Review: 'Behind the Scenes' by Sophie Childs (2015)

Things are never quite as they appear.
Bethan Brooks works in London for the ultimate boss from Hell, trying to support her wannabe rockstar boyfriend. But are The Vampire Squirrels really ever going to make it big or is she doomed to be a secretary forever? Luckily, Bethan finds the perfect escape when going to the cinema. There she loses herself in another world and forgets all about the dreaded filing and monotonous office work. Imagine her surprise when one day she encounters her favourite actor on the Tube. Suddenly, she finds herself part of the glamorous movie world she only ever dreamed about. With more at stake than she could ever realise, does she really want to know what goes on behind the scenes?
Last week, on the 26th of February 2015, Sophie Childs' debut novel 'Behind the Scenes' was released by So Vain Books. Today I'm really excited to be part of the blog tour for Sophie's new release and I was lucky enough to receive a review copy of the book a few weeks ago. I straight away really liked the sound of the story and the cover caught my attention as well. I've enjoyed several of So Vain Books' releases in the past, so I also had high hopes for this one. If you want to read more about this book, be sure to visit some of the other blogs that are part of the blog tour; scroll down for the blog links!
Bethan Brooks has always dreamed of working in the film industry. Unfortunately, the closest she actually gets is going to the cinema by herself, dreaming away while watching all kinds of films. Though Bethan doesn't like her job as a secretary, it pays the bills and helps her support her boyfriend Lee who doesn't have a job because he is trying to make it with his rock band 'The Vampire Squirrels.' One day, the unexpected happens as Bethan bumps into one of her favourite actors on the Tube on her commute into work. One thing leads to another and this meeting suddenly means the start of big changes in Bethan's life. She finally gets the chance to experience what life is like behind the scenes of the film world. Question is, is this really what she wants and worth giving up her life for...?
The author of this novel, Sophie Childs, has extensive ghostwriting experience and I must say I'm really glad she decided to write her very own book because I really enjoyed 'Behind the Scenes.' The storyline was really interesting, the characters were well-drawn and the author's writing style was really easy to get into. It did take me a bit of time to really warm to the main protagonist, Bethan; she's a bit naive and I couldn't understand why she was still together with her lazy boyfriend Lee. At the same time, I guess we all have a friend who has fallen blindly in love with someone, or a couple that stays together because it's safe and familiar, so in that way I also think the situation might be familiar to readers.
While the storyline is a bit predictable in places, this didn't bother me at all while reading the book. I thought the story was really entertaining and I finished the book in 1 day, constantly curious to see what would happen next. As I mentioned before, the characters are well-developed and different (some of them you'll love and some of them are quite easy to hate!), and I specifically warmed to Vincent, the famous actor Bethan bumps into and who is just a great guy. This was just a really enjoyable read and I'm already curious about Sophie Childs' next release. Overall, 'Behind the Scenes' is an entertaining, fun and light-hearted story which I hope other chick lit fans will enjoy as much as I did!

Rating:8,5/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

 

Be sure to visit the other stops on the 'Behind the Scenes' blog tour!   Monday 2nd http://aprillwood.wordpress.com/ http://aloverofbooks.wordpress.com
Tuesday 3rd http://crooksonbooks.blogspot.co.uk/ http://www.reviewedthebook.co.uk/
Wednesday 4th http://www.onmybookshelf.blog.pl https://alwayslovetowrite.wordpress.com/
Thursday 5th http://spoonfulofhappyendings.blogspot.com