**Review ~ Stardust ~ Mimi Strong**

Stardust by Mimi Strong
Peaches Monroe #1 
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: June 24, 2013
Source: Purchased from Amazon

Synopsis from Goodreads
There I was, minding my own business at Peachtree Books when this lunatic comes racing in the door and knocks me into his arms. I would have ripped him a new one, but he was kinda familiar, and hot. Like I-want-to-have-your-sexy-babies-now hot.

Turns out he looks familiar because I stare at his gorgeous face on TV every week. Yup, Dalton Deangelo. In the oh-so-firm flesh.

I let him hide out from the press for a while, then I thought he'd be on his way, and I could breathe normally again. But no. He found me interesting. He wanted to tag along to my cousin's wedding with me. I couldn't say no to that face ... or THOSE EYES. Before the night was through, he was saying sweet things, then dirty things. Very dirty things.

I try to keep my eyes wide open. I've made terrible, stupid mistakes in the past. But Dalton Deangelo's touch turns me to Jell-O.

I'm just a regular girl, and he's rich and famous with no body fat. The guy has a butler! So, why is he chasing me? And why can't I say no? And what is this sordid secret of his the reporters are trying to uncover?

**Stardust is on sale for 96 cents at Amazon 

and 99 cents at B&N**

As Peaches would say - 'Mercy!'  I so enjoyed my introduction to Ms. Peaches Monroe and everything that inhabits her world. She's a riot!

Peaches Monroe is a 22 year old, living in her small hometown in Washington, managing a bookstore. She describes herself as the 'not fun girl' who's more likely to be cat-sitting than living it up on a Friday night. But all that changes when she, literally, falls into the arms of one Dalton Deangelo.

Dalton Deangelo is a hottie, young actor who plays a vampire on television. He's in town shooting an indie movie when he charges into Peaches' store and her life. He's all about sweeping Peaches off her feet. And he says the most magical things - 

"Let's just be two souls tonight. Two souls who are made of stardust, and found their way back to each other, the way they were destined to."  - Dalton, Loc 295

I mean, who wouldn't swoon all over that?!?

Thus an affair begins. I'm gonna admit here that I totally identify with Peaches on many levels. She's an average girl, a chubby girl who happens to love books. Where she and I differ is in her ability to say whatever she's thinking - some might say inability to keep her mouth shut. ;) I aspire to one day be more like Peaches in this manner...but I digress. Peaches and her lack of filter, sometimes saying wholly inappropriate things, had me laughing aloud. I did feel a dichotomy in Peaches, though. She made statements about being at peace with who she is and with her body but then would think to herself that she hoped her rear view didn't turn off Dalton. I think that in dating Dalton, who's perfection in Peaches' eyes, she has to deal with average-ness and others' disbelief that he would date someone like her. Peaches has a hard time herself believing he'd want to date someone who's not 'starlet material'. But there's just something about Peaches - a certain je ne sais quoi - that made me root for her. That makes people love her! Heck, I want to be her friend. :)

Dating Dalton brings changes for Peaches. Some good changes and some not so good changes. Peaches is offered some new opportunities that wouldn't have come along if she hadn't met Dalton. But she also has to endure media scrutiny. These two lovebirds had quite an adventurous time together. They had lots of fun and lots of hot, steamy action too. I was thrilled watching them together and am totally Team Peaches. But I'm going to confess, and please, ladies, don't hate me, but there was something about Dalton that felt disingenuous to me. I never quite trusted him with Peaches. I don't know if Ms. Strong meant to convey this but if she did, I applaud Ms. Strong her ability to do so. Dalton is very comfortable with Peaches though. And he does reveal his secrets (well, most of his secrets) to Peaches. That intimacy that he feels with her isn't reciprocated though as Peaches can't bring herself to reveal her secret to him.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention one Adrian Storm. He's Peaches' high school crush, who recently returned to town after losing the shirt off his back. The repartee between these two is often hilarious...when I'm not wanting to smack Adrian in the back of the head for his idiocy. 

Stardust did drag a wee bit in the middle for some reason. I don't know if it was my feelings toward Dalton or if it was because I was a little irritated with Peaches. It did pick back up though and ended with quite a bang! I loved Ms. Strong's use of first person narrative for the story. It gave it such a personal feel. It's a sweet story and a bawdy romp! It's just so much fun! I was so glad that the next book in Peaches' story, Starlight, was already out once I was finished. I set out immediately to read it. You can read my review of Starlight tomorrow. :)

Now y'all are gonna laugh - this book is really funny. But my favorite quotes are from the philosophical side of Peaches. (oh, and her charm class teacher, Dottie)

"Be yourself, because everyone else is taken. Every one of us is a role model. We just don't know yet for whom." -Dottie, Charm class teacher, Loc 765

"If a willingness to be confident was all it took, we'd all be confident." -Peaches, Loc 1371

"See, my theory is that people don't just get confident by acting confident and believing in themselves. You have to accomplish things, reach goals." - Peaches, Loc 3627

Mimi Strong writes chick-lit, erotic romance, sex comedy, and new adult contemporary romance. Most of her characters have a strong sense of humor.

Here's what she has to say:

I've always had a lot of sides. Sometimes I'm vulnerable, and sometimes I go after what I want without a single doubt.

My favorite person is my husband. If I can crack him up and see his eyes crinkle at the corners, my day is made. In fact, I love making everyone around me laugh.

I've always enjoyed empowering stories about kick-butt women who don't hold back and the awesome men who are smart enough to love them. Now that I'm writing these stories, I couldn't be happier. I hope you enjoy them too!

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