Author: Katherine St. John
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: May 4, 2021
Book Description: From Katherine St. John, author of The Lion’s Den, comes another sublimely escapist thriller: When Hollywood heartthrob Cole Power hires his ex-wife, Stella Rivers, to act in his son’s film, he sparks a firestorm on an isolated island that will unearth long-buried secrets—and unravel years of lies.
In the midst of a sizzling hot summer, some of Hollywood’s most notorious faces are assembled on the idyllic Caribbean island of St. Genesius to film The Siren, starring dangerously handsome megastar Cole Power playing opposite his ex-wife, Stella Rivers. The surefire blockbuster promises to entice audiences with its sultry storyline and intimately connected cast.
Three very different women arrive on set, each with her own motive. Stella, an infamously unstable actress, is struggling to reclaim the career she lost in the wake of multiple, very public breakdowns. Taylor, a fledgling producer, is anxious to work on a film she hopes will turn her career around after her last job ended in scandal. And Felicity, Stella’s mysterious new assistant, harbors designs of her own that threaten to upend everyone’s plans.
With a hurricane brewing offshore, each woman finds herself trapped on the island, united against a common enemy. But as deceptions come to light, misplaced trust may prove more perilous than the storm itself.
Rating: 2.5 Stars
Review: I was absolutely thrilled when I was able to get an ARC of The Siren, as I loved St. John’s previous novel The Lion’s Den so much. However this ended up being an extremely difficult book to get through.
Told from the points of view of Taylor (movie producer), Stella (movie star and Felicity (Stella’s personal assistant), we are given a tale of betrayal and borderline hatred.
The three protagonists are thrown together with A-List star Cole Power gives his son the gift of the ability to film his graduate school project in the Caribbean and he will be the star. Taylor down on her luck, comes in to produce the movie, and hoping this will get her back to place she wants to be in the industry. Stella a waning a-list actress and Cole’s ex-wife comes on board along with her mysterious assistant Felicity.
This story unfolds way too slowly and all the characters are pretty much unlovable. We are given small bits at a time to a culminating ending that was just like whatever. I wanted so much to love this book, but when you give me no redeeming characters, I have a hard time to get on board. Yes, the ending could have you changing your mind, but for me it was far to late to save this book.
Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Obsessed Bookaholic 