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Verdict: A beloved slow-burn Hollywood romance: when a tabloid photo threatens actress Grace Durand’s career in romantic leads, she hires top publicist Lauren Pearce to convince America she’s straight — not knowing Lauren is a lesbian. Readers adore the leads, the slow build and sidekick Jill; the common complaint is a rushed ending after a long middle.
Best for: Readers who love a slow-burn celebrity romance with a closeted star and a cynical fixer.
Heat level: 🌶️🌶️
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.1/5 — a 4.31 Goodreads average across 3,320 ratings, 4.14 on StoryGraph from 524 reviews, and 4.6 stars across 1,256 Amazon ratings)
Tropes: Celebrity/publicist, slow burn, “straight” actress, workplace, fake image, found family.
Damage Control is Jae’s 2015 contemporary lesbian romance from Ylva, part of her Hollywood series. An actress practically since birth, Grace Durand has finally made it — until a photo of her in a seemingly compromising situation with another woman hits the tabloids.
It holds a 4.31 average across 3,320 Goodreads ratings, with 84% of them four or five stars, 4.14 on StoryGraph from 524 reviews, and 4.6 stars across 1,256 Amazon ratings.
What Is Damage Control About?
Lauren Pearce has handled PR nightmares for years; one more rich, spoiled client shouldn’t be a problem. But the more time she spends with Grace, the more she sees how different Grace is from her television persona.
Getting involved would confirm the rumours and ruin Grace’s career — but the attraction grows as they run the paparazzi gauntlet together.
What Works in This Book
- The slow build: Readers love how naturally the relationship unfolds over a lot of time together.
- The leads: Readers find Grace and Lauren likeable; one describes the tension as deliciously torturous.
- Jill: The sidekick friend is a favourite, and readers were eager for her own book.
- Rereadability: Many readers return to it; several call it a top-ten or go-to comfort read.
Book Synopsis
A “straight” movie star hires a lesbian publicist to kill a rumour.
The more they fake it for the press, the realer it gets.
My Review
This is Jae doing what fans love: a long, character-driven slow burn with humour and heart. Grace’s awful mother gives readers someone to root against.
The recurring criticism is the ending: several readers say that after drawing out the build, it wraps up too quickly. Others found it ran long in places, one felt we learn far more about Grace than Lauren, and one never felt the chemistry and found the writing more clichéd than usual for Jae.
My honest note: A comfort classic of the celebrity subgenre.
| Element | In Damage Control |
|---|---|
| Central relationship | Grace Durand (A-list actress) & Lauren Pearce (publicist) |
| Core tropes | Celebrity/publicist, slow burn, closeted star |
| Setting | Hollywood and the paparazzi circuit |
| Heat level | 🌶️🌶️ |
| Length | 347 pages (Goodreads) |
| Series | The Hollywood Series — standalone |
| Content notes | Homophobia, outing, a toxic parent (StoryGraph) |
How Spicy Is Damage Control?
Moderately; the focus is the long slow burn.
StoryGraph users flag homophobia, outing and a toxic relationship with a parent.
Who Should Read This Book?
You’ll likely love it if: you want a patient, funny celebrity slow burn. It is on our celebrity lesbian romance list.
You may want to skip it if: long builds with quick endings frustrate you.
In short: Spin control, heart out of control.
What Readers Are Actually Saying (September 2026)
On Goodreads the split is 48% five stars, 36% four, 12% three, 1% two and under 1% one. On StoryGraph, 75% tagged it lighthearted and 67% emotional.
Why readers love it (according to the discourse): The slow build first. Second, the leads. Third, Jill. Fourth, rereadability.
What readers argue about and complain about: A rushed ending, above everything. Second, length. Third, Lauren underdeveloped for one.
The comparison worth making first: Departure from the Script, the first Hollywood book.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to read Departure from the Script first?
No. Damage Control is a standalone in Jae’s Hollywood series, though readers of book one enjoy returning characters.
Is Damage Control a slow burn?
Yes. Readers call it a slow build in which nothing is instant — “except for the coffee,” one jokes.
Who is Jill?
A scene-stealing secondary character; several readers finished the book eager for her own story.
Is the ending rushed?
Several readers think so: after a long build, they felt the ending wrapped up quickly.
Is Damage Control on Kindle Unlimited?
Yes, when we checked.
If You Loved Damage Control, Read These Next
Try Departure from the Script, Jae’s Something in the Wine, or another celebrity romance, Finding Jessica Lambert. Browse our celebrity list or the full Book Reviews archive.
The Bottom Line
Damage Control sets out to be a slow-burn Hollywood romance, and it delivers a relationship readers return to. What holds it back is an ending that arrives too fast. Recommended. Check Damage Control on Amazon →
The Eikna Overall Ranking
On the Eikna scale, Damage Control ranks as a very good celebrity romance — slow, satisfying.
The Evidence Scorecard
Overall ★★★★☆ 4.1/5
- ✓ 4.31 average across 3,320 Goodreads ratings
- ✓ 84% of Goodreads ratings are four or five stars
- ✓ 4.14 on StoryGraph from 524 reviews
- ✓ 4.6 stars across 1,256 Amazon ratings
Romance ★★★★☆ 4.2/5
- ✓ Slow build
- ✓ Torturous tension
- ✓ Organic
- ✓ No chemistry for one
Characters ★★★★☆ 4.1/5
- ✓ Grace
- ✓ Lauren
- ✓ Jill
- ✓ Awful mother
Writing ★★★★☆ 3.9/5
- ✓ Jae’s style
- ✓ Humour
- ✓ Runs long
- ✓ Clichéd for one
Emotional Impact ★★★★☆ 3.9/5
- ✓ Tagged emotional by 67%
- ✓ Self-discovery
- ✓ Feel-good
- ✓ Warm
Heat Level ★★★☆☆ 3/5
- ✓ Moderate
- ✓ Late
- ✓ Adult
- ✓ Not the focus
Ending ★★★☆☆ 3.4/5
- ✓ Happy
- ✓ Rushed for many
- ✓ Series continues
- ✓ Quick
Re-read Value ★★★★☆ 4.3/5
- ✓ On Kindle Unlimited
- ✓ Frequent rereads
- ✓ Comfort read
- ✓ 347 pages
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