I heard that there were openings for a street team for a book about a summer romance, rockstars, and a reality television show and I was all in! (I read Nice Try, Jane Sinner in January which involved a reality TV show and I really enjoyed it, so I was interested in the mood to read something like that again.) I signed up for the street team and was provided with an eARC (and I later won a physical ARC) of this book. Here is a summary along with my thoughts:
When Cam moved to Michigan, he was just trying to escape his past. He certainly wasn’t anticipating meeting Vee, but he did and he was drawn to her. They instantly become friends and over time their relationship builds into something more. But when his past catches up to him, he leaves Vee despite all of the feelings he has for her. Now, two years have past and Vee is joining her best friend Logan and his band on their tour bus as they leave to travel across the country for a battling bands reality television show. However, Logan has a surprise: Cam is in the band too. As a result, Cam and Vee are reunited and their summer is an adventure in which they decide if their relationship is worth fighting for.
This story is told in alternating POVs (Vee’s and Cam’s) and timelines (past and present). I don’t always like when novels are written this way, but in this case I enjoyed the style because it built a lot of suspense. You’d just be about to find out what happened in the past, and then you were back in the present. Admittedly, this was frustrating, but in a good way. It kept me turning pages.
What really made this book for me was the relationship between Cam and Vee. This was just such a cute, likable romance. You could definitely feel a connection between the characters from the start but I definitely wouldn’t describe their relationship as “insta-love.” They definitely built from friends to more, and watching them grow together was adorable. There was a lot of well-written romantic tension and I was rooting for them to get together the whole time, both in the past and the present. Individually, they were both really likable characters. Together, they brought out the best in each other. Vee made Cam feel okay again after everything he’d been through, and Cam made Vee realize her potential.
The part of the story that affected me the most was Cam’s backstory. The way Pennington built up to it was so suspenseful and I was so eager to find out what happened. I won’t say too much in order to avoid spoilers, but what is eventually revealed really pulled at my heartstrings.
Overall, this was a really pleasant read. The romance was adorable and the battling bands/reality television show aspect was a fun addition. The plot held my interest throughout and although I wasn’t in love with the ending, I was satisfied with it.
If you’re looking for a cute, fluffy contemporary this is definitely one to consider! I would especially recommend it if you like to read about music, summer adventures, and/or road trips.
Struggling Bookaholic 