Okay so this was a surprising 5 star read. I didn't really read the synopsis but ended up really loving the entire book. Wow!

Stars in Your Eyes by Kacen Callender M-M romance. Mental health, trigger warnings. Grump sunshine, fake relationship troupes. Mattie Cole has been hired in his first major role playing opposite Hollywood’s bad boy Logan Gray. Mattie is a bit star stuck from all the actors he’s now working with even though Logan trashed Mattie in a recent interview. For positive publicity, Logan and Mattie are told to participate is a fake dating scheme and are given specific instructions to flirt, been seen at a restaurant and confirm to paparazzi their relationship. Neither is thrilled but each needs the job and agrees. The more time they spend together, the easier it is to be in a real relationship. Until the past and secrets are unveiled. I cried through the last quarter of this book because of their past trauma that still haunts each. Logan has a lot of trauma from his past and learned as a child to simply shut down. To find ways to ignore or move the focus. His relationship with Mattie is different from anything he’s experienced before and his usual methods of self medication are not acceptable anymore. Logan’s father pays the bills but has nothing but profanity in his regard to Logan. Mattie has the support of his mother and sister for his sexuality, but his father simply disappears when Mattie is in the house. Mattie pushes aside his emotions. Both Mattie and Logan, have varying levels of shame and relationship issues that comes down to acceptance of self. Emotionally explosive for anyone with feelings of self doubt or not loving yourself. And isn’t that all of us at some point? And poignant: “Shame, though, is more about how much I hated myself. I hated myself so much, and I didn’t even know it.” This book is a lot. There are some chapters that confused me on timing but that is resolved and understood in the wrap up. And remember it’s categorized as a romance and we all know what that means. I received a copy of this from NetGalley and the publisher. I will be recommending to bookclubs and readers that I know need to read it for self health. (read less)

Stars in Your Eyes by Kacen Callender M-M romance. Mental health, trigger warnings. Grump sunshine, fake relationship troupes. Mattie Cole has been hired in his first major role playing opposite Hollywood’s bad boy Logan Gray. Mattie is a bit star stuck from all the actors he’s now working with even though Logan trashed Mattie in a recent interview. For positive publicity, Logan and Mattie (read more)