4⭐️

A woman going about life as a single mother, recently divorced, and maintaining her business of artworks, Solène was an independent woman, but also a very devoted mother to her daughter. As most parents would do, they do everything possible to make their child happy, and for Solène she played chaperone to her daughter and her friends as they went to go watch August Moon in person. What should have been an easy trip to Vegas, ended up being the moment that Solène met Hayes, a.k.a. one of the lead singers of August Moon. This story had, Reverse age gap, rockstar romance, and exploring the realities of being famous that Hayes faced especially when initially trying to keep his and Solène’s relationship hidden. 

I’m a big fan of reverse age gap romances so, when I stumbled upon this book I knew I had to read it! This story followed, Solène and Hayes as the two of them navigated this unique connection they had as well as a relationship that was entirely different to the one Solène had ever been in. With Hayes being in a famous boy band, he was recognizable anywhere he went, and that meant Solène would sooner or later become known to everyone as being involved with Hayes.

This wasn’t your typical romance in the sense that it was more character driven, and less plot heavy. With Solène and Hayes starting up a relationship of sorts in the beginning, it all seemed fun and casual, but the more time they spent together, it quickly became more serious than the two initially anticipated. I think the way the book was written really highlighted the drastic changes that occured within Solène and Hayes relationship, and it kept me somewhat intrigued to see it all unfold. 

This book started off with mixed feelings for me. Initially I thought I was going to love it, then I felt unsure whether this was the book for me, but ultimately I’m glad I stuck til the end because, whoa, this book truly surprised me. I had thought this book was just going to be about a single mom and a famous singer forming a relationship and eventually happily falling in love, but not everything was as easy as one would have hoped. Solène and Hayes on the outside were in different points in their lives, but somehow meshed well together. Over the course of the book, I got to see exactly how Solène and Hayes’s relationship unfolded into a passionate connection, but also one that faced the difficulties of the media, fans, and the world. Solène knew going into the relationship that it wasn’t going to be easy nor a happily ever after, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t greatly affected by the onslaught on hate messages from fans, and it bleeding over into her family life and work. The relationship had its moments of hope and happiness for both Solène and Hayes, but as much as they cared deeply for each other, the outside forces grew exponentially to making Solène feel isolated and targeted by Hayes fan base and even people in her life distancing themselves from her. 

Overall, I would recommend this book if you’re looking to dip your toes in the reverse age gap trope, but more so in seeing a complex relationship unfold through unique circumstances. Solène and Hayes shared a deep connection, and despite their age gap it didn’t deter them from developing feelings for each other. My favorite aspect of this book was seeing the reality of Solène’s life clash with Hayes at certain points in the story. Solène and Hayes were in different points in their lives, and as much as they hoped for it to work, ultimately their story was one that unfortunately wasn’t meant to be forever. I will say, the more I read the more I got into the story, and really felt captivated by the raw emotions between Solène and Hayes. A unique reverse age gap that left me appreciating it the more I thought about it, and how it didn’t hold back on illustrating the difficulties Solène and Hayes faced. A book that you should read at least once, and now I’m curious to see how the movie is compared to the book, but let’s be honest the book is always better!