[Review] This Life by Maryann Reid

Reality just got a bit too real for this queen of an empire. Blake is living a life that most women could only dream about. She's beautiful, brilliant, fierce, and doesn't know how to quit. She's built an empire, made millions, and fought her demons. When she's invited to host "The Takeover," a new reality show, she's quick to take on the challenge. The show is an instant success...and Blake's life becomes an instant mess. Blake's new celebrity status comes with a catch: notoriety. That notoriety uncovers secrets that Blake would have rather kept buried. The worst is her ex-husband Lang, a jealous, obsessed man intent on destroying everything Blake has built. Blake's success and money become her weaknesses, leaving her with very few people to trust. This only gets worse living in the public eye. Lang uses Blake's celebrity and feelings of isolation against her as he enlists the help of people from Blake's past to ruin her. Unfortunately for Lang, Blake didn't get where she is by backing down from a fight. When Brett, Blake's ex-flame appears, she finds herself hoping for the best, but expecting the worst. Their complicated history soon has her life spinning out of control. As Blake struggles with the chaos, and the feeling that she can't trust anyone, she starts to wonder if the life she has is even worth the fight. When Lang's schemes escalate, Blake finds herself on the edge of losing everything... Sizzling with celebrity fantasy, This Life goes inside an action-packed world of wealth and power, secrets and deceptions, revenge and betrayal-where staying on top could mean paying the ultimate price.

Review

This book was unlike anything I have read before. I do not normally pick up a book where the main character is a celebrity as I just have not seen the draw in it. This book, however, promised enough intrigue that I could not help but become enticed. I enjoyed the book overall. I read it in one sitting- so it kept my attention very well. 

I loved the relationships between Blake and the supporting characters. The romance was minimal, but the friendships made up for it- as they should. A large part of the book is Blake interacting with her bodyguards- who were hired to protect her.  She is a mega- celebrity and has luncheon's with Oprah. (Okay, it wasn't a luncheon. I think Oprah attended one of her parties.) But still, you get the picture. She is a very successful businesswoman whose ex- husband is bitter and violent about their divorce, so she needs protection from him as well. She has a lot of drama to deal with in this book. A. lot. Of. drama. Did I mention drama? Whew, the life of a celebrity. Never a dull moment. 

I also thought the aspect of her hosting a television show that helped young entrepreneurs to be sort of brilliant. I have definitely never read that before- Very creative. 

As a villain, I would say the husband was very hell bent on ruining everything Blake had built for himself. He definitely deserved a well placed kick in the nads for some of the stuff he put her through. He could have been worse, though. 

Blake was a powerful and cut throat business- woman, but a bit of a push- over when it came to men. I found that personality trait sort of interesting. She was definitely empathetic to others and I liked her as a character overall. She did grow a bit when it came to letting others walk over her in her personal life, which was awesome. Characters should always grow and improve. *thumbs up* 

I just didn't like Brett at all and I couldn't see the draw in him beyond the initial meeting. Meh. 

The romance was interesting. I can't say much about it, since it was sort of minimal, but it was very original as well. 

Overall, the book was new and creative with interesting relationships and a savvy and classy main character. There was plenty of friendships, financial drama, a bit of romance, and a glimpse into the life of the rich and famous. It was intriguing having celebrities I was familiar with mentioned in passing. A Very interesting book. 

3.5/5