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A review by ninegladiolus
Stars in Your Eyes by Kacen Callender
challenging
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Wherever Kacen Callender goes, I will follow, and their adult debut romance novel Stars in Your Eyes is no exception. The way Callender undertakes difficult subject matter and complex interpersonal relationships regardless of genre or age group continues to shine in Stars in Your Eyes, and though I had to work through my personal feelings on some points, it stands out in my memory even months later.
Stars in Your Eyes follows the journey of Logan Grey, a troubled and immensely famous Hollywood actor who everyone seems to have a strong opinion of, and Mattie Cole, who is new to the acting scene and gets his big break when cast in a romantic film alongside Logan. The two pretend to date for publicity’s sake, but as one might expect in a fake dating romance novel, the feelings turn very real.
I will start by saying I think the marketing for this novel does it and potential readers a great disservice. This is not a light and breezy romcom; trauma, including addiction, child abuse of all kinds, and more, takes center stage, and slapping descriptors like ‘grumpy/sunshine fake dating romance’ obscures these themes. Kacen Callender states in the beginning note of the ARC I received that they wanted to imagine what a romance looks like for someone who has experienced CPTSD, which WILL look vastly different from a romance between folks who don’t have that degree of trauma, and I think they succeeded quite admirably.
No book is for every reader, but because of this, I imagine Mattie and Logan’s journey will not be for everyone. Even I found myself frustrated at times with how much pain Logan caused Mattie due to his unhealed trauma throughout their relationship. But that challenge is also what I love most about this novel.
Too often, whether it’s a fictional narrative or in real-life occurrences, we are sold the idea that “true” romance will be effortless, magical, and frictionless—that ‘true’ love means we won’t find ourselves hurt by the ones we love, or that said hurts will be tidily resolved with one neat conversation. This is a great fantasy to indulge in AND this simply isn’t true for some trauma survivors. While trauma does not absolve an individual of their responsibility to commit to their growth and healing, being treated with care and compassion, even in the face of hurt the person is responsible for—which Mattie does for Logan, while making his share of mistakes—is often a necessary step in healing from trauma like CPTSD.
All that said: I really enjoy this novel and how it undertakes the notion of ‘happily ever after’, especially because so many CPTSD and other trauma survivors do not get to see themselves written into such endings. Stars in Your Eyes won’t be for everyone. If you’re looking for a laugh-out-loud, lighthearted, escapist read, I wouldn’t recommend this novel to you. But if you’d like to delve into a romance with deeply flawed characters who are doing their best to love one another, this one is worth checking out.
Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for an advance review copy. All opinions are my own.
Stars in Your Eyes follows the journey of Logan Grey, a troubled and immensely famous Hollywood actor who everyone seems to have a strong opinion of, and Mattie Cole, who is new to the acting scene and gets his big break when cast in a romantic film alongside Logan. The two pretend to date for publicity’s sake, but as one might expect in a fake dating romance novel, the feelings turn very real.
I will start by saying I think the marketing for this novel does it and potential readers a great disservice. This is not a light and breezy romcom; trauma, including addiction, child abuse of all kinds, and more, takes center stage, and slapping descriptors like ‘grumpy/sunshine fake dating romance’ obscures these themes. Kacen Callender states in the beginning note of the ARC I received that they wanted to imagine what a romance looks like for someone who has experienced CPTSD, which WILL look vastly different from a romance between folks who don’t have that degree of trauma, and I think they succeeded quite admirably.
No book is for every reader, but because of this, I imagine Mattie and Logan’s journey will not be for everyone. Even I found myself frustrated at times with how much pain Logan caused Mattie due to his unhealed trauma throughout their relationship. But that challenge is also what I love most about this novel.
Too often, whether it’s a fictional narrative or in real-life occurrences, we are sold the idea that “true” romance will be effortless, magical, and frictionless—that ‘true’ love means we won’t find ourselves hurt by the ones we love, or that said hurts will be tidily resolved with one neat conversation. This is a great fantasy to indulge in AND this simply isn’t true for some trauma survivors. While trauma does not absolve an individual of their responsibility to commit to their growth and healing, being treated with care and compassion, even in the face of hurt the person is responsible for—which Mattie does for Logan, while making his share of mistakes—is often a necessary step in healing from trauma like CPTSD.
All that said: I really enjoy this novel and how it undertakes the notion of ‘happily ever after’, especially because so many CPTSD and other trauma survivors do not get to see themselves written into such endings. Stars in Your Eyes won’t be for everyone. If you’re looking for a laugh-out-loud, lighthearted, escapist read, I wouldn’t recommend this novel to you. But if you’d like to delve into a romance with deeply flawed characters who are doing their best to love one another, this one is worth checking out.
Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for an advance review copy. All opinions are my own.