A STAR IS SCORNED

A notorious Old Hollywood rogue must fake-date his new co-star to clean up his image—and perhaps change his womanizing ways in the process.

Flynn Banks doesn’t make any promises—every woman who dates him knows they’re getting a fun time, but not a long time. But this is 1938 Hollywood, and Flynn’s reputation has led to negative attention. The men at the Legion of Decency and the Hays Code office want Flynn to clean up his act if they’re going to approve his films, and his studio insists that means committing to one woman, his newcomer co-star, Liv De Lesseps—at least for a staged relationship. The only problem is that he’s already met Liv (real name Olivia Blount) and she’s not too fond of him. What Flynn doesn’t know is that Olivia nursed a huge crush on him when she was just a girl watching his swashbuckling pirate movies. She’d feel lucky to be paired up with the man of her Hollywood dreams if it weren’t for the fact that she now knows he’s a scoundrel with “an ego the size of the Empire State Building.” As Flynn and Olivia are photographed together at hot spots around town, though, their love affair starts to feel a lot less fake. Olivia realizes that Flynn is much more sensitive and sincere behind the scenes, and Flynn finds Olivia irresistible. She just might be the one to get him to settle down for good—if they can find their way around the myriad obstacles Hollywood and their own pasts put in their way. Lenker creates a world with all the glamour of the silver screen and the banter of a screwball comedy. Flynn and Olivia have sparkling chemistry that leads to a few steamy scenes that certainly wouldn’t fly with the Legion of Decency. Their love story features lots of period details and Easter eggs for film lovers—for example, Flynn takes his name from stars Errol Flynn and Douglas Fairbanks. Lenker also examines the darker side of Hollywood with a subplot involving Olivia’s sister and the dangerous situation she finds herself in while trying to become a dancer.

A fun and sexy romance that’s perfect for anyone who loves classic cinema.