Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Derek Vinquist, handsome star of a sitcom that recently ended, would rather do anything than star on a reality show about gardening. But he finds himself on Garden Variety anyway, doing his best to maintain his dignity while covered in dirt. Noah, the show’s head gardener, doesn’t particularly enjoy replacing plants that have been damaged by inexperienced celebrities either. When the two meet, attraction blooms instantly, but Derek must prove to Noah that he’s more than a spoiled celebrity while simultaneously protecting Noah’s beloved plants.

 

Book Review

The idea of a successful sitcom star having to do a reality show to “tide him over” with the studio is pretty amusing. But to have that show focus on gardening, something poor Derek has less than no clue about, makes the whole setup even funnier. The descriptions of his initial attitude, his attempts at gardening, and the surprising friendship he strikes up with the “real” gardener behind the scenes are very entertaining – until things get serious and the mood changes to a much gentler tone.

Derek doesn’t see himself as arrogant, but his whole attitude screams “I am too good for this show” when he first starts out. He doesn’t have much choice, or so his agent says, if he wants to remain employed, but that doesn’t make Derek any happier. He is very self-deprecating about the whole thing and does end up behaving pretty decently, even nice, so I enjoyed his tale enormously.

But, for me, the star of this story is Noah. He is the show’s head gardener but does not appear in the show, they have an attractive female for “audience effect” with the male demographic. Noah is the one with the real gardening knowledge, and his attitude toward the plants, the care he takes in the face of adversity, melted my heart. I really felt for him as he tries to counteract the destruction!

If you like sweet romances that happen in unexpected ways, if you want to see a somewhat arrogant actor quietly learn from an experienced gardener, and if you’re looking for a read that is full of tender moments and surprises, then you will probably like this short story as much as I do. I am not much of a gardener myself, but Noah and Derek’s story made me want to learn!

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. The anthology this short story was published in has been provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook and print
Length	Short Story, 20 oages
Heat Level
Publication Date	12-September-2016
Price	$6.99 ebook, $17.99 paperback, $17.99 bundle
Buy Link	https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/starstruck-7505-b