And Playing the Role of Herself by K.E. Lane

And Playing the Role of Herself
by K.E. Lane
Pages: 336
Date: January 7 2007
Publisher: Regal Crest
Series: None

Review
Rating: 5.0
Read: September 3 to 5 2016

So - added another book to my very small collection of 'books I have read more than once' (don't be fooled, that just means 'twice' - there's only one book I've read more than twice, and I think I've only read that one three times).

Funny thing happened when I started reading - this is a book I know I enjoyed when I read it, that 5 star rating was kind of a big clue to myself, but I just couldn't remember the book - until I started to reread it. The book didn't come back to me in a flash or anything like that, no - more that I was keeping ahead of the reading a little bit. As in, first scene in the book finds Caidence working in a police station talking to a small boy - a scene for her cop television show. And the entire scene came into my brain fully formed. Rest of the book proceeded similarly - I'd read and a sentence, a paragraph, a chapter, ahead of where I was reading would come back to me. Yet I never, until end of book, had the entire book come back. Just a tiny bit ahead of where I was reading.

By the time I was done I realized that I had in fact remembered the book (I mean prior to the reread) - I had just thought it was one of Jae's Hollywood books. No idea how that occurred.

There were moments I liked and disliked both characters - Caid and Robyn. Caid seems like a great person and stuff, but there were moments that I realized that some of what was occurring was being 'masked' by my knowledge - by being the reader in Caid's head (and yeah, the stuff is from Caid's point of view). As in - Caid sure didn't communicate very well - a lot of the problems came up because of how poorly Caid communicated. For example - Caid spent an inordinate amount of time thinking thoughts to herself like 'I am a lesbian, or at least lesbian like person' - and yet when the topic came up with Robyn, and several comments were made back and forth, Robyn was given the impression that Caid was not in fact a lesbian, but a straight woman who had never kissed a woman before but was interested in experimenting - so we have both of those tropes in the book (a lot of the lesbian tropes, themes, ideas turn up in this book), the 'lesbian for you' (which was hinted at by the poor communication skills but a red herring) & the 'lesbian trapped in feelings for a straight woman but doesn't want to be' that was also a false positive. All because Caid said something along the lines that she had never kissed a woman - now mind you Caid is often tongue tied around Robyn, and so probably couldn't get the right words out anyway, though a lot of the problems stem from this problem to communicate issue. Though, to be fair, that issue comes from both sides - as revealed by some comments eventually pulled from Robyn.

So - Caid is a thirty-something woman who spent some time as a model, as she put it 'a beer bitch' (one of her modeling works lead to some beer commercials which included her in a barely there top) before branching out into acting. And is in her second year on a police show that is seeing a great deal of success. Her best friend is a woman named Liz who is her cop partner on the show - and someone who has been famous from an early age so is quite . . . unskilled with social thingies.

Robyn is a woman who acts on a lawyer show that is the origin show (whatever you call a show that another show spins off of - Caid's police show spun off of Robyn's lawyer show), and occasionally has guest appearances on Caid's cop show. Robyn is in a very famous 'coupling' with a tennis pro, a Josh something or other. Both of them look quite taken with the other and are constantly seen out and about.

Both Robyn and Liz (and, for that matter Josh) are much bigger stars than Caid.

At a Q&A for the cop show, attended by Caid and Liz, one of the last questions presented was one about fanfiction. Namely something along the lines of 'are you aware that there is fanfiction about your characters which paints them in a lesbian light; is there a chance that a lesbian theme would appear on the show; how does that impact your acting - etc etc'. Caid has to answer that one as Liz is kind of gasping in confusion and horror.

On the ride back from the Q&A, Liz and Caid share a limo (along with Paula, Liz's personal assistant). Liz is furious and wants to sue the internet (not sure if she is specific on who she wants to sue). Caid explains that Liz can't. Caid then shows Liz one of the lesbian fanfiction stories. One thing leads to another and - not right then and there, but eventually - Liz sets in motion something Caid can't dodge (a reoccurring theme - Caid is kind of spineless when it comes to people telling her to do things; in terms of the Liz idea - she feels that she isn't in a strong enough position to go against the idea (I'm being vague, but you could probably use the same sentence for a lot of situations in this book)).

At the table read for the season finale, all of the heavy-weight executives (producers, writers, show creators, etc.) pop in. And reveal that they are going to have a lesbian twist. This being the thing I vaguely noted above. The thing Caid doesn't feel powerful enough to do anything but accept her role in the situation. For her character is going to be bumping up against Robyn's character. Complicated all the way around since playing a gay/lesbian/LGBT role can have implications on careers, and Caid has been lusting for Robyn for two years by this point. Complicated.

So yeah. Fun book. Much angst. Some family issues. Several tropes pulled in (some mentioned above some not - one of the ones I haven't mentioned involves 'dangerous event occurs so one or the other realizes their true feelings' that seems a reoccurring theme in the book). Quite well written. Much angst. Much drama/loving/sex (graphic).

September 5 2016