Delightful! A great escape with all of the hallmark vibes. I enjoyed the characters, the plot was relatable and believable, and it had the perfect amount of humor and heart. Five stars all of the way.

Once Upon a Boyband - what can I say. This was so much fun to read! If you loved any boybands from the past, then you will love this book. Laney & Adam's relationship was phenomenal and precious. I loved watching them learn and grow and get to know each other. Excited about the next ones in the series already!

After his time in boyband Midnight Rush took away all that really mattered (or that's how it felt), Adam made a good life for himself in Lawson Cove, completely separate from his old life. And things only get better when accidentally locking his keys in the car force him to get a lift from his vet, Laney - and they suddenly click. But starting a relationship will require him to break the silence over his old career, and he soon learns that she was obsessed with Midnight Rush as a teen. Worse, the past is invading his new life in the form of pressure to do a reunion concert. Can he make peace with all that drove him to desert the band and his friends, or will history repeat itself? And can he and Laney form something real together, or will the pressure of fame separate them?

A great read, with a good mix of humour and emotion, spiced with kisses but nothing more. As someone who's never been into live music, would avoid such concerts like the plague, and has never had a poster of anyone on their wall, this seems an odd sort of story for me to enjoy, but I'm really glad I gave it a try - because while the band is an important part of the setting, the relationships are what matters, and they're universal. I appreciated the fact that while there are secrets kept and baggage to unpack, Adam and Laney don't spend all their time mired in misunderstandings. In fact, they communicate well, except when Adam disappears - and that's something they work through. As the author mentions at the start, there are some fairly emotional topics dealt with, but the result isn't a heavy read, just a rom-com with true heart. I love the humour, but I also really appreciate the more difficult topics that come into it, because it makes it feel real. All in all, a very well written story, clean and enjoyable - recommended, and I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.

Note that I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review and this is my considered opinion of the book.

Adam left his boyband days in the past, and he wants it to stay there. These days, he's focused on his dog rescue and wooing the beautiful town vet Laney Lawson. However, when he's just starting his relationship with Laney, one of his bandmates begs him to be a part of a reunion show. Because of how he left the band, he feels like he *has* to participate.

Laney is/was a super fan of the boyband Midnight Rush, so when she finds out that Adam is also Deke, her childhood crush extraordinaire. Laney is unsure if their brand new relationship survive the media attention, Adam's extremely complicated feelings towards his music career, and his unprocessed trauma.

What a sweet little palate cleanser this was! I'm a big fan of Jenny Proctor despite the fact that I usually read much spicier romances. She's really good at writing lovable characters and fun and engaging plotlines. Sneak peeks of some of the characters that live in that world (like the Hawthorne brothers and the Appies) is so fun - I love the little Easter eggs mixed in.

In this charming small-town romance, Laney, a veterinarian, meets Adam, the rugged owner of a local dog rescue. They bond instantly over their love for music and dogs, and Adam finally musters the courage to ask her out. However, Laney has a sense of déjà vu—Adam is actually Deke Driscoll, her teenage crush and a former member of the boyband Midnight Rush. The story unfolds with sweet and realistic banter as Laney and Adam navigate their relationship before and after Laney discovers his true identity. The dual perspectives provide insight into Adam's past and his decision to live a quiet life. While lighthearted and filled with humorous and heartwarming moments, the book also delves into deeper themes, such as grief. The characters are endearing (except for Kevin), and readers will find themselves rooting for them. Perfect for fans of small-town romances, this novel feels like a warm hug to boyband fans and those coping with loss. It’s a delightful read that will leave you eager for more from the author.

Meet Laney, a veterinarian in a small town, who was a big fan of a boyband called Midnight Rush, and an even bigger crush on one of its members, Deke Driscoll. Then you have Adam, a rugged owner of the local dog rescue who occasionally brings his dogs to her clinic and has a crush on Laney. When they finally had a conversation, they instantly bonded over music (and dogs!), and Adam finally had the courage to ask her out. Laney definitely experienced some deja vu, but she just couldn't put her finger on it. Is Adam just a dog rescue owner, or is there more to the story?

The banter between Laney and Adam was sweet and real, and I loved how they navigated their relationship before and after she found out he's Deke. The relationship developed at a realistic pace. The dual POV in this book helped me learn more about Adam's past and why he chose to do what he did.

This book is so much more than a typical lighthearted romance because it explores grief, too. There were scenes that will make you giggle and heartwarming scenes in this book that will tug at your heartstrings! It certainly did for me! All the characters were lovable (except Kevin), and you will find yourself rooting for them.

I highly recommend this book for lovers of small town romances! This book felt like a warm hug to boyband fans and to those affected by grief. It was a delight to read, and I can't wait to read more from the author!

Thank you, NetGalley and Jenny Proctor Creative, for this eARC!

This just might be my favorite Jenny Proctor book yet. I mean seriously, who can resist puppies?! Probably helps that I read this one while I was dog sitting my sister’s dog and she was curled up next to me on the couch while I read it.

Laney loves music and was a massive fan of the boyband Midnight Rush when she was a teenager, and had a massive crush on Deke. But that was years ago, and while still a fan she is now a vet working in a small town. And desperately single, a fact her coworker is only too happy to point out. But in a small town options can be limited. Of course her coworker also happy to point out that there is Adam, an extremely attractive man who happens to run a dog rescue in the area. A man she sees fairly often as he brings all his new puppies in to be checked out. When an innocent mistake (Adam locking himself out of his car after a vet visit) results in them spending time together, the sparks start to fly, especially when they both realize they share a love of music. But Adam has a secret. You probably already guessed it, but Adam was Deke from Midnight Rush. A fact that he’s not keen to share just yet. But when his ex-bandmates get in touch with him about a reunion show to benefit charity, he wonders if it’s time to let that cat out of the bag. (Or perhaps that should be the dog out of the kennel.) As usual Proctor includes a lot of heart in these day making both Laney and Adam instantly likable. It’s a fun story with the characters being pushed out of the comfort zones they’ve locked themselves in. I’d like to thank Jenny Proctor Creative and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Once Upon a Boyband.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R1WPCGF4J78V64/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_SRTC0204BT_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

Really a cute story! I loved the plot and the different characters. Both main and supporting characters were very well written! It was super cute how Laney ended up falling in love with her childhood boy band crush, and how Adam was a rockstar turned dog rescuer! I used to be a big boyband fan as a teenager too so it was the perfect easy rom-com read for me. Definitely going to have to buy a bookshelf trophy of this one for myself!

I received an arc from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

Normally I am not much of a fan for boy bands but this book was definitely interesting. A vet and a boy band member in disguise form a relationship with a secret between them.

Deke certainly has grief to process and Laney struggles with how he deals with his grief. Can she help him, will his secret keep them apart or will they find a way to work through it?

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a review.

This was the cutest book I've ever read. I was so captivated by this story I read it in one sitting and stayed up till 2 a.m.. I am obsessed with Adam and Laney. I loved their relationship and the conflict with the plot was so normal even with the abnormal circumstances. The characters were so down to earth and fun. There are definitely some heavy topics in the book, but I think they are handled so well and with a lot of grace.
Also there were so many puppies in this book so it had to be amazing. I've already talked a couple friends into reading it and it's gonna be a fave for a while.

Eight years ago, Adam Driscoll walked away from his stage name—Deke—and the boyband that turned him into an international star before his eighteenth birthday.
And he never looked back.
It didn’t even matter that everyone blamed him for the band’s breakup. He might miss making music, but he had good reasons for walking. Give him solitude over thousands of screaming fans any day of the week.
These days, the only company he’s truly interested in is that of the vet who works closely with his dog rescue—Dr. Laney Lawson. She’s brilliant, funny, beautiful, and best of all, she has no idea he used to be a pop star.
But then Adam’s bandmates reach out about a one-time reunion concert benefiting a charity that’s close to his heart, and he starts to wonder if some things are worth a little extra attention. He loves the idea of singing again, but saying yes would out him to the small mountain community that has become his refuge. Worse, it would out him to Laney.
But old hurts can’t stay buried forever. And something tells Adam that scary or not, saying yes is the decision he needs to make. He just has to hope he doesn’t lose the life—or the woman—he loves in the process.

Laney goes from being a fangirl of a boyband to kissing her favourite member without even knowing. This story is for dog lovers, boyband lovers and small-town fans. We get all the good stuff, from puppies, to music, to love. No miscommunication between the love interest, just a simple romance story that will keep you up at night.

I read this amazing romance in one sitting at 2am, so it must be good. It was perfect amount of everything. The pacing was fast but not rushed, the writing style gave us enough dialogue as well as inner-monologue, as well as some mix-media, with texts.

The characters are lovable, you are rooting for them just as much as the people around them. They feel real, with human emotions, which brings out our own emotions while reading this.

The ending is a nice happy ending like you expect but something about it is so sweet and makes me believe in love just slightly more.
I would recommend this to anyone who wants a good read.

[ARC Netgally – Jenny Proctor Creative - comes out on Sep 1 2024 ]

I’m not really a “boy band” girl, but this book was AWESOME.

Usually, the first book in a series is a bit of a struggle to get through, because it has to introduce all of the new characters and set the scene, but Adam and Laney’s story was a glaring exception to that. From the very first page, the story just took off, and it never stopped pulling me in, and now I can’t wait to read the rest of them!

Highlights include:
*Vet Assistant Percy – he’s actually my favorite character in the book. So many LOL moments!!
*Toe curling kisses
*Choreography moments that take me back to my childhood
*Fake engagement
*Shared bed (keeps it firmly closed door, though)
*Reconnecting with the Hawthorne family from the How to Kiss a Hawthorne Brother series
*Puppies!!

There were some serious themes as well, especially regarding Adam’s grief journey after the loss of his mom to cancer. The overall theme trends toward hopeful and sweet, though, and there is a lovely, happy ending that will absolutely touch your heart. I highly recommend this book!!

Once Upon A Boy Band By Jenny Proctor is such a fun read! Laney is a vet who has a crush on the head of a local animal rescue, Adam. Little does she know that he was Deke, her favorite member of her favorite boy-band. They start dating as Adam reconciles his past with his future.

So this book accomplishes what Lana Ferguson tried to do in The Game Changer; a woman gets a chance to date her childhood crush. In this book, the woman is an adult woman, who has moved on from her adolescent fantasies and falls for Adam, despite who he was. She is embarrassed at some of her teenage fandom and pays more attention to who Adam is than who he was. She mets and gets to know who he is letting go of the fantasy. This book is very reminiscent of the Sarah Adams When In Rome series, so if you are a fan of that, scoop this up immediately!

It was easy to fall for both Adam and Laney. I loved that Laney was so in tune with her feelings and she was the strong one who was able to wait for Adam to grow. There were fun supporting characters in this and no weird 3rd act misunderstanding. It was an organic 3rd act reckoning for Adam to let go of his thoughts from childhood and explore new meaning in his life. His relationship was not part of it! I would be excited if this is the start of a series about the different band members- let's have a Freddie/Ivy match first!

I liked Jenny Proctor's contribution to the Appies/Sweater Weather series on KU. Her writing is cozy, her characters are realistic, if a little sepia toned. Grab a mug of hot chocolate or hot cider and read this cozy romance! Thanks to Jenny Proctor Creative and Net Galley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Once Upon a Boyband is sweet and cute and cheesy and just what I needed! This was my first Jenny Proctor book and it gave me strong Sarah Adams vibes, which I loved. It was fun and low conflict, and just a nice easy read. All the characters were lovable, and I couldn’t put it down until everything was wrapped up nicely and happily for everyone. As a big One Direction fan back in the day, I could totally picture the boy band dynamics, too, which was really fun to imagine!

Thanks to NetGalley and Jenny Proctor Creative for the ARC of this book!

Once Upon a Boyband by Jenny Proctor was the sweetest story.
I found this book to be very well written. Being a big time Proctor fan I was not disappointed by this one.
I loved everything about this book. It kept me up late, desperate to read more about Laney and Adam.
This light-hearted read was sweet and oh so cute.
Jenny Proctor is an automatic read for me. Her books are always entertaining, so enjoyable, and all round amazing! Highly recommended!

Thank You NetGalley and Victory Editing for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This was an amazing, sweet romance read. I loved following Laney and Adam and their dual povs throughout the book. This was such a feel good read that had me smiling throughout and it even had me laughing a few times. I highly recommend picking this one up if you are looking for a good closed-door romantic comedy.

Read this if you like:

📖 Boybands
📖 Dogs
📖 Fake Dating
📖 Closed-Door Romance

Thank you to Jenny Proctor and NetGalley for the review copy.

Jenny Proctor never disappoints! She’s one of my go to authors for funny, light hearted romcoms. Add in a former boy band star and puppies? Yes please!

Dr. Laney Lawson is a small-town veterinarian. Laney is a music lover and is sharing her love of music with bearded, handsome dog rescuer, Adam Driscol. Adam “Deke” Driscoll walked away from the boyband Midnight Rush eight years ago after the death of his mother, causing the band to break up. The years have changed Adam's appearance and even though Laney was a fan, she has no idea the Adam was a part of Midnight Rush. When his former bandmates contact him about a one-time reunion concert which will benefit a charity he supports, Adam wonders if it’s worth losing his anonymity.

This book will give you all of the feels! I must admit that I really hope it becomes a series and we get to find out what happens to the rest of the band. I give it a strong 5 stars. Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy!

Once Upon a Boyband is Jenny Proctor‘s newest closed-door romantic comedy. It can be read as a stand-alone but is connected to her Hawthorne Brothers series.

Dr. Laney Lawson is a music-loving, small-town veterinarian. When she was a teenager, she had a huge crush on Deke, a member of the boyband Midnight Rush. Now she has developed a friendship with a handsome dog rescuer, Adam Driscoll, who has a bushy beard and wears flannel.

Adam “Deke” Driscoll walked away from pop phenomenon Midnight Rush eight years ago, causing the band to break up. He much prefers the solitude of the mountains to thousands of screaming female fans. He’s romantically interested in his local vet, and thankful that she has no idea of his former fame and career. When his former bandmates contact him about a one-time reunion concert which will benefit a charity he supports, Adam wonders if it’s worth losing his anonymity.

Readers of closed-door romances will adore Once Upon a Boyband. This original storyline feels like The Backstreet Boys were dropped into a Hallmark movie. The author writes excellent stories with well-developed characters and plotlines, but contain no profanity or sex scenes. Readers will identify with Laney and her teen-age adoration of talented Deke, while also understanding Adam’s decision to live a low-key life. Readers know that the author will give us a happy ending, so we just have to enjoy the journey there. The cameos from characters in her Hawthorne Brothers series added to the enjoyment of this book.

I received an Advance Review Copy (ARC) from NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book had me hooked right from the start. When Laney spoke directly to the audience to set up the story, I was ready to hear it. I loved the entire premise of the book and I absolutely loved the chemistry between Laney and Adam. There was a short time in the middle that I started to get bored, but it didn’t last long before it found it’s way back. The best was the connection to his mom that was formed! This was a great read, and I’m looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.