The Men of Holmby Hills: Chase (The Holmby Hills Series Book 1) by Allyson Simonian – Review by Angela Hayes

The Men of Holmby Hills: Chase by Allyson Simonian
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Men of Holmby Hills: Chase, is the first book in The Holmby Hills series by Allyson Simonian. It is a short story- and made for a quick and easy read. It is a contemporary romance- with drama, a touch of mystery, secrets, and realizing what’s truly important. I though this was a good story, but it didn’t grab me the way some of Ms. Simonian’s other work has done. I don’t really know why exactly, perhaps I am just having an ‘off’ day. But this is what I came away feeling. The story did feel a little rushed in places, and some of the story/situations were skimmed over and I felt like I didn’t really get the chance to immerse myself in the story because everything happened so quickly, too quickly at times. I would have liked to have read a slightly longer version of this book, so the characters got more of a chance to develop and grow- I’m not saying that there wasn’t any depth to the story or characters, because there was some, but Not enough to have me invest in them and their story. I did prefer the second half of the book to the first halt- as there was some drama, a touch of danger, and a little more action- which gave the story an added interest.
Chase is a well-known actor working on a popular series. His immature ways, playboy ways, and thoughtless actions have given him some bad press of late and his image is in serious need of an overhaul. When he meets Carrie, she’s like a breath of fresh air- and he’s immediately drawn to her. He asks her out- and one date soon leads to more. A whirlwind romance ensues, followed by a trip down the aisle. But when secrets are revealed it shatters her trust and everything starts crumbling around them.
Carrie is a high school history teacher when she meets Chase on set. She is completely smitten by him and can’t believe this sexy celebrity is showing any interest in her. Everything happens so fast, one minute they’re dating and the next they’re married. But life with a celebrity isn’t everything she’d imagined it would be.- there are some serious drawbacks, especially when he’s so self-centred. She starts to feel a little lost, withdrawn and unsure of herself. She really doesn’t feel comfortable in his world- not that he’s doing anything to try to make things easier for her. Finding out a few ‘truths’ shocks her back into reality. But where do they go from here? Chase has some serious changes to make if he wants to fix things. Will he even be bothered? And if he is, will it be too little too late?
I really didn’t like Chase for most of the book, and he only just redeemed himself a little by the end. He really is everything the blurb says- spoiled, arrogant, self centred, selfish, pompous, career driven, and very immature. I couldn’t believe the way he treated Carrie- she was so sweet, understanding, shy, and smart. So, she really didn’t deserve the way he treated her. But I felt a little better about everything with the way the story ended- with hope and love.
If you want to know what happens with Chase and Carrie, you really should read all the details for yourself!

Thank you, Ms. Simonian!

Reviewed by @angelahayes

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