Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Scared Scriptless - Review

Review by Darcie Czajkowski
Maddy Carson has never been a risk taker. Post-college, her parents pushed her out of the nest when their family friend, Hogan Chenny, head of Hogan Chenny Productions, offered her a job as a production assistant in Hollywood. After fighting through years of dreary grunt work, she is now script supervisor for the hit show, The Wrong Doctor, produced by HCP. Though she loves her job and is well-respected among her peers, Maddy quietly aspires for more, maybe producing or directing. But her fear of pushing the limits, venturing outside of her carefully drawn comfort zone, inhibits Maddy from zealously pursuing her dreams and fully reaching her potential.

But things begin to change when Craig, the executive in charge on The Wrong Doctor whom Maddy has recently started dating, suggests that they team up to pitch a reality show to Hogan, a proposal that Maddy thinks is destined to fail, given Hogan’s dislike of reality television.

Though Maddy is uncertain if Craig is the best romantic match for her anti-Hollywood personality, she agrees to work with him to develop the reality show concept after an idea sideswipes her: her hometown of Wolf, a small town in northern California, would be perfect for the show. Not only could the publicity from a reality show bring more tourists to dying town and act as the saving grace for her parents’ ski resort, but it could also mean heightened professional success for Maddy, a chance for her to break out of her current position and achieve something greater.

But can she really trust Craig with her beloved town? Does he have Wolf’s best intentions at heart, or is he only after furthering his own career? And what about the new actor on The Wrong Doctor, the gorgeous Adam Devin, who repeatedly asks her out? He knows he’s dating someone else, but that doesn’t stop his flirting. Is Maddy’s interest in flirting back, if only a little, a sign that she isn’t all that interested in Craig, or is she just like every other woman on the planet who is dazzled by Adam’s stunning looks and undeniable charm? Could Adam actually be someone worth breaking her strict “no actors” dating rule?

Scared Scriptless by Alison Sweeney was one of my favorite books of 2014. It was the last book I read last year and I have to say that I went out with a bang. I found Maddy’s character to be flawed but likeable, and I wanted her to flourish both romantically and professionally. I loved all of the characters in the story, something I can rarely say about a book. I enjoyed getting to know each one of them and found their actions and motivations to be believable. Sweeney’s writing style is smooth, easy to follow, and the story naturally progressed at a steady pace. Start 2015 out with a winner and pick up this great new book by Sweeney.

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About the Author:
Alison Sweeney is an American dramatic actress, reality show host, director and author. Sweeney is best known for her portrayal of Samantha "Sami" Brady on NBC's long running Days of Our Lives, a role she has played under contract with the show since January 6, 1993. In this role, she has earned four Soap Opera Digest Awards and a Fan Voted Daytime Emmy Award.  In 2007, she became the host of The Biggest Loser.

She is the only daughter, and has two brothers, Sten and Ryan. Sweeney attended UCLA, but left due to the commitment at the time. On July 8, 2000, Sweeney married David Sanov, after dating for nearly three years. The couple have two children: Benjamin, born in February 2005 and Megan, born in January 2009. The family currently lives in Los Angeles, California.

Sweeney's first novel, The Star Attraction, was released in May 2013. Her second book, Scared Scriptless: A Novel, waa released in June 2014.

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