What do you think?
Rate this book
Pop Life #1
Pop Life
2nd Edition
Andrew writes the songs everyone sings along with on the radio—tunes full of love, longing, and heartbreak. He has a knack for tapping into emotions, but when it comes to his own, the feelings aren’t so easy to manage. Sent to New York City to work on Irish singer Paeder Brogan’s first solo album, Andrew is caught in the middle of a boy band’s infighting and secret love affairs while battling the memories of his last trip to the Big Apple, which ended when English pop star Jamie Webster drunkenly kissed him.
Andrew’s heart leaps when he discovers he’s staying at the same hotel as Jamie, yet he doubts Jamie recalls him, even though Andrew wrote his biggest hit. Jamie remembers him, though, and he seems to think Andrew is the only person who can save him from his downward spiral. Even as his feelings for Jamie swell, Andrew faces the real threat that the maelstrom he’s walked into will pull him down alongside Jamie.
Word 64,000
1st Edition published by Silver Publishing, 2011.
Andrew writes the songs everyone sings along with on the radio—tunes full of love, longing, and heartbreak. He has a knack for tapping into emotions, but when it comes to his own, the feelings aren’t so easy to manage. Sent to New York City to work on Irish singer Paeder Brogan’s first solo album, Andrew is caught in the middle of a boy band’s infighting and secret love affairs while battling the memories of his last trip to the Big Apple, which ended when English pop star Jamie Webster drunkenly kissed him.
Andrew’s heart leaps when he discovers he’s staying at the same hotel as Jamie, yet he doubts Jamie recalls him, even though Andrew wrote his biggest hit. Jamie remembers him, though, and he seems to think Andrew is the only person who can save him from his downward spiral. Even as his feelings for Jamie swell, Andrew faces the real threat that the maelstrom he’s walked into will pull him down alongside Jamie.
Word 64,000
1st Edition published by Silver Publishing, 2011.
200 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 28, 2011
1 person is currently reading
132 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
January 15, 2020
Pop Life is set in 1999, and is framed by articles from various faux publications providing gossip on pop star Jamie Webster and members of the boy band Icon (Paeder, Keelin and Russell). Successful writing duo Andrew and Michael have composed songs for Jamie Webster in the past, and have now been hired for Paeder's upcoming solo album. Andrew travels to New York to meet with Paeder and learns that Jamie Webster is also staying at the hotel. Andrew has a "secret past" with Jamie ... well, they meet ONCE over 2 years ago backstage at the Grammys when Jamie kissed Andrew before passing out in a drunken stupor.
The fairly incomprehensible plot revolves around six characters - Jamie, Andrew, Paeder, Keelin, Russell and a very creepy photographer named Jeff - all of whom are very lightly fleshed-out. Paeder is an obnoxious git, Keelin is the blue-eyed sweet boy with low self-esteem, Russell is ... well, there, Jamie can't sleep at night because of his "darkness" (rolling eyes here), Jeff hits on anything that moves, and Andrew is confused. There is no chemistry between Andrew and Jamie (with only one somewhat detailed sex scene) and I felt there were so many baffling plot holes and twists that the book seemed much longer than it actually was.
For example ...
Sometimes you'll read a book that has a bewildering plot, and you end up liking it because something about it just grabs your interest and you are willing to suspend disbelief and buy into the story. This did not happen to me with this book; I struggled with finishing it and cannot recommend it.
I received a galley copy from Dreamspinner Press, via GayBook Reviews, in exchange for an honest review.
Visit my blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews
The fairly incomprehensible plot revolves around six characters - Jamie, Andrew, Paeder, Keelin, Russell and a very creepy photographer named Jeff - all of whom are very lightly fleshed-out. Paeder is an obnoxious git, Keelin is the blue-eyed sweet boy with low self-esteem, Russell is ... well, there, Jamie can't sleep at night because of his "darkness" (rolling eyes here), Jeff hits on anything that moves, and Andrew is confused. There is no chemistry between Andrew and Jamie (with only one somewhat detailed sex scene) and I felt there were so many baffling plot holes and twists that the book seemed much longer than it actually was.
For example ...
Sometimes you'll read a book that has a bewildering plot, and you end up liking it because something about it just grabs your interest and you are willing to suspend disbelief and buy into the story. This did not happen to me with this book; I struggled with finishing it and cannot recommend it.
I received a galley copy from Dreamspinner Press, via GayBook Reviews, in exchange for an honest review.
Visit my blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews
April 23, 2016
Welp! This could've gone better.
Some of what went wrong can be explained by "it's me not you", some of it clumsy writing style and the rest is piss poor editing. I made a whole bunch of notes so let's just start from the beginning, shall we?
The writing style is hard to follow. It doesn't flow well and reads amateurish. It could easily be two stories combined into one which felt a bit like throwing spaghetti at the wall to see if it sticks. Initially, I thought it an effort to give insight into Drew, who tells this story, but as the book progressed it became clear it wasn't.
The formatting left a lot to be desired. I'm the sort of reader that needs demarcation. If you're going to insert a memory or flashback I need for that to be differentiated somehow. If the MC is going to have an internal monologue I need for that to be italicized. There are random excerpts from interviews/books interspersed throughout the book that more often than not didn't make sense. Lastly, weird analogies.
I can overlook A LOT if the characters are solid. And this is where it comes down to it's me not you. I don't like any of these characters. Wait, that's inaccurate. I don't understand them or what motivates them and didn't connect with them. There is part of me that pitied both Drew and Jaime, but mostly I was just confused by them. And I didn't buy into them as a couple.
Drew's characterization seemed slapdash. One minute he's "nebbish" and the next he's issuing orders to Paeder, king dick among dicks? He comes across as a teen girl with a crush and I mean that in every way. He's so immature I half expected him to have posters of Jaime up in his room. And he's nearly 30. Drew's insecurity, tantrum throwing and incessant pouting grated, but his propensity to overdramatize events that are innocuous then conversely gloss over things that would give most pause had me scratching my head.
Case in point, I got the impression that Jaime is schizophrenic or at least psychotic, but it's never addressed. Never. Drew seems to think it's cute or a quirk. That doesn't make any sense to me. Additionally, Jaime is a rockstar with all the typical trappings of a rockstar-addiction problems, commitment issues and narcissistic insecurities and Drew at point (paraphrasing) says those things never bothered him. HUH-WHAAATTTTT?!?! *sputters*
He laid one on Drew two years prior at the Grammy's then promptly passed out and had to be rushed to the hospital.
And that's when Drew knew he was the one.
He's been pining for him since when an offer to work on a solo project of boy band Icon's lead singer Paeder puts Drew in Jaime's path again by design. Icon is coming apart at the seams and quite a bit of the book is devoted to their shenanigans. There is a polyamorous relationship that involves a couple of band members and an murky and lecherous photographer named Peter who seems to have his fingers in everyone's pie.
They spend 4 days in NYC, mostly apart with Drew angsting over Jaime and how to make them happen. My first hurdle with Drew is obviously understanding him and why he's so enamored with Jaime after one drunken kiss two years prior. The second is Jaime evidently can't sleep alone because he has nightmares so he shows up at Drew's door or sends his assistant to fetch him in the middle of the night. As the one being fetched by what essentially amounts to a stranger wouldn't you at least ask about the origins of nightmares? In an effort to get to know that person beyond just surface and assumptions? My third hurdle is Drew somehow believing himself to be at fault after Jaime has an orgy with Peter and a couple of groupies. The fourth came later after they've parted ways and are talking on the phone on a fairly regular basis. All of the phone calls basically consist of...
When what I was looking for was relationship development. And the pièce de résistance was one of my least favorite things ever-minimizing the importance of prior relationships.
Their relationship makes no sense to me and I don't see or feel what either of them sees in the other. I don't see how they're going to make what's sure to be a long distance relationship work. I'm guessing they're going to be polyamorous but I can't see Drew's psyche withstanding Jaime fucking all the groupies. The incident towards the end in the grocery store was melodramatic and seemed contrived to crowbar in the sex.
The resolution...Once upon a time I got caught up in the Christmas spirit and bought into the myth that telling a Christmas story to a child on Christmas Eve would actually send them into nite nite. So I read my cousin one, she closed her eyes, seemed to be sleeping soundly, I finished the story, tiptoed out to announce...
...to be followed by my cousin about 2 minutes later.
The moral of this story?
You can believe in magic until the cows come home, but don't bet the farm on it.
It didn't work for me, but I have a feeling a lot of people will love this story to pieces. Sorry it didn't for me.
An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review.
Some of what went wrong can be explained by "it's me not you", some of it clumsy writing style and the rest is piss poor editing. I made a whole bunch of notes so let's just start from the beginning, shall we?
The writing style is hard to follow. It doesn't flow well and reads amateurish. It could easily be two stories combined into one which felt a bit like throwing spaghetti at the wall to see if it sticks. Initially, I thought it an effort to give insight into Drew, who tells this story, but as the book progressed it became clear it wasn't.
The formatting left a lot to be desired. I'm the sort of reader that needs demarcation. If you're going to insert a memory or flashback I need for that to be differentiated somehow. If the MC is going to have an internal monologue I need for that to be italicized. There are random excerpts from interviews/books interspersed throughout the book that more often than not didn't make sense. Lastly, weird analogies.
I can overlook A LOT if the characters are solid. And this is where it comes down to it's me not you. I don't like any of these characters. Wait, that's inaccurate. I don't understand them or what motivates them and didn't connect with them. There is part of me that pitied both Drew and Jaime, but mostly I was just confused by them. And I didn't buy into them as a couple.
Drew's characterization seemed slapdash. One minute he's "nebbish" and the next he's issuing orders to Paeder, king dick among dicks? He comes across as a teen girl with a crush and I mean that in every way. He's so immature I half expected him to have posters of Jaime up in his room. And he's nearly 30. Drew's insecurity, tantrum throwing and incessant pouting grated, but his propensity to overdramatize events that are innocuous then conversely gloss over things that would give most pause had me scratching my head.
Case in point, I got the impression that Jaime is schizophrenic or at least psychotic, but it's never addressed. Never. Drew seems to think it's cute or a quirk. That doesn't make any sense to me. Additionally, Jaime is a rockstar with all the typical trappings of a rockstar-addiction problems, commitment issues and narcissistic insecurities and Drew at point (paraphrasing) says those things never bothered him. HUH-WHAAATTTTT?!?! *sputters*
He laid one on Drew two years prior at the Grammy's then promptly passed out and had to be rushed to the hospital.
And that's when Drew knew he was the one.
He smelled different than I remembered. No alcohol or sweat now. Cigarettes and... it took a second for me to place it. He smelled clean, naturally clean, not like soap.
He's been pining for him since when an offer to work on a solo project of boy band Icon's lead singer Paeder puts Drew in Jaime's path again by design. Icon is coming apart at the seams and quite a bit of the book is devoted to their shenanigans. There is a polyamorous relationship that involves a couple of band members and an murky and lecherous photographer named Peter who seems to have his fingers in everyone's pie.
They spend 4 days in NYC, mostly apart with Drew angsting over Jaime and how to make them happen. My first hurdle with Drew is obviously understanding him and why he's so enamored with Jaime after one drunken kiss two years prior. The second is Jaime evidently can't sleep alone because he has nightmares so he shows up at Drew's door or sends his assistant to fetch him in the middle of the night. As the one being fetched by what essentially amounts to a stranger wouldn't you at least ask about the origins of nightmares? In an effort to get to know that person beyond just surface and assumptions? My third hurdle is Drew somehow believing himself to be at fault after Jaime has an orgy with Peter and a couple of groupies. The fourth came later after they've parted ways and are talking on the phone on a fairly regular basis. All of the phone calls basically consist of...
When what I was looking for was relationship development. And the pièce de résistance was one of my least favorite things ever-minimizing the importance of prior relationships.
Their relationship makes no sense to me and I don't see or feel what either of them sees in the other. I don't see how they're going to make what's sure to be a long distance relationship work. I'm guessing they're going to be polyamorous but I can't see Drew's psyche withstanding Jaime fucking all the groupies. The incident towards the end in the grocery store was melodramatic and seemed contrived to crowbar in the sex.
The resolution...Once upon a time I got caught up in the Christmas spirit and bought into the myth that telling a Christmas story to a child on Christmas Eve would actually send them into nite nite. So I read my cousin one, she closed her eyes, seemed to be sleeping soundly, I finished the story, tiptoed out to announce...
...to be followed by my cousin about 2 minutes later.
The moral of this story?
You can believe in magic until the cows come home, but don't bet the farm on it.
It didn't work for me, but I have a feeling a lot of people will love this story to pieces. Sorry it didn't for me.
An ARC was provided in exchange for an honest review.
May 5, 2016
2.5 Stars to Pop Life
This was a really hard story for me to enjoy. I kept at it only because I wanted to see how one of the MC fared at the end.. not because the story had me interested other than the outcome. Usually I can whip through a book of this size, however this story took me a couple days to read because I kept falling asleep.
I am just going to say that this is not one of my favorites of the year and leave it at that..
❥❥**´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•`*ARC provided by Author in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Jaime from Alpha Book Club
This was a really hard story for me to enjoy. I kept at it only because I wanted to see how one of the MC fared at the end.. not because the story had me interested other than the outcome. Usually I can whip through a book of this size, however this story took me a couple days to read because I kept falling asleep.
I am just going to say that this is not one of my favorites of the year and leave it at that..
❥❥**´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•`*ARC provided by Author in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Jaime from Alpha Book Club
August 12, 2011
2.5 It kept me interested, but I finished it feeling disappointed ... after lots and lots of angst, there was very little emotional payoff, so I'm left feeling rather flat.
dnf-or-hated
March 14, 2016DNF - no rating.
I didn't like the characters or the plots. While I can go on with one or the other or both, I cannot go on with neither.
I didn't like the characters or the plots. While I can go on with one or the other or both, I cannot go on with neither.
August 17, 2011
2-2.5 stars. Good writing which kept me interested in reading even though I never really warmed up to Jamie. I just didn't get why Drew was so into him.
Plus, after all the angst, the emotional payoff was a bit weak.
But good writing, so I'll be looking forward to more from this author.
Plus, after all the angst, the emotional payoff was a bit weak.
But good writing, so I'll be looking forward to more from this author.
August 22, 2011
This was really complex story. Even the characters were complex and deep. I liked that. I really don't know why some readers don't like the story, but I definitely did! I wouldn't mind reading more about all those characters, because they were real and emotional. Overall I do agree that this is hard story for which you have to be in mood for. There is no easy blissful romance around, only a lot of hurt, drugs, sex and pain and undying hope.
June 12, 2018
I am aware that this book has issues: there's one MC that is the badass diva, alcoholic, drug and sex addict and a cheating asshole. There's one MC that is fair, loyal, faithful, almost virginal - even if he's been married to Kate for over 6 years - and obviously not attracted to the dark side of the music star system environment and lifestyle. There are minor characters that show some turbolence, like Paeder or Jeff - creepy and masochistic asshole as well - and some strange dynamics going on among all of them. But love blossom even in the middle of this mess: the knight in shining armour wins it all and saves his hero from despair and suicidal temptations. I was analysing all this while reading and almost laughed because of the clichés that permeates this novel and thus I couldn't leave the reading away. I went all through the story, realizing that it was not a very structured plot, not coherent as well in more than a way, but... I liked it. So, 3,5 stars because I enjoyed and I also miss the characters already now that I have finished the book.
October 20, 2018
Another great read from this author. This was a mm contemporary story set in the music industry. Loved the ever twisting story and an amazing conclusion. I’ll read more from this author.
September 26, 2012
Review posted at The Armchair Reader.
I have intended to read and review this book over a year now and after finishing this author's latest book -- Ethan, Who Loved Carter -- last week and absolutely loving it, I decided that it was time to read more of this author's work. Sadly, I just couldn't understand this book. Well, I couldn't understand the characters. But, more on that in just a bit.
This novel is told by Andrew, who is part of a songwriting team with his best friend Michael. They're hugely successful, and in 1999 at the end of a decade of boy bands, they find themselves once again writing for Icon, an Irish boy band they'd previously worked with. Only this time, they're writing for Paeder, the lead man who is going solo. He's a bit of an arrogant, pushy ass, and Andrew hates thinking that he'll have to work with him alone. But that is how it has worked out -- a four day jog to New York City and a convergence of a motley crew of musicians and their entourages. The fact that NYC holds terrible memories of the breakup of his marriage two years before only sets the tone for what turns into a week of infighting, enmity amongst friends and lovers, and feelings that Andrew has both ignored and yet to acknowledge.
First of all, I really like this author and I'm glad that I read Ethan, Who Loved Carter before I read this, because after that book I'll never fail to read a book by this author, even after a book such as this, which I didn't really enjoy. If the books had been reversed, I might have missed some of this author's work, and I'd never want that.
I think that the problems I had with this book are incredibly fundamental. First, that I approached this as a romance when if I had approached it as gay literature I probably wouldn't have minded some the many things I read that bothered me. Second, the thing I enjoy reading the least is needless angst. There is a lot of angst here, to be sure, but the problem for me was I felt like I couldn't understand any of the characters or their actions, much less sympathize with them (overall, not for specific actions). At first I wondered if it was because I didn't know the characters well. But, their history slowly unfolds over the story, so that wasn't the case considering I felt the same about them at the end as I did in the beginning. I think that what didn't work for me is I didn't see the characters growing. They progress, but towards codependent relationships, and not real healing in any way. That frustrated me because even though I would love for the king of all screwed up guys (James) to find some healing here, the person I really wanted to see grow and change was Andrew. We learn through paced memories how his marriage failed, and it sets up a pattern of self deprecation and an overwhelming desire to be needed and to please others. His relationship with James only perpetuates this cycle. Every time he was poised to break it, he disappointed me, until it was finally too much.
The dynamic of the group is so insular that each character's problems build on the other's, with Andrew in the middle like a sponge trying to solve everyone's problems. I wanted to yank him out and shake him and make him smell the fresh air and show him that it all wasn't so dire! He needed some perspective. That's what I mean by needless angst. It isn't to say that they don't all have real problems -- boy to they ever. And it isn't to say that their problems don't stem from real past trauma (though maybe not all of them, some are just assholes, I think, lol). But the atmosphere of all those things ricocheting around and building and building… it was just a little too much for me to handle.
Part of that is up to each reader's acceptable level of angst, and mine is admittedly pretty low. But, you still gotta like the characters, feel invested in them and want to root for them. I wanted the latter and at times was invested, but I didn't really like any of them, except maybe Michael and sadly he was mostly on the periphery.
So, I can't recommend this one. I'm looking forward to reading more of this author's work. I've been wanting to read Offside and The Forgotten Man for a while, so I'll get to those next :)
I have intended to read and review this book over a year now and after finishing this author's latest book -- Ethan, Who Loved Carter -- last week and absolutely loving it, I decided that it was time to read more of this author's work. Sadly, I just couldn't understand this book. Well, I couldn't understand the characters. But, more on that in just a bit.
This novel is told by Andrew, who is part of a songwriting team with his best friend Michael. They're hugely successful, and in 1999 at the end of a decade of boy bands, they find themselves once again writing for Icon, an Irish boy band they'd previously worked with. Only this time, they're writing for Paeder, the lead man who is going solo. He's a bit of an arrogant, pushy ass, and Andrew hates thinking that he'll have to work with him alone. But that is how it has worked out -- a four day jog to New York City and a convergence of a motley crew of musicians and their entourages. The fact that NYC holds terrible memories of the breakup of his marriage two years before only sets the tone for what turns into a week of infighting, enmity amongst friends and lovers, and feelings that Andrew has both ignored and yet to acknowledge.
First of all, I really like this author and I'm glad that I read Ethan, Who Loved Carter before I read this, because after that book I'll never fail to read a book by this author, even after a book such as this, which I didn't really enjoy. If the books had been reversed, I might have missed some of this author's work, and I'd never want that.
I think that the problems I had with this book are incredibly fundamental. First, that I approached this as a romance when if I had approached it as gay literature I probably wouldn't have minded some the many things I read that bothered me. Second, the thing I enjoy reading the least is needless angst. There is a lot of angst here, to be sure, but the problem for me was I felt like I couldn't understand any of the characters or their actions, much less sympathize with them (overall, not for specific actions). At first I wondered if it was because I didn't know the characters well. But, their history slowly unfolds over the story, so that wasn't the case considering I felt the same about them at the end as I did in the beginning. I think that what didn't work for me is I didn't see the characters growing. They progress, but towards codependent relationships, and not real healing in any way. That frustrated me because even though I would love for the king of all screwed up guys (James) to find some healing here, the person I really wanted to see grow and change was Andrew. We learn through paced memories how his marriage failed, and it sets up a pattern of self deprecation and an overwhelming desire to be needed and to please others. His relationship with James only perpetuates this cycle. Every time he was poised to break it, he disappointed me, until it was finally too much.
The dynamic of the group is so insular that each character's problems build on the other's, with Andrew in the middle like a sponge trying to solve everyone's problems. I wanted to yank him out and shake him and make him smell the fresh air and show him that it all wasn't so dire! He needed some perspective. That's what I mean by needless angst. It isn't to say that they don't all have real problems -- boy to they ever. And it isn't to say that their problems don't stem from real past trauma (though maybe not all of them, some are just assholes, I think, lol). But the atmosphere of all those things ricocheting around and building and building… it was just a little too much for me to handle.
Part of that is up to each reader's acceptable level of angst, and mine is admittedly pretty low. But, you still gotta like the characters, feel invested in them and want to root for them. I wanted the latter and at times was invested, but I didn't really like any of them, except maybe Michael and sadly he was mostly on the periphery.
So, I can't recommend this one. I'm looking forward to reading more of this author's work. I've been wanting to read Offside and The Forgotten Man for a while, so I'll get to those next :)
August 19, 2011
I want to give this a higher rating but something just didn't gel for me. I loved Andrew but got lost in his attraction to Jamie. I just never saw the big conection. I liked Jamie well enough and I liked them as a couple, I just never saw in Jamie what Andrew did.
Overall a good story but for me too much was left unsaid.
Overall a good story but for me too much was left unsaid.
September 29, 2011
I almost couldn't finish this book. In fact, I wound up begging another reviewer to do my review on this book because I felt I might be too harsh in my own feedback.
But in a nutshell: Pop Life was too long, in need of a serious edit, and with unlikeable characters, I would pass on this novel and buy Ryan Loveless' other book, Offside, which is a much better read. Not recommended.
But in a nutshell: Pop Life was too long, in need of a serious edit, and with unlikeable characters, I would pass on this novel and buy Ryan Loveless' other book, Offside, which is a much better read. Not recommended.
July 11, 2011
I wasn't sure what to rate this book, I think Ryan Loveless writing is fantastic, but I not sure I enjoyed the story. I didn't care for the characters in the story. But I do think Ryan Loveless is a great writer and will continue to read his books.
February 22, 2019
Ryan Loveless' Pop Life is a tough one to review. I have a love/dislike relationship with it.
Overall, I love the guys and the storyline. My problem tends to be with the writing, as I found it jumpy and disconnected at times. I found myself confused All in all though, things make sense in the end. And, again, I love the characters and the story.
Jamie, oh sweet Jamie. To the world, he doesn't show his sweet side, as he's stuck in the role of bad guy. Underneath it all, you'll cry at his anxiety attacks, and the fact he can't sleep alone, thus barely sleeps. Jamie has secrets that haunt him and he's weighed down with guilt.
This is only Drew's second time meeting Jamie, and he's thrown into a world of secrets, cheating, jealousy and hiding. He's forced to deal with a bunch of rockers who are facing their share of problems.
Drew's attraction to Jamie is intense and never waving. Often, I wanted to yell at him to stop taking shit from people. But, in the end, he's loyal in his passion and connection to Jamie.
As Drew tries to start something with Jamie, there are many things standing in their way; Jamie's past, his silence, an ex, and habit. Jamie struggles to outrun his ghosts, but Drew in fierce in his desire to help the man. There are plenty of times, I wanted to yell and scream at Jamie, but all in all, I found myself wanting to save him.
This story is full of ups and downs and will keep you on a rollercoaster of emotions and will definitely keep you intrigued. There are plenty of antagonists in this story. You'll find yourself livid at Jeff and Paeder often. Jeff is a complete sleezebag and Paeder's an ass. As with any group of famous people, they have their share of selfishness and hurtful behavior.
This tale is raw, tough, and tackles fears and insecurities. It includes forgiveness, strength, and courage.
If you like rocker romances, consider checking out Pop Life. It's not my favorite, but I still enjoyed it a lot, am glad to have read it.
Overall, I love the guys and the storyline. My problem tends to be with the writing, as I found it jumpy and disconnected at times. I found myself confused All in all though, things make sense in the end. And, again, I love the characters and the story.
Jamie, oh sweet Jamie. To the world, he doesn't show his sweet side, as he's stuck in the role of bad guy. Underneath it all, you'll cry at his anxiety attacks, and the fact he can't sleep alone, thus barely sleeps. Jamie has secrets that haunt him and he's weighed down with guilt.
This is only Drew's second time meeting Jamie, and he's thrown into a world of secrets, cheating, jealousy and hiding. He's forced to deal with a bunch of rockers who are facing their share of problems.
Drew's attraction to Jamie is intense and never waving. Often, I wanted to yell at him to stop taking shit from people. But, in the end, he's loyal in his passion and connection to Jamie.
As Drew tries to start something with Jamie, there are many things standing in their way; Jamie's past, his silence, an ex, and habit. Jamie struggles to outrun his ghosts, but Drew in fierce in his desire to help the man. There are plenty of times, I wanted to yell and scream at Jamie, but all in all, I found myself wanting to save him.
This story is full of ups and downs and will keep you on a rollercoaster of emotions and will definitely keep you intrigued. There are plenty of antagonists in this story. You'll find yourself livid at Jeff and Paeder often. Jeff is a complete sleezebag and Paeder's an ass. As with any group of famous people, they have their share of selfishness and hurtful behavior.
This tale is raw, tough, and tackles fears and insecurities. It includes forgiveness, strength, and courage.
If you like rocker romances, consider checking out Pop Life. It's not my favorite, but I still enjoyed it a lot, am glad to have read it.
July 27, 2017
This romance did not work for me.
The book is a chronicle of a bunch of dysfunctional people in the music industry
Loveless is a very good writer, and this book was an engaging read. But by the end of the story I had no sense that Jamie and Andrew were even in a relationship. It felt like Andrew was trying to knit one up out of Jamie's occasional using of him. Jamie had issues, and had been going a certain way for a long time. There was nothing in the book that indicated he would change - or had any reason to. There was never any reaching out by Jamie to look after Andrew. It was all Andrew going after Jamie trying to get him to change and connect, which is problematic and not a good way to go about a relationship. Andrew is more like a parent/rescuer.
.
The book is a chronicle of a bunch of dysfunctional people in the music industry
Loveless is a very good writer, and this book was an engaging read. But by the end of the story I had no sense that Jamie and Andrew were even in a relationship. It felt like Andrew was trying to knit one up out of Jamie's occasional using of him. Jamie had issues, and had been going a certain way for a long time. There was nothing in the book that indicated he would change - or had any reason to. There was never any reaching out by Jamie to look after Andrew. It was all Andrew going after Jamie trying to get him to change and connect, which is problematic and not a good way to go about a relationship. Andrew is more like a parent/rescuer.
.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
April 13, 2016This was my first Ryan Loveless and I am hooked on her writing.
Pop Life… this book was what I needed after coming off a funk where I thought my reading mojo was gone. It wasn’t gone, it was just waiting for a book to come alone and make me fall in love again.
Pop Life takes place in 1999 and I really enjoyed the past articles from fan magazines etc. that we got. They lent to the story with a sort of authenticity to keep bringing you back to the reality that these men, they all live in a world that really is held to a different standard because of celebrity status. Not that it’s right nor wrong, just different.
Told from the POV of one Andrew Bennett, we meet him as he is discussing the travel arrangements to New York with his writing partner Michael. Andrew and Michael are a successful song writing duo who are now at the beck and call of boy band, Icon’s member who is branching out and going solo. Paeder, the boy bander going solo has requested Andrew’s presence and Andrew just happens to be needed in New York for his cousins wedding, so off he goes.
When Andrew is picked up in New York by Russell and Keelin, the other boys in Icon they pass by numerous posters announcing a concert for Jamie Webster. From here we begin to get the small back story of Andrew and Jamie. How Andrew and Michael wrote a hit song for Jamie, how Andrew met Jamie backstage at the Grammy’s and how a drunken kiss changed everything for Andrew.
On the surface this book can seem pretty light but there are other issues lurking, some between the line, that bring about angst teetering on depression. Andrew is dealing with the decline and end of his marriage and how he never put his wife, Kate first. He loved her from when they were very young and always wanted her but once they were married, his career took off and Kate, was often pushed to the background. She’d accused him more than once of loving his career and his partner Michael more than her and one night, she walked out.
Andrew is also dealing with his sexuality and how one kiss from Jamie can bring up memories of other boys from his past. Andrew never declares his sexuality through the book, nor do the others who are obviously bisexual with their actions and I really liked that. There was never an issue of having sex with a man or woman for Andrew, Paeder or Jamie, it’s just how they were. I think the fluid sexuality though the book was a major plus for me.
Anyway, back to the story.
So Andrew is in New York checking into his hotel and he is told he’s been assigned to private floor by someone. That someone shows up in the elevator with Andrew and surprise, surprise it’s Jamie. I adored these two from the get to. They were adorable with one another, how they flirted yet were so sincere and honest about where they stood. Jamie has a lot of issues he’s dealing with and Andrew is the one that he trusts, the one who makes him feel safe and well… the one, if only he’d let himself go completely.
I loved being in Andrews head and I loved the way he saw Jamie. Andrew is a good guy and although he wants Jamie, he tries to put up boundaries with him while trying to pull him in closer. The realtionship with Andrew and Jamie was not an easy one but I fell hard for it. I liked Jamie too. I liked the way he felt he knew Andrew through the songs he wrote for him and how they made him want to know Andrew better. I love music and I can tell you there are songs that move me, that as cheesy as it sounds touch my soul and I can't imagine meeting the person or persons who wrote that. When songs are emotional, when they have that depth... yeah, that is something and I love the "gift" Jamie gives Andrew.
I don’t know if it was just the right time for me to read this but I couldn’t put it down. I have a soft spot for stories about addiction, regardless of the drug chosen and feel that the addicts and the ones who choose to love them, are a special breed. Does that makes sense? Oh well, to me it does.
There are a few side stories within this story that bring drama to the table. For me, I loved the wicked weave of lies and mistrust between Jeff, Jamie, Keelin, Russell, Diane and Paeder. I guessed one deal early on but the rest of it, I just let it play out on the page and hoped that someone in this group would get their crap together.
Goodness.
I’m rambling and the word count it getting higher so I’ll stop now.
Pop Life… *sigh* I really, really liked this story that was more than a romance between two men. It was a complex character study of celebrity in a way and a study of those who are committed to their jobs and to those they value. It’s a story of trusting the wrong people and keeping them around for convenience or habit and ultimately having both diminish your self-worth. It’s a story about failing, about forgiveness and the fortitude to put yourself out there and give it all another try.
November 23, 2018
Lacked focus with all multiple things happening and felt like there should have been more backstory or another book in front of it.
January 5, 2013
Being far too expensive for its length aside, this short novel has luckily little in common with your usual M/M romance.
First of all there is little sex and what little there is is strictly functional to the story.
Second it manages to walk on a thin -and subtle- line avoiding the ordinary dayly life of normal people -which could be boring in a romance- without plunging headfirst into the -to our eyes- glamourous glittery world of pop-music.
The pop-music world is described in a matter of fact way, without overindulging in the sex and drugs and rock&roll that we ordinary people have come to associate with it. They are mentioned but in an understated way. It does not hurt that two main characters are not singers but authors and therefore we are shown a great deal of work, not just the scintillating concerts, in a costant behind the scenes which remains interesting throughout.
Third feelings are understated, more hinted at than shouted, but we feel them nonetheless. There are no tragedies nor impossibly evil villains.
Actually there are two (tragedies) in one of the two lovers' life, but, while they are heart-wrenching, a dull sheen of inevitability blunts their sharper edges.
I cannot say whether the three assets above are intentional or just a construction I am making about the intentions of the author. To me it appears like a choice, anyway.
Another point of interest is the large cast of full-fledged characters: three main and five side ones, all individuals in their own right, perfectly consistent. A very fine -intentional? who knows- detail is that one of the characters, the former wife of one of the two lovers, is present from page one of the book because her -failed- relationship with him is a constant paragon for the man, but she is actually introduced only very late in the story.
The POV belongs to Drew, the divorced lover. He is a peculiar character: he apparently falls into the nerdy, introverted, complexed, frail category but he is not a living stereotype.
Being a poet -sub species lyrics author- he has this rather annoying habit of constantly musing and we sure get a deep insight of the random workings of his thoughts. There is a lot of them. Nothing in the plot passes his eyes unnoticed and everything seems to be an opportunity for him to examine his failings.
I never got bored, though. He never whines, he just has this inability of getting on with his life, every past mistake clear in his memory and leading to new ones. Luckily he changes, subtly, when he meets Jamie and has to take charge because Jamie's life is even more of a mess. The change is not sensational and we can believe this constant musing will go on in the future but he learns how to cope and how to take decisions.
That this constant rumbling of thoughts and self denying, which will probably displease both melodrama and plot driven story lovers, never managed to bore me should say a lot about Ms. Loveless (Ryan Loveless? What an ugly penname, by the way; it makes one think the author is a man) ability to write.
I cared for the characters and loved them -in a subdued way, of course-. My only qualm was about the happy ending which does not take all the pages it should to successfully give vent to all the pent up emotions of the story.
First of all there is little sex and what little there is is strictly functional to the story.
Second it manages to walk on a thin -and subtle- line avoiding the ordinary dayly life of normal people -which could be boring in a romance- without plunging headfirst into the -to our eyes- glamourous glittery world of pop-music.
The pop-music world is described in a matter of fact way, without overindulging in the sex and drugs and rock&roll that we ordinary people have come to associate with it. They are mentioned but in an understated way. It does not hurt that two main characters are not singers but authors and therefore we are shown a great deal of work, not just the scintillating concerts, in a costant behind the scenes which remains interesting throughout.
Third feelings are understated, more hinted at than shouted, but we feel them nonetheless. There are no tragedies nor impossibly evil villains.
Actually there are two (tragedies) in one of the two lovers' life, but, while they are heart-wrenching, a dull sheen of inevitability blunts their sharper edges.
I cannot say whether the three assets above are intentional or just a construction I am making about the intentions of the author. To me it appears like a choice, anyway.
Another point of interest is the large cast of full-fledged characters: three main and five side ones, all individuals in their own right, perfectly consistent. A very fine -intentional? who knows- detail is that one of the characters, the former wife of one of the two lovers, is present from page one of the book because her -failed- relationship with him is a constant paragon for the man, but she is actually introduced only very late in the story.
The POV belongs to Drew, the divorced lover. He is a peculiar character: he apparently falls into the nerdy, introverted, complexed, frail category but he is not a living stereotype.
Being a poet -sub species lyrics author- he has this rather annoying habit of constantly musing and we sure get a deep insight of the random workings of his thoughts. There is a lot of them. Nothing in the plot passes his eyes unnoticed and everything seems to be an opportunity for him to examine his failings.
I never got bored, though. He never whines, he just has this inability of getting on with his life, every past mistake clear in his memory and leading to new ones. Luckily he changes, subtly, when he meets Jamie and has to take charge because Jamie's life is even more of a mess. The change is not sensational and we can believe this constant musing will go on in the future but he learns how to cope and how to take decisions.
That this constant rumbling of thoughts and self denying, which will probably displease both melodrama and plot driven story lovers, never managed to bore me should say a lot about Ms. Loveless (Ryan Loveless? What an ugly penname, by the way; it makes one think the author is a man) ability to write.
I cared for the characters and loved them -in a subdued way, of course-. My only qualm was about the happy ending which does not take all the pages it should to successfully give vent to all the pent up emotions of the story.
April 14, 2016
Reviewed for Just Love Romance
Pop Life is a refreshing change from the books I’ve been reading lately and Ryan kept me guessing how the story would play out. Will they get their HEA? My need to know made it difficult to tear myself away. I was happy to see that several of the characters identify as bisexual. Bi-erasure is a nope for me so it’s always a plus when characters recognize the fact that they’re attracted to more than one gender, rather than suddenly feeling that they’ve been gay all along.
Taking place in 1999, the book is written from Andrew’s POV and we get a lot of great back story on him from his insecurities and heartbreak to his desire to be with a man. The side characters also get quite a bit of page time and if I hadn’t already read the blurb, by 50% I still wouldn’t have been positive who Andrew’s love interest was supposed to be – a point I liked because it started to feel more like a mystery that I had to figure out. I enjoyed reading about the dynamic between Jamie, the boy band members of Icon, and the other people who live within their circle of fame. It felt real and I could imagine that it’s very close to what it must be like in their world. When it became clear that Jamie was the guy for Andrew I started to have concerns for where the book was going.
Jamie’s issues with celebrity excess have him keeping Andrew at arm’s length. He doesn’t want to hurt the one person who makes him feel safe but that doesn’t excuse the way he treats Andrew throughout the majority of the book. We get these tiny glimpses of Jamie’s feelings for Andrew but it’s such a small amount that, up until the last few pages, I felt the bad far outweighed the good.
Andrew likes feeling needed and it’s this trait combined with his belief that there’s underlying good in Jamie that has him forgiving Jamie’s behavior time and time again. He also has trouble early on expressing what he wants so he’s often not taken seriously. Thankfully we start to see that change in him as the story unfolds. I like a lot of character growth in my books so I was cheering him on as he gained the confidence to go after what and who he wanted.
Although I thought the writing was very good for 90% of the book, the ending just didn’t work for me. In fact, for as much as I enjoyed the unique departure from a typical romance format, in the end I wouldn’t consider this book as such. There’s a lot of hurt and not enough resolution for me to believe that it could work out for Andrew and Jamie. I thought I would get what I was looking for in the epilogue but that wasn’t the case. A missed opportunity, for sure. Having said that, there’s so much potential here that I’m definitely interested in trying other books from Ryan to see if they’re a better fit for me.
I received an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Pop Life is a refreshing change from the books I’ve been reading lately and Ryan kept me guessing how the story would play out. Will they get their HEA? My need to know made it difficult to tear myself away. I was happy to see that several of the characters identify as bisexual. Bi-erasure is a nope for me so it’s always a plus when characters recognize the fact that they’re attracted to more than one gender, rather than suddenly feeling that they’ve been gay all along.
Taking place in 1999, the book is written from Andrew’s POV and we get a lot of great back story on him from his insecurities and heartbreak to his desire to be with a man. The side characters also get quite a bit of page time and if I hadn’t already read the blurb, by 50% I still wouldn’t have been positive who Andrew’s love interest was supposed to be – a point I liked because it started to feel more like a mystery that I had to figure out. I enjoyed reading about the dynamic between Jamie, the boy band members of Icon, and the other people who live within their circle of fame. It felt real and I could imagine that it’s very close to what it must be like in their world. When it became clear that Jamie was the guy for Andrew I started to have concerns for where the book was going.
Jamie’s issues with celebrity excess have him keeping Andrew at arm’s length. He doesn’t want to hurt the one person who makes him feel safe but that doesn’t excuse the way he treats Andrew throughout the majority of the book. We get these tiny glimpses of Jamie’s feelings for Andrew but it’s such a small amount that, up until the last few pages, I felt the bad far outweighed the good.
Andrew likes feeling needed and it’s this trait combined with his belief that there’s underlying good in Jamie that has him forgiving Jamie’s behavior time and time again. He also has trouble early on expressing what he wants so he’s often not taken seriously. Thankfully we start to see that change in him as the story unfolds. I like a lot of character growth in my books so I was cheering him on as he gained the confidence to go after what and who he wanted.
Although I thought the writing was very good for 90% of the book, the ending just didn’t work for me. In fact, for as much as I enjoyed the unique departure from a typical romance format, in the end I wouldn’t consider this book as such. There’s a lot of hurt and not enough resolution for me to believe that it could work out for Andrew and Jamie. I thought I would get what I was looking for in the epilogue but that wasn’t the case. A missed opportunity, for sure. Having said that, there’s so much potential here that I’m definitely interested in trying other books from Ryan to see if they’re a better fit for me.
I received an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review.
April 18, 2016
Review can be read at It's About The Book
I REALLY wanted to like this one more than I did. Parts of it would pull me in and then I’d have the moments where I couldn’t help but wonder why anybody liked these guys. I love reading about rockers. These guys are more pop stars but live life off stage like rock stars. Screwing groupies. Each other. Binge drinking. Fighting. After stepping away from this book and some of the truly crappy things these guys do to each other, I realized that I just never warmed up to any of them.
Andrew is part of a song writing duo with his best friend. He’s headed to New York for a wedding for a few days. There he’s to meet with a solo artist from a boy band he’s written for before. A guy he doesn’t really like. His band mates he’s fond of. It just so happens that the pop star he’s had crush on since he kissed him. Jamie was trashed at the time and Andrew thinks he doesn’t remember it but that’s not the case.
Jamie was a hot mess. He’s a recovering addict who has nightmares. Pushes himself to exhaustion to get some sleep. Jamie is also always after some kind of thrill. Something from his past has him constantly dealing with guilt. Keeping control of his demons is something Jamie constantly struggles with. He thinks poorly of himself in private. In public he puts on a sexy rock god persona. I wanted to feel bad for him but never fully did. Or not with the depth that I thought was trying to be achieved in this story. Which makes forgiving him for hurting Andrew difficult. Andrew was there for him when Jamie needs him but later Jamie would push him away again. There was a lot of playing with Andrews emotions. I didn’t think there was enough between them to make me understand why Andrew was so crazy about Jamie after one kiss. I kind of felt their connection in the present but then Jamie would crap on it. To be fair Andrew was fine with letting him treat him badly so it wasn’t all Jamie.
The other band mate’s secondary love story was just crazy. I REALLY disliked Jeff and Paeder. Both were kind of sex crazed and vile. Neither was even remotely bothered with the fact they hurt people repeatedly. The reasoning given for Jeff made him slightly better than Paeder IMO but not much. This part of the story was a non stop drama fest. I think without all of this I might have been able to handle all the angst from Jamie better. Together it was just a lot of indulgent selfish behavior.
Too bad this was a miss for me since I love this trope. I liked how they were all friends but I can honestly say the only one in the group I liked was a secondary character named Russell. Oh and maybe Michael. They all knew each other really well. It’s basically condoning a bunch of bad behavior which apparently I didn’t care for. There is a happy ending.
I REALLY wanted to like this one more than I did. Parts of it would pull me in and then I’d have the moments where I couldn’t help but wonder why anybody liked these guys. I love reading about rockers. These guys are more pop stars but live life off stage like rock stars. Screwing groupies. Each other. Binge drinking. Fighting. After stepping away from this book and some of the truly crappy things these guys do to each other, I realized that I just never warmed up to any of them.
Andrew is part of a song writing duo with his best friend. He’s headed to New York for a wedding for a few days. There he’s to meet with a solo artist from a boy band he’s written for before. A guy he doesn’t really like. His band mates he’s fond of. It just so happens that the pop star he’s had crush on since he kissed him. Jamie was trashed at the time and Andrew thinks he doesn’t remember it but that’s not the case.
Jamie was a hot mess. He’s a recovering addict who has nightmares. Pushes himself to exhaustion to get some sleep. Jamie is also always after some kind of thrill. Something from his past has him constantly dealing with guilt. Keeping control of his demons is something Jamie constantly struggles with. He thinks poorly of himself in private. In public he puts on a sexy rock god persona. I wanted to feel bad for him but never fully did. Or not with the depth that I thought was trying to be achieved in this story. Which makes forgiving him for hurting Andrew difficult. Andrew was there for him when Jamie needs him but later Jamie would push him away again. There was a lot of playing with Andrews emotions. I didn’t think there was enough between them to make me understand why Andrew was so crazy about Jamie after one kiss. I kind of felt their connection in the present but then Jamie would crap on it. To be fair Andrew was fine with letting him treat him badly so it wasn’t all Jamie.
The other band mate’s secondary love story was just crazy. I REALLY disliked Jeff and Paeder. Both were kind of sex crazed and vile. Neither was even remotely bothered with the fact they hurt people repeatedly. The reasoning given for Jeff made him slightly better than Paeder IMO but not much. This part of the story was a non stop drama fest. I think without all of this I might have been able to handle all the angst from Jamie better. Together it was just a lot of indulgent selfish behavior.
Too bad this was a miss for me since I love this trope. I liked how they were all friends but I can honestly say the only one in the group I liked was a secondary character named Russell. Oh and maybe Michael. They all knew each other really well. It’s basically condoning a bunch of bad behavior which apparently I didn’t care for. There is a happy ending.
April 14, 2016
*copy provided the author/publisher via Divine Magazine in exchange for an honest review*
Set in 1999 this story revolves around the lives of Andrew and Micheal a song writing team. They have written Grammy Award winning songs in the past for a number of artists. Andrew is summonsed to NYC by Paeder to begin work on his first solo album. Paeder is the lead singer of "Icon", a successful boy band, along with the other two members Keelin and Russell. While in NYC Andrew is staying at the same hotel of pop star Jamie. Andrew and Jamie shared a moment 2 years ago, when they kissed backstage at the Grammy Awards. This was also when Andrew's wife left him. We also meet the sleazy photographer Jeff, and Jamie's bodyguard, Bob. Confused yet? I know I was! The first few pages can make you want to put a book down if it doesn't grab you. I thought about putting this book down a few times in the beginning. I was so confused, because I felt there were too many characters introduced at once. Almost every chapter begins with a magazine article or some type of interview, and I wasn't sure what was happening at first. But like a bad car accident, I couldn't look away. This book grabbed me, reeled me in and held me captivated. It was intriguing and intersecting. It was frustrating at times, but I couldn't put it down. It was kind of like a soap opera.
This was a very diverse cast of characters, even though it's told completely from Andrew's POV, you still get to know everyone else. While I liked the book, there are things I thought the author took too far between Andrew and Jamie. Andrew became almost a completely desperate doormat. It wasn't an attractive look on him. Jamie did some unforgivable things, and at some point the author needed to have him grovel and beg for forgiveness. I won't say anymore, because I don't want to spoil anything.
The chemistry between Jamie and Andrew was electric, but the story needed more page time with them as a couple. I loved getting a behind the scenes look at these artists. The beginning of the book needed to be fleshed out a bit more, but the last 70% or so it finally starts coming together once you get to know everyone.
This was a really enjoyable read, but it left me wanting more. I'd definitely recommend it, and I'd love to see more of this cast in the future.
You can find my other reviews for Divine Magazine at ~ http://divinemagazine.net/jreviews/my...
Set in 1999 this story revolves around the lives of Andrew and Micheal a song writing team. They have written Grammy Award winning songs in the past for a number of artists. Andrew is summonsed to NYC by Paeder to begin work on his first solo album. Paeder is the lead singer of "Icon", a successful boy band, along with the other two members Keelin and Russell. While in NYC Andrew is staying at the same hotel of pop star Jamie. Andrew and Jamie shared a moment 2 years ago, when they kissed backstage at the Grammy Awards. This was also when Andrew's wife left him. We also meet the sleazy photographer Jeff, and Jamie's bodyguard, Bob. Confused yet? I know I was! The first few pages can make you want to put a book down if it doesn't grab you. I thought about putting this book down a few times in the beginning. I was so confused, because I felt there were too many characters introduced at once. Almost every chapter begins with a magazine article or some type of interview, and I wasn't sure what was happening at first. But like a bad car accident, I couldn't look away. This book grabbed me, reeled me in and held me captivated. It was intriguing and intersecting. It was frustrating at times, but I couldn't put it down. It was kind of like a soap opera.
This was a very diverse cast of characters, even though it's told completely from Andrew's POV, you still get to know everyone else. While I liked the book, there are things I thought the author took too far between Andrew and Jamie. Andrew became almost a completely desperate doormat. It wasn't an attractive look on him. Jamie did some unforgivable things, and at some point the author needed to have him grovel and beg for forgiveness. I won't say anymore, because I don't want to spoil anything.
The chemistry between Jamie and Andrew was electric, but the story needed more page time with them as a couple. I loved getting a behind the scenes look at these artists. The beginning of the book needed to be fleshed out a bit more, but the last 70% or so it finally starts coming together once you get to know everyone.
This was a really enjoyable read, but it left me wanting more. I'd definitely recommend it, and I'd love to see more of this cast in the future.
You can find my other reviews for Divine Magazine at ~ http://divinemagazine.net/jreviews/my...
April 12, 2016
***Lots of Potential - Not Much Met***
This sounds really good in the blurb, and I was really looking forward to reading this. Andrew fell hard for Jamie when Jamie kissed him backstage at an award show. Andrew is a sucker clearly being led around by his libido. Jamie is a walking disaster - he drinks, he screws, and he feels he needs to be punished for reasons not made clear through most of the book. Then there is the entire substory involving a boy band and their relationships that is woven through this whole thing.
While I initially connected to Andrew, I had a hard time maintaining it as the story went along, because he is just so stupidly taking what he gets and not demanding anything better for himself. I never connected to Jamie at all, other than annoyance at his continual use and abuse of those who are supposed to be looking out for him. He’s got problems, okay, I get it, but because they aren’t made clear for so long, he just comes across as a prick.
I ended up feeling like I’d wasted a significant amount of time for a book that just didn’t gel for me. I’m rating this at 2.5 stars, which I’m rounding up, but in the end, it’s only barely okay. It’s simply too directionless.
Review Copy of Pop Life provided by the Author, Ryan Loveless for an honest Review.
Reviewed by Cat from Alpha Book Club
This sounds really good in the blurb, and I was really looking forward to reading this. Andrew fell hard for Jamie when Jamie kissed him backstage at an award show. Andrew is a sucker clearly being led around by his libido. Jamie is a walking disaster - he drinks, he screws, and he feels he needs to be punished for reasons not made clear through most of the book. Then there is the entire substory involving a boy band and their relationships that is woven through this whole thing.
While I initially connected to Andrew, I had a hard time maintaining it as the story went along, because he is just so stupidly taking what he gets and not demanding anything better for himself. I never connected to Jamie at all, other than annoyance at his continual use and abuse of those who are supposed to be looking out for him. He’s got problems, okay, I get it, but because they aren’t made clear for so long, he just comes across as a prick.
I ended up feeling like I’d wasted a significant amount of time for a book that just didn’t gel for me. I’m rating this at 2.5 stars, which I’m rounding up, but in the end, it’s only barely okay. It’s simply too directionless.
Review Copy of Pop Life provided by the Author, Ryan Loveless for an honest Review.
Reviewed by Cat from Alpha Book Club
April 26, 2016
A copy of this book was provided through Love Bytes Same Sex Reviews for a fair and honest review.
This is an ensemble story full of angst and drama. We have Andrew and his writing partner Michael, who is his best friend and confident. We have Jamie who is an international superstar, but is seriously messed up with drug and alcohol abuse that has not helped his stability. We have the members of Icon, an Irish boy band full of drama – Paeder, who is arrogant and in charge….and having an affair with his band mate Keelin, despite also having a wife. And Russell, who is trying to hold his own in the band and keep the peace. Then we have Jeff, a sexual predator who is photographing them all for a book on Paeder.
This is all experienced through the eyes of Andrew, who in his late twenties, has found his professional life going extremely well and his personal life a shambles. He arrives in New York to work with Paeder and quickly finds himself immersed in all the drama surrounding the singer and his group. Adding Jamie to the mix sends Andrew into a whirlwind of want and confusion and hurt. Jamie keeps giving him mixed signals as he goes back and forth between wanting Andrew to be his anchor and his destructive behavior that he can’t seem to stop. Andrew and Jamie are the main focus, but the secondary character’s storylines are just as compelling. Some of them I found myself rooting for and some of them I found myself actively disliking.
This is a story that has a lot happening. There are many storylines all weaved into Andrew’s experience. I found myself riveted and waiting to see what crazy thing was going to happen next.
This is definitely not a light, easy read. The themes are dark and the actions of the characters are sometimes just as dark, but I liked it and would recommend it provided the reader takes a good look at the tags to see if this is the book for them.
This is an ensemble story full of angst and drama. We have Andrew and his writing partner Michael, who is his best friend and confident. We have Jamie who is an international superstar, but is seriously messed up with drug and alcohol abuse that has not helped his stability. We have the members of Icon, an Irish boy band full of drama – Paeder, who is arrogant and in charge….and having an affair with his band mate Keelin, despite also having a wife. And Russell, who is trying to hold his own in the band and keep the peace. Then we have Jeff, a sexual predator who is photographing them all for a book on Paeder.
This is all experienced through the eyes of Andrew, who in his late twenties, has found his professional life going extremely well and his personal life a shambles. He arrives in New York to work with Paeder and quickly finds himself immersed in all the drama surrounding the singer and his group. Adding Jamie to the mix sends Andrew into a whirlwind of want and confusion and hurt. Jamie keeps giving him mixed signals as he goes back and forth between wanting Andrew to be his anchor and his destructive behavior that he can’t seem to stop. Andrew and Jamie are the main focus, but the secondary character’s storylines are just as compelling. Some of them I found myself rooting for and some of them I found myself actively disliking.
This is a story that has a lot happening. There are many storylines all weaved into Andrew’s experience. I found myself riveted and waiting to see what crazy thing was going to happen next.
This is definitely not a light, easy read. The themes are dark and the actions of the characters are sometimes just as dark, but I liked it and would recommend it provided the reader takes a good look at the tags to see if this is the book for them.
March 29, 2016
Can you say holly cow!!!! This book is so dang crazy. I know that the description says that it is about Andrew and Jamie but it is truly about so many more then that. I almost felt bad for a couple of the characters because come on almost everyone was involved and having sex with the same people. I honestly think the only ones in the book that was actually not sleeping around was Michael, Andrew, Dianne, Keelin, and Russell. The rest of the characters ....Jamie, Paeder, and Jeff all I can say is man whores.
Andrew was the one that I think brought all of the characters together. He was the one who ended up being the glue to hold them all together. Last but not least he was the one brought life, love, and acceptance to Jamie's life. Although at times I thought Andrew was a bit of a doormat for Jamie he never gave up on him and in the end he was the one who Jamie needed the whole time but was to scared to admit.
Jamie was just lost. He may be a rock star and have so much at his finger tips, but he did not have what he truly needed and that was someone to stand by him even through the bad and tell him that enough was enough and to let the things he cannot change,,,,, let them go because it was killing him. That is who Andrew ended up being for Jamie. His strength. Also his keeper of sorts also. His safety.
And I cannot end this review without saying that I LOVED Keelin and Russell. Paeder was the one character that I can say without a doubt that I believe is a selfish little twit that ended up with what he deserved.
This was such an adventurous book, you never knew what was going to happen or where or even when. A twist at every turn. I truly enjoyed it though and I would definitely recommend this book to others because it was so good.
This book was given by inked rainbow reads for an honest review
Andrew was the one that I think brought all of the characters together. He was the one who ended up being the glue to hold them all together. Last but not least he was the one brought life, love, and acceptance to Jamie's life. Although at times I thought Andrew was a bit of a doormat for Jamie he never gave up on him and in the end he was the one who Jamie needed the whole time but was to scared to admit.
Jamie was just lost. He may be a rock star and have so much at his finger tips, but he did not have what he truly needed and that was someone to stand by him even through the bad and tell him that enough was enough and to let the things he cannot change,,,,, let them go because it was killing him. That is who Andrew ended up being for Jamie. His strength. Also his keeper of sorts also. His safety.
And I cannot end this review without saying that I LOVED Keelin and Russell. Paeder was the one character that I can say without a doubt that I believe is a selfish little twit that ended up with what he deserved.
This was such an adventurous book, you never knew what was going to happen or where or even when. A twist at every turn. I truly enjoyed it though and I would definitely recommend this book to others because it was so good.
This book was given by inked rainbow reads for an honest review
December 19, 2016
Most pop sensation romance books are set in relatively recent times, so it was quite interesting to read one set in the 'older' boyband times of the mid-late '90s.
Having said that, good lord were people messed up in this book. I really liked the protagonist, Andrew - his compassion and empathy not only made him relatable, but incredibly likable too. However I wished he had stood a little taller, figuratively. His willingness to let others make their own mistakes and to give way to other's stronger opinions grew frustrating; I realise that the whole point of the book was that you can't save someone who won't save themselves, but that doesn't mean they don't deserve a good shaking now and then. I very much wanted to shake a number of characters in this story.
The ending also didn't play out as well as I would have liked, but I still enjoyed the novel as a whole. Am definitely going to check out the author's other work.
Having said that, good lord were people messed up in this book. I really liked the protagonist, Andrew - his compassion and empathy not only made him relatable, but incredibly likable too. However I wished he had stood a little taller, figuratively. His willingness to let others make their own mistakes and to give way to other's stronger opinions grew frustrating; I realise that the whole point of the book was that you can't save someone who won't save themselves, but that doesn't mean they don't deserve a good shaking now and then. I very much wanted to shake a number of characters in this story.
The ending also didn't play out as well as I would have liked, but I still enjoyed the novel as a whole. Am definitely going to check out the author's other work.
Read
April 13, 2016A Joyfully Jay review.
3 stars
This is a really hard book for me to review. It had such promise at the start, and I was easily drawn into the story with the first few pages. But rather quickly, things started to fall apart of me. I spent most of the book feeling like the story was disjointed and wishing I had more details as to what was going on. While the characters had their moments, there wasn’t enough story here for me to be really invested in them, despite there being so many words in the book.
Andrew was the narrator, and he was the character I liked the most. He was a bit reserved, naïve, and clueless. But he also had layers underneath that, layers that most people didn’t see. He was more than what was on the surface. I liked that he had quirks and flaws, but that he could, when it came down to it, hold his own. But he was an unreliable narrator and that, for the most part, didn’t work here. I felt like I was missing so much. And that, ultimately, kept me from feeling any connection whatsoever to the characters and to the story.
Jamie is a mess. He an addict that has had more than his share of trouble, and he’s been to rehab several times. He’s mostly sober throughout this book, but his nightmares haunt him both day and night. I think. Really, I didn’t get to know him well enough because it always felt like he was at a distance. The only things I got to learn were the things he shared with Andrew, and they did not have the impact they should have because there was so much we just weren’t told.
Read Kris’ review in its entirety here.
3 stars
This is a really hard book for me to review. It had such promise at the start, and I was easily drawn into the story with the first few pages. But rather quickly, things started to fall apart of me. I spent most of the book feeling like the story was disjointed and wishing I had more details as to what was going on. While the characters had their moments, there wasn’t enough story here for me to be really invested in them, despite there being so many words in the book.
Andrew was the narrator, and he was the character I liked the most. He was a bit reserved, naïve, and clueless. But he also had layers underneath that, layers that most people didn’t see. He was more than what was on the surface. I liked that he had quirks and flaws, but that he could, when it came down to it, hold his own. But he was an unreliable narrator and that, for the most part, didn’t work here. I felt like I was missing so much. And that, ultimately, kept me from feeling any connection whatsoever to the characters and to the story.
Jamie is a mess. He an addict that has had more than his share of trouble, and he’s been to rehab several times. He’s mostly sober throughout this book, but his nightmares haunt him both day and night. I think. Really, I didn’t get to know him well enough because it always felt like he was at a distance. The only things I got to learn were the things he shared with Andrew, and they did not have the impact they should have because there was so much we just weren’t told.
Read Kris’ review in its entirety here.
Read
June 30, 2016Andrew writes songs for musicians like Jamie and a boy band called Icon. He’s just gotten divorced from a woman and has shared a drunken kiss with Jamie years ago.
Now, he’s in New York to work on an album with Icon and Jamie’s in the same hotel.
There are six main players: Icon – Paeder, Keelin and Russell; Jamie, Andrew and another guy – Jeff – a photographer. It’s very incestuous and it seems everyone has a past with everyone else.
Jamie and Andrew have a bizarre relationship dance that I never quite understood and finally – literally at 97% - they admit to and act upon their feelings.
**
This story was all over the place for me. There were too many people, too many sub-plots and too much drama that didn’t seem to follow any specific trajectory.
I’m not saying that nobody would enjoy this, but I didn’t. I didn’t see the appeal between Jamie and Andrew and found their relationship lacking in a good connection.
I think someone else said it best when they said looking at this like a piece of gay fiction is a better way to approach it than a romance.
I just didn’t “get” this book, though Ryan Loveless as an author still ranks as one of my number one favorites with “Ethan Who Loves Carter” being one of my all time re-reads/listens ever.
I’ll give this a 2.75 of 5 stars for the creativity and the writing, but it was a miss for me as far as emotional connections go.
Now, he’s in New York to work on an album with Icon and Jamie’s in the same hotel.
There are six main players: Icon – Paeder, Keelin and Russell; Jamie, Andrew and another guy – Jeff – a photographer. It’s very incestuous and it seems everyone has a past with everyone else.
Jamie and Andrew have a bizarre relationship dance that I never quite understood and finally – literally at 97% - they admit to and act upon their feelings.
**
This story was all over the place for me. There were too many people, too many sub-plots and too much drama that didn’t seem to follow any specific trajectory.
I’m not saying that nobody would enjoy this, but I didn’t. I didn’t see the appeal between Jamie and Andrew and found their relationship lacking in a good connection.
I think someone else said it best when they said looking at this like a piece of gay fiction is a better way to approach it than a romance.
I just didn’t “get” this book, though Ryan Loveless as an author still ranks as one of my number one favorites with “Ethan Who Loves Carter” being one of my all time re-reads/listens ever.
I’ll give this a 2.75 of 5 stars for the creativity and the writing, but it was a miss for me as far as emotional connections go.
April 9, 2016
This story has so much potential. I loved the blurb and I loved the references to the 90s music industry. But while some of this rings true as sarcastic social commentary, much of this story reads as rambling, unedited One Direction fan fiction.
The incestuous boy band is immediately amusing but the emotionally stunted characters and relationships became tedious quickly. There is something slightly smug about the narration by songwriter Andrew, even though he allows himself to be treated badly by Jamie.
This is advertised as a romance but the snide, mocking tone doesn’t lend itself well to romantic fiction. Neither Andrew or Jamie is in any way heroic and neither makes for a strong leading man. I felt like the writer wanted his voice to be a mix of Ben Elton and Jackie Collins and the result is a sarcastic, glamorous hot mess.
Fans of One Direction fan fiction may love this story but readers old enough to remember pop music in the 1990s might want to steer clear.
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review for Inked Rainbow Reads.
The incestuous boy band is immediately amusing but the emotionally stunted characters and relationships became tedious quickly. There is something slightly smug about the narration by songwriter Andrew, even though he allows himself to be treated badly by Jamie.
This is advertised as a romance but the snide, mocking tone doesn’t lend itself well to romantic fiction. Neither Andrew or Jamie is in any way heroic and neither makes for a strong leading man. I felt like the writer wanted his voice to be a mix of Ben Elton and Jackie Collins and the result is a sarcastic, glamorous hot mess.
Fans of One Direction fan fiction may love this story but readers old enough to remember pop music in the 1990s might want to steer clear.
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review for Inked Rainbow Reads.
June 8, 2016
I’m a fan of Ryan Loveless’s work but Pop Life just didn’t wow me. I never connected with the characters as individuals or as a couple. I also felt the plot was messy and there were many supporting characters, some of whom were downright annoying.
The story centers around members of a band and music writers. There are too many characters who weren’t fleshed out. The story wasn’t strong, despite the author’s strong writing skills.
My biggest pet peeve was the faux magazine articles. I understood they were meant to show background and plot points from the past but all they did was pull me out of the story. Many times it happened just as I was getting into it.
The only thing that made me give this a three star rating was Loveless’s talent. I didn’t love the ending or most of the book but I think it was my personal preferences. I’d still recommend this story to anyone like me who loves the author.
http://www.prismbookalliance.com/2016...
The story centers around members of a band and music writers. There are too many characters who weren’t fleshed out. The story wasn’t strong, despite the author’s strong writing skills.
My biggest pet peeve was the faux magazine articles. I understood they were meant to show background and plot points from the past but all they did was pull me out of the story. Many times it happened just as I was getting into it.
The only thing that made me give this a three star rating was Loveless’s talent. I didn’t love the ending or most of the book but I think it was my personal preferences. I’d still recommend this story to anyone like me who loves the author.
http://www.prismbookalliance.com/2016...
April 8, 2016
I really love these type of books, I mean who doesn’t love rock ‘n roll and Boy Bands. I loved how Ryan Loveless brought us into the story. These men (yes even the one’s sleeping around) were very complex and yet they were very inviting. I don’t think there are many authors who can do this as thoroughly as Ryan Loveless does. These characters were well thought-out and at times very complex. Most of all, this author clearly gives us love. I do have to admit that at times this book was puzzling but once I was able to really get into it I loved it. I would have to say that this is a book that would need to be read when you have no distractions. I was really glad to see that Andrew and Jamie were able to come together despite all the drinking and drugs. Absolutely love this book.
I received a free copy of this book to read for Inked Rainbow Reads in exchange for an honest review.
I received a free copy of this book to read for Inked Rainbow Reads in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews