America's Sweetheart

By: Jessica Lemmon

Narrated by: Kathryn Lynhurst, Jason Clarke

Length: 6 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

Old flames burn bright. When a disgraced starlet returns home to lick her wounds, she discovers that her high school sweetheart is just as tempting as ever.

“No one writes big-hearted bad boys like Jessica Lemmon!”(New York Times best-selling author Lori Foster)

Allison: When I left for California, I gave myself a new name and never looked back. Now my carefully crafted good-girl image is getting torn to shreds in the press thanks to my Oscar-winning A-hole of an ex-boyfriend. So I escape to the only safe haven I know and trust - my hometown - to take a breather while I plot my triumphant Hollywood comeback. However, when I arrive at my parents’ house, Jackson Burke answers the door instead. And suddenly the past comes rushing back....

Jackson: First kiss. First time. First love. Yep, Allison Murphy and I shared a lot of firsts back in the day. When she left, she took half my heart with her. Now she’s back in town, and even though I swore I’d keep my distance, her parents hired me to remodel their house, and I’m going to finish the job. But one hot kiss later, suddenly the press is calling us the next big celebrity couple. Sure, I’ll play the part, for Allison’s sake - but I refuse to let her close enough to break my heart all over again.....

©2018 Jessica Lemmon (P)2018 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Excellent contemporary romance - a second-chance love story that skillfully blends lighthearted sweetness and gut-wrenching emotion.” (New York Times best-selling author Lauren Layne)

“From Hollywood to the heartland, this sexy, poignant romance from Jessica Lemmon proves that you can go home again and rekindle your first love.” (Kate Meader, USA Today best-selling author of the Laws of Attraction series)

"America’s Sweetheart is the perfect second-chance reunion! A dynamic combination of sweet and sexy.” (USA Today best-selling author Jules Bennett)

Female narrator ruins it

Difficult to stay through the story once Kathryn started narrating. I almost quit when I thought Jason Clarke would no longer be narrating. He is stellar as usual. No excuse for ruining a perfectly good story.

loved it

This book was really good.  I can't wait to read more books from this author.

Cute story and Passionate

It's a sweet story that has some pretty good passionate scenes. I listened to the audio and both narrators did great. I especially liked the tone of the male narrators voice. I just couldn't connect with Allison/Nina. I don't like how she just plays the Hollywood game. The book starts out with only POV chapters from Jackson, then after awhile Allison gets some POV chapters; I think it would've been good to start some chapters with her POV earlier on in the book, so the reader could build more of a bond with her. Also, I was expecting more of a connection between Allison and Jackson. They don't fight for each other. They gave up each other too easily when they were young sweethearts. They loved each other, but not enough to make it work. They do have some great passion though, and overall, the story kept me interested. The ending wasn't to my liking, but it did have some cute moments.

Second Chances

Allison has returned home after a scandal surrounds her in Hollywood. Instead of being able to hide away in her parents home she comes home to find that her high school sweetheart has been hired to remodel her parents bedroom and redo the deck while they're away.

Their relationship may have ended when she moved to California but their chemistry is still their. While I liked Jackson, Allison was another story - I found she got on my nerves quite a bit.

If you enjoy second chance romances you should check out America's Sweetheart, also If you enjoy audiobooks I felt that Kathryn Lynhurst and Jason Clarke did a great job with bringing Allison and Jackson's story to life.

Happy Reading!!!

A lovely romance that reunites star struck high school/ colleges sweethearts 10 years after their separation

The story is not original but the dialogue is good and the setting in Columbus Ohio is a nice change. Story entails two 30year olds who were young lovers, separated in college by her ambitions and his stubbornness and their immaturity. As young adults they learn to trust both their own feelings and each other and find the simple solution to happiness in being together. The story is both sweet and sexy. Jason Clarke is a wonderful Jax- Jackson Burke. Kathryn Lynhurst is less successful as Alison Murphy (Minnie) who’s stage name is Nina Lockhart. Her voice is annoying about 1/2 the time- sometimes little girlish and an other time flat or winey. Not enough to not listen but just not up to Jason’s performance. As a bonus, there are short appearances from some of the othe couples in Jessica Lemmon’s books - particularly Caterina ‘Kitty Kat” Everhart and Barrett Fox (from Rumor Has It). Maybe we’ll be treated to more Alison and Tax if there is a future book about Jax’s twin Julienne.

This book was oddly endearing

Despite some flaws and a simple plot, this book was oddly endearing. Mostly thanks to the characters.

It’s the story of two highschool sweethearts reconnecting after many years apart and who have matured enough that they’re finally ready to start their life together. They couldn’t be more different, with a hard working blue collar and a TV celebrity, but once upon a time, they had plans together, and they clicked. But of course, the author didn’t make their journey an easy one.

On top of being a second chance romance, it’s also a fake relationship. To clean her image after a scandal, Allison publicizes her reunion with her high school boyfriend, except it’s fake. At first. Allie and Jackson navigate this PR situation while also remembering how good they were together, and discovering who the other has become. Lines are blurred, and lies and truth sound the same after a while.

I loved the romance, really. It was interesting to see how grown ups deal with situations that seemed insurmountable as teenagers. But to be honest, I saw a lot of attraction and lust, but little love. Like they just assumed they still loved each other because of their past, instead of falling in love again. For instance, they didn’t have any meaningful relationship between then and now, making it perfectly clear that no one could replace the other.

But as for the attraction, there was plenty. The tension was off the charts! Even though they took their sweet time. But it’s the building up that’s nice.

I loved that the point of views didn’t alternate every chapter. We get to spend time with the character before we switch to the other. And I felt the change was always at a crucial and meaningful moment. All in all, the point of view for each chapter was chosen perfectly.

The narration was pretty good. Both narrators were great with their character. I felt the female narrator didn’t have a strong enough male voice for Jackson, but it wasn’t unpleasant either.

Seriously???

I am just sick of reading about really obnoxious bitchy women who treat men like crap and the reverse. Who puts up with that and thinks it is going to work out? Honestly what I am sick most of is ridiculous stories about unrealistic love stories that have not a single thread tethering then to any sort of reality. Yes, we want a fantasy, but not one where we have to remove our brains to make them palatable. So I liked 2 books in the series, but the rest is just embarrassing for any sort f relationship anywhere.. The only decent thing about this was the narration. The rest was just ridiculous. Its been a while since I've disliked a woman this much. Vain, nonsense and just an immature mean girl. At least in the movie they all managed to redeem themselves. She just to what she wanted without changing one bit.

Disappointing

The story was good until the Epilogue. Jax gives up his life in his home town his successful business and family to make Alli happy and live in LA with her.
I feel it was Alison’s time to give up something for Jax.
So disappointed and so unrealistic.
Jax could have found someone for who he was. Instead of giving up his for some one who didn’t deserve it.