a slow burn of female passion. this book is such amazing debut from an author and puts the reader in the position of gray morality

“What she’s describing sounds exactly like something Mal would do. Fuck the venue, fuck the audience, fuck what’s appropriate - all that matters to him is making the best, boldest, most authentic choices. No wonder he’s so certain about her.”

This IS A CAN’T PUT DOWN, READ IN ONE SITTING, HOLY >%*$ SO GOOD read. It’s a snow day, stay in bed, do nothing else until you plow through it read. SERIOUSLY! There’s nothing like a book that just grabs you from the first page, and it’s extra special when it’s not something you identify with (I have no drama/theater background, and that didn’t stop me at all from loving it!).

On that note! This is a story told from two perspectives - Kira and Joanna - set in the theater world. Kira’s hired to star in a production opposite Joanna’s business partner, Malcom. Malcom has a reputation for being a genius... but also dark, cruel, and manipulative.

I LOVED the pacing, language, and imagery in this story. It’s well done in a way that makes you want to read slowly and savor it, but it’s got the plot of a book you have to rush through because of the plot. SO SO SO GOOD. Add it to you to be read list now!

I liked the ending but it took far too long to get there and too little happened along the way

I. . .do not really know how I found this book. All of a sudden it appeared on my Kindle, and when I looked into it, it showed as a pre-purchase from February of this year. Alrighty, then.

The characters are terrible (but I do, oddly enough, appreciate the relationship between Kira and Spence) (also, I love the name Kira - I had a babysitter named Kira when I was very young and I thought she was the COOLEST), the plot is not that great, the ending is bewildering - to say the least. It's like a wannabe Black Swan, I feel, and I just couldn't connect.

After LOVING They Never Learn, I was so ready to love this one too. Unfortunately I just did not. It was definitely a story that messed with my mind and made me so confused I was almost unsure what was really happening, but at the same time I knew exactly what would happen. It was all just bizarre and I didn't care for it. I hated all the characters. Nobody was likable at all. The POVs were all so self-centered and just plain mean. I'd definitely read another Layne Fargo book because I loved They Never Learn so much, but if I had read this one first, I'd be skeptical.

This was a dark, seductive story that sucks you in , it’s filled with unlikable characters and the tension you feel coming off the pages makes it’s very difficult to put down.
Kira is a struggling actor, her personal life is a mess and her dream is to catch a break and land a starring role in theatre. When Kira auditions for a role and meets director Malcolm Mercer she feels this may be the break she’s looking for and it could change everything. Malcom has the reputation of being extremely cruel to the actors that work for him and pushing them to a breaking point. When Kira land the role she believes she can show Malcolm she’s different and make this gig the best part she's ever had and get her name in the lights. The theatre co-founder, Joanna Cuyler is not impressed by Kira and doesn’t understand why Malcom chose her except maybe try to sleep with her, we soon we see sexuality, power, and manipulation between Kira, Malcolm and Johanna and as the tension grows we soon wonder who will be pushed to far, and how far can come someone be pushed before they snap. As opening night draws near the question is soon being asked how much is to much and will everything come crashing down? I loved this character driven story it was dark and disturbing and the ending blew me away!

Completely absorbing Audible performances, but I felt the story had a very predictable ending. I read/listen to a lot of psychological suspense and it’s hard to surprise me. 3 1/2 stars.

This was an interesting read and the ending was pretty good, albeit somewhat predictable. I hated the characters so that made it a bit hard to engage at times. I just didn't feel sympathetic toward any of them and just kept thinking about what awful people they all were. I listened to it on audio and overall, the story kept me listening.

DNF at 17%