Ross Macalester is forty-three, rich, famous, and plain worn out. Life has been nothing but sex, drugs, and rock and roll for twenty years, and he’s not sure he can stomach one more minute of the party. When an invitation to his twenty-fifth high school reunion shows up, Ross decides he has nothing to lose–after all, he already lost his daughter’s love and a fair amount of self-respect. So he … catches a flight back to his hometown, but when he walks in the door of the high school gym, his gaze lands on someone he never expected to see again.
Carly Ellis is busy, getting by, and most days pretty happy. Life hasn’t always been easy, but she has her teenage son, a good job in real estate, and an ex who doesn’t cause too much trouble. Granted, she’d rather skip her high school reunion, but when your best friend is on the organizing committee, there’s no getting out of it. Then she walks through the door of the high school gym and her gaze lands on someone she never expected to see again.
Once upon a time, Carly was Ross’s high school prom date. One very sweet night that both of them knew didn’t mean a thing. Now they have a chance to do it again. Same conditions. Same game. But after a night in Carly’s arms, Ross isn’t sure he wants it to end. Could she be the answer to everything he’s been missing? A key to the future he secretly wants? With life offering him a second act, will Ross be able to pull off his most important encore ever?
Encore is an uplifting rockstar, second-chance, single parent, high school reunion romance with a hero who needs a little reboot, a heroine who’s strong enough to give it to him, two sassy teens, a perfect HEA, and an iguana named Chuck–just because.
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(SPOILERS)
I read another review that down-starred the book because it is “too real”… I understand reading for fantasy or escape, but that’s not what is being advertised here. It’s clearly a story of a man and a woman in the middle of their lives, rearing teens with varying success, working hard, and keeping things together with effort. They come together after a quarter century apart, having been each other’s Senior prom date (and first intimate experience); the occasion is their 25th High School Reunion, and it just happens that both of them are at times in their lives where they are single, examining their lives, and open to the magic of that person who took a different branch in the path but has suddenly come back into step with them.
Hard as they try to make it simple and casual, they are both not made that way, particularly when it comes to each other. They are honest with each other, and that’s good, but I did expect more from Ross and Carly than to leave their future dreams on the back burner and have to rely on the creativity and grace of their teenagers (which in real life is not always a given, they can be selfish monsters sometimes, particularly when it comes to parental intimacy). Yet, it all worked, and I was pleased with the HEA and the lack of the kind of b.s. I will drop a book in the trash for, like cheating or 300 pages of TSTL behavior that puts someone (usually the heroine) in danger.
I liked Ross and Carly, and I think you will, too. Sometimes the best kind of rock star is the one that’s a rock star to the people that love him, not the public that adulates him, and that’s Ross’ biggest joy, in the end, that as he’s lost the shine of touring life with a band, he’s found a fuller, stable family and still has his music. Five stars for Ross, Carly, their son and daughter, and the iguana Chuck. 😉
Fantastic. In some ways, this is a second chance romance but it’s more about a second chance at your life, reinventing or redirecting who you are later in life which is inspiring. Ross seems to have it all, he pursued his passion in music and is part of a hugely successful rock band but after 25 years, he has grown weary. Is this all there is, constant travel, hotel rooms, no real relationships? He has a 14-year-old daughter, Sara, that barely tolerates him since he has been the dad that writes checks instead of being present in her life. He decides to attend his 25-year high school reunion in his hometown, the one place that knew him before the fame. He needs to be the Ross from high school and talking to Carly, his prom date, and the girl his lost his virginity to, lets him feel like that person again. Carly is a single mom and successful real estate broker. She enjoys her life but hasn’t felt a relationship was in the cards after her divorce. Reconnecting with Ross opens something up inside Carly, a light she didn’t realize was missing. When Ross decides to bring Sara to live for a month in his hometown, it gives Carly and Ross a chance to bond as parents as well as acknowledging that they both had feelings for each other in high school. This also gives Ross the chance to connect with Sara, show her who he truly is, not just the rock star, and give her a new community to make part of their family. The challenge is what happens at the end of a month, can the rock star change the path is going down and keep this new life he so desperately wants? I loved every minute of this journey. It is inspiring to experience someone taking a chance and following their heart no matter how hard that might be.
Reuniting with your prom date?
Rockstar Ross Macalester needed a break and his twenty-fifth high school reunion was just the thing since his daughter wasn’t talking to him because he wasn’t around much. Ross hadn’t been back to Grove City since his parents had moved away but he still kept in touch with his best friend. Realtor Carly Ellis was surprised that Ross was coming since he was the only celebrity that Grove City had produced even though they had attended prom together as friends. Carly wasn’t so sure about going to the reunion but when her best friend was the organizer, she had to go.
Ross and Carly reconnected but they both wanted to see where this was going since they were both single parents of teenagers and I loved that part of the story because it was instant attraction when they reunited but other stuff was involved.
P.S. Chuck the iguana is the comedy relief of the story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
3.5 Stars. Which is better for a aging rockstar to burn up or fade away. When Ross the lead singer of a decades old rock band decided he was finished he return to his hometown to find the his old self and found a forever love in the process. This is a cute story about finding a second chance to be a good father and a first chance at creating a lasting relationship with old girlfriend in the town you left behind. I enjoyed this well written romance but found the story a little too real to life, I read to enjoy the fantasy.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance readers copy graciously provided by the author.
It was an exciting, riveting, reminiscent of an easier time romance. I loved the friendly characters, the way they protected and truly cared for each other. Grove City would be a great place to live. I really liked the relationship between Carly and Ross, even though they were the old people, the sparks flew and flew often. I highly recommend ENCORE by SELENA LAURENCE.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Ross has been touring as a mega rock star for 25 years. He has a daughter in LA who he loves, but he’s also be a neglectful father as far as sharing himself but he’s been generous with money. He’s tired of touring when he accepts an invitation to his high school reunion in a rural town. There he reconnects with friends and his one time high school lover, Carly. She has a life there – a mother, successful real estate agent, and lots of roots.
There is an instant attraction between Ross and Carly, but his daughter is cold to him and is resistant to his overtures to reaching out to her. Ross and Carly have led such different lives and there are big obstacles to overcome. Can they do it?
The book is very well written. The story is told from the perspective of each of the lovers. Selena Lawrence has produced a very fun and sexy book for her readers. I recommend it.