Thank you to Thomas Nelson and to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

I had never read any books prior to this one by Amy Clipson, but this one caught my attention on NetGalley's website and I thought I would request it.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a clean Rock star romance and just a lot of fun. It reminded me of a Hallmark movie.
This book is a sweet story about Heather who works in her parent's restaurant in a small town and dreams of opening her own bakery/bookstore. What Heather doesn't plan on is Alex (lead singer of his family band) stopping in and capturing her heart.

This book was just fun and that is exactly what it is meant to be. I will definitely check out other books by this author.

Taking into consideration the fact that Amy Clipston is one of my favorite authors, and the "famous person falling for the regular person" is one of my favorite tropes, I fully expected to end up loving Starstruck. However, while there ended up being quite a few likeable things about it, I didn't end up enjoying it as much as I had expected to, and I wouldn't consider it a new favorite.

The initial set up was kind of all sorts of adorable, and I especially enjoyed the meet cute. Heather Gordon is a small town gal working in her parent's restaurant one night when the famous rock band Kirwan ends up coming in for a meal. It's definitely not love at first sight for Heather when the younger two brothers of the band start a food fight and she ends up having to clean it up. However, the older brother Alex is apologetic for his brothers' shenanigans, and the two strike up an unlikely friendship that soon grows into something much more. Only how can they ever make a true relationship work when their lives exist in such drastically different ways?

While I think this story had great potential, unfortunately the characters, the plot and the romance ended up falling short for me. The romance felt extremely insta lovey and lusty, and there were far too many passages about Heather and Alex being obsessed with each other soon after meeting for it to truly seem believable to the reader. It also ended up feeling like there wasn't a lot that truly happened throughout the plot, and it ended up taking me quite awhile to finish this one which isn't usual for me.

While I did enjoy the small town setting, the lovely relationship both main characters have with their families, and the fact that this one invokes one of my all time favorite tropes, it ended up not being what I was expecting, and unfortunately I probably wouldn't reread it or recommend it to anyone else as a must read.

I'd recommend Amy Clipston's other contemporaries over this one, but I'm thankful I took the chance on trying another of her stories.

Final Rating: 3/5.


Thanks so much to Thomas Nelson for allowing me to advance read and review this one!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Thomas Nelson) via NetGalley. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.5 Stars

What happens when a small town waitress garners the sincere interest of a rock star?

Heather Gordon is a waitress who dreams of one day owning her own bakery/bookshop. When a famous group of rock star brothers have a food fight in her family’s restaurant, Heather doesn’t hide her distaste for their manners or lifestyle. She does become quickly smitten, however, with the oldest brother, who tries to make amends for his brothers’ behavior.

Alex Kirwan likes Heather instantly, despite her ire and obvious dislike of him and his band. After giving Heather and her sister VIP passes to their concert, Alex tries to forge a relationship with Heather who represents the quiet, sweet life he sometimes wishes he had. But being famous is a difficult obstacle to overcome in a fledgling romance with a small-town woman.

Like all of Amy Clipston’s books, Starstruck is a sweet romance. I was drawn in, at first, but then found that the attraction between the main characters came too quickly. I would have liked to see Heather struggle with her dislike of Alex and his music a bit longer. Also, the dialogue too often sounded like that of teenagers, not adults in their late twenties. I would recommend the book if you're in the mood for an easy read and a modern fairy-tale style romance.

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

I had higher hopes for this story - I've read a lot of books by Amy Clipston and really enjoyed them. However, this one just didn't do it for me. The characters seemed immature, and I thought maybe it was because they were a younger age - then it turned out the male character was 29. They just seemed younger. The dialogue seemed stilted and a little hard to believe. The setting was fun - the female lead is working at her parent's BBQ pit and dreaming of opening her own bookstore/bakery. Mack was a fun character and I enjoyed the interaction with Tristan.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review. Read her other stories, maybe just skip this one.

Starstruck was a clean romance about being famous yet wanting just normal things. About trust and being enough. About chasing one´s dreams. I truly loved the flow of the story. A sweet, small-town romance that will make you believe in love. Heather has dreams of opening her own business in her small town, North Carolina. Alex and his brother's dreams of being a band have come true. Alex finds life on the road lonely until he meets Heather.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Heather Gordon works in a small town at her family's restaurant. Alex Kirwan and his brothers have a famous rock band, that Heather hasn't heard of but her sister is obsessed with them. They stop by the restaurant, the younger brothers start a food fight and a friendship blossoms. With the band touring, it's hard for Heather and Alex to spend time together. They stay in touch with phone calls and texts and occasional visits. As love begins to bloom, can their relationship survive the paparazzi and negative comments in the tabloids? This is a story about love, determination and overcoming the odds. I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to leave a review.

Started off promising, but despite being relatively short (at least by my standards) it felt too long. The middle part dragged.
The choice of writing in 3rd person, there were many times when I was just thinking to myself 'this would sound better in 1st person' or 'this would make more sense in 1st person.'
Amy Clipton managed to write a boring rockstar, which seems impossible, but this book had 2 very boring main characters.
The concept itself is promising and the book made me feel like I was back in high school, but it fell incredibly flat.

A charming love story. Improbable situation, but I have heard of it happening in real life. Anything is possible. Sweet, and one becomes eager for their happily ever after. Especially becomes important due to the fallout from fame. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

A sweet small-town romance that will make you believe in love. Heather has dreams of opening her own business in her small town North Carolina. Alex and his brother's dreams of being a band have come true. Alex finds life on the road lonely, until he meets Heather. The couple start as friends messaging each other and that friendship turns into so much more. Will their affection for each other survive Alex's fame?

Starstruck was a clean romance about being famous yet wanting just normal things. About trust and being enough. About chasing one´s dreams. I truly loved the flow of the story. Sometimes I wished that Heather wouldn´t be as much afraid as she was, but it made the story a little bit more realistic. I also loved, that Alex hadn´t given up and followed his heart, although he had needed a big push in the right direction. Anyway, I enjoyed the reading of their story.

Starstruck is a very well written and entertaining romance. Good plot and character dynamics. I recommend this book. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance ebook. This is my unbiased review.

This was a sweet hard hitting romance which is what I've come to expect from Amy Clipston's books. And she writes them with such grace.

Starstruck by Amy Clipston: five stars, as always! Clipston is one of the authors that I don’t even have to read the blurb for; I am going to read it. And, as usual, it didn’t disappoint. Heather’s dream is to open a bakery in her small hometown. Alex is an internationally famous rockstar. When the two meet, sparks fly: and not the good kind at first. However, a love of reading and a small sense of attraction bring them together. But can their love survive the difference in their lifestyles? You’ll have to read it and see!

2.5 stars rounded up

I looked forward to reading this book based on the description and tropes - unfortunately this one just wasn't for me. 
I liked the setting and the idea of someone famous with someone leading a 'normal' life. I just found their dialogue quite immature for what their ages were - it felt a lot like a teenage crush rather than someone they have met in their mid to late twenties. I really didn't feel any connection to their relationship or their romance. 

The story had some good plot points - I really liked Alex's interest in creating a charity and his passion for visiting children's hospitals without the publicity. I wish there was more of this in the book. There were some potential confrontations - but again I felt like these were handled in an immature way and didn't add much to the story.

This story is a quick read and a very vanilla/clean romance that will definitely suit some readers.
 
Thank you to Net Galley, Thomas Nelson Fiction and Amy Clipston for this ARC to review. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Heather Gordon has no idea who Alex Kirwan is, she lives in a small town, called Flowering Grove, and dreams of starting her own book/bakery storefront. She isn’t expecting to meet the lead vocal of a popular band called Kirwan composed of three brothers.

She doesn’t expect to fall in love with him and have her life changed in weeks and months. It’s a whirlwind relationship where she learns about the heights and pitfalls of what it is like to fall in love with a celebrity and live that type of life.

Starstruck is an easy read if you’re looking for that kind of experience. I don’t follow too many celebrities so that part was lost on me, which was the storyline, but I continued on because, at that point, I did feel invested enough in the story to find out what happened. I have in the past enjoyed Ms.Clipston’s contemporary romances but the plotline and characters seem a little one-dimensional to me, but this was probably a glitch on my expectations of the story.

My gratitude to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson. All opinions expressed are honest and mine.

Starstruck is the story of an aspiring baker/bookstore owner and a rock star falling in love. While the concept sounds promising, it fell short for me. 2 1/2 stars rounded up.

I had several issues with the book. First, the dialogue sounded inauthentic - I don't know anyone that speaks the way the characters spoke - to each other, their family, their friends, and even to themselves. Second, I understand this was a "clean" romance, which is something I'm fine with. However, I don't see the romance scenario playing out anything like how it did in the book. Maybe 30 years ago, when times were more innocent, but these are characters in their mid to late 20s, who have both supposedly been in previous relationships, and it comes across as teenagers experiencing their first crush. If I had to read about how they kept thinking about the other person's lips one more time, I was going to throw my Kindle. Finally, while the characters weren't off-putting, there wasn't enough to really draw me in and care about them. I'm afraid I won't be able to give any details about this book a month from now because it was forgettable.

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

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This is Alex Kirwan's story, an internationally famous rock star, and a hometown waitress Heather.

Loved that she never heard of this group of brothers and definitely wasn't impressed with them when they ate in her parents restaurant.

She knows she has nothing in common with wildly popular Alex, but they seem to click. They really seem to like each other, but he is really always on tour.

What a hard romance between these people, and yet, I was rooting for them, and as we journey this road with them you won't know until the end if they can make this work.

Be sure to read the epilogue!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Thomas Nelson, and was not required to give a positive review.

I had not read a stand alone book by Amy Clipston. This is my first and definitely will not be the last. I hope this is the beginning of a new series of hers. I loved the characters and the setting of the book. I have read 21 books of Amy Clipstons since June. This was a favorite!!

Starstruck is a cute ordinary person meets/falls in love with a celebrity love story. I really loved the premise of this book, but I felt both Heather and Alex felt much younger than the age they were depicted as in the book. Many time, Heather' insecurities felt more like high school instead of mid-twenties. This was the biggest issue I had with the book, that both characters lacked maturity. Other than that, I enjoyed this clean romance. Thank yo NetGalley for an advanced copy.

This was such a good story. Nothing beats a good rockstar/small-town girl. Alex meets Heather in her families restaurant when his brothers had a small food fight and then left a mess. He apologized for them and asked isf she and her sister wanted tickets to the concert the next night. She told him she had to wash her hair! He loved it. They went backstage after the concert and they started talking about books and music. That started a text and then phone conversations that made them just get closer. they were falling in love, but she wasn't sure she was cut out for his lifestyle. He knew he would do anything to make her happy and he did. A very lovely story, sweet too.

I got this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review