Catch a Falling Star

Carter Moon loves stars—the kind in the night sky, not the ones that crash and burn to the delight of the media and the celebrity-obsessed masses. But this summer, while Carter is working at her family’s diner, the manager of one of Hollywood’s most notorious young actors, Adam Jakes, enlists her to pretend she is Adam’s small-town sweetheart to help restore his fallen image. Carter would never normally agree to such a thing, but her brother is in trouble because of unpaid gambling debts, and the faux-girlfriend gig pays well. Culbertson (Instructions for a Broken Heart) is a capable writer, and she gives Carter a good heart that shines through in the way Carter handles her friendships and that also catches Adam’s eye. Fans of recent “Hollywood Blvd. meets Main St.” novels like Cherry Money Baby and This Is What Happy Looks Like will enjoy following Carter and Adam through the familiar cycle of the rom-com relationship, from dislike to like, complication to realization, and finally to love. Ages 12–up. Agent: Melissa Sarver, Folio Literary Management. (May)