HarleyWhat happens when the most successful boy band on the planet breaks up?How about twenty thousand fans screaming my name.But the price of fame comes with an increased risk to my safety.I’ve been avoiding the dreaded B word for as long as I can, but after a close call with a rambunctious fan, I can’t do it anymore.It’s time to give in.I need to hire a full-time bodyguard.And when he shows up, … bodyguard.
And when he shows up, he not only screams badass, he’s another B word I try to stay away from: boyfriend material.
Brix
Protecting people is not what my company usually does, but the boss knows I need money, and the pop star is offering an insane amount to live with him and make sure no more crazy fans break into his house.
I’m doing it for the money and nothing else.
He may be the prettiest man I’ve ever seen, and I may feel sorry for the celebrity life he’s been forced into since he was a teenager, but that doesn’t mean anything.
Just because he fascinates me, that doesn’t mean I like him.
It doesn’t.
Professionalism. I’m gonna live it. Breathe it. Enforce it … Mostly.
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Spinoff from the Fake boyfriend series. Rocker-Bodyguard romance.
So I gotta say my love for boy bands drew me into this story. As a typical boy band fan, when they break up, you are heartbroken but want them to succeed in life and in their music career. It has to be even harder for the ones who are hiding their sexuality throughout this. Harley was part of the boy band Eleven. When they split, the pressure was on them hardcore. Some handled it well, some did not. Harley was struggling. He lost his mojo with writing and finding songs he likes. He’s also engaged to a beautiful girl but that’s all a ruse. When a crazed fan breaks into his house, tensions are high. Enter Brix.. He’s ex military and a big guy. This is what I loved the most about him, he has no clue who Harley is. This gets the laugh every time it’s brought up. Brix has more to worry about then most of his friends. He’s in debt and desperately needs this job. There’s a bond between him and Harley. Both feel the attraction but are afraid to act on it. Brix has to be professional and do his job. He doesn’t want anything to happen to Harley but at the same time, he really wants find out what they got. With Brix in his life, he starts to write and finds his voice. Brix gives Harley the confidence to stand up for himself and get what he wants in life. I loved see the transformation with these two along with the banter between them as well. This was such a fun book to read with characters you will just fall in love with and want more of!!! I loved this book so much!!!
In this first opus, we will get to know more about Harvey Valentine, the leader of the group, who in HAT TRICK, in the role of the ex of JAY did not leave us a very good impression. Finally, except for me, of course, with my attraction for assholes.
Harvey had really caught my eye and I was hoping that the author would give us a book on this character. My wish was granted and even more, since she announced a whole series of different members of the group. In my head it made HOURAAA I will also have a volume on Riley.
I still had to wait a few months, but my patience was rewarded, POP STAR, is my opinion a success. The author has successfully transposed the qualitative elements of her main series while translating them into a completely different universe. With its totally different codes, we move from the world of sport to the world of music.
With POP STAR, the author leaves the troops of false relationships for the new register hidden relationships. Harvey’s hidden homosexuality had been the breaking point of his relationship with Jay and it’s still at the heart of his relationship with Brix. Throughout the novel, the central question that remains is what he will have to sacrifice in the name of his career and his love of music. Should he continue to play the role of the straight model? Should he continue to write and compose titles that are unlike and unsuitable for him? During our reading, we witness Harvey’s questions and the tugging he feels in the face of his growing attraction for his bodyguard.
On the other hand, we have Brix, a former soldier who now works in the private sector and must review his conception of his client. To see beyond the pop star and choose between his work, which allows him to pay off his debts and pay the health institute for someone (I will not go into details as this is a fairly enigmatic point in the novel and for which we do not have the answer that towards the end of the title.) and his building but intense relationship for his client.
Tugging could be the central theme of POP STAR. However, the author has developed it with finesse without ever going overboard. We feel the feelings of the characters as well as their doubts, but we never fall into the « what else? » » We are far from the Pathos that many mm authors like to write and for that I say thank you, Eden. She made the choice to develop her story around a common thread, namely the harassment of a fan towards it idols. It’s the starting point for Brix’s arrival in Harvey’s life and the story ends with his arrest. It is well written and I took great pleasure in reading this simple story. One that takes its time to develop the characters and their relationship.
I still love the author’s writing. I have not yet been bored once with one of his novels and I have found only very rare lengths and POP STAR is no exception to the rule.
Lately I’ve been in a phase where books with too many sex scenes are bothering me. I want to read a story, not the script of a porn movie. Eden Finley has precisely dosed the hot passages of its history. There are a few scenes, but they are part of the story. They perfectly embellish the romance and allow you to feel the attraction and passion that bind Harvey and Brix.
I will end this column by talking about the introductory nature of this novel. As we know, he is the first volume in a series, or even two if we talk about the members of the Mike Bravo team. POP STAR introduces the characters of Riley and Denver which from their introduction made me want to read more about them. It will be done with SPOTLIGHT, the next volume in the series and later I hope with a volume focused on Denver.
In the end POP STAR is for me a 5-star reading, because I will take pleasure in a future more or less close to reread. I really had a great time reading with Harvey and Brix and I can’t wait to find out what the author has in store for us. I naturally recommend this reading to you and don’t hesitate to leave me your opinion here on Facebook or Instagram when you’re done. I await your opinions.
******I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review******
This was a very hard review for me to write. Not because I didn’t love this story, because I did. Eden Finley is one of my absolute favourite romance writers and I devour everything she publishes. But Popstar had me realizing something about myself that I would have liked not to acknowledge. So basically, this review might get a bit more personal than your average book-review.
But first, I just have to say that Popstar is fluff at its very best. It’s low-angst romance with just enough serious undertones to make it interesting. And then there’s the smut on top of that to appease the appetites of us M/M-story lovers. And this kind of positive, feel-good romance is exactly what the world needs right now with the major pandemic going on.
Now to the reason I had trouble with this read.
So. I’m a hetero woman who loves to read about men. Men are great. Men are sexy. And most of all. Men have d*cks. So I like reading M/M stories. I mean – double the d*ck! Also, one of my favourite tropes are forbidden love and, let’s get real, this day in age it’s difficult to find convincing, forbidden F/M romances. We do simply not live in a time of rivaling families anymore. Therefore, to me, M/M is the best genre because it combines D with the stigma of being gay.
I consider myself to be very open-minded. Two consenting adults should be able to love each other without being attacked, ostracized or persecuted. But reading Popstar, I realized I’m very much stuck in my hetero bubble. Because I couldn’t quite appreciate the smutty parts where (excuse my graphic language and also: **Minor spoiler alert!!**) the big, muscle-y bodyguard is the one getting f*cked by the smaller, less alpha-male, popstar. And how sad is that!?! As usual, Finley’s nudy-scene writing is top notch, but I kept thinking how much hotter it would be if it was Brix doing the f*cking. Admitting to myself that I’m stuck in the mindset that the physically bigger partner should be the one doing the sticking was not pleasant. Discovering I’m way less open-minded than I thought was almost painful.
So you see, this read was an eye-opener for me. And even if the fact that I personally couldn’t really enjoy some of the naked shenanigans happening, which in itself should bring down my rating of Popstar to 4 stars, I still give it 5 stars because of the insight it brought me.
In conclusion, sorry for the personal twist to this review. But Popstar really had me challenging my own perception of things and I just had to share that. Putting that aside though, this is an awesome romance and a great start of the new Famous series. I’m yet undecided if Finley can top her previous Fake boyfriend series, but I’m determined to find out!
https://reflectionsofaswedishgirl.blog.se/
Pop Star by Eden Finley was, for lack of a better word, spectacular! The writing was amazing (think The Bodyguard type of storyline), the characters were fun and well-developed, and the action/suspense had me on the edge. Initially, I wasn’t sure how I was going to like this story as books about musicians aren’t necessarily on my favs list. However, I have read and loved everything that Ms. Finley has put out so far, so I wanted to at least give it a try. She did not disappoint!! I was only a little curious about Harley after reading about him in Hat Trick (Jay and Soren’s book), and now Harley and Brix are one of my all-time favorite couples. There is just too much that I loved about this book to put it all down on paper (i.e. Harley telling everyone he met how Brix “introduced” himself….not to mention the little role reversal happening in the bedroom!). I will say that I am so happy that I gave this book a chance, and am looking forward to hearing from the rest of the Eleven band members….. and the spin off series with the Mike Bravo team!
I loved this mm, singer and bodyguard romance. Really well written with good characters who grew and helped each other. Harley and Brix were cute together, and there wasn’t much angst, it was more lighthearted between them.
Typically M/M romance books aren’t my go to read, but I took a chance on this one and was not disappointed. Brix and Harley are both such amazing characters and their chemistry together was perfect. I enjoyed the story line and had a hard time putting this book down until I was finished.
Definitely a must read book for sure!
Alisa
I’ve heard so many wonderful things about Ms.Finley’s books and I’ve been meaning to pick up her work for the longest time! I’m so glad that I finally got the chance to with Pop Star! I got into this story really quickly and I enjoyed it so much!
Absolutely loved this book! Eden Finley can do no wrong. She took a character from another book and turned him from a selfish man into a man with an amazing heart. And maybe still a little selfishness. I’m so glad we got to see this side of Harley and he got his HEA after the mess with Jay. Loved him and Brix together. They’re so opposite, yet they were looking for the same thing. Love. So excited to read more of the upcoming Eleven guys and hope to see these two again soon.
One thing you can alway guarantee to expect when reading a Eden Finley book.. That’s it’s gonna be hot as hell and absolutely fantastic!! Pop Star was no different!
My heart hurt with Harley and I couldn’t help but want to take his pain away and show him love, even when I wanted to shake some sense into his stubborn ass at times. Brix (what an awesome name) is formal military, hired to protect Harley when a deranged stalker is determined to get close to him, no matter the cost. So this book had some great suspense and mystery, which was a very pleasant surprise. So, even with their relationship being a tad unconventional, considering they’re total opposites, Brix is good for Harley. He helps him build up the courage to accept himself and become a better person for it. Brix needs Harley just as much though, to overcome scars from the past. They’re each other’s perfect match, they balance one another, and are clearly meant to be together.
I’m already pumped for the next book and I literally just finished this one. That’s another thing you can always expect when reading Eden Finley books!
Pop Star by Eden Finley is book number one in the Famous series. This is Harley Valentine and Brix Reins’ story.
I really enjoyed Harley and Brix’s story and their characters were so much fun. This story is full of romance, intense chemistry, suspense, twists, secrets, and so much more.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
Took me a minute to realize this was the same Harley from “Hat Trick” but I liked seeing his perspective. And Brix was great, even though I thought it dragged his backstory out a little longer than it needed.
No matter how successful I get, I’ll always want more. Because hiding behind a career is easier than going for what I want. And what I want is to be loved. Truly loved.
I really enjoyed this one. Harley & Brix’s story was sweet, passionate, funny with some added suspense. I loved getting to see Harley in his own book and being able the understand him more after meeting him in Eden’s Fake Boyfriend series. I ended up liking him a lot & Brix he was just everything. I can’t wait for more in this series.
Harley has had quite the scare. An overzealous fan who threatens him in his own home. He has never wanted or needed a bodyguard. Times are about to change.
Brix just wants to do his job, get paid, and go home. He never wanted to get feelings for someone he was charged with protecting. That was before he was charmed by a musician he has never heard of.
I absolutely loved these characters. I cannot wait for the next installment in this series, and this one isn’t even out yet. Every single one of the characters in this book brought laughter or something fun. I was completely impressed with the fast pace of the story as well. Lots of heat, and so may surprises for the reader. I only wish I could give it more than the 5/5 Kitty’s Paws UP!
***This ARC copy was given in exchange for an honest review.
Oh my stars! You know when you read a book and it just hits all the right notes–ones that you didn’t even know you were craving? That was Harley and Brix, for me. Their story was humorous, sexy, suspenseful, romantic, fast-paced with a dash of action, and it was even a bit sad and poignant at times.
From the first moment we met Harley Valentine in Hat Trick, I needed to know his story. I had a feeling he would be much more complex than just the spoiled, vindictive boy band member we glimpsed there. This book uncovered all those demons and more. Harley was facing unhinged fans, a life of extreme isolation, and he had no agency in his creative process or how he lived his life. That would make anyone’s behavior a little unpleasant.
This story also delivered us one hunky bodyguard with the heart of a solid-platinum. Brix was flat-out swoontastic and I loved reading his well-deserved journey to his happily ever after, just as much as Harley’s road to redemption. And their meet-cute? Definitely one of the best and funniest I’ve read in a while!
Much like a new addictive pop song, Pop Star was easy to devour in one sitting, had zero angst, and I’ll likely want to experience it again and again and again. The only difference was that, instead of leaving my heart singing a sticky, sweet bubblegum tune, Brix and Harley’s unique mix of snark and romance left my heart singing an epic power ballad. Highly recommend!
I loved Harley and Brix’s story! When we first met Harley in “Hat Trick” from the Fake Boyfriend series, I knew we needed his story! I’m so glad Eden delivered on that! Harley came off as a bit of a jerk in the past, but he totally redeemed himself in my eyes! I loved his caring nature, and laid back attitude. Brix was such a softy, and quite the smarty pants behind his Kevlar exterior. I love how he would get Harley to relax and take time for himself. Their story had it all – laughs, chemistry, sexy times, stalkers, action and an epic Nerf Gun battle! I can’t wait to see where this series goes!
Likable engaging characters and a highly entertaining storyline made this a very enjoyable read. I really love the bodyguard trope aspect of this, it’s one of my favorite tropes, I enjoy seeing everything go from ‘a body to guard to a heart to be won’. I loved it.
*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book*
Disclaimer: I read this book and then came down with pneumonia and am still sick, so I’m fuzzy on the details.
I do know I absolutely loved it. I wasn’t expecting to, because I don’t normally enjoy rockstar books. But this was awesome. Harley was fun, and totally redeemed himself. Brix was a little odd with his reticence, but a big cuddly guy who’s also a hero gets a pass for being weird.
Can’t wait to read this again so I can do a little better justice to this review. Finley has fast become a go to, and one of my absolute favorites.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader’s copy.
I enjoyed Eden’s new book. I found it very easy to get attached to the storyline. The narrative was really well done and the characters were realistic. The men really connected with each other. I thought that they had really good chemistry.
I received this as an arc and freely left this review.
Eden Finley never disappoints 🙂 Both MC are everything you could want. Harley is a little sassy/snarky and Brix is protective and wise. Brix is probably my favorite of the two in how he really sees Harley and what Harley needs. The two have chemistry and symmetry that really keeps the book tight and the plot interesting. There are so many secondary characters whose story I can’t wait for. That’s what makes the book a must read. Finley doesn’t pour all the good stuff into just the main characters, but gives it to all the characters in the book. Eden Finley is a must read for me and this book is as well! Highly Recommend!