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Verdict: A binge-worthy Hollywood romance with a juicy premise: struggling screenwriter Fran, reduced to writing celebrity gossip, takes a job as famous actress Chelsea Cartwright’s assistant planning a tell-all — then falls for her. Readers love the banter, the layered characters and the inside look at Hollywood; the lie-by-omission setup and the employer/assistant dynamic won’t suit everyone.
Best for: Readers who love celebrity romance, secrets and a slow-burn workplace pairing.
Heat level: 🌶️🌶️
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.0/5 — a 4.28 Goodreads average across 519 ratings, 3.97 on StoryGraph from 93 reviews, and 4.8 stars across 202 Amazon ratings)
Tropes: Celebrity/assistant, secret agenda, age gap, single parent, slow burn, workplace.
Like They Do in the Movies is Nan Campbell’s 2023 contemporary lesbian romance from Bold Strokes Books. Fran Underhill dreamed of writing hilarious sapphic romcoms; instead she writes trashy gossip for cash, and her love of the industry has curdled into loathing of celebrity culture.
It holds a 4.28 average across 519 Goodreads ratings, with 83% of them four or five stars, 3.97 on StoryGraph from 93 reviews, and 4.8 stars across 202 Amazon ratings.
What Is Like They Do in the Movies About?
When a personal assistant job with one of Hollywood’s most popular actresses falls into her lap, Fran plans a series of tell-all articles — just enough clickbait to sell her next screenplay.
Chelsea Cartwright — actress, mother and ex-wife of Hollywood royalty — is struggling and badly needs a competent assistant. Neither expects the long-buried feelings Fran awakens, or the fallout when Chelsea learns who Fran really is.
What Works in This Book
- Banter: Readers call the dialogue witty and sharp.
- Layers: Readers enjoy peeling back both women and seeing Hollywood privacy and power from the inside.
- Fran’s turn: One reader expected to dislike her, but her goal quickly shifts to protecting Chelsea.
- Bingeability: Several readers read it in a day or stayed up until the small hours.
Book Synopsis
A gossip writer becomes a movie star’s assistant to dig up dirt — and falls for her.
What happens when the truth comes out?
My Review
Readers praise Campbell’s flawed but believable women who want to be better, and a well-worn trope handled with fresh complexity. One even went and watched the 1937 screwball classic The Awful Truth afterwards.
The premise makes some readers uncomfortable: secrets that threaten everything are tense, and repeated squandered chances to confess frustrate. One reader disliked a PA dynamic they found infantilising, one missed the chemistry they expect from Campbell, and one found Chelsea’s children written too young.
My honest note: If you can ride out the secret, it’s a satisfying Hollywood romance.
| Element | In Like They Do in the Movies |
|---|---|
| Central relationship | Fran Underhill (gossip writer turned assistant) & Chelsea Cartwright (actress and mother) |
| Core tropes | Celebrity/assistant, secret agenda, age gap |
| Setting | Hollywood, inside a star’s household |
| Heat level | 🌶️🌶️ |
| Length | 288 pages (paperback) |
| Series | Standalone |
| Content notes | Deception, an alcoholic ex-spouse |
How Spicy Is Like They Do in the Movies?
Moderately; one reader notes added spice.
Readers mention an alcoholic ex-husband and the stress of a long-held secret.
Who Should Read This Book?
You’ll likely love it if: you want a smart celebrity romance with real stakes. It is on our celebrity lesbian romance list.
You may want to skip it if: deception plots stress you out.
In short: Came for the scoop, stayed for the star.
What Readers Are Actually Saying (September 2026)
On Goodreads the split is 45% five stars, 38% four, 14% three, 1% two and under 1% one. On StoryGraph, 72% tagged it lighthearted and 63% emotional.
Why readers love it (according to the discourse): The banter first. Second, the layers. Third, Fran’s growth. Fourth, bingeability.
What readers argue about and complain about: The secret, above everything. Second, the PA dynamic. Third, chemistry for one.
The comparison worth making first: Jae’s Damage Control, another Hollywood romance built on image management.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Fran’s secret come out?
Readers make clear the blurb’s setup plays out: Fran lies by omission, keeps missing chances to confess, and the fallout is part of the story.
Is there an age gap?
Yes — Chelsea is the older lead and a mother of two; our list tags it age gap with a 40+ heroine.
Is it a slow burn?
Yes. Readers describe a slow-building connection that grows from a quiet spark.
How spicy is it?
Moderate. One reader calls it run-of-the-mill with added spice.
Is Like They Do in the Movies on Kindle Unlimited?
Not when we checked; the Kindle edition was listed at $9.99.
If You Loved Like They Do in the Movies, Read These Next
Try Damage Control or Finding Jessica Lambert. Browse our celebrity list or the full Book Reviews archive.
The Bottom Line
Like They Do in the Movies sets out to give a familiar trope substance, and readers say it succeeds. What holds it back is a secret some found hard to sit through. Recommended. Check Like They Do in the Movies on Amazon →
The Eikna Overall Ranking
On the Eikna scale, Like They Do in the Movies ranks as a very good celebrity romance — witty, tense.
The Evidence Scorecard
Overall ★★★★☆ 4/5
- ✓ 4.28 average across 519 Goodreads ratings
- ✓ 83% of Goodreads ratings are four or five stars
- ✓ 3.97 on StoryGraph from 93 reviews
- ✓ 4.8 stars across 202 Amazon ratings
Romance ★★★★☆ 3.9/5
- ✓ Slow burn
- ✓ Believable
- ✓ Secret tension
- ✓ Chemistry lacking for one
Characters ★★★★☆ 4/5
- ✓ Flawed Fran
- ✓ Struggling Chelsea
- ✓ Kids
- ✓ Good side cast
Writing ★★★★☆ 4.1/5
- ✓ Witty dialogue
- ✓ Fast-moving
- ✓ Hollywood insight
- ✓ Well crafted
Emotional Impact ★★★★☆ 3.8/5
- ✓ Tagged emotional by 63%
- ✓ Tense secret
- ✓ Growth
- ✓ Heart
Heat Level ★★★☆☆ 3/5
- ✓ Moderate
- ✓ Added spice
- ✓ Adult
- ✓ Not the focus
Ending ★★★★☆ 3.8/5
- ✓ Fallout resolved
- ✓ Warm
- ✓ Earned
- ✓ Wanted it longer
Re-read Value ★★★★☆ 3.7/5
- ✓ $9.99 Kindle price
- ✓ Binge read
- ✓ 288 pages
- ✓ Not on Kindle Unlimited
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