The road to fame and fortune is an arduous one that sometimes forces a person to reevaluate his or her own worth in life. Difficult personal sacrifices are sometimes made for the sake of the art. This challenge posed by Tricia Bauer in her new book explores the relationship of a husband and wife going through the motions of trying to work and be successful in the entertainment industry.

Renata, an actress, falls passionately in love with playwright Lou at a summer stock in Vermont. Their families and friends don't give them much of a shot and even took bets on how long their marriage would last (this underdog mind set would set the tone of the rest of the novel). Nine years later, the couple is still together but struggling to escape their blue collar backgrounds. Through Renata's voice, one can understand the anticipation or dread of a theater review that can be the difference between success and failure. However, the early success of Lou's plays improve the couple's fortunes and they become a part of Hollywood's community of actors, producers, and agents. The couple move up from their modest backgrounds to affording their dream home in Connecticut (the "Hardwood" in the title). Throughout the novel, as the couple is drawn to the machinery of the industry, the gap grows wider between themselves and their families and friends (i.e. Renata's folks visiting the house, a visit to an old friend's home, and Renata's high school reunion). Yet with every silver lining, an obstacle thrown in that makes one wonder whether Lou's and Renata's relationship can weather the storm.

One of the things that stands out about the novel is the language and style of Bauer's which are simple and clear told in a straightforward, modest manner. Her juxtaposing of using first person and third person narrator only enhances the storytelling, and also offers much-needed insight. Bauer also explores the complications of striving for artistic success and how they can be destroyed by the demands of reality (i.e.. "Toy Box"), and the machinery of the entertainment industry ("Hollywood," "The Agent").

But what emerges from all this is a really tender love story between Lou and Renata who have stuck by and believed in each other early on, despite Lou's struggle to keep up in the biz and Renata's diminishing acting career. It's quite refreshing to read about a genuine relationship for a change that is not tawdry or too maudlin. One doesn't really know if this relationship and it's a credit to Bauer to keep the reader guessing.

Despite a tone of regret and sober reality, Bauer lends to the story a sense of humor and compassion that for a reader is hard to knock or put down. Hollywood may be fickle in terms of what is hot and not, but what isn't fickle is the importance of love and one's own beliefs, despite insurmountable odds. It's something that we forget to take to heart that it's the little things that matter. As a whole, Hollywood and Hardwood is a gem.