RATING: ★★★☆☆
I received a free copy from this book from the publisher, thank you So Vain! As usual, this does not influence my review in any way.
Confession time: I read fanfiction every now and then. I know it's frowned upon and judged and it's not "real writing", but I think some stories are actually great reads. I'm not a massive fan and I don't read a lot of it, but from time to time it's a nice relaxing read. If you like fanfiction, then I have good news for you: You'll love How to Catch a (Rock) Star
Plot
Aspiring singer Lillie and American rock star Jed seem like the perfect fit from the moment they meet. The pair are inseparable, but Jed’s jet-set schedule of shows and after-parties limits the amount they can see each other. So when Jed invites Lillie to sing with his band on their tour, she says yes. Yes with some hesitation, that is. After finding out that her ex-boyfriend was hiding away a wife and child when they were dating, Lillie’s trust in men is fragile and she also suffers from severe stage fright. As the tour progresses, Jed and Lillie are fast becoming rock’s hottest couple but with obsessive fan girls, a claustrophobic tour bus and a resentful guitarist, things start taking a turn for the worse. Lillie’s dream of singing may have finally become a reality, but can it last? The odds are stacking up against them and then the unthinkable happens…
Romance, Romance, Romance
Clearly, this is a romance novel and I was excited to see how a rockstar and a normal girl would make a relationship work. Lillie is an enjoyable character; she's nice, sweet, always tries to do the right thing and really really likes Jed. Jed is nice too, seems to really care for Lillie, but is clearly hiding something from her. The relationship between the two is cute to read, but I was bothered by the fact that we don't find out Jed's secret until three-quarters into the book. I wanted to know sooner! I was constantly waiting for some drama to start and when it finally did, it was solved too quickly for my liking. Some more tension would have been great, but if you don't like that kinda thing (a lot of people don't), then this is perfect.
Great main characters, but...
So Lillie and Jed are fun to read about, however the side characters fall completely flat. They were actually the most fanfiction element of the book for me. They're all there (the bandmates, the roommate friend,...) and they are all there for Jed and Lillie to talk to and that's about it. The whole book-world seems to revolve around the romance and that's just so not realistic. They are people with jobs and lives - why not show that? It irked me that all they do is try and get Lillie and Jed together or try and fix something if it's wrong. If those characters were more rounded, the story would be so much better.
Rating
So overall, I'm not wild about this book. It was nice and cute and fun to read, but I didn't really relate to it. I honestly don't think it will appeal to people who don't like fanfiction. This story requires you to really let go of your inner-critic and to not wonder "would that really happen??", because it wouldn't. In real life, there would be a girl who sees a band play and then goes home and goes back to her shit job the next day. But this is a work of fiction, so things happen. If you're okay with just letting go of the realistic factor and enjoy the story, you'll really enjoy it. You'll breeze through the story and enjoy the very cute moments between Lillie and Jed. If you don't like those overly happy dream-come-true stories, then don't pick this up.