Oh my goodness! What took me so long to finally get to reading this book?!? I had previously tried starting this novel a couple of times and because of things pulling my focus away in real life, I never made progress in it past the first chapter. Yet, when I started listening to the audio book this time around, I absolutely could not stop! I listened every chance I got and ended up finishing it in a day and a half. I love, love, love celebrity romances and this was such a great one!

The way these two got to know each other was sweet. Although their first meeting was not a good one, Alex was immediately pulled in by Heather, both with the fact that she didn’t follow his band and that she wasn’t infatuated with meeting him. The way things progressed between them with texts and then calls and face times, it really built up the growth of attraction between the two.

There were so many sweet moments in this story between two people who lived very different lives from each other. They each carried their own insecurities about their relationship and all of the extra baggage that came with being involved in a romance that would eventually garner publicity on the world stage.

I loved this story from start to finish and I keep thinking of Heather and Alex days later! If you like celebrity romance novels, I highly recommend this one. I enjoyed the narration for the audio book, as well.

I received a complimentary copy of this ebook but ended up listening to the audio book from my library. I enjoyed this story so much that I also purchased a print copy for my own shelves.

Heather Gordon's small-town life is turned upside down when she falls for a rockstar.

A sweet contemporary romance, that makes for a quick read. Great for someone looking for a light-reading pick-me-up. I liked that Heather is close to her family, and that they are supportive of her goals and everything else. Alex Kirwan is a world-famous heartthrob, who longs for a simpler life, possibly settling down from the hubbub of being famous.

A sweet read about finding love when you aren't looking, with nice characters, and a rather straightforward plot that does tend to go where expected. A little too predictable and fluffy for my taste, but if you like Hallmark movies chances are you would like this sweet romance.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Love the premise of this story. Small town waitress/baker working in her family's diner has a dream to own a bakery/bookstore. She's so focused on her dream that popular trends and music get none of her attention. When a top-of-the-charts band walks into her diner, she's clueless. Every woman her age and younger is fan-girling all over them, but she just does her job - until the two youngest members of the band start a food fight, destroying the cleanliness of her workplace in five thoughtless minutes. Then, she lets them have it, berating them for the extra work they've made for her. Mid-rant, the oldest brother returns, sees the disaster his brothers caused, and begins helping with the clean-up. As they work together, a spark is ignited but can they fan it into flame if they are always apart?

Fame lost its appeal for Alex Kirwan a long time ago. He's more at home in a quiet room with his guitar than singing onstage with his brothers, but their success keeps him traveling. Women throw themselves at him constantly but none have sparked an interest until he meets Heather Gordon. She has goals of her own and isn't interested in becoming part of his entourage. Can he have the woman who has captured his interest and his heart if he stays in his career?

I liked so many things about this story but there was also a flaw that kind of bugged me. Heather starts out so strong and confident. She has a plan and she knows what she wants out of life. I ran into trouble when that woman became the wimpy, unsure woman who constantly second-guessed Alex. And, I got so tired of reading about how much they missed kissing. There's much more to a relationship than kisses.

I've read a great share of Amy Clipston's booklist and really enjoyed most of them. This one, I think I could have cut most of the middle out of and liked it better.

Absolutely LOVED this book! The story line between Heather Gordan & Alex Kirwan reminded me of a Hallmark movie (by the way, can anyone make this happen?), I could see it in my mind while reading. Relationships are hard & involve work in any phase, but involving fame & tabloids, geesh - I couldn't imagine. Thankfully, I won't have to, especially with authors like Amy Clipston who can do it for me. I enjoyed this book & I know readers will too.

Starstruck, by Amy Clipston, is the story of an unlikely relationship between an ordinary small town woman and a famous rock star. When the band Kirwan stops to grab dinner at the Pit Barbeque in Flowering Grove, NC, the two younger brothers, Kayden and Jordan, end the meal with a food fight, making a mess for Heather and Wendy Gordon, daughters of the owners, to clean up. When older brother Alex returns from the restroom to find the mess and a fuming Heather, even though the younger Kirwan’s had left a very large tip. Alex, embarrassed, offers VIP tickets for their concert in Charlotte the following evening. Wendy is thrilled, Heather indicates she needs to wash her hair, unimpressed by the rockstars.

But Heather does accompany her sister, enjoys the concert, and while looking for the location of the meet and greet after a restroom visit, she wanders into Alex’s dressing room to find him with his guitar and singing a beautiful love song. As they begin talking they discover many common interests and begin forging a friendship. When Heather inadvertently leaves her cell phone in his dressing room, Alex makes sure to take it to her as they travel to their next gig.

Over the next few months, their relationship grows through texts, phone calls, and emails and as long as they keep their relationship to themselves it blossoms. But the instant the paparazzi and the social media get ahold of the information things change.

This is a very well written tale spotlighting a different kind of relationship. With well drawn characters and an interesting plot, I did enjoy this book and I do recommend it!

*ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. *

I am so far on all my reviews and feedback on my book reviews. It just so sad but I could not do much about it. First life got so crazy that I could not make time to do reviews and then my computer broke on me. I finally have a new laptop so I can post my reviews! FINALLY!!

Anyway, back to the review…. I absolutely loved this book! I am in the mood where I just cannot finish any romance books but thankfully and luckily this was not one of these books. This is my first time reading any of this authors books but I think I will just go and check out the rest of her books. I completely adored this book and sadly if I enjoy a book then it is always a nice quick read for me. This was such a fun read and the writing was great. I could easily picture myself there.

Now this story is about a small town waitress Heather that met a famous rock star that she new nothing about. I adore reading small town/rock star romance. I love how there is Heather who would treat someone famous, Alex as a regular person and not someone famous. I mean Heather new next to nothing about the band that Alex was in even if the bad was so popular but yet they just clicked and seemed to really like each other. This was hard for them to be together because he was always on tour. I just loved reading this as it was really entertaining.

I would most certainly recommend this book if you love a  realistic romance book with the troubles of long distance relationships. It was just so swoon worthy and the characters just felt so real. This story showed how life is like being famous with the pressure of the paparazzi and how social media will portrayed them.

Heather Gordon, a waitress in a small North Carolina town, has her world turned upside down when she becomes involved with Alex Kirwan, the charming lead singer of the internationally famous rock band Kirwan. Despite their differences, they form a deep connection, but they must navigate the challenges of fame and distance as Alex's tour takes him away from Heather. As they exchange messages and calls, their relationship deepens, but they must confront the realities of celebrity life. Despite the obstacles, Heather and Alex's love story unfolds against the backdrop of music, family, and personal dreams.

Cute story of a girl who meets a rockstar. Has no idea he is one, which he appreciates. Their story goes through them getting to know each other and figuring out the hurdles of dating a celebrity and if they can make it work.

This was a very traditional-feeling clean romance. The plot was somewhat predictable, but there was a cozy familiarity to the the whole book that made it pleasant to read. Experienced romance readers may not find much new here, but this would be a good choice for a reader who is either young (high school) or new to the genre.

It was a slow start. It took me a while to get into the story, but eventually it did pull me in and I enjoyed this sweet love story.

This was the first book I have read by Amy Clipston and I can't wait to read her other books. It's been awhile since I have read a Christian style book but this was really refreshing. I have been getting drawn back into nice clean romance books lately. The characters were easy to relate to and kept me interested through the whole book. I would recommend this sweet clean romance book.


Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson--FICTION for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.

It was just another average day at work at her family's restaurant when Heather experiences two overgrown kids having a food fight. Heather mentions this to another member of their party after they already left. To make amends, he invites her to he and his brothers' concert. Heather doesn't want anything to do with the pretentious band, but her sister insists that she attends with her. After the concert, Heather finds herself alone with the oldest brother and discovers that he is more down to earth than she realized. After realizing they share similar interests, phone numbers are exchanged and a friendship develops. Alex's life is not all glitz and glam; he often encounters loneliness, paparazzi, and being the subject of gossip columns. Will Heather be able to look past all that to see the real Alex? Will Alex be able to make time for Heather while dealing with a grueling international tour schedule? A good book full of romance, second chances, and putting aside one's fears. Recommend this book for lovers of romance.

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Starstruck is a contemporary, standalone novel by Amy Clipston. The characters were ok but they didn't really have an depth to them and I had a hard time connecting to them or even caring about what happened to them. I didn't feel like this book was as developed or put together as Clipston's Amish novels are. It was an ok read but it isn't something I'm longing to go back and reread again.

At first I enjoyed this book, I liked the premise of a star falling for a normal person and I liked Heather and Alexs cute-meet. However the more I read thestory, the less I enjoyed it. While the story was sweet it had no depth to it and I expected more based on other books by the author I've read. I really disliked Heather, I thought her character was very shallow. She was warned what dating a celebrity was like but went ahead anyway then broke up with Alex the first time things got difficult. All the way through the book they talked about having to compromise to make the relationship work but Alex is the only one who made any changes to his life for the relationship. Alex was a sweetheart and I liked his character. Alex and Heather's dialogue was so cheesy and was mostly them thanking each for things. Overall did not enjoy this book but hey books are subjective so others may love it.

The book Starstruck was an enjoyable read. I would recommend any book written by Amy Clipston. Happy Reading!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely.

This is a good book. The two main characters are Heather and Alex. There is an instant attraction when they meet. Heather works at the family’s barbecue restaurant. Alex is in the family’s rock band. They meet when the band comes to eat at the barbecue restaurant. Alex asks for her phone number. Over the next five months they video call, text, or call one another several times a day. They visit both of their hometowns. They fall in love.

Heather Gordon lives in a small town and works at her parent's restaurant while saving and dreaming of opening a bookstore and bakery. When a group of young men come in from the rock band Kirwan, Heather's younger sister can't believe she doesn't know who the band that consists of three brothers, even is. Two of the brothers start a food fight, leave a large tip and walk out. When the elder brother comes out of the restroom and discovers what his brothers have done, feisty Heather has quite a bit to say about it. This interaction leads to a friendship, that leads to a relationship between the two that is sweet, feels organic, and kept my attention. I enjoyed the progression and the path of a relationship between someone who is world famous and someone who enjoys anonymity. It's an interesting topic of bringing two very different worlds together and I enjoyed the way the author wrote it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Heather Gordon has worked in her family diner for as long as she can remember and dreams of opening her own bakery and bookshop someday. But she lacks the courage to take that first step and really put herself out there to pursue her dream.

One night, a rowdy bunch of guys start a food fight, and while her sister is thrilled that her celebrity heartthrob is among them, Heather is less than impressed. As the two of them are cleaning up the mess that's been left behind (along with a hefty tip), one of the other members of the party, Alex, comes to apologize and help them. As Heather sees it, being a rockstar is no excuse for the band's behavior, and she wants nothing to do with empty apologies. But she and her sister end up with VIP passes to the band's next show, and things take off from there.

As Heather and Alex get to know one another better, they help each other grow and define what it is that they each want their futures to look like. And since much of the relationship develops while Alex is touring with the band, it allows a true "meeting of the minds" to take place where they get to know one another deeply before feelings cloud their vision.

A truly enjoyable story of a couple finding ways around what seem like unsurmountable odds to create a life that's rewarding and sweet.

Thank you to Amy Clipston, whose books I always enjoy, Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Starstruck is perfect for fans of celebrity romances. It follows Heather who is a waitress in a small diner that is simple and uneventful. One day a famous band shows up at her diner. That changes when the lead singer Alex tries to make amends for her brother who caused a scene. This is a sweet romance about two hearts that deserve love and each other. Well-written, character-driven, fast-paced and enjoyable

Starstruck
Amy Clipston
Pub Date: November 14,2023
Thomas Nelson Fiction
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
I didn't really connect with this book as well as others did but I do know this author is very popular.
Filled with heart and the intoxicating allure of possibility, Starstruck is a must-read for anyone who has ever dreamed of finding love in surprising places.

Charming friends-to-lovers romance
Stand-alone novel
Includes discussion questions for book clubs
4 stars