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4.25 AVERAGE
4.25 AVERAGE
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I loved this book it was very heart warming. Plus the voice actor really did a great job bring this story to life.
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was hesitant when I picked this up because I sort of hated Oleander by the same author. But a friend promised me this was a very different vibe and they were right!
This is a sweet, sexy, satisfying romance with enough angst to keep it interesting and flawed but likeable characters. It was fun to see the characters navigate language barriers and cultural differences and their different experiences of fame.
My one extremely minor complaint (which is purely personal preference) is that I would have liked the music aspect of the story to be a touch more involved. There was a lot of focus on fame and money and reputation and being in the public eye but not so much on what music itself means to them. (Minor spoilers 👉)We know that Raphael wrote a whole album of songs about Jae but we never got to see any of the lyrics or how those songs were received by critics, fans or people who know them (e.g. their bandmates).
This is a sweet, sexy, satisfying romance with enough angst to keep it interesting and flawed but likeable characters. It was fun to see the characters navigate language barriers and cultural differences and their different experiences of fame.
My one extremely minor complaint (which is purely personal preference) is that I would have liked the music aspect of the story to be a touch more involved. There was a lot of focus on fame and money and reputation and being in the public eye but not so much on what music itself means to them. (Minor spoilers 👉)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Infidelity, Sexual content
Moderate: Homophobia, Pregnancy, Outing
DNF at 30% - while the spice was hot, the rest was not.
Rating: 4.25
I freaking loved this book. It’s an emotional rollercoaster that leaves you dizzy in the best way—like that sinking feeling in your stomach on a wild ride, but you immediately want to get back in line and do it all over again. That’s what reading this felt like.
The way I got so attached to the characters... every single thing that happened to them felt personal, like it was happening to me. I loved the author's writing—it was so powerful and immersive. And let me just say, time jumps usually aren’t my favorite because not every author knows how to use them well. But this one? Nailed it. The transitions were seamless and actually enhanced the story, especially at the beginning. The angst was so sharp and raw, you could feel the longing—those time jumps only made it worse in the best way.
The romance was so real. I truly believed in their connection. They had baggage (oh, they had baggage), and yeah, some things should’ve been worked through before they got together, but by the end, it felt like everything came full circle. I will admit the ending was a bit rushed, but honestly? I don’t even care. That final scene—with the emotional callback to the beginning—had me crying. Crying.
I absolutely adored Jae. We only get about five POV chapters from him, but each one was such a gift. Seeing the contrast between how he presents himself to others and how he really feels inside? Heartbreaking and beautiful. As for Rafa—people hating him felt a little forced to me. Yeah, he messed up, but the only people who had the right to be truly mad were the fiancée and the K-pop group (if you know, you know). Rafa was such an interesting character to be inside of, and I loved him and Jae together.
I wish we could get more of them—so much more. I loved this book with my whole heart, and I can’t wait to scream about it to everyone I know.
I freaking loved this book. It’s an emotional rollercoaster that leaves you dizzy in the best way—like that sinking feeling in your stomach on a wild ride, but you immediately want to get back in line and do it all over again. That’s what reading this felt like.
The way I got so attached to the characters... every single thing that happened to them felt personal, like it was happening to me. I loved the author's writing—it was so powerful and immersive. And let me just say, time jumps usually aren’t my favorite because not every author knows how to use them well. But this one? Nailed it. The transitions were seamless and actually enhanced the story, especially at the beginning. The angst was so sharp and raw, you could feel the longing—those time jumps only made it worse in the best way.
The romance was so real. I truly believed in their connection. They had baggage (oh, they had baggage), and yeah, some things should’ve been worked through before they got together, but by the end, it felt like everything came full circle. I will admit the ending was a bit rushed, but honestly? I don’t even care. That final scene—with the emotional callback to the beginning—had me crying. Crying.
I absolutely adored Jae. We only get about five POV chapters from him, but each one was such a gift. Seeing the contrast between how he presents himself to others and how he really feels inside? Heartbreaking and beautiful. As for Rafa—people hating him felt a little forced to me. Yeah, he messed up, but the only people who had the right to be truly mad were the fiancée and the K-pop group (if you know, you know). Rafa was such an interesting character to be inside of, and I loved him and Jae together.
I wish we could get more of them—so much more. I loved this book with my whole heart, and I can’t wait to scream about it to everyone I know.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I’ll start by saying this book absolutely had some 5 star moments and qualities. I devoured it, literally inhaled the entire thing in basically a day. I loved the different settings and I loved Jae especially.
My main problem was that I found it hard to believe that Raphael was in love and not just infatuated with Jae. When they were together all they really did was have sex and I honestly didn’t know what they knew about each other at all?
Also I’m not going to include details because it’s a spoiler but I’m not a fan of the *bomb* that was dropped near the end. It was a bit of an eye-roll moment for me.
I did enjoy it and would definitely recommend it but it just didn’t quite hit the 5 star mark for me.
My main problem was that I found it hard to believe that Raphael was in love and not just infatuated with Jae. When they were together all they really did was have sex and I honestly didn’t know what they knew about each other at all?
Also I’m not going to include details because it’s a spoiler but I’m not a fan of the *bomb* that was dropped near the end. It was a bit of an eye-roll moment for me.
I did enjoy it and would definitely recommend it but it just didn’t quite hit the 5 star mark for me.