Review by Ronny
Series Name: New York Sparks, # 4
My Rock Star Neighbor is a swoony and fun romcom that is just a delight to read from beginning to end.
Favourite Quote:
The way Nick is looking at me… His eyes have this tender look to them that makes me feel like I’m being warmed by a bright sun. I don’t feel cold.
Book Synopsis:
When a wary rock star and a cynical reporter fake date to bury a scandalous rumor, will true love be exposed as the real story?
Nick: I do my best songwriting while playing my guitar on the fire escape. Unfortunately, my in-bed-at-ten next-door neighbor, Maddie, is not a fan of my music. She clambers out on the fire escape to yell at me about making “noise.” In bunny slippers, no less. But then she trips and falls into my arms.
That photo of Maddie plastered all over me hits the papers, just as my dream recording company wants to sign my band. Which is a problem, because an obsessed fan is claiming that I’m her boyfriend and now the media is blowing up that I’m two-timing them both. Good-bye recording contract, unless….
Maddie: I’m supposed to cover the story. Not be the story! But when Nick begs me to fake date, I can’t resist the chance to be Nick’s girlfriend—even if fake—the opposite of my life as a city desk reporter. But my ex said I’m a terrible kisser, and there’s no way I want Mr. Hot Rock Star saying the same thing. Hence, clause 11 in our There will be absolutely no physical contact.
When Maddie receives a threatening photo of the two of us with an X over her face, my desire to protect her suddenly feels all too real. It’s either a troll or her undercover investigation has been compromised. With both our careers at stake, is breaking up the only way to keep Maddie safe?
Review:
I’ve read a few of Katy’s books and adored them; I am happy to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this one as well. This was one of the romcoms that you could just easily sink into, and before you know it, the afternoon has turned into evening, and you are almost finished the book. I devoured it in one sitting. It’s light, fluffy, fun, and with a surprise mystery sub-plotline. If you are a fan of Katy’s New York Sparks series, you will be delighted to catch up with couples from previous books, which I always love. The overall story was bursting with some of my favourite tropes: one bed, forced proximity, fake dating, and neighbours to lovers. The mystery sub plotline that is centred around Maddie’s news story, which she is investigating, was interesting and kept me guessing. It was also a brilliant way to bring the MCs together and create some of those trope-y situations that this romance bookworm loves.
If you like your heroes to be genuine, good, sweet guys, then you are going to fall head over heels in love with Nick. He is a “green flag” hero who melted my heart every time he was on the page. Nick’s character was a nice change for me. I’ve been reading a lot of darker, alpha male romances lately, and Nick was just the fresh breath of air I didn’t know I needed. Nick is on the verge of making it big in the rock and roll world and is about to sign with a music label when his public image takes a hit. Of course, the only way to fix his image is to fake date someone (romance is truly the best, lol). Up to this point, Nick has shown no interest in dating anyone. He knows the life of a rock star makes it difficult to date anyone and knows that dating a rock star isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Maddie is a delight, and I just enjoyed being around her. Her character really comes to life when she is investigating a story. I always love watching a character when they are in their element. Even though Maddie is pretty damn amazing, she suffers from insecurities because of being bullied in school and at work. I thought Katy handled the topic of bullying with a lot of thought and care.
The romance in this story was chef kiss perfection. It’s full of sweet and heartwarming moments that just had me swooning. I loved the romantic tension between these two. It’s pretty obvious that both Maddie and Nick have the hots for each other, but for their own personal reasons, they are reluctant to admit they have feelings for one another. I really enjoyed the banter and chemistry between these two. It’s fun, flirty, and so witty. If you are looking for a closed-door romance, but still has those sparks, then this book is for you.
My Rock Star Neighbor is such a fabulous, flirty, and romantic read, and I highly recommend it to any bookworm.
Thank you, Rachel Random Resources, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
