Synopsis
I’m a celebrity … trying to escape the past!
When Katerina Murphy agrees to take part in Celebrity SOS, a reality TV show where celebrities have to fend for themselves in the Alaskan wilderness, she’s up for the challenge. But then she locks eyes with fellow contestant Finn Drayson of 1Dream boy band fame and realises that the show is going to push her further from her comfort zone than she ever imagined.
After all, Finn wasn’t just Katerina’s co-star in the school play adaptation of Breakfast at Tiffany’s where she discovered her acting confidence, he was also her first love – and the first boy to break her heart. Even years later, the secret kisses and shared packets of crisps on park benches are never far from her mind.
Will award-winning actress Katerina Murphy’s talents stretch to staying composed in the face of Arctic winds and blasts from the past?
Book 2 – Spotlight Series. Book 1 – Strictly on Ice
Helen Buckley
Helen Buckley lives in Bedfordshire with her husband and two sons. After working in the charity sector in the UK and abroad, she turned her hand to writing and her first novel, Star in the Shadows, was published in 2019. She writes any moment that she can, enthralled by stories of fame, romance and happy ever afters. Apart from being addicted to writing and enjoying soft play with her sons, she’s an avid reader, action-movie fan and chocolate addict.
 |
 |
 |
 |
|---|
Katerina and Finn end up on a reality TV show by design by the producers. They’re making the best of an uncomfortable situation until a buried secret gets uncovered. This was a great read that reminds us sometimes our past doesn’t stay in the past. Highly recommend!
I enjoyed this book very much. Helen had lots of twists and turns in the story.
This is a stunner of a book. It has everything, romance, friendship, location, mystery and a great cast of characters.
Exploring Katerina and Finn’s story as it gradually emerges keeps revealing so many other facets that are effecting their current life. The location in Alaska is well described and felt very realistic. Add a prospective girlfriend for Finn into the mix and things step up another gear.
The reality show scenario is well portrayed and seemed believable. I enjoyed this book a lot.
Celebrity SOS – loved it, loved it, loved it. Imagine bumping into your first love on a television show with cameras watching your every reaction. Kat and Finn find themselves in that situation, and having spent the last few years trying to fight their feelings for one another and put a lid on their relations, they now fight not to divulge their past to the rest of the contestants. Helen has written another great book, with a story and characters that had me hooked from first page to the last.
Katerina hasn’t seen Finn for 13 years but then they are brought together again when they go on a survival reality show in Alaska. I liked the way that the book was in the present day and then would transport back to their teenage years when they first met.
Kat comes from a strict catholic family and Finn comes from a broken home with a Mum who suffers mental health problems but when they are brought together for leading parts in the school play and start to rehearse together they have a chemistry that despite the years apart hasn’t faded.
There are some interesting supporting characters that are in Alaska with them and you can imagine yourself with them trying to source food and survive in the harsh elements.
However Kat has a secret that she doesn’t want Finn to know about but unfortunately the secret comes out for not only Finn to see but all the viewers too and the book then explores the repercussions of the revelation when they leave Alaska.
I really enjoyed this book and although I didn’t particularly warm to Kat at first by the end of the book I felt I understood her more but I adored Finn with his vulnerabilities and hard upbringing.
They survived Alaska but does love really survive especially when truths are revealed. I would strongly suggest reading this book to find out.
Adored this story of adventure, love and loss. Katerina and Finn are both fascinating characters thrown together again by a celebrity survival show; the challenges they have to face are both from the frozen landscape and from their pasts. Can they survive both sets of challenges? I loved this story – possibly my favourite read of the year! Highly recommend for both the story and the characters- I couldn’t put it down!
An enjoyable read, well written and finished off. I am not normally a fan of stories about ‘celebrities’, reality shows and the like, but this one did keep my interest, despite the dodging back and forth in time (another thing I am usually not keen on). The ‘secret’ was very obvious to me early on, so that wasn’t a surprise, but the revelations in the back story were a bit different. There are some sad moments, but we got our HEA (it looked unlikely to me at one point!) so that keeps me sweet. Although I didn’t read it in one session, it didn’t take me long, so definitely worth 4 stars and a recommendation from me.
An excellent read
There are no venomous nasties in Northern Alaska and this might have influenced actress Katerina Murphy in her decision to appear in the reality show, Celebrity SOS, competing in a wilderness survival show in Alaska will test the resilience of each competitor. Arriving at the film location, Katerina is shocked to discover one of the other contestants is Finn Drayson, her boyfriend from her school drama class who she hasn’t seen for 13 years. It’s a massive challenge for ten people to feed themselves by hunting, foraging and fishing in the cold, hostile environment, Katerina has the added strain of constantly using all her acting skills to hide her emotions from Finn and the all-seeing cameras.
After filming ends the contestants leave snowy Alaska and return home, this is when Katerina’s life becomes drastically complicated.
Containing interesting twists and turns with great characters, all resulting in a lighthearted romantic read.