A review by booksuperpower
No Biz Like Showbiz by Julie Moffett
5.0
No Biz like Showbiz by Julie Moffett is a 2014 Carina Press Publication. I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This fourth book in the Lexi Carmichael series, has Lexi in a romantic triangle and is assigned the job of determining who is hacking into the system of a wildly popular reality show called “Geeks Get Some”. So, despite the fact she is still recovering from her last adventure, she sets off to Hollywood.
The show is like “The Big Bang Theory” meets “ The Bachelorette”.
Obviously, Lexi is offended by the concept of the show, but if she doesn't determine who is jacking with the votes it could cost many people their jobs. Plus, it's a crime and it's her job specialty to stop cyber crime.
Once Lexi gets started to work, she is flabbergasted by the way things work in Hollywood. Nothing is really real, no ONE is real and it's just like the old saying about smoke and mirrors. When the “cracker” begins making threats against Lexi's family and the show runners do a little strong arming, Lexi not only finds herself looking for a very clever hacker, she finds herself on national television and the “prize” all the geeks are trying to win.
This mystery is very well thought out and is almost scathing toward so called reality TV. Naturally, by now most people know the shows are rigged. If not , it would not be all that entertaining. So, the creators try to spice things up. Lexi learns that the hard way and her ethics makes it difficult for her to play along. There is one moment when an alternate theory to the show is offered making it seem as though people cheered for the geeks hoping they will learn social skills and find a person they can be happy with. I suppose that might pacify the people who are die hard , hard core lovers of this sort of entertainment, but for the most part Lexi is unimpressed. She does meet some nice people along the way, and some of of the situations she gets in are hilarious. Lexi's character put me mind of Brennan on “Bones”. She was often a little socially awkward herself and found all the falseness of Hollywood unappealing, and she felt bad for the geeks being forced to show their limited knowledge about dating and women for all the world to laugh at.
Meanwhile, Lexi discovers Slash had done something that really upset her and she is now wondering about the relationship's possibilities. Can he get back in her good graces? Could they become a team again?
I enjoyed the characters, the obvious homework the author did in regards to tech lingo and the ins and outs of reality TV. Quirky characters are a favorite of mine because I guess I'm sort of quirky myself and can relate to these characters more than some 6 foot blonde who does combat in high heels. Lexi is one of those characters that is confident, stands up for what is right, but is also human and feels insecure and afraid just like most of us do. So, here's to the geek in all of us quirky types!! Well done!
4.5 rounded to 5
This fourth book in the Lexi Carmichael series, has Lexi in a romantic triangle and is assigned the job of determining who is hacking into the system of a wildly popular reality show called “Geeks Get Some”. So, despite the fact she is still recovering from her last adventure, she sets off to Hollywood.
The show is like “The Big Bang Theory” meets “ The Bachelorette”.
Obviously, Lexi is offended by the concept of the show, but if she doesn't determine who is jacking with the votes it could cost many people their jobs. Plus, it's a crime and it's her job specialty to stop cyber crime.
Once Lexi gets started to work, she is flabbergasted by the way things work in Hollywood. Nothing is really real, no ONE is real and it's just like the old saying about smoke and mirrors. When the “cracker” begins making threats against Lexi's family and the show runners do a little strong arming, Lexi not only finds herself looking for a very clever hacker, she finds herself on national television and the “prize” all the geeks are trying to win.
This mystery is very well thought out and is almost scathing toward so called reality TV. Naturally, by now most people know the shows are rigged. If not , it would not be all that entertaining. So, the creators try to spice things up. Lexi learns that the hard way and her ethics makes it difficult for her to play along. There is one moment when an alternate theory to the show is offered making it seem as though people cheered for the geeks hoping they will learn social skills and find a person they can be happy with. I suppose that might pacify the people who are die hard , hard core lovers of this sort of entertainment, but for the most part Lexi is unimpressed. She does meet some nice people along the way, and some of of the situations she gets in are hilarious. Lexi's character put me mind of Brennan on “Bones”. She was often a little socially awkward herself and found all the falseness of Hollywood unappealing, and she felt bad for the geeks being forced to show their limited knowledge about dating and women for all the world to laugh at.
Meanwhile, Lexi discovers Slash had done something that really upset her and she is now wondering about the relationship's possibilities. Can he get back in her good graces? Could they become a team again?
I enjoyed the characters, the obvious homework the author did in regards to tech lingo and the ins and outs of reality TV. Quirky characters are a favorite of mine because I guess I'm sort of quirky myself and can relate to these characters more than some 6 foot blonde who does combat in high heels. Lexi is one of those characters that is confident, stands up for what is right, but is also human and feels insecure and afraid just like most of us do. So, here's to the geek in all of us quirky types!! Well done!
4.5 rounded to 5