Scan barcode
A review by maggiemaggio
The Redhead Plays Her Hand by Alice Clayton
4.0
It's been almost a year since I finished The Redhead Revealed. As much as I was absolutely dying to read The Redhead Plays Her Hand, and I was dying, it took me a chapter or two to settle into the book. Alice Clayton definitely has a style to her writing and if I had to sum that style up I would say it's over the freaking top. The characters, the settings, the words, and writing, it's a lot all up in your face at once and I think, having not read her for a year, it was a lot of handle.
But then I settled in and I was in love. The thing that gets me about Alice Clayton's books is that even though they're over the top, they're oddly relatable. I struggle sometimes with books that feature caricatures rather than characters and while, to a certain extent I do think there are caricatures and exaggerated situations in Alice Clayton's books, they also ring true in so many ways.
The entire time I was reading this was terrified since I thought I was closer in age to Grace than Jack, but then I realized I'm right in between the two and that made me feel oddly better about myself. Age is a big part of Grace and Jack's relationship and has been since they originally got together. Grace is nine years older than Jack, he's 24 years old which makes her 33 years old. In no way do I think 33 is old, some of my best friends are 33, hell some of them are over 33, but somehow, in this series, 33 feels old. Maybe because she's hanging around with a 24 year old? Or maybe because it's Hollywood? My point in saying all of this is that normally I'm not a fan of the older woman/younger man relationship. Not because I think there's anything wrong with it, I'm all in favor of cougars getting theirs, but sometimes I feel like it's such an issue it ends up eclipsing the story. And it's a big deal in Grace and Jack's relationship, absolutely, but I feel like it's more a big deal because of the industry that they work in rather than because it matters to either of them.
This book picks up with Grace starting to film her TV show and Jack getting ready to go out on location to shoot a movie. Grace and Jack are the same Grace and Jack that we've grown to love over the previous two books, but things slowly start to change. Grace is under more and more demands for the TV show, not only with the shooting schedule, but with the request from the studio that she lose 15lbs to help accentuate her cheekbones. I really liked how Grace handled this. Rather than being outraged or upset (ok, she was a little of both of those) she did it. Personally I think it's terrible that Hollywood is that way, but as Grace says, that's the way it is. Millions of women would do that and more, and is it really that different than being asked to cut or dye your hair? (Obviously so long as the weight loss isn't unhealthy, I still think it's gross, but I also realize that if you want a seat at the table you have to accept the rules.)
While Grace is making her TV show Jack is shooting his movie, but also living it up. One of the fellow actors on the movie, this d-bag Adam, is a washed up Hollywood bad-boy who sees his opportunity to become relevant again by clinging on to Jack. Jack starts going out to clubs, staying out to all hours of the night, and coming up drunk on an almost daily basis. Grace tries to talk to him about it, but Jack's feeling pretty obstinate and Grace has a lot on her plate without worrying about Jack (even though she spends a lot of time worrying about Jack) and things kind of just fester.
And I loved this. Not so much the actual festering, but that they were allowed to fester. Grace and Jack had little squabbles over his behavior, but there were no big, drama-filled blow-ups every chapter. I've always loved Grace and Jack's relationship and chemistry, it's so sweet and feels so genuine (minus the insane amount of sex they have) and I was glad that I didn't have to deal with them breaking up and getting back together and breaking up and getting back together on and on and on. Even though, given Jack's behavior, I was kind of wishing Grace would stand up and, as she would say, take him to the woodshed.
In the second half of the book a few of the chapter start with several pages of magazine and website clips about Grace or Jack or Grace and Jack. I liked getting to read some of the press, especially since the press featured so prominently in the story, but, and this is my only real criticism, there were just so many pretty clippings at the beginning of each chapter they kind of dragged on and got monotonous. Two or three would have sufficed, we didn't need ten.
With Grace's sudden fame and notoriety this book is so aimed at women. Grace's weight becomes a big issue in Hollywood and the gossip press and the main stream media. Jack's fans tend to think Grace is a fat cow, but the non-crazies really rally around Grace and she becomes kind of the poster woman for curvy women everywhere. Which, as someone who hates how women are often portrayed in the media, I loved it. Grace just has a great personality to begin with and I loved seeing her get the attention she deserves and loved that she stood up on behalf of curvy women every where.
Bottom Line: This is a great third installment (ending?) to The Redhead Series. I certainly hope it's not the ending, but I'm afraid it might be. Even though Grace and Jack go through their struggles in this one, they're as cute together as ever. I loved both of their story arcs in this one, especially Grace's, and I appreciated the lack of constant drama. If you haven't read this series I highly recommend it if you want something fun and over the top. If you've read the series and are deciding whether to read the third installment, I don't know what you're waiting for, do it now!
I received an electronic review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley (thank you!). All opinions are my own.
But then I settled in and I was in love. The thing that gets me about Alice Clayton's books is that even though they're over the top, they're oddly relatable. I struggle sometimes with books that feature caricatures rather than characters and while, to a certain extent I do think there are caricatures and exaggerated situations in Alice Clayton's books, they also ring true in so many ways.
The entire time I was reading this was terrified since I thought I was closer in age to Grace than Jack, but then I realized I'm right in between the two and that made me feel oddly better about myself. Age is a big part of Grace and Jack's relationship and has been since they originally got together. Grace is nine years older than Jack, he's 24 years old which makes her 33 years old. In no way do I think 33 is old, some of my best friends are 33, hell some of them are over 33, but somehow, in this series, 33 feels old. Maybe because she's hanging around with a 24 year old? Or maybe because it's Hollywood? My point in saying all of this is that normally I'm not a fan of the older woman/younger man relationship. Not because I think there's anything wrong with it, I'm all in favor of cougars getting theirs, but sometimes I feel like it's such an issue it ends up eclipsing the story. And it's a big deal in Grace and Jack's relationship, absolutely, but I feel like it's more a big deal because of the industry that they work in rather than because it matters to either of them.
This book picks up with Grace starting to film her TV show and Jack getting ready to go out on location to shoot a movie. Grace and Jack are the same Grace and Jack that we've grown to love over the previous two books, but things slowly start to change. Grace is under more and more demands for the TV show, not only with the shooting schedule, but with the request from the studio that she lose 15lbs to help accentuate her cheekbones. I really liked how Grace handled this. Rather than being outraged or upset (ok, she was a little of both of those) she did it. Personally I think it's terrible that Hollywood is that way, but as Grace says, that's the way it is. Millions of women would do that and more, and is it really that different than being asked to cut or dye your hair? (Obviously so long as the weight loss isn't unhealthy, I still think it's gross, but I also realize that if you want a seat at the table you have to accept the rules.)
While Grace is making her TV show Jack is shooting his movie, but also living it up. One of the fellow actors on the movie, this d-bag Adam, is a washed up Hollywood bad-boy who sees his opportunity to become relevant again by clinging on to Jack. Jack starts going out to clubs, staying out to all hours of the night, and coming up drunk on an almost daily basis. Grace tries to talk to him about it, but Jack's feeling pretty obstinate and Grace has a lot on her plate without worrying about Jack (even though she spends a lot of time worrying about Jack) and things kind of just fester.
And I loved this. Not so much the actual festering, but that they were allowed to fester. Grace and Jack had little squabbles over his behavior, but there were no big, drama-filled blow-ups every chapter. I've always loved Grace and Jack's relationship and chemistry, it's so sweet and feels so genuine (minus the insane amount of sex they have) and I was glad that I didn't have to deal with them breaking up and getting back together and breaking up and getting back together on and on and on. Even though, given Jack's behavior, I was kind of wishing Grace would stand up and, as she would say, take him to the woodshed.
In the second half of the book a few of the chapter start with several pages of magazine and website clips about Grace or Jack or Grace and Jack. I liked getting to read some of the press, especially since the press featured so prominently in the story, but, and this is my only real criticism, there were just so many pretty clippings at the beginning of each chapter they kind of dragged on and got monotonous. Two or three would have sufficed, we didn't need ten.
With Grace's sudden fame and notoriety this book is so aimed at women. Grace's weight becomes a big issue in Hollywood and the gossip press and the main stream media. Jack's fans tend to think Grace is a fat cow, but the non-crazies really rally around Grace and she becomes kind of the poster woman for curvy women everywhere. Which, as someone who hates how women are often portrayed in the media, I loved it. Grace just has a great personality to begin with and I loved seeing her get the attention she deserves and loved that she stood up on behalf of curvy women every where.
Bottom Line: This is a great third installment (ending?) to The Redhead Series. I certainly hope it's not the ending, but I'm afraid it might be. Even though Grace and Jack go through their struggles in this one, they're as cute together as ever. I loved both of their story arcs in this one, especially Grace's, and I appreciated the lack of constant drama. If you haven't read this series I highly recommend it if you want something fun and over the top. If you've read the series and are deciding whether to read the third installment, I don't know what you're waiting for, do it now!
I received an electronic review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley (thank you!). All opinions are my own.