METHOD
<— A totally unique look into a Hollywood romance story, with the delightfully-dreaded “in love with an actor” angst, fears, and drama that comes with being the “normal” wife of a movie star. Oh yes. There’s plenty there, but… it just goes a little further than that. A little deeper.
Plus, it’s from one of my absolute favorite authors (that tends to fully explore downward spirals and human mistakes and consequences of actions – comfort levels be damned – she tends to goes there!!), and with all of the love for it, I went in with GUSTO rubbing my hands together with glee!!
Maryse: I’m reading an ARC of “Method” by Kate Stewart and supposedly the angst in this one rivals Drive!!!! 😀 !!!!! You know I love this author and her brand of tumultuous passionate love and heartache!! YAY ME!! …Famous Hollywood actor and the normal girl…
Grey: Maryse, you’re going to LOVE it. Text me if you need to, lol! ❤️
Rebecca R: Just got it!!
Nadia: I’m so excited. Kate Stewart is one of my favorites❤️
Katie: Started last night…it’s amazing!!
Rebecca D: Thank you for posting! I didn’t know this was released and I just grabbed it and won’t be doing anything else for the rest of the day. <3 😂
Joy: Omg, omg, omg! I just one-clicked that baby!!!
Maryse: This is gonna be a MASSIVE buddy read!!! 😀
Lisa M: I finished Method omg I freaking loved it. I couldn’t put it down. Did you finish it Maryse? So much angst now I’ve decided to read Drive.
April: This was amazing!! Like no sleep or food amazing!
Linda: Method gets all the stars!! LOVED IT TO PIECES!!! 🌹🌹🌹
Michele G: Just finished Method …I was blown away by it! It was amazing! ❤️ it’s intense and phenomenal!!!
Jean: So guys, I’m halfway through Method by Kate Stewart and I just KNOW it’s gonna hurt!! I knew at the 10% mark that I was going to have a lot of feelings throughout this book, including those stomach pains that I hate to love…..haha! I know some of you have read it already….what did you think? I’m really nervous about how this is going to end, and I’m praying the one thing that I can never get past in a book doesn’t happen……
Oooooh YES Jean!! I was feeling that too. 😉
And… it mostly ticked all of my “book-mood” boxes:
- Hot famous actor in his prime? YES PLEASE!!
- “Normal-girl-turned-wife” that he loves with all of his heart (though they are scrutinized relentlessly by the public?) YES PLEASE!!
- Marital strife because of something… potentially BIG that happens (GASP!!)? YES PLEASE!!
- Feeling all of the edginess and worry and maybe even infuriation and all… OH NO HE DIDN’T?!?! YES PLEASE!
- Trying to figure it all out and squeezing my heart until the end? YES PLEASE!!
So what’s it about?
It’s a back and forth look at the initial “meet cute” (and now, current marriage) of an up-and-coming Hollywood star, and our heroine (a sommelier), that caught him grimacing over the wine. 😉 I love that! The getting to know each other, the drama of falling so hard for someone so “otherworldly”… someone you already had a HUGE fantasy crush on. *sigh*
Though she soon learns that as perfect as he seems, he comes with his own set of insecurities and idiosyncrasies. He is 100% human (with all that goes with it). The wonderfulness. The love… the romance. But also the unexpected. The fantasy could very well go right out the window (and for various reasons that I’ll let you explore). Part of it though, as you can tell by the title, is when he’s in performance mode. And that mode might come with him offscreen too. Yep. He’s a Method actor, and he fully absorbs himself into the characters he’s playing. He goes out on some serious limbs. But what happens when one of those limbs he’s out on, won’t support him anymore? When will it break?
I’ll let you explore the rest from here. Sounds good doesn’t it? 😉
And it was good! But it seems, some of us loved it like crazy, and some of us struggled to connect <— *sigh* I was one of those.
Alas, it was not my favorite of hers (and I was so sure it would have put me in a frenzy). But I think I know why. The constant past and present, back and forth (and I mean CONSTANT), via the two main character’s POVs made it that I could never fully sink in, and feel the full impact of what she was living with… now.
Despite the signature “Kate Stewart” awesome writing that I love, there was just something about the flow of this one that kept throwing me out.
Maryse: …I think just going back and forth so frequently is not letting me sink into the story and feel life as she’s feeling it, good and long, ya know? Like total bliss and excitement and nerves … and me swooning with her and then BAM! Nope. That’s not happening at all. I KNOW there will be a part that will traumatize me and I’ll be excited then…
Amy: I finished Method, and I liked it but it’s definitely not my favorite of hers…Room 212 and Drive still hold that title. The writing was wonderful as always, and I liked the H and h right away. So for me it was good, not great, but yes I would recommend it!
Pia: …since everyone goes crazy about it I feel like I should continue. How far into the book do I need to go before something happens?
Amy: I get it, Pia. I love her books and her writing style, but this one didn’t grab me like her other books did.
As for when something happens, it’s kind of hard for me to say. To me, there wasn’t any real climax to the story or any point where I felt the angst KS usually delivers, just more of a revelation moment if that makes any sense. But I’m glad I read it, and I can see how others loved it. 😉
Susan: I finished it a few days ago and I felt the same way. I pretty much love all of her books so I was a little disappointed with this one. It’s still good just not fantastic.
Jody: I couldn’t connect. Basically finished it just to know the why. 😐
Pia: I’m so glad that I’m not the only one who is struggling with Method. I’m around **% at the moment. It gets better but still not fantastic.
Nay: …made it to **% and I’m enjoying it more than I was at first. I want to finish it…
For those wanting to go in blind, skip the next part while I analyze a few things (not actual spoilers per se) but… just my feelings, my realizations of the story as a whole and why.
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My mind was already conjuring all sorts of scenarios. She sort of goes there but with all of the angst and nervousness I was feeling by certain actions and demeanors, I wasn’t as shocked as I was expecting to be. I feel it was a safer read, in that regard. The big reveal was less dramatic (although I suppose if you’re the characters experiencing the drama, it’s a full-on storm. I mean, seriously. There’s only so much a person can take – fictional character or not).
This one was less about romance insecurities due to jealousy, celebrity rumors and drama, and more… an exploration of depression (and the insecurities that stem from THAT). No matter who you are, how happy you are, depression can strike for whatever reason and take you on a downward spiral that seems impossible to overcome and quite possibly losing everything you worked for, lived for and loved for.
3.75 stars <— I’m vacillating between 3.5 and 4 stars. 3.5 stars because I wasn’t able to fully immerse (and lose) myself in this love story… and 4 stars for the uniqueness of where it came from… and where it went.
Despite the back and forth, the confusion, the heartache and the depression and the loss of all that was perfect… growth and realizations, bring this read full circle. And that epilogue!!!! <3 😉
Rochelle: Just finished Method. I was thinking there are three time periods to follow. A bit confusing however I loved the plot and how It all pulled together at the end. The speech brought tears to my eyes. I think well worth the read.
Jen C: Loved Method!
Maryse–your final rating and vacillating between 3.5 and 4 is me exactly, and for the exact same reason, which is why I ended up giving it 4 stars, but I even told someone it was more like 3.75. Your review is spot on!
*phew*
Thank you Nay!!! 😀
I completely agree! I was dying to see what Maryse thought because I felt like I was maybe having an “off” moment that I wasn’t blown away by the whole thing. I really thought it was going to go much deeper or something more crazy. I wanted to love LOVE it but instead I only liked it.
Hey Maryse
I just couldn’t finish it got to about 40% and thought no it’s not working for me!!
It does get better, as Nay said, but I get you. Reading is for pleasure and our time is limited. I’ve found myself moving on well before 40% on many books if it’s not hooking me in.
*hug*
And I’m still reading Method. Can’t think of another book which took more than a week to read.
Yep, you summed it up well. A 3.5 rating is what I was thinking for me…not the disappointing 3 star and not the “really, really good” 4 star.
But hey, it’s Kate Stewart so you KNOW it’s only a matter of time before she blows us away with another 5-star read!!
Exactly!! 😀
Hi Marsye! I totally agree with your review. I was ready to bawl my eyes during the grand reveal. But the epilogue made up for that instead haha!