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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Kai Porter is the typical troubled rockstar, over indulged, a huge ego and he’s also the life that Clover ran from. He needs her in his life, he wants her back, but he also knows that it probably isn’t possible.
Clover Calloway is a normal everyday type of girl, she likes the “normal routine of normal life”. After all this is what she wants, she’s had the other type of life and it destroyed her. She didn’t just leave it behind, she Run!! Yes she loved her old life, she loved performing, she loved the touring, but she couldn’t save someone she loved at the cost of losing herself.
Now 5 years later, the man she grew up with, the man she has loved all her life has crashed back into her life she barely survived him before and she sure isn’t going to go there again.
This isn’t the easiest of reads. The author covers subjects that are never easy, but i loved that she didn’t leave out the trauma of addition and the horror and heartache it brings, not only to addicts but also to those people around them who love them.
I didn’t expect to fall in love with Kai as i learned more about his and Clover’s past. But this author definitely has a way of turning your heart and catching your emotions. I loved that i found it easy to connect with both characters, and got to learn both sides of the story. My heart broke for Clover and i found myself admiring her strength whilst desperately trying to keep her heart intact. I grew to admire Malachi (Kai) and the man he became, and then … yep I Fell in Love with him!!! Their re introduction to each other just melted me, and i could feel their love for each other leap out of the pages, but could they ever get back what they had lost? This author always gives such depth the the characters they become your friends, people you know and care about. People you want to protect and people you want to have that elusive Happy Ever After!!!
Never Fall in Love with a Rockstar is one of those books that will stick with you for a long time. It’s so much more than a rockstar book. So much more than a second chance romance.
Never Fall in Love with a Rockstar is about finding yourself. About figuring out who you are, away from family and friends. Finding your inner peace.
Never Fall in Love with a Rockstar is about forgiveness. Forgiving yourself for past mistakes. Forgiving yourself for decisions made. Forgiving yourself for loving yourself enough to walk away. Forgiving those that hurt you.
Never Fall in Love with a Rockstar is about hope. Hope for the future. Hope for the past not rising up to put your future in jeopardy. Hope that love really will win.
I loved Clover and Malachi’s relationship. That they somehow managed to get through their past issues—that they could really work this time. Their whole relationship felt genuine, real. And my heart hurt for them when they struggled, and my heart rejoiced when they didn’t.
Never Fall in Love with a Rockstar kept me awake long after I finished reading it and the sleep deprivation was so very worth it! I absolutely adored this beautiful, brave love story—one of my top reads this year.
Drugs, alcohol, addiction, fame. She had it all. They all did and they were so young and impressionable. His life had not been easy growing up. His sister had pushed him into something to rescue him from their hell. He went from one hell into another and she couldn’t bare it any longer. A tale of love had and loss of pain and growth, of recovery. While his hell is recognized hers isn’t. She’s held herself in limbo trying to fool herself into believing it was what she wanted. The author does a great job focusing on them, the band, their past, their present. She brings us into their life and makes us feel and share in their pain. The uncertainty, the broken promises, the lies, the addiction. It’s a beautifully written story that will take your heart and have you holding your breath in hopes of their re-connection. While she tells us never to fall but she does show us that falling isn’t bad when there’s someone there to catch you.
This book took you on a huge emotional road trip; you feel what she feels, her inner struggles make you want to scream at her and yet, still you understand why she feels the way she does.
Your rooting for a mixed outcome; from the start to the end, this book has been hands down a very interesting and intense experience, worth the read.
I am not sure what I was expecting with this book. I usually one click Rachel’s books so honestly I never read the synopsis. (I have had this one for awhile and finally got around to reading it). To me, it wasn’t exactly a regular romance – it was real, honest and heartfelt. If you love someone, let them go; if it was meant to be, they will find their way home.
Clover was trying to live a normal life after walking away from the only thing she knew. Just as she was finally getting settled into her new world, the past caught up with her.
Kai was not going to let Clover get away for a second time. He knew their paths crossed for a reason. Would he be able to convince her that her life was with him or did the past 5 years change her enough to walk away again?
Like I said, this was not a normal “girly” romance book. Rachel dug deep and brought to life something many people face. Sometimes you have to get out to save yourself. This book made me question some of the choices I have made…it made me think…and most importantly, it made me feel!
So, this is not your typical contemporary romance novel involving hot rock stars and groupies. I would classify this simply as contemporary fiction, although Rachel Higginson is known for writing mainly romance novels. This was not your trope-filled standardized, panties on fire sexual romp: far from it!
Note: I don’t like the title “chick lit”, just as I wouldn’t like the title “guy’s lit”, either. No one should ever denigrate your reading genre choices by attaching cutesy labels to them. The fact that a story deals, in whole or in part, with love should not pull it out of the general category of contemporary fiction.
I was very impressed with this examination of young love torn apart by the stresses of stardom and all the vices that tend to tag along with it. Rachel Higginson wrote this one from the heart and it is to her credit that she did not insert any juicy bedroom scenes to distract the reader during this emotionally searing study of two very wrecked artists who have to start from scratch in order to find their way back to each other. (Interesting how at one point in the novel, the band has to decide whether to write more commercially acceptable songs in order to appease their record label or go back to their roots and write more meaningful music. True to form, Rachel Higginson may have sacrificed additional sales by deliberately leaving out the now-standard overly descriptive sex scenes in this novel. Instead, she focused on great storytelling and character development.)
Story synopsis: Clover Calloway was always the strong one in her relationship with Malachi Porter. He’d had an abusive childhood and Clover always had his back, even when he spiraled into drugs and alcohol as the band toured, their songs topped the charts and success put a huge burden on all of the band members.
But there came a time when Clover could not stand by and watch Malachi destroy himself. After witnessing one too many near fatal drug overdoses, Clover is emotionally wrecked and decides to walk away from the band, choosing to live a more normal life. She realized that she could not save Kai – and it was killing her that her love was not enough of a reason for him to turn his back on drugs.
Five years pass. Kai has kicked his habit and now wants Clover to finish a song they started writing together years ago. But Clover is too fearful. She wants nothing to do with the band. Malachi has the nearly impossible task of proving to Clover that he is a changed man.
I had a hard time putting this book down. Rachel Higginson is a master at penning angsty, long drawn-out stories involving characters who have hit rock bottom, only to climb back up and find a way back to some semblance of happiness. I will definitely have to reread this one. Highly entertaining, as well as highly recommended!
Clover and Kai’s story grabbed me from the beginning, and it wrenched my heart. It took me a few months to get up enough courage to read this one because I felt like it would hurt my soul. There were parts of this story that reminded me of another one of my favorite books but it definitely took it’s own shape. It is understandable why Clover had to leave the band, I know a lot of the members blamed her, but at some point self preservation needs to kick in. I didn’t blame her for the choices she made, they were hard on her too. She left her soulmate to possibly self destruct, but she had to trust that he would want to get better, for himself. It was not enough to do it for her. She always came to his rescue and enabled him. He never took it seriously until she wasn’t there to pick him up. I am so happy that this second chance for them worked out. I would have liked her to break up with Adam a lot sooner, but that is just because I never felt anything between them anyways.
Rockstar romances are quickly becoming my kryptonite, I know they’re not for everyone, but when they’re written so well, it’s nearly impossible not to love ’em. And Rachel truly rocked out with Clover and Malachi’s story.
OK, we have a second chance rockstar romance with a bit of a slow burn. And my goodness prepare your heart because there will definitely be some bumps and bruises along the way. I felt every bit of emotion when it came to Clover and Malachi. Having someone who was/is essentially your world dealing with addiction, it’s hard to pick which side to be on. I totally commended Clover and the sacrifice she made, just reading about everything she’s been through and all she gave up. My heart absolutely broke for her. But she removed herself from a situation that wasn’t healthy and it was probably one of the toughest decisions she ever had to make.
Malachi and Clover went through it all since they first met during their childhood. The ups and down, it was quite the roller coaster for the both of them. They endured so much together and their fame was rising. Eventually it all started to become too much and that’s when the downfall started to happen.
As much as I didn’t want to dig through their past, it was necessary for them to move on and to heal. Their love for one another could be felt by everyone and there was no doubt that they absolutely belonged together. They worked hard to to get through their past, they really had to dig and forgive one another. And I loved that there was so much growth in each of their characters, which made the connection even deeper for me.
When it comes to rockstar romances, Never Fall in Love with a Rockstar needs to be added to the top of your list!
**I RECEIVED A COMPLIMENTARY READER’S COPY FROM THE AUTHOR IN CONSIDERATION FOR AN HONEST REVIEW. **
Rachel Higginson
Holy raw emotions. This book will hit you hard and leave you breathless! I enjoyed this story’s concept as you delve into the world of a former rockstar who left to save not only herself but the man she loved. Clover is a unique character. She wants the normal life but her heart longs for that stage again even though she denies it. Malachi is a tortured soul. You can tell that as soon as him and Clover see each other for the first time. The ups and downs are heartbreaking yet so beautiful as they both find their way back to each other. Even though Clover is seeing someone.
Overall, this story was a very raw one. Takes you to a place where you never want to see someone you love go but they build each other up so much in it. I love the story and how the characters develop through it. The subtle changes to feeling that deep connection again. Higginson has this beautiful way of writing a story that you just want to get wrapped up into the world that she has created! I am not a huge fan of rocker romances, but this one has a very special place in my heart. It was utterly stunning!
Never Fall in Love With A Rockstar was a good read. Clover is an interesting chatterer. She keeps her rockstar days of playing with Bright Tragedy in the past and lives in the present until past and present collide. Malachi is the front-man for the band. He an Clover have a past. He had an addiction problem when Clover was with him. Now he wants to finishing writing a song with her. This one is full of emotion and angst. Both Malachi and Clover have things to work through. I feel like I may have rushed through reading the story because I wanted to see how it would end but when I finished reading it, I took a deep breath and looked back at this beautifully written story.
Never Fall in Love with a Rockstar by Rachel Higginson
Clover and Kai had known each other forever: grown up together, built their band up together, were best friends and then more. When Clover walked away from Kai and the band, she never expected to see them again, least of all with her new boyfriend surprising her with tickets to their show. Now Kai wants Clover back in the band and his life and won’t take no for an answer.
The story itself was good – I liked that the author addressed real issues and she tackled them well enough. Clover’s indecisiveness and constant second-guessing got tiresome and I felt like some parts of the book were a bit repetitive. While I liked Clover and Kai, I can’t say that I loved them – in fact, I could have smacked them a time or two.
Unfortunately, this book is not my favorite of Higginson’s but I look forward to something new going forward.
*I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.
**Reviewed by Melinda for Joandisalovebooks Blog.
Never fall In Love With A Rockstar took us on the ups and downs and gave us a tumultuous look of sacrifices and heartbreak. How do you let someone go when your heart beats for them constantly? How do you move on knowing that it could possibly break them even more? You do it because the outcome would be far more catastrophic if you don’t.
It’s been five years since Clover walked away from the love of her life. Leaving was hard but staying at that point would have destroyed her and that was something she couldn’t live with. Vowing to make a new life for herself and forget about the past, Clover has made good on her promise and in that moment, she couldn’t be more prouder. But her well constructed life is about have a cracks when she comes face to face with her past. Literally.
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Malakai has done some pretty horrible things in his rise to fame but he’s always had a number one fan and that was his girl. Best friends since childhood, these two have been through everything together including starting their own band and making it into one of the most popular bands of all time. Through the lows and highs, Clover has been there every step of the way but that all changed when his partying ways became too much and Malakai lost the one girl who meant more to him than any sold out stadium. Now five years later he’s staring at the woman who still haunts him and this time, he’s not letting her get away.
I really enjoyed this slow burn romance and I loved that this was like a second chance romance in a sense. Kai and Clover had this intense connection that you felt from the very first page and once you had put aside the hurt that was done in the past, you saw that the love was there still and it showed. I would’ve liked to see some flashbacks when they were younger or during their time together when everything went down, but I think that’s me just being greedy and wanting more but you cant blame me. I still loved it though.
If you’re looking for a slow burn romance that will make you fall in love, then this one is for you.
*Arc received for an honest review.
Adam didn’t know about her past with the band, why she created her new life and the look on his face she couldn’t ruin the night for him because of her past with Blind Tragedy and how it almost broke her.
Clover should have known that she wouldn’t be able to go the concert with no one recognising her, the manager lets her know Kai is doing well and sober. Clover thought that would be it, she didn’t expect that the band would want her back, or that Kai would want to finish the song they started.
Clover just wanted a normal life with an endless love, she knew it may not be Adam, and it wasn’t Malachi. Malachi had messaged her, he was sorry and wanted them to get to know each other, she owed Kai this she had loved him once.
Before she knew it, she was letting him back in her life, saying they could be friends, she was doubting what she had with Adam, but she loved the music, her and Kai were working together.
Kai wanted to make progress, but she didn’t think he was only talking about the music, could they move forward from their past and have the endless love that Clover always wanted.
4.5 stars!!
Once upon a time Clover was the keyboard player for the popular band, Bright Tragedy. She thought she had it all until everything went up in smoke. Her HEA was ripped from her hands and she left the limelight to pursue a quieter life. Leaving it all behind five years ago, she is finally adjusting to her new normal and trying to be happy. The past still haunts her though, and she has no idea that she’s about to come face to face with it once again.
Rachel Higginson took a frequently used trope and gave it her own spin. She created an entertaining, well-developed, and emotional rockstar romance with first loves and second chances. Full of growth, healing, forgiveness, and all the feels, it’s about finding your way back to your true love while still becoming the person you were meant to be, and I loved it!!
Clover and Malachi are wonderfully messy characters. They were childhood sweethearts and meant everything to each other. They were young when their band started to hit it big and their dreams were in their grasps but sometimes things don’t go as planned. Sometimes you can no longer pretend everything is alright when you are slowing dying inside. Sometimes you have to leave.
“I was as in it as much he was back then. He was my entire world. Which was why I ran.
Not because I didn’t love him or had stopped loving him. But because loving him was going to kill me.”
Clover is not perfect but her imperfections make her real and relatable. She is strong and brave, and I was happy she did what she needed to do to find herself. She did one of the hardest things she could have done when she left her love, her friends, and her dreams behind. Now, she craves normality. Reliability. Responsibility. She wants a simple life that is easy and with Adam, she has finally found it.
I’ll admit that I am typically not a fan of love triangles. Most of the time it can ruin a book for me so I tend to stay away from them. However, if it is done right then I can get on board with them and find myself fully engrossed in the story, anxious to see how things play out. This is one of those times. The triangle is not terrible and I completely believed it. I understood her life with Adam and why she wanted it but I also saw the connection she had with Malachi. It was definitely not going away once Malachi was back in her life. I only wish she made up her mind a little sooner because I would have liked more Clover/Malachi time.
There were times I felt a bit conflicted, not about who she would end up with but rather what she would go through to get there. I knew she shouldn’t be with Adam but I was worried about her past with Kai. What she saw and went through was awful and I understood why she didn’t want to go back. However, from their first interaction I knew Malachi was it for Clover. There was no denying the emotional connection and electric chemistry between the two of them. I knew they would fit perfectly if they could find their way back to each other.
The fallout between Malachi and Clover was devastating. We only get snippets of their past and we don’t get to see them fall in love but we sure do get to feel the all-consuming love they shared. All the emotion comes rushing back when Clover and Malachi see each other again. Anger, fear, grief, regret, guilt, and sadness flood the pages. It’s real and believable, and you literally feel everything.
Most of the book I was on the edge of my seat, heart pounding, desperate to know what would happen but worried about how my heart was going to handle it. So much is stacked against Clover and Malachi as past and present merge that it was agonizing to read all the heartache they experience.
“You know, my whole life I’ve only known you as mine. You were my friend. My girlfriend. My soulmate. I know you’re not still those things, but it’s hard to let go of that feeling, that… ownership. It’s hard to admit that you’re not mine anymore, you’re someone else’s.”
Even though the attraction and history are there, the romance has more of a slow burn feel and I thought it worked wonderfully in this story. It’s heartbreaking but necessary to take things slow and I liked that they didn’t just dive into a relationship. Both Clover and Malachi go through a lot of character growth as they navigate their new relationship. There is healing, forgiveness, acceptance, and hope. They don’t ignore the past but learn from it and discover a way to be true to themselves so that they can finally be true to one another, and it is beautiful.
“Tragedy made me leave. Fear kept me away. But this bright, bright love brought me back in the most beautiful way.”
After having my heart stolen by this emotional love story, it’s no surprise that Never Fall in Love with a Rockstar joins the list of my favorites rockstar romances and is a must read for all rockstar fans!
Have you ever read a book where the characters come to live right off the pages? Have you ever felt their emotions so fully that you were invested in them completely? That’s how I felt about this empowering, heart wrenching, heart soaring story of Clover & Malachi. They were childhood sweetheart, ex band mates and each others destruction and life line. This is the story of how they broke and put them selves back together. I can’t express my love for this story enough. There were so many aspects to this story: first love, true love, independence, the strength to walk away, being true to who you are, over coming your addictions, choosing life over your demons… I love a great rock star romance and this was it! I loved seeing the bond that music formed for these characters. I can’t suggest this book enough. Trust me you will thank me once you’ve experienced it. I know I’m Bright Tragedy fan girl now!
GAHHHHHHHHH! I love Rachel’s books and this one was no exception! I was very quickly drawn into Clover’s world and what her life is like these days. The people in her life have no idea of her past and she’s okay with that. I enjoyed the way she was suddenly thrown back into her past. It opens up her eyes in ways she did not expect. Her heart is still raw and has never fully recovered from Malachi, even though she tucked it away in a box. The grittiness and hurt in this book is strong and the reader can’t help BUT FEEL the emotions these characters are going through. I couldn’t read this book fast enough or slow enough to make it last. I wanted to see what was next. If you love a rockstar read, this is THE ONE to pick up next! Be sure not to let this fantastic story pass you by!
First, how fun is this cover?!?! I appreciate the artistic beauty of it… no arty couple photo… no half naked man… no close up on the abs. I love it! So unique and original. I’m always in serious awe of this author’s abilities to give us truly different covers! I love when a person dares to stand outside societies norms. The cover is definitely one of my favorites this year!
I was surprised how quickly I fell into Never Fall in Love with a Rockstar’s storyline. I immediately liked Clover. I enjoyed being in her head as she played the piano. You can just feel the passion. I liked Adam, Clover’s boyfriend. I felt for him as the story developed. Sometimes I think people get so wrapped up in their current life and just live without realizing they are missing passion. You can feel the current between Kai and Clover almost immediately after reconnecting. Unlike Adam and Clover, Clover has a deep passion with Kai. However, they have a difficult past. One that is riddled with addiction, self medicating, with letting the other down… it’s peppered with hurt feelings and lonely nights, a burden of one carrying the responsibilities while one reaps the careless rewards.
So as you can see, we have a mess… Rachel Higginson always creates a wonderful story with these strong, yet, broken characters that I find myself loving and hating. Miss Higginson wrote a story that may be a broken love story but underneath her words she gets her reader looking deeper at their lives. I know I was left thinking about my life, the choices I’ve made this far. NFILWAR also centers on forgiveness. Is it easier to let go of those past hurts or hold onto them. What does this do to you? It’s really a deep and meaningful storyline.
I received an ARC of this book with the hope that I would leave an Unbiased Opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… my opinions.
4.5 Stars!
Never Fall in Love with a Rockstar is a rock star romance destined to sweep you off your feet and make you believe in second chances.
When I heard that Rachel Higginson was writing a rock star romance, I was totally giddy. I couldn’t wait to see what she would bring to the table and I was not disappointed. Never Fall in Love with a Rockstar is an angsty second chance romance that will pull at your heartstrings and take your emotions on one heck of a rollercoaster ride.
Never Fall in Love with a Rockstar follows the story of Clover and Kai. Clover has a past that she doesn’t let most people in on. And when her boyfriend surprises her with concert tickets to see his favorite band, Clover’s quiet existence is about to be turned upside down. Clover suddenly finds her past and present together. Her once normal life is now anything but. Her secret is out of the bag, and she’s brought face to face with the one man who destroyed and still owns her heart. And when an opportunity of a lifetime presents itself, Clover can’t help but jump on it. It’s supposed to be just one song…Will that one song remind Clover of all that she’s missed and rejoin the past? Or will this proposition destroy her for good this time?? There’s only one way to find out….
Man, oh man, did I love this story. I fell in love with Clover the moment I met her. She is wickedly talented yet reserved. She loves hard and guards her heart. Walking away from Kai all those years ago was the hardest thing she’s ever had to do. But, if she wanted any chance at a real life, she had to do it. She couldn’t continue to be his crutch. She couldn’t continue to watch him spiral. It wasn’t easy trying to move on, but boy did she ever try. And then there is Kai. It’s no secret that Kai has struggled with addiction. Unfortunately for him, he had to hit rock bottom before any changes would made. It wasn’t easy getting sober, but once Kai sets his mind to something, you know it will get done. He’s a changed man, but still has his own demons and when life presents him with a second chance, he grabs on to it with both hands.
Kai and Clover’s journey wasn’t an easy one. They had a lot of pain and heartache to move past. They had to learn to become friends and rebuild their foundation. I loved watching them go through the motions and see them come out to the other side. I enjoyed seeing how they worked together and just how talented they both were. Their connection was stronger than ever, no matter how much they both tried to deny it. I loved the slow burn. I think it led to some incredible will they/won’t they moments. My heart ached for these two and I couldn’t wait to see how their story would play out.
Never Fall in Love with a Rockstar was a terrific read, from beginning to end. The characters were a lot of fun and the story-line was entertaining. I had a wonderful getting lost in Kai and Clover’s story and I really enjoyed this author’s take on a rockstar romance. We were introduced to a lot of terrific characters and I really, really hope that this won’t be the last that we see of them.
Never Fall in Love with a Rockstar was a one- of-a kind, break your heart into a million peices, ride the emotional roller coaster type of read. Clover and Malachi’s story was truly a journey full of first love, heartbreak, addiction & recovery. This was a brutally honest read…with no “insta” anything (which I LOVED) because life and love are messy. I really enjoyed this book and I recommend it to any and everyone; it was a bit of a game changer for me and I hope we get to see more from Bright Tragedy.
***ARC Provided in Exchange for an Honest Review/ Megan Scandalous Book Blog***
At the beginning of the book, we meet Clover where she is playing piano at a Macy’s department store. Later that night, her boyfriend surprises her with tickets to his favorite band which Clover used to be a part of. Will she be seen by her former bandmates, which includes her ex Malachi?
So many things happen in this book and they would all be spoilers if I mentioned them here. I could not put this book down. I was up most of the night turning page after page of this one! This is a first time author for me, but she will not be a last time author. This book was intense and oh so hot. If you like second chance romances with a rockstar twist, this book is definitely for you!