I got this book free with Company magazine a couple of weeks ago, and to be honest, had no intentions of reading it, I suppose I just didn't think anything with Katie Price's name on it could be any good. Of course, we all know that she didn't actually write this book, something confirmed if you look inside at the small print, which tells us someone called Rebecca actually wrote it, although as you read you will see strong influences of Katie/Jordan in there. As it was, I had bought the magazine to read on the train, but found I'd finished it with around an hour of my journey still left, so I started reading the book out of boredom and ended up being pleasantly surprised...

~The Story~

The story begins with Crystal and her band, Lost Angels auditioning for a TV talent competition, Band Ambition, which is basically the X Factor but with all bands. Lost Angels is made up of Crystal, whose father walked out when she was very young, and whose mother ran off to Spain leaving her to bring up her little brother when she was barely sixteen, Tahlia, a kind, shy girl who lives with mum Rosie and little sister Leticia, and who is also Crystal's best friend, and finally Belle. Belle is from a more affluent background than the other two girls, and is known for her diva-like behaviour already even though the band aren't even famous yet. She is dating an ex-racing driver named Max and although she constantly annoys the other two girls, they put up with her for the sake of the band.

As the long audition process gets under way, Crystal gets the distinct feeling that Belle's boyfriend Max is flirting with her. Although she is normally very loyal to her friends, Crystal can't help but be attracted to him and is flattered by the attention he gives her. The two of them embark on a secret affair, but Crystal soon realises that Max is just using her because he wants to be manager of the band. What will happen when Crystal wises up to his game and Max becomes violent? And what will happen to the band if their secret affair is revealed?

~My Opinion~

A lot of the time I find that it takes me quite a while to get into a book, and I often start reading it several times before I can actually begin to get into the story, but not this one, which I suppose is a good sign. Right from the beginning the pages are packed with drama and twists and turns, which kept me reading to the end.

The character of Crystal is very likeable - she comes across as an extremely down to earth character, and even though it would be easy to hate her for sleeping with another woman's boyfriend, we as the reader can see that she deeply regrets doing it, and it is hard not to be sympathetic towards her, given what happens afterwards.

As I mentioned, there are some strong influences of Katie Price in this novel, not so much in the story line, but some of the language and colloquialisms that are used, which can be a little brash and crude. I must admit I found myself cringing at these in places!

The pace of this book is quite fast, which is why I managed to finish it within a matter of days, compared to the last book I read which must have taken me around a month to complete. There is nothing particularly deep and meaningful about this book, however it does touch on some sensitive issues.

Overall though, I really quite liked this book, and am actually quite interested in reading her other novel now, Angel. If you like chick lit, and want something light but quick paced to read, then don't automatically rule this out because of the author - it's not as bad as you probably think it will be!

Available from Amazon for £4.99