Idol by Kristen Callihan

Title: Idol by Kristen Callihan 

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Summary:

Libby
I found Killian drunk and sprawled out on my lawn like some lost prince. With the face of a god and the arrogance to match, the pest won’t leave. Sexy, charming, and just a little bit dirty, he’s slowly wearing me down, making me crave more.
He could be mine if I dare to claim him. Problem is, the world thinks he’s theirs. How do you keep an idol when everyone is intent on taking him away?

Killian
As lead singer for the biggest rock band in the world, I lived a life of dreams. It all fell apart with one fateful decision. Now everything is in shambles.
Until Liberty. She’s grouchy, a recluse—and kind of cute. Scratch that. When I get my hands on her, she is scorching hot and more addictive than all the fans who’ve screamed my name.
The world is clamoring for me to get back on stage, but I’m not willing to leave her. I’ve got to find a way to coax the hermit from her shell and keep her with me. Because, with Libby, everything has changed. Everything.

Review:

Idol is a the first book in the VIP series and my second experience with Kristen Callihan as an author, I have previously read The Hook Up which I enjoyed however I was much more engaged with this story. I am sad that Idol is a standalone because I adored the story of Liberty and Kallian and wish their was more.In terms of my reading experience I had no trouble getting into this book, I found it to have somewhat of an average pace; not too fast and not too slow. It was perfect for me, I wanted to continuously read it until I knew what the ending would be for Liberty and Killian.

Idol was a 4.5 star read for me, I gave it 4.5 stars because I did hope for a bigger fall out between the couple towards the end in the hopes that it would build more angst and tension between the two. The ending worked perfectly without it but it’s just out of preference, I think with a little more fall out or an argument shared between the couple it could of made a more tension filled ending and the resolution would of felt even greater! Despite this personal preference I fully enjoyed the story. I loved the music setting and how Liberty and Killian acted towards each other, they truly shared a passion. Furthermore their first meetings were funny and brought an element of humor to the book, they had a continuous banter between the two of them and it played alongside the romantic element perfectly.

Kristen Callihan also incorporates an alternative point of view from Liberty’s to Killian’s which is something I really like to see in a stand alone romance because it allows us to see both main characters thoughts and feelings. It makes it a more well rounded story and allows us to fill in the gaps that one point of view might leave.

In terms of characters, I really liked Liberty and Killian. Liberty is on her own, she likes to hide away in her house and keep to herself whilst working from home therefore this is a contrast to how Killian lives his life. In the beginning, the book really sticks to the two protagonists with little outside character influence other than a quick trip to the shops. It isn’t until Killian’s cousin and manager arrive that the story includes more characters and a change of setting, this also offers a contrast to their lives and how they first met. As they visit New York they are surrounded by the media and other people whereas back home they are truly on their own and together privately. It’s nice as a reader to see how the city backdrop influences the couple.

Finally I liked how this book plays with diversity, for example Liberty has no family and her parent’s had somewhat strict thoughts as to where they didn’t want her life to lead. As a reader you can see from her past why she has become someone who prefers to keep to herself or someone who can be somewhat abrupt. Furthermore Jax’s character also adds another character type to the book as he is a drug addict who has overdosed. It’s nice to see flawed characters, it adds a realistic element to the book and it’s also nice to see that the book touches upon drugs and counselling even if its through an outside character.  .

Overall I would recommend Idol to any lover of the Romance Genre, I think this is a wonderful contemporary new adult romance which would act as a perfect summer read. As mentioned I couldn’t put it down and the whole plot was both funny and entertaining. I’m a sucker for a good love story so throw in the music industry as well as the contrasting small town vs city and I am hooked!

P.S I love the cover, it’s eye-catching and its use of colour surrounding the male figure acts like the stage lights. It represents the content of the book perfectly, I also like how it doesn’t show the male figure’s face therefore allowing us readers to imagine Killian our own way.

Let me know in the comments if you are adding Idol to your TBR or if you think this sounds like a book for you!

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Useful Links

Goodreads- Idol Book Page| Goodreads – Kristen Callihan | Amazon – Idol