Review: From Fame to Shame, by Veronica Blade

Title: From Fame to Shame
Author: Veronica Blade
Format: ebook
Source: author, in exchange for my honest opinion

From Goodreads: "When good-girl Maddie switches places with her famous bad-girl twin Jackie, she has some pretty high stilettos to fill.

Despite the danger of tabloid drama if their identity swap is discovered, Maddie has to save her sister's butt. When Jackie’s ex-boyfriend shows up with a rekindled spark for “Jackie,” his deep gray eyes and sweet kisses make Maddie's heart thumpety thump. But dating the guy who dumped her sister is a no-no. Too bad Dallas isn’t used to girls saying no. What will happen when he discovers Maddie’s deception? "

I've read everything Veronica Blade has written, and I'm a huge fan of hers, so it probably will not come as a surprise that I absolutely LOVED this book! It is without a doubt her best work to date! And that's saying a lot because I have really enjoyed all of her stories!

In this book, Maddie and Jackie are 18 year old twins but they couldn't be more different. Maddie is the small town girl who lives at home with her parents, works at their jewelry store, and prefers staying home and reading a good bok to going out at night, and Jackie is her polar opposite - an actress who loves the spotlight and lives in Hollywood, where she loves to go out, party, and see and be seen. She adores the attention, until the tabloids start to attack her right when she is up for a part in a serious movie, which she fears will scare the producers off. All of the pressure starts to get to her and she just needs a break for a week or so, so she calls her sister, Maddie, to step in and impersonate her at a few publicity appearances. Maddie is very hesitant, but when she sees how much Jackie needs the break, she finally agrees to do it, against her better judgment. Jackie lives in an apartment building right across the hall from her ex-boyfriend, mega-hottie Dallas, also an actor, who just happens to be the guy Maddie has had a huge crush on for years! As Maddie tries to "be" Jackie, she and Dallas connect on a level he and Jackie never did, but she knows that she cannot tell him the truth about who she is without possibly ruining Jackie's life. 

When I agreed to read this book, I told the author it would probably take me a few days since I was a bit behind on my reviews, and I would get back to her when I had the chance to read it. Lo and behold, I read it that very night and immediately contacted her to tell her how great it was! The characters were likable and relatable, and it was really great to see how much Maddie grew through the course of the book, gaining self-confidence and coming out of her shell a bit. Jackie and Maddie got along great, which I really liked since usually in stories with twins who are so different from one another, one is really nice while the other is either selfish or mean, or something along those lines. Dallas was definitely swoon-worthy!! One of my favorite lines from the book describes him like this: "Damn, he smelled good. A little bit musky and a whole lot of yum." Spot on!

In summary, I wholeheartedly recommend this book to all lovers of YA contemporary fiction, and it is going on my list of favorite books of 2012! I will be waiting anxiously for the sequel, From Couture to Cut-Offs, which will tell Jackie's story! :D