The higher you rise, the deeper you will eventually fall…

Synopsis

They climbed up from the mean streets of Glasgow to the top of the world. Now these Hollywood icons are heading for a fall.

Twenty-five years ago, three friends from Glasgow shocked the world when they became Oscar-winning legends.

But now, they are all fighting for survival.

A-list actor Zander Leith has finally found happiness with his adored wife, Hollie. But a stalker with a familiar face is determined to take away the only peace he’s ever known.

Mirren McLean is one of the most powerful women in the industry. Successful. Respected. Untouchable. Until one mistake threatens to destroy her marriage and her career.

And Davie Johnston was once the king of late-night television. Now, his only chance to reclaim his crown is to gamble everything on himself.

Three stars, three tales of struggle and success. Now they’re discovering that in Hollywood, happy endings don’t last for ever.

Sometimes they’re just the calm before the storm…

My review

It took them a while, but now Zander Leith, Mirren McLean and Davie Johnston have reached the Mount Olympus. They are successful, powerful and with having each other back in their lives, things couldn’t get any better.
But not everything that shines is gold…
Because Zander and his beloved wife Hollie are suddenly faced with a stalker…
Mirren also has to face the consequences of her one mistake. A mistake that may not only destroy her marriage but also her career.
And Davie may have been able to turn everything he touched int gold, but now he only has one chance left to show his worth. And also his relationship with Sarah is taking an unexpected turn.
Is it only a matter of time before the mighty fall? Or will their friendship be what will put them all through the most difficult times of their lives? 

When I started to read this magnificent third part of the series, I knew that already the prologue would give me a big scare.
So, I was mentally prepared to not assume the worst by those first pages. 

However… I wasn’t prepared for what would come next… 

It’s not a secret that I don’t like stories in a series where all the previous hard work is undone by the next read. But again, I was a little prepared as I knew that our friends were not out of the woods yet.
And it broke my heart to see how all three friends have to face again horrible moments, while trying to hold onto everything they have worked so hard far. 

At the start, I couldn’t be more happy for Zander and Hollie. It took them two complete books to get where they are now, and it truly warmed my heart to see how Zander has finally found his peace with Hollie by his side.
Talking about a power couple! Hollie is exactly what Zander needs, and vice versa! 

So obviously, at one terrible moment, I hated both authors. Yes Shari Low and Ross King, I HATED the both of you!
My heart got broken in one trillion (million is not even enough to explain the hurt…) little pieces to read what happened to Zander and Hollie.
I know this is fiction, but why couldn’t they keep their happiness??? 

And then there is Mirren…
Compared to Zander’s storyline, hers is perhaps not the most crushing story. But it still was painful to see how also her world falls apart.
Her mistake is one that I don’t condone. Yet I could comprehend how she got to that point.
It saddened me to see how not only that mistake could cost her her marriage, but also her career, her credibility.
And all that because there is a lecherous person, ready to exploit the story for his own benefits. 

Davie hasn’t been always my favourite person in the series. He has this air about him, always believing he is the best at everything.
He is rather vain concerning his career, not seeing that his star is not shining so brightly anymore.
That makes him make disastrous decisions, making him cost everything…
He learns the terrible lesson that not everyone that helps out, does it with the best intentions… 

I was somehow glad that the three friends, even at their lowest, could always count on each other. Zander sees that his friends are annoyingly always checking on him after the terrible event, Mirren has Zander and Davie by her side when her whole world is falling apart.
And Davie can rely on the friends when not only his career is deteriorating, but also his relationship with Sarah is taking a turn for the worse, which he cannot explain why… 

Sarah may not be the main protagonist, but she has perhaps the most important story of them all.
The story she is chasing, is one close to reality. Without giving too much away, when she starts to investigate and trying to find witnesses/ victims, I could recall easily all the headlines in the news not so long ago.
And I admired Sarah’s determination but also courage to persist, even at her own cost somehow. 

Now, it may seem that this story is filled with negative moments and no joy at all. But that is not completely true.
Because no matter how rough things are getting for our main characters, they also show the strength of friendship. That even at the most difficult moments, the right, genuine friends will always stand by your side, fighting in your corner.
And that is the beauty of this story, that even with a few hiccups in the past, these friends are always there for each other. 

There were also lighter moments, and I absolutely liked those small nudges, references, appearances to real-life personas.
And there was also a wonderful wink – wink moment towards one of the authors of this gripping, heart – wrenching book.
Again I found it impossible to put this book away, as the story of three childhood friends who made it in Hollywood, their raise and fall, is one that once caught your attention won’t give it away easily. It caused me sleepless nights, as I kept reading, but in the end, it was worth it!