life, Gabe. But it isn’t a smooth road to forever.
I have mixed emotions about this book. There are some great parts, and some not-so-great parts. I felt the book moved at a slow pace, and while it primarily flashes back to 2002 to give us the backstory of this reality show and Cassidy, it also shares her story in 2007 and her wedding to Gabe.
I didn’t connect to Cassidy because she was too idealistic, which may have had something to do with her age (early to mid 20s). She had her mind set on how the world should be, and was sure someone was killed by one of the cast members. Yet, she had no proof. It was all in her head. I did enjoy watching her relationship with Gabe unfold. However, she jumped to many conclusions even with Gabe.
While slower-paced, I thought it picked up around 75% through. It was an enjoyable story despite its flaws.
We give it 3 1/2 paws up.
About the Author
Margaux Eliot is excited to give early aughts pop culture its due. Writing as Julia Fine, she is also the author of speculative novels The Upstairs House, What Should Be Wild, and Maddalena and the Dark. She lives in Chicago with her family.
