Get a good book and a free hat.

Join now for $5.

We’ll make this quick.

First, enter your email. Then choose your move.

By pressing "Pick a book now" or "Pick a book later", you agree to Book of the Month’s Terms of use and Privacy policy.

Get a good book and a free hat.

Join now for $5.
undefined

You did it!

Your account is now up to date.

get the appget the app

Our app is where it’s at.

Unlock our Reading Challenge, earn prizes, and get notified of new books on our app.

Our app is where it’s at.

Unlock our Reading Challenge, earn prizes, and get notified of new books on our app.

Download on the App Store
Get it on Google Play

Already have the app? Explore here.

Stars in Your Eyes by Kacen Callender

Romance

Stars in Your Eyes

by Kacen Callender

Excellent choice

Just enter your email to add this book to your box.

By pressing "Add to box", you agree to Book of the Month’s Terms of use and Privacy policy.

Volume 0
Volume 0

A free gift for you.

Yes, she’s embroidered.

No thanks, just checkout

Quick take

In this charming adult debut, two Hollywood hunks must pull off their greatest acting feat yet: fake dating each other.

Good to know

  • Illustrated icon, Multiple_Viewpoints

    Multiple viewpoints

  • Illustrated icon, LGBTQ_themes

    LGBTQ+ themes

  • Illustrated icon, Salacious

    Salacious

  • Illustrated icon, Fake_Dating

    Fake dating

Synopsis

Logan Gray is Hollywood’s bad boy—a talented but troubled actor who the public loves to hate. Mattie Cole is an up‑and‑coming golden boy, adored by all but plagued by insecurities.

When Logan and Mattie are cast as leads in a new romantic film, Logan claims that Matt has “zero talent,” sending the film’s publicity into a nosedive. To create positive buzz, the two are persuaded into a fake‑dating scheme—but as the two actors get to know their new characters, real feelings start to develop.

As public scrutiny intensifies and old wounds resurface, the two must fight for their relationship and their love.

Content warning

This book contains scenes that mention sexual assault, suicidal ideation, and child abuse.

Free sample

Get an early look from the first pages of Stars in Your Eyes.

Stars in Your Eyes

MATTIE

I’m led down halls with fresh white paint and tiled floors that smell like bleach. I’m wheezing and sweating, trying to take a deep breath and cool down before I enter the room, desert heat still sticking to my skin. I’m very late. I know I’ll get some points knocked off on first impressions for that alone, and I don’t think anyone will take an “I’m sorry, I’m not used to LA traffic” as an excuse anymore. It might’ve worked for my first role, but I’ve been in and out of the city going on a year now.

Samantha, the assistant who leads me down the halls, seems as nervous as me, and that’s saying something. “Are you sure you don’t want a water? Coffee?” she asks for the third time.

“I’m okay,” I say, still breathless. I catch her looking at me, gaze flitting away quickly, and I realize—oh, yeah, I’m supposed to be famous. I’m still not used to it. Love Me Dearly was released about six months ago, and after the promo tour ended, I wasn’t prepared for this kind of everyday attention. I feel self-conscious and try not to pull at my shirt, a nervous habit my manager, Paola, said I should work on.

Samantha opens the door for me at the end of the hall. I thank her as I hurry inside, trying not to flat-out run but also not wanting to stroll like I’ve got all the time in the world. The room has one huge conference table with a dozen or so people seated around it in a circle, and there’s a smaller table pushed up against the farthest wall with coffee and fruit. As soon as I step inside, everyone’s heads turn to me. My heart thuds. You’d think an actor would be all right with so many eyes on him, but my big secret is that I still have stage fright.

Create a free account!

Sign up to see book details, our quick takes, and more.

By pressing "Sign up", you agree to Book of the Month’s Terms of use and Privacy policy.

Why I love it

Stars in Your Eyes might sound like a romance you’ve seen before: fake dating between Hollywood co-stars, with drama unfolding between the innocent golden boy and the troubled bad boy. But this is Kacen Callender, whose anything-but-typical talents stretch across age categories and genres, and who here enters the adult romance sphere with a stunner of a novel. This is not a fluffy romance, but a love story that covers challenging issues born of deep trauma and soul-healing compassion—both for our partners and for ourselves—that will dig its claws into your bones.

Everything about this novel fascinated me, from the way Callender crafts the on-set scenes, to the compelling interstitials included throughout. Mattie and Logan are both Black and queer, and their stories include examinations of colorism, biphobia, and shame. The masterfully approachable prose pulls you effortlessly into their world. I consumed this book in twenty-four hours, my fingers itching to return each time I had to leave it.

Stars in Your Eyes is a reflection on the price of fame, both in the abusive power structures of Hollywood and in how we treat each other in our always-online lives. But what lingers most for me are the questions Callender raises about romance as a whole, and what a happily-ever-after truly means. From start to finish, nothing about Mattie and Logan’s relationship is conventional—and ultimately, that’s what makes their love so special.

Member ratings (1,040)

LGBTQ+ themes
I Might Be in Trouble
Most Wonderful
The Teller of Small Fortunes
The Crimson Crown
Blue Sisters
The Pairing
A Thousand Times Before
The Lost Story
Spitting Gold
The Lady Waiting
Five Broken Blades
The Husbands
Gwen & Art Are Not in Love
Alice Sadie Celine
The Future
Let Us Descend
Stars in Your Eyes
You, Again
Ink Blood Sister Scribe
The Light Pirate
Kiss Her Once for Me
Foul Lady Fortune
Thistlefoot
Woman of Light
Siren Queen
Marrying the Ketchups
Yerba Buena
The Verifiers
Love & Other Disasters
Razorblade Tears
One Last Stop
Skye Falling
Honey Girl
The Prophets
Memorial
The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
The Death of Vivek Oji
The Boy in the Red Dress
A Burning
The Vanishing Half
The Knockout Queen
Untamed
The Great Believers
Red, White & Royal Blue
Full Disclosure
Wayward Son
The Stars and the Blackness Between Them
All of Us with Wings
How (Not) to Ask a Boy to Prom
Lot
The Deceivers
A Ladder to the Sky
The Heart’s Invisible Furies
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
The Animators
LGBTQ+ themes
View all
I Might Be in Trouble
Most Wonderful
The Teller of Small Fortunes
The Crimson Crown
Blue Sisters
The Pairing
A Thousand Times Before
The Lost Story
Spitting Gold
The Lady Waiting
Five Broken Blades
The Husbands
Gwen & Art Are Not in Love
Alice Sadie Celine
The Future
Let Us Descend
Stars in Your Eyes
You, Again
Ink Blood Sister Scribe
The Light Pirate
Kiss Her Once for Me
Foul Lady Fortune
Thistlefoot
Woman of Light
Siren Queen
Marrying the Ketchups
Yerba Buena
The Verifiers
Love & Other Disasters
Razorblade Tears
One Last Stop
Skye Falling
Honey Girl
The Prophets
Memorial
The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
The Death of Vivek Oji
The Boy in the Red Dress
A Burning
The Vanishing Half
The Knockout Queen
Untamed
The Great Believers
Red, White & Royal Blue
Full Disclosure
Wayward Son
The Stars and the Blackness Between Them
All of Us with Wings
How (Not) to Ask a Boy to Prom
Lot
The Deceivers
A Ladder to the Sky
The Heart’s Invisible Furies
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
The Animators