“Dax Thatcher?” I ask. “But isn’t he sorta. . .old?” Ugh. Celebrities. I mean, I know I took a job as a reporter for the Celebrity and Pop Culture department of our magazine, but it was just supposed to be a stepping stone to the more real stuff.Despite the fact that Dax Thatcher was the subject of many of my teen fantasies—and I may or may not have an entire playlist made up of his music—he’s … of his music—he’s still just another star.
Until I meet him. Until his golden eyes pierce through me that day on his Malibu deck. Until I find myself having dinner with him, going backstage with him, lying on the beach with him, telling him my deepest secrets.
And then I remember my assignment: a four-issue feature on Dax Thatcher. . .and his supermodel fiancée. Yep, he’s getting hitched.
I have to focus. I’m a serious journalist, and he is mere months from walking down the aisle with someone else. But that doesn’t stop me from wondering what those tattooed arms might feel like wrapped around me, or how soft the sheets on his California king bed are.
Yikes. This celebrity stuff might be a little more real than I thought.
Off the Record by Author Taylor Danae Colbert is simply the must read book of the summer. Filled with pure energy it strategically infuses music and romance together with ease. Truly the work of a seasoned pro. and a book that you will not be able to put down from start to finish. – The Baltimore Sun
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4.5/5 Stars
Disclaimer: This review DOES contain SPOILERS.
This story rocked my heart so hard. The rock and roll fangirl inside of me couldn’t get enough of this story.
The main characters in the story have really great development. I adored Dax and Shay both. Shay was a take-charge type of girl that doesn’t hold much of anything back. Although she had her personal insecurities, she was very confident otherwise. Especially when it came to doing her job. She was motivated and hard working. Dax’s character probably had the most growth. Throughout the story, we get to glimpse his entire life when he shares it with Shay. He takes Shay to his hometown, to visit his aunt, and to see the first home that he lived in when he moved to California. We get a little bit of his history piece by piece throughout the story. He is a nice little mystery that Shay has to unravel. Dax was very compassionate. I liked that his dark past made him a better person instead of worse. He has flaws and it makes him very real. The side characters were lovely as well. Every character had their part to play and there wasn’t anyone that felt like filler.
I loved the family aspect this story shows. Shay’s parents were wonderful. I have to admit that the scene where Dax and Shay show up to her parents’ house and surprise them made me laugh so hard. I had to reread that scene several times. I liked that Shay was close to her family. I also liked that she was kind to her sister even though her sister was a total snotface to her. I understand that her sister had some mental health issues, which was mildly explored. I also loved the relationship that Dax had with his aunt. And I liked that it showed how family isn’t only those that share your blood. The boys at the Boys Center of Baltimore that Dax owned for at-risk youth were just as much a family to Dax as his aunt was.
I really liked the plot of this story. I admit that I guessed something amiss with Dax and Annaliese’s engagement, but I hadn’t pegged the reasoning behind it. Everything played out really great plot-wise. I really liked that even though this is a fairly short book, the pacing of the story was perfect. It didn’t feel rushed at all, nor did it feel like anything was missing.
The romance in this story is a slow-burn that gets under your skin and simmers. The chemistry between Dax and Shay was UH-MAY-ZING and I loved that it didn’t feel forced or unrealistic. It was totally genuine and smooth. Dax and Shay’s personalities meshed very well together. It was easy for them to build trust and be real with each other. Their dialogues and banter were very riveting. It was so easy to like them as a couple, even before they were one. I was rooting for them the entire time.
There was some great representation in this story. Other than the fantastic family representation there was also LGBTQ representation and mental health and substance abuse representation. I don’t want to be too spoilery, but I liked that there was a character that came out as gay in a very public way because it was done on their own terms. This character was tired of hiding who they were and didn’t want to punish the ones that she cared for by hiding. I liked where the story went with Dax’s addiction issues. The way that Shay handled and supported him in the story was perfect. His issues were addressed and she made sure to let him know that he needed to go to therapy for himself and not for her. I do wish that more had been explored with Cara’s mental health issues, or that her suicide attempt had been addressed more.
Overall, this is a swoon-worthy story with a slow-burn romance that will rock your socks off. (And, well, maybe more than your socks.) This story has great plotting and characters that really speak to the reader. This was my first time reading a book by this author, but it will not be my last. I definitely recommend this one! It will kickstart your rock-n-rollin’ heart.
“Off the record, baby, you’re the best damn interview I ever had.”
Dax Thatcher was a big hit in the nineties with his band Karma. After a troubled period and a stay in a rehabilitation clinic, his band broke up. Leaving for a solo career, he now has a new album about to be released, produces young talent and has composed several hits. But the pinnacle of his career was in the past, he is still a celebrity but is no longer a rock star. But his personal life will put him in the spotlight again, after all he is engaged to the new sensation of the fashion world, supermodel Annaliese Michaels.
Shayna works in a celebrity magazine, although aspiring to write more serious stories. Her next assignment? Write an article about Dax and his engagement. Interviewing an “old” star who is in the media because of a relationship was not exactly what she expected. Admit that she’s a fan of his songs and that despite the age difference he’s still an interesting man? This will never happen.
In sunny Malibu, Shayna will have to put all her experience as a reporter to the test, after all interviewing Dax will be harder than she imagines. Some subjects are forbidden, which spark her interest in. And her clinical look will catch on to an interesting question: why does Dax seem uncomfortable talking about his fiancee and his smile seems fake? What secrets are the couple hiding?
As the interview progresses, Dax and Shayna build a bond and as he shows his true story, an unknown, human side of this man comes to the surface. But such an approach also stirs up feelings, not to mention the absurd chemistry between them. But Shayna needs to remember one huge detail: Dax is engaged.
Shayna will have the courage to throw everything up and fight for what she wants or the world of celebrities will be too much for her to deal with?
I loved the characters, the whole construction of the approach of Dax and Shayna was done in a natural way without being forced. They were interested in each other at first sight, but it was the approach, the secrets and exchanged experiences that made them identify with each other. I found the plot of Annaliese a little forced, nowadays I do not understand her fear.
Dax was the soul of the book, his life was not easy, trust was a delicate matter for him, his current situation left him with no way out and his relapse in the end distressed me. He was a human character, with several faults, who made mistakes but who knew how to ask for help when needed. Shayna found herself in a difficult situation that could hurt her career and reputation but chose what most mattered by listening to her heart.
A novel with bits of drama, where the human side of the characters was the big theme.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest Review *
Oh my, my, my! What an adorable book! Off the Record is my second read from Taylor Danae Colbert, with It Goes Without Saying being the first. Honestly, I didn’t enjoy It Goes without Saying very much because I had trouble connecting with the characters and the whole plot. Therefore, I’m completely blown away by how incredibly amazing this book is.
Off the Record features small town, rockstar-journalist kind of romance. Dax is a successful rockstar musician; he’s popular and charming, just like all the rockstars out there, and he’s engaged with an international supermodel. Enter Shayna. Shayna, a.k.a. “Shay,” is a high maintenance journalist for a famous entertainment magazine. She’s assigned to interview Dax for their exclusive report on his latest updates, from his rockstar career path to his personal life.
I definitely didn’t sense the chemistry between Dax and Shay at first because she was apparently so oblivious to his charisma and sexy personal traits. Interestingly, somewhere in between their interview schedule, Dax started subtly teasing her…in a rather harmless way. Nothing jeopardized his romantic life with that supermodel, yet. It’s not hard to imagine that Dax and Shay’s constant meeting and “interviewing” turned out to be some sort of dates, and much later, something much more intense and intimate. They both experienced the climate of their relationship and with everything so messed up (I mean, the gossips, the rumors, and the paparazzi), they fell in love uncontrollably eventually.
Despite there was an 11-year age gap between Dax and Shay, I could somehow look beyond it and fully focus on their slow-burn romantic development. What I liked most about their relationship was the fact that Shay’s boldness knew no boundaries. She was fearless, feisty, and was definitely the best representative of a strong female character. The juiciest part of this book was the twist by the end of the story. Dax’s supermodel fiancée’s jaw-dropping secret-reveal blew my mind and I seriously couldn’t stop gaping at the scene. The ending was literally one of the most satisfying endings I’ve ever read and I couldn’t be happier for both Dax and Shay. They totally got the happily ever after they deserved.
Besides, the small proportion of LGBTQ+ reference in the story also added spice to the whole story. This book showed depth in the contemporary romance genre and I was lucky to have read Taylor’s third novel earlier than the mass public. If I could make a change to the original story, I’d certainly create Dax’s playlist! I mean, the only thing missing from this book was a real soundtrack designed specifically for Dax the Karma-rockstar. The beautiful lyrics, CHECK! The concreate song structures/concepts, CHECK! The title, the profound meaning, the whole package for the songs, CHECK! CHECK! CHECK! Now we just needed some melody and music to go with the above elements and I could die held my breath happily.
All in all, it was an absolute delight to read Off the Record and I would 100% HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book to everyone. What’s more, thanks to this amazing book, I couldn’t wait to read more of Taylor’s future works! Her writing style made the entire story easy to fall in love with and I was sure there’d be more fabulous books from her to come.
***Huge thanks to Taylor for generously providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.***
If you ask Shay Kellner she would much rather spend her days writing stories about current events, in other-wards relevant news with meaning. Not writing glitz and glam pieces about celebrities. You know, stories about who wore what best, whose hooking up with who, or which celeb is headed down the aisle.
But, sometimes you have to do things you don’t necessarily want to, to get where you want to be… which explains her current situation to a tee. She is working on a special story about music legend Dax Thatcher and his blushing bride-to-be Annalise Michaels. While she has to admit spending time with the sexy rock star is somewhat appealing, it’s not exactly a story she would prefer penning. He has had a starring role in her fantasies since she was a teen, but swooning over him in front of his bride-to-be probably isn’t the best way to get her story. So she is just going to have to keep her crush under-wraps and focus on the task at hand. Which sounds easy enough… that is until she is face to face with the sexy rock God!
Off the Record is uber sexy little page-turner that will keep you mesmerized from the first page until the last! This first time read did not disappoint, it had angst to torture the heart, unexpected twists and turns, drama to keep me engaged, and steamy scenes that scorched my fingertips! I loved meeting this couple, they had amazing chemistry, came with a palpable feel, and I found them very easy to connect to. This is by far one of my favorite reads so far this year, it had everything I want in a story, and SO much more! I highly recommend you get your hands on this one, it’s perfectly penned words are sure to leave your heart happy!
I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher, and I am voluntarily leaving my honest and unbiased opinion.