Summer with a Star

Summer with a Star

I enjoyed this story by Merry Farmer, a new author to me. It was predictable, but well written & I only spotted the one spelling mistake! Be aware this book has a few love-scenes: it is described as being "steamy" in the blurb. The main characters - Tasha (teacher), Jenny (her friend & estate agent(?)), Spencer (actor), Simon (his actor friend) & Yvonne (their agent) - are all strong & likeable (some more than others). The story is set at Sand Dollar Point, Summerbury Bay & it does sound like a very beautiful, but peaceful place.
Tasha has spent the last 20yrs saving up for a summer in her dream home, a house she'd been in once as a child. She's just broken up with her ex, Brad, whom she'd caught in bed with a "red-head." She plans on filling her holiday snuggled up with her suitcase of (romance) books; drinking coffee & wine; wallowing in self-pity.
Turning up at Summerbury Bay, where she'd spent every childhood summer with Jenny & Brad, she's shocked to find that someone else has "ruined" her summer & moved into "her house!"
Turns out Spencer's agent has walked in & pulled the rug from under Tasha's feet & hired the house for the movie star. Yvonne looks after all her clients, & doesn't mind stepping over toes to get her way. Money talks, as does celebrity status.
Spencer is looking forward to relaxing; reading up movie & TV scripts; enjoying the peace; rediscovering himself; going incognito. He's not at all surprised or happy to find out Yvonne's kicked Tasha out of her dream home. One look into Tasha's eyes & he offers to share the house, for the whole summer, with her.
What comes next is Tasha & Spencer getting to know each other. He's lovely & thoughtful, kind & caring, sexy & flirty, not spoilt at all. They fall in love, but she's got self-esteem issues: Brad was always putting her down, so she doesn't think she's good enough for Spencer or the world he lives in. Can Spencer make her see that she's worthy of him?
Simon comes for a stay, a very short stay! He craves the limelight while Spencer shuns it. He and Jenny hits it off, but unfortunately after a passionate night together, he sneaks off in the morning. Problem is: he wants Jenny & what Spencer's found at Summerbury Bay, but he's not ready for it. Jenny puts on a brave face, but she's heart-broken. Will they get back together?
What did I not like about this story? Well, I would have liked Jenny to have spent more time with Tasha. I would have thought there would be more drama & tears, as Tasha's just broken up with her first & only long-term boyfriend. Jenny is, after all, Tasha's best friend so perfect for being a shoulder to cry on, but she's only mentioned a couple of times.
It seems Tasha got over Brad very quickly, & fell for Spencer, his movie star looks & celebrity status etc on the rebound. Hard & fast.
I didn't like the two of them 2nd guessing each other. She's constantly thinking she's not good enough for him, not good for his image or his lifestyle. Not exciting or sexy enough for him or Hollywood. For goodness sake, she's Miss Pike, boring dowdy teacher! He thinks she's just perfect for him, & he doesn't care what anyone else thinks. However, he realises that she's been hurt bad & her lack of confidence stems from her relationship with Brad, so he doesn't push her. He will move heaven & earth to make things work between them, if only he can make Tasha see that!