My Name Is Not Isla is the story of one young woman’s journey to regain control of her life.  What began as a God-given talent and a dream, turned in the hectic, taxing life of a pop star that didn’t glitter quite as brightly as she her wide eyes had imagined.  Along with fame and fortune came a world filled with dominance, abuse, prying eyes, obsessive fans, and lies masquerading as the truth.  When the price of fame becomes too high, and her freedom becomes a greater desire than her celebrity life, she escapes the bright lights, the flashbulbs, the pretend relationships, and the hulking security in search of the simple life and freedom that she craves.

Eliza Freed consistently creates characters that I am immediately drawn to.  Isla Monroe may have reached stardom, but she is far from the perfect, idyllic woman that her fans fawn over.  Isla is troubled, flawed, quirky, obsessive (and rightly so), and lost.  I wanted nothing more than for her to succeed and escape her new life and find her true self again.  But what makes her so intriguing is that she is so much stronger than even she believes.  Despite the fact that she has been under the thumbs of controlling people for her entire adult life, she is still so determined, resourceful, and brave.

When all eyes are always on Isla Monroe, it’s difficult to truly escape.  Dalton is the over-qualified, former military specialist who is hired to track the famous singer – much to his chagrin.  Following a spoiled diva on a cross-country trip is the last thing that he wants to do to occupy his time.  The more time that he spends in her presence, the more he learns about her, and he quickly realizes that she might not be the self-important celebrity that he originally thought she was.  With every interaction, his protectiveness grows.  He wants to help Isla, be there for her, get to know the real her.  Of course, Dalton is keeping his own secrets as well.  As they become closer, the lines begin to blur, and what once was merely a job is turning into stronger romantic feelings that he can’t deny.

My Name Is Not Isla is a fast-paced romantic suspense that I could clearly visualize while I was reading.  I had a deep sense of foreboding throughout a large part of the book.  I knew that the author wasn’t going to make Isla’s story easy – I didn’t want her to.  Isla had been through hell and back, it was only fitting that her story played out the same way.  This was her story.  Her life.  I was rooting for her from the very beginning.  It was up to Isla to take her life back.


*4 Stars

See more Mysteries/Suspense

    2 Book Lovers Reviews

Please feel free to comment or share.

See more of Shelley's Contemporary Romance

See more of Shelley's

 I Love Rock & Roll