Book Review: "The A-Listers" by Berlin Wick

Former child star Jace Wilder is going to be starring in one of the most highly anticipated movies of the year. Iron Horizon, based on the story of the rock band with the same name, is unlike anything Jace has ever done. His manager—as well as his controlling mother—are concerned the film might damage his reputation.

His costar in the movie is British actor Lennox Rome, who parlayed being a social media influencer into an acting career. The two actors have never met, but Lennox beat Jace for a film award despite being new to the industry, and they’ve been pitted against each other ever since.⁣

The film traces the band’s story from their start in high school to the two leads falling in love, which ultimately led to their failure. In order to do their story justice, Jace and Lennox must ensure their chemistry and camaraderie are completely authentic.

From the moment they meet, both men feel an unmistakable pull toward the other. But neither has been in a relationship with a man before, and neither really understands what their feelings for one another means. Yet as the tabloids circle, they have to worry about not only hurting their career, but each other as well.

I really enjoyed the chemistry between Jace and Lennox, and there is a lot of steam. However, Jace’s mother is so crazily manipulative, so it really took me out of the story whenever she popped up. I also dislike miscommunication as a trope, and that reared its head a few times in the book. But in the end, the romance outweighed the obstacles, and left me smiling.

Book Review: "Once Upon a Boyband" by Jenny Proctor

“The only thing better than tall, dark, and handsome is tall, dark, and handsome…with puppies.” (I’d agree!)

Laney is a small-town vet working with her father. Her personal life is quite boring, but she does have a bit of a crush on one of her clients, Adam, who runs a dog rescue in town. (Luckily there are a lot of dogs that come in and out of the rescue, so he’s at the vet a lot.) He’s always been rather shy, but on one visit, they start talking and apart from their shared love of music, the chemistry between them is pretty intense.

Adam has been interested in Laney for some time, but he finally gets the courage to strike up a conversation. And then he discovers that her favorite band is Midnight Rush, a boy band that was huge about 8-10 years ago.

Adam knows Midnight Rush too—because he was a member. As Deke, he was a teenage heartthrob, but he walked away eight years ago and never made another appearance. Now bearded and muscly, no one knows his secret. But Janine was obsessed with the band—and still might be.

When the band’s old label wants to do a reunion concert, there’s nothing Adam wants to do less. But when he finds out they’ll be donating the proceeds to a charity he cares about, he capitulates. Of course, his secret won’t be secret anymore, and what would Laney think knowing that the guy she’s dating used to be her ultimate crush? (Spoiler: she cannot believe it. But it’s amazing!)

Yet the more Adam reunites with his old friends and bandmates, the more he remembers why he walked away. And as demands start to increase so does the pressure. Can he deal with his issues before he destroys his friends again, and can he avoid ruining any chance at a potential relationship with Laney?

This was so much fun, full of drama, humor, and romance. I wished Adam was more communicative and didn’t keep pushing everyone away, but I understood his issues. I really enjoyed this!!

Book Review: "Lo Fi" by Liz Riggs

Alison left her home in Michigan to move to Nashville. She’s in love with the city and the opportunity to immerse herself in music, which she loves so much. She works at The Venue, a club where both aspiring artists and famous bands come to play.

“I just work the door. I stamp hands. I’m not even a critic or journalist, not a true insider. I’m not in a band. To even say I write songs wouldn’t be fair, not in a town full of songwriters. If I’m anything at all here, I’m just a fan.”

Al would love to become a musician, but after a disastrous performance at an open mic night (she refers to it as “the incident”), she has no desire to perform again, nor has she been able to find the inspiration to write more songs. So when she’s not working, she and her roommate go to clubs and hear bands, and even get to attend some exclusive parties.

When she is working, Al is also drinking a lot, sleeping with the bartender, talking about music, and flirting with Julien, her coworker. She’s also trying not to obsess over her ex, who is the lead singer of an up-and-coming band, or dwell on the disappearance of a famous singer.

Al has no idea what she really wants, or how to get what she thinks she wants. She knows she wants Julien but can’t seem to fully commit to that, and she wishes she could perform again, but she can’t get past her fear. It takes help from some unlikely sources to move forward.

It took a bit for the book to hit its stride, but then it really clicked for me. Liz Riggs uses a stream of consciousness style at times, but it really puts you in Al’s frame of mind. It reminded me of being in my 20s and going to concerts all the time, barely sleeping and living for music.

Book Review: "If This Gets Out" by Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich

In Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich's new YA rom-com, If This Gets Out, when two members of a popular boy band fall for each other, crises and craziness ensue.

Saturday is a world-famous boy band, and their fans know and love its four members: Jon, the sexy one; Zach, dark and brooding; Ruben, cute and likable; and Angel (not his real name), the sweet, innocent one. Of course, their real personalities are nothing like the perfectly curated images their management makes them adhere to.

They’ve been together for a number of years, but why is Ruben suddenly starting to have feelings for Zach? Ruben is always being told it’s not the right time to come out publicly, and all too often, guys use him. Besides, Zach is straight. Right?

For his part, Zach wants the label to give him a chance to write some songs, but he can’t seem to stay in Saturday’s music mindset. And why is he suddenly thinking about nothing but Ruben? Is this just a crush on a close friend?

When the two start falling for each other it touches off a powder keg, as the band members start resenting each other and the constant guidance/interference of their management. Angel wants to be seen as the sexy one and he has been acting out, and Jon is tired of having to flaunt his body.

They’re supposed to be friends but they’re feeling like anything but that. Ruben and Zach want to be together, but their management won’t let them, and the image of Saturday is in danger of slipping out of control. Are love—and freedom to be whom they want—worth risking it all for?

This was a fun book, full of drama and angst and young love. I’ll admit to having read some boy band fanfic (hot, BTW) so this was a cleaner, more dramatic version of some of that. You know what will happen but you’re happy to get immersed in Saturday’s story, and maybe you’ll try to label the characters with your favorite boy band members.

NetGalley and Wednesday Books provided me with a complimentary advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making it available!