Thank you to netgalley for sending me a copy of this book for review. After receiving an arc of Kates christmas book and absolutely loving it I knew I had to request this one too. While I didn't love this one as much as I felt it was quite insta lovey which isn't my favourite it was still an enjoyable read. It deals with topics of grief and from my experience it gives a good depiction on different people's way of dealing with grief.

3 ⭐️ rating
3 🌶️ rating

I wanted to love this book I really did! Although it came out of the gates swinging it ended with me being disengaged and disappointed. The story itself was intriguing and the plot was loaded with good intention, but personally I struggled to warm to the style of writing.

Not Another Rockstar started out strong, we enter Cillian & Phoebe’s story mere days before his accident, the childhood sweethearts both juggling their successful careers before tragedy strikes, hearts are broken, secrets are revealed and chaos ensues.

Axel, drummer for Sons of Anarchy, quickly becomes Phoebes safe haven as she comes to terms with deceit and loss while also navigating the glare of media publicity, scrutiny and trolling from the SOA fans plus the threat of a crazed stalker on the loose.

Phoebe is a badass, she doesn’t wither under the intimidation she goes out and faces danger with a humorous tenacity! The bright yellow paint and a crow bar scene had me wanting to cheer loudly, high five, and slow clap her all at once

A slow burn romance builds between the pair with flirty quips and innuendos, which showed so much promise, but unfortunately this is where the book first had me feeling disappointed. I am no novice to spicy narratives, I enjoy the heat however the spice scenes fell flat for me, they seemed amateurish, I found them cringey with clichés that gave me the ick.

From 60-70% onwards I felt the book changed, the writing seemed rushed and like the author changed styles, the book became very dialogue heavy and now there was not enough narrative. The balance seemed to tip off for me, there was a lot of ping ponging between he said she said, I know some people might enjoy this style of writing, but I’m not a fan.

Might sound harsh, but the last 20% of the book I was struggling, there seemed to be lot of unnecessary fillers, and by the last 10% I was skimming the pages.

The supporting characters in this book could easily have a story of their own to tell, which I would be intrigued by! Especially if the leading female characters are as formidable and feisty as Phoebe in the face of danger and suspense, but unfortunately I’m not sure Kate’s writing style is for me.


Thank you to Kate Callaghan & NetGalley for an Advance Copy of this eBook

Release Date: 21st February 2025
Pre-Order Now Available

Well I just flew through this book. I’ve been in major slump and this was just what I needed. I loved the romantic suspense with a touch of mystery. I was legit on the edge of my seat the entire time. The characters were well written and I enjoyed every second.

Got me crying and giggling. Kate Callaghan has an amazing writing style and the relationships between the mcs were well developed. Loved the grief, the way it was handled. And the romance..i’m still kicking my feet. I’ll read other books from her for sure !

Wow, Phoebe has a whirlwind trip to Munich. She learns her new fiance is trash and chaos ensues. Upon return home, the chaos continues since she’s the ex of a famous rockstar. You piece together who is holding the puppet strings and we’ll WOW. This novel is in third person POV, I found the pacing to be a little off but still enjoyed it.

This book was a rollercoaster. I was mad, I was sad, I was angry, I was emotional, I was so freaking FRUSTRATED. And I have to give it out to the author for making me FEEL so much. Although I hate third pov in ROMANCE books, this was an exception. Something about this book made it hard to put it down. I really enjoyed this book! My goodreads review is already up and I'll post one on my bookstagram soon too!

3 stars! 💫 This book was... alright. I mean, I’ll probably forget about it in a week 🤷‍♀️. Big thanks to Kate Callaghan, BooksGoSocial, and NetGalley for the ARC! 💙

Okay, let me break it down for you: Phoebe and Axel had potential—I mean, who doesn’t love a little romantic suspense? But, honestly? I wasn’t completely hooked. At first, I was intrigued by the whole suspense vibe, but then the plot kinda dragged. The romance had its moments, for sure—Axel was swoon-worthy, Phoebe was a badass—but it felt like there was WAY too much buildup and not enough oomph when it finally came together.

Let’s talk about the beginning. It was SLOW... like, I almost DNF'd it. 😬 But then the romance picked up, and I started getting a little more invested. The whole "ex's best friend" and "dead lover" tropes? Honestly, they were a bit much for me. The dead lover trope isn’t my fave (hello, unnecessary drama), but okay, it kinda worked here. The twist? Meh. I saw it coming from a mile away. Could’ve been way more mind-blowing.

And girl, let’s talk about Phoebe hiding the fact she was the songwriter... for like, no reason? 🙄 I get the whole "martyr" thing, but it just got frustrating after a while. Also, everything got dragged out a bit too much—like, please, just give me the drama already!

Axel and Phoebe definitely had chemistry, no doubt, but some of the suspense was way too predictable. It wasn’t a bad read by any means—it kept me turning pages because I was curious to see how it ended. Would I recommend it? Eh... it’s okay, but I’ve definitely read better.

Tropes:
🎶 Drummer x Artist
✖️ Ex’s Best Friend
🎸 Brother’s Best Friend
❤️ He Falls First
🔪 Stalking

CW: Grief, Loss of a loved one, Stalking

This book was so action packed with lots of twists, banter, and spice!This book was so action packed with lots of twists, banter, and spice!