I live for reading messy romance books, especially if it’s between actors or musicians. You know that this is what typically happens if actors or musicians decide to have relationships. It’s bound to be messy between them, especially with the pressure of the media speculating. That’s what happens with these two former bandmates, aka former loves, Valerie and Caleb, reunited again after many years.

I have to say it. You may not like Valerie or Caleb because the both of them have flaws that have you wondering why. But not everyone is perfect. People have flaws. They just need to own their issues, which Valerie and Caleb do whenever they make a mistake. It’s definitely growth for them because the younger version of Valerie and Caleb wouldn’t handle it like they can do now.

Now, let’s get back to why Valerie and Caleb reunited again and how they are feeling for each other. Years have may have passed between Valerie and Caleb, but their love for each other doesn’t go away. It has always been there. It’s just Valerie and Caleb's communication with each other that needs work. Personally, Valerie and Caleb alone can handle their flaws and why they do what they do. As couple, Valerie and Caleb struggle with their expectations. They both think that they each want something else when they can honestly communicate what they want. It’s just harder to be vulnerable and honest since it may not align with what you may not want to hear. It’s something that Valerie and Caleb will experience a lot through this book.

Sorry to say that I could not get into this book. It is not a genre that I enjoy reading. DID NOT FINISH. Thanks to Berkley Publishing for te review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I had high expectations going into For One Night Only. Unfortunately, this book didn't live up to its hype. The biggest problem I had with this book was Valerie. I found Valerie's character unlikable. I didn't really care for her character. I had a hard time understanding her motivations. I didn't understand why Valerie was doing so much for her fans. It felt unauthentic to me. Did she really want the things she did? I didn't care for how quick she was to jump into things. I felt bad for those around her who were never consulted beforehand. Valerie and Caleb's relationship was fine. I thought both characters weren't that great at communicating with one another. I could see the author was working hard to create tension and chemistry between them; however, I just didn't feel it. I also wanted more interactions with the other band members. Riker, Jane, and Keeley felt a little underdeveloped. Some of their storylines felt unfinished at the end. Whatever happened with Riker and MK? Jane and Keeley? This book felt really long to me. By the time I hit the 60% mark, I found myself skimming. There were some things I enjoyed! I liked the plot and the interview/social media blurbs sprinkled throughout the story. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁:
✨ Second Chance
✨ Dual POV
✨ Rock star romance
✨ Anxiety Rep
✨ Bi Rep

I’m such a sucker for second chance romance and then add in the fact that they are former bandmates? 🤯

I immediately fell in love with Caleb. Rockstar turned school teacher? Yes please.

It took a little bit for me to warm up to Valerie but as we start to see pieces of her, I related so hard to her struggles.

Once the Glitter Bats are reunited, the dynamics between everyone made this book THAT much more special. The romance between Valerie and Caleb was extremely honest and still raw from how they ended things. It had my heart aching for them.

Although we are with these characters for a short time, Jessica James has done a great job of having everyone be completely fleshed out and as they reference their earlier years, you can feel the growth they’ve already been through and the struggles they still face.

What a stunning debut. I cannot wait to read more from Jessica James!

so much potential and somehow it never paid off. y'all could have ate so badly, but it didn't and no one is sadder about that than me

thoroughly enjoyed this steamy, second chance romance from debut author, Jessica James. Fans of celebrity romance, second chance, mixed-media elements, explorations of mental health, so much on-stage sexual chemistry that it will melt your brain, important conversations about queer rep, and found family, will eat this one up!I loved every second I got to spend with the Glitter Bats and absolutely can't wait to be transported into James' world of pop punk, sexy hookups and media in the next installment.

A fun read, especially if you like concerts/behind the scene band stuff.

I liked how the author wrote about music and thought she did a great job writing about the camaraderie with the bandmates. I thought the characters were fun and kept the story interesting. I enjoyed the romance and thought it was sexy. These two definitely brought the heat!

A fun book.

This debut novel offers an engaging premise with strong representation, focusing on Valerie, a bi-girl trying to revive her high school band to salvage her public image. The exploration of her complex relationship with Caleb, who struggles with anxiety, provides depth, and their journey is filled with relatable ups and downs.

However, the execution leaves something to be desired. While the characters are intriguing, their lack of growth is frustrating; they repeatedly make the same mistakes without learning from them, which made it hard to stay invested. Additionally, the story often feels inconsistent, with adult themes clashing with the immaturity of the characters’ decisions, particularly Valerie’s.

Overall, this is a cute read with a charming romance and a behind-the-scenes look at celebrity life, but it struggles with character development and coherence. It’s worth picking up for those seeking representation and a second chance romance, but it may not satisfy readers looking for deeper character arcs.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an early review copy.

I would've been a huge Glitter Bats fan if the band was real.

Valerie Quinn's reputation is in shambles, and the best way she can fix it is to reunite her former band. Unfortunately, none of her former bandmates will talk to her as they blame her for their break-up, including Caleb, her former flame/bestfriend/co-writer, who walked away from the industry. Somehow, she convinces Caleb to return for a one night only, reunion show, but each member has a lot of healing to do before the show.

Jessica James' debut will naturally draw comparisons to other novels about fictional musicians, but I think she carves her own in the genre with her pop punk band. The story of the Glitter Bats feels like it draws from the histories' of Taylor Swift and Paramore, but I felt that each band member was their own character.

I’ll admit that what drew me to this book first was the stunning cover. I was a huge Jem and the Holograms fan growing up and so of course it grabbed my attention. Then I read the synopsis and requested it immediately. Thank you so much for the ARC, Berkley!

I enjoyed this read. It did, however, feel like a coming of age story, which isn’t typical when we have almost 30 year old MCs. But that’s okay, because growth has no age/time limit. Remembering that these characters were suddenly thrust into the spotlight at such a young and impressionable age (18/19) helped me understand some of their actions better.

I would recommend this book to fans of Ava Wilder and maybe Elissa Sussman. Looking forward to more from James!

I didn't love this book, but I didn't hate it, either. I found my attention flagging throughout because it felt repetitive and the characters' actions became tiresome. They felt a lot younger than 27/28.

Valerie Quinn, former lead singer of pop-punk band Glitter Bats, has transitioned into acting and is getting bad press. Her show is on the hook for renewal and she needs to repair her reputation, so she decides to get the band together for one last show. Valerie and the band's bassist, Caleb Sloane, were in a secret romantic relationship six years prior. He wanted to go public with it; she didn't. This led to the band's breakup, and several of the members haven't spoken since.

When they reunite, Valerie doesn't treat her bandmates well, despite the fact they all have their own successful careers and are doing this reunion specifically for her. All is forgiven — and everybody agrees to the reunion — a little too quickly. I love a complicated FMC, but she didn't have any sort of growth over the course of the story. And Caleb was all too eager to get back together with her, with nothing really standing in the way of them rekindling their relationship.

Aside from the lack of conflict, I never grasped the band's level of fame. On the one hand, they're crashing the ticket website, photographers are trying to get photos of them, the press is writing about Valerie and Caleb, and fans are approaching them in public. On the other, Caleb has been living a quiet life as a music teacher, apparently going about his days without anyone caring he used to be in Glitter Bats. The stuff with Valerie's supposed bad reputation also felt unclear. She was photographed out with a co-star and her ex implies she cheated (she didn't), but it never really felt like something she couldn't come back from. We're constantly told she needs to repair her reputation so her TV show gets renewed, but the stakes don't feel that high. And if the band was *that* famous, what's she doing on a superhero show for a streaming service, anyway?

I know I'm probably being too nitpicky, but these things stuck out to me while reading. This book didn't entirely work for me, but I'd give this author's next book a chance. There was some beautiful imagery in her descriptions, especially of music.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.

This one did not resonate with me, and I honestly found myself struggling to finish. It felt juvenile, but not in a YA way, more like the characters were very immature for their age. I didn’t really enjoy this unfortunately
3 stars

This book was included in a set of books i won from an independent website so special thanks to the author for that.
This was a miss for my girlfriend who was my original planned reader for this novel. The characters weren’t believable and they acted like young teenagers than adults. There were some odd sticking points throughout the novel with interactions from parents and business in the music industry. This seemed much more of a a teenagers having a lot of sex while pretending to hate one another story.. I wouldn’t tell people to steer away from it, but I wouldn’t have this novel at the top of your TBR.

Such a fun debut! I adored the rock star/real life comparisons and second-chance romance. Flashbacks and song lyrics were unique and so well done. The rest of the band is absolutely crying out for their own books! I look forward to seeing what Jessica James writes next.

I was lucky enough to win an e-ARC of FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY by Jessica James in a Shelf Awareness giveaway. Thank you for the early look, and have a safe and happy Halloween season!

As I grew up listening to punk and new wave groups this was right up my alley. I had fun, rooted for the characters, and liked the description of the music world and the relationship in the band
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I read this book and hated the ending. It was boring the whole book. Would not recommend to others kinda sucked.

It took a few chapters for me to get into it, but once I was hooked I couldn't stop.
I was a music education major at one point in my life and once even had dreams of being in Valerie's place, so I was super into reading this perspective from a character.
The way the author describes how music make Caleb & Valerie feel throughout the novel was written really well and I enjoyed it the most out of anything I enjoyed. I found Valerie to be pretty annoying until nearly the end of the book, but that's kind of part of her story and her growth. Caleb was sweet and reserved and deserved to not be treated like garbage time and time again.
When we finally learn what their last night together before the band broke up, you're at a point where you're rooting for them to make it work.

I DO have gripes with the music references being modern pop stars and not any bands or artists who would have inspired a POP PUNK band. Teen bands almost always start as cover bands, did they not have any of those influences in their own music?


Genuinely enjoyed reading and am excited to see what comes next from Jessica James.


Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you love rockstar romance, FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY delivers and *then some*. I was entranced by Caleb and Valerie, and the delicious second-chance sexual tension they brought to every scene. Jessica’s prose glitters on the page, and the exploration of Caleb’s anxiety was nuanced and hit close to home. This is a love story that feels both fresh and nostalgic, thoroughly modern and speckled with pop culture references but still artistic and timeless. Fans of Elissa Sussman, Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka, and Falon Ballard are going to be obsessed with the behind-the-scenes celebrity drama and found family of the Glitter Bats and #CalErie’s swoony love story. I can’t wait for Jessica’s next romance!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

For One Night Only is a fun story about the GlitterBats. I am in a phase at the moment where I love all the nostalgic feeling rock group based books that have been coming out recently. Caleb was the true star of the book while Valarie moved the plot along. I wish we had more of the backstories of the other members of the band, but maybe we will get a sequel to explore them more. I am not sure how much character development there was, but it was an enjoyable second chance romance that I am sure romance fans will love.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for an eARC copy of this title.