Erika Vanzin

Backstage

It's my first time reading a book about bands! I was intrigued! Especially since the guy on the cover looks like my celebrity crush, Momoa *insert heart eyes here*. I love a good romance story! 

Paparazzi is the story of Lilly and Damian, both have been through so much in their young life. Lilly has struggled with trauma, especially obesity and bullying (please note this as a trigger warning). Throughout her insecurities she works her way to accepting herself and crawling out of a world where she has been shamed for being who she is. For me, I will admit it was a bit tough to relive my own experience as a recovered bulimic, but reading Paparazzi made me connect with Lilly so much because of what I've been through. I loved that the author incorporated issues we see in society, making Lilly a relatable character. She creates a MC that uses her inner demons for power and pushes through the obstacles. Lilly's growth kept me intrigued. I felt connected with her! 

Lilly aspires to be a big time musician, This is where Damian comes in, he also deals with his share of demons. Being a big rock star can cause its share of stress, especially when your life is in the spotlight always. I enjoyed the friendships, they were super supportive with each other. 

The plot was steady. The romance was a slow burn but I love diving into the trope occassionally. Contemporaries arent my go to but I enjoyed Lilly and Damian's growth and connection. They definitely compliment each other! I am excited to read the next book in the Roadie Series. 

Thank you so much to the author for gifting me a copy of the book. Look forward to reading more titles by her! 

****TW: eating disorder, panic attacks, bullying****

Shelby Goodwin

Special thanks to the author for gifting me a copy of this awesome book in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts and opinions expressed below are entirely my own.

If you’re in the market for a sexy slowburn standalone complete with a rollercoaser plot (who isn’t?!), then this book is the total package! In a nutshell, Backstage is a sweet-and-spicy love story paired with a harrowing rockstar romance between two individuals overcoming their separate traumas. It’s got all the A Star is Born vibes with a happily ever after ending, and I am SO here for it!

Immediately the cover of this one drew me in with that intense and gorgeous rockstar showing off his skills. But in truth this book is so much more than a hot guitar-wielding dude on the front! I totally did not expect to journey with a pair of lovers who are navigating their love amongst the horrors of their past (trigger warnings: eating disorders, anxiety, and domestic abuse). This turned out to be a rich tale of music, love, forgiveness, and self love!

It’s the kind of book I feel like is so masterfully plotted and vividly crafted that it would make for an excellent film adaptation! I cannot wait to see what’s in store in the next installments of the Roadie series!!

Highly recommended for fans of standalone, meaningful love stories with tons of drama and steamy scenes!

Tatiana Alvarez 

How many times have we fantasized our favorite band members noticed us and fell in love? Or if we were given a chance to preform with our favorite band and slowly watch as our crush fell in love with you. Well, Vanzin took all of our teenage fantasies and made them into a reality with Backstage!

TW: Eating disorder, depression, anxiety
Please check your triggers before proceeding with the book.

Lily is the our main female protagonist, who happens to be an extremely talented musician. However, there has always been something holding her back from the spotlight and that is her traumatic past. As much as she loves music, the thought of preforming with others in front of people, brings upon horrid anxiety. Even though music is her life, she is struggling to find a way to make that dream a reality, especially because being in the spotlight will lead to criticism. 

Lily and her band soon get their chance at making it book when they win a music contest to open up for one of the hottest rock bands, the Jailbirds. Damian, the lead singer, is a rock god! Sexy and constantly in the spotlight. But he two is holding demons at bay and afraid that his past might resurface.

I love the tension between Lily and Damian and how their relationship progresses. It was also interesting to see how they grew as people, which is an important part in any relationship. And yes, the steam was there!

My only problem was some of the language used in regards to body images, specifically Lily. Her eating disorders and body type can definitely be triggering, so that was hard to read at times. However, it was still an enjoyable book with a fantastic cover!

Chiara Vitale Zelaia

Say hello to my new fluffy blanket book!

I’m not usually a contemporary reader, but I was craving something lighter after intense fantasy reads and battling the drafting of a high fantasy sequel. Add to that my current Måneskin obsession and you have a perfect alignment of lucky stars. 

BACKSTAGE was exactly what I was looking for. For a contemporary story to draw me in, I need to feel an instant chemistry with the characters, and I did with Damian, the lead singer of the Jailbirds. He was exactly the rockstar I was craving: handsome, haunted, rebellious. I lost count of how many times his “no bullshit” attitude made me snort just in the first few pages of the book. Sounds like the perfect book boyfriend, right? Well, you can’t have him. I licked him, he’s mine. With our lead female, Lilly, I needed a bit more time, not because she wasn’t well-written, but because her personality is completely opposite from mine. She’s reserved and full of insecurities, and sometimes I wanted to grab her and give her a pep talk. However, the more we get to know Lilly, the more we discover about her past and the traumas she’s survived. Her character gave the author the chance to explore many real issues: bullying, eating disorders, panic attacks, phobias. I thought all the topics were handled very well and with a realistic lens, so in the end I became super protective of Lilly, and super supportive of the fire that being around Damian brings out in her.

The romance reigned supreme. I loved Damian and Lilly’s interactions from the very beginning. They couldn’t be more different, and yet their banter made me smile, laugh and squeal like a school girl from the get go. I kid you not, I’ve clutched the book and called it my “fluffy blanket” so many times! Their relationship is a delicious slow-burn from strangers to friends to more. Was I eager to see them get together? Yes, I was! But I appreciate that the author took her time to get us there and showed us the good and the bad moments of a relationship, and not just the sweet and sexy, which is still very much appreciated.

Another highlight for me was the friendships. Though the main focus were Lilly and Damian, the secondary characters got enough page time to make me love them all, which is a good thing considering the fact that each book in the series will follow a different band member. As for world-building, it’s obviously not as big of a deal as a fantasy, but I’m not an expert of the music industry, and I appreciated the glimpse into something new.

As you can see, I loved this book! There were some instances of miscommunication in the second half that made me a bit frustrated, which is why I’m giving it 4 stars and not 5, but I still have high sugar levels in my blood from all my feels for the ending. I can’t wait to be back with these disaster children in Paparazzi!

Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy to review. All opinions are my own.

Maria Elena Vitale Zelaia

This book is the book I didn’t know I needed in my life. It swept me away into a world of fame and music from the very first pages. (Is this the life of my queen Taylor Swift?) By the time I was done, I felt like I missed my band mates…except I’ve never been in a band. 

Damian was an excellent male lead. He’s a mix of the haunted soul I love reading about and the devastating, charming and elusive rock star I could see myself swooning over. Also, not only is he built like a god, but the way his singing voice is described sounds like heaven and sin combined. I need an album by the Jailbirds. Where do I need to sign to make this happen? Lilly, on the other hand, has an incredible talent, but she’s often guarded and insecure and for that reason she’s afraid to take risks, which made her very relatable. Yet she also has a feisty side which she pulls out around people she’s comfortable with, and I loved seeing both sides of her in her interactions with Damian because it gave us the opportunity to see a sweeter and playful side to Damian as well. 

This leads me to the romance. Damian and Lilly were so adorable together! Some of my favorite moments were the ones where they rehearsed or sang duets. The descriptions were on point and it felt like I could hear them. I also enjoyed the moments of tension to the point where I was practically begging for something to happen. However, the pot slowed down a little more than halfway through the book because of some miscommunication or Damian thinking he doesn’t deserve to be happy. (Don’t you ever think that, my love!) In some cases, I wanted to shake either one or the other or both, and because of these moments my mind is telling me that my rating should be 4.5 stars, but my heart says no because the first half of the book and the ending were perfect! In the end, this is the way of romance novels. Drama is key!

Backstage is the first standalone novel in the Roadies series. The other books in the series will follow the other members of the Jailbirds. The next book is about Thomas, the drummer, which I’m very excited for because from what I saw of him as Damian’s best friend, he seems like husband goals. If my sister licked Damian, I’m licking Thomas. Mine!

Thank you to the author for sending me a copy. Opinions are my own!

Backstage

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