The idea was clever. They were a couple for a while, he is drinking and they split. She is pregnant and she ends up bringing up the child alone for 5 years.
I don't want to give away the plot too much to explain how they both excuse the lost time between father and child but it is a good original reason.
The issue I have is the meet up, by accident so agree to have a chat and they sleep together. After everything she has been through I wanted her to have more backbone, at the same time she hasn't been involved with anyone else and she really loved him but still I wish she'd made him work for it first.
I don't normally read rock star storylines as I hate the rock star view of women that is often portrayed in books but the hero in this is not a manwhore and if he does get involved with anyone else in the time apart it isn't discussed. It's believable that he has been alone due to his issues and she's been busy working and being a mum so it works but if he did then it's refreshing not to hear about it.

ARC. ( )

Full review appeared on Reader's Edyn on 10/07/17 at http://bit.ly/2xTsV1u

Claire Collins has finally made a life for herself. She had left college and moved to New York with her aspiring rock-star boyfriend, Ryan. But chasing the dream, finding some success, and wild partying took its toll. Claire was left alone a lot and Ryan became an alcoholic. When he was around, she was cleaning up his messes and finally she left – for good. Now that she’s got a business, and a home in a town she loves, she is finally content. But she still misses Ryan and lives with a constant reminder of him in their daughter. When he shows up for a concert in her town unexpectedly, she is blind-sided. And when he wants to meet his daughter, she wrestles with how to handle the situation. But Claire has another problem – Ryan has cleaned up and their electric attraction has only gotten stronger. But leopards can’t change their spots, can they? While the idea of a life with Ryan is everything she’s ever dreamed, she isn’t sure he can be trusted – with her heart or their daughter’s heart.

Ryan Thomas screwed up his entire life. On the road to fame, he lost it all – including Claire. When he sees her in a crowd, he knows he has to make contact. He needs her to know he’s changed. He had no idea about their daughter and is completely floored at the idea of being a father, but he is determined to prove to Claire that he is worth the risk. But Ryan isn’t sure he’s ready to leave the rock-star life behind and a near-fatal mistake could cost him everything – again. He has to express his emotions to Claire, but he’s always failed at that so he turns to the only way he knows how to say the words he feels.

I absolutely loved this book! It was both realistic and raw. Ok – maybe the whole dating a rock star thing is not quite what people deal with on a daily basis – but the characters were deep and engaging. Claire is everything I would imagine a single-mom to be – struggling to maintain some semblance of balance in her everyday routine, pay the bills, keep up her business certifications, be a good mom to her daughter, be a good friend … you know. Life. I’ve dealt with some of that struggle and I felt like her reactions, while sometimes over the top, were relatively in line with a woman in her position. And Ryan? I absolutely loved him! He hits bottom and claws his way back up. He struggles to make amends with past wrongs, and is in uncharted territory with suddenly becoming a father. But I adored that, through it all, even after hurting one another and living apart for years, their love remained. I also really appreciated how, in the end, everything is stripped down to the basics and all that remains is love and how it is communicated.

This is book 4 in a series and I am definitely interested in the first 3 books now. All couples from the first books were mentioned within this book, but this book reads wonderfully as a standalone. Ms. Brooks creates characters that you can’t help but love and want to see flourish. She magically crafts a world in which the good and bad balance out and love prevails. And don’t think for a second that this story isn’t super sexy – the sinfully delicious interludes between Claire and Ryan are beyond hot with an undeniable sexual chemistry. The added bonus of depth of character within such a short space of pages is a masterful talent, executed perfectly by Ms. Brooks. If you are looking for a quick read, with tortured lead characters who have to battle back for their happy ever after, coated in some seriously hot sex, look no further. You have found it.

Kindle version provided by NetGalley/Entangled in exchange for an honest review. ( )