Don't Mention The Rock Star by Bree Darcy

Nov 21, 2014 Leah rated it liked it

Shelves: books-read-2014, for-review

When I first heard Stephanie Pegler of Chick Lit Club was releasing a novel I was chuffed to pieces. Who better to write a Chick Lit novel than one of the best Chick Lit bloggers around, with one of the most encylopeadic websites available to the Chick Lit masses! Going under the name Bree Darcy, I was very, very excited to get the opportunity to read Don't Mention The Rock Star a few months early from its release, and it's safe to say I went in to the novel with the highest of hopes.

Don't Men

When I first heard Stephanie Pegler of Chick Lit Club was releasing a novel I was chuffed to pieces. Who better to write a Chick Lit novel than one of the best Chick Lit bloggers around, with one of the most encylopeadic websites available to the Chick Lit masses! Going under the name Bree Darcy, I was very, very excited to get the opportunity to read Don't Mention The Rock Star a few months early from its release, and it's safe to say I went in to the novel with the highest of hopes.

Don't Mention The Rock Star is a novel that I've been putting off reviewing, because it brought up a lot of conflicting emotions in me. First up, the good stuff. Novels about rock stars are always my favourite kind, especially when they're about rock stars prior to them being rock stars. In Kellie's case, she dated Andy when they were both teens, until they were torn apart, but it's quite clear that even years on they still have unresolved issues, even though they're both married with kids. It was so interesting to see the "now" story and the "then" story unfold in alternating chapters, although sometimes it took me a few seconds to right myself to whether I was reading "now" or "then".

Kellie was actually one of the most enjoyable heroines I've read in a while, ditto Andy as the hero. Sigh. Who doesn't love a rock star whose still in love with his childhood sweetheart? My heart melts, it really does.

While I did love Kellie, I didn't love the way she acts sometimes. I didn't like that she kept Andy a secret from her husband, Curtis. It was almost as if she was playing with fire, especially when Andy came barrelling back in to her life and she started meeting him again. I just felt there was no need for her to do that, it was almost as if she was meeting Andy just for the sake of it so she could get one over on Curtis. Because she kept saying she was happy with Curtis, she wasn't going to break up her family, but then she went and met or texted Andy anyway and it annoyed me. Don't get me wrong, I couldn't stand Curtis - he was a bit of a lazy pig, when it came to domestic chores, but he deserved better than the way Kellie treated him sometimes. It was almost as if (at times) Kellie had people wrapped around her finger, and I just sometimes got this strange vibe from her.

I have to be honest and say Don't Mention The Rock Star had me conflicted. It's been a week since I read it, when I'm writing my review, and it's still hard to know what to write. The story and writing was very compelling, and Kellie and Andy were such great characters, although as I've said, at times I got a weird vibe from Kellie, but overall I liked the novel, Bree Darcy has written a very solid, very readable, very compelling debut novel and I look forward to her next read with great interest!{Leah Loves} http://leah-loves.com http://leah-loves.com/books-dont-ment... ...more

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Dec 26, 2014 karmaforlifechick rated it really liked it

sitename] http://www.karmaforlifechick.com http://www.karmaforlifechick.com/book... My Review

I received a copy of Don't Mention The Rock Star by Bree Darcy in exchange for an honest review.

Kellie and AJ Dangerfield were teenage sweethearts whose relationship fell apart after a "mistake". Years later, they're both married and life has moved on or has it? Kellie is a celebrity reporter, and AJ is a rock star living a celebrity life, both married with kids. Then they are thrown together once mo ...more

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Jan 06, 2015 Susan rated it really liked it

“If two past lovers can remain friends, either they were never in love or they still are.” I had never heard the book’s opening quote before, but I really loved it. Kellie has had no contact with her first boyfriend Andy since they broke up years ago. We meet her in present day and she is a married celebrity reporter with two kids and Andy is now AJ, front man to chart topping Danger Game. They are living completely different lives, but their jobs mean they are bound to cross paths at some point ...more

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Jan 16, 2015 Liz rated it it was amazing

Shelves: rock, awesome

A thumping good read. I couldn't put the book down until the blinking battery ran out on my kindle, without that incident it would've been a read in one sitting.

Kellie works as a journalist, an incident gets her a little exposure and she receives a message from Andy a boyfriend from the past. The only problem is that her husband and family have no idea that her boyfriend as a teenager was now a huge rock star and he wants to meet up. Will Kellie be strong enough to see Andy again?

I was bewitche ...more

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Jan 11, 2015 Samantha March rated it really liked it

I received a review copy
Don’t Mention the Rock Star was a quick read, thanks to the short and snappy sections, and to the point plot. We bounce around from Kellie’s past and present, meeting the boy she dated back in the day, and learning about the man she married. This book was really interesting because it discusses the question of can we ever forget our first love, and the added twist in here is that Kellie’s first love went on to become a successful rock star – and now he’s back on the scene ...more

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Jan 27, 2015 Kirsty rated it it was amazing

Shelves: all-time-favourites, books-i-want

Ugh ugh ugh, this was Where rainbows end all over again. But such an amazing book!

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Nov 19, 2014 Agi rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2015

Bree Darcy is a pseudonym and a person who hides behind it is a blogger - turned - writer Stephanie Pegler, who has set up the very well known and beloved Chicklit Club back in 2007, and she also organizes International Chick Lit Month in May every year. There are also some other websites that she contributes to, and she also works as a journalist, can anyone be more busy? And still she found time to write this great debut of a book, "Don't Mention the Rock Star" - a brilliant title, no?

Kellie a Bree Darcy is a pseudonym and a person who hides behind it is a blogger - turned - writer Stephanie Pegler, who has set up the very well known and beloved Chicklit Club back in 2007, and she also organizes International Chick Lit Month in May every year. There are also some other websites that she contributes to, and she also works as a journalist, can anyone be more busy? And still she found time to write this great debut of a book, "Don't Mention the Rock Star" - a brilliant title, no?

Kellie and Andy were a couple in their teens but since they broke up, they hasn't had any contact to each other. Kellie is now married to Curtis and they have two children, Kellie working as a celebrity reporter for an online magazine. Andy, known now as AJ, has let his dreams of becoming a rock star come true, and is a front man in a world - wide known band Danger Game. He's also married and lives his privileged life in the USA.
A little incident featuring Kellie, a film star and red carpet puts her in a spotlight and soon Andy gets in touch. Does Kellie want to see him again after all this time, after what he did to her? Is it possible to forget your first love?

The story was great and although the characters travel around the world, to England or the USA, it taking place mostly in Australia made it much more interesting, and I totally enjoyed the descriptions of this beautiful continent. The characters were brilliant, very colourful and vivid, with lives of their own, and just popping out of the pages, feeling very realistic. I for once couldn't stay indifferent and was either cheering them on or booing them. Kellie was lovely but there was one thing that bothered me and it was the fact that she seemed not to be able to function on her own, without a man, and how he let those men treat her as a doormat. She was an intelligent woman who could cope so well with different problems but when it came to men she was like a baby lost in fog. But other than that, she was down to earth, likeable person and many of us could relate to her and her dilemmas.
Curtis. In fact, I hated him and his patronizing gob. I could slap him anytime he appeared on the scene and I really, really have no idea how Kellie ended with him in the end. I hated his fierceness and coldness and the fact that he put his work so much above his own family, I have actually suspected an affair. I hated the way he always wanted to be the best and put himself over everything and everybody and how dismissive he was in relation to other people. I hated the way he spoke to and treated Ryan and I hated the way how he was always comparing everything and everybody to his brother's family.
Andy. There were moments I could bang his head on the nearest wall, very long, when he was blaming Kellie for everything that is happening and behaving as if it was her fault that one member of his band landed in a hospital. Oh my! In fact, it was the very characteristic of all male characters in the book, they were blaming Kellie for everything, when in fact they were the ones to be blamed. Men, I tell you. But other than that, he was much more fun than Curtis and although he was not the handsomest guy in the world, he had his charms and ways and he knew how to use them. He has worked hard to be where he was now but I guess he has never changed, and for sure his spelling has never changed - I loved his messages!
And Kellie and Curtis's families, who were the perfect reflection of themselves. Kellie's mother, so great and always there when her daughter needed her, and Curtis's cold, always better knowing parents and totally irritating and arrogant brother, just like he was himself.
There is also a great bunch of colourful background characters, and there are many of them, but it was so easy to keep with them and like them (or not). They were a very important part of the story and they all added a lot to the book, all of them larger than life and feeling realistic. It was fantastic that all the characters developed through the whole story, they changed, they were dynamic and complex. Especially Kellie, in my eyes she changed mostly, from very uptight and tense geek girl into very laid back woman, and I totally adored this change in her.

At first I found it somewhat hard to get into the book as it took me some time to get used to the flitting between the past and the present, and there were so many details and information to concentrate on. And to be totally honest, for me the book took on only after I read around 35% of it - till this moment, if I didn't read the blurb, if I didn't know what's the story - I really wouldn't know what the book is about. It was just telling us the story of a family - a great story, really hooking and witty but still, just a story. Very enjoyable to read but I was missing it leading to a climax, to some kind of conclusion, to giving us a tip. But after that it took on speed and it was a very bumpy and curvy trip, a rollercoaster ride full of twists and turns and I just went with the flow and let it to take me wherever it went. There were some sundries, some details and imprecision that irritated me a little, such as deleting a phone number from the telephone and then phoning the person again but they were so minor it's not worth mentioning them.

The story was really great developed too, and the plot was complex and fresh. Maybe at first I wasn't so sure because well, Kellie was married, Andy was married, and it was really asking for trouble, but the more I got to know their second halves, the more I was cheering on Kellie and Andy and their feelings. I liked the short and snappy chapters and the writing style was totally my cup of tea: witty, clever, sharp as a knife, the dialogues were catchy and felt so real. Even the bouncing between past and present, after I got used to it, was a great idea and I was waiting to see what's happened and what's going to happen, and oh my word, there was a lot happening. Bree is a great storyteller, that's for sure! I think I was more looking forward to the "past" passages, I so wanted to know how the relationship between Andy and Kellie went and what happened to brought them apart, but later I was also desperate to know the end! What I also really admire about Bree is the fact that she hasn't chosen the easiest and the most straightforward storyline for her debut book because let's be honest, being in a marriage and still in love with your first love doesn't always mean a happy ending, but in my opinion the author has found the best solution for this story. She has wrapped everything up wonderfully, no threads are being left open.

It was in fact one incredible debut novel and little birds tell me that Bree is writing a new book, which is one of the best news that I've heard lately. Roll on, time, and bring me this new little gem as soon as possible!

Copy received from the author in exchange for a review.
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Jan 27, 2015 Jody rated it it was amazing

Review first posted on my blog: http://spoonfulofhappyendings.blogspo...

When she was just a teenager, Kellie fell head over heels in love with American bad boy Andy who was in Australia visiting his family. The two of them were inseparable, but things suddenly changed and they both went their seperate ways. These days, Kellie is married to Curtis and tries to juggle both taking care of their children and her job as a celebrity gossip journalist. Andy is now A.J. Dangerfield, lead singer of world Review first posted on my blog: http://spoonfulofhappyendings.blogspo...

When she was just a teenager, Kellie fell head over heels in love with American bad boy Andy who was in Australia visiting his family. The two of them were inseparable, but things suddenly changed and they both went their seperate ways. These days, Kellie is married to Curtis and tries to juggle both taking care of their children and her job as a celebrity gossip journalist. Andy is now A.J. Dangerfield, lead singer of world famous rock band Danger Games, and happily married with kids. Due to certain events at work, Kellie unexpectedly gets back into touch with Andy and while she knows she's taking a big risk by letting Andy back into her life (especially since her family doesn't even know about her connections with the famous rock star) she can't seem to stop herself. Did Kellie really get over Andy and vice versa, or is there still a trace of a spark between them?

The basic storyline of 'Don't Mention the Rock Star' is quite a classic one within the world of chick lit, but the author has definitely managed to make it her own and turn it into a thoroughly enjoyable read. The novel has some well-drawn and easily loveable characters at its core. I immediately warmed to Kellie and Andy was unlike any other male hero I've come across before; I loved how unique and funny he was. The reader is also introduced to Kellie's husband Curtis, their children, her mother-in-law, her colleagues, and her best friend. Since the novel is quite long, there was more than enough time to get to know all these characters and their background stories, and I really fell in love with all of them as the story progressed (except for Curtis, whom I couldn't help but intensely dislike!).

As I already mentioned, the book is quite long. I have to admit it was a bit daunting to me at first, but when I got into the story I really couldn't get enough of it. I loved all the flashbacks to the past, seeing how a young Andy and Kellie got together, how they grew up, and how everything eventually turned into the present situation. I also enjoyed all the different locations of the story: Australia, the UK, the USA. But most of all, I just really enjoyed the author's writing style. This was such an entertaining and comfortable read; I honestly loved it. 'Don't Mention the Rock Star' is an amazingly entertaining and simply wonderful debut novel; I loved everything about it and I already have high hopes for Bree Darcy's next work, hopefully we won't have to wait too long! ...more

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Apr 30, 2015 Christie72 rated it really liked it

Shelves: chick-lit, romance, romantic-comedy, sexy, sweet

I really enjoyed reading Don’t Mention the Rockstar. It had all the ingredients that make a book irresistible to me….love, romance, secrets, and second a chance at love! Kellie is just a teenager living in Australia with her single mother when she meets American boy, Andy. He is there visiting his relatives but knows he will have to return to America at some point. The two are complete opposites. She is the good girl who works hard in school hoping to make her life better. He is the bad boy who I really enjoyed reading Don’t Mention the Rockstar. It had all the ingredients that make a book irresistible to me….love, romance, secrets, and second a chance at love! Kellie is just a teenager living in Australia with her single mother when she meets American boy, Andy. He is there visiting his relatives but knows he will have to return to America at some point. The two are complete opposites. She is the good girl who works hard in school hoping to make her life better. He is the bad boy who has a heart of gold with dreams of becoming a rock star. However, the two of them work together in the beginning. Unfortunately, those differences cause them to go separate ways. Fast forward decades, and Kellie is a celebrity journalist who is married to a successful man, and they have two children. Andy realized his dream of becoming a world famous rock star, and he’s married with children as well. Kellie thinks life is as it should be, with the exception of her rich, cold, meddling mother-in-law and her husband’s long hours at the office. Fate intervenes and ironically puts her and Andy back in contact with one another. As they spend more time together catching up, the cracks in each of their marriages appear. Did they ever get over each other, or did they just settle in a “comfortable” marriage? How will their feelings affect their loved ones?

The book is quite long, but it needed to be in order to tell Kellie’s and Andy’s story. As readers follow their reconnection, they also see how their relationship formed in flashbacks. This allows readers to get to know them, their friends, and family in a more intimate way which connects the readers to the characters. I loved the banter and friendship between Kellie and Andy. Yes, it’s a love triangle, but neither of them jump into an adulterous relationship. Their friendship remains the main focus through much of the book. I loved the flashbacks and reference to the pop culture of the 80’ s and 90’s; it reminded me of my own teen years. Secrets and lies are revealed which will ultimately determine their future.

As I wrote earlier, it’s a long book, but it certainly doesn’t feel that way. There isn’t fluff to fill the pages; it’s all information that is crucial to the story. If you like romance and funny and sarcastic characters, then give this book a try. I am looking forward to Bree Darcy’s future books.

***Read and Reviewed for Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews***

***A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.***
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Apr 04, 2015 Cheryl (I Heart Fictional People) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: chick-lit, contemporary-romance, favorite-book-boyfriends, favorites, love-triangles, i-need-to-own-a-hard-copy

Ever wonder what would happen if your first love came back into your life years down the road? Kellie is about to find out in Don’t Mention the Rock Star by Bree Darcy. As teenagers, Kellie and Andy were madly in love. Different circumstances tore them apart, and they eventually went their separate ways. Now they are both married with children, and Kellie’s husband, Curtis, has no idea that the lead singer of rock band Danger Game, AJ Dangerfield, or Andy, as Kellie called him, was once his wife Ever wonder what would happen if your first love came back into your life years down the road? Kellie is about to find out in Don’t Mention the Rock Star by Bree Darcy. As teenagers, Kellie and Andy were madly in love. Different circumstances tore them apart, and they eventually went their separate ways. Now they are both married with children, and Kellie’s husband, Curtis, has no idea that the lead singer of rock band Danger Game, AJ Dangerfield, or Andy, as Kellie called him, was once his wife’s first love, and she has no intention of telling him, which makes things difficult when Andy comes back into the picture. As a celebrity reporter, Kellie is soon being drawn back into her ex’s life, not only because of her career but also because of the connection they have always had that may have never fully gone away. She may have to decide whether keeping her past in the past is best for her and her family, or if her first love was meant to be so much more than that.

I am practically speechless after just finishing this book. It was amazing. It is certainly on my list of favorites now. I have always had a soft spot for stories where the character’s first love comes back, and they need to figure out if what they had should stay in the past or if they are meant to be together because the timing is right this time around. And Bree Darcy took that concept and created the perfect story in my opinion. This isn’t your typical love triangle. Both Andy and Curtis have their flaws, and there are times when you want to strangle both of them. But for Kellie, it’s not about choosing the perfect man; it’s about being with who is perfect for her. With an unpredictable plot, unforgettable characters, a love story that may go down as one of your favorites, Don’t Mention the Rock Star will have you laughing at times and crying during some scenes, but ultimately, it will leave you smiling from ear to ear. Bree Darcy is definitely an author to watch out for. To conclude, I will leave you with this very meaningful, thought-provoking opening quote from the book: “If two past lovers can remain friends, either they were never in love or they still are.”

Reviewed by ME for Readers' Favorite ...more

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Jan 31, 2015 1-Click Addict Support Group rated it it was amazing

Oh baby, I just read the mother of all love triangles! This one was meaty and juicy and full of everything I love about this genre! Really, the total love triangle package! A stunning debut by Bree Darcy. This novel takes place over two decades! So yes, it's nice and long.

Kellie and Andy meet as teenagers in Australia. Andy has just moved to the land down under with his mother after the death of his father. A high school dropout, he's the epitome of the brooding teen boy, quite the opposite of Oh baby, I just read the mother of all love triangles! This one was meaty and juicy and full of everything I love about this genre! Really, the total love triangle package! A stunning debut by Bree Darcy. This novel takes place over two decades! So yes, it's nice and long.

Kellie and Andy meet as teenagers in Australia. Andy has just moved to the land down under with his mother after the death of his father. A high school dropout, he's the epitome of the brooding teen boy, quite the opposite of studious Kellie. But they hit it off and become ingrained in every aspect of each other's lives. Until Andy turns eighteen and is forced to leave the country. They continue a long distance relationship, Kellie in Australia and Andy back home with his old bandmates in San Francisco.

Between Kellie's break from transitioning from high school to college, she joins him in the States and goes on tour with his band where trouble soon arises.

Some years down the line, Kellie is married and a entertainment reporter. I should mention her husband has no clue she even had a relationship with a Grammy Award winning rock star. Andy is also married and a massively successful rock star, more well known as AJ Dangerfield, lead singer of Danger Game. He's back in Australia and guess which reporter has been assigned to do a story on him?

Add in some drama, a sprinkle of old feelings and a whole heap of sexual tension and, ladies and gentlemen, we have ourselves a love triangle - or even a love square would be accurate - of truly epic proportions!

I must say I'm extremely impressed that this is a debut for Bree Darcy. The story is so well written and had me devouring it in no time. The setting takes place over multiple continents, Australia, United States and even Britain. Told from Kellie's first person narrative, Don't Mention the Rock Star, alternates from past and present where the reader sees all facets of the character's relationships. And the age old question is answered, do you ever really get over your first love? ~ Erin, 5 stars
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Nov 14, 2018 Sherri Bryant rated it really liked it

Shelves: chick-lit

Enjoyable story about first love and the path life leads us on based on our choices and decisions. I really liked Kellie and AJ together. They mesh so well and I enjoyed watching them mature as individuals and as a couple. Kellie is by AJ’s side and as his popularity and fame grow, they are pulled apart when AJ makes a choice that drives Kellie away. This book is told both in the past and present as the reader is given a birds-eye view into their lives as they grow from teenagers to adults with ...more

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Nov 17, 2014 Amber rated it really liked it

This book was an enjoyable and at times an addictive read. It dealt with a non-linear timeline, following the characters in the present but also 20 years earlier during their teen years. I really enjoyed this aspect of the novel and I found both perspectives kept me equally interested which isn't normally the case as I normally prefer one over the other.
All the characters in this novel were well developed and interesting with the main character Kelly and Andy, the love interest, being very down ...more

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Nov 16, 2014 Lisa rated it it was amazing

As a teenager, Kellie meets an ambitious young musician named Andy. Her first love, they are inseparable for a time, but circumstances soon tear them apart. Years later, Kellie is now a journalist for a celebrity website, and Andy is better known as AJ Dangerfield, frontman of band Danger Game and worldwide superstar. While she has never forgotten him, she has moved on with her life, and even her husband doesn't know that she once dated a rock star. But now Kellie's past and present are about to ...more

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Mar 04, 2015 Zee Monodee rated it liked it

Shelves: chick-lit, contemporary, women-s-fiction

Had a bit of a hard time getting into this book because (sadly) I did not like the heroine. Something about her rubbed me the wrong way and so I wasn't able to connect with her to really enjoy the tale. The continuous to-and-fro veering between past and present also threw me off-loop many times (maybe if you read this in one go, it's not confusing, but I was going and coming back and losing track every time I tried to get back in).

I'd also expected this book to be more chick-lit/humourous in vib ...more

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Oct 18, 2015 InD'tale Magazine rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2015-holiday-issue, genre-contemporary, rating-3-5-star, steam-2

3.5/5.0

This book has an interesting plot - where both main characters are married to other people and have children.

Read full review in the 2015 Holiday issue of InD'tale Magazine.

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