Claire Reilly has worked hard to become one of the youngest entertainment editors for Mod magazine, and she is particularly proud that she has maintained her moral compass scaling the corporate ladder. Even when she is unexpectedly assigned to interview Hollywood hearth throb Cole Brannon, she remains true to her career as a reputable reporter, her long-time live-in boyfriend, and to herself - knowing that one tiny mistake could shatter it all.

But then everything changes. First, Claire unexpectedly discovers that Cole is actually a down-to-earth, charming, not to mention ruggedly handsome guy. Later that same evening, she discovers the true reason she and her live-in boyfriend have not had sex in weeks. From there, things begin to quite innocently and unintentionally unravel. As hard as Claire tries to rise above it all, the story, this time her story, takes on a life of its own, and there is little she can do to reel it in.

Claire finds herself splashed on the pages of the tabloids and celebrity magazines as the target of the same gossip and innuendo usually reserved for those she interviews. She tries to maintain her personal integrity while others work just as hard to exploit the circumstances for their own personal gain and, of course, to sell magazines. When it becomes clear that, since so many people are determined to ruin Claire’s reputation that she is expending a great deal of effort to fight a losing battle, one cannot help but root for Claire in the hopes that she, too, finds a Hollywood ending - just like most of people she interviews do (or at least appear to do) in the pages of Hollywood’s magazines.

How to Sleep with a Movie Star is a funny, charming read that will make you believe (at least for the time it takes to fly though Harmel’s debut novel) that maybe, just maybe, fairytales do come true.