Customer Reviews

Family Affairs (Secrets of My Hollywood Life)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Kaitlin Burke is back to spill more secrets about her life as one of Hollywood's hottest young stars. Filming for "Pretty Young Assassins" has wrapped up and Kaitlin's back on the set of "Family Affair". But this time, there's an even bigger problem than co-star Sky Mackenzie. There's a new girl on set, Alexis Holden. Everyone seems to love the new star, all except Sky and Kaitlin, who are convinced Alexis is out to destroy their careers.

I enjoyed the first two books in this series, but this is by far my favorite and I couldn't stop reading it. Kaitlin is such a great character. She's likable and realistic. She's not spoiled and despite being a celebrity, she's facing normal problems, like driver's education and deciding what she wants her future to be, something all teens can relate to. Kaitlin's just another teenager, despite starring in a popular TV show, and she wants the world to know she's more than just a popular actress.

I also really liked seeing Sky in a position other than Kaitlin's nemesis. In the first two books, this rather two-dimensional portrayal of Sky annoyed me, but in this book, we see another side to the girl and if she's not exactly likable, she's understandable. The other characters are entertaining as well, though not especially nuanced. I enjoyed the writing in this book; Kaitlin's voice is strong and friendly, and the references to designers and other celebrities are nicely worked in. I also loved the script excerpts and tabloid articles that were interspersed within the narrative.

Basically, I loved this book. It was just what I needed after two AP tests. It's fun and cute and CLEAN. Hallelujah that there's a young adult series with a moral standard. This entire series is definitely worth reading.

Like stories such as X2: X-Men United, sometimes the bad and good guys must come together to defeat a greater evil. They have to put aside their differences for a time and join forces. They may go back to their old ways after the battle is over, but for a brief time they can consider themselves comrades. Such is the premise of the third book in the Secrets of My Hollywood Life series. This was probably my favorite book in the series. I love how Skye and Kaitlin put aside their rivalry and join together to defeat Alexis. The duo end up realizing that they can bear to be together and find themselves defending each other in tough situations. Alexis is the character you love to hate. She puts on a innocent and cute face in front of all the TV execs and media, but inside she conniving and spiteful. She's a newcomer to the Hollywood life, an unknown who got "discovered" but she wants to break out and become a huge star. She will do anything to achieve it even if it means bringing down powerhouses like Skye and Kaitlin. What I think is sad, is that if she had tried to truly befriend them, she probably would have had a better chance of succeeding.

It's also fun seeing Kaitlin try to live a normal life with her friends and boyfriend. Loved seeing her try to get her driver's license. It's interesting to think that someone in Hollywood might not ever need to know how to drive, if they have a chauffeur waiting on them on all the time. I'm glad that her and Austin are still doing good. And still geeked that they are still Star Wars fans!

Like the first two books in the series, this book is packed with tons of Hollywood insider information that helps the reader to understand the industry better. The reader really gets to see what it's like to film a TV show (Family Affairs sounds like a nigh time soap) and also the workings of the paparazzi. There is also again nothing offensive in the book at all. It's such a delight to read a YA book that doesn't include teen drinking, sex or language especially since it involves celebrities and the Hollywood lifestyle. Jen Calonita has written another winner and I can't wait to read what's up next for Kaitlin and her Hollywood life. HIGHLY recommended.

This is the third in a series of books about a fictional teen tv and movie star and what it's like to be an "it girl." I am an adult who is reading these books along with her 14-year-old sister. I enjoy the books. After she read this one, my sister said she thinks it's the best of the three. I can agree with that. One thing I like is that, as opposed to adult-oriented "hollywood insider" novels, this one shows the perks and strains of being famous and what it's like to be on the inside of the Hollywood machine without throwing in the coarse sex details and the jaded pessimism that comes of living in an image-obsessed, self-oriented society.
So, I can recommend it. I give it five stars for being a success in its genre. It's a fun, non-challenging read that will make you appreciate being boring to the tabloids while making you wish you could get the spa visits and free gifts the celebrities get. It's fun.

My fourteen year old daughter received the first book in this series for Christmas and loved it. She has since downloaded the next two on my kindle. I had to wrestle it away from her to read my book. I am making her wait for the fourth book until our trip to Michigan, since she goes through them so fast. So, I would recommend any books for young adults that get them excited to read!

Teen superstar Kaitlin Burke is back to let us in on more Hollywood secrets. After filming her new Hutch Adams film Pretty Young Assassins (PYA) she is back on the set of Family Affairs. She has been on the show since she was 4 years old and after 15 seasons rating are getting higher after a new girl joins the cast.

Spoiler Alert below!
Alexis Holden comes out of nowhere and joins the cast of Family Affairs, she has only been on for a couple of episodes but everyone in Hollywood loves her. She is stealing all the attention from the press and interviews. This makes Sky Mackenzie (Kaitlins nemesis on the show) very upset and suspects that something is going on with the new girl. Kaitlin also agrees that there is something fishy going on with the writers. Ever since Alexis has joined the cast she has become a major diva. She has been treating the wardrobe people rudely, and her cast members, such as Sky and Kaitlin. No one is falling for her sweet goody-two shoes act like the writers and press are. Something has to change and Sky and Kaitlin team up to show Alexis that she is not wanted.
Later on in Kaitlins personal life she finds out that her boyfriend Austin and her best friend Liz are taking their SATS soon, also along with drivers ed. Kaitlin realizes that she has never considered going to college and taking the SATS. She wants to take drivers ed so that she doesn't have to have a driver to take her everywhere. Just to be normal for once.
Kaitlin decides to take a permit test in a Burbank public driving school. It's brand new and is located in an abandoned parking lot. Also the driving teacher had said that he could care less about her being a star, or so he says. Kaitlin had walked right into a trap. The driving teacher had called the paparazzi and hid in the back of the car. The teacher had distracted Kaitlin too much and she drove right into her families car. It had appeared all over the entertainment news and the Internet with pictures of her.
Finally after Alexis leaked bad press about Kaitlin and Sky, they finally caught her when she bribed a writer and had a fake script writing Kaitlin and Sky off the show. They freaked and left the set for a while to take some time to figure out what's going on. Tom the head writer wouldn't be seeing anyone today and that made everything frustrating. So then later they found out that it was a fake script that Alexis made and she was fired on the spot. Except they were going to cancel the show because one of the other cast members was leaving the show and so did one of the crewmembers.
This book was the best one out of the series. I found out about the first book a when it came out I read it and I was hooked on the series of them and loved them all. This book was by far the best one that came out so far. It had a lot of conflicts that kept you reading and revealed everything in the end and was all back to normal, well somewhat. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes tons of drama.

SECRETS OF MY HOLLYWOOD LIFE: FAMILY AFFAIRS
JEN CALONITA
Contemporary Young Adult

Rating: 4.5 Enchantments

Kaitlin Burke's life is finally back to normal--or so it seems. Filming of her movie Pretty Young Assassins is finally over and she's back on set of Family Affair, but things are about to get shaken up when a fresh new face joins the show. At first, Kaitlin thinks the tabloid stories about her are once again being leaked by her arch rival and co-star Skye McKenzie, but when Skye begins to be targeted as well, all fingers point to the hot new co-star Alexis. Can Kaitlin keep her cool while the hot new diva does her best to oust her from the show or will things finally reach a boiling point?

SECRETS OF MY HOLLYWOOD LIFE: FAMILY AFFAIRS is definitely one of my favorite books of the `Secrets Of My Hollywood Life' series. I really liked how Kaitlin and Skye were forced to become `frenemies' in order to survive against the hot newcomer turned diva Alexis. The scene with Kaitlin and Skye leaving the set near the end of the book marks my favorite scene of the series. Truly had me laughing at loud at where the two of them actually ended up. I look forward to seeing how Ms. Calonita continues their `frenemy' relationship in the next book.

[...]

This book is an enjoyable continuation of the series. More of the trials and tribulations of being a Hollywood star teen trying to live a "regular" life...for the most part. Funny story.

FAMILY AFFAIRS follows teen superstar, Kaitlin Burke, as she wraps up her new movie, Pretty Young Assassins, and returns to shooting Family Affairs, the hit TV show she's starred on since she was a little girl.

But all is not well on the set.

The new girl, Alexis, proves to be a plotting new actress. She was supposed to be on the show for only a few episodes but, with her magic ways, ends up convincing everyone to let her stay. Everyone, that is, except for Kaitlin and her old enemy, Skye. They aren't falling for her act and it seems they're the only ones who aren't. Especially when horrible press stories start popping up in magazines, making them not only look bad to their fellow castmates but also to the producers.

There's only one thing for them to do, but that would involve them working together. Can they even begin to pull it off?

I've been a fan of the SECRETS OF MY HOLLYWOOD LIFE series since I read the first one awhile back. FAMILY AFFAIRS, the third book in the series, is, by far, my favorite. It takes the same drama from the previous books and adds a new twist to it. The characters all seem to mature, making them even more likeable and (dare I say it) realistic! The plot is definitely the most original one so far and there's tons more action than in previous books.

Basically, I recommend it to all fans of the series, even if you were a bit disappointed by book two, ON LOCATION.

Reviewed by: Harmony

Kaitlin is back! She's just finished her big movie with her career and her boyfriend still intact! Now she's off to what she does best. Staring in the nighttime soap, Family Affair. Everything is going great! That is until newcomer Alexis starts stealing some of Kaitlin's limelight. Is Kaitlin simply jealous or are there more forces at work?

Like its two predecessors, Secrets of My Hollywood Life: Family Affairs, was a fun and fast read. These books are impeccably clean, so I wouldn't be cautious about sharing them with younger readers. And even an older reader like me can enjoy them. I think I find these books so entertaining is because I know, when I see a People magazine on the shelf while I'm waiting in line at the local wal-mart, I can't help but pick it up for its celeb gossip! Who wouldn't want to be rich and famous (besides the already rich and famous). These books are an "insiders" look into the Hollywood scene! Even though Katlin isn't a real celeb, I'm still able to get my People fix when I read these books. I also really liked the fact that Kaitlin is dealing with real like issues like getting her drivers license, studying for the SATs and worrying about her friends going off to college.