My name is Clover Calloway and I’ve lived two separate lives. The first, I like to call “my past.” I never talk about it. I try not to think about it. My rockstar days of playing in one of the hottest bands on the planet are over. Along with the most volatile, beautiful, tragic love story of all time.Over the past five years, I’ve settled into my second life. My “normal life.” The one where I … The one where I work a normal job, hang out with normal people and fall in love with a normal, but wonderful guy. The life where I’m admittedly a little bored, but also safe.
My past wasn’t boring. But my past broke my heart into a million, unfixable pieces. So, I’m determined to keep it where it belongs—behind me.
And the man responsible for the shattering of me? Malachi Porter, lead singer and mastermind of Bright Tragedy, should stay there too. Far away from me and this idyllic life I’ve carved out for myself.
But what happens when my two lives collide?
When Malachi comes crashing into my perfectly normal world, he threatens to destroy it, promises to annihilate everything I’ve replaced him with.
He upends everything I thought I wanted and forces me to question the reasons I left Bright Tragedy all those years ago.
But I didn’t walk away five years ago, I ran. As fast as I could go. And while my heart is whispering that it’s different this time—that he’s different—my brain is screaming for me to run again.
Malachi Porter isn’t a normal guy. And he doesn’t belong in my “normal life.” But, nevertheless, he’s bound and determined to make a place for himself here.
I just hope my heart can survive him, that we don’t burn into another bright tragedy.
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Wow.
That was…beautiful.
This book was not at all what I was expecting. I was incredibly nervous going into it. I was afraid there may be an angsty love triangle in store for me, and I can’t handle it when my heart is split in two like that. I promised myself I would give it a shot, that I would trust Rachel Higginson and her special brand of captivating storytelling and her almost lyrical way with words.
I went in feeling completely unsure and was rewarded with this beautiful, poignant, and utterly enthralling love story.
I loved it.
It’s a different kind of romance than I’ve read from this author before. It focused almost as much on the healing and growth of Malachi and Clover as individuals as it did on them as a couple. There is a fair amount of angst here, but it didn’t feel overly angsty. The burn is slow and it sparks and smolders throughout the story. The focus here is definitely on the emotional aspect of this second chance romance, versus the physical chemistry (though that is present as well). That made it a perfect fit for me.
There are some tough issues addressed here, and I felt like it was handled with a sort of gritty honesty mixed with tender care. It was difficult to read and easy to read all at the same time. How is that even possible? The magic of a really good book, I suppose.
In the end, this is a journey I am so happy to have taken. My heart wrapped itself around Clover and Malachi so very easily, and I lost myself easily in Ms. Higginson’s enchanting storytelling. My heart ached for Clover and Malachi as they sorted through the wreckage of their past, and bravely reclaimed their love story. No feels were left untouched – I hurt, I laughed, I cried (happy tears, mostly). I can’t tell you how happy I am that I took a chance on this book that made me so nervous. This story is something special and I enthusiastically recommend it! ~ 4.5 “Wildflower” Stars
Never Fall in Love with a Rock Star! What a story!
I know that anything this author produces, is going to be good. No, it’s going to be great. She gives me everything I could want.
Intrigue.
Sweetness.
Heat.
Believability.
Character chemistry.
These are mainly what I look for in a decent book, it changes if it’s a different genre but mainly for contemporary romance, these characteristics are what I look for.
This book is one such book.
I don’t know how she does it, it’s like she works some sort of magic that has you turning the page without even thinking.
I generally hate female lead characters. They have to have that certain something for me to fall in love with them but Clover? Yeah, she was a character I actually enjoyed reading and I loved the dynamic between her and Malachi. Their chemistry was enjoyable to read. I loved that it involved real issues.
I’ll happily devour any more books by this author. A definite one-click for me!
I have to tell you that my overall reading year has been meh. There have been a few gems and great books from continuing series, but there haven’t been many new books to really grab me and pull me in, while I get lost the world the author created. It should surprise me that one of my favorite authors knocked it out of the park with her newest release. and to be really honest, I don’t really like stories involving rock stars, but I loved this one!
Clover and Kai’s story was equal parts beautiful and tragic. It was a story of first loves, first success, first heartbreak and ultimately first lost. This story dealt with the emotional trauma a co-dependency and addiction can have on people. Clover gave up everything, even her soul when she was a member of Bright Tragedy. The band and Kai were slowing stealing her life and that she did the only thing she could do and that was to run.
When Clover ran though she failed to see that her addiction to saving and rescuing others was just a damaging as substance abuse. She spent the better part of a decade wearing a mask, making the same mistakes and running from her own issues. When she is confronted with her past, she is forced to finally deal with her addiction and ugliness in order to finally live as her true self.
This story was raw, emotional and messy in all the best ways. What Clover has to go through in order to be free isn’t easy at times. She has to finally confront all that she ran from, learn to be vulnerable and accept some hard truths about herself and her demons.
The only reason is I’m knocked off one star because I wanted to see the actual reconciliation of Kai and Clover’s past relationship. In order for Clover to be free, she has to comes to terms with her past with Kai and what her future could look like. AS I’m greedy I wanted to see it all played out on the page and instead got a few chapters of the play by play, when I wanted the whole ballgame.
Otherwise this beautiful story of forgiveness, reconciliation, and redemption and be prepared to take an emotional journey to a HEA.
***********Author provided a review copy*********
Clover Calloway knows a thing or two about reinventing your life. With the pain of a broken heart fueling her desire for a change, Clover relishes in the ordinary things in her new life. Five years have passed, and yet those memories that haunt Clover feel like a lifetime ago. Now that Clover has settled into her ordinary life, she finds herself a bit bored by the change.
Nothing would have prepared Clover to face the world that she left behind. However her new boyfriend – Adam – decided to surprise her with concert tickets to his favorite band. Determined not to let Adam down, Clover finds herself coming face to face with a past that just won’t stay hidden. Bright Tragedy is once again engulfing Clover without even trying. With a little intervention, Malachi comes crashing into Clover’s world once again.
The past can’t stay hidden now that Malachi has spilled Clovers identity. It is a total upheaval from the life that Clover has planned out. Facing Malachi brings all the pain from days past back into the present. Determined to have Clover in his life once more, Malachi pulls out all the stops to get her back into the arms of Bright Tragedy. Is it enough? Can Clover survive the destruction that haunted her past once is comes crashing into the present?
Get ready for the reinvention of the century! Never Fall in Love with a Rockstar is the latest release from Rachel Higginson, and it is sure to pull you into this world of second chances. Clover Calloway will lead you through the journey that was once her life, and the tragedy that cause her to flee life in the spotlight. Malachi was supposed to remain a part of the past, but his presence only leads Clover into a spiral of indecision.
This story devotes a great deal of the plot to substance abuse, and it was handled in a way that shows the honesty that comes with this disease. Clover and Malachi will show you how the tragedy from their past deserves a resolution. This glimpse into stardom will have you glued to your reader in anticipation of which path Clover and Malachi will choose. For me personally – Clover’s journey was one that I simply couldn’t pull myself away from. An entertaining and realistic journey for every rockstar at heart.