As I wrote in my earlier post about my top five romance books since joining bookstagram, I joined bookstagram in December 2019. But I’ve been a reader far before that … who knows when? I’ve always been a reader, and with a few slumps here and there, I’ve always found comfort in reading.

That being said, I wanted to write about my FAVORITE book series (I think I would call them my favorite) of all time. I read these in middle school, but they still hold up today and that’s why I want to write about …

SECRETS OF MY HOLLYWOOD LIFE by Jen Calonita

You may have heard of this series, so please comment below whether you have read this series — because you are my new friend. Not only did this series make me fall in love with reading … it’s why I majored in public relations because I thought I was going to be a big time publicist like Laney Peters, one of the characters in this series, who plays a Hollywood publicist. I thought her job of managing celebrities and organizing press for them was so cool and glamorous, that I wanted that. (HA — that did not work out.) Even though I’m not Laney Peters, I still love this series and will always cherish it with my whole heart. I even started re-reading a few of them in 2021 and found that they still hold up!

My question: do re-reads count towards your reading goal? I’m honestly asking this because I want to re-read one of the books in the series, Broadway Lights, but I’m not sure whether re-reads count towards the reading goal.

But anyway, I thought I’d write a blog post talking about each individual book and giving it a “grade.” I thought about ranking them, like what I did with the HSM songs, but oh well. Here it is!

Secrets of My Hollywood Life (Book 1) by Jen Calonita

The first one is honestly a classic. We are introduced to Kaitlin Burke, an actress who works on a soap opera called Family Affair and lives and works in Hollywood. Her mom is her “momager” (pre-Kris Jenner) and even though she can be overwhelming and overbearing, she loves her kids — Kaitlin and her younger brother, Matty, who is also trying to make it in the biz. Her dad is a former car salesman but is now a budding producer. We read in the first book that Kaitlin is burnt out from acting whilst her “team,” made up of her publicist, Laney Peters, her mom (the momager), and her family are trying to plan her next project while her show is on hiatus. (This big A-list movie that Kaitlin actually wants, but is too burnt out.) Kaitlin devises a plan with her best friend Liz, the daughter of an entertainment attorney, to attend Liz’s high school as a normal student (disguised) and hide away from the spotlight while her show is on hiatus. Supported by her assistant/close friend Nadine and personal security, Rodney, Kaitlin convinces her family and team to go along with her plan. It’s there she meets Austin and a bunch of new friends — but will she give up her public life for a private life? Oh, and will she fall for a new guy — completely unaware that she’s Hollywood’s sweetheart Kaitlin Burke? Throughout the book (and the series), she reveals these Hollywood secrets i.e. getting free stuff from brands, attending red carpet premieres, and more ins and outs of what it means to be a Hollywood celebrity.

On Location (Book 2) by Jen Calonita

Still under the series Secrets of My Hollywood Life, we visit Kaitlin and her team once again. This time — she’s shooting on a movie set (the same movie from book 1) with a hot, hunky Hollywood It Boy, Drew, who happens to be Kaitlin’s ex. Oh, and in this book, Kaitlin has a hot new boyfriend, Austin, who attends that high school she went undercover at. In this book, Kaitlin is still working in Hollywood, loving it, and is surrounded by her close team, family, friends, and new friends from book 1. All of the same characters return, including Nadine, Liz, Rodney, her parents, Laney Peters, Sky (her costar in Family Affair and this movie, and her nemesis). But we’re also introduced to Drew, her ex, and the movie’s director, Hutch. This was my first book that I read out of the series, not realizing that there was a book 1, but you can still read out of order and have a general idea of what’s going on. This book, along with Kaitlin’s “Hollywood secrets,” dive into secrets on a movie set and what really goes on set. Honestly, I’m very partial to this book because it was my first book I read in this series, but it’s a good book overall. It tests her new relationship with Austin, who happens to be just a great lovable book boyfriend.

Family Affairs (Book 3) by Jen Calonita

This book was my favorite for a LONG time — and honestly, I think it is still my favorite out of this entire series. What differentiated this book from the first two is that the author included scripts from the TV show that Kaitlin and her co-stars were on. That, and the magazine articles in between chapters that I loved (I think those may have been in the first two books.) In this book, we see more of Kaitlin’s life on set and re-introduced to her nemesis Sky, but also her other co-stars including Melli, Dennis, Tom (the producer), and so many more. Also, a new guest star on the show, Alexis, who tries to take over the show and kick off Kaitlin and Sky — but the unlikely pair unite together to save the show. Honestly, this book was a big turnaround for Kaitlin and the entire series and I loved the direction it took in not only her career but her storyline for her character.

Paparazzi Princess (Book 4) by Jen Calonita

Kaitlin received some news that shocked her to her core, and she starts to develop intense anxiety and panic about it. To cope, she falls into some unhealthy habits and as a celebrity, that can often be unlimited shopping and partying until 2 a.m. We’re introduced to Lauren and Ava, who are socialites (and D-Listers, in my opinion), who take a unstable Kaitlin under their wing to make her feel better. She feels better, but her relationships — and career — suffer as a cost. She finds herself partying until 2 a.m. and buying expensive handbags and other things. In this book, Kaitlin has another dramatic turnaround — in her career and in her storyline. In her career, she’s at a crossroads of what to do in the future and she’s having a hard time figuring it out (that’s completely normal!). Honestly, this book really had those conversations around mental health and specifically, panic attacks, when none of that was being talked about (at least at a young adult level). Props to the author for doing that. But I also really loved the “celebrity” of it all. I feel like we really got to see more of a Kaitlin as a celebrity vibe in this book. For a while, I didn’t like this book because of the whole “celebrity” aspect and less of Kaitlin as an actress (versus all the scripts included in book 3), but this book grew on me as I re-read this one earlier in 2021.

Broadway Lights (Book 5) by Jen Calonita

Hollywood actress goes to New York! I think I loved this one solely because it was set in New York, but I did not like the supposed love triangle that was happening between Kaitlin and her beau, Austin, and Kaitlin’s co-star in the new play she was in, Dylan. I think yes, it had to be there to strengthen Kaitlin and Austin’s relationship, but did it really have to happen? Whatever, I still liked this book because it was set in New York. Once again, Kaitlin and her family temporarily move to New York for Kaitlin’s play that she stars in on Broadway (a major step in her career!) and she’s joined by her best friend Liz, a prominent character throughout the series. She’s also joined by her assistant and close friend, Nadine, and her personal security, Rodney. Oh, and Sky, who happens to be her frenemy now. There’s also a fun chapter on when Kaitlin and Sky host SNL. Overall, such a good book and I re-read this recently and it did not disappoint!

There’s No Place Like Home (Book 6) by Jen Calonita

Honestly, this is my least favorite book out of the entire series because it has that “what if” scenario. Kaitlin winds up in a car accident, and hits her head and falls into a coma. She dreams that she is never an actress and everything — and everyone — is changed because of it. Her family is different: her dad is still a car salesman (and happy), her mom is still a receptionist but also very much a mother and less of a “momager,” and her brother, well, is the same. And Kaitlin is a “normal” teenager, attending high school and worrying about getting into college. She misses her friends, including Nadine and Liz, and Rodney. She’s not dating Austin, her longtime boyfriend. I was excited to pick this book up when I first read it, but it didn’t hit the mark for me. It did have a happily ever after and a nice, solid ending, but the book could’ve been better.

And that’s it! I love, love these books so much. I will always cherish these books as the books that made me fall in love with reading. Please go check these books out whether you haven’t already!