It took me a little while to get into this one, but I think that's purely because I was still reeling from the book I read before this.

Once I got into it, I loved it! It was certainly a page turner. Although it was easily read as a standalone, I do wish I read The Rise first, simply so that I could have a better feel for all the characters.
Really enjoyable read 😊

This is the second in the Hollywood Thriller Trilogy but can easily be read as a standalone. The book starts with a very handy catch-up of the previous book & a cast of characters (of which there are many).

A great story with plenty of dramatic twists & turns. It’s true the past cannot remain buried as our trio of Mirren, Davie & Zander discover to their cost. The almost other-worldly setting of movie moguls & the high life of L.A. is brilliantly told but I did find the constant ‘product placement’ a little onerous.

Thrills, spills & humour aplenty throw in some romance & sex - there is something for all. Well written, despite being a collaboration, you can’t see the joins. What next I wonder?

I was desperate for this sequel for the second I finished The Rise last year and it didnt disappoint I am genuinely obsessed.
It follows on seamlessly from the previous story, you get lost in the characters lives and the glamorous well written narrative. I am so sad that the third installment will be the last because I love the characters and the style of this story, the history and their so relatable

As a new to me author, and I did not realize this was the second book, I appreciated the quick catch-up or preview in the beginning.

The story grabbed me, and I loved the drama, suspense, secrets, and overall chaos of the lives of our characters. Toss in a little romance, and humor with the glitter of Hollywood, and I had difficulty putting the book down.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the advanced copy; this is my voluntary review.

This review was posted to Barnes and Noble as Julie Booklover

I’m not entirely sure how I missed ‘The Rise’, the first book in this trilogy, but thankfully its sequel ‘The Catch’ can easily be read as a standalone. There’s a comprehensive checklist of who’s who at the beginning, although personally this was too much for me to absorb in one go and I preferred just to get to know the characters as the storyline progressed.

Each chapter is told from the perspective of one of the main characters. There are lots of chapters but each is fairly short which helps to keep a good pace and keep the reader wanting more.

The story offers a glimpse into the glitzy, showbiz world of Los Angeles and Hollywood but equally has a gritty, emotional side as dark secrets and trauma in the lives of the characters adds an extra edge. There’s also plenty of Shari Low’s trademark humour to be found!

This reminded me in many ways of a classic Jackie Collins novel and I write that as a compliment to the authors. The narrative is completely engaging, with just the right mix of glamour, passion, heartache and suspense. I’m already looking forward to reading the next one!

With thanks to Shari Low, Ross King, Rachel at Random Resources and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to participate in the tour.

Absolutely loved this book. The plot is exciting. I was hooked from the beginning. Turning each page desperate to find out what’s going to happen next. It’s very well written,

Mirren, Davie, and Zander all grew up in a tough neighborhood in Glasgow. Through hard work and endurance, they are all now Hollywood superstars. To escape their dire lives in Glasgow, they did a very bad thing but covered it up and hope it stays covered. At one time, something happened that drove the friends apart, but they have now reconciled.

We find Mirren grieving the loss of her daughter to drugs and her husband leaving her not long after. Her son, Logan, is a top of the charts singer. Mirren is a successful author and her books have been made into a movie series. Davie is a talk show host who is very popular. Zander is a man who has had a past with alcohol and drugs but is clean now. Their lives all intertwine in this very mesmerizing tale of the life of the Hollywood elite. It appears to be an honest portrayal of the decadence that money can buy along with the bad things that can go along with having too much money.

Well written with great characters and a story I’m sure readers will enjoy. As I am a dedicated reader and do not follow movies and Hollywood, this only made me smile at times. I’m sure for those to are up-to-date with the latest and greatest in Hollywood, this book will be fascinating. Enjoy!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Another great book by the dynamic duo Shari Low and Ross King,
Each chapter has its dedicated song, and the story follows 4 character perspectives. Mirren, Davie, Zander and Sandra. The 3 childhood friends who grew up on a Glaswegian Council Estate made their successes and lives in Hollywood. Sandra is a reporter who can either keep a secret or tell it. The humour in this book had me laughing out loud and some scenarios you can imagine really happening in Hollywood. There's love, intrigue, glamour, designer outfits and deaths. Once you settle into the characters, this page turner will read easily. I don't want to say more as I am not going to give anything away.

I have no idea how I missed the first in this series; as a huge fan of Shari Low's writing I can only conclude that the publicity passed me by!

Mirren, Davie and Zander grew up together in Scotland so when they find themselves at the Academy Awards, it's not something they ever expected to experience. All three have reasons to forget their childhoods - but secrets, as we all know, rarely stay hidden . . .

I had thought I would go back and read the first of this series but I suspect I now know what's in it, but after a bit of time I'll give it a whirl. This is a fabulous collaboration, pushing Shari Low into the thriller genre but without losing her very entertaining humour. I remember Ross King well from British TV, and it's exciting that these two friends are writing together. A good, solid, gripping story with well-developed characters and a huge dollop of mystery about where it's going next kept me riveted from beginning to end. Beautifully written - I would expect no less - this is a cracking series and one I shall most definitely follow. An exciting and lively novel, easily worth all five sparkling stars!

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

The Catch is the second book of The Hollywood Thriller Trilogy, although it can be read as a stand alone. To assist with this there is a cast list and back story from Book 1.
This proved very helpful, as I was my first outing with the series. Three main characters, Mirren, Davie and Zander left their native Scotland twenty years ago and are now at the peak of their careers in LA. The years have not been without their problems, but as the story begins, all three are basking in the limelight of successful careers. That is about to change as it is clear someone is out to destroy all of them.
Well written, with an interesting plot, the pace was a little slow at times, but in no way affected my enjoyment of the book. It’s a glitzy, glamorous read which takes you into the world of the super rich, where only the strong survive. It shows that fame can be a fleeting thing, and corruption is never far away.
I now need to look for Book 1 to see how this all began – and wait for Book 3, to see how it ends. If you enjoy escaping into the world of the rich and famous in the film and TV world, then you’ll definitely enjoy this.
My thanks to Shari Low and Ross King, Boldwood Books and Netgalley for an ARC of The Catch in exchange for an honest review.

I hadn't realised that The Catch was the second book in a trilogy but there is a catch up page for readers like me who haven't read the first instalment. It is a very glitzy and glamorous book with enough twists and turns to keep me reading. I read it and enjoyed it but wished I had read the first book first.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for my ARC.

"The Catch" by Shari Low and Ross King is the second book in a trilogy. Although I did not read the first book, there is enough of a recap to bring the reader up to speed on what happened in Book One. The characters are intelligently written and the storyline has lots of twists and turns to keep the reader engaged.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Hollywood glitz and glamour
Stardom, fame, academy clamour
They've come a long way from their childhood
In a tough Glasgow neighbourhood.

But they have secrets they've kept for years
Revelations could end in more than tears.
Someone else knows what they left behind
Hoping no-one else would ever find.

Whilst their friendship is strained
There is much to be gained
By working together again
To keep each other safe - and sane!

A story where glamour collides with the past
Where dangerous secrets could make this their last.
This is the second in a trilogy
An explosive story, as you'll soon see.

The cast of characters, their relationships, too,
Are shared at the start to help you.
This sets the scene if straight to this book you've gone
And acts as a reminder to folks who've read book one.

Relationships, attitudes, fame and more
Are key elements that this story explore.
As someone is out to destroy them now
Will they manage to survive somehow?

For my complementary copy, I say thank you,
As I share with you this, my honest review.

I really like Shari Low's writing style but unfortunately this wasn't for me. Books revolving around Hollywood and its actors is a huge turn off for me so I should've known I won't really like this, but I still gave this a shot.

The premise looked really interesting, it seriously gave me The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell vibes but as I started it I realised a few things. One, it was painstakingly slow. And Two, the characters weren't interesting, I couldn't connect with any of them. Mirren was still better than Davie and Zander but she alone couldn't hold my attention. A character I couldn't stand one bit was Davie and that was the point I guess, he was obnoxious, he was supposed to be that but he was so insufferable I seriously wanted to skip his chapters.

The prologue was interesting but then we move to 2 months earlier and things just get boring. I waited for the plot to thicken, to pick up but it honestly felt more like an inside scoop of Hollywood, about its pretentious actors who aren't as glamorous as they seem, instead of being about the thriller we were promised in the synopsis and prologue. It's all a bit confusing in the beginning because I had no idea what we were building towards because the initial chapters were very different from the prologue. They were introductory chapters that I just wasn't interested in. And then when things start building up, it still wasn't intriguing. Not in the least.
So ufortunately it's a hard pass from me

🎬😎Never a drama-free moment😯

I found The Catch an intriguing glimpse into the Hollywood lifestyle and a gripping whodunit. Good writing and a terrific, suspenseful tension building to a clever climax.

I'm glad I read The Rise, the previous story about Zander, Davie and Mirren, before diving into The Catch. It's not necessary, but the extent of the misery and trauma they escaped when they fled Glasgow and their more recent personal problems were all laid out in the previous story and helped me sympathize with them more. No perfect, worry-free days in the California sun for this trio despite their success.

This chapter of their tale began with a bam! and then went back in time about a month to recount the strange trail of events each experienced prior. The plot weaves and alternates between the three main characters and Sarah, David's Scottish investigative journalistic girlfriend. I really found this made the story, which is quite long, stay interesting and move quickly.

I don't typically gravitate to stories about Hollywood but, with Scottish main characters and Shari Low as one of the authors I had to try this series (and I was well rewarded). The characters are engaging, flaws and all, and I liked the brief reminders scattered throughout of what had come before in The Rise.

Totally enjoyed this one.

Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

I enjoyed being back in the world of Davie, Mirren and Zander but didn’t feel there was as much drama as ‘The Rise’.

✅ Song titles for chapter names
✅ Follows on from book 1 but works as a standalone
✅ Drama of being in the spotlight

➖ Felt a little too long for this storyline
➖ At times parts felt repetitive

This is book two of a trilogy set amongst the rich in Hollywood. It's the story of three childhood friends from Glasgow who came from poor and abusive backgrounds and have made it big in films in Hollywood.
I loved the first book and was looking forward to this one. A recap of the first book was given at the start which was a great idea, despite this I found a lot of the back story was still being repeated right up until nearly halfway through.
I did find it quite annoying and found it harder to get into this one but about halfway through things started to heat up and I found couldnt put it down.
Although it was fiction I'm sure there are parts that are true to life about how pop stars and film stars live and how much money they accumulate. It also shows how fickle stardom is and it only takes one bad review or untimely photo being taken to make or break you.
The book had a good ending and I liked the main characters throughout.
It was like being a spy on the wall of the rich and famous and the good and not so good of the film,TV and pop world
This book is so different from the books Shari Lowe writes by herself which I'm working my way through and highly recommended.

The first few scenes of this book grab your attention, and the only thing to do is keep turning the pages to find out what happens next. The second book in the Hollywood Thriller series has all the glamour, humour, and mystery of the first book but is even better. If you haven't read the first one, this has enough backstory to read as a standalone, but it's a great series and worth reading all of them.

The characterisation is detailed, and all the main protagonists have believable flaws and realistic emotional development. It's immersive reading. Even though the setting is ultra-glamorous, the characters draw you into their lives and make you care about what happens to them. The mystery's twists are good, and they keep their secrets until the end.

I like the main protagonists and the dynamic between them, the setting, and the twisty mystery.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.


I really enjoyed reading this book, and the way it was written.

The story kept me hooked all the way through, and very good characters.

I highly recommend this book.

Wow, excellent read! I was really impressed with both of the authors bringing their style of writing to this novel. Great suspense the whole way through and the characters were fantastic!