Scan barcode
A review by spacetravels
Blindsided by the spotlight by Elora Maxwell
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
I had to sit and think on this review for a while. This book first caught my eye on Twitter/X where people were dunking on it for being Tayvis inspired, and as an avid romance reader and a believer of giving things their fair chance, I took the plunge into reading this. To note: I’m a very casual Taylor Swift fan, and insta-love is not a trope I care for, so I wasn’t sure exactly how I’d feel going into this.
If you want something very easy and lighthearted to read: this is definitely that. It’s “cozy” and keeps a decent pace, and for the author’s first foray into contemporary romance, Maxwell provides a really, really safe book.
That being said, I found the safety of it all a little challenging for me. Oftentimes the conflicts were resolved within 1-2 chapters (which, as a dual pov book, really did feel quickly) and I never felt any sort of pressure or sympathy for the struggles of the characters. It was difficult to relate to Mae or Wyatt, and I found them rather flat in their development when they rarely were frustrated with each other and they communicated in such a picture-esque romantic way that, in the end, I wasn’t sold on their romance. I was being spoon-fed that they were in love with each other the entire book, and yet I never felt convinced of that. Every action and plot device was written in a calculated, near-formulaic way. You root for their romance because there is nothing else to root for, you know Mae and Wyatt are winning in their careers because it’s subconsciously difficult to parse them from their inspirations, and even with the romance genre’s emphasis on an HEA/HFN ending, I finished with the relief that I was done. There is an introspection of Mae’s love for music as storytelling near the third act that I deeply enjoyed, but it was disappointing to get that insight of her character so late into the story because everything before it didn’t feel like her as a character but a transplanted parasocial perspective of a real pop star. Wyatt himself only seemed to center his personality around Mae and her protection with a surface level drive to play football, and I desired more from his character and presence as the male lead and someone who’s perspective I was in half the time. The action of things happening was also written in a stilted, flat way that never kept my attention, and for all the feelings one should get reading about live performances or football games, I felt majorly bored and uninterested in the action compared to the dialogue and intimate moments between the characters, which were really, really sweet and enjoyable.
Overall, I think this book is really what you make of it. If you are seeking a comfy, easy romance, this delivers exactly on that front, and that’s never a bad thing to be exactly as advertised.
If you want something very easy and lighthearted to read: this is definitely that. It’s “cozy” and keeps a decent pace, and for the author’s first foray into contemporary romance, Maxwell provides a really, really safe book.
That being said, I found the safety of it all a little challenging for me. Oftentimes the conflicts were resolved within 1-2 chapters (which, as a dual pov book, really did feel quickly) and I never felt any sort of pressure or sympathy for the struggles of the characters. It was difficult to relate to Mae or Wyatt, and I found them rather flat in their development when they rarely were frustrated with each other and they communicated in such a picture-esque romantic way that, in the end, I wasn’t sold on their romance. I was being spoon-fed that they were in love with each other the entire book, and yet I never felt convinced of that. Every action and plot device was written in a calculated, near-formulaic way. You root for their romance because there is nothing else to root for, you know Mae and Wyatt are winning in their careers because it’s subconsciously difficult to parse them from their inspirations, and even with the romance genre’s emphasis on an HEA/HFN ending, I finished with the relief that I was done. There is an introspection of Mae’s love for music as storytelling near the third act that I deeply enjoyed, but it was disappointing to get that insight of her character so late into the story because everything before it didn’t feel like her as a character but a transplanted parasocial perspective of a real pop star. Wyatt himself only seemed to center his personality around Mae and her protection with a surface level drive to play football, and I desired more from his character and presence as the male lead and someone who’s perspective I was in half the time. The action of things happening was also written in a stilted, flat way that never kept my attention, and for all the feelings one should get reading about live performances or football games, I felt majorly bored and uninterested in the action compared to the dialogue and intimate moments between the characters, which were really, really sweet and enjoyable.
Overall, I think this book is really what you make of it. If you are seeking a comfy, easy romance, this delivers exactly on that front, and that’s never a bad thing to be exactly as advertised.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction and Alcoholism
Minor: Car accident