With no other family in Australia, Andie’s Hollywood movie star aunt takes her in. Suddenly Andie is living in a mansion, has a no-limit credit card, a new BMW and is working on a movie set. When she catches the attention of movie heart-throb James Hawthorn, it all seems too good to be true – probably because it is.
Andie is about to discover how easy it is to be drawn in to the drama of life in Hollywood until it is almost impossible to tell the difference between reality and fiction.
Andie is a fun, offbeat central character. Her love of writing, funky vintage dress sense and clumsy streak make for a charming, interesting hoeroine. The impact of the death of her mother and relocation to the US to live with an aunt she barely knows adds a deeper emotional element to the story to balance the more superficial romance.
Unlucky Break is one of the first titles in the new Smitten series by Hardie Grant Egmont. These romance stories feature Aussie girls in their late teens in modern settings dealing with friendship and relationship issues. The central characters are old enough to be sexually active and there are intimate moments and references in the stories. These are not described in explicit detail, however it is clear what is happening.
Unlucky Break is an enjoyable romance for girls in their mid teens. The story is a little predictable, but the familiar girl meets boy drama is acted out by entertaining characters in an appealing setting with some added personal dramas to keep the story interesting. Besides, I’ve always thought the predictability of romances is part of their appeal. Everyone loves a happy ending.
Title: Unlucky Break (Smitten)
Author: Kate Forster
Publisher: Hardie Grant Egmont, $16.95 RRP
Publication Date: 1 March 2013
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781742972527
For ages: 15+
Type: Young Adult Fiction