Showman | Saucy Southern Readers

Showmance by L.H Cosway is LIVE!!! #DamonAndRose

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Damon Atwood was Hollywood’s golden boy. Having won an Oscar at the tender age of thirteen, he had the life many could only dream about. But his success came at a price, and after a short but fruitful film career, he chose to live a life of obscurity on a remote Scottish island. Almost a decade later he’s finally ready to make his return, starting with a lead role in a musical on London’s West End.

As a choreographer’s assistant, Rose Taylor has always faded into the background. She watches shows come to life from the side lines, but has never craved the attention of stardom. When rumours begin circulating of Damon’s involvement in her latest gig, she doesn’t predict how she will be thrust into the limelight, nor how the mysterious and strangely introverted man will need her to teach him how to be a star again.

Rose knows that show crushes don’t last. Actors fall for each other during the intensity of a production, often losing themselves in their roles. These kinds of affairs burn bright and then they fade. The question is, should Rose let herself shine with Damon, or guard her heart from being broken after the final curtain call?

“Well now, who’s this?” Julian asked as he slid up off the couch, where he’d been lazily scrolling through his tablet.

I chanced a quick, reassuring peek at Damon before answering my friend. “This is Damon. He’s in the cast.”

Julian groaned as he approached, his chestnut hair sitting messily atop his head. “Oh please, Rose, not another actor.”

I glared at him, trying to channel as much ‘shut the hell up’ into my eyes as possible. My flatmate didn’t really have a censor. A moment of quiet ensued while Julian circled Damon, taking his measure. “You don’t look like an actor.”

The edges of Damon’s mouth twitched for the briefest second. “Thanks.”

“He’s got a sense of humour, too. He’ll go far,” Julian grinned in my direction then sauntered into the kitchen. “I’m starving. Are you cooking dinner?”

“Aren’t I always,” I sighed and then asked Damon if I could take his coat. He shrugged out of it, his eyes not leaving me all the while, and then I went to hang it on the rack by the door. On my return he bent to ask curiously, “Another actor?”

I took a moment to absorb the sensation of his breath hitting my skin. It was…not unpleasant. Julian, who I swear had the hearing of a bat, didn’t miss a beat as he let out an amused chuckle. “Rose has a weakness for those in your profession.”

Damon looked at me in question. I strode over to the breakfast bar, again glaring at my friend. “Yes, well, I’ve sworn off all thespians after the last disaster, so Damon here is safe.”

“What disaster?”

For someone who claimed not to be a big talker, he sure had a lot of questions.

“Ever heard of Blake Winters?” Julian chirped, plucking an apple from the fruit bowl and taking a big bite.

Damon shook his head. Julian scrunched his brows.

“Have you been living under a rock?”

“No, I’ve been living on an island,” said Damon.

Julian cocked his head to the side, as though trying to figure out if he was being sarcastic. “Well, he’s an actor, like you, and he sleeps around. Rose had the great misfortune to have her head turned by the young Mr Winters. He seduced her and then left her in the lurch, the swine,” Julian pouted his lips, effecting a disapproving expression.

“Sounds like an arse,” Damon put in and both Julian and I began laughing.

“I like this one,” said Julian.

I grinned as I thought, yeah, me too, and found myself suddenly blushing.

Robin’s Review

One thing I know I can always count on with author L. H. Cosway: a colorful story with phenomenal characters. Her writing is artistic. Creative. She writes with flair. Once again, Cosway has impressed me with these elements of her writing in her newest novel titled Showmance – a contemporary romance pairing a choreographer’s assistant named Rose Taylor with Damon Atwood, the male lead of a musical production of Moulin Rouge. Showmance is told from alternating first person points of view of both of these characters, as their friendship slowly builds into a sweet and passionate love story.

Like many of this author’s female characters, Rose Taylor is quirky, clever and kind. She lives in London, works as a choreographer’s assistant, teaching dance routines for plays and shows on London’s West End. Rose has always been eager to fall in love – and has a bad tendency to fall for actors. Blake Winters is her most recent love interest, someone she thought she could really trust, but Blake traded her in for someone else after they had sex. He broke her heart, and because of Blake, Rose has sworn off all actors, even opting to take a break from relationships altogether.

Damon Atwood was a childhood actor who has now been absent from Hollywood radar for years. It’s been nearly a decade since Damon disappeared to the Scottish Isle of Skye, but now he’s ready make his return to acting on London’s famed West End. He shows up on the set of Moulin Rouge, where he wows everyone with his singing ability and is cast as the male lead. Right away, Rose can tell Damon is different. Although extremely handsome, Damon is shy, socially awkward, and in desperate need of a friend.

Cosway spices things up with characters Alicia Davidson and Blake Winters. Alicia is the gorgeous, red-headed actress from Los Angeles who is cast to play the role opposite of Damon’s character, and from the beginning, Alicia has her eyes set on Damon. Then, Blake Winters becomes a late addition to the cast, and he feels that he and Rose have unfinished business. The addition of these two characters adds just the right amount of tension to Showmance.

Cosway’s writing is indicative of her experience as an author. It’s excellent in Showmance, flowing nicely from one sentence to the next. She excels in the area of descriptive writing – she has the ability to describe or portray a scene that helps a reader feel he or she is a participant in the story. Just like so many other novels written by this author, there is an undeniable artsy feel to Showmance. Cosway writes with knowledge about dance, music and theater. And finally, one of the things I love to see when I read fiction is character development, and we get plenty of this in Showmance. Damon and Rose – even our secondary characters – show plenty of growth as individuals in this story.

Overall, I feel Showmance earns a 4.5 star rating. Although it’s not my favorite of her many novels, Showmance is entertaining, passionate and enjoyable. L. H. Cosway piqued my interest in Rose’s roommate Julian, and I’m already looking forward to reading his story, hopefully in the near future!

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L.H. Cosway has a BA in English Literature and Greek and Roman Civilisation, and an MA in Postcolonial Literature. She lives in Dublin city. Her inspiration to write comes from music. Her favourite things in life include writing stories, vintage clothing, dark cabaret music, food, musical comedy, and of course, books.

She thinks that imperfect people are the most interesting kind. They tell the best stories.

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