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L.A. Lights #1
Taking the Lead
Acting Ambitions. Hollywood Heartbreak. Doggy Deliverance.
What would you do if you were an aspiring actress offered a part in a TV series in Los Angeles…but had to give up everything else important to you to achieve that dream?
Twenty-one-year-old Tessa Taylor drops out of college and leaves her home in Washington, DC, to pursue her lifelong ambition of becoming an actress, but her decision comes at a price. Tinseltown is tough, stardom elusive, and LA exorbitantly expensive.
When her dreams crumble, Tessa struggles. Her heart bruised, she compromises to make ends meet and tries one disastrous job after another. When a fortunate coincidence leads her to a job she never thought she’d do—dog walking—her adventures begin, and a new life, and love, unfold.
Taking the Lead: Adventures of a Hollywood Dog Walker is more than just a walk in the park. It’s a humorous and heart-warming romantic comedy, infused with a touch of adventure, which will appeal to dog lovers and chick-lit readers alike. If must love dogs is more than a catchphrase to you, you won’t want to miss this first book in the L.A. Lights series.
What would you do if you were an aspiring actress offered a part in a TV series in Los Angeles…but had to give up everything else important to you to achieve that dream?
Twenty-one-year-old Tessa Taylor drops out of college and leaves her home in Washington, DC, to pursue her lifelong ambition of becoming an actress, but her decision comes at a price. Tinseltown is tough, stardom elusive, and LA exorbitantly expensive.
When her dreams crumble, Tessa struggles. Her heart bruised, she compromises to make ends meet and tries one disastrous job after another. When a fortunate coincidence leads her to a job she never thought she’d do—dog walking—her adventures begin, and a new life, and love, unfold.
Taking the Lead: Adventures of a Hollywood Dog Walker is more than just a walk in the park. It’s a humorous and heart-warming romantic comedy, infused with a touch of adventure, which will appeal to dog lovers and chick-lit readers alike. If must love dogs is more than a catchphrase to you, you won’t want to miss this first book in the L.A. Lights series.
- GenresAmazonContemporary
291 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 22, 2016
128 people are currently reading
130 people want to read
About the author
Di Jones
45 books36 followersBorn in Liverpool, I started my working life as a librarian and have worked in a variety of jobs since, but none was as much fun as the one that allowed me to write and get paid for it. That was a few years ago, and each year it’s become more and more apparent to me that what I want to do is write full time, a dream that first occurred to me at seventeen.
Like my characters, I love my family and friends, beautiful shoes, anything sparkly, the “occasional” drink, parties, and a good belly laugh. I’m addicted to shopping, chocolate, bubble baths and anything else that smells nice, and the sort of TV programs you’d never publicly admit to watching. Did I mention that, like my characters, I also love dogs?
I’ve lived in England, Canada, and the United States but now call New Zealand home. I live in a lovingly renovated house overlooking Auckland’s beautiful Waitemata Harbour with my trusted Great Danes, Dolce and Gabbana, and their two cats, Charlie and Jamie. The dogs keep me fit and exercised, scare the burglars away, sit loyally by my side throughout my late-night writing sessions, and hang on to my every word when I read my final drafts aloud. They truly are my biggest fans, and I theirs! The cats, on the other hand, hang out by themselves and ignore the dogs and me.
I love my life but not so much that there’s not room to live a load of other lives, through the hearts and minds of my characters, all of whom I adore, and some of whom I’m fortunate enough to call friends.
I love to hear from my readers, and your emails and messages motivate me to keep writing, so keep them coming! I answer every one personally. Here’s how to touch base:
My website www.dijoneswrites.com
On Twitter: http://twitter.com/dijoneswrites
On Facebook: http://facebook.com/dijoneswrites
Pinterest: http://nz.pinterest.com/dijoneswrites/
Like my characters, I love my family and friends, beautiful shoes, anything sparkly, the “occasional” drink, parties, and a good belly laugh. I’m addicted to shopping, chocolate, bubble baths and anything else that smells nice, and the sort of TV programs you’d never publicly admit to watching. Did I mention that, like my characters, I also love dogs?
I’ve lived in England, Canada, and the United States but now call New Zealand home. I live in a lovingly renovated house overlooking Auckland’s beautiful Waitemata Harbour with my trusted Great Danes, Dolce and Gabbana, and their two cats, Charlie and Jamie. The dogs keep me fit and exercised, scare the burglars away, sit loyally by my side throughout my late-night writing sessions, and hang on to my every word when I read my final drafts aloud. They truly are my biggest fans, and I theirs! The cats, on the other hand, hang out by themselves and ignore the dogs and me.
I love my life but not so much that there’s not room to live a load of other lives, through the hearts and minds of my characters, all of whom I adore, and some of whom I’m fortunate enough to call friends.
I love to hear from my readers, and your emails and messages motivate me to keep writing, so keep them coming! I answer every one personally. Here’s how to touch base:
My website www.dijoneswrites.com
On Twitter: http://twitter.com/dijoneswrites
On Facebook: http://facebook.com/dijoneswrites
Pinterest: http://nz.pinterest.com/dijoneswrites/
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
September 4, 2018
Grief Is a Hungry Business And Other Short Stories - Interesting, some sad, short stories easily read in a few minutes. Yes, there's a happy ending. 5*
LA Lights series:
The Audition - #1 - A quick, fast read. Not a fan of Hollywood, but I found The Audition to be funny and engaging and well written. 5*
Taking the Lead - #2 - Funny and intriguing. A well written story full of humor, a lovable group of characters, some scary, and a twisting plot. I've read these books out of series and they are all good books. While each book is complete, the characters' stories continue through thick and thin, and suspense and intrigue. There's a preview of the book, which I appreciate knowing what the book is about before I read it. 5*
Acting up - #3 - Another fun, intriguing tale of love and dogs. A well written story with our favorite characters, lots more dogs and a couple of cats. The constantly developing plot holds the reader's attention until the book is finished. I've read all six books of this series and enjoyed all of them. 5*
Transplanting Holly Oakwood - #4 - A quick, funny novel filled with intrigue and mishaps that keep you laughing throughout and too soon the story ends. This author always tells a good story, even the sad short stories from her Grief novel. I personally didn't care for the few sex scenes, not seen in the other books I've read. There's infrequent cursing in anger. This book must be read before Barking Bad, (#5). 5*
Barking Bad - #5 - A well written suspense that starts a touch slow but slams into gear and doesn't slow down until the end. Having read The Audition and nothing else from this series, I was surprised at the intrigue and intensity of this book. The plot is well thought out, with unexpected turns, and some horror, along with our favorite characters. The romance between Tessa and Ryan goes where I think is the right direction. I have read several of this author's books and she's always delivered a good read. For those who care, there's no sex and infrequent cursing. 5*
Stealing the Show - #6 - A well written, humorous story full of romance and intrigue. A twisting plot with some surprises has our favorite characters fighting the bad guys and loving the good guys. For those who care, there's no sex and infrequent mild cursing in anger. Another fun way to spend an evening after a hard day. 5*
LA Lights series end.
London Lights series:
Meeting Miss Mollie #1 - A well written, heartwarming, funny romance story with wonderful and not-so-wonderful characters. Full of intrigue, suspense, betrayal and a dog makes it difficult to put the book down. This is a standalone in the London Lights series. 5*
Liverpool Kiss - Well written, believable characters; I didn't stop reading until I finished the book. I own Meeting Miss Mollie, which I will be reading soon. I read The Audition, also own, another fun read, which got me started on Ms. Jones. Both books were read in one sitting, they were so good. Luckily, I contacted the author to review her books and received a copy of Liverpool Kiss. * 5*
Cast Aside in Como #3 - Another well written, heartwarming and funny romance by one of my favorite ChicLit ladies. I didn't stop reading until the last page. I love that the story is Italy; didn't care about climbing fences, but the story needed a place to start and this worked out perfectly for the story line. I contacted the author to review her books. 5*
London Lights series end.
LA Lights series:
The Audition - #1 - A quick, fast read. Not a fan of Hollywood, but I found The Audition to be funny and engaging and well written. 5*
Taking the Lead - #2 - Funny and intriguing. A well written story full of humor, a lovable group of characters, some scary, and a twisting plot. I've read these books out of series and they are all good books. While each book is complete, the characters' stories continue through thick and thin, and suspense and intrigue. There's a preview of the book, which I appreciate knowing what the book is about before I read it. 5*
Acting up - #3 - Another fun, intriguing tale of love and dogs. A well written story with our favorite characters, lots more dogs and a couple of cats. The constantly developing plot holds the reader's attention until the book is finished. I've read all six books of this series and enjoyed all of them. 5*
Transplanting Holly Oakwood - #4 - A quick, funny novel filled with intrigue and mishaps that keep you laughing throughout and too soon the story ends. This author always tells a good story, even the sad short stories from her Grief novel. I personally didn't care for the few sex scenes, not seen in the other books I've read. There's infrequent cursing in anger. This book must be read before Barking Bad, (#5). 5*
Barking Bad - #5 - A well written suspense that starts a touch slow but slams into gear and doesn't slow down until the end. Having read The Audition and nothing else from this series, I was surprised at the intrigue and intensity of this book. The plot is well thought out, with unexpected turns, and some horror, along with our favorite characters. The romance between Tessa and Ryan goes where I think is the right direction. I have read several of this author's books and she's always delivered a good read. For those who care, there's no sex and infrequent cursing. 5*
Stealing the Show - #6 - A well written, humorous story full of romance and intrigue. A twisting plot with some surprises has our favorite characters fighting the bad guys and loving the good guys. For those who care, there's no sex and infrequent mild cursing in anger. Another fun way to spend an evening after a hard day. 5*
LA Lights series end.
London Lights series:
Meeting Miss Mollie #1 - A well written, heartwarming, funny romance story with wonderful and not-so-wonderful characters. Full of intrigue, suspense, betrayal and a dog makes it difficult to put the book down. This is a standalone in the London Lights series. 5*
Liverpool Kiss - Well written, believable characters; I didn't stop reading until I finished the book. I own Meeting Miss Mollie, which I will be reading soon. I read The Audition, also own, another fun read, which got me started on Ms. Jones. Both books were read in one sitting, they were so good. Luckily, I contacted the author to review her books and received a copy of Liverpool Kiss. * 5*
Cast Aside in Como #3 - Another well written, heartwarming and funny romance by one of my favorite ChicLit ladies. I didn't stop reading until the last page. I love that the story is Italy; didn't care about climbing fences, but the story needed a place to start and this worked out perfectly for the story line. I contacted the author to review her books. 5*
London Lights series end.
March 1, 2017
A fun, fast paced, laugh out loud read that you just can't put down.
Tessa starts to find out who she really is through a bunch of bumps, bruises, missteps, crazy misconceptions. I loved this book. It was a fun, fast paced story with believable characters even the crazy ones! To make ends meet, Tessa takes to dog walking even through she can't stand dogs. But there is a transformation both in personality and her growing fondness for the dogs and one of the dog owners, Ryan. But can she get over her distrust of men after she was so horribly tossed overboard by her once best friends and again by the love of her life back home? The character development was credible and the insane car chase is a laugh out loud scene. If you want a fast, fun read this is the one. I will definitely follow this series! I was given a copy of the book by the author. The opinion I share about this book are stricly my own.
Tessa starts to find out who she really is through a bunch of bumps, bruises, missteps, crazy misconceptions. I loved this book. It was a fun, fast paced story with believable characters even the crazy ones! To make ends meet, Tessa takes to dog walking even through she can't stand dogs. But there is a transformation both in personality and her growing fondness for the dogs and one of the dog owners, Ryan. But can she get over her distrust of men after she was so horribly tossed overboard by her once best friends and again by the love of her life back home? The character development was credible and the insane car chase is a laugh out loud scene. If you want a fast, fun read this is the one. I will definitely follow this series! I was given a copy of the book by the author. The opinion I share about this book are stricly my own.
July 14, 2017
I enjoyed this story of a young woman, Tessa, following her dream of becoming a Hollywood actress. As we all know, best laid plans have a way of developing hiccups and Tessa experiences some serious hiccups. She is initially awarded a role in a movie about a dog walker in Hollywood, so when she loses that she takes on dog walking as a means of financial support. The only problem is Tessa knows nothing about dogs, which leads to plenty of laughs and a few tense moments with armed men and a crazy Greek cab driver.
There is also a romantic theme in the story which, true to form for Tessa, gives her plenty of emotional ups and downs. I got caught up in Tessa's story and loved the ride! The best characters were the dogs and one very special bird. I also enjoyed the bits of movie trivia provided by way of the chapter titles. Very well done! Thank you to the author who provided me with a copy of the book for an honest review.
There is also a romantic theme in the story which, true to form for Tessa, gives her plenty of emotional ups and downs. I got caught up in Tessa's story and loved the ride! The best characters were the dogs and one very special bird. I also enjoyed the bits of movie trivia provided by way of the chapter titles. Very well done! Thank you to the author who provided me with a copy of the book for an honest review.
January 1, 2018
Lured to Los Angeles by the possibility of acting in a television series, Tessa leaves Georgetown, her parents, and boyfriend Joe. She does such a great job acting as if she was a real dog walker during the audition two men stopped her to ask for her business card. When the acting job falls through, she turns to dog walking to support herself. The rest of the book involves dogs with personalities, issues, and some comical situations. The book is a lighthearted animal lover’s frolic with a little romance. This is the second book in the LA Lights Book Series.
I received this book through a random giveaway. Although encouraged as a courtesy to provide feedback, I was under no obligation to write a review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
I received this book through a random giveaway. Although encouraged as a courtesy to provide feedback, I was under no obligation to write a review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
June 10, 2021
Tessa moves from D.C. to L.A. to pursue her dreams of being an actress. Her friend and her boyfriend were supposed to join her, but both of them backed out so now she is in L.A. alone, her show gets canceled and now she is wondering how she is going to afford living in L.A. Her friend from the show moves in with her and both her neighbor and friend help to find her jobs. The show she was supposed to be in was about a dog walker so she decides to start walking dogs to supplement her income until she finds another acting job and of course she is not a fan of animals nor does she know what she is doing. She gets herself involved with some interesting and hilarious situations with the dogs and their owners. Definitely a fun romantic comedy that has you laughing out loud.
July 11, 2018
A light and breezy
good time will be had reading about Tessa and her mishaps trying to break into the acting business. Di Jones is a tad too descriptive on the sex and wanting bits, for my taste, but at least it’s not a gynecologist tour. The scenes about dog walking are great fun and filled with quirky characters as well as situations and experiences that will leave you shaking your head, thinking: “only in Hollywood!” “Taking the Lead” is a simple, easy, perfect for the beach read.
good time will be had reading about Tessa and her mishaps trying to break into the acting business. Di Jones is a tad too descriptive on the sex and wanting bits, for my taste, but at least it’s not a gynecologist tour. The scenes about dog walking are great fun and filled with quirky characters as well as situations and experiences that will leave you shaking your head, thinking: “only in Hollywood!” “Taking the Lead” is a simple, easy, perfect for the beach read.
March 7, 2017
Di Jones tells the story of Tessa, a girl from Washington DC who moves to LA to pursue her dream of acting. Reading about her making new friends, learning new skills and finding her feet makes for a very entertaining read. The pace is fast, the characters have real depth, and the plot has enough complexity to hold the readers attention to the end. A light read but not a simple one, well worth your time.
September 19, 2017
Wonderful Rom/Com With Plenty of Dogs!
There is so much more to this story than the title suggests. It is a witty romantic comedy with lots of ‘laugh out loud’ moments. It is almost sweet and clean, but I did not find it offensive. I could easily identify with the characters. The plot was realistic, as were the emotions and reactions. I am looking forward to the next book in this series. I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to share my honest review.
There is so much more to this story than the title suggests. It is a witty romantic comedy with lots of ‘laugh out loud’ moments. It is almost sweet and clean, but I did not find it offensive. I could easily identify with the characters. The plot was realistic, as were the emotions and reactions. I am looking forward to the next book in this series. I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to share my honest review.
July 27, 2018
I was into this book, It showed real people in real life are doing these job's and they are real jobs, It was funny to read a person whose life was in the toilet, But came out showing she was human, and made mistakes, I loved myself silly when she was hiding in the closet trying on clients skirt, and then just about get's caught, Who has come so close to doing this in a real life. I was thrilled to see she had grown into a determined person with back bone, and stood up for herself I rated it 5 stars because I liked the way it was written, well done Di Jones.
January 15, 2018
I managed to read the first 20% of this then started skimming and by 24% decided life is to short to waste time reading a book I was not remotely enjoying. I liked the concept of the book but couldn't stand the crudity, sex, and language. I know there are worse ones out there but this book was not for me.
May 2, 2019
Once again a trite story about a sheltered and hapless young woman who expects the whole ‘happily ever after’ and can’t understand why it doesn’t just fall in her lap. The dogs are the real stars of the story. Loved their personalities, much more than the humans. I don’t believe anything like this would ever happen in real life so the story falls flat. To bad because the dogs are wonderful.
May 27, 2017
Fantastic read! Be taken on a funny roller coaster ride of dog walking and acting. Great storyline with some quirky characters (not just human!). Some twists and turns in the storyline and antics of Tessa the dog walker who will have you in stitches! Highly recommend.
August 28, 2017
Taking the Lead is an entertaining book that pulls you in and carries you into the story. Lots of humour to keep you smiling and enough mystery to keep you interested. I'm looking forward to the next book.
November 6, 2017
An absolute delight of a read. Follow the adventures of Tessa as she trudges through the LA scene trying to become a star, and met the people and animals she finds along the way. A Perfect fall read-curl up, get your favorite beverage and enjoy this wonderful book!
April 9, 2018
Fun, enjoyable story
If you like dogs, interesting and likeable characters and a good story with some unexpected twists, you'll like this book. Looking forward reading the next book.
If you like dogs, interesting and likeable characters and a good story with some unexpected twists, you'll like this book. Looking forward reading the next book.
September 11, 2019
This book was a riot! A fun, fast-paced, slightly absurd plot with all the right elements for a terrific laugh. The romance was fun, the characters interesting and eclectic, and the dogs a force of nature. Really enjoyed it!
June 11, 2017
Refer to Amazon.com for my review under Andrea M on 01/06/2017.
January 11, 2018
While it suffers from a slow start, this was an enjoyable read. Some moments of cringe for Tessa, but overall there's a good few laughs - and a car chase.
July 20, 2018
A joyful reading experience. Tessa and her two and four legged friends are well rounded lovable characters. Looking forward to reading about Tessa's next experience.
November 25, 2018
This was a great story, I love determine characters especially when they’re women. Tessa had a long journey, but no matter what happened. She didn’t give up for long.
May 3, 2016
I was pleasantly surprised by the realism portrayed in this book, showing a girl following her dreams, no matter where in the world those dreams take her. Di Jones seems to have the knack of pulling the reader into the storyline so much that they fully emote with each of the characters. I felt hopeful, dejected, excited, frustrated and almost cheered out loud when Tessa joined the cast of the show. ‘Taking The Lead: Adventures of a Hollywood Dog Walker’ is a tumultuous story of a young woman who is willing to leave the security and comfort of living with her parents, say goodbye to her schooling in order to not pass up the once-in-a-lifetime chance to embrace life on the small screen. The animals featured during each dog walk will warm your heart, leave you shocked and have you rolling around in stitches from laughter. I recommend this book to anybody who enjoys a huge dollop of romance, humor and determination served up with their fun and inspirational reading.
- Rosie Malezer for Readers' Favorite
- Rosie Malezer for Readers' Favorite
July 6, 2016
Although this is not a genre I would normally spend much time on, I received a free promotional copy of the book and so I decided to give it a try.
I would describe this book as a light-hearted, easy, holiday read, but it does have a lot of heart and is extremely funny at times. The human characters were mostly likable enough, but it was the canine characters that definitely stole the show.
If you like upbeat, fun, light reading, and particularly if you're a dog lover, you're going to really enjoy this book.
I would describe this book as a light-hearted, easy, holiday read, but it does have a lot of heart and is extremely funny at times. The human characters were mostly likable enough, but it was the canine characters that definitely stole the show.
If you like upbeat, fun, light reading, and particularly if you're a dog lover, you're going to really enjoy this book.
September 21, 2016
Cute story! Lots of fun misadventures for the main character. I plan on downloading the next book in the series. Anyone who has ever done any acting/auditioning even for school plays will feel her frustration for her career stalling. Her determination to make a career is great. The supporting characters feel like friends we have all had & loved and or hated sometimes. Definitely give this one a try.
September 5, 2016
I really liked this book. It is not me normal read but got into it quickly and the need to know what happens next kept me reading more and more. The characters are interesting including the dogs ..and parrot...and I started to care about them and what happens. It was well written and has left me with a warm happy glow. I will definitely read the next book when it is available.
August 30, 2016
Super fun! This is an awesome quick read! I love this new series and can't wait to read the next book. Tessa is a fun character and I love that she walks dogs! Lol! Getting to partake in her lighthearted adventures has been fun and I can't wait to find out what she will get into next!
November 4, 2016
I'm putting this book aside for now. Just can't get into its groove. The main character is a bit spoiled bratty, in my opinion, and it's off-putting. I'll try again later because it has such good reviews. I'm just not feeling it right now.
May 31, 2016
This was a good light read
July 11, 2016
This book was a fun, light read and hard to put down. The chapter titles were great too. I would definitely recommend this book.
August 20, 2016
I was a bit hesitant at first with this book but I really got into it. It was funny, sweet, romantic, hopeful and suspenseful all at once! I can hardly wait to read more of these adventures!
October 16, 2016
Enjoyed getting to know Tessa and her adventures. Her friends are great and the dogs are hilarious. Would definitely recommend this light hearted comedy.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews