The higher the rise, the deeper the fall…

Synopsis

When we bury our secrets, they always come back to haunt us…

Their rise was meteoric.

Only a few years before, they had been three friends from Glasgow, just trying to survive tough lives of danger and dysfunction.

But on one Hollywood evening in 1993, they were on the world’s biggest stage, accepting their Oscar in front of the watching world.

That night was the beginning of their careers. But it was also the end of their friendship.

Over the next twenty years, Mirren McLean would become one of the most powerful writers in the movie industry.

Zander Leith would break box-office records as cinema’s most in-demand action hero.

And Davie Johnson would rake in millions as producer of some of the biggest shows on TV.

For two decades they didn’t speak, driven apart by a horrific secret.

Until now…

Their past is coming back to bite them, and they have to decide whether to run, hide, or fight.

Because when you rise to the top, there’s always someone who wants to see you fall.

An exciting new glam thriller for the fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid, Liane Moriarty and Jo Spain

My review

In 1993, three friends from Glasgow accepted their Oscar for their movie. But after that night, their yearlong friendship came to end while their career took flight.
Two decades later, and Mirren McLean is a successful writer in the movie industry, Zander Leith is a famous action hero and Davie Johnson is the producer of the biggest TV – shows.
But their world is not all the glitter and glamour everyone thinks. Because each of them may seem to be at the top of the world, but are facing bigger dramas than a soap opera. Even if the friends haven’t spoken to each other for twenty years, a dark secret from their past still link them together. When someone is determined to find out what happened in Glasgow, will this be the last straw for them? 

I have absolutely loved each book I have read by Shari Low, so even if this was a total different genre, I knew I had to read this book too.
And I learned that different isn’t always a bad thing, and in this case, it’s the total opposite! 

Obviously the authors took some liberties in this book, as for example in 1993 the Oscar winner was not a film with the same name. or that while some famous and real names are dropped, they are totally not related to real events. 

But while this book is total fictional, and maybe at moments a bit exaggerated (at least I hope so…), it shows us that Hollywood life is all but this glamourous life we all imagine.
And our three main characters show us clearly that no matter how good life seems to be on he spotlights, it’s behind closed doors that the drama unfolds. But also that the past will always keep haunting you and can even break the best friendships. 

Mirren, Zander and Davie have all moved on from that Oscar night, and have reaped the benefits of it, by becoming all successful in their own branch.
But no matter how bright their lights are, each character is facing its own drama and tragedy. And while for some it may seem that the downfall serves him right, I couldn’t not sympathize with them all.
And especially Mirren’s story truly broke my heart, as I can only imagine the devastation and the inability to offer the help she must be feeling.

With flashbacks, we also get to see how these three became friends, even best of friends. And that was in a way sweet to read about. Because they didn’t have the best lives, and their future didn’t seem bright at all.
It kept me wondering what that dark secret would be, as the authors just let the readers guess what happened twenty years ago. Yet the truth left me shocked, even if it didn’t came as a total surprise. But it was more the aftermath that caused the tsunami leading to their current lives. 

This book is being described as a thriller, but for me, it didn’t feel like one. I understand why it’s labelled as one, but I felt it more like a tale about three friends who went from having nothing, to have it all to being on the brink of losing it all over again.
I felt the rawness and the hurt and pain the characters endured. But at some moments, I also felt the sparks of hope submerging despite everything that is happening to them.
These characters may be total fictional, but while you are reading their story, they couldn’t feel more real… 

I absolutely devoured this book, as I just couldn’t wait to read more about these three lost friends, trying to keep it all together while being surrounded by drama after drama.
My fear of not liking this kind of book as much as what I am used to read from Shari Low was absolutely unjustified.
I found myself on a rollercoaster of emotions with thanks to the many twists and turns. I went from happiness over the friendship, to feeling a bit disgusted over how someone would make things work in his favour, to getting heart – broken over a few tragic events, but like I already said, there was also a feeling of hope as there seemed to be a silver lining somewhere… Because no matter what you are going through, and no matter how deep you have fallen, there is always a way to get back on track.