From Publishers Weekly
The best thing about Collins's latest fictional foray (after Lady Boss ) is that despite its length, it doesn't take long to read: there's precious little in it. Two-dimensional characters, hilariously improbable situations, wooden dialogue and an impossible number of amazing coincidences all ensure that it will win stardom of its own. The story follows three young people from a small Midwestern town who overcome obstacles too numerous to mention on their way to superstardom in three different professions. Nick Angelo, abused son of a shiftless, alcoholic father, becomes Hollywood's most famous male actor. His black half-sister Cyndra finds fame as an international rock star after suffering through rape, incest, an abortion, a disastrous marriage and a murder charge. Poor little rich girl Lauren Roberts, who horrifies her socially ambitious parents by falling in love with the town pariah (Nick, of course), eventually becomes the world's most sought-after model--and she cooks, too. Collins has an effective way of dealing with characters who present obstacles to the minimal plot development; she simply kills them off in a highly dramatic fashion. Any mental effort by the reader is unnecessary and to be discouraged, as it would only prompt irritation with this lamentable effort, which will undoubtedly climb the bestseller lists nonetheless. Major ad/promo; 750,000 first printing; Literary Guild main selection; author tour. Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews
Collins (Lady Boss, etc.) returns to Hollywood (and New York and Kansas) in this perfunctory 20-year romantic saga between a small-town princess and a poor, rakish Italian-American stud- -nothing new from this author, but then who among her readers cares? Nick Angelo (think black hair, blue eyes, tight pants, dimpled chin) may have grown up on the wrong side of the tracks, but he's always been lucky when it comes to females--as demure Lauren Roberts discovers when Nick moves to Bosewell, Kansas, in the wake of his mother's death. Entering high school with plans to keep his head down and land the first girl willing to keep him warm, Nick is instead inexplicably smitten by prim, comely Lauren--who's unhappily engaged to the richest boy in town. A hot romance soon flares up, causing Lauren's outraged parents to lock her in her room and her would-be in-laws to see that Nick is expelled from school. Vowing to get rich quick and come back for Lauren, Nick takes off for Chicago, but a Kansas tornado, an unwanted pregnancy, and hard times in Chicago separate the couple until each is convinced that the other has given up on the affair. A decade later the two meet again in New York just as Nick Angelo (now Nick Angel, a film actor) is on the brink of success and Lauren, a New York businesswoman, is about to become an extremely well-paid model. This time Lauren's engagement to a wealthy older man and Nick's entanglement in a blackmail scheme stand in the star-crossed lovers' way, and it is many more years, romantic traumas, multimillion-dollar business deals, Beverly Hills parties, and Manhattan penthouse dinners before busy, thirtysomething Nick and Lauren find the time to fall into each other's arms once and for all. Standard fare told in plodding, unimaginative fashion--with the requisite sex scenes, career fantasies, and designer outfits all in place. (Literary Guild Dual Selection for June) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Book Description

Jackie Collins' American Star is a love story for the nineties. At its heart are two extraordinary lovers, separated by tragic circumstances, yearning for each other, yet seemingly never able to be together again.

Nick and Lauren can never forget each other. Teenage small-town lovers -- he from the wrong side of the tracks, she the prettiest girl in town -- their love was the town scandal, forbidden, sizzling and unforgettable, ending abruptly in a tragedy that sent them into separate orbits.

Nick pursues his dream of acting, and after a series of wild adventures begins the slow rise that will make him one of Hollywood's biggest stars.

Lauren goes to New York and enters the modeling world, surprising everyone with a career that takes off in a direction she never expected.

American Star follows them both on their trips to fame, as Nick and Lauren, haunted by the secret they share, try to live without each other -- only to find they can't.

American Star is a compelling story of love, sex and murder, set against the glamorous backgrounds of New York and Hollywood, as only Jackie Collins can tell it.

About the Author
There have been many imitators, but only Jackie Collins can tell you what really goes on in the fastest lane of all -- from Beverly Hills bedrooms to the raunchy streets of Hollywood.

With 200 million copies of her books sold in more than 40 countries, Jackie Collins is one of the world's top-selling writers. In a series of controversial bestsellers, she has blown the lid off Hollywood life and loves. "I write about real people in disguise," she says. "If anything, my characters are toned down -- the truth is much more bizarre." Jackie's sixteen bestselling novels have never been out of print, and all have been New York Times bestsellers. Now comes Thrill!, a high suspense story of sex, lust, relationships, fame, violence and terror. Her heroine is a beautiful movie star -- classy and untouchable, who hooks up with a handsome stud -- irresistible to women. Then there's her ex-husband. His ex-lovers. A fifteen year old wild child. An obsessed fan. And all the secrets in the world... Jackie Collins started writing as a teenager, making up steamy stories her schoolmates paid to devour. Her first book, The World Is Full of Married Men became a sensational bestseller because Of its open sexuality and the way it dealt honestly with the double standard. After that came The Stud, Sinners, The Love Killers, The World Is Full of Divorced Women, The Bitch, Lovers and Gamblers, Chances, and then the international sensation, Hollywood Wives -- a number one New York Times bestseller, which was made into one of ABC's highest rated miniseries starring Anthony Hopkins and Candice Bergen. The Stud, The World Is Full of Married Men, and The Bitch were also filmed -- this time for the big screen. And Jackie wrote an original movie, Yesterday's Hero, starring Ian McShane and Suzanne Somers. Readers couldn't wait to race through Lucky, her next book -- a sequel to Chances -- and the story of an incredibly beautiful, strong woman, another New York Times number one. Then came the bad boys of Hollywood in the steamy Hollywood Husbands -- a novel which kept everyone guessing the identities of the true-to-life Hollywood characters. Jackie then wrote Rock Star -- the story of three rock superstars and their rise to the top, followed by the long-awaited sequel to Chances and Lucky -- Lady BOSS -- tracking the further adventures of the wild and powerful Lucky Santangelo as she takes control of a Hollywood studio. Both Lucky and Chances were written and adapted for television by Jackie, who also executive produced the highly successful six-hour miniseries Lucky/Chances, starring Nicollette Sheridan, Sandra Bullock and Grant Show. In 1992 she produced and wrote the four-hour miniseries, Lady Boss, which became another huge ratings success for

ANNOTATION

The author of 14 international #1 bestsellers does it again with this compelling tale of love, sex and murder set against the backgrounds of Hollywood and New York. At its heart are two unforgettable lovers: a brooding superstar of the silver screen and the model of the decade.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Jackie Collins' American Star is the love story of the nineties. At its heart are two extraordinary lovers, separated by tragic circumstances, yearning for each other, yet seemingly never able to be together again. Nick Angel is a cult superstar - a brooding, talented, mesmerizing figure, handsome without being perfect - whose talent and looks - long black hair, hypnotic green eyes, a stubbly chin - have made him the idol of his generation. Nick can have any woman he wants...except the one he loves. Lauren Roberts is a beautiful and special top model - tall, slender, with thick chestnut hair falling below her shoulders. Lauren's features have made her an international symbol of beauty and her life is the envy of every woman. But for all her fame and wealth, she still yearns for the one man she has ever really loved. For Nick and Lauren can never forget each other. Teenage small-town lovers - he from the wrong side of the tracks, she the prettiest girl in town - their love was the town scandal, forbidden, sizzling and unforgettable, ending abruptly in a tragedy that sent them into separate orbits. Nick pursues his dream of acting, and after a series of wild adventures begins the slow rise that will make him one of Hollywood's biggest stars. Lauren goes to New York and enters the modeling world, surprising everyone with a career that takes off in a direction she never expected. American Star follows them both on their trips to fame, as Nick and Lauren, haunted by the secret they share, try to live without each other - only to find they can't. Full of the kind of characters that have made Ms. Collins' books international best-sellers with over one hundred seventy million copies in print in thirty languages, American Star is a compelling story of love, sex and murder, set against the glamorous backgrounds of New York and Hollywood, as only Jackie Collins can tell it. American Star is Jackie Collins' biggest, hottest book ever.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

The best thing about Collins's latest fictional foray (after Lady Boss ) is that despite its length, it doesn't take long to read: there's precious little in it. Two-dimensional characters, hilariously improbable situations, wooden dialogue and an impossible number of amazing coincidences all ensure that it will win stardom of its own. The story follows three young people from a small Midwestern town who overcome obstacles too numerous to mention on their way to superstardom in three different professions. Nick Angelo, abused son of a shiftless, alcoholic father, becomes Hollywood's most famous male actor. His black half-sister Cyndra finds fame as an international rock star after suffering through rape, incest, an abortion, a disastrous marriage and a murder charge. Poor little rich girl Lauren Roberts, who horrifies her socially ambitious parents by falling in love with the town pariah (Nick, of course), eventually becomes the world's most sought-after model--and she cooks, too. Collins has an effective way of dealing with characters who present obstacles to the minimal plot development; she simply kills them off in a highly dramatic fashion. Any mental effort by the reader is unnecessary and to be discouraged, as it would only prompt irritation with this lamentable effort, which will undoubtedly climb the bestseller lists nonetheless. Major ad/promo; 750,000 first printing; Literary Guild main selection; author tour. ( Apr. )

Kirkus Reviews

Collins (Lady Boss, etc.) returns to Hollywood (and New York and Kansas) in this perfunctory 20-year romantic saga between a small-town princess and a poor, rakish Italian-American stud—nothing new from this author, but then who among her readers cares? Nick Angelo (think black hair, blue eyes, tight pants, dimpled chin) may have grown up on the wrong side of the tracks, but he's always been lucky when it comes to females—as demure Lauren Roberts discovers when Nick moves to Bosewell, Kansas, in the wake of his mother's death. Entering high school with plans to keep his head down and land the first girl willing to keep him warm, Nick is instead inexplicably smitten by prim, comely Lauren—who's unhappily engaged to the richest boy in town. A hot romance soon flares up, causing Lauren's outraged parents to lock her in her room and her would-be in-laws to see that Nick is expelled from school. Vowing to get rich quick and come back for Lauren, Nick takes off for Chicago, but a Kansas tornado, an unwanted pregnancy, and hard times in Chicago separate the couple until each is convinced that the other has given up on the affair. A decade later the two meet again in New York just as Nick Angelo (now Nick Angel, a film actor) is on the brink of success and Lauren, a New York businesswoman, is about to become an extremely well-paid model. This time Lauren's engagement to a wealthy older man and Nick's entanglement in a blackmail scheme stand in the star-crossed lovers' way, and it is many more years, romantic traumas, multimillion-dollar business deals, Beverly Hills parties, and Manhattan penthouse dinners before busy, thirtysomething Nick and Lauren find the time to fall intoeach other's arms once and for all. Standard fare told in plodding, unimaginative fashion—with the requisite sex scenes, career fantasies, and designer outfits all in place. (Literary Guild Dual Selection for June)