'The Redhead Revealed' by Alice CLAYTON

From the BLURB:

As their careers catch fire, Grace and Jack -- everyone’s favorite foul-mouthed, funny, and feisty couple -- find themselves on opposite coasts. Grace has landed in New York City, where she loves being onstage again, particularly because she’s playing a fabulous character in a musical written by her old college flame, Michael. Their rekindled friendship makes exploring the city that much more fun.

Wait, it’s just friendship, right?

Meanwhile, in L.A., Jack can scarcely keep up with the swirling throngs of women who track him everywhere he goes, the endless press appearances, and the ridiculous rules his manager, Holly, keeps concocting for him -- all part of the buildup to the release of Time, his steamy new film.

Thank goodness for phone sex.

But even when their schedules allow them to connect, Grace and Jack must keep their relationship off the radar and away from paparazzi cameras. Sure, the sex is sensational, but can this duo survive swirling rumors, the demands of their chosen professions, Grace’s raging internal battles, and a whopping nine-year age difference?

‘The Redhead Revealed’ picks up where ‘The Unidentified Redhead’ left off. Grace Sheridan and her hot-potato boyfriend, Jack Hamilton, are venturing into a long-distance relationship as Grace is called to New York to star in an off-Broadway musical. Meanwhile, Jack’s star is looking to shoot far as he starts the press tour for his blockbuster film, ‘Time’. But the love that came so naturally in the past is struggling under the strain of distance, Hollywood pandemonium and Grace’s insecurities.

Between vicious fangirls, a blast from Grace’s past and a nine-year age-gap. . . can the Gracie and George show survive in the limelight?

Maybe I didn’t say it enough in my review of ‘The Unidentified Redhead’. . . so let me just reiterate and make myself crystal clear. I freakin love this series! I want to lick Jack Hamilton (damn his fictionalization!) be besties with Grace and meet Alice Clayton for martinis and wisecracking. Seriously. These books are going on my 2010 favourite’s list as well as my favourite’s-ever list!

‘The Unidentified Redhead’ was a lot of smutty/funny goodness. Jack and Grace were crazy cute, and it was wonderful to read their blossoming relationship. But reading ‘Revealed’, it becomes clear that the smooth-sailing of the first-book was the calm before the storm.
‘The Redhead Revealed’ is still funny and brilliant, but also somewhat darker and meatier (heh, that’s what she said).

This book really puts Grace’s various hang-ups and neuroses under the microscope. We got a taste of her worries in ‘Unidentified’, but not to the extent of this book. . . And really, Grace’s concerns are quite justified. Her reactions aren’t always appropriate (two-martini maximum goes out the door) but Clayton actually takes a lot of time to ponder celebrity relationships and romance under the spotlight. When Jack’s career starts to take off, Grace has to be relegated to the sidelines so as not to anger his new female fans. And when Jack and a young actress are snapped together and plastered all over TMZ and E! Grace’s fall-out is heartbreaking and understandable.

“I've never in my life seen someone deliberately run in the opposite direction of happiness more than you do,” he said, staring daggers into my eyes.

But for all of the outlandish celebrity relationship problems, Clayton keeps things relatable as well. Clayton explores the up’s and down’s of a long distance relationship (with as much fervour and wit as Barrymore in ‘Going the Distance’), she also explores Grace’s body hang-ups and her ticking biological clock in relation to Jack’s young age. It might seem like Grace and Jack tackle a lot of relationship issues in one book. . . but really it’s all heightened by their long-distance hurdles. What would normally be a minor blow-up is left to congeal and fester when they’re separated by distance and only communicating by phone and txt.

But don’t worry – for all the serious that Clayton explores, she still offers up equal-parts smut and Jack sexiness. I really think that the Redhead series is contemporary romance/erotica for the prevalent and smouldering sex scenes. And for the fact that Jack Hamilton is sex on a stick and too adorable for words:

“How the hell did you get so mature at twenty-four? Seriously, man. I’m like a basket case next to you,” I said, breaking the tension a little.
“I’m British. We’re born more mature,” he said with the sexy half smile that always turned me to mush.

I was thrilled – THRILLED, I say! To read at the end of ‘Revealed’ that Ms Clayton has a third ‘Redhead’ book in the works. *Ahem*. . . SQUEEEEEEEEEEE!
‘Revealed’ leaves off on a tantalizingly awesome note, and I am *dying* to know what’s next in store for Grace and Jack. There’s still plenty more to explore for these two, especially when the Hollywood setting and lifestyle offers such interesting twists and turns to their romance. I can’t wait for more Redhead. This series is my new book crack.

5/5

P.S. – I got it into my head that physically, Jack Hamilton looks like Charlie Hunnam. Yowza.