Not in the Script

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Title : Not in the Script
Author : Amy Finnegan
Rating : 4 Stars!!!

Paperback, 384 pages

Published October 7th 2014 by Bloomsbury Children's

ISBN : 1408855534 (ISBN13: 9781408855539)

Source copy : Netgalley

Synopsis :

The best kinds of love stories don’t follow a script.

Millions of people witnessed Emma Taylor’s first kiss—a kiss that needed twelve takes and four camera angles to get right. After spending nearly all of her teen years performing on cue, Emma wonders if any part of her life is real anymore . . . particularly her relationships.

Jake Elliott’s face is on magazine ads around the world, but his lucrative modeling deals were a poor substitute for what he had to leave behind. Now acting is offering Jake everything he wants: close proximity to home; an opportunity to finally start school; and plenty of time with the smart and irresistible Emma Taylor . . . if she would just give him a chance.

When Jake takes Emma behind the scenes of his real life, she begins to see how genuine he is, but on-set relationships always end badly. Don’t they? Toss in Hollywood’s most notorious heartthrob and a resident diva who may or may not be as evil as she seems, and the production of Coyote Hills heats up in unexpected—and romantic—ways.

Source : Provided by the author

First off, I'd like to extend my greatest and biggest *virtual* hug for Amy and Jesselle for inviting me on this book tour. I actually don't have any idea yet when Jesselle send an invite but when I read the synopsis, I gave it a shot and say yes. And I am clearly shot in a splendid way to be honest.

Not in the Script is a readers VIP Entrance Ticket for a Hollywood life. The start of Not in the Script quite gave a little sneak peek for every celebrities life and how they cope up to live between their ordinary and the complicated life of being an artist/model. Living the life of an artist may seem to be the perfect dream to achieve for anyone. I mean, who doesn't want to be famous? You want to be famous, right? *Please say Yes* But with Amy Finnegan's playful wits and all, she extends the boundaries of a usual situations of a celebrity. Hollywood celebrities are usually caught up with the most weird and awkward situations which every paparazzi keeps on pointing out. Or sometimes, they are surrounded with so much responsibilities with their roles that they just get pissed off randomly on a set. I'll say that yes, it was somehow included those common things within the characters but Amy Finnegan brought up a roller coaster ride with them.

I liked how the characters are so determined to act and be someone else. It feels like I am reading a different persona with each one of them. Emma is one of the characters that I find confusing on the start. She's a bit vulnerable at some point. She had this fear of having a relationship again with her co-star or co-actor because of her twisted and sick-minded ex-boyfriend. I was infuriating with so much anger when I read how she was betrayed and even hurt her. But when I reached the middle of the book, she clearly changed into something entirely different. She was able to think clear and foresee the consequences that will arrive once she'll do something out of hand. Even risking her heart all over again with Jake is really unexpected and doesn't include on her checklist, but still, she knows how to follow her own decisions.

Jake on the other hand, he's one of the characters that I read that has a long patience for a girl he likes. As far as I know, a natural kind of boy won't continue to pursue the girl if he knows there will be a lot of complications involved that will be hard to solve. But Jake didn't let a single thing to get him out of the way with Emma. He knows it'll be a play-safe kind of relationship but he still risked his heart just to be with Emma. On and off cam, he can control his emotions at some point. I love it when I read his POV and he just keeps on thinking how can he get Emma to love her.

Amy Finnegan's Not in the Script will make you see how these celebrities are able to decide their feelings in spite with the judgment of the media. You'll get to see how these characters were able to see and confront the twisted life of being one of the controversial celebrities. This is also one of the funniest book that already marked on my list.

Playlists

Check out Amy Finnegan's Spotify Playlist!

I finished a first draft of this novel over seven years ago and revised it many times until it was finally how I wanted it, so there has been a lot of music involved in its creation. But the songs that follow in this list are the ones I most often think of in relation to certain scenes. A few of the songs are older and one is truly old-school), but since they’re some of my favorites and I listen to them often, they helped inspire a certain mood. There are also a few songs that are too new to have been a part of
my actual writing process but have since made me think, “This song is perfect for
this or that scene.” I love music almost as much as I love books, so it’s a pleasure to
present this playlist. I hope you like it!

SOMEBODY TOLD ME by The Killers:

Imagine this song playing when Jake and Emma walk into The Cage on page 128. Why? Because I love The Killers (isn’t that enough of a reason?) and because this is one of my favorite songs to dance to. Coincidentally, Jake and Emma also love The Killers. ;)

EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED by Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran:

I saw Taylor and Ed perform this together at a concert, and I’m pretty sure I was hovering ten feet off
the ground. The words of this song describe how I imagine both Jake and Emma’s thoughts in the first paragraph of page 135 (even though they are in two different(locations).

TREACHEROUS by Taylor Swift:

I know, two of her songs in a row, but I couldn’t help but fall hard for this song when it first came out. It mirrors Emma’s thoughts for much of the novel. Sometimes you can already be in the middle of a relationship and not even know it, which can be sort of scary, but those are the sort of relationships that are worth the risk.

HANGING BY A MOMENT by Lifehouse:

This song is one of just two that, from when I first started writing this novel, have influenced the mood of certain scenes, and especially the scene that starts on page 216. I love the playful nature of this song and the way it so expertly portrays how you can truly fall for someone, even when you
don’t mean to.

SOMEDAY by Rob Thomas:

This song is filled with some pretty powerful longing, which is why I’ve continued to love it year after year. Throughout the novel Emma expresses a desire to get past her sensitivity to the public’s intrusion into her personal life. She longs to be free of the judgment and expectation that rules her choices—her dating choices, in particular—but doesn’t yet know how to block it out. There’s a point in the novel where she thinks, “We have a future together, I can feel it. We just have to make it through the space between here and there.” And that’s the
sentiment that this song reminds me of.

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST by Queen:

Yep, Queen. Because they will always be freaking awesome, no matter how many decades pass by. I could leave it at that, but I should probably explain a bit more. This song is dedicated to the tabloid
“journalists” who I imagine eagerly strutting down the street to the beat of this song, hoping with their cold, cold hearts that they will find a celebrity in the lowest moment of their life . . . and exploit them for the sake of entertainment. Just listen to this song as if it were sung by a tabloid journalist, and you’ll get a really good sense of how Emma feels about them.

AMNESIA by 5 Seconds of Summer:

This is a very new song that caught my attention immediately because it’s just how Jake feels when, during a particular point in the story, he sort of disappears and no one is sure where he is. The funny thing about heartwrenching loves songs is that the majority of the best of them (in my opinion)
are written and performed by men! So I definitely think guys are more sensitive and romantic than the world at large gives them credit for. #swoon

IRIS by the Goo Goo Dolls:

This is the second song (along with HANGING BY A MOMENT) that has been a part of NOT IN THE SCRIPT from the very beginning. It’s the song I’ve always imagined Jake and Emma dancing to right before they leave The Cage. I’ve been around enough celebrities to know that many of them wear a mask, and even a different personality, in public. It’s only the people who are closest to them who know who they really are—their fears, insecurities, and what and who means the most to them. But it’s hard to trust new people in your life . . . not when they could so easily make a lot of money selling your secrets, or only being nice so they can namedrop and be seen with you. There’s a line in this song that says, “When everything feels like the movies, yeah, you bleed just to know you’re alive,” and I imagine that as a celebrity, it is indeed difficult to know what’s real and what isn’t when everything that glitters is not gold. But Jake and Emma both want a life,not just a lifestyle, so that’s why this is their song. And the last line sums up their story in a nutshell: “I just want you to know who I am.”

Check out my playlist!

Sleeping with a Friend by Neon Trees:

This song reminds me of Jake and Emma while they are just starting to become secret lovers. Both of them hide their feelings in front of everyone and when they had a time for themselves, it clearly makes me smile like a high school girl again.

Naive by The Kooks:

There's a lyric on this song...

I know, she knows that i'm not fond of asking
True or false, it may be... Well, she's still out to get me.

I loved this song for quite a long time. After I read Not in the Script, these part reminds me about how Jake always wanted to glide with Emma's confusing feelings.

Distance by Christina Perri:

She's like my second voice in my heart. She has all the lyrics that totally knocked my heart out. Everytime I hear this song, it reminds me when Jake and Emma can't clearly scream out to the media of their relationship.

Girls by The 1975:

Aside from me having a crush with the vocalist, this song reminds me of Jake, Brett and Troy. It feels like this song is the perfect one for them everytime they feel brokenhearted or overreacting or whatever guys feel in a relationship.

Can't Help by Parachute:

I also have a crush with the vocalist here. I swear I don't select songs because I have a crush on the vocalist. Well maybe its my second reason. Anyway, this one is for Jake and Brett the moment they fell in love with Emma. Listen carefully with the lyrics and you'll know why.

Cool Kids by Echosmith:

This song became so famous this year and I totally loved their songs. One of the most wanted songs within their album is Cool Kids. This song ultimately reminds me of Rachel. It's like this song already spoke the mind and heart of Rachel of how she wanted to became famous and all.

Displaying Amy Finnegan Bio Pic for Press Kit.jpg

Author Bio:

Amy Finnegan writes her own stories because she enjoys falling in love over and over again, and thinks everyone deserves a happy ending. She likes to travel the world—usually to locations where her favorite books take place—and owes her unquenchable thirst for reading to Jane Austen and J.K. Rowling.

Her debut novel, NOT IN THE SCRIPT, came about after hearing several years of behind-the-scenes stories from her industry veteran brother. She’s also been lucky enough to visit dozens of film sets and sit in on major productions such as Parks and Recreation and Parenthood.