‘Jesus Christ. Do you know who you look like?” he asked.
Tali froze. Well, her brain froze. But every other part of her body went into hyperdrive. Her legs squeezed tight, her fingers curled around the plastic arms of her seat, and her blood pumped so hard it felt like it might break through her skin. Oh fuck. Fuck my life. Yes, I know exactly who I look like. The same woman people had been recognizing in her face since puberty. The dark-haired beauty who had been known for her quick takeover of the adult-film world, her ability to maintain relevance in an industry that had slipped into digital chaos at some point during Tali’s childhood. She had been a blazing star in the dark, hidden world of sex and scandal, a leader of misfits who lived and loved from behind a screen. The public knew her as Missy Mariola. But Tali had always known her as Mom.
The Porn Star’s Daughter is a fun, finding yourself/college love story.
For Tali Hunter it’s easy . . .
-Attend college in New Orleans, a city her parents hate. Check.
-Overhaul her image to leave all traces of her past behind. Check.
-Invent a story about a stay-at-home mom and a business-mogul dad where the world of pornography has no place. Check. Check. Double check.
Tali’s plan goes sideways when the first person she meets in the airport recognizes her. James is not only hot-he’s also attending the same school-and has the power to expose her secret.
Tali dives into college life for better or worse. Laugh or cry, what she wants isn’t what she gets. She faces a roommate who has no regard for social norms, a sleazy dean that wants to capitalize on her family money, and an attraction to the one person who knows her secret-exactly what she doesn’t need at a time she doesn’t want it.
Tali can keep running from her past or pull her friends close and embrace her future.
This is Kay’s debut novel, and even though I didn’t love it as much as I’d hoped, there is a lot of potential in Kay’s writing. This is a college romance, which means you need to prepare yourself for all the drama, excitement, and high emotions that come with college life and a story that centers around younger characters. I had a hard time getting into this book; I put it down a few times because I couldn’t connect with the characters, and the story was chaotic. I think part of the problem was that I was hoping for a more fun and lighthearted read, and instead, this story is more dramatic and heavy. There is a lot of potential in this book. I love the story direction Kay was going in, and it’s a unique enough story idea that would draw readers in. A bit of restructuring and this story would be great.
The characters didn’t have the depth I was hoping for. Taglia and her friends are all dealing with various issues in their lives, and their solution to dealing with those life issues is to drink them away. On one hand, the characters seem very one-dimensional and shallow, and on the other, they also show readers that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. You don’t know what is going on in that person’s life. I did love the support system that Taglia and her friends created. They stick together through thick and thin, and it was heartwarming to watch them interact at times. This book tackles some serious issues around alcohol and drug abuse, PTSD, and grief. Kay did a good job handling these issues with thought and care. The romance is ok. It’s full of drama and the ups and downs that often go with college romances. I liked Taglia and James together. Their relationship didn’t wow me, but I enjoyed watching their feelings for each other grow.
Thank you, Direction 71 Press, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
