BOOK REVIEW: Shot Through the Heart by Matt Cain

I have a certain love for summer reads filled with glitz, glamour (and a bit of scandal!). They're a guilty pleasure, so I was rather excited to pick up a review copy of Shot Through the Heart, the debut novel from journalist and producer Matt Cain.

Mia Sinclair is known worldwide as the 'First Lady of Love', a nickname she's not entirely happy with. Mainly because the beautiful Hollywood actress struggles to find love in real life - a stark contrast to her on-screen heroines; cute, needy types who always end up falling head over heels. Feeling as though she'll be stuck in romantic roles forever, Mia craves a change - or at least, a nice man who is willing to brave the fame and constant paparazzi that comes with being the love interest of an A-List star. A sacrifice that not a lot of guys are willing to take, as Mia has found out - especially with her latest date.

Meanwhile, paparazzi photographer Leo Henderson is waiting for the shot that will earn him big bucks. Having just broken up with his fame-seeking girlfriend, Leo focuses on getting his next big picture, and it looks as though Mia Sinclair is his next target. British-born and living in sunny LA, Leo's the kind of paparazzo that will stop at nothing to get the ultimate, terrible photo that the magazines will pay thousands for, and with gorgeous, thin star Mia about to give in to a certain temptation, he might just get what he's looking for.

That is, until the pair meet. When Mia agrees to go on a date with Leo in exchange for the photos, purely to stop the awful images from going public, it seems like a decent deal. But when the pair begin to fall for each other, things become slightly difficult. Can an A-List actress and a tabloid snapper be a successful couple - especially in LA and in the constant limelight?

Things begin to get even more tricky when Leo becomes jealous of Mia's new co-star - gorgeous Hollywood actor Billy Spencer. Billy may seem like a man who has it all, but deep down, there are issues. And a huge secret that can never be revealed - unless someone digs deep enough to find it...

Shot Through the Heart is a fun, light read; I picked it up one afternoon and couldn't put it down. I enjoy tales of Hollywood glamour with some dark secrets - and this certainly delivered. The only thing that I didn't like about this book was that the chapters are split to focus on each character, but this happens a bit too often, which did become irritating at first. However, I enjoyed each character's story, seeing how Mia and Leo cope with the pressures of fame, their relationship and of course, their Hollywood roles. If you're a fan of novelists such as Victoria Fox and Rebecca Chance, you might like Shot Through The Heart. It's a great debut.

Rating: 4/5

No comments