yourfavoritebookbag's review
5.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Chasing the Idol is Book One in Ivy Wild’s Infamous Trilogy Series.
It a second chance romance and it follows friend zoned Connor Driscoll and fallen pop star Sophia Stronglen. This book grabbed me right at the beginning and I couldn’t put it down! I loved that it switched from different POV’s throughout the book, but it was in a way that was easy to follow and even see what was going through secondary characters minds in those moments.
Connor, burned by Sophie’s rejection in the past and her leaving him left a hole in his heart. Has she not left to make something of herself he wouldn’t be a CEO and successful businessman, however, it left him not trusting Sophie when she came back. They practically jump into one another and leaves Sophie trying to start back over after a scandal has ripped her career apart. It’s a chance encounter, and I’m patiently waiting to start book two to see what happens next!
SPOILER. This does not address why Sophie was running in the first place so I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what specifically led her to come back home.
Overall, this is a great story and I can’t wait to see what happens with Connor and Sophie! I’m rooting for their HEA!
Chasing the Idol is Book One in Ivy Wild’s Infamous Trilogy Series.
It a second chance romance and it follows friend zoned Connor Driscoll and fallen pop star Sophia Stronglen. This book grabbed me right at the beginning and I couldn’t put it down! I loved that it switched from different POV’s throughout the book, but it was in a way that was easy to follow and even see what was going through secondary characters minds in those moments.
Connor, burned by Sophie’s rejection in the past and her leaving him left a hole in his heart. Has she not left to make something of herself he wouldn’t be a CEO and successful businessman, however, it left him not trusting Sophie when she came back. They practically jump into one another and leaves Sophie trying to start back over after a scandal has ripped her career apart. It’s a chance encounter, and I’m patiently waiting to start book two to see what happens next!
SPOILER. This does not address why Sophie was running in the first place so I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what specifically led her to come back home.
Overall, this is a great story and I can’t wait to see what happens with Connor and Sophie! I’m rooting for their HEA!
currant7's review
3.0
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
I received a complimentary copy of this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.
The Characters
Sophia Stronglen (aka Sophie Strong) is a fallen pop star who sets out to reclaim herself after a big scandal that left her in ruins and running away from her career. She left Los Angeles for Washington DC to quietly finish her degree at her old university and back to her hometown.
She is intelligent and hardworking but after abrupt ending her friendship with her best friend, Connor, five years ago, she had apprehensions of bumping into him around the city. As fate would hold it, she becomes her professor in one of the subjects and becomes his intern to his company – both are required for her to finish and get her degree.
Connor Driscoll is the owner of Pheonix Development, a property development company, that specializes in renovating older buildings and some ground-up constructions through DC with green technology. He’s is also an adjunct professor in his and Sophie’s alma mater wherein he teaches a seminar, where his company also offers an internship program that Sophie ends up working at to finish her degree. He’s been Sophie’s best friend before she abrupt departure from their last year of university that he was torn up all about it, till a chance meet-up on campus changed everything for him and Sophie.
The Review
I like the story and how it’s written. It is easy to follow and the characters are relatable. There are a few twists in the plot that makes the book more interesting as readers read on that is beyond just friends reuniting. There are jealous ex-girlfriends (as termed by the crazy girlfriend), Sophie’s scandal past coming back to find her, and the complicated, precarious relationship between the main characters. It is a second chance romance that deals with healing, friendship, lies, deceit, and bravery.
I enjoyed how both of them try to “one-up” the other at the start of the book since both do not want to admit their true feelings with it’s obvious to everyone. The notes and the “implied discussions” were funny. It’s a cute comic relief that reminded me of the War of Roses but in a passive-aggressive with humor manner. After the flirting war is done then the story gets rolling with Connor and Sophie giving in to the inevitable.
Relating to the characters, Connor is a unique one because readers will not know who you will get from one scene to another – because of Connor’s many facets – Bedroom Connor versus Businessman Connor versus Professor Connor versus her Best Friend Connor are all different with a good mix for the readers. How he sees Sophie, wooed, and even impose himself to her were well executed.
Sophie’s so strong for what she has to endure and to push through to get her back to “herself” again takes a lot of courage. She also has to navigate crazy TAs (teaching assistants) and the people who destroyed Sophie's reputation that still lurks to find her and finish her for good.
The bedroom scenes were steamy with a bit of light BDSM but not cheesy. It is always good to have a bit of it without it coming as “trying hard”. I appreciate this and Sophie gets to know Connor in a whole new light.
There are a few villains in the story that will get to readers, especially when you are rooting for a reconciliation from Sophie and Connor’s past behaviors.
1.) Aubrey Knight is the “crazy ex-girlfriend”, as termed by her, and the daughter of a congressman who always gets what she wants. She wants Connor and had to pressure him to date her (as seen at the start of the book) and when Connor decided (long time due already) to break off with her, she set-off to find out why. She later finds out that Sophie, her student in one of her teaching-assistant classes, came into the picture and she decides to destroy them both to teach them a lesson.
2.) Lennie Webb is with tabloid companies that Aubrey contacted to help execute her plan of destruction to Connor and Sophie. He’s wondering why Aubrey is not seeking money or fame for exposing Sophie Strong. I hope we get to know what's his role more in the next book.
I’m glad that there are friends who have both Sophie and Connor’s back.
1.) Kris is Connor’s hardworking assistant who impressed his boss when Kris interned in Phoenix. After Kris finished his degree, Connor offered him the position and has been his loyal employee since. He’s independent and knows what Connor needs when it counts to make the company run smoothly.
2.) Skylar is the classmate of Sophie. She also works at Friendly Pancake where she first saw Connor with Sophie for lunch. She’s witty, smart, and a strong supporter/friend of Sophie. She understands where Sophie is coming from and knows why she wants not to be recognized or asked about her past since Skyler, herself, also has a past she doesn’t want to share (yet).
3.) Travis is the funny tattoo artist and friend (boyfriend) of Skyler who gave Sophie her first tattoo. You have to read the book but what she got is really cool. She worked on it with Travis and held a lot of meaning to her situation. It was huge for Sophie since it was a way for her to take back control of her life, outside of being a pop star and from controlling handlers when she was in Los Angeles.
These people all helped Sophie and Connor one way or another in the story and made them all “braver” in giving their relationship a second try.
Overall, I want to disclose early on that this has a cliffhanger ending. I do not normally subscribe to this but given that there were issues resolved in Book 1 that I am happy with. I like the book and cannot wait to continue to Book 2 when it’s ready. There are so many unexpected outcomes to the story that is not typical when you just read the summary that got me pleasantly surprised. I hope readers will get to know more about the other supporting characters in the book soon.
I received a complimentary copy of this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.
The Characters
Sophia Stronglen (aka Sophie Strong) is a fallen pop star who sets out to reclaim herself after a big scandal that left her in ruins and running away from her career. She left Los Angeles for Washington DC to quietly finish her degree at her old university and back to her hometown.
She is intelligent and hardworking but after abrupt ending her friendship with her best friend, Connor, five years ago, she had apprehensions of bumping into him around the city. As fate would hold it, she becomes her professor in one of the subjects and becomes his intern to his company – both are required for her to finish and get her degree.
"All that glitters isn’t gold.”
— Sophie, Chasing the Idol
Connor Driscoll is the owner of Pheonix Development, a property development company, that specializes in renovating older buildings and some ground-up constructions through DC with green technology. He’s is also an adjunct professor in his and Sophie’s alma mater wherein he teaches a seminar, where his company also offers an internship program that Sophie ends up working at to finish her degree. He’s been Sophie’s best friend before she abrupt departure from their last year of university that he was torn up all about it, till a chance meet-up on campus changed everything for him and Sophie.
The Review
I like the story and how it’s written. It is easy to follow and the characters are relatable. There are a few twists in the plot that makes the book more interesting as readers read on that is beyond just friends reuniting. There are jealous ex-girlfriends (as termed by the crazy girlfriend), Sophie’s scandal past coming back to find her, and the complicated, precarious relationship between the main characters. It is a second chance romance that deals with healing, friendship, lies, deceit, and bravery.
I enjoyed how both of them try to “one-up” the other at the start of the book since both do not want to admit their true feelings with it’s obvious to everyone. The notes and the “implied discussions” were funny. It’s a cute comic relief that reminded me of the War of Roses but in a passive-aggressive with humor manner. After the flirting war is done then the story gets rolling with Connor and Sophie giving in to the inevitable.
Relating to the characters, Connor is a unique one because readers will not know who you will get from one scene to another – because of Connor’s many facets – Bedroom Connor versus Businessman Connor versus Professor Connor versus her Best Friend Connor are all different with a good mix for the readers. How he sees Sophie, wooed, and even impose himself to her were well executed.
Sophie’s so strong for what she has to endure and to push through to get her back to “herself” again takes a lot of courage. She also has to navigate crazy TAs (teaching assistants) and the people who destroyed Sophie's reputation that still lurks to find her and finish her for good.
The bedroom scenes were steamy with a bit of light BDSM but not cheesy. It is always good to have a bit of it without it coming as “trying hard”. I appreciate this and Sophie gets to know Connor in a whole new light.
There are a few villains in the story that will get to readers, especially when you are rooting for a reconciliation from Sophie and Connor’s past behaviors.
1.) Aubrey Knight is the “crazy ex-girlfriend”, as termed by her, and the daughter of a congressman who always gets what she wants. She wants Connor and had to pressure him to date her (as seen at the start of the book) and when Connor decided (long time due already) to break off with her, she set-off to find out why. She later finds out that Sophie, her student in one of her teaching-assistant classes, came into the picture and she decides to destroy them both to teach them a lesson.
2.) Lennie Webb is with tabloid companies that Aubrey contacted to help execute her plan of destruction to Connor and Sophie. He’s wondering why Aubrey is not seeking money or fame for exposing Sophie Strong. I hope we get to know what's his role more in the next book.
I’m glad that there are friends who have both Sophie and Connor’s back.
1.) Kris is Connor’s hardworking assistant who impressed his boss when Kris interned in Phoenix. After Kris finished his degree, Connor offered him the position and has been his loyal employee since. He’s independent and knows what Connor needs when it counts to make the company run smoothly.
2.) Skylar is the classmate of Sophie. She also works at Friendly Pancake where she first saw Connor with Sophie for lunch. She’s witty, smart, and a strong supporter/friend of Sophie. She understands where Sophie is coming from and knows why she wants not to be recognized or asked about her past since Skyler, herself, also has a past she doesn’t want to share (yet).
3.) Travis is the funny tattoo artist and friend (boyfriend) of Skyler who gave Sophie her first tattoo. You have to read the book but what she got is really cool. She worked on it with Travis and held a lot of meaning to her situation. It was huge for Sophie since it was a way for her to take back control of her life, outside of being a pop star and from controlling handlers when she was in Los Angeles.
These people all helped Sophie and Connor one way or another in the story and made them all “braver” in giving their relationship a second try.
Overall, I want to disclose early on that this has a cliffhanger ending. I do not normally subscribe to this but given that there were issues resolved in Book 1 that I am happy with. I like the book and cannot wait to continue to Book 2 when it’s ready. There are so many unexpected outcomes to the story that is not typical when you just read the summary that got me pleasantly surprised. I hope readers will get to know more about the other supporting characters in the book soon.
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