absolutely LOVED this book! It had everything you need in a great romance. A romantic, touching and funny storyline, interesting and complex characters, and it was beautifully written.

I love a good romance involving musicians, and Once Upon a Boyband did not disappoint.
It was a clean romance, though the chemistry between Adam and Laney was still obvious. It didn't need the spicy scenes, as the story itself was strong enough not to need them.

This is the first book I've read from Jenny Proctor, and it definitely won't be the last. I'm really looking forward to the rest of the series. I'm hoping Freddie's story is next. 🤞

I highly recommend.

5 Stars from me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Netgalley, Victory Editing, and Jenny Proctor for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Once Upon a Boyband by Jenny Proctor is a heartwarming tale about figuring out who you are, love, and growing up, all told through the eyes of Adam Driscoll, a former pop star looking for a chill life away from the spotlight. The book takes a trip down memory lane, exploring Adam's time in the limelight, the stress, and heartbreak that pushed him to leave it all behind. Proctor perfectly captures Adam's need for peace while showing how his bond with Dr. Laney Lawson, a veterinarian clueless about his famous past, starts to bloom.

When Adam gets the opportunity to perform again with his old bandmates for a charity concert, he faces a tough choice between hiding his true self and wanting to be real. The writing is funny and relatable, making it easy for anyone who's dealing with their own relationship struggles or identity crises to connect with. Overall, Once Upon a Boyband is about characters confronting their fears and realizing how important connections are for growth. It's a great read for anyone feeling caught between their past and what lies ahead.

I love Jenny Proctor! Such sweet, fun reads. I enjoyed this boy band twist on the usual romcom. Sweet, uplifting, and happy!

It's a super fun story about falling in love with your boy band crush without knowing it's him. I loved how Jenny handled the conflict and real-life issues Adam deals with. It contains a handful of swears, a few mentions of alcohol consumption, descriptive kissing only.

Tropes: One bed, hidden identity, celebrity.

Contains a funny side character who is gay and death of a parent in the past.

(4.75 stars) Oh my boyband-loving heart!!! This book was phenomenal, and I absolutely love the unique plot. I’m sure those of us who were boyband fanatics growing up all dreamed of meeting and falling in love with our favorite members. The romance in this book was insanely adorable, and I can’t even begin to explain my emotions while reading the bonus epilogue. If you love romance, boybands, and dogs, this is the book for you!!!

Oh, man...This book gave me all the feels and boy band nostalgia. I grew up listening to the Backstreet Boys and NSYNC and absolutely thought I was in love with AJ and JT. Just like Laney, I knew tons of random facts about the guys and could sing every lyric with zero mistakes. I love when a book transports you to another time and place and it's so cool when the story has similarities to your very own past. Jenny did such a great job building the Midnight Rush world and characters. I'm so excited to see what else she has in store throughout the series!

Laney...As I said above, I completely understand how Laney felt for Deke, but oh man...I adored seeing her fall in love with Adam so much more. The support and genuine care she showed for him even before she fell so completely was refreshing. I think at the end of the day, Laney truly wanted the best for Adam, no matter what that meant for her. She went through some really frustrating times while Adam was figuring things out, but she was so steadfast not only in her love for him, but in being the most genuine friend on the planet. I also appreciated Laney's relationships with her family and her bestie.

Adam...What a complex and haunted guy. I cannot imagine the heartbreak he endured and the guilt that he carried for years and years. It was a long, hard road, but it was so cool to see Adam gain the courage to truly face his past and fall in love with music again. It's so clear that the music is ingrained in him and is absolutely part of who he is at his core. It was also so sweet to see Adam fall so quickly and completely for Laney. They really are such a precious pair.

Things I loved:

❤️The truly respectful and real way Jenny wrote about grief
❤️All the boy band and music references
❤️Laney's relationship with her dad
❤️Percy's comic relief
❤️Bingo
❤️Laney meeting the rest of the guys
❤️Laney knowing all the band's dance moves
❤️The week at the Hawthorne property
❤️Laney's childhood room covered in Midnight Rush memorabilia
❤️Goldie, Ringo, and Dolly
❤️All those kisses...🥵

⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️

This book was so much fun to read! Of course it was highly predictable, just like a boyband is, and that's why we love them. As a long (long, long) time fan of boybands, this book had everything I wanted and never even knew I needed. Now, please excuse me while I go update my playlist with more boybands.

I thought this book was amazing and it really had me hooked. The author's unique approach allowed the writing to be very captivating. I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for a new read. If you love a boyband this one is for you !

We all know a boyband we were in love with. Hoping to meet one of them and have something between us? Well, Laney is the lucky one, meeting her crush and fighting for their story.
But it is also a deep story with pain, and loss and grief. But also love, affection and lots of kisses.
It gets you laughing and crying.

This was cute, a good read. It was a different take on a boyband story which was interesting.Thank you for allowing me to read and review this ARC

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
3 stars

This is a very enjoyable love letter to all the people who dreamed of a life with a popstar as a teen, while still remember said popstars are human. Also, no miscommunication trope! The people were actually adults about things! Issues did feel like they were solved too easily and in a sorta surface way, but that may have to do with the writing being pretty simple. Still, it was fun and an easy read. I was glad to see Adam being treated like a human despite being a boyband star in the past, and the reason for his emotional difficulty made a lot of sense. Also, all the cute doggies!!! I want Ringo to cuddle and play with.

Overall, a fun time that I think people who like light-hearted celebrity romances would enjoy :D

Once Upon A Boy Band

° Dual POV
° Small Town Romance
° Secret Identity
° Closed Door Romance
° Fake Engagement

The mention of a "boyband" in the title immediately caught my attention as a millennial who grew up with them. Nostalgia hit hard, especially recalling my own infatuation and memorable concert experiences, like seeing the Backstreet Boys in their reunion tour. The story drew me in deeper than expected; it is not just a romantic comedy but it also delves into heavier themes such as parental loss, cancer, regret and grief. The relationship between Laney and Adam feels genuine, marked by sweet moments and hard conversations, particularly as Adam confronts the stigma around seeking counseling. His journey toward forgiveness and healing is courageous.

Working in palliative care, I understand the profound impact of loss and going through the stages of grief and this book reflects that reality.

I also enjoyed the vibrant side characters, especially Percy, Laney's witty best friend, and Freddie from Midnight Rush, whose optimism shines through. The music references added an extra layer of enjoyment. Towards the end, a personal note for one of the main characters truly moved me—readers will want to experience this for themselves by reading the book.  Readers are also rewarded by a bonus epilogue that beautifully ties everything together.

Favorite Quotes:
ᥫ᭡ Dedication:
"To anyone who has ever loved a boyband. (Pretty sure that's all of us.)"

ᥫ᭡ Author's Note:
"..Naturally, I decided to balance the serious by writing more kisses into this book than I ever have before."

ᥫ᭡ "..It gave me something to focus on when life felt too hard or too scary or too overwhelming."

ᥫ᭡ "But I'm beginning to wonder if the person worth the effort has been standing in front of me this whole time."

ᥫ᭡ "..That with the right person, I would never have to try to be seen."

ᥫ᭡ "..He experiences everything with a level of joy and intensity turned a few notches above what most people feel..
..For being so good at simply seeing good."

ᥫ᭡ "Knowing what I know about what he's been through, I feel very protective of him.  I want to be around because I want to make sure he's okay.  I want to be able to hold his hand at the end of the night and listen if any old feelings gets stirred up.  I want to be a safe place for him."

ᥫ᭡  "There's a certain rightness to being here with him.  Like I've found something I didn't know I was looking for.  I'm in a room I've never been in, inside a house I've never visited.  But I still feel like I'm home, because I'm with him."

ᥫ᭡ "..And we're stronger for having worked through the hard and the easy."

Thank you to NetGalley, Victory Editing Co-op and the author Jenny Proctor for the electronic advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really, really loved this book. I’ve read so much enemies-to-lovers lately that having a rom-com where they fall for each other in a normal, mostly-drama-free way was a huge breath of fresh air. Not to mention, SO MANY CUTE PUPPIES. And who amongst us didn’t fangirl about a boy band member, at least a tiny bit, back in our awkward, dorky teen years?

Everything about this book was perfect for me, from the super sweet relationship, to the loveable small town, to the behind-the-scenes peek into band life. And did I mention all the cute puppies?!

✅ Elena (Laney), 26, veterinarian & Adam, runs a dog rescue. But surprise! Adam is also Deke Driscoll, former member of a popular boy band
✅ small town romance
✅ dual POV
🌶️: no, not even implied or hinted

Pure sugary fluff in the best way. As a teenager, Laney was infatuated with the boyband Midnight Rush, and specifically Deke. Since then, she's outgrown this (mostly) to become a vet with little to no social life. Adam wants nothing more than to run his rural dog rescue and stay out of the public eye after a few rough years as a teenage superstar. The vet he uses happens to be really cute, and him and Laney start to get close. But his past is catching up to him in the form of a reunion concert, and with a fake engagement, an evil agent, and old wounds being made fresh, their budding relationship is going to go through the gauntlet.
What is better than a big, muscled guy who's really good with animals? Adam is indeed a dreamy lead. Laney is cute, too. The whole thing is delightfully improbable and fun from start to finish.

As a HS librarian, I'm always on a lookout for smut-free romances that are perfect for our YA readers. This one fits the bill exactly. Boyband romance? Sign me up! Enjoyed this (a bit predictable, but hey, what romance isn't?) and I'm pretty sure our readers will, too. Happy to add this to our collection.

4.5 stars
You know when the guy you like suddenly starts showing interest in you, and you find out he’s a member of a famous band you loved? For Adam, music is still a sore spot, and when another band member asks for his help, he agrees despite his heavy feelings. It’s an intriguing story full of music, pain, guilt, friendship, furry pets, and love.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for NetGalley.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This may have been the most predictable romance I've read this year but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The author knows their target market and makes it clear they've done a lot of reading - or writing - of fan fiction in their time as it leans heavily into the most common of tropes.

Where the book fell short for me was on two parts:

[1] the band are described as being so wildly successful at their peak that we have no choice but to compare to One Direction. As such, a member of the band could have plastic surgery, put on 100 lbs of muscle or fat, grow their hair and grow a beard and a fan would be able to recognise them, so it seems so unbelievable to me that a beard and a few gym sessions renders Adam completely unrecognisable.

[2] the romance is incredibly rushed and, while that definitely appeals to a certain demographic, it was hard for me to enjoy it. The connection felt forced and more out of convenience than any real relationship.

Normally, I'm a huge fan of fake dating but this didn't actually play into that very much besides a few awkward conversations between Freddie, the agent and some of the others who felt more like 2D caricatures of people in the music industry than real supporting characters.

Thanks to NetGalley, Victory Editing Co-Op, and the author for the chance to read this book.

I am such a sucker for a Jenny Proctor novel - they are always the best sweet romantic comedies that manage to draw me in instantly and keep me coming back for the next instalment.

Laney and Adam are adorable in their initial awkwardness, and Percy is the funniest sidekick. The drama with the band was spot on and will lead itself to some great next books for the rest of the band. I can't wait to read more stories featuring Midnight Rush!

First of all, thank You Netgalley for The ARC granted. As much as I would like to had loved tthe story, it din't click to me. Don't get me wrong. The narrative isn't bad nor difficult to immerse. It just didn't make me love the book. Yet was a good reading.