sarastar's review against another edition
5.0
First, I have to say I loved this book and more….I was riveted until the end. I loved everything except the end.
Some books just leave you speechless, without words to properly describe it because no word you know is good enough.
They leave you feeling mixed up because you lived the story with all the passion and emotions.
Reading this book was effortless but I had to revisit the ending because...it was unexpected.
I think I wish I did not read this book….but I did.
The Characters: 5 stars
The Settings: 5 stars
The love story: 5 stars
The flow:: 5 stars
The ending: …..undecided
This book is about a romance between Solene, and Hayes Campbell who is from a famous boy band named August Moon.
The big deal is that the age gap is about 19 years. Now that is frowned upon if the woman is the one older one, in which case this is.
Now, I was expecting a romance... and maybe predictable given what it was about but I was not prepared for the depth of this story. Robinne Lee made this book into a riveting, captivating, emotional and beautiful story.
So beautiful it hurt my heart.
Every word on this page, smooth and the writing is perfect.
I loved how the story unfolded and grew.
I fell in love with the descriptions.
I was constantly on tip toes with the relationship as if I was there.
This book has so many emotions.
The characters are so carefully developed.
The chemistry between the characters is perfect.
The one thing that amazed me is:
How well the life of a celebrity boy band was captured in all its awareness, all the complications that came with it. It was not glazed over, everyone was touched on. The band members you get to see a glimpse of them, Hayes bodyguards, his family. The lifestyle I could picture perfectly.
The Life of Solene and her friends, her love of art, and her daughter Isabelle. It was amazing. Her own complications in her life involving her ex husband.
Hayes…Solene
Beautiful, smart, charming, witty Hayes. I did not feel the age gap with this. He is so well articulated. And the chemistry was incredible.
Solene is the very definition of a woman. She is beautiful and multidimensional. There are so many layers to each of them and it is revealed as the story unfolds.
I wanted to learn more about them so I kept reading non stop, I wanted to know how this was going to play out.
And the setting...
I enjoyed reading about all the various places Hayes and the band went.
Every angle was thoroughly explored in the story and as a reader every emotion each person was going through was felt. I love the descriptions of everywhere Hayes and Solene went.
And when Isabelle found out…
I too was holding my breath…
Heartbreaking and sad the way Isabelle found out, well written.
However she did not put them through continued torture which can sometimes put the reader off
Isabelle evolved along with everything. She put much effort into accepting the relationship though it hurt her.
Too much angst is not always a good thing and it was the perfect amount to keep the story moving forward instead of getting stuck.
In the end though the choices were difficult that had to be made.
And then the end…
I could not believe I just got my heart broken as I read the lines over and over in disbelief.
Much like a cliffhanger...I think I know how Hayes feels when I arrived at the end.
My heart fell off the cliff too.
I had to reread that ending many times in disbelief that I actually felt my heart hurt in my chest.
Yes I was very much involved.
At this moment I could not decide if I am to love this book or …..
I feel like it is too lovely to end like this…
On the other hand…
I can understand why Solene made the choices she made though it broke her heart...and Hayes. It was a sensitive situation and alot was changing so fast. In Hayes' world it was ever changing, dramatic, loss of so many precious things, Isabelle and all the fans who can become scary. I imagine if Solene did not have Isabelle it might have been different. All the same it is difficult to suddenly be in the spotlight for everything, people watching your every move.
I do hope there is going to be a follow up anyway...just because I do not think it should end like this...Hayes and Solene deserve a second chance.
Some books just leave you speechless, without words to properly describe it because no word you know is good enough.
They leave you feeling mixed up because you lived the story with all the passion and emotions.
Reading this book was effortless but I had to revisit the ending because...it was unexpected.
I think I wish I did not read this book….but I did.
The Characters: 5 stars
The Settings: 5 stars
The love story: 5 stars
The flow:: 5 stars
The ending: …..undecided
This book is about a romance between Solene, and Hayes Campbell who is from a famous boy band named August Moon.
The big deal is that the age gap is about 19 years. Now that is frowned upon if the woman is the one older one, in which case this is.
Now, I was expecting a romance... and maybe predictable given what it was about but I was not prepared for the depth of this story. Robinne Lee made this book into a riveting, captivating, emotional and beautiful story.
So beautiful it hurt my heart.
Every word on this page, smooth and the writing is perfect.
I loved how the story unfolded and grew.
I fell in love with the descriptions.
I was constantly on tip toes with the relationship as if I was there.
This book has so many emotions.
The characters are so carefully developed.
The chemistry between the characters is perfect.
The one thing that amazed me is:
How well the life of a celebrity boy band was captured in all its awareness, all the complications that came with it. It was not glazed over, everyone was touched on. The band members you get to see a glimpse of them, Hayes bodyguards, his family. The lifestyle I could picture perfectly.
The Life of Solene and her friends, her love of art, and her daughter Isabelle. It was amazing. Her own complications in her life involving her ex husband.
Hayes…Solene
Beautiful, smart, charming, witty Hayes. I did not feel the age gap with this. He is so well articulated. And the chemistry was incredible.
Solene is the very definition of a woman. She is beautiful and multidimensional. There are so many layers to each of them and it is revealed as the story unfolds.
I wanted to learn more about them so I kept reading non stop, I wanted to know how this was going to play out.
And the setting...
I enjoyed reading about all the various places Hayes and the band went.
Every angle was thoroughly explored in the story and as a reader every emotion each person was going through was felt. I love the descriptions of everywhere Hayes and Solene went.
And when Isabelle found out…
I too was holding my breath…
Heartbreaking and sad the way Isabelle found out, well written.
However she did not put them through continued torture which can sometimes put the reader off
Isabelle evolved along with everything. She put much effort into accepting the relationship though it hurt her.
Too much angst is not always a good thing and it was the perfect amount to keep the story moving forward instead of getting stuck.
In the end though the choices were difficult that had to be made.
And then the end…
I could not believe I just got my heart broken as I read the lines over and over in disbelief.
Much like a cliffhanger...I think I know how Hayes feels when I arrived at the end.
My heart fell off the cliff too.
I had to reread that ending many times in disbelief that I actually felt my heart hurt in my chest.
Yes I was very much involved.
At this moment I could not decide if I am to love this book or …..
I feel like it is too lovely to end like this…
On the other hand…
I can understand why Solene made the choices she made though it broke her heart...and Hayes. It was a sensitive situation and alot was changing so fast. In Hayes' world it was ever changing, dramatic, loss of so many precious things, Isabelle and all the fans who can become scary. I imagine if Solene did not have Isabelle it might have been different. All the same it is difficult to suddenly be in the spotlight for everything, people watching your every move.
I do hope there is going to be a follow up anyway...just because I do not think it should end like this...Hayes and Solene deserve a second chance.
_bethypaige's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
kspear22's review against another edition
5.0
Oh, hey. I finished this around 3am, completely blown away. Emotional. This story is so far outside my typical tastes, it’s ridiculous. It’s well outside my comfort zone too. And yet...I effing loved it.
I first saw this on Instagram. Not by anyone well-known for recommendations. But her picture intrigued me. I looked it up, and right there I knew it wasn’t for me. Fast forward a few days later and another friend—and trusted book pal—was posting about it. I thought maybe I’d give it a try. Even still, I waited almost two more weeks before giving it a go.
I’m kicking myself, because I was so wrapped up in Solène’s life. Her story. This didn’t feel like a fictional woman. She leapt off the page and into the real world. I’d swear that. For that matter, so did Hayes. The writing is beautiful, but it’s the story and the journey that is truly compelling. Most people would judge this. I know because I would be that person. It doesn’t seem realistic, does it? That a young, virile pop star could find something in a 40-year-old divorced mother. But why should it be? Reverse the genders and no one bats an eye. I was humbled to realize and understand that maybe, just maybe, older women can be sexy too. Perhaps not to everyone, but to the right person.
What starts as hot trysts quickly grows into true feelings. Loving, caring feelings. And though neither Hayes nor Solène may want to admit it, it’s crystal clear to the reader AND the characters around them. What some may see and odd or dirty is pure and beautiful. Honest. Of course, with all of this comes the fallout. What outsiders think and see. What they believe. It’s heartbreaking at times. And I have to admit, even from the very beginning, the sense of foreboding always hovers in the background. For as perfect and right as their romance seems, that recognition of doom cannot be silenced or ignored. It’s only a matter of time. So with every question or feeling of distrust, you wait. Wait for the moment when all this beauty will fade.
I suppose this is an honest portrayal. Because real life isn’t always rainbows and sunshine. Fiction tends to make us forget that. Most readers are used to having things sewn up neatly by the end. However, real life doesn’t work that way. For all the wishing and wanting and hoping, reality can be ugly. This book definitely hits home on that point. Sometimes, a couple gets their HEA. Other times, regardless of how much they love each other, the timing isn’t right. Or maybe it wasn’t meant for forever, but for a short period in the now. Does that make it any less real or beautiful? I don’t think so. I found the way Robinne Lee wove fame and the average lifestyle together to be spectacular. Candid.
Solène was refreshing. Guarded. She deserved her happiness. She’s not someone who can truly change. Her character arc has developed. She is the person she was meant to become. Hayes was enigmatic. Charming. Deep. His character surprised me. I really didn’t think someone his age could come off so mature. His character is written so damn well, though, I believed it. As they opened up to each other, it felt as though despite their age difference, they were soulmates. And fuck everyone else.
This is a love story. It might not be for everyone. Heck, I didn’t think it was for ME until I read it. But, sometimes taking a chance is worth it.
I first saw this on Instagram. Not by anyone well-known for recommendations. But her picture intrigued me. I looked it up, and right there I knew it wasn’t for me. Fast forward a few days later and another friend—and trusted book pal—was posting about it. I thought maybe I’d give it a try. Even still, I waited almost two more weeks before giving it a go.
I’m kicking myself, because I was so wrapped up in Solène’s life. Her story. This didn’t feel like a fictional woman. She leapt off the page and into the real world. I’d swear that. For that matter, so did Hayes. The writing is beautiful, but it’s the story and the journey that is truly compelling. Most people would judge this. I know because I would be that person. It doesn’t seem realistic, does it? That a young, virile pop star could find something in a 40-year-old divorced mother. But why should it be? Reverse the genders and no one bats an eye. I was humbled to realize and understand that maybe, just maybe, older women can be sexy too. Perhaps not to everyone, but to the right person.
What starts as hot trysts quickly grows into true feelings. Loving, caring feelings. And though neither Hayes nor Solène may want to admit it, it’s crystal clear to the reader AND the characters around them. What some may see and odd or dirty is pure and beautiful. Honest. Of course, with all of this comes the fallout. What outsiders think and see. What they believe. It’s heartbreaking at times. And I have to admit, even from the very beginning, the sense of foreboding always hovers in the background. For as perfect and right as their romance seems, that recognition of doom cannot be silenced or ignored. It’s only a matter of time. So with every question or feeling of distrust, you wait. Wait for the moment when all this beauty will fade.
I suppose this is an honest portrayal. Because real life isn’t always rainbows and sunshine. Fiction tends to make us forget that. Most readers are used to having things sewn up neatly by the end. However, real life doesn’t work that way. For all the wishing and wanting and hoping, reality can be ugly. This book definitely hits home on that point. Sometimes, a couple gets their HEA. Other times, regardless of how much they love each other, the timing isn’t right. Or maybe it wasn’t meant for forever, but for a short period in the now. Does that make it any less real or beautiful? I don’t think so. I found the way Robinne Lee wove fame and the average lifestyle together to be spectacular. Candid.
Solène was refreshing. Guarded. She deserved her happiness. She’s not someone who can truly change. Her character arc has developed. She is the person she was meant to become. Hayes was enigmatic. Charming. Deep. His character surprised me. I really didn’t think someone his age could come off so mature. His character is written so damn well, though, I believed it. As they opened up to each other, it felt as though despite their age difference, they were soulmates. And fuck everyone else.
This is a love story. It might not be for everyone. Heck, I didn’t think it was for ME until I read it. But, sometimes taking a chance is worth it.
basha's review against another edition
3.0
This book has a lot of the same pitfalls as most in the romance genre: A lot of compulsory heterosexuality peppered in that could have been left out a lot of trite aphorisms and clichés in the language that are corny enough to take you out of the narrative and wonder why an editor didn’t cross it out and keep moving. and in this book, although the age difference between the characters is a significant part of the plot, I would have been more comfortable if it was a year or two smaller… At times I felt like the reader was a teenager being coerced to think that statutory rape is fine if the relationship between the two lovers is passionate enough, or has some kind of other element such as fame to balance the power in the couple. Like so many TV shows made for teenagers, we are conditioned by your consumption to think these relationships are appropriate, and if the mail interest have been just 22 I would have been much less uncomfortable. But I see why people of this book, the plot picks up quickly. Like so many romance novels, you know from the start, who the two love interests will be, but unlike many romance novels, in this one, the future is not so foretold, that you already know how the plot will unfold between them. it is almost told with the tone of a darker drama, despite being squarely romance. And while the male lead has a bit more personality than the female protagonist, I generally found these characters to be believable, and their interest in each other to make sense. The chemistry between the two felt real, and the pacing of their dates was spot on - there is a lazy comfort paired with a fierce urgency in their attraction that I have not often seen another author nail. So, despite my reservations stated above, i see the appeal.
rditchek's review against another edition
4.0
Overall, I was amused by this book and would rate it 4.25. The reason I decided to read it was because so many people recommended it on FB book club blogs. However, I did not have an idea about the plot of this book when I got it on libby. In the begin of the novel, I was not sure if the book was a romance novel or if it was going to turn into a thriller, mystery, or even horror book. I was disoriented to the point that I had to check the GR summary or orient myself with the theme of the book. It was a steamy book and had notes of "Fifty Shades of Grey" to it. Also, reminded me a lot of the real life romance between Harry Styles (especially with the Hayes scarf connection) and Olivia Wilde. The book was pleasurable, but I did not love the ending. I found myself wanting more. As many of the comments on GR said, maybe we will get a sequel. If you want something steamy to read this summer, this is the book for you.
clalaure's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
3.5