3.5 stars that I’m rounding up to a 4

This one was a lot of fun! I was going into it thinking it was a romance with suspense as a backdrop but it’s really the other way around. There are several turns where you think it’s going one way and then it goes in a totally different direction, which I really appreciate in a mystery.

It’s a fresh take on the “rockstar falls for one of his fans” trope- Sammy doesn’t recognize who Gabe is at first when she takes him to her bar to clean him up after a misunderstanding in the woods leads to him getting hurt. Sparks fly immediately, and when his real identity comes to light, she gets caught up in the whirlwind of his life. Mixed in is a stalker, a mystery, and some really steamy chemistry!

I liked Sammy a lot as a main character, but there were several times there were red flags about things staring her right in the face that she completely missed. I get why -for the purpose of the story that needed to be told, it had to be that way - but it was still a bit frustrating to read at times.

I really liked Gabe too with one major exception that really rubbed me the wrong way, because Sammy's safety should have been put first above all else at that point.

I’m not a huge fan of how the overall story was wrapped up, but the rest of the book was enjoyable enough that it was definitely still worth reading!

This book is very engaging and fast-paced. I was fully engrossed from start to finish. I appreciated the twists and turns, and fully did not see the end coming. However, it is more mystery and suspense that takes place after a meet-cute than it is a romance. As a mystery, it is well done and it will keep you guessing till the very end. As a romance, I feel that the book was okay. The romance and the relationship didn't feel fully developed because there was so much else going on. If you want a quick and sexy mystery, I recommend it.

I expected this to be a cute little romance and in part it was but in the backdrop of mystery, subterfuge, blackmail and music.
Meeting on a rough stretch of biking trail , brewery owner Sammy meets musician Gabe when they crash. They limp back to Sammy's brewery, where all the chaos starts. There's a bit of everything in this book-- super cheesy love story but the rest is told in a compelling way that drives the rest.

I didnt get pulled into the story like I wanted to. I didnt really connect to the characters but I did like the premise. Maybe it just wasn't for me.

stories like this is just what we all need. the lightness is there. the characters are there and most importantly the story is one you can immerse yourself in alongside the moments of romance. this is helped in this particular book by the subplot of mystery to it. which is harder than you think to pull off and often feels like a meaningless addition. but Missy did it so it slips in perfectly with the rest of the story and actually adds to it.
Sammy is the owner of her breweries and restaurants business. Gabe is a well know music star. two very different folk and lives right. well, what happens when they merge. literally because they bump into each other! thats when Sammy finds out who this is...her fave music man and crush.eeeek!!
Sammy has been feeling weighted be life recently. and so when Gabe offers her a chance of something new and exciting to get her teeth stuck into she thinks this might just be what she needs. but following him might mean something or someone much darker follows. can she overcome it all? does she want something new? can she brave her fears to be with someone shes found makes her heart alight and seemingly the feeling is mutual?isnt it?she knows she needs to be there for her daughter in all this too. shes her number one(and i loved this side of her) but also she has to be here for herself sometimes too.
and just when i thought i had it figured out i was surprised and swerved my head in shock at what happened next! haha this doesn't happen often and maybe i wasn't on my "thriller guard" enough, lol.
an enjoyable read with bits of everything i love in it. it was new for me this kind of genre mashup and i cant say it didn't bring a fresh feeling to my read. i was reading more and more not only for the romance but also for the mystery too.

Synopsis:
When Sammy McCallum comes to the aid of her musical crush—megastar front man Gabe Walker—she never imagines he might rescue her back. But as sparks fly and their professional interests converge, Gabe invites Sammy to visit his farm-to-table homestead in North Carolina. . . and the tantalizing offer couldn’t come at a better time. Because lately, Sammy’s been feeling stuck. Her teenage daughter is battling for freedom, her craft breweries are mysteriously bleeding cash, and she can’t step out of her comfort zone long enough to solve either problem. A trip to the Smoky Mountains with a gorgeous rockstar might be just the temptation she needs to expand her boundaries and reclaim her confidence.
Or the trip could turn into something else entirely. Because when Sammy breaks down the barriers of her safe and cozy life, she accidentally lets danger in. The bizarre pitfalls of a celebrity entanglement descend, threatening everyone she holds dear. Sammy’s connection with Gabe is irresistible, but will pursuing this romance come at the most terrible price imaginable?

💭Thoughts:
~ I liked how Sammy and Gabe were both single parents to teenagers and understood the importance of being a parent
~ Always enjoy a book with different points of view, except at times for this book I was extremely confused. When it was the chapters marked “The Others” for point of view, I was never sure whose point of view it was.
~ The beginning chapters of the book were quite intriguing, but as the book went further on I was losing some interest. About half way in, I had figured out who the stalker was, or had a pretty good idea who the stalker was. So this took out some of the mystery and intrigue for me.

Thank you NetGalley and HeucheraPublishing for the ARC

Started strong, but I lost interest and slowly made my way through this one. I liked that the characters were older/more mature than typical romance stories, and they had more life experience.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.

I really enjoyed this book. It had all the romance and thrill.
I loved that the MCs were older and both single parents. All their issues were so realistic and they dealt with them so maturely it was fun to read.
The plot was great and well written and the end was exciting!!
I also enjoyed the pov of other characters, It added to the story in my opinion.
Thank you for the opportunity to read early.🙏🏼

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC of Intoxicating Persuit! This was a fun read with a lot of good things going on. There was also a lot going on throughout the book, though. It felt a little much at certain points. Overall, the connection and communication between the MCs combined with the mystery part of the story made this an enjoyable read.

I did end up finishing this. It was ok at times. The chapters listed as The others were really confusing. I feel like there were 7 different stories. Boring at times. Not memorable characters.

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this book. The plot was really intriguing. Who doesn’t dream of meeting their favorite rockstar and having a whirlwind romance? It was like a very well written contemporary romance with some thriller and mystery sprinkled in. The stalker was pretty original, every time I thought I figured it out I was wrong. It was a little slow to start out but it kept me interested and towards the end I couldn’t put it down. I will definitely be recommending this book to others.

Summary in Brief

Sammy is a strong, independent single mother. Gabe is a famous musician. Their paths cross and they find themselves intertwined in each other’s lives—but there are some sinister undertones at play.

Genre + Plot

Tropes: Celebrity Romance, Strangers to Lovers, Secret Relationship, Single Mom/Dad, Insta Lust, Blackmail/Stalker, Miscommunication

I was excited for this one! And although it didn’t completely knock it out of the park for me, it was still an enjoyable read for the most part. I was intrigued by the premise of an older single mother running (literally) into a famous musician and their love story taking off from there. It’s kismet. She also owns a brewery, which I love. Both Sammy and Gabe are older single parents and click right away. I did get the vibe that it was a little insta-lusty between them, but they formed a fast friendship.

What turned me off was how Gabe handled things after the event, which is the main plot point of the book. He basically slut-shamed Sammy and immediately blamed her. I get that he’s in the entertainment business and has been burned in the past, but I didn’t like how he handled conflict with her. Then Sammy’s like, “Oh, la-di-da, it’s fine—he deals with crazy people all the time, so it’s okay.” Like... I don’t think it is, girl!

After that event, the book definitely took a turn I wasn’t expecting based on the synopsis. It’s not a direction I particularly liked. I enjoy getting the warm fuzzies when I’m reading a romance novel, and although this book started out that way, it quickly shifted into more of a thriller vibe—which might have been the author’s intention. I just think she tried to do too much: too much romance and too much thriller. You’ve got to pick one and let the other be a less intense subplot.

As the book continues, we get chapters from “the others”—the people responsible for the stalking and blackmail—and that kind of ruins the love story. I was too stressed to care about them falling in love. Also, I got super annoyed when they tried to hook up out in the open again. Like, y’all gotta keep that stuff private for the time being.

Then everything comes crashing down and, of course, Gabe blames Sammy for literally everything and takes no responsibility. He doesn’t even hear her out. Doesn’t respond to her. At this point, I’m like, Sammy girl, go get a new man because this one actually sucks. When the climax happens with “the others,” and it was honestly pretty scary. And like I said before, it just wasn’t at the level a side plot in a romance novel should be. It was so over the top and intense—it completely overshadowed the romance. I didn’t get those great romance novel vibes at all. By the end, I was just mad because Gabe sucks and Sammy deserves so much better.

Final Thoughts

Overall, this had a fun premise, and although it started out promising with the celebrity romance and secret relationship angle, it quickly took a dark turn and never quite recaptured that happy romance feel.

Started off strange but was fun I guess.... Although it definitely had some cringe aspects. Around 40%, it stopped being so entertaining and became tiring, which made me lose interest.

We are introduced to Sammy, the co-owner of a series of brewery/restaurants, and Gabe, a world-known music star, who also happens to have a restaurant side business

The two, quite literally bump into each other, and while Sammy is tending to Gabes wounds back at her brewery/restaurant, not only does she find out that he is her favourite music star (and crush), but she also agrees to help Gabe redesign his outdoor dining area at his restaurant.

What follows is a story of fear, growth, second chance love and the complexities of embarking on a new relationship later in life, when life has already somewhat jaded you. Alongside this, there is also a thriller subplot of mystery and danger.

The story had a smooth, steady pace and I found there were several chapters that ended with a baited hook, reeling you in with a suggestion of the danger ahead.

There were a few chapters, mostly those headed 'Others', where I found myself confused initially. It wasn't clear whether I was reading from the pov of Claudia, Oscar, or the mystery character.

Overall, I found Intoxicating Pursuit to be a breath of fresh air when comparing it to most of the other second chance romance books available. This had a lot to do with the addition of the thriller subplot.

The characters of Sammy and Gabe, grew and developed throughout the book, battling and overcoming issues of trust and guilt, facing crippling anxiety and learning ways by which to manage it

I would absolutely recommend this book and I will going on to read anything else Miss Bloom has published, with excited anticipation.

4 ⭐️ read

I received and ARC copy of this book from NetGalley!

It was an enjoyable read, but I didn't find myself loving it. I appreciated the writing style and the transitions between Sammy and 'The Others,' as well as the suspense it created. However, the story didn't fully engage me. Additionally, the relationship between Sammy and Gabe felt a bit rushed. While I did enjoy the book and like the way it was written, it hasn't become a new favorite for me.

3.5 ⭐️

I really enjoyed the thriller vibes to this book. I thought the story was well written and i loved the main characters. I thought it was easy to read and flowing!
The authors writting style was easy and fun to read.

I did get slightly bored in the middle where it felt a struggle to pick it back up but it did get better again!

I would definitley read more from this author and thank you so much to netgalley for the arc!

Loved this book. My first book from this author. Made me a total fan of this book. would read this again and again.

This plot was intriguing and I really wanted to in love it, and while I enjoyed it I can't say it was everything I hoped for structurally I found myself confused which is a me problem. This book will likely be a five star for someone, the writing was quite good

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

DNF at 40%

I don’t know if this book just wasn’t for me, but I didn’t get pulled into the story like I wanted to. The plot line is intriguing and I really wanted to love this, but found the structure confusing with chapters labeled as ‘The Others’ being POV of side characters without providing much to the story. I definitely think there is promise and potential in this book, and some are going to truly love it. It just was not for me.

The novel centers on the unexpected relationship between the protagonists, whose worlds collide amidst a backdrop of fame and suburban life. As their bond deepens, they must confront external threats that test their trust and commitment. The presence of a stalker adds a layer of tension, compelling the characters to navigate their feelings while ensuring their safety. Intoxicating Pursuit offers a compelling mix of romance and suspense, making it a suitable read for fans of emotionally charged narratives with a touch of danger.