I don't know what made me request this book but after being approved I was scared I wouldn't like it. Hollywood/famous people are things I don't tend to enjoy in books. However, CD Reiss created a beautiful, heartwarming story that made even my skeptical heart feel full.
The story has great characters. I loved Kayla since I began reading about her. She's gone through a lot and her strenght is incredibly inspiring. Justin, our love interest, is a rock star going through a very rough patch. Meeting Kayla is the beginning of a sweet relationship and I couldn't help but root for them. I need to mention that Justin's grandma is my favorite secondary character, hands down. She had me laughing whenever she was on page.
Lead Me Back was a heartwarming romance story about finding and understanding yourself and finding and understanding another. It's the first CD Reiss book I've read, but it will definitely not be the last.

CW: mention of assault, victim blaming

This is the first book I have read by this author and I really enjoyed every moment of it. I thought the concept was well thought out with some great ups and downs between the characters. Their development had me fully engaged in the story with the witty moments and passion. I would definitely go back and read this authors backlist in a heartbeat!

Every time I read a CD Reiss book, I think I know how it’s going to go... and each and every time, I am pleasantly surprised because each book is different. I am an avid reader and sometimes stories don’t stand out for me, but every story I’ve read from this author, I remember every character and every nuance of every story. To me that’s a big deal and it makes her an author I will always one click for.

Kayla ran from New York after being assaulted, and vilified for speaking out. She moves to LA because her sister is there. The first thing she does is get a new phone, with a new number, so no one can reach her..... enter Justin.

Justin is a rock star. He’s been vilifies and skewered because of things that happened with his band... a band comprised of his best friends... who believed things about him... but were those things real? Or should they have known better? Either way, he’s on notice from his manager to clean up his act.

I love the way these two meet. It shows Kaylas heart and character. She cares. She has a bull#@*& meter that makes her hesitant to get to know Justin, but the more she does, the more she likes him, and Justin likes her as well. That becomes a problem when his manager checks up on her.... it sets off a series of events that will make you not want to put the book down! I read this in two sittings. I started it before bed, got sleepy so I put it down, and woke up a couple of hours later and read through the rest of the night!

In typical CD Reiss fashion, the story reads like real life.. like these people are friends and you just want to know what’s happening in their lives! I loved this.

Lead Me Back is a fun take on a modern Hollywood romance. I started this one on ebook and fished it on audio. Yes, I do that entirely too often. It was a smooth transition with excellent narration. I loved Kayla right from the beginning. And, I got hooked the moment she met Justin. Well, maybe it was the moment she met his grandmother, she's a hoot. Anyway, the same as any C.D. Reiss book, it's a heartwarming story, full of witty banter and swoony romance. Low Angest, which I appreciated. I've been escaping my anxieties with reads like this.

Melt-your-Kindle hot and a great romantic story. Loved this one!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Kayla has really reached rock bottom when she leaves New York to start a new life in L.A. She has little money to her name, a huge passion for starting her own clothing line and a closed down theatre as a roof over her head.

On the day she arrives she receives a wrong number phone call on the phone she just had connected and not wanting to let an old lady down, she ends up delivering roses to a complete stranger. This is how she meets Justin Beckett, ex-boyband and movie star. Grandson of the wrong number caller.

It turns out Justin has recently been through a publicity nightmare, all brought upon himself, he has parted ways from his band, alcohol, drugs, women and his old phone number. After everything blew up his ‘people’ decided that cutting ties with anyone from his old life would be best. However, now that he knows someone has a lifeline to his old band, he decides having Kayla around could be beneficial. Having her working on his latest movie set gives her a job and him access to any potential calls. Thus begins a strange friendship or sorts between Justin and ‘Kaylacakes.’

Kayla’s ultimate goal is to get backing for her portfolio so she can launch her own clothing line. Working for Justin cements her desire to work for herself. When an opportunity comes up to present her ideas to a well known and lucrative backer, she is disappointed to discover that who you know doesn’t always bring the best results. It is also a reminder of why she left New York and makes her realise that running away from things doesn’t mean the problem will go away.

As her friendship with Justin moves into something more intimate and meaningful she decides that dealing with her past is the only way to move forward. However, Justin’s reaction to this decision was not what she expected it to be. It turns out that his loyalty had conditions and she will not be with someone who can’t be unconditional with her. Justin has a lot of grovelling to do if he wants this plot to end in a happy ever after.

This is a fun romance set among the Hollywood hills and the world of movies.

4 STARS for Lead Me Back by CD Reiss

ARC received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own & have not been influenced in any way.

WOW really liked this book !

This book is not just a great romance with a HEA but it’s about finding yourself & the person that makes it all like coming home.

Justin and Kayla’s story begins with a misplaced cell phone call , unexpected flower delivery & job offer ! Justin Beckett - Hollywood bad boy thinks he can wrap Kayla Montgomery around his little finger. That so ain’t happening ... Kayla is a down on her luck fashion designer having been run out of NYC by a scandal. I really liked that this book tackles the Me Too movement as well as characters speaking up on women’s right always to say NO.

Lead Me Back has a great storyline with great engaging characters.

I read in just one sitting & loved it ...

A favorite passage reads like this ( reminding us all of who & where our “home” is )

I had a split second in his arms before we hit the water together , and it was all the time I needed to realize that I was happy .. I had arrived at my destination ... no matter what the future held in store for me I was home ...

Love this author and will be checking out more of her back list.

Highly recommend this read !!

Lead Me Back is a sweet heartfelt story with some serious topics mixed in, between Justin Beckett, the boyband member who’s fallen from grace and Kayla, who is running from her past.

Kayla, who has dreams of having her own design label, has just moved to LA from New York to be closer to her sister and dad. She meets Justin in the most unusual of circumstances, over the case of the wrong number. When Justin realises that he needs Kayla’s help and he can repay the favour by offering her a job on set of his movie, Kayla is reluctant at first to fall into his world. But she needs a job, so accepts, and slowly realises that the Justin Beckett the world sees is different to who he really is. Justin’s world was turned upside down after a party ruined his friendship with his childhood friends and bandmates. Trust broken and image destroyed, he was told not to contact them again, even if the events were all a misunderstanding. He slowly comes back to realising what’s important in life through spending time with Kayla. Will they be able to make it work as a couple? What happens when Kayla’s past finally catches up with her? Will Justin be able to reunite with his bandmates?

I really liked the storyline, although at times it was quite difficult to follow, it jumped all over the place in time without any warning, and also some dialogue didn’t flow right. There was something missing, which was frustrating. But what I did like was the characters and the underlying messages. I loved Kayla, how she really grew throughout, first running from her past and then realising that she could only move on if she faced it, confronted it and overcame it. I loved how the Me-Too movement was addressed and spoken about, it highlighted the serious topic well and showed how women are affected by the aftermath of these traumatic events. Justin was a bit of a hit or miss character, some of his actions really frustrated me but I think he had been in the industry for so long, he could only see how things could negatively impact him. He did really care for Kayla; it just took him a while to see what was really important. However, the ending did redeem him for me, it was incredibly sweet and swoon worthy, and I was so happy he too faced his demons and rebuilt the relationships he had lost.

The secondary characters were great and brought the whole story together. Justin’s grandmother was hilarious, she made me laugh out loud a couple of times. Kayla’s dad’s story was intriguing, and I felt for him, I loved his friendship group though and how they stood by Kayla in her time of need.

Overall, I enjoyed this book because of Kayla’s character and her growth throughout. I think the issues Lead Me Back addresses are important and are so current, especially in the industry they both worked in, so it was good to see it realistically spoken about in a book. It’s a great read if you like enemies-to-more actor romances with a strong female lead!

*I received this book in exchange for my honest review.*

The blurb for Lead Me Back doesn't do this book justice - it's much better than the description, and I'm so glad I read it. I was worried that it would be a boss/employee romance, but had heard such good things about CD Reiss that I wanted to give it a try. I'm happy to report that this book is not an assistant romance, it was delightful, and I inhaled it. Kayla has moved from NY to LA to get away from her past. She changes her phone number, but it turns out her new number is the old number for superstar Justin Bieber. Sorry, Justin Beckett. Justin tries to get Kayla to answer his phone calls, but she's a fashion designer and not actually his assistant. I really liked the way their relationship developed - Justin is dealing with the breakup of his band, and trying to launch an acting career. Kayla is trying to launch her own line, but also haunted by what's happened to her, and is trying to build a relationship with her estranged dad. She is strong and prickly, and I really liked her. The supporting characters are great - I especially loved Justin's grandma Louise, who was a riot. This was my first CD Reiss book but definitely not the last!

I'm such a sucker for Hollywood romances. haha!

I really enjoy most everything this author puts out into the world and this was no different.

I really loved Justin & Kayla's story and although at times felt a little like i was reading some biebs fan fiction, loved where this love story took us.

I would totally recommend to anyone who loves a good celebrity romance.

A sexy and sweet Hollywood romance, I could not resist this delectable story from one of my favourite romance writers. Kayla Montgomery decides to start a new life in LA and inadvertently becomes tangled up in more ways than one with boy band sensation Justin Beckett.

'Lead Me Back,' has all the ingredients needed to concoct a light, easy to read romance that hooks the reader in from the beginning to end. There was nothing not to love and I was super excited to read. CD Reiss pulled me into her world of make-believe by creating characters who I completely warmed to and a relationship that, from the outside looking in, seemed like a scenario that dreams are made of, which is exactly what I need in my romance novels.

2 reviews:

4 stars
Lead Me Back by C.D. Reiss is a great story with witty banter, interesting characters, and interactions that keep me turning the page.

Bad boy meets good girl, but is that all there is to these two people? No. There is so much more and not everything is as it seems. I really liked this book, but there were a couple of times when I felt that it dragged or was drawn out a little more than I would have liked, however, the story was enjoyable. I really liked the plot and the characters. I highly suggest everyone one-click and read this book for yourself. 4 stars.

4 stars
Justin Beckett is deemed the bad boy. He's left a pile of chaos in his wake. His band is broken up, he's accused of cheating with his bandmate's wife and partying too hard. He feels very much at a loss for how to put the train back on the tracks. Justin is hoping that his breakout acting role will help him on his way.

Kayla is escaping New York and coming to LA with hopes of becoming a fashion designer. What she hadn't planned on was becoming Justin's phone answering girl. But the more time Kayla spends with Justin, the more she starts to see past what he is portrayed as and she can't help but like who he is underneath.

But the past is coming for both of them. Will they survive? Definitely one-click this now, you won't be disappointed.

So so so good! Highly recommend reading. Justin and Kaylas hilarious banter back and forth keeps you hooked. Justin a playboy who plays in a band who never really grew up. Well a wrong number brings Kayla into his path. But will his playboy and being in a band be too much for Kayla? Book given to me on netgalley.

This is a light, sparkly Hollywood romance and I loved everything about it. A great change of pace from the usual angst and drama Reiss loves to torture us with.

Kayla and Justin are a hilarious pair, and both have their own issues working against them ending up together. Their banter is super fun and the side characters like Louise and the group of guy friends Kayla's dad hangs with steal the show! This story has some steam, some laughs and a big heart. Recommend!

Great book and storyline! You just had to love the hero in the book- he was such a jerk but such a fantastic backstory! Had some amazing lol moments with the book! Great read!

Kayla and Justin have a chance meeting and their lives are changed forever. This is an enchanting story about Justin, a mega celebrity who meets Kayla, an ordinary person with dreams of becoming a fashion designer.

Justin reminded me of Justin Beaber in many ways. He is rich, famous and entitled. He is used to everyone catering to his every need, until he meets Kayla. She isn’t impressed with Justine's celebrity and she doesn’t let him get away with his behavior. Kayla is a spitfire and I admired her in every way.

It is entertaining watching Justin and Kayla fall in love. Their story is fun and engaging and wanted them to work through all their issues and end up together. I also enjoyed Justin's grandmother, she adds many laughs to this story.

This is the perfect summer romcom read, it is adorable, funny and sexy. This story follows Kayla and Justin. This author has a fantastic way of writing that just has you mesmerised from the start. The love story in this book wasn't easy or simple because its based on real life which made it easier to relate to and fall in love with the characters. The characters were really well written and very easy to love.

I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Lead Me Back by CD Reiss was another great read by one of my favorite authors. I have never read a bad book by her.

I'm a big fan of CD Reiss' books and this one was also really good. I've come to expect heavy and dark romances from the author like the songs of submission series and Iron Crowne which I couldn't get enough of. This romance was on the lighter side but just as enjoyable. The premise of the story is what drew me in and rockstar romances are one of my favourite tropes to read.

Kayla and Justin had great chemistry and their characters were very relatable. I really liked Kayla's character. She wasnt swayed by his wealth or his popularity. She stood up for her own values and beliefs. I admired Justin's commitment to Kayla and his love for her truly shone in his handling of the conflicts that arose in the book. Their romance was low on angst which I enjoyed because snivelling emotional wrecks are not my cup of tea.

A few pet peeves:
I thought that Kayla should've solved the problems in her past not primarily to continue a relationship with Justin, but for herself and the good it would do her. That would've shown that she was strong and capable all on her own. Other than that, this one was a winner and I can't wait to read more from this author

Thank you Netgalley for sending me an ARC.

I really enjoyed Lead Me Back, and I was pleasantly surprised by the more lighthearted, humorous tone in comparison to CD Reiss’s other books. It was just what I needed and was the perfect summer read.

This book also managed to unearth long-buried dreams of ending up with a celebrity and what it’d be like to be thrust not only into the glitz and glam of Hollywood, but the negative aspects of fame as well. Okay, maybe not that long-buried lol, but it was something I could relate to and also find believable.

Kayla and Justin have great chemistry—as all of the author’s characters do—and I wasn’t disappointed in the least by their relationship development or the steamy scenes.

Overall, this book was unexpected in a good way and delivered on the smart, sexy romance this author is known for.