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    Between You and Me: A Novel
    Between You and Me: A Novel
    Between You and Me: A Novel
    Audiobook9 hours

    Between You and Me: A Novel

    Written by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus

    Narrated by Susan Bennett

    3/5

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    About this audiobook

    The authors of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Nanny Diaries take “an unflinching look at the price of fame” (Booklist) in this story of a young woman trying to escape her ambitious family.

    Growing up in small-town Oklahoma, cousins Logan and Kelsey Wade were raised like sisters. Rarely separated, they became each other’s lifelines, escaping into the small joys of childhood to survive the increasing chaos in their family. Then one day Logan woke up and Kelsey and her parents were gone.

    Years later, Kelsey has been propelled by her relentless parents to mega-stardom, her voice a radio fixture and her face on billboards worldwide. Meanwhile, Logan is trying to carve out her own life in New York City despite the constant reminders of her cousin’s absence. Though she has long since stopped trying to solve the mystery of their last hours together, the inexplicably fractured memories haunt her.

    Then on Logan’s twenty-seventh birthday, she gets the call that she’s been longing for—and dreading. Before she can second-guess herself, she’s on a plane to L.A. to reunite with Kelsey and the parents who ripped them apart, but Logan will soon learn that some family secrets are kept hidden for a reason.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster Audio
    Release dateJun 12, 2012
    ISBN9781442350281
    Author

    Emma McLaughlin

    Emma Mclaughlin and Nicola Kraus work together in New York City and are the authors of the new novel Between You and Me. They are also the authors of The Nanny Diaries, which was made into a major motion picture, the New York Times bestsellers Citizen Girl, Dedication, and Nanny Returns, and their first YA novel, The Real Real.

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    Reviews for Between You and Me

    3/5

    59 ratings16 reviews

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    • 3/5
      I quite enjoyed this novel. This isn't my typical type of book, but like I said, I was in need of a lighter read. The characters in this novel were bratty, but I liked them (for the most part) anyway. Logan is whiny and Kelsey is spoiled yet kept under her parents thumb. Add the fact that they are all family- Lo included- and then toss in the ridiculousness that is fame, and you've got a fun and engaging read. The authors wrote a fairly convincing story, especially all the aspects of fame and overbearing parents. Kelsey is completely controlled by her parents. McLaughlin & Kraus did a great job drawing out that codependent relationship and really showing the underbelly of dysfunctional (famous) family dynamics. They also played up the mysterious scar that Logan has on her head quite effectively. It was woven in throughout the story, and as we read on we uncover the darkness that lies within the Wade home. This novel is both easy to read (and something I could categorize as 'fluff') and has some deep undercurrents. It shows the nitty gritty of life as an assistant; as well as a peek into the life of the rich and famous. Between You & Me also highlights the "typical" cornerstones of young, rich, and famous: sex, drugs, and partying. On a parting note- I was reminded of Britney Spears and her fall from grace when I was reading this. Maybe it is because I grew up around the Britney Spears, Jessica Simpson, NSync, Backstreet Boys, and 98 Degrees era, but it seemed almost painfully obvious that they were tearing bits and pieces from those late 90s early 00s pop stars lives. Overall, I enjoyed this novel. It was easy and fun to read. It just felt like a summer read. I liked how it was light and airy but at the same time gave me pause. This is definitely a warm weather beach read.
    • 5/5
      I’m not sure if it was the fact that the story was interesting and the characters were just so relatable to my personal life but this story really was great. The letter from mom at the very end really pulled my heart strings and left me crying—good crying. Will be recommending this to friends!
    • 4/5
      As I was reading this book I kept feeling like the story was familiar to me. So either I read it in 2011 when it came out since I only have 15 books on my 2011 list or it is so much like Britney Spears' life. This book is about a famous singer who pretty much crashes and burns. Not because she is a train wreck in doing drugs and stealing like Lindsay Lohan or Amanda Bynes messed up, but more like her parents were so controlling of her life she didn't know how to live a normal life or be a normal person. This story is also about Kelsey's cousin Logan who comes back into her life to help as her assistant and gets sucked into the family drama. These two were like sisters growing up then they were ripped apart until their early 20's. This is a very fast read, a beach read and makes me so glad I'm not a celebrity. It's a guilty pleasure.
    • 2/5
      Between You and Me by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus follows the career of Kelsey Wade through the narration of her cousin, Logan. Logan hasn't had contact with Kelsey for years and suddenly is flown out to be with Kelsey and instantly becomes her assistant. Kelsey is loosely modeled after Britney Spears - the meteoric rise to fame, dysfunctional family, controlling parents, and spectacular meltdown and fall from grace.

      Between you and me, Between You and Me was all over the place and not much was good. The writing is good. McLaughlin and Kraus are good writers technically. The story itself jumped over facts and transitions that would have made the plot more credible. Why, after being estranged from her cousin and her aunt and uncle for years, would Logan, who supposedly has a MBA, drop everything to become her assistant. Why would she tolerate the treatment Michelle and Andy, her aunt and uncle, dished out to her. They are both domineering control freaks.

      The bottom line is that I didn't like or connect with any of the characters and Logan's behavior, in most ways, actively annoyed me. It also reminded me why I need to stay away from chick lit. Setting the lack of morals and inability to set healthy boundaries aside, Logan's promiscuous behavior is dangerous today.

      But I did keep reading to discover what the big secret was that caused the original estrangement between Logan and Kelsey's family. Once I had that answer, truthfully I no longer cared, beyond wondering, which I had been doing long before the big reveal, why Andy was even allowed in her life. And why the media hadn't released that story years before.

      Between You and Me has too many holes in the plot development and too many implausible actions by characters for me to recommend it unless you are a Britney Spears fan and want to look for the similarities between her career and Kelsey's.

      Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of via Netgalley for review purposes.
    • 4/5
      This is one of those books you get through quickly. What looked like typical pseudo-real fiction with lots of brand name dropping turned out to be a fair bit deeper.

      Your mileage will vary on this, of course, and you may not get past the first chapter. I mean, the main character is positively annoying at first. But you slowly get a sense as to why she is that way, and why her world is the way it is. I really loved the ending, and felt like it was a good way to come full circle with everything. I've seen some complaints about the big looming thing in the characters' history being something of a letdown; personally, I think trauma is trauma, and it doesn't have to be particularly flashy to have an impact.

      They could have fleshed things out a bit more in areas, but then, it wouldn't be as smooth of a book to get through. The point is to get through it quickly, I think. No problem in that. Not all books are Literature, after all.

      Basically this is a good summer read with some thinky bits, exactly what I needed at the time.

    • 3/5
      I'm only giving this book 3 stars. The beginning sucked me in, the middle was ok, but the ending was just not there for me.

      I'm sure if you're into celebrity gossip then you might like this story. It's about a young pop star and her cousin working together through a troubled life.
    • 1/5
      Due to copy and paste, formatting has been lost.Honestly, the most that I took away from Between You and Me was the fact that I didn't particularly like it. Sadness doesn't even begin to describe how I felt about the familial relationships in this book - it doesn't even begin to cover it at all. I can't imagine having a family that only wanted you because of what you could do for them, which is what Kelsey has. And to tell you the truth, I feel so so bad for her, and I don't even really know how she feels about it - because her cousin Logan is the main character, and there are no alternating points of view.Logan runs the show, and to be honest I really didn't like Logan. Not to say that she was unfeeling or anything... but girl was a little cold! Not to mention the fact that she had terrible taste in men, only thought about herself, and completely abandoned her immediate family... let's just say that we wouldn't get along.I just didn't like her. On top of being unfeeling and cold, she was also incredibly dense. Like the kind where you just want to be able to hit them over the head with information - that's how I felt about her.To make matters worse, I really couldn't follow along with the story very well. There was a lot of skipping around, coupled with unneeded drama. There's no scene where Logan gets hired to be Kelsey's assistant - first few chapters she's just staying there, and the suddenly she's the assistant. I don't understand how we made the jump, honestly. The "fractured memories" didn't even come up until 3/4 through the book, and it was just for added drama. It didn't add to the story in any way - in my opinion, of course.I feel so much for Kelsey for some reason, but I can also say that I don't particularly care for her personality. She does what she's told, and anything that she does by herself is remarkably immature, because she's been sheltered for most of her life. She behaves like a teenager. Her problems & quasi relationship with Aaron do not bring that up. She still behaves like a teenager. She lets her parents control her without ever fighting for it - and they suck. They push her so hard. So hard. Everything has to be perfect, and if you're sick it doesn't matter sweetie... we've got you covered. This girl is on stage 24/7, and it's obvious that it's starting to wear on her. The more the book progressed, the more I just felt horrible for Kelsey - who is, again, not our main character.The ending was terrible too - nothing was resolved, and that was what I was counting on. Now I still have no idea what happened, and to be honest I don't really care anymore. It just... ended. All in all, I really didn't enjoy Between You and Me. I would recommend giving it a shot if you enjoyed The Nanny Diaries.
    • 4/5
      My Rating - 4 Stars*I received a digital copy of this novel free from Netgalley on behalf of Atria Books*No matter what you may claim, we all love to follow the lives of celebs. We love to see some succeed and others to fail. Sometimes we are such fans we get actually emotional when something happens to one of them (Um, still not over the death of Heath Ledger or Kurt Cobain). Sometimes we revel in their failure or what we assume is failure. We judge them, most of the time probably really unfairly. We don’t actually know what goes on behind closed doors. We only see what their people let through or what the paps accidentally uncover (generally only one side of a story or what they twist into a story).Logan Wade has a famous cousin, Kelsey. As kids they were inseparable but after an accident that Logan can’t quite remember but landed her in the hospital, Kelsey’s family left and she turned into a star.About 15 years later, Kelsey is one of the biggest music stars in the world (Think Britney Spears). Logan lives in NYC with a lazy roommate, a job that sounded better on paper and occasionally has a “boyfriend”. Kelsey’s current assistant, Delia (another cousin) calls Logan out of the blue and invites her to LA. Logan accepts eager to get away from the city after a crappy birthday celebration.Logan is almost immediately thrust into the weirdness of celebrity. Kelsey’s parents, Andy and Michelle are strange. Kelsey has someone watching her 24/7. The house is huge. There’s a personal chief. Logan finds out that she’s really only there to soften to blow of the new that Kelsey’s long-time ex (Think Justin Timberlake) is getting engaged.Kelsey sneaks out of the house to go to a club (even though she’s 24 years old) and takes Logan with her. There, they meet Aaron (Think Kevin Federline) and Finn. Finn is an assistant to a celebrity that’s very Matthew McConaughey (and hilarious) and he’s a pretty good love interest for Logan. He grounds her a bit.Anyway, a fight between Delia and Andy ends up with Delia quitting and Logan becoming Kelsey’s new assistant. She’s immediately thrust into the life of a celeb on a European tour. She has to manage bookings and tour buses and interview schedules and a 200+ staff of dancers and crew and style people.Logan tries really hard but she messes up quite a bit. She does everything possible to make Kelsey safe and happy.Andy is an abusive, extremely condescending control freak and just a huge asshole. He runs Kelsey into the ground pushing her and pushing her. Michelle is clearly desperately trying to recapture her youth through Kelsey and she designs all of Kesley’s costumes (the ones that make her look like a baby doll hooker). Kelsey wants Logan to not think of her as a job and be her friend but also has her doing everything and anything.The story is quite similar to Britney Spears’ rise and very dramatic, very public downfall (minus the head shaving). Kelsey marries the backup singer with no job after a short engagement. Though, I have to say Aaron seems like much less of a creepy douche nozzle than K Fed. She divorces said unemployed singer after a short marriage. She has fake friends, parents that push her to the brink, a record label that pushes her almost as much. She has a baby that she can’t take care of (according to the media). Her life completely falls apart and Logan is expected to correct it all, which puts a huge damper on her relationship with Finn.I devoured this book, seriously. Was part of it my need to see what it’s like in a celeb’s life (even a fake celeb)? Possibly. It brought home the fact that we never really know what’s causing that celeb to act out or turn to drugs or do something incredibly stupid.I wish there could have been more of a wrap up for the characters but I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick entertaining beach read kind of book. I recommend!Read this review and more at Punk's House of Books
    • 4/5
      When Logan visits her superstar cousin Kelsey, she realizes that the girl is quickly falling apart. Taking up a position as her personal assistant, Logan tries to rebuild their childhood friendship. Overwhelmed with stardom, Kelsey makes a series of bad decisions, resulting in the loss of her daughter.I think we are all a little obsessed with celebrities and how they live. This book provided an insight into their "glamorous" world. I enjoyed the characters and the relationship between Logan and Kelsey. The book did seem a bit unfinished, making me think that the author is working on a sequel. Overall, a good read.
    • 4/5
      Between You and Me was not what I expected going in. I went through a huge chick-lit phase right around Bridget Jones Diary time and still have several shelves of my library dedicated to books targeted toward women and marketed as fun, madcap and easy reads. McLaughlin and Kraus' The Nanny Diaries sits firmly on one of those shelves. So, my mistake upon starting Between You and Me was that I thought I was getting into a lighthearted, breezy read with obvious villains and harried yet heroic protagonists.Between You and Me is dark, sad and sometimes depressing. This is not a bad thing, just not what I was expecting. The majority of the characters are completely terrible and only out for themselves. I don't need to read books that only consist of characters whose morals I share. (I would hate the majority of the characters in The Great Gatsby if I were to meet them IRL, but I love that novel.) It is okay to not identify with fictional characters and still enjoy the tale. Sometimes, I think it is important for us to read books like this.So, the scoop is, Logan's cousin, Kelsey, is a mega-pop-star (much like Brittany Spears). After a years-long separation, Kelsey asks Logan to come on board as her personal assistant. Thusly, our heroine, Logan is thrust into the seedy, yet glamorous, world of super-stardom.Kelsey, once a child star, just can't get a break, not from her hectic schedule, or her overbearing parents, the paparazzi, her manager, or ultimately, from herself. Between You and Me is a study in the downward spiral of a girl that can't stop moving. Through the Logan's eyes we see circumstances turn ugly for Kelsey time and time again.Logan is the protagonist of Between You and Me, but this story is all Kelsey's. The two also share a childhood secret, revealed at the end, that makes you feel like they both really never had a chance in the world to have normal relationships with each other or anyone else.Between You and Me does have a nice epilogue that ties the story up on a happier note, but the overbearing feeling I got from this story is sadness. This book was a page-turning read, if not what I expected and one that will stick with me for some time.
    • 4/5
      I was excited to get this from Netgalley. I loved The Nanny Diaries (I own but have not yet read the sequel), though some of the authors' later works weren't as good. I almost met one of the authors (her then-fiancee, now-husband worked in the same office where I had a short-term assignment; I saw them having dinner in our kitchen area and he later told me who she was - and that they liked Wordplay), so there's a bit of a connection. In this book, a Britney Spears-like character (former child star still not very grown up, dysfunctional family, acting out, bad choices - but no lip synching) hires her estranged cousin. The past is slowly revealed as we follow them on tour. These are not likable characters, and I found it hard to root for anyone.
    • 3/5
      Hmmm. I'm still trying to accept the ending of this book. I will say that overall I liked it, in spite of the almost tabloid lifestyle and the confusing character roles. However, it left me feeling mildly depressed and wishing for a healthier and happier end.The main characters are cousins who were estranged after a very close childhood because of a violent event creating a permanent divide between their families. Their relationship is more like sisters, and being separated was painful for them even as young women. One, Kelsey, becomes a famous pop-star. The other, Logan, leads a more normal life attending college and getting a job. They reconnect as young women thanks to the work of Kelsey's assistant, and Logan agrees to take her job when she is fired by Kelsey's dad (Logan's uncle). Logan's dedication to Kelsey's best interest and her genuine love and concern for her keep her constantly struggling to fix the messes that Kelsey and her parents make. I was disappointed in most of the characters at one point or another. Most of them seem incapable of making intelligent or rational choices and certainly don't think beyond their own interests. I didn't expect a Cinderella ending, but I did think that it would be more settled than the authors chose. I'm guessing they may have been trying to give a realist look at the life of a popular young star today. In real life things that should be good sometimes turn messy, and lives sometimes end up out of control and unable to be fixed. That is certainly the case for Kelsey, her husband, Aaron, and baby girl,Jessie. What starts out as a wonderful and loving family is damaged by misunderstanding and manipulation. Kelsey's relationship with her parents is one of codependency, and it is destroying her career and any chance for her happiness. The one character that I was really pulling for is Logan. She tries so hard to be the one who is able to repair the hurt and pain of the past in this family, and even she does not emerge unscathed or completely innocent in her motives. One thing this book did was give me a better understanding of how difficult it would be to be that girl in the spotlight and those close to her.Although it left me off balance, I found much that I did appreciate about this book. The story was interesting, even if it was depressing. It's messiness made it a realist read. I also have to admit that I have some fascination with the lives that the rich live, even as it slightly repels me. Anyone interested in the lifestyle of the rich and famous might really enjoy this title. It is like reality TV in a novel that puts real faces on the media's portrayal of a star's life.My thanks to Atria and NetGalley for the chance to read this book.
    • 3/5
      My thoughts on audio:Between You and Me is read by Susan Bennett. Bennett did a great job reading the multiple characters in this book. She seemed to really have a feel for how the characters should sound. I enjoyed listening.My thoughts on the book:Pick any young celebrity, such as Lindsey Lohan, Britney Spears, or Paris Hilton and insert them as the main character, Kelsey Wade. Listening to this book was like listening to an E! True Hollywood Story. I would say for the most part, the authors were heavily influenced by Britney Spears during her train-wreck years. Logan Wade is the cousin of the famous singer, Kelsey Wade. They've lost touch over the years. However when Logan gets the call to come and visit her cousin, she does. Things happen and she becomes the personal assistant to Kelsey. The events that surround Kelsey are a circle of chaos. There are times that I felt sorry for her, but there were also times I wanted to scream 'you're an idiot'.Logan is shocked at how everyone pretty much caters to Kelsey. In all sense, she is kept like a child; not really being able to do things for her self. Logan has to deal with Kelsey as she makes mistake after mistake, and falling deeper and deeper into trouble. Logan has struggles as well in dealing with a past, she can't quite remember. Her family is torn apart and she doesn't understand why.The characters is this book are good, but sometimes very annoying. At times I wanted to slap them. Practically all of them. However the authors gave a pretty accurate portrayal of some of the celebrities out there today. The plot was like watching the slow downward spiral of a pop-star portrayed on any entertainment show or site. Overall the book is enjoyable, but I wasn't overly impressed with it. The ending was abrupt as well. I had hoped for more resolution.
    • 4/5
      Audiobook Review: I've just recently started getting into listening to audiobooks, now that I have a longer commute to work I have more time to be able to listen to them and this is only the third one i've listened too, but I really enjoyed it. The narrators voice was easy to listen too and easy to follow. If I don't like a narrators voice I sometimes feel it's that much harder to get into a story, but that wasn't the case with this audiobook at all. Between You and Me was really good, and if one things for sure It made me never want to be famous (or in least not in the spotlight). Kelsey is a pop star, her cousin Logan is just an average girl, but devastating events tore them apart when they were younger, and only years later after a surprise phone call to Logan, from Kelsey's assitant Deliah, do they start to reconnect. Circumstances lead to Logan becoming Kelsey's new assistant and is taken on the ride of her life through the ups and downs of fame, fortune, and the perils of paparazzi. This book sparked a lot of different emotions in me. At times I was laughing out loud, other times my jaw was hanging wide open in shock, other times i had tears in me eyes. Emotionally it had its highs and lows, but overall I really enjoyed the story. I liked the characters and although Kelsey wasn't super-relatable as far as her career goes, I felt personality wise she was easy to connect too, she wasn't a whiney, concieted, spoiled brat of a celebrity, but a normal girl wanting to find love and start a family of her own. If you like audiobooks or want to give them a try, I would definitly suggest this one to you guys, it's a fun, sometimes sad, othertimes down-right hilarious adventure of a book.
    • 3/5
      I think all of us at some point or another imagine what it would be like to be famous. We picture the fancy clothes, shiny cars and big houses. What we often forget is the price celebrities pay to be famous - family, friends, love and happiness. The sad thing (and I am guilty of this too) is that we feed right into this system by watching the tabloid news and buying the tabloid magazines. Between You and Me puts us right behind-the-scenes of the high life and is a great reminder of how we should be careful of what we wish for.What I enjoyed about this book was that it really does a great job of describing the behind-the-scenes life of celebrities. You really got a raw inside look inside and it was full of lots of juicy little details. It definitely fulfilled my voyeuristic desires for a peek inside the life of a person in the limelight. At the same time, the story reminded me of the rise and fall of Britney Spears, especially since Kelsey first worked for Kids Incorporated and Britney first started out in The Mickey Mouse Club. No wonder she, Kelsey and others are so susceptible to self-destruction!Overall I enjoyed the book, but I wanted more depth to the characters. At first, I had a hard time keeping up with all the characters because of the names. I couldn't figure out who Kelsey's parents were for almost a whole chapter. I expected Kelsey to be shallow, but was pleasantly surprised by how I ended up feeling sympathetic towards her. The hardest part was that I couldn't get behind Logan. It seems like she just dropped everything to be there for her cousin. She seemed like a strong, independent woman at the beginning of the story and I had a hard time believing that she would just drop everything for a cousin she hasn't talked to in over a decade.If you are looking for a light summer chick-lit read, I think you'll be entertained by Between You and Me. It's a nice reminder of how hard it can be to be a child star enveloped by the glitz and glam of Hollywood and how easy it can be to self-destruct from the pressure of it all. I am happy to say that I'm content with just being a normal girl who's not famous, doesn't have the biggest home or the nicest clothes, but has the love of a adoring husband, sweet little daughter and lots of happiness in between.
    • 2/5
      In Between You and Me, Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus turn their focus from the world of New York nannies to the fast-paced world of Hollywood personal assistants. Logan Wade leaves her boring Wall Street job to work for her cousin, Kelsey. Will Logan maintain her own identity while navigating her new world of paparazzi, helicopter parents and family secrets?Readers who enjoyed McLaughlin’ and Kraus’ first novel, The Nanny Diaries, will be entertained by this one. The book moves quickly through an ever-escalating series of events, giving readers little time to reflect on the plot holes Logan nimbly ignores.Kelsey ascended to celebrity on a music program for teens. Her own pop music career took off shortly after the show ended, with her parents responsible for all decisions and for pushing Kelsey to and beyond her limits. Between You and Me hints at the darker side of having no control over your life and living to support an image, but doesn’t go far enough. If anything, Kelsey’s attempts to take back her life lead to her inevitable downfall.Logan and Kelsey grew up together and were close before Kelsey’s entry into Hollywood. Kelsey’s dad is a recovering alcoholic by the time the book starts and Logan has vague memories of a car accident. In Logan’s version of history, the accident led to Kelsey and her mom deserting Oklahoma for California and to Logan’s parents breaking away from that side of the family. McLaughlin and Kraus bring up the accident and the girls’ childhood often enough that readers know something more is there, but what they deliver doesn’t live up to its promise. Or maybe it’s too easily pushed under the rug again.Where the authors succeed is in creating interesting characters readers will want to know more about. Unfortunately the characters make stupid decisions that the authors don’t always explain or too easily chalk it up to “that’s just wild Hollywood.”The book’s fast pace also doesn’t let readers spend as much time as they might like getting to see behind the velvet rope. McLaughlin and Kraus have a knack for describing party scenes and backstage drama; the book would have been better served if they employed it more often. Perhaps slowing down the book and splitting into an introduction to the Wades and then a sequel detailing their downward spiral would have been a better approach.As it is, Between You and Me is a light piece of summer fluff that entertains as long as readers are willing to suspend disbelief again and again.