Trope: Best friend’s little sister, age-gap, forced proximity, summer fling to forever, small town
Synopsis
It was a simple promise—watch out for my best friend’s little sister the same way I would my own.
Turns out, Brenna is a lot more grown-up than I realized. And a lot more beautiful. Which makes sharing an apartment with her this summer tougher than I expected.
Until she shares something with me. Something she’s never shared with anyone. Something that makes me want to step in and help.
Something that changes everything.
Soon enough, my wanting to be with her has nothing to do with that promise I made and everything to do with the undeniable spark between us.
It doesn’t matter that I’m more than a decade older than she is. Or what our small town thinks.
But Brenna’s time in Hickory Hills is limited, making everything more complicated.
The more time I spend with Brenna, the harder it is to stay apart. The more I want to convince her to stay.
I already broke my promise to her brother. But I will keep my promise to her.
USA Today Best Selling Claire Hastings is a walking, talking awkward moment. She loves Diet Coke, gummi bears, the beach, and books (obvs). When not reading she can usually be found hanging with friends at a soccer match or grabbing food (although she probably still has a book in her purse). She and her husband live in Atlanta.
A brand new YA standalone survivor romance from Jennifer Hartmann, the fan-favorite author of Still Beating, Lotus, and June First, packed with the same light-in-the-dark hope for healing in the face of tragedy. Perfect for fans of If He Had Been With Me, A Thousand Boy Kisses, and Binding 13. “Kissing you feels like catching the sun…”
At seven years old, Ella Sunbury and Max Manning were inseparable—until life scattered them in different directions, forcing Ella to abruptly leave town. A decade later, she returns for their senior year of high school, moving in across the street from her childhood best friend.
But she’s not the same girl Max once knew.
She now lives in the shadow of her a notorious felon on death row, convicted of a crime that shook the nation. Reeling from the fallout and shunned by her peers, all Ella wants is to fade into the background.
Max has little room for distractions, juggling responsibilities for a disabled father and a distant twin brother. But Ella’s return reignites something within him. He wants to be close to her again, to understand her…and to turn their friendship into more.
But as their relationship blossoms, new tragedy strikes, and darkness threatens to tip their delicate balance. In order to find the light, they’ll have to navigate the shadows.
And to catch the sun…they must first endure the flames.
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I have started and stopped this review so many times, I lost count. So please bear with me as I stumble through this because my thoughts and emotions are everywhere.
I hadn’t expected this book to tear my heart apart in so many different ways and then glue those shattered pieces together again.
I was expecting this to be an angsty YA romance but the only thing YA about this novel is the age of these characters & where there story starts. I got my angst but I also got a whole lot more.
Jennifer truly knows how to captive her readers with her words. She creates characters with a depth and connection, that it’s impossible to not feel the emotions running off these pages. She delivers a narrative that is very raw and authentic, allowing readers to become the characters.
This story has many twists that I never anticipated and it just gripped my heartstrings even tighter. I flat-out bawled many times reading. I had to put the book down, walk away and regroup myself because I was so vested in this story.
And while I cried, alot, I had huge smiles too. I felt my heart sing and rejoice many times. My heart and soul ran the gamut of emotions with this one and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Jennifer Hartman – this is your best work, to date. Ella, Max, their family and friends are forever a part of my soul.
“Soul doesn’t see. Souls feel.”
Once the book releases, I’ll add more quotes (because there’s a crap ton) that I highlighted throughout this story.
If you read one book this year, let it be this one. This is the perfect example of why I read romance – the journey may be uneasy, but results are worth it.
Meet Jennifer
Jennifer Hartmann resides in northern Illinois with her own personal romance hero and three children. When she is not writing angsty love stories, she is likely pondering all the ways she can break your heart and piece it back together again. She enjoys sunsets (because mornings are hard), bike riding, traveling, bingeing Buffy the Vampire Slayer reruns, and that time of day when coffee gets replaced by wine. She loves tacos. She also really, really wants to pet your dog.
Welcome to Connelly Court. A secluded, old money neighborhood, harboring a web of desires and deceit behind pristine facades and manicured lawns, where the lives of a group of neighbors, bound by their shared secrets and unconventional lifestyle, are about to unravel.
Michael and Amelia Ross move into their dream home, and get drawn into the seductive allure. But their house once belonged to a family whose lives were seemingly ruined by their participation, which leads Amelia to question everything about her new-found friends. Suspicions run rampant as the close-knit group turns on each other. Lies, betrayals, and hidden agendas are revealed, ripping apart the fabric that once bound the group together.
“Cul-de-Sac” is a dark tale of marriage, friendship, desire, and betrayal, where nothing is as it seems, and the truth may be more shocking than anyone could have imagined. Discover the twisted secrets of Connelly Court in this chilling domestic suspense novel that will leave you questioning just how well you truly know—or should know—your neighbors.
Amelia’s phone buzzed, interrupting her favorite Spotify playlist. The unobtrusive Siri voice told her she had a call from a number that was not one she immediately recognized. When asked if she wanted to take the call, she told Siri she did, then turned the volume up on her wireless earbuds. “Hello?”
“Hi! Amelia? This is Emily. Your neighbor.”
“Oh hi,” Amelia said, trying to recall what Emily looked like. She was easily the most forgettable of the women she’d met these past few weeks and at the party. Melissa she knew well, based on the time they’d spent together as Realtor and client. Janice was the attractively preserved older woman at the end of the cul-de-sac. A sort of matriarch for the group who’d hosted the party. Cassie was the gorgeous young woman with the bright-blue eyes who was pregnant and seemingly not too happy about it. Emily…which one was she?
“So, I was wondering if you’d like to come out to brunch with us.”
“Oh um…” She was preparing to beg off, not willing to change her plans for the next forty-eight or so hours. She’d been walking around feeling like a giant exposed horny nerve ever since she’d let Michael fuck her on the kitchen table earlier that day. She wanted more. A lot more. And she was about to get it.
“I mean, um, next weekend. While the boys are golfing?”
Amelia blinked then realized what she was talking about. The “boys” had invited Michael to golf. And she was going to lunch with the ladies. Part of her bristled at this. Why couldn’t they be in on the golfing? But she hated golf. So why not?
“Sure, that sounds like fun. Where?”
“Oh, at the club. I figured you guys had already joined.”
“No, not yet.” To be honest, she’d avoided it, although she knew they should do it. She’d done her research. And her mother had, too. They’d decided that Forest Hills Golf and Swim Club was the best one to join. And she liked to believe that the fact of her husband’s skin color wouldn’t matter in this enlightened, Midwest college town. But part of her wasn’t certain about that, and she was reluctant to put Michael through it. Perhaps going to a day at golf and lunch would ease their entry a bit. “But we have every intention of it.”
“Any of us can sponsor you. They still require that. It’s so…colonial, don’t you think?”
Amelia hesitated, wondering if Emily would realize the awkwardness of that question. She picked up her pace, nervous and yet somehow pissed off at the same time.
“Well, anyway,” the woman went on, not realizing it, apparently. “Why don’t you ride with me? The guys usually all carpool to their golf days.”
“Sure, sounds good.” She didn’t want to go now. In fact, all of a sudden, if she never saw or spoke to any of her immediate neighbors ever again, she’d not mind it one bit.
She shook her head at this ridiculous thought. One of the reasons she’d chosen this street was for the social opportunities. She was being paranoid. Her neighbors were just…a little enthusiastic and, well, touchy, when it came down to it. The memory of the women surrounding Michael, leaning in, hands on his thighs and arms as he sat in the midst of them like some kind of a sultan among his harem wafted through her brain. Even as she recalled the way she’d been the center of the male attention most of the night. How attractive they all were, those men, from brash contractor Ryan to soft-spoken, exotic-looking Sai, to the two older men, Barrett and Allen. All of them were rich, handsome, fit to the point of model-perfect. And they’d been all over her.
She stopped in her tracks, recalling something else from that night she must have been suppressing as a figment of her imagination, or something her drunken brain had conjured. The large bedroom window on the second floor of the Coopers’ house. The light, the shadows she’d taken for Janice and Allen at first in an embrace. Then the other shadows that joined them. The other people who’d been in that room and…and…
That is crazy, Amelia Elizabeth. Stop it. You’re pent up and horny and are taking care of all of that within hours. Get a damn grip on yourself. These people are inviting you and Michael to a snooty country club that has likely only recently allowed black people to be members. Keep things in perspective.
“Amelia? You still there?”
“Yes, sorry. I’d be happy to join you all. Looking forward to it.”
“Great! Super. We’ll…um…” There was a beat of silence that made Amelia uncomfortable again. “Anyway, if you need any tomatoes, you should stop by this week.”
“Tomatoes,” Amelia said, confused by the shift of topic.
“Yes. Between my garden and Cassie’s, we’re overflowing with them. There’s only so much sauce and salsa I can make. Talk soon!” She hung up before Amelia could say anything else.
OK – this was quite the interesting read for me. There are definitely some twisted secrets on Connelly Court.
Liz Crowe delivers a very intriguing story surrounding a swingers lifestyle and not just any one swinger’s lifestyle, but a community of swingers and the rules they set for all to follow. But with lies, betrayal and ulterior motives, things are never what they seem.
I will not go any further with what happens in this book. It’s a dark, twisted story that definitely keeps you right there in the thick of everything. But the pacing was what hurt this story for me.
The story has a very slow pace at the beginning, which was a bit of struggle for me. The characters aren’t likeable, but that fits the vibe of this story so that felt purposeful. Once the story hits the crescendo, everything moves at a much faster pace – almost too quickly in my opinion.
Overall, the story was entertaining and kept me intrigued, even at it’s slowest parts. And while I felt the ending was a bit rushed, I still enjoyed the overall story itself.
Author Bio:
Liz Crowe is a Kentucky native and graduate of the University of Louisville living in South Carolina. She’s spent her time as a three-continent expat trailing spouse, mom of three, real estate agent, brewery owner and bar manager, and is currently a digital marketing and fundraising consultant, in addition to being an award-winning author.
The Liz Crowe backlist has something for any reader seeking complex storylines with humor and complete casts of characters that will delight and linger in the imagination long after the book is finished.
Her favorite things to do when she’s not scrolling social media for cute animal videos is walk her dogs, cuddle her cats, and watch her favorite sports teams while scrolling social media for cute animal videos.
Absolutely amazing thriller debut from Vi Keeland!!
Most readers are used to getting some romance from Vi but this time she takes outside her usual genre and delivers an edge-of-you-seat thriller that keeps readers engage from start to finish.
I enjoyed how Vi wrote this one – it’s captivating and enthralling and just when you think you know it all and have it all figured out, Vi throws us curve ball and leaves readers with their jaws hanging wide open.
I really hope Vi writes more novels in this genre in the future. She definitely nailed the suspense, mystery and thrilling vibes throughout this whole book.
Definitely a highly recommended read.
AUTHOR BIO
Vi Keeland is a #1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author. With millions of books sold, her titles are currently translated in twenty-seven languages and have appeared on bestseller lists in the US, Germany, Brazil, Bulgaria, Israel, and Hungary. Three of her short stories have been turned into films by Passionflix, and two of her books are currently optioned for movies. She resides in New York with her husband and their three children where she is living out her own happily ever after with the boy she met at age six.
Dishonestly Yours by Krista & Becca Ritchie is now live!
Starting fresh is the only way Phoebe can escape a life of crime, but her best friend’s older brother complicates honest dreams in this gripping new series from the authors of the Addicted series.
Phoebe Graves grew up in a family where deception and seduction are as commonplace as breathing. The Graves and her best friend Hailey’s family have been on the run their whole lives, but after a high-stakes con job goes south, Phoebe and Hailey decide to run away and start over. The small Connecticut town they settle in seems too good to be true.
The biggest flaw in their plan is Hailey’s frustratingly handsome brother, Rocky, who insists on coming with them. Living honestly isn’t in his DNA, and his past with Phoebe is downright messy. He’s everything she wants, but nothing she can have.
Phoebe worries that Rocky will tempt them back into their old ways, where lying is second nature. She doesn’t want Rocky to mess up the new life she’s begun for herself. The longer she stays in town, the more she realizes what it means to have a reputation–and what a normal life with the man she loves could look like.
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Dishonestly Yours is the first book in the Ritchie’s newest series, Webs We Weave.
This story is told in dual POV and is definitely a slow building story. Please keep that in mind as this story is worth that build up.
Dishonestly Yours follows Phoebe, Hailey and Rocky as they try to separate themselves from their con artist families. As I said, it’s told from dual POV’s but also has flashbacks and this allows readers to better understand how these three are intertwined. This story mainly focuses on Phoebe and Rocky, but Hailey is strong secondary character and adds great value to this story.
My only main issue was the depth of relationship between Phoebe and Rocky. Yes, the flashbacks help, but I wanted a deeper level of these two in the now, more vulnerability. I won’t go into details as I do not want to spoil anything, but for me, I wanted more from them both.
Overall, a great start to this series. I cannot wait to see where series goes and what the Ritchie’s bring us next.
Meet Krista & Becca
Krista & Becca Ritchie are New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors and identical twins—one a science nerd, the other a comic book geek—but with their shared passion for writing, they combined their mental powers as kids and have never stopped telling stories. They love superheroes, flawed characters, and soul mate love.
From USA Today best selling author, Rachel Leigh, comes a sexy reverse age-gap, student/teacher standalone romance.
Wilder Cromwell is pure temptation in a delicious package.
Gorgeous. Smart. Athletic.
He’s also my student.
The minute I saw him, I should have known better.
But falling for him was as inevitable as breathing.
He’s more than just a face in my class.
He’s the man who came to my rescue on one of my darkest nights.
Wilder has become a safe haven against my husband’s monstrous brutality.
Being with him is an escape from the cage my life has become.
With him I’m adored and I’m safe—two feelings I’ve never felt before.
But one mistake, on one unforgettable night, changes the course of my fate.
Or maybe, it just put me on the path I was always meant to be on.
Wilder and I might be wrong to the universe, but in his arms, nothing has ever felt so right.
Wicked Scandal is a dark romance with themes that may be triggering to some readers, including, but not limited to, domestic violence, murder, abuse, and cheating (not on the main characters). It is advised to read with caution if you are sensitive to these subjects.
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Wicked Scandal is the second book in the Misfits series and can easily be read as a standalone.
I really enjoyed how this student/teacher, forbidden romance plays out. Rachel does a phenomenal job of allowing readers to empathize and understand both Wilder and Catherine’s decisions and their inner battles.
Rachel does a great job of the pacing in this story and how things come to light and play out. Readers get to see that inner turmoil within Catherine. Readers will absolutely adore Wilder and I love that he stays true to himself.
A great addition to this series.
Meet Rachel
Rachel Leigh is a USA Today and International bestselling author of new adult and contemporary romances.
She loves to write—and read—flawed bad-boys and strong heroines. You can expect dark elements, a dash of suspense, and a lot of steam.
Her goal is to take readers on an adventure with her words, while showing them that even on the darkest days, love conquers all.
Rachel lives in Michigan with her husband, three little monsters (who aren’t so little anymore) and a couple of fur babies. When she’s not writing or reading, she’s likely lounging in leggings, with coffee in her hand, while binge watching her favorite reality tv shows.
From USA Today and Amazon Bestselling Author Bella Matthews, comes a hot new hockey coach, single dad, marriage of convenience, small town romance.
A fake marriage with a single dad wasn’t on my dance card but there are worse ways to start the summer.
Our story didn’t begin the night I agreed to marry Deacon Kane to help him keep his daughter. It started ten years ago, with a hotshot hockey player I couldn’t wait to see each summer. He was big, broad, and filled out his board shorts so damn nicely. But holy hell… The memories of teenage Deacon don’t hold a candle to the man he is now, the one who makes me melt each time he says, “my wife.”
What was supposed to be a marriage of convenience quickly spirals into something else. Something I can’t control. Because this man makes me feel alive in a way I haven’t felt in months, and I want more.
More sparks. More life. More time.
Can a relationship based on lies last… Especially when I’m the one keeping all the secrets?
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GAH!!! Bella writes some of the best heart-throbbing and panty-melting male characters in this series. Just when I absolutely love and want to devour her newest MMC, she writes another that is just as amazing and now I can’t choose. LOL However, with The Sweet Spot, it’s Brynlee who gave me girl crush vibes
The Sweet Spot is Brynlee and Deacon’s story. Like my other reviews in this series, I won’t tell you much of the story because I don’t want to give anything away.
Brynlee is the physical therapist for the hockey team and while she has this fierce personality, there is so much more to her underneath the surface. She and Deacon knew each other once upon a time and now by chance, they are in each other’s orbit again.
Deacon is a single dad trying to juggle a new job and co-parenting his daughter with his ex-wife. I love how Bella handled this and did not add the unnecessary drama in this situation. But this man won me over with this ability to be sweet with his daughter and then those same lips get dirty with Brynlee (holy hot!!).
The Sweet Spot is the perfect ending to this series.
Meet Bella
Bella Matthews is a USA Today & Amazon Top 50 Bestselling author. She is married to her very own Alpha Male and raising three little ones. You can typically find her running from one sporting event to another. When she is home, she is usually hiding in her home office with the only other female in her house, her rescue dog Tinker Bell by her side. She likes to write swoon-worthy heroes and sassy, smart heroines. Sarcasm is her love language and big family dynamics are her favorite thing to add to each story.
A dark, contemporary, billionaire romance featuring anti-hero, secret society and close proximity tropes from USA Today Bestselling duo P. Rayne.
I spend my nights slinging drinks at Black Magic Bar or taking my clothes off at the local strip club. After my father passed, my stepmother gave me no other choice.
But when I break free of the chains binding me to my family estate, I find myself with nowhere to go. Until Nero Voss, the youngest of the billionaire Voss brothers, offers me a room at Midnight Manor. Now, I’m under his watchful gaze and enjoying it more than I should.
I shouldn’t give in to temptation, he is my stepsister’s ex-fiancé after all, but the pull toward him grows stronger by the day. I fight, but I’m losing the battle.
Nero is keeping secrets, though.
What he doesn’t know is that I’m keeping secrets, too.
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Midnight Whispers is the third book in the Midnight Manor series. It’s a wonderful retelling of Cinderella and features Nero Voss. Even though each of these books can be read as a standalone, I HIGHLY encourage readers to start from the beginning to get the full experience of these four brothers.
Cinder is the perfect Match for Nero in so many ways. I loved how this story plays out; the pacing is perfect and how things unfold between these two suits their story well.
While this is listed as a dark romance, it’s definitely on the lighter side of dark. It has some light BDSM scenes and keeps things intriguing.
I love that each book in this series fits the brother and his mannerisms so well. P. Rayne delivers another excellent book in this series. I cannot wait for the final book, Sid’s story.
Meet P. Rayne
The darker side of USA Today Bestselling Author, Piper Rayne.
Wings of Dusk Arcane Angels: Book One A guardian’s duty is to protect their charge. It is a holy bond, unbreakable outside of death. You must never leave their side. You must never show emotion. You must never cross a line. You must never fall in love.
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Welcome back R.K. Lilley!! I chose to skip her release last year, so it’s been a good 5 years since I have read her. Wings of Dusk is very different from her other books and this just proves she’s able to write in other genres.
I love fantasy reads and this one is different from others that I have read, but not in a bad way. It’s very fast paced and the world building isn’t as detailed and overly descriptive as most fantasy reads, but the way R.K. details everything, you can still easily visualize so much.
Wings of Dusk is told completely from Venefica’s POV, giving readers insight into her world and how everything works. Her guardian is Battle and he has his own rules to follow; they both do really.
R.K. delivers this story at the perfect pace (fast for fantasy) and she lays the groundwork for what is come perfectly. She leaves these little bread crumbs that has you gobbling them up and wanting more.
This story ends on a cliffy that has me desperately wanting the next book immediately. I highly recommend this to anyone, even those who normally don’t read fantasy. I will find it hard for any romance reader not enjoy this one.
Meet R.K. Lilley
R.K. Lilley lives in Texas with her husband and their two beautiful sons. She’s had a lot of interesting jobs, from being a first class flight attendant, to being a stablehand, but swears she never knew what hard work was until she had children. She’s been addicted to both reading and writing fiction since she can remember. She loves to travel, read, hike, paint, game, watch anime, and make the most of every single day. She is the author of In Flight, Bad Things, and Breaking Him, to name a few.
Kyle Robbins: Seattle’s rookie tight end and the first boy to break my heart.
Oh, did I mention he’s also my new client… and fake boyfriend?
I thought I left Kyle and our complicated past behind me, but when he saunters up as my new client at a house showing, I’m quickly reminded how much he still haunts me.
I try to walk away, but the stubborn jerk isn’t having it. In fact, he doubles down on working with me, as if our tragic history doesn’t exist at all.
The commission from working with him is the key to a new life for me and my son. It’s worth putting up with the cocky athlete long enough to find him a house. But when Kyle sees the bruises left by my darling ex-husband, he thinks he can save me—and suddenly, he’s interested in much more than just being a client.
Before I know it, I’m wrangled into a scheme so crazy it just might work. Kyle pretends to be my fake boyfriend so he can keep my ex in line until I get the commission from this house sale and get the hell out of Seattle for good.
But with a past as thick with chemistry and tension as ours is, it’s not long before those fake touches feel all too real. Every brush of his hand against my back has me spinning back to that night. Every kiss has me dizzy with the love I felt at eighteen. And every day that passes without me finding him a house has me wondering how much longer I can survive this game we’re playing.
Fake-dating each other was supposed to be for my safety.
But I can’t help thinking my heart is more at risk now than ever before.
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If you have read any of the previous books in this series, then Kyle is a familiar character to you. Don’t worry if you have not read any of the other books as his story is told fully in this book.
This book was bit more different than some of her previous ones in the series as the story surrounded Kyle’s and Madelyn’s relationship and that’s because these two were once previously together.
Kandi is known her for angst in books but this one has more depth in the emotional side as there are some difficult situations that arise. Kandi handles with grace and I think readers will appreciate that.
False Start is another great addition to this series and just proves that not a single book of Kandi’s will ever be the same as another one.
Meet Kandi
Kandi Steiner is a #1 Amazon Bestselling Author and whiskey connoisseur living in Tennessee. Best known for writing “emotional rollercoaster” stories, she loves bringing flawed characters to life and writing about real, raw romance — in all its forms. No two Kandi Steiner books are the same, and if you’re a lover of angsty, emotional, and inspirational reads, she’s your gal.
An alumna of the University of Central Florida, Kandi graduated with a double major in Creative Writing and Advertising/PR with a minor in Women’s Studies. Her love for writing started at the ripe age of 10, and in 6th grade, she wrote and edited her own newspaper and distributed to her classmates. Eventually, the principal caught on and the newspaper was quickly halted, though Kandi tried fighting for her “freedom of press.”
She took particular interest in writing romance after college, as she has always been a die hard hopeless romantic, and likes to highlight all the challenges of love as well as the triumphs.
When Kandi isn’t writing, you can find her reading books of all kinds, planning her next adventure, or pole dancing (yes, you read that right). She enjoys live music, traveling, hiking, yoga, playing with her fur babies and soaking up the sweetness of life.
Kandi Steiner may be coming to a city near you! Check out her “events” tab to see all the signings she’s attending in the near future: www.kandisteiner.com/events
Goodbye Note, an all-new emotional, angst-filled, friends to lovers, secret relationship, M/M romance from bestselling author J.R. Gray is now available!
I’m living the dream, playing summer festivals to massive crowds.
My band is on fire, my best friend by my side and we’re on top of the world.
I fell for him in the heat of the summer. I fell for the stars in his eyes.
The way he said my name. I’ll never love anyone the same.
But our story ended when it was just beginning.
Fame gave me more than I could ever imagine, but I’ll forever suffer the cost.
The summer of love and loss would forever be a stain on my heart.
I used to think life didn’t come with second chances or do overs, until we’re reunited for a world tour as dual headliners.
Only he thinks I’m happily married, when in reality, my life is crumbling. My team won’t let me announce my divorce, leaving him to believe I’m happily married.
We gave up on forever and I’d give anything for another shot at love.
Goodbye Note – a perfectly titled book for this intriguing emotional story.
This is my first book by J.R. and I must say it definitely won’t be me last. I am huge fan of rockstar romances but the blurb for this one truly grabbed my attention. But what I got out of this book was so much more, and for that, it has me wanting to try other books by this author.
Goodbye Note is not only a rockstar romance, but it’s a story riddled with trauma, growth, and discovering what love really is. Arik and Varian form a friendship over one summer that unexpectedly becomes more. But as they both know, their lifestyle isn’t always easy, when you’re both living in that world.
J.R. stated at the beginning in regards trusting the process and staying through to the end and I cannot urge readers enough to do that. This book is a rollercoaster of emotions, but worth every single one. It is told from both their POV’s and that is so needed with this story because both Arik and Varian are deeply layered souls.
This story is told in two parts. The first part is the majority of the story and where you really get to understand both Arik and Varian, not only as artists, but as individuals. The second part is a decade later and just as emotional, but this is where my only problem with the book lies – I wanted more here. I wanted more of what happened in that large span of time to get them to there and then more of where they were.
I loved the overall story. The secondary characters added a whole other level to this story and truly rounded out everything so well. The writing is impeccable and I truly understood both Arik and Varian and their decisions, good or bad.
Definitely a highly recommended read. And J.R., you sir, just earned yourself another fan.
For more information about J.R. Gray and her books, visit her website:
