What do you think?
Rate this book
Hollywood Beginnings
When happily ever after is only the beginning…
Courtney assumed her happily ever after began the moment her true love popped the question. But with a Hollywood hunk like Justin, nothing is easy.
Courtney’s career in the nonprofit legal sector takes off right unexpected news threatens to derail everything she’s worked hard to achieve. Courtney is forced to question whether she truly can have the man of her dreams and her dream career.
Justin is determined to balance his own growing career with the idyllic life he’s building with Courtney. When he notices her behaving differently, he suspects she’s hiding something… but the truth of her secret could destroy them both.
Courtney assumed her happily ever after began the moment her true love popped the question. But with a Hollywood hunk like Justin, nothing is easy.
Courtney’s career in the nonprofit legal sector takes off right unexpected news threatens to derail everything she’s worked hard to achieve. Courtney is forced to question whether she truly can have the man of her dreams and her dream career.
Justin is determined to balance his own growing career with the idyllic life he’s building with Courtney. When he notices her behaving differently, he suspects she’s hiding something… but the truth of her secret could destroy them both.
275 pages, Paperback
Published March 15, 2021
About the author
Liza Malloy
28 books272 followersLiza Malloy writes contemporary romance, new adult romance, women's fiction, and fantasy romance. She’s a sucker for alpha males, bad boys, dimples, and muscles, and she can’t resist a man in uniform. Liza loves creating worlds where the heroine discovers her own strength and finds her Happily Ever After. When Liza isn’t reading or writing torrid love stories, she’s a practicing attorney. Her other passions include gummy bears, jelly beans, and the occasional marathon. She lives in the Midwest with her four daughters and her own Prince Charming. For a limited time, you can download the first book in the Mafiosa Princess series for free by signing up for my mailing list at this link:
https://www.lizamalloy.com/mafiosapri...
https://www.lizamalloy.com/mafiosapri...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 2, 2021
Not you’re your standard Hollywood romance!
The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💚💙❤️🧡
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📘📗📕📙
World building: 🌏🌏🌍🌎
Character development: 🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂
The setting: Hollywood, CA
The Hero(s): Justin - “A” List Hollywood actor. He is in the prime of his career making multiple movies per year, several ad campaigns and he does a lot of press tours when his new movies come out. He has an agent, a manager, and a public relations specialist that work for him.
The heroine(s): Courtney - a lawyer that works for a women’s shelter. She was fired from her old job after some press about her and Justin came out. She now works at a new shelter that Justin donates money to every year. She is focused on her career.
The Love Story: Justin and Courtney fell in love in the first book, Hollywood Endings. However, in this book they are really just beginning their life together. They know they love each other but are trying to fit their busy lives together and make time for each other.
I really enjoyed the first book because it seemed real and I liked the fact that the handsome movie star didn’t fall instantly in love with a regular girl, especially when he has women and beautiful actresses falling for him all the time. It showed how the romance progressed from one date to more to when they could only think of one another despite busy schedules.
This one was a bit different, though it did seem just as real as Hollywood Endings and I didn’t like Courtney as much in this one. Well, I liked her but definitely didn’t like her choices and how she handled certain things. But it was interesting and kept me going despite things not being all happiness and light.
And I really got disgusted with Courtney when she went to Justin’s one Saturday afternoon to find him drinking with friends and smoking some weed and she got extremely judgmental even though Justin rarely got drunk in the past. After that, they both make some bad decisions but, like I said, it just seemed like it could be real. Despite the frustration about their decision making, the story was good and I liked the characters.
I voluntarily read & reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts & opinions are my own.
Blog|Goodreads|Facebook|Instagram|Twitter|BookBub
The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💚💙❤️🧡
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📘📗📕📙
World building: 🌏🌏🌍🌎
Character development: 🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂
The setting: Hollywood, CA
The Hero(s): Justin - “A” List Hollywood actor. He is in the prime of his career making multiple movies per year, several ad campaigns and he does a lot of press tours when his new movies come out. He has an agent, a manager, and a public relations specialist that work for him.
The heroine(s): Courtney - a lawyer that works for a women’s shelter. She was fired from her old job after some press about her and Justin came out. She now works at a new shelter that Justin donates money to every year. She is focused on her career.
The Love Story: Justin and Courtney fell in love in the first book, Hollywood Endings. However, in this book they are really just beginning their life together. They know they love each other but are trying to fit their busy lives together and make time for each other.
I really enjoyed the first book because it seemed real and I liked the fact that the handsome movie star didn’t fall instantly in love with a regular girl, especially when he has women and beautiful actresses falling for him all the time. It showed how the romance progressed from one date to more to when they could only think of one another despite busy schedules.
This one was a bit different, though it did seem just as real as Hollywood Endings and I didn’t like Courtney as much in this one. Well, I liked her but definitely didn’t like her choices and how she handled certain things. But it was interesting and kept me going despite things not being all happiness and light.
And I really got disgusted with Courtney when she went to Justin’s one Saturday afternoon to find him drinking with friends and smoking some weed and she got extremely judgmental even though Justin rarely got drunk in the past. After that, they both make some bad decisions but, like I said, it just seemed like it could be real. Despite the frustration about their decision making, the story was good and I liked the characters.
I voluntarily read & reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts & opinions are my own.
Blog|Goodreads|Facebook|Instagram|Twitter|BookBub
Read
November 8, 2021This is the sequel to Hollywood Endings, and you can read it before or after Supporting Roles. Here is a sneak peak at Chapter 1 of the Book!
Chapter 1
Sweat glistened on his palms as he cleared his scratchy throat for the hundredth time. Justin had to act now or risk losing the element of surprise. He patted his pocket again, confirming his treasure was secure, then reached his hand across the table to squeeze Courtney’s long, slender fingers.
“Let’s go for a walk on the beach,” he said.
Courtney’s sapphire eyes narrowed as she considered his proposition before quickly shaking her head. “I’m tired. Let’s go back to the room. I’m sure the beach will still be there in the morning.”
Justin’s lips tugged upwards. He deduced from the sparkle in her eyes that Courtney was not actually tired and had no intention of sleeping when they returned to the room. The problem was, her saying that only made him more confident in his decision, more certain that he was doing the right thing. No way was he waiting any longer.
He stood, dropping the cloth napkin onto the table. “And I’m sure you’ll still be ‘tired’ in fifteen minutes,” he said with a wink, offering his hand to help her up.
Now she smiled, flashing those perfect white teeth of hers. Whatever fortune her parents had spent on braces was worth it for that gorgeous smile. “You seem pretty confident about that, Mr. Danes,” she teased, calling him by the pseudonym he’d used checking into the resort. “You better not waste too much time or I might actually be sleepy.”
“I don’t plan on wasting a single second,” he replied. They left the restaurant, hand in hand, walking immediately onto the boardwalk facing the darkened Atlantic. The air was still warm, but not muggy, and a refreshing breeze rippled across his shirt. Justin loosened his tie, feeling his throat tighten. He motioned towards the water. “Come on.”
She followed him to the edge of the boardwalk before pausing to sit on a bench at the end. Justin crouched in front of her and helped her slip her foot out of the silver strappy sandals. He nearly laughed out loud at the irony of his frustration that she was delaying his plans by fiddling with her shoes, only to find himself thrust into the precise position a more traditional man might seek out for the situation.
“What’s so funny?” she asked, leaning towards him.
Justin shook his head, pushing her soft, long hair behind her shoulders until it no longer obstructed the view offered by her low-cut strapless dress.
She sat abruptly, covering the tops of her breasts with her hand. “Hey, now. You’re the one that wanted this walk. No previews of the goods till we’re in the room.”
He stood, stepping out of his shoes and rolling his gray socks into his shoes, leaving them on the edge of the wooden steps by Courtney’s. They walked down towards the water and paused right where the fluffy sand began to turn damp. The tide was receding and the black water was quiet and eerily still. Courtney turned to him, placed her hands on his cheeks, and pulled his face to hers.
“This is beautiful,” she whispered. “Thank you for taking me here.” She kissed him before he could answer, her warm lips sending a tingling sensation down his torso. She pulled back, then began to walk parallel to the water, her fingers absentmindedly reaching for his. “So beautiful, in fact, that I might spend this whole trip right here in this exact spot instead of in the room with you. Unless of course you have more tricks up your sleeve,” she added.
“Not up my sleeve,” Justin said, nervously patting his pocket again.
She turned and laughed, misinterpreting his response. “I think I’ve seen all those tricks, buddy.”
Justin wrapped his arm around her, slowing their pace considerably, and wondered how long they could walk like this before running out of beach. They were on an island, so presumably they could just go forever, circling the whole place until he got his shit together and asked her.
The night before, when his buddy, Keith, had questioned what he was going to say, Justin had been indignant. As an actor, he always had lines to memorize, but this time, it was real life. He wasn’t acting, and he wanted to just improvise. He’d felt certain that when the time was right, the perfect words would just come to him then flow out like an artfully scripted scene.
But now, watching Courtney’s hair dance in the breeze as she gazed at the lights of boats in the distance, Justin would’ve killed for a script and an underpaid assistant to subtly whisper his next lines to him. Justin was rarely nervous - not when he was acting, not when he was modeling, and certainly not when he was hanging with fans - so he hadn’t expected to feel it with Courtney.
It didn’t help that he had asked her before and she had technically turned him down. Then, the timing of that move had been all wrong, and she’d correctly guessed that he was flippant. Surely she’d see that he was serious now, but if not, well, that could make for a really shitty week in paradise.
Courtney crouched down, scooping a tiny object out of the sand and inspecting it curiously before tossing it out to sea and continuing along her way. Justin debated waiting, returning to the room now for predictably good sex, enjoying a relaxing vacation with his girl, and then popping the question on their last night. It might work, except he’d already hinted at his plans on social media right before the flight. Even if Courtney didn’t catch wind of that, she might find out his intentions from someone else. Besides, he didn’t want to spend the whole week stressed out about losing the damn ring or keeping it hidden from her.
It was now or never.
Courtney stopped walking about ten feet ahead of him, wiggling her toes into the squishy sand. Justin took a few steps closer, thrust his hand into his pocket and shimmied the box out, confirming it was tightly closed.
“Hey Courtney,” he called. “Catch!” And then he tossed it, refusing to consider what would happen if it popped open mid-flight, catapulting the precious cargo in the dark sand.
Thankfully, she caught it, effortlessly, despite being about ten years past her softball-playing days. He froze, holding his breath for a full minute before inching closer as she inspected the box. The moon cast a shadow over her face and he couldn’t read her expression from beneath the hair that had fallen over her eyes.
“What’s this?” she asked, her voice both casual and curious, confirming that she really didn’t know.
He laughed. “Open it.”
She pried the box open and gasped so softly that the sound of the waves nearly hid it.
“It’s your ring,” he explained, although he was confident she’d figured it out by this point. She didn’t speak or move, so he tentatively stepped towards her. “You didn’t think I was sincere before, but I am now. I know what I want and there’s not a doubt in my mind.”
He paused again, wishing she’d say something, but still she just stood there, silently, her eyes focused intently on the small ivory box clutched in both hands. He wrapped his arms around her waist, turning his gaze down to the ring.
“Courtney, I love you. I want to spend my life with you.”
She glanced up, her eyes meeting his, and she smiled. “Are you sure about this?”
“I have never been so certain of anything in my entire life.”
She blinked, and he realized there were tears in her eyes. “You better be, Justin, because once this baby is on my finger, I’m not taking it off, and I’m not letting you go.”
He laughed, relieved, and felt himself drop to his knee for the second time that evening, despite his lifelong certainty that when he did eventually propose to a woman, he’d never resort to such a corny, cliché pose. “Courtney Lynn Robbins, will you marry me?”
She smiled wider and nodded. “I do.”
He chuckled again. “I think you’re supposed to save that line for the actual wedding.”
Now Courtney laughed too. “I’m practicing.”
Justin tugged at the ring, surprised at how tightly it had been wedged into the box, then slipped it onto her finger. Once he got past her knuckle, it fit perfectly. He kissed her hand, ready to stand, but instead she knelt across from him.
“I’m supposed to be the only one down here,” he said.
“Stop being so critical,” she whispered, her lips curving upward. “This is romantic.”
Justin wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her in for a kiss, and then lifted her to her feet as he stood up. They kissed for what felt like an eternity, but for once, Justin was content to simply keep on kissing her forever. Courtney was the one to finally end the kiss, immediately turning back to the ring, as though confirming its existence.
He followed her gaze to the ring, now glistening to the moonlight, then glanced around them. The beach was quiet and deserted. Aside from a few boats in the distance, the ocean was equally vacant. They were truly alone in public. For once, Justin didn’t have an audience. He smiled, then picked her up and carried her back to their room, stopping only for their shoes.
Chapter 1
Sweat glistened on his palms as he cleared his scratchy throat for the hundredth time. Justin had to act now or risk losing the element of surprise. He patted his pocket again, confirming his treasure was secure, then reached his hand across the table to squeeze Courtney’s long, slender fingers.
“Let’s go for a walk on the beach,” he said.
Courtney’s sapphire eyes narrowed as she considered his proposition before quickly shaking her head. “I’m tired. Let’s go back to the room. I’m sure the beach will still be there in the morning.”
Justin’s lips tugged upwards. He deduced from the sparkle in her eyes that Courtney was not actually tired and had no intention of sleeping when they returned to the room. The problem was, her saying that only made him more confident in his decision, more certain that he was doing the right thing. No way was he waiting any longer.
He stood, dropping the cloth napkin onto the table. “And I’m sure you’ll still be ‘tired’ in fifteen minutes,” he said with a wink, offering his hand to help her up.
Now she smiled, flashing those perfect white teeth of hers. Whatever fortune her parents had spent on braces was worth it for that gorgeous smile. “You seem pretty confident about that, Mr. Danes,” she teased, calling him by the pseudonym he’d used checking into the resort. “You better not waste too much time or I might actually be sleepy.”
“I don’t plan on wasting a single second,” he replied. They left the restaurant, hand in hand, walking immediately onto the boardwalk facing the darkened Atlantic. The air was still warm, but not muggy, and a refreshing breeze rippled across his shirt. Justin loosened his tie, feeling his throat tighten. He motioned towards the water. “Come on.”
She followed him to the edge of the boardwalk before pausing to sit on a bench at the end. Justin crouched in front of her and helped her slip her foot out of the silver strappy sandals. He nearly laughed out loud at the irony of his frustration that she was delaying his plans by fiddling with her shoes, only to find himself thrust into the precise position a more traditional man might seek out for the situation.
“What’s so funny?” she asked, leaning towards him.
Justin shook his head, pushing her soft, long hair behind her shoulders until it no longer obstructed the view offered by her low-cut strapless dress.
She sat abruptly, covering the tops of her breasts with her hand. “Hey, now. You’re the one that wanted this walk. No previews of the goods till we’re in the room.”
He stood, stepping out of his shoes and rolling his gray socks into his shoes, leaving them on the edge of the wooden steps by Courtney’s. They walked down towards the water and paused right where the fluffy sand began to turn damp. The tide was receding and the black water was quiet and eerily still. Courtney turned to him, placed her hands on his cheeks, and pulled his face to hers.
“This is beautiful,” she whispered. “Thank you for taking me here.” She kissed him before he could answer, her warm lips sending a tingling sensation down his torso. She pulled back, then began to walk parallel to the water, her fingers absentmindedly reaching for his. “So beautiful, in fact, that I might spend this whole trip right here in this exact spot instead of in the room with you. Unless of course you have more tricks up your sleeve,” she added.
“Not up my sleeve,” Justin said, nervously patting his pocket again.
She turned and laughed, misinterpreting his response. “I think I’ve seen all those tricks, buddy.”
Justin wrapped his arm around her, slowing their pace considerably, and wondered how long they could walk like this before running out of beach. They were on an island, so presumably they could just go forever, circling the whole place until he got his shit together and asked her.
The night before, when his buddy, Keith, had questioned what he was going to say, Justin had been indignant. As an actor, he always had lines to memorize, but this time, it was real life. He wasn’t acting, and he wanted to just improvise. He’d felt certain that when the time was right, the perfect words would just come to him then flow out like an artfully scripted scene.
But now, watching Courtney’s hair dance in the breeze as she gazed at the lights of boats in the distance, Justin would’ve killed for a script and an underpaid assistant to subtly whisper his next lines to him. Justin was rarely nervous - not when he was acting, not when he was modeling, and certainly not when he was hanging with fans - so he hadn’t expected to feel it with Courtney.
It didn’t help that he had asked her before and she had technically turned him down. Then, the timing of that move had been all wrong, and she’d correctly guessed that he was flippant. Surely she’d see that he was serious now, but if not, well, that could make for a really shitty week in paradise.
Courtney crouched down, scooping a tiny object out of the sand and inspecting it curiously before tossing it out to sea and continuing along her way. Justin debated waiting, returning to the room now for predictably good sex, enjoying a relaxing vacation with his girl, and then popping the question on their last night. It might work, except he’d already hinted at his plans on social media right before the flight. Even if Courtney didn’t catch wind of that, she might find out his intentions from someone else. Besides, he didn’t want to spend the whole week stressed out about losing the damn ring or keeping it hidden from her.
It was now or never.
Courtney stopped walking about ten feet ahead of him, wiggling her toes into the squishy sand. Justin took a few steps closer, thrust his hand into his pocket and shimmied the box out, confirming it was tightly closed.
“Hey Courtney,” he called. “Catch!” And then he tossed it, refusing to consider what would happen if it popped open mid-flight, catapulting the precious cargo in the dark sand.
Thankfully, she caught it, effortlessly, despite being about ten years past her softball-playing days. He froze, holding his breath for a full minute before inching closer as she inspected the box. The moon cast a shadow over her face and he couldn’t read her expression from beneath the hair that had fallen over her eyes.
“What’s this?” she asked, her voice both casual and curious, confirming that she really didn’t know.
He laughed. “Open it.”
She pried the box open and gasped so softly that the sound of the waves nearly hid it.
“It’s your ring,” he explained, although he was confident she’d figured it out by this point. She didn’t speak or move, so he tentatively stepped towards her. “You didn’t think I was sincere before, but I am now. I know what I want and there’s not a doubt in my mind.”
He paused again, wishing she’d say something, but still she just stood there, silently, her eyes focused intently on the small ivory box clutched in both hands. He wrapped his arms around her waist, turning his gaze down to the ring.
“Courtney, I love you. I want to spend my life with you.”
She glanced up, her eyes meeting his, and she smiled. “Are you sure about this?”
“I have never been so certain of anything in my entire life.”
She blinked, and he realized there were tears in her eyes. “You better be, Justin, because once this baby is on my finger, I’m not taking it off, and I’m not letting you go.”
He laughed, relieved, and felt himself drop to his knee for the second time that evening, despite his lifelong certainty that when he did eventually propose to a woman, he’d never resort to such a corny, cliché pose. “Courtney Lynn Robbins, will you marry me?”
She smiled wider and nodded. “I do.”
He chuckled again. “I think you’re supposed to save that line for the actual wedding.”
Now Courtney laughed too. “I’m practicing.”
Justin tugged at the ring, surprised at how tightly it had been wedged into the box, then slipped it onto her finger. Once he got past her knuckle, it fit perfectly. He kissed her hand, ready to stand, but instead she knelt across from him.
“I’m supposed to be the only one down here,” he said.
“Stop being so critical,” she whispered, her lips curving upward. “This is romantic.”
Justin wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her in for a kiss, and then lifted her to her feet as he stood up. They kissed for what felt like an eternity, but for once, Justin was content to simply keep on kissing her forever. Courtney was the one to finally end the kiss, immediately turning back to the ring, as though confirming its existence.
He followed her gaze to the ring, now glistening to the moonlight, then glanced around them. The beach was quiet and deserted. Aside from a few boats in the distance, the ocean was equally vacant. They were truly alone in public. For once, Justin didn’t have an audience. He smiled, then picked her up and carried her back to their room, stopping only for their shoes.
March 22, 2021
Loved all the “Hollywood glamour “ and the ending
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews