Review: Between the Lines by Tammara Webber

Between the Lines by Tammara Webber
self-published
April 29, 2011
Amazon Kindle edition


When Hollywood It Boy, Reid Alexander, arrives on location to shoot his next movie, his goals are the same as always—film another blockbuster hit and enjoy his celebrity status to the fullest while doing so. His costar is a virtual unknown with whom he had blazing hot chemistry during her auditions. The universe is lining up nicely to grant whatever he wants, as usual, until he’s confronted with unexpected obstacles on location like a bitter ex-girlfriend and a rival for the first girl to spark his genuine interest in years.

Emma Pierce just got her big break after more than a decade of filming commercials for grape juice, department stores and tampons, and more recently, bit parts in made-for-TV movies. Nailing the lead role in a wide-release film sent her agent, father and stepmother into raptures, and should have done the same for her. The Problem? Emma is experiencing a building desire to be normal, and starring in a silly, modernized adaptation of one of her favorite novels—opposite the very hot Reid Alexander—isn’t going to advance that aspiration.

Graham Douglas doesn’t fear playing the part of a nerdy dimwit; when it comes to choosing film roles, if it pays, he’ll do it. Besides, his friend Brooke Cameron snatched up the role of the bitchy hot girl and could use his help as a buffer, because her ex is the star. Graham has no problem keeping a handle on the situation, until he finds himself attracted to Reid’s costar, Emma, the girl Reid is pursuing full-throttle with his standard arsenal of charm, good looks and arrogance.

Author recommendation: Mature teens+ (language/drinking/sexual situations) -Goodreads.com


When I picked up Between the Lines for my Kindle my reasoning was that it was only $2.99 and the premise sounded interesting.  Cute guy, nice girl & both in show business working on a movie together.  Add in some teen-aged friends and voila! quick easy read.  I was not expecting to fall in love with this book and the characters.  When I got to the last page all I wanted to do was read more about Emma & the cast (especially a certain male).



I really identified with Emma and her adventures in making the right decisions.  Of course I haven't ever been in the position of being close to movie-stardom and having to navigate life in the public eye but Emma is still a regular teenage girl trying to decide on how she wants to live her life.  I think we've all been at that stage or still are in that stage, struggling to find ourselves.  We have all been at that point where we were almost an adult but not quite a little girl (or boy) any more.  Should I go to college or pursue a career in something else?       I'm about to be thirty and I still don't know "what I want to be when I grow up."  So when Emma is deciding on continuing with acting or going to college, I can sympathize with her.  


When the light bulb is turned on over her head and Emma graduates from the self-centered thinking she has been doing and starts thinking about how relationships are more than one-sided and how to be a good friend, I also identified with that notion.  Maybe that's a sign of growing into adulthood.  It's so easy to get lost in our day to day little dramas.  It's more difficult to step out of our shoes and see that other people have issues they need to work through as well.  


Tammara really gives us a wide variety of characters and shows that people deal with their lives and hardships in different ways, and not always for the better.  I'm sure that anyone that reads this book will find a character to identify with.  She touches on a lot of different issues, some that can even be uncomfortable but are inevitably a part of life.  Tammara's approach is honest and purely brilliant.       


OH! And one more important thing that I thought was a primary point of this book without being preachy:  Life may throw you curve balls and you might make mistakes, but it is how you handle them that can ultimately show the world how you are as a person.  After all, that's what growing up is all about. 


I highly recommend Between the Lines if you are looking for a contemporary read.  Here's hoping you fall in love with it like I did.