Just when I think I’ve read every possible plot, a new one surprises me. Imagine being the world's biggest fangirl for the world’s biggest boyband as a teenager, only to fall in love with your favourite member later on in life.

The Directioners would love this book. Laney is a small town vet who left her fangirl days back in her hometown. However, when the very attractive Adam, owner of the local non-profit dog rescue shows an interest in her, she’s immediately head over heels.

After initially bonding over their love for music, Laney accidentally lets slip that she is a massive Midnight Rush fan, and as Adam, previously known as Deke, a member of the beloved band he left behind in his teenage years, is faced with the decision between telling her the truth or living in ignorant bliss.

However, as the potential for a reunion comes around, Laney finds out the big news and has to navigate her new relationship with Adam, knowing he was her high-school crush.

This small town romance was such a quick and easy read. I read it in one sitting, eager to find out what the result would be. Adam and his complicated feelings for his past become more difficult to juggle once Laney becomes part of the equation. But their story is both beautiful and fast-paced. It’s hard not to fall in love with both of the main characters, and the regular appearance of adorable dogs throughout definitely helps.

Mental health, grief, and the cost of fame are both heavy topics throughout that are done really well by Proctor. Although certain aspects of the plot are not realistic (such as growing up to fall in love with your favourite member of your favourite boyband), the feelings and guilt that are represented are relatable.

I highly recommend this book if you’re looking for a fast-paced romance with heartwarming scenes, adorable dogs and an element of fake dating… Or is it fake engagement?

Thank you NetGalley and Jenny Proctor Creative for the ARC in return for an honest review!

Jenny Proctor is a master of writing low spice 🫑 closed door romance and this story was pure perfection!

Laney is a vet in a small town who has no idea that the handsome bearded client with new puppies is actually the boyband crush of her childhood. Adam is enjoying living a quiet life out at his dog rescue ranch without any of the fame of his teenage years until his past catches up with him for a charity concert opportunity.

I loved Laney and Adam’s chemistry. I love that right from the beginning they were upfront in their communication and interest in each other. They grew a friendship with laughter and tender moments.

I loved that we spent time with the dog rescue ranch and we got a taste of the music industry. It made for a really entertaining journey!

Adam is still working through the grief of losing his mom. There’s a point towards the end of the story that was so heartfelt and tender, I cried like a baby.

Other fun moments:
Puppies
Fake fiancé
He sings to her
One room
One bed
Appies gear makes an appearance!

Romance Content: low spice - Just the best kissing!

This series looks like so much fun and I was excited to get my hands on the first book. Once Upon a Boyband is the first book in Jenny Proctor’s new series. This concept sounded so fun and oh my goodness, it was the perfect start.
Adam had me from the beginning. I really felt for him as he tried to figure out his life. He was so sweet but life had not always been kind to him. I loved getting to know him and seeing him opening himself up to Laney. Adam had to learn to let go of his guilt and look towards the future.
Laney was also fun! I love how she was herself. She was kind of awkward but kind. It was so much fun to see her getting to know Adam and the other guys. She was a total fan.
The romance between Laney and Adam was sweet. They both fell fast but there were a lot of obstacles that stood in their way. I liked how they tried to communicate with each other and stand by each other. I was rooting for Adam and Laney as they worked to overcome the difficulties that stood before them.
I would totally recommend Once Upon a Boyband! The characters were relatable and the story was engaging. The other guys in the band were so much fun and I am so excited for them to get their own books. Once Upon a Boyband is a closed door romantic comedy. It is fun but there are some more series moments too.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, I was not required to write a positive review.

This book was incredibly cute! I grew up loving boybands, so this hit so many marks for me. Laney was definitely living the dream getting to be with Adam. There were definitely heavy scenes dealing with Adam’s grief over his mother’s death though that were handled very nicely.

Thanks as always to NetGalley for the ARC.

Once I read the summary, I knew I needed to read this book. It was incredibly swoony. I found Laney and Adam's relationship to be really well written, I was really invested in this story. I found the characters to be engaging and I cared about them, I wanted to see them grow and figure out how their relationship was going to work out. I also thought this book was pretty fun. The banter between characters was enjoyable and made me laugh. Overall, I found this to be a quick read and fun romance novel! I'll for sure be recommending this one once it's out!

I absolutely love the premise of this book and was hooked by the time I finished the prologue.

This novel is about a girl who falls in love (re: obsession) with the boy from her favourite popular boy band as a teen, then she grows up into a regular boring adult. She still loves the music but can appreciate the nostalgia and affection for what it was - a brief moment in time. That is until she unknowingly crosses paths with that same boy - now man - as an adult, and slowly begins to fall for him all over again before being made aware of who he is.

This was absolutely adorable. I was mentally kicking my legs and squealing like a teenage girl by the time I finished chapter 4. The chemistry, banter, and internal monologues were so genuinely entertaining that I burned through this book in one sitting. I loved the wholesome setup of her being a veterinarian, and him running a dog rescue and finding their mutual love and obsession over music. The lack of a third-act breakup, but more of a third-act growth, was satisfying in a way I didn't expect. Seeing characters talk about grief, boundaries, counseling, and forgiveness, and doing so in a way that is serious but doesn't affect the overall joy and spirit of the book was beautiful.

I spent time laughing over the banter and relatability while having my heart clench over the knowledge of a teen boy stuck in an impossible situation and losing one of the most important people to him.

The side characters were intriguing all on their own, and with small tugs on Freddie and his assistant, Jace and his marriage, as well as Leo and his production company, I'm hoping the author chooses to turn this into a quartet of the band itself by diving into those characters as well.

Overall, I adored this book, even with the very closed-door romance, and I'll continue to read more from this author moving forward!

I am a huge Jenny Proctor fan, and this book was just as amazing as her others. You get the small town romance with a boy band twist. It is the book of our high school dreams. This is such a cute romance and a clean read for all. Loved this book!

Thank you @netgalley for an arc of Once Upon a Boyband by Jenny Proctor

A new series about the singers of boyband from Jenny Proctor . Laney is a vet working with her father and she is flirting with the handsome Adam the owner of the dog rescue . Adam used to be a member of the boyband Midnight Rush and eight years ago he was the one who make the band to breakup . Then his stage name was Deke and Laney was in love with him , now that he has gain weight ang few inches and grow a beard and he doesn't look like as a 18 old teenage boy . When Fredie on of his former bandmates ask him to join the band one-time reunion concert benefiting a charity for breast cancer he is in conflict . At first he agrees but when their agent tells them that they have to make public appearances and three concerts he heaves again . He always felt guilty for but been with his mother when she needed him the most and now he feels like he betrays her by been happy while singing . Will Laney make him understantd that he had always made his mother proud and he can both achieve his dreams ?
I received this book from netgalley , the author and the publicer as an ARC . Thank you . All thoughts and opinions are my own .

As a teenager who was OBSESSED with boybands, this was like my dream come true in book form. So good. So well written. It was the perfect pace, I found the romance sweet and tender, the trauma was very real and heartbreaking. Plus, I am a sucker for musician romances and this one got me in my feels. This is not a spicy book and it felt like a breath of fresh air and made my inner teenager come out. lol

This book is what my teenage dreams were/are made of. Laney is a vet who works closely with Adam, the owner of a dog rescue. The thing is that Adam is actually Deke from her favorite boy band Midnight Rush who chose to walk away (and break up the band) years ago. He looks different these days, so she doesn't immediately recognize him, but y'all, Y'ALL, this is like fan fiction come true. His secret is safe at first, but when Midnight Rush reunion talks heat up, the secret comes out. This was just a delight of a read for that boy band loving girl I'll always be, and I loved the twists and turns of this one. It was just such a great read of feels and fun. Also, for the record, this made me want a *NSYNC reunion even more. . . Thanks to NetGalley for the early look at this September 2024 release!

4.5 stars!

Gosh, this book was like a warm hug in novel form! Part love-letter to boyband fandom, part rom-com, the story sees vet and sometime Midnight Rush fan Laney take a leap and act on her longtime crush on dog rescue owner Adam. After months of assuming the other was uninterested, an overheard conversation kickstarts their relationship as they discover a shared love of music (and puppies) and an abiding sense of belonging in one another. Except Adam has a secret: he was once 'Deke' Driscoll, Laney's favourite band member and the one who walked away from the group after a personal tragedy, ending things and choosing a life away from the spotlight. Adam is determined to guard his anonymity, and has no intention of taking part in a reunion concert. But when his erstwhile best friend and bandmate, Freddie, shows up on his doorstep, all bets are off...

As is typical with Proctor's books, the spice level is low but there's zero sense that anything is lacking, because the emotional stakes are high and the relationship between the MCs is plenty complex. Both Laney and Adam have somewhat pigeonholed themselves, both romantically and professionally, so their story is one of finding the courage and faith - in themselves and each other - to make the changes they need in order to find their HEA. Adam in particular is trapped by grief and guilt, so to see him work through it is so heartening. Having isolated himself, you're really rooting for him to reconcile with his bandmates and let go and allow himself to be happy with Laney.

Beyond the central romance, there was a whole cast of great characters, from Laney's bestie Percy (and his grandma, Mimi) to the Adam's sister, Sarah, and the other members of Midnight Rush. I wasn't sure until the end whether this was a standalone or the start of a new series: the worldbuilding was subtle, and the author did an excellent job of seeding potential future stories without ever pulling focus from the story at hand, which can sometimes be a tricky balancing act. But it seems like there might be more stories from the other bandmates, and I'm super happy about this!

While I was only really a casual fan of boybands as a teen rather than a superfan, I've been in other fandoms, and Proctor totally nails the sense of community and belonging that you can find within fandom, and how important this can be when you're in a place where you lack those things in 'real life'. Laney's history as a Midnighter was the perfect mix of cute, slightly cringey, and full of pathos, and I loved that her fandom history and the relationships she built there weren't solely played for comic relief but were ultimately given genuine gravity and importance in the plot.

I have read and loved Jenny Proctor's Appies books and Hawthorne brothers series, so I was delighted to see a new book in the same universe. There are several nice little references and cameos to the wider 'verse, but nothing that would prevent a new reader from enjoying this. In fact, it's a perfect jumping-on point!

3.5 rounded up to a 4

Laney is living almost every fangirl's dream. It was less cringe-y than I imagined the plot could be. Laney is a huge fan of Adam's band, Midnight Rush, but she still has her own personality and likes Adam for who he is, not just his band persona as Deke. I liked how her history and love for the band eventually comes full circle in the end. Adam and Laney's relationship is very sweet - Laney knows and understands what Adam needs to process his grief and emotions without being clingy, and I thought their relationship was portrayed very realistically. Although I wasn't a fan of how fast their relationship went. For example, they weren't even officially dating before Laney states that she is almost in love with Adam.

This was overall a very heartwarming book and it balances the giddiness of being with your celeb crush and realistic relationship expectations very well. It also looks like the rest of the band is getting their own books as well (from the end of the bonus epilogue!), and I can't wait to read those as well.

Thank you to Jenny Proctor and NetGalley for the ARC!

~Romance, Small-town, Secret Identity, Dual-POV, and more!~

Once Upon a Boyband by Jenny Proctor follows Dr. Laney Lawson, the local veterinarian in Lawson Cove. While she is now successful and happy, Laney was once a lonely teenager obsessing over her favorite boyband, Midnight Rush. Her childhood bedroom is proof of this, with posters of Deke, one of the band's members, face across the walls. Adam Driscoll owns Hope Acres, a dog rescue, but he was once Deke, a member of Midnight Rush. He has hidden behind his beard and started a new life away from the paparazzi and reporters. That is until he gets a call from his old manager about a reunion concert that would benefit a charity close to his heart. With his rocky and sudden leave from the band and his new romance with Laney, who doesn't know he is Deke, Adam is hesitant to agree. Still, despite the risk and the past hurt, Adam feels he should say yes.

4.5| This book was honestly unexpected. I went into it expecting a light-hearted romance. While it still has those elements, it also manages to deal with the topic of grief in a beautiful yet realistic way. Laney and Adam's relationship is adorable and well-written. They are both introverts, which adds to their understanding of each other. From the beginning, they have a lot of chemistry and instantly bond with their love of music. While their relationship moves quite fast, it doesn't seem rushed. I love that this book was dual-pov. I don't think I would have understood the characters as well if it wasn't. Adam's pov was interesting and gave me a good sense of his feelings, specifically his guilt and grief. He often seemed closed off and mysterious at times to Laney, but through his pov, I got to see what he was thinking and feeling. I loved Laney's character in general. Not only is she smart, but she is also extremely caring and understanding. She is passionate about what she does and is quick to stand up for herself. Adam has a lot of hurt and guilt and I was happy to see Laney didn't pressure him throughout the book but gave him time and space to do it. They overall had a lot of chemistry and great banter I enjoyed reading.

I loved the side characters in this book and wish I got to see more. I enjoyed Sarah's character and personality, but I wish we got to see more of her. It seemed her part was left unfinished with her relationship with Jake, who we never got to meet. I also felt Jace's story left on a sad note. He isn't in the bonus epilogue at all, just briefly mentioned it, and was left in a bad place. I would have liked to see these points expanded and finished off. From what I did see of the side characters, I loved. Laney's reaction to meeting the band was wholesome and realistic. It was cute watching her live her childhood dream. Laney has a great relationship with her dad, and it made me wish we got to see more of her mom and her sister. The ending of this story was heartwarming and unexpected. I do wish we got to see Adam doing something more with music. It seemed to be something he found a lot of comfort in, so it would have been cool to see him pursue it a little on the side, even if it was just causally. While it is touched on a little, considering the music was the reason Laney and Adam connected in the first place, I would have liked it to be expanded on a bit more. The dogs and the rescue, in general, was adorable to read about. As an animal lover it really touched my heart. The bonus epilogue was adorable and wrapped things up nicely.

Overall, this was a cute and heartwarming read. The concept is adorable and something out of everyone's dreams. This book was captivating and hard to put down. This book is definitely one that will have you smiling and kicking your feet! I loved this book and will be checking out past and firture books from this author! One of my favorite 2024 reads so far!

Once Upon a Boy Band by Jenny Proctor is a book that I jumped upon when given the opportunity to read it as an ARC by NetGalley and the publisher. It's been on my want to read list since Ms. Proctor first started talking about it and it absolutely was what I had imagined it to be and had everything it needed to be an easy, read in one session book that left me wanting more (secondary character books, please!) - fun characters that are very relatable, adorable dogs, a swoony hero and a heroine that a lot of us can relate to.

Laney is a vet working with her dad in his practice and she and her vet tech, Percy, are talking about the absolutely gorgeous and all that rescue owner, Adam. Percy is trying to get Laney to do something about the crush she has on him and unbeknownst to her, Adam hears it all and proceeds to flirt with Laney. They hit it off and are soon texting and she is meeting his other rescue pups (all named after musicians!)

When she finds out that Adam is really Deke from her teenage dream boy band Midnight Rush, she has to reconcile that shy, sweet Adam is the teen idol of her dreams Deke. Deke doesn't want to perform again because of a tragic loss he experienced, but his former manager, and then bandmate, Freddie, convince him to do just ONE concert for breast cancer charity.

Of course things go wrong, and the third act is Laney helping Adam, them falling in love and other stuff that I won't spoil.

The characters are all believable, the secondary characters hilarious and funny (please can we get books for the bandmates and Percy!) Ms. Proctor's lack of sexual situations doesn't mean there isn't sexual tension, it's just not descriptive, and she lets us use our imagination.

This was a great book and I couldn't it put it down.

This was such a cute book, a closed-door romance about a small town vet who falls for the owner of a dog rescue. That alone would be cute enough but add in that he's a former boy band member in hiding and she was in love with him when she was sixteen. He's asked to come back and perform with his old group and has to face some challenges around how he left and how him being famous impacts his relationship. It's the true dream of anyone who was once a teenager with a boy band crush!

Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What a sweet, delightful story! I've been wanting to read Jenny Proctor for a while ever since I started reading some of her fellow authors of the "Appies" and "Sweater Weather" series. This includes some of my new favorite authors Emma St. Clair, Courtney Walsh, and Melanie Jacobson.

So, how much did I enjoy this book? Well, I just ordered "Absolutely Not in Love" and "Romancing the Grump" as well as joining her newsletter.

I loved the main characters, the love story, the snarky dialogue, the cute puppies, and and the satisfying HEA. I also enjoyed the bonus epilogue and am really looking forward to reading about the other band members' love stories in the future.

No profanity and just kissing. Not to sound like a crotchety old lady (well, too late because I am!) but it's so refreshing to read an adult love story without having to navigate a plethora of f-bombs and graphic sex. I'm a hypocrite as I still read authors whose stories include this because I love their writing but it's a real treat to find other authors who embrace the concept of leaving some things to the reader's imagination.

Anyway, I highly recommend this lovely brain candy to anyone who enjoys an adult fairy tale that leaves you smiling at the end.

📚ARC Review 📚

Once Upon a Boyband ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


Laney was in love with Deke Driscoll from Midnight Rush when she was a teenager. They were her favorite boy band and she was obsessed with them. While she still listens to them, she’s now a grown woman working as a vet at her father‘s clinic. When the good-looking dog rescue owner, Adam, comes in with a litter of puppies, she’s shocked that he spoke to her this time. Not only that but he took an interest in her by asking what kind of music she likes. When Adam ask her out on a date, Laney is so excited. They instantly hit it off and make a connection. The only problem, Adam is hiding something very important about his past and who he really is. Will Laney be able to handle the surprising news and continue with their relationship?

I absolutely loved this book! It was told in a dual point of view and is a closed door romance with several swoon worthy kisses. It is a fast moving plot, and there are many scenes that will have you laughing out loud, especially Mimi‘s character. The chemistry between Adam and Laney was amazing and how Laney never pushes him, but also stands firm in helping him with this tragic past. The story does have a trigger warning as it involves a death of a parent, but the author handled that with care. I felt the nostalgia of a late 90s/early 2000’s boyband and being a fan girl. I loved how the author described the area this book took place in. Having grown up near the mountains of Western North Carolina, this book brought back so many memories. I absolutely loved the southern dialect and the reference to that of the Appalachian (app-uh-latch-in) Mountains. It just made my heart happy and my twang probably came back while reading this.🤣
I will for sure be reading more from this author!

Overall, this book was just a feel-good, sweet, clean romcom. If you like those, be sure to add this one to your TBR list! This book will release on September 1, 2024. Thank you to Netgalley and Victory Editing NeGalley Co-op for my advanced reader’s copy this is my honest and voluntary opinion.

I don’t think this book could get any better. Honestly, this is in my Top 10 books of 2024, hands down.

In this novel, we follow Elena (or Laney) who is the ultimate Midnight Rush fan. Laney is a veterinarian and one of her regular clients is a man named Adam who is hiding an important secret - he was a member of Midnight Rush but is now living in hiding. As love blossoms between Adam and Laney so does speculation that Midnight Rush is having a reunion tour. Will the band reunite? Will Adam and Laney make it?

I loved everything about this novel. It started and ended strong with memorable characters, a fast moving plot, and scenes that will have you laughing, gasping, rubbing your hand over your heart and, well you get it. All the feels in this one.

I could relate to Laney in so many ways because my favorite boy band is Big Time Rush (so similar to Midnight Rush I fan girled at the name). When BTR when on their reunion tour I think I screamed so loud my whole town heard. However I was never lucky enough to actually date a member of the band.

Anyhow, I absolutely loved Adam and his dedication to his family, his dog shelter, and Laney. He is the complete gentleman. Laney wasn’t a typical whiny FMC. I loved how she was a Midnight Rush fan but didn’t let that impact her relationship with Adam.

I also wanted to cheer when there wasn’t the cliche third act breakup (I hate those when they seem forced). There was a different decision that was made in the third act, and it was sheer perfection.

I’m a new fan of Jenny Proctor, and I guarantee this won’t be my last novel I read from her.

*An ARC was received in exchange for an honest review.

I adored Jenny Proctor’s books in the Appies series so I was very excited by the little reference in this book. I also love that she writes really cute fluffy romances without spice especially when most adult romances have some spice and without any third act breakups. All the Jenny Proctor book’s I’ve read have been very sweet and this book is no different. Laney and Adam are both animals lovers who are a little awkward with the whole dating thing at first but I loved their interactions. They were adorable and very genuine with each other. The relationship in this book does happen quite quickly but there are a lot of cute scenes with these two and many scenes with include puppies. I loved how supportive Laney was the entire time even with all the surprises she was hit with and how she still went along with it and let him explain. It was so cute that Adam wanted her with him while getting back together with his bandmates, really it’s every girl’s dream to fall in love with your childhood celebrity crush isn't it? This book really is just so sweet and cozy, it's a quick read with minimal angst and makes you feel all warm inside.

As a bi fan of *NSYNC and then an even bigger, weirdly obsessed for a high school teenager fan of One Direction (seriously, we need a reunion tour) this book is every fan girls dream. I wouldn’t call it fan-fic, but it’s definitely an elevated way of reliving every preteens fantasies about her favorite boy band. So much so I finished it in an afternoon.
Laney was in LOVE with Deke from Midnight Rush as a teen. Then she went to college and became a vet and Deke disappeared after leaving the band and no one heard from him for 8 years (suspiciously the same amount of time 1D has been on ‘a break’ lol). When Laney starts to develop a crush on the hot ‘lumberjack’ Adam , a local dog rescuer who brings his puppies in for vet care, they bond over their taste in music. They keep bonding over their shared love of dogs until Adam needs to let her in on his biggest secret.
The story line flows amazingly and is a fun read from start to finish. I only hope there are more stories where we leave more about each boy, especially Freddie and Ivy his assistant.
Thank you NetGalley and publishers for the ARC of this story. I can’t wait to see where the series goes.