Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  Best Supporting Actor

SERIES:  Creative Types

AUTHORS:  Joanna Chambers & Sally Malcolm

NARRATOR:  Simon Goldhill

PUBLISHER:  Self-published

LENGTH:  12 hours and 2 minutes

RELEASE DATE:  July 19, 2024

BLURB:

Lights, camera…attraction!

When Tag O’Rourke, struggling actor-slash-barista, meets Jay Warren, son of acting royalty, it’s loathing at first sight. Loathing…and lust.

Tag’s dream is to act, but it’s a dream that’s crumbling beneath the weight of student debt and his family’s financial problems. If his career doesn’t take off soon, he’s going to have to get a real job. After all, feeding his family is more important than feeding his soul.

Luckily, Tag’s about to get his big break…

Jay never had to dream about acting; he was always destined to follow in his famous mother’s footsteps. But fame has its price and a traumatic experience early in Jay’s career has left him with paralyzing stage fright, which is why he sticks to the safety of TV work—and avoids relationships with co-stars at all costs.

Unfortunately, Jay’s safe world is about to be rocked…

After an ill-judged yet mind-blowing night together, Jay and Tag part acrimoniously. So it’s a nasty shock when they discover that they’ve been cast in a two-man play that could launch Tag’s career and finally get Jay back onto the stage where he belongs.

Sure, it’s not ideal, but how bad can working with your arch-nemesis be?

All they have to do is survive six weeks rehearsing together and navigate a cast of smarmy festival directors, terrible landladies, and vengeful journalists. Oh, and try not to fall in love before the curtain rises…

Break a leg!

REVIEW:

Note:  This is the third book in this series, but it can work as a standalone.  There are some spoilers for the previous books and timeline overlap with the second book, but that doesn’t take away from this story.

Tag O’Rourke is trying to make his break into the world of acting.  In his world, that is not easy.  He has poured everything into his education and career aspirations, but as a working class guy without connections, it’s not easy.  He’s got a minor role in a new TV show pilot that he’s very excited about.  But it’s tough. He’s got a regular gig at a coffee house and he does other odd jobs to make ends meet.  He lives with his parents still and pays them rent to help them make the mortgage after a business failure of his dad’s, but he’s really hustling.

He meets Jay Warren at a Halloween bash and they don’t get along.  Tag thinks Jay is an entitled prick.  As they are both vying for the attention of a male model who is trying to build his social media, they spar a bit.  Then they are at an industry gig and end up leaving together for Jay’s room.  After what ends up as some good sex, they fight and Tag takes off after some hurtful words.

Cut to Tag auditioning for a new play.  It’s by an up and comer (who also has lots of connections) and being directed by a very well-known theater director. He really wants to role.  The production wants a name for the other lead and lo and behold, that guy ends up being Jay Warren.  They put their differences aside and do what’ best for the play.  Neither of them have forgotten that night and they both regret their actions.  It takes some time for them to get to the point where they trust each other enough to address the elephant in the room.

It turns out that both of them are dealing with a lot of other stuff though.  Jay has such performance anxiety – apparently not just about his acting 😉  Tag is running himself ragged trying to make enough money to meet his obligations and feed himself and keep a roof over his head in York.  Eventually these two get out of their way enough to realize that they could be good together.  Jay finally lets his guard down and is honest with Tag.  Tag wants nothing more than to make Jay feel better and he does.  But when his old nemesis decides to torpedo Jay’s one request about his involvement in the play, well things go sideways.  And right before opening night 🙁

I really came to love these two characters.  They come from very different worlds and their worries are very different.  But their love of their craft and the way they find their commonality in wanting to do the play they are working on justice bring them together in ways neither expected.  Tag has worked so hard to just get his foot in the door.  He doesn’t have any connections – he’s a working class kid who has everything on the line.  Jay is a privileged guy who comes from theater royalty and it takes him seeing how Tag has been living and realizing that he is having to work other jobs to feed himself while working on the play that really opens his eyes.  He finally understands just what Tag has riding on the success of this play.  It really is his chance to make a name in the business.  If only Jay weren’t dealing with crippling self-doubt.  He was in an abusive relationship that in hindsight was definitely intended to undermine his performance and uplift the bad actor.  It takes Jay a long time and a lot of review of that situation with his friends and family to realize that he is no longer that young guy.  More importantly, his colleagues and especially Tag would never ever leave him hanging out to dry.  Despite his fear and worry about messing up Tag’s big chance, he really might be able to overcome this anxiety and give it his best shot 🙂

I loved seeing Lewis and Aaron again as well (and Mason and Owen).  I enjoyed how this author addressed both the very real world of nepotism – particularly in the UK in the arts, but also made the point that just because someone has privilege and opportunities, it doesn’t mean that their life is a bed of roses.  Clearly Jay’s eyes were opened to what a young guy without connections and money had to go through to be taken seriously and even be given a real chance.

Simon Goldhill did another terrific job performing this story.  I loves his accents. I really loved the passion he infused to both Tag and Jay.  While opposites in many ways, their passion for their profession and eventually for each other were lovely to see.  I loved the tender moments as much as the angry ones.  Definitely lots of highs and lows.  I particularly loved the relationship between Jay and his mum and how things worked out there.

Bravo.  Thoroughly enjoyable and definitely recommended.

BUY LINKS: 

Audible

Amazon