Hollywood Ending is the first book by Lucie Simone. I won this book in one of those Goodreads Giveaways drawings.
In this story, a lady named Trina is struggling to make ends meet living in Hollywood, California. But while focusing on trying to land her dream job, she gets distracted by her sexy neighbor, Matiu, and falls hopelessly in love with him. But Matiu seems to be repelled by Trina and tries avoiding her at all costs.
Little does Trina know that Matiu is actually attracted to her in return! But Matiu is focused solely on business, and has no time for relationships. That’s because he has plans to return to his native home of New Zealand after gaining more experience in the movie business.
Eventually, fate takes over and the two intertwine. Their lovelust for one another just can’t be ignored.
I thought Trina was super cute and relatable. But I didn’t care too much for Matiu. To me, he seemed borderline psycho and way too obsessed in an unhealthy way. There wasn’t anything cute, flattering, or endearing about it, and I felt sorry Trina was falling for it. I would have stayed far away from that weirdo.
There were a few outlandish and silly bits in Hollywood Ending. At one point, Matiu has a heart attack despite being described as fit and healthy. It wasn’t believable to me at the time, but I guess it could happen. Especially if had all those COVID shots and boosters California seems to love so much.
I also thought it was funny how Trina becomes a victim of identify theft, and goes down to the police station to identify the “identify theft” criminal in a lineup. I don’t think LAPD does that for those types of crimes, but hey, maybe the author writes from experience.
There’s a lot of “tell, don’t show” in this book instead of “show, don’t tell.” I couldn’t feel an iota of romantic chemistry between Trina and Matiu. “E” for effort, I guess, with this one.
Other books by Lucie Simone include:
What did you think about Hollywood Ending? I’d be sincerely interested in hearing your thoughts about it.
Last Updated on January 7, 2026 by Sarah Ann
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