The View Was Exhausting | Mikaela Clements & Onjuli Datta

fiction  |  contemporary  |  romance  |  adult

First published 2021

Whitman "Win" Tagore, Leo Milanowski, Shift

As a British Asian woman, Win knows that she has to have tight control over her public persona otherwise Hollywood will eat her alive. Whenever a scandal arises, she calls Leo to stage a date and swings the public's view of her back in her favour. Their on-again, off-again relationship is the talk of the internet and media outlets worldwide. But it's all a lie.

They settle for friendship, knowing that anything more would lead to nothing but trouble, but there is a real chemistry between the two and a short publicity trip to the French Riviera reveals Leo's secret and turns the public against Win, almost destroying her career. They must confront the reality of Win's career and question what is more important: a career or the possibility of love?

I was expecting the story to go somewhere more interesting, but it really didn't. This was quite a bland, romance novel that was trying a bit too hard to be edgy and relevant. Perhaps because I have no interest in the inner-workings of Hollywood, I don't care for fashion or the types of fake characters that populate this novel, I really didn't enjoy this book. I'm always excited to discover new authors, but I won't be in a rush to check out Clements or Datta's future offerings. Sorry!

Review Award | 2/5