This book was ok, but I didn't really like it that much. I thought it was a little hard to follow at times and it was hard to keep the characters straight.

Born For This by Caitlin Devlin is a gripping psychological thriller. Devlin masterfully crafts a stellar thriller.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the privilege of reading and reviewing this book. All opinions are completely my own and in my own words.

This book had one of the elements I hate the most in a book: unlikable characters. Yet, as the 5 stars indicate, I could not put this book down. Caitlin Devlin, I tip my hat to you, this is a juicy addictive book.

I’m back-and-forth to timeline between an actress who wants to become one and her legendary and who is one but is a recluse.

This book started out slow for me. However, the story of Rachel kept me very interested..

It is my first book by this author, but it will not be my last

I loved this, the idea of fame is at first exciting and then the mystery of it all beneath the surface adds danger and intensity. This book definitely made question me if anything is worth the the price of fame

This is popcorn storytelling done well. It reads like film industry gossip- you'll believe Rachael is real- and I liked what it did with the concept of nepo babies.

This book was hard to rate. I loved the premise I guess I assumed the story would head in a different direction. Once I saw just how messed up things got I was sort of surprised. I guess the outcome of the story left me unsure what I thought of the story so I’m just lukewarm on the story. It felt realistic but also sort of harsh on the MC. I guess the big thing was how sad it was that a family could crumble under the stress of entitlement and lies.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

I enjoyed this book so much. I thought the twist was so obvious we could see it coming a mile off. But I was completely wrong and it took me totally by surprise. I loved the characters and was completely hooked. It was well written. My only downside was that the chapters were so long.

Rachael has it. Harley wants it. I don't!! Therefore I didn't finish it, hardly read it. Lit up a joint. Thought it would get better. It didn't, but I did enjoy the joint. Didn't care for the writing. But thanks anyway to NetGalley!

A different sort of family drama told in dual time line and alternately by Harley and her aunt Rachel. Harley is determined to be a star just like her aunt, the aunt she doesn't know because Rachel cut ties to the family years ago. Now though, Harley plans to play Rachel in the biopic of her life and she persuades Rachel to talk to her. This is all about their separate climbs to success (albeit in Harley's case with a heavy dose of nepo-baby). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. No one is likable but it's a juicy tale that might make a good travel book.

I really enjoyed this one which left me at times with my heart in my mouth. I questioned everyone and everything and didn't know what to believe

Rachel Carmichael, a former global movie star, disappears from the spotlight after her high-profile marriage ends. Her niece, Harley Roth, struggling to make it in Hollywood, sees an opportunity when a movie about Rachel’s life is announced. Hoping for her big break, Harley gets unexpectedly close to Rachel, who is finally ready to share her story. But in Hollywood, truth and illusion blur.

Told from both women’s perspectives, the novel explores fame, ambition, and identity, with twists that keep readers guessing. Rachel’s diary offers a raw and humorous look into her life, while Harley wrestles with her own motivations. A gripping and well-crafted story, this novel delivers both depth and drama.

This book fell a little short of my expectations. I found the mystery surrounding Rachael Carmichael to be quite contrived, and while I don't dislike a flawed main character, Harley was extremely pretentious and had a sense of entitlement that she did not deserve. She was very laissez-faire about things that actually mattered, but very particular about things that did not. I personally could not empathize with her whatsoever.

While the main idea of the novel was interesting, it just fell flat for me.

I had a hard time getting into this book. It might be the mood I am currently experiencing. As I have written with other reviews, I am a major mood reader.. I may give this book another shot when I am in the mood.

Caitlin Devlin has done it again. This book took me on a rollercoaster and I loved it.
Rachael and Harley are both two exceptionally well developed and well written characters, and as I read each one of their perspectives, I found myself completely involved in their lives and ways of thinking. Rachael is a character I feel I understand so well. Her ideals and morals were so clear to me even as she was stepping into the grey areas of Hollywood. Harley was a little more confusing at times. Her ideas about nepotism were so interesting to me and I found that she didn't quite understand herself at times. She wanted to work for her success but also as soon as she had done a single grain of work, she thought she had done enough, not realising that she had to keep going.
I loved the twists and turns. The way Greg and Elias started to become one in Harley's head and then as readers, we weren't sure who it was on Sun's Up. I completely understand why Rachael did what she did. She is such a complex character, both good and bad at the same time. As is Harley. But I especially loved Rachael. Her diary was so raw at times, and she was really funny too. I really enjoyed the way we could delve into her life and see the woman behind the persona.
This book was beautifully written and perfectly executed. I love, love, loved The Real Deal, and I think Caitlin Devlin has only get better with her second novel. These stories continue to impress me.

A very nice read that kept me guessing. It's fun and still a bit of a thrill in it. The writing suits the characters very well. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I really enjoyed this one. I took it on vacation and it kept me entertained without having to think too hard. This is a slow burn family drama, told in alternating POVs, using the glittery and seedy side of Hollywood as a backdrop.

Rachel Carmichael was the most famous global movie star of her time. When her high profile marriage ends, she becomes a recluse overnight. Harley Roth is Rachel’s niece. She is desperate to make it big, as an actor, in Hollywood. But in spite of her relationship to Rachel, she has not succeeded. When Harley discovers that a movie is being made about Rachel’s life, she is all over that. This is the big break she needs to propel her to stardom. Surprisingly, Rachel welcomes Harley into her world and is ready to tell her story. But is Rachel telling the truth? It is Hollywood after all!

I love stories that explore family dynamics and I love stories that expose the inside glamorous world of the rich and famous. I think people who enjoy Taylor Jenkins Reid will also love this book.

Thank you Netgalley, Lake Union Publishing and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be available for purchase on February 25, 2025

This book was fascinating, it was hard to put down.

I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

We follow two timelines, Rachel in the early nineties and Harley in a contemporary setting. This film centres around the film industry and the experiences of two related actors. Harley is trying to break in to acting but a series of failed pilots has her wanting to approach a different angle. With the encouragement of a screenwriter she knows, she befriends and approaches her reclusive, movie star aunt Rachel. They want to tell Rachel’s story in film and want her to divulge all her most personal experiences for entertainment.

We see two very different experiences here, Rachel who grows up with very little, has to support her mother and sister, and who succeeds through determination and hard work. She carries many burdens and has to take roles she doesn’t particularly like to be able to support her family and meet their growing demands. She is also naturally very talented. Harley has grown up with a huge amount of wealth, has rich friends and family in the industry. She regularly makes reference to how being wealthy makes her different to others and is quite patronising about people she knows who don’t have wealth. She believes she is supremely talented and doesn’t need to take direction.

What I found so interesting in this book is how unlikeable Harley is. This creates such a fascinating conflict for me because I wanted the project to succeed for the other people involved, but I also struggled with Harley’s attitude and didn’t want to validate her sense of entitlement. Harley sees herself as the hero of this story but really, she takes advantage of others, always thinks she knows best and is quite callous and cruel to other people. She’s quite hypocritical and can get venomous when this is pointed out to her by other characters. Her sense of entitlement to other peoples’ secrets and stories is really quite shocking and she never thinks she is doing anything wrong, always justifying her decisions to herself. It was so interesting and thought-provoking to read her sections from her perspective when I found her so morally questionable.

This book was a fascinating read, often dramatic without resorting to shock twists. An enthralling character study and look into the way people view themselves and the narratives they spin. For a deep psychological study in a Hollywood setting, this book was a winner.

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the advanced reader copy.

At first BORN FOR THIS feels like a pretty straightforward commercial novel--Harley Roth, an aspiring actress from a well connected film family, wants to make it on her own and connects with her famous actress aunt Rachael (whom the family has been estranged from since before Harley was born) with the hopes of getting the chance to tell Rachael's story about her infamous relationship with her ex-husband--but then things go off the rails in a way that I definitely wasn't expecting. Rachael is a chameleon of a character and once you think you might understand her, she does something that makes you rethink who the "good" and "bad" characters are in this story. This was a fun read; definitely worth picking up and going for the ride.

Born for This comes out February 11, 2025

This is a really interesting read, dealing with the theme of nepotism in fame. It follows two different timelines, the present through wannabe actress Harley and the past through her successful aunt, Rachael. These timelines let us get to know both characters well, and although they are both deliberately dislikeable, I still couldn't wait to find out what would happen next for them. The story is reasonably slow but enough backstory is revealed throughout to keep you hooked. I would definitely recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this eArc in exchange for an honest review.