What a fun read! I live a good rockstar/entertainment romance and this perfectly fit the bill! It was so much fun to see our MC and Marcus spar and then abt forced chemistry actually develop feelings after getting to know one another better! I loved the dialogue, fun look at the entertainment industry, and enjoyable romance.

I got an ARC copy of this book from Net Galley to review.

I found parts of this book quite funny and enjoyed the banter between the main characters. I found that there were parts of the story that were mentioned that ended up sort of being glossed over and really could have been explored more and brought into the plot more and explained.

I did enjoy the set up of the fake dating trope and the gradual falling for each other although felt that the pacing was a bit off in the last half of the book as everything felt very rushed into the last handful of chapters.

Overall an enjoyable read which gave me a few chuckles at the witty banter and situations.

Marcus and Lucy, two rivals with passionate fanbases, are faced into a fake relationship by their label to settle their ongoing conflict. What unfolds is a heartwarming, easy to read romance novel that is full of twists and undeniable chemistry.

The dual perspective of Marcus and Lucy really enhances this story, giving us an insight into both of their thoughts and emotions as they navigate their relationship. If you are a fan of tropes like enemies to lovers, fake relationships, small town, forced proximity and one bed, this book is definitely for you. I particularly enjoyed the dynamic dialogue and being able to experience their character development firsthand as it made me feel as though I was right there alongside them.

Although some parts of the book felt a bit rushed, especially during key plot points that were wrapped up in a single paragraph, it never took away from the overall enjoyment. The story still flowed well, and I was always eager to turn the page.

With its perfect balance of lighthearted moments and lingering tension, this feel-good read surprised me in the best possible ways. If you're looking for a fun, romantic escape, definitely add this to your TBR list!!

Thank you so much NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review has been published on Goodreads and Instagram as of Feb. 23, 2025. A video review will also be posted to TikTok, account HaileyJonesBooks within the week.

This is an ARC review. All opinions are my own. Review may contain spoilers.

WOW! I read this book within 24 hours! It is a quick read, which swept me away and would be good for plane rides/road trips too.

The story is a dual-pov which gives a great look into both the main characters, Lucy and Marcus. In Mia’s writing, we get to see the characters' personalities really shine through, quirks, random thoughts and all, which I feel brings us closer to the characters.

From the first chapter, I knew I would like the FMC, Lucy. She had me chuckling right away and yes, the neighbor is right, Lucy could do much better. Enter Marcus! The rival band’s lead singer. Marcus made me melt, and it’s so clear from the beginning that he’s a big softy. Definitely a “he falls first” story!

With 188 pages, Mia manages to play out the romance storyline well without any awkward or rushed pacing. However, I do wish we had more insight into what happens with some of the subplots, such as Trevor/Caroline. Caroline is supposed to be one of Lucy’s friends and we learn that Caroline and Trevor (possibly) ended up together. I also would have liked to see more relationship building with Lucy and her BFF Windy, we see a few brief phone calls between the two but it may have been beneficial to see more from them.

After tension between the two bands’ fanbases, the solution was to fake date and go on a retreat. A couples’ retreat that is! All about love, communication and sex, between two people who (claim) they can’t stand each other! I blushed and kicked my feet in giddiness during so many scenes. The banter and tension between Marcus and Lucy is great. Don’t even get me started on the painting scene - SO GOOD!

While there is some spice, I wouldn’t say it’s overly spicy, but a nice hint to keep readers satisfied and blushing. It is a slow burn though which is great because the tension between our two mains really builds!

Overall, it’s a great feel good read with a HEA ending everyone is sure to enjoy! My official rating is a 4 star! A big thank you to Victory Editing Co-op and NetGalley for the ARC!

I breezed right through this story of two musicians forced to fake date to ensure their fans won't fight each other. It's the perfect sort of book to read on a long bus ride or plane ride as its light and entertaining. It's a short and easy read.

However, I found this book a bit allover the place with too many subplots that didn't work for me, including the fake dating set-up. It also felt inauthentic for a rockstar romance (especially TWO musicians which is so rare in this sub genre and a missed opportunity, especially when you consider women in the music industry facing misogyny). Firstly, Roz was the one who incited violence onstage to attack Lucy's band's fans. Why was there no punishment for him and the solution was for Lucy and Marcus to fake date?!! How would that 'unite' fans, it was easily a scenario which would blow over (and it seemed to because the book dropped that plot) I also don't get why they'd even be rivals - Lucy's band is an indie folk band nowhere near the level of multi-Grammy award winning Marcus's band. They're not even the same league so it just made the fake dating a bit ludicrous.

Also the contract was ridiculous - every stuff-up meant Lucy and Marcus were penalised with nonsense to extend the three dates, like the couples retreat (which makes ZERO sense since the idea was to parade their relationship around for three dates for public purposes - something which also vanished once they were at the retreat). Then the drama with the threatened lawsuit was resolved as 'oh so it seems by coincidence we wrote a similar song'. What was the point of that being why they hated each other? It just seemed like so many different plots or backstories thrown in superficially. The Bluebell residency selection process also seemed odd. Majority of the prestigious songwriting camps/retreats don't involve established musicians having to perform live at a selected venue (and cripes Marcus actually said he was a shoe in because he's a famous musician). Even then when Lucy is caught as Tea why didnt' they just publish on social media pic of her dressed like Tea?

I guess I'm just disappointed that the author missed opportunities to use real-life examples of how musicians work to strengthen the central conflict of her plot and characters. Why not just make both bands equal rivals and put them on tour as co-supports for the musician Marcus thinks is his father (another story line that was half baked)? I think this book really needed some beta readers who worked in the music industry and a structural edit.

Having said all of that, I still enjoyed this read. I just was disappointed that for a rockstar romance there was nothing to really show authenticity for the music industry. If you're not me though I think this would be your 3.5-4 star read.

Thanks to Victory Editing Co-op and NetGalley for the ARC.

Marcus is a grumpy rock god and Lucy is an indie musician. They pretend to date to broker peace among their fans. Except they fall in love....

Love Lucy and Marcus. They are terrific together. Lots of sexy scenes and tons of chemistry. Enjoy their romance a lot.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc

3/5!

I had high hopes and I really liked the premise of an enemies to lovers rockstar romance. However, while it was a fun easy read which I flew through, I just found it a little all over the place and so many plot points but there wasn’t enough of the book to fully explain or go into detail.
It was all very fast paced and that’s great if you love that type of pacing but I think this book really needed to be at least 400 pages to fully connect and believe the storyline.


Thanks to Victory Editing Co-op and NetGalley for the ARC.

This book is an enemies to lovers type of story. It was really good! Yes of course being enemies to lovers you know they get their happy ending, but I love how Marcus treats Lucy. This story was a good quick read! And I highly recommend for a contemporary type romance with a sprinkle of spice towards the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mia McCoy for allowing me to read this ARC! ❤️

Oh. My. Goodness. I just finished reading and I'm still a little breathless. Seriously, this book completely swept me away! From the very first page, I was hooked by the intense animosity crackling between the main characters.

The setup itself is gold: Lucy, a feisty indie musician and Marcus, a brooding rock god thrown together in a fake relationship to appease warring fanbases? Yes, please!

What I adored most was how real the emotions felt. You could practically taste the dislike between them at first. It wasn't just empty bickering; it was rooted in something deeper, a genuine clash of personalities and past grievances. And then, as the story unfolded, watching that hatred slowly morph into something else… something tender, and passionate, and undeniably real… it was pure magic.

Every interaction between Marcus and Lucy was charged with electricity. Even the simplest conversations felt loaded with unspoken desires and hidden vulnerabilities. The forced proximity trope was used perfectly here. Being stuck together, sharing a bed (hello!), and being forced to see beyond the surface layers really allowed their feelings to develop in a way that felt organic and believable.

What made this book stand out for me was how vulnerable the characters allowed themselves to be. They both had secrets and insecurities, and watching them slowly unravel and share those with each other was incredibly moving. It made their connection feel so much more authentic and powerful.

Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op at NetGalley for the ARC.

Tropes: Fake dating, rockstar romance, enemies to lovers, forced proximity

2⭐️ and 1/5🌶️(with a bondage kink)

I would recommend this book to fans of Tessa Bailey.

The pacing of this book was a bit off, and could’ve done with either some expansion on some of the sub-plots, or complete removal. Topics such as the female main characters ex-fiancé, FMC wanting to go solo and the MMC’s daddy issues felt disjointed from the plot when they were mentioned. 100 extra pages to expand on these plot points would have greatly benefited the story.

The romance itself builds nicely throughout the novel and was enjoyable to read about. The MCs are able to get to know each other in an unconventional way and begin to trust each other.

My biggest problem stemmed from how the sex scenes were written, and maybe I’m a prude -spoiler ahead- but the first time having sex with someone involving bondage is a bit too much for me. The insta-love at the end also did not work for me.

A cute cosy enemies to lovers/fake dating story. I enjoyed the slow burn although the falling for one another did seem a bit abrupt. Overall I thought it was really cute and loved the dog subplot 🙂.

The book reads more like Wattpad fanfiction than a polished, professionally published novel. As it stands, it feels unpolished and difficult to read.

A fun read.
Marcus and Lucy… what can I say. Musicians. Enemies to lovers, one bed.
There were a couple of spicy parts I wasn’t expecting.