Kara Isaac's "All Made Up"

Katriona McLeod loves her job as a professional makeup artist, but she has never been able to move past a broken heart. When the c-class reality show she is working has a number of contestants bow out because of illness, she and several other backstage employees get pulled in to fill in the numbers, with the expectation they will be voted off that night. But when it turns out the bachelor is Caleb Murphy, the man who broke her heart, and that he is desperate for an ally, she can't find it in her to say no. But Kat knows that even with what appears to be a second chance at love, there's a good chance her heart will be broken all over again.

If Kat McLeod hadn't been so intriguing during her appearances in the past three books by the author, I'm not sure I'd have read this book; reality shows, particularly dating shows, are really not my thing. At all. But it was Kat . . . And when it comes down to it, mega churches aren't in my realm of interest, yet Kara Isaac wrote a pretty spectacular book about one. And I have no desire to read about rowing or tabloid-related anything, yet Kara Isaac wrote a beautiful story involving both subjects. But I do like Lord of the Rings, so that's one out of four . . . So her track record is pretty incredible. It's a mark of a good author if she can take subjects of no interest--or even outright distaste--and create stories that are so intriguing, so emotionally investing, that I can't wait to finish them anyway. The characters, the romance, the emotional pull--everything is so well written.

I was pretty sure I knew what was wrong with Kat (besides her family issues), but I still cried to hear it spelled out. I don't want to go into spoilers, but it's a hard thing for a woman to live with. Very hard. And to think of the lost opportunities . . . No wonder she's a bit of a mess. But then, so are most of us, each in our own way.

Fun cameos from the other books, both an amusing and scary look inside reality TV, and real depth of character make for another great book!

Related novels:
Close to You
Can't Help Falling
Then There Was You