He took the stage below me and my mind suddenly couldn’t process anything else. There he was. My childhood best friend. My ex-boyfriend. The most beautiful boy I had ever known. The man that broke my heart into a million unfixable pieces.
If you love rock star romances and are looking for a bit more of a unique storyline, then you should definitely check this book out! The hero and heroine were childhood friends who, along with siblings and other friends, created a band that rose to epic levels of fame. They were torn apart by the tragedy of addiction and it wasn’t until several years later when they met again that their lives became entwined once more.
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 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.
I loved the writing and it quickly drew me into the story. One thing that really stood out to me was that even without knowing the history behind these characters’ relationships, I was able to connect to them right from the start.
This book highlights addiction in a very real and respectful way. You learn a little more about their history and the circumstances of their childhoods, early performances, rise to fame, and about how the music industry elevated them in some ways and destroyed them in others. The price of fame came at a high cost and the temptations were too hard to resist for some of them.
“You used to date him?”
“It was more than that,” I confessed. “I used to… live him. He was my everything. The band was my everything. My entire life revolved around Malachai Porter.”
“Did he feel the same way about you?”
When he was sober.
… “He was an addict,” I whispered… “Is an addict,” I clarified. “I guess he’s sober now. But back then he was… not sober. Not ever… But year, he loved me. For a long time, I was the only thing he loved.”
The tragedy is in the past of this story though — the focus of the present day storyline is on the present exploring if they could have a second chance…
They shared the kind of love that you know couldn’t be erased, not even by the deepest hurts. I loved that I always felt that from them so it was easy to believe in them finding their way back together.
“This is a song I wrote about a girl I loved,” he confessed, his tired voice dripping low with honestly… Malachai ran a hand through his hair, and for a moment, one single moment, looked… unsure of himself. “Even though I don’t get to love this girl anymore, I still get to play the song when I get a chance.”
While on one hand, there was certainly a lot of angst and heart-wrenching emotions, this book also has a lot of healing. I think the slower pace of the story worked well for their circumstance because it made it a lot more believable. I did feel like I wanted just a little bit more from the story, especially at the end, but overall it was solid.
I’ve read several rock star romances over the years and this one definitely felt unique and the writing was so strong — even just a few pages in and I felt totally immersed in the story! If you love rock star romances, check this one out!
Rating: 4+ stars. Standalone romance.
