Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Unfortunately this book was not for me. I was intrigued by the summary but I felt that the plot wasn’t executed correctly. The story did drag a bit and I felt myself wanting to DNF but decided to push through. It was difficult for me to connect with the characters as well.

Thank you to netgalley for sending me this.

This was a a really good read and I read this in one sitting, I loved the romance in this and the ending did make me tear up! I did enjoy this book and look forward to reading more from this author ☺️

3.75 stars

I adored both mcs. They were absolutely delightful to read yet... I didn't like the end.
The who did it part... I had my suspect very early on, and I was right. I just wish their motivations were better(?) Because I found it silly.
Still, this is probably my favorite Kate Callaghan book so far.

This book had a little bit of everything. Romance check. Mystery check. Suspense check. Threw me for a loop when Cillian up and died but still enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC!

I thought this might be a fun read - mystery thriller romance with a rockstar, what's not to love? Turns out, unfortunately, a lot.

The pacing of this was all over the place. I couldn't grasp if it had been weeks or months, and I found myself judging the characters. Phoebe was head over heels in love with Cillian, who's she'd been with since she was 14 but then...kisses his band mate at his funeral?!

I get that Cillian had done something bad, and she was angry, but the relationship between Axel and her moved waaay too fast. For such a long relationship, I feel like Phoebe should've been doing more grieving - especially as she'd only just found out what he'd done. That love wouldn't die that quickly.

On top of that, I was just plain confused by Phoebe. Apparently it was a big thing to keep it a secret that she helped write their lyrics...lol what. Why was Nick so angry at her for this? They didn't feel like siblings, and I don't get why Nick kept taking care of everyone else EXCEPT Phoebe. Then you also had Phoebe making the dumbest decisions.

Someone breaks into her studio and makes threats...which is across from her apartment, yet she sees no issue with this and doesn't think she'll be harmed or at risk. She goes and commits a crime...in public...to get back at someone? She let's herself get walked over and turned into the bad guy for Cillian's death for...I dunno, reasons?

Axel...existed. He was fine, I guess. Nothing much to him.

This book will find its market, but it's not me.

I liked that the book was linked to the first book I read by Kate: Ms Perfectly Fine. I really like the genre where there is a little murder mystery along with the romance.

Alex really has the grumpy protector personality. I felt so sad that he was conflicted over dating Phoebe.

I'm sorry, but Phoebe is such a badass. After she experiences the first act of hate, she just goes after them instead of cowering and not doing anything about it.

4⭐️

Loved this! Was not expecting it to open as it did but wow it really sucked me in. The first few chapters start very slow paced but just read on and it paced up a bit Flew through this book, really enjoyed it.

The writing was simple and easy to understand. The storyline was written really well, I really liked the relationship the FMC had with the band, the support they’d all give to each other. Apart from the whole hiding the cheating thing.. idk that just pissed me off. personally if u care about someone you’d tell them not just hide it let them be made a mug of.
I did really like the chemistry between Phoebe and Axel it was cute ngl.

The big twist mystery I did see it coming miles off, just had a feeling it was going that way but nonetheless it’s still a good read. When i see dead lover trope it automatically changes my opinion if I’ll read the book or not but I am glad i read this one. The author did a really great job in making you feel so many different emotions throughout this book. One thing that confuses me is I’m like is this set in England? Ireland? Like I don’t think it states really 😬 unless I’ve missed this but I felt so confused about this hahahah

(will update review)

Romance book of course but with a mystery also if you like this give it a read!!
Thank you to NetGalley and Kate Callaghan for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️½

It was an ok read and I was able to read it all in one sitting. I liked Phoebe and Axel. I thought they were a cute match and fit each other perfectly. The book was in third person POV which I did enjoy and I found it was written well. I think the way Kate Callaghan portrayed Phoebe dealing with her grief over the loss of Cillian was well done as well. And I did like that it was a romantic suspense novel. Overall, still an enjoyable and well written story.

Thank you to Kate Callaghan, BooksGoSocial and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of Not Another Rockstar.

OBSESSED with this book!!! @katecallaghanwriter did an amazing job with bringing Phoebe and Axel’s story to life. I didn’t even take me a full 2 days to finish it! I loved that this was a romantic suspense. It kept me hooked until the very end! There may have been some screaming at the end… So thankful to @netgalley and @katecallaghanwriter for letting me read this!!

Thank you to netgalley for sending me a copy of this book for review. After receiving an arc of Kates christmas book and absolutely loving it I knew I had to request this one too. While I didn't love this one as much as I felt it was quite insta lovey which isn't my favourite it was still an enjoyable read. It deals with topics of grief and from my experience it gives a good depiction on different people's way of dealing with grief.

3 ⭐️ rating
3 🌶️ rating

I wanted to love this book I really did! Although it came out of the gates swinging it ended with me being disengaged and disappointed. The story itself was intriguing and the plot was loaded with good intention, but personally I struggled to warm to the style of writing.

Not Another Rockstar started out strong, we enter Cillian & Phoebe’s story mere days before his accident, the childhood sweethearts both juggling their successful careers before tragedy strikes, hearts are broken, secrets are revealed and chaos ensues.

Axel, drummer for Sons of Anarchy, quickly becomes Phoebes safe haven as she comes to terms with deceit and loss while also navigating the glare of media publicity, scrutiny and trolling from the SOA fans plus the threat of a crazed stalker on the loose.

Phoebe is a badass, she doesn’t wither under the intimidation she goes out and faces danger with a humorous tenacity! The bright yellow paint and a crow bar scene had me wanting to cheer loudly, high five, and slow clap her all at once

A slow burn romance builds between the pair with flirty quips and innuendos, which showed so much promise, but unfortunately this is where the book first had me feeling disappointed. I am no novice to spicy narratives, I enjoy the heat however the spice scenes fell flat for me, they seemed amateurish, I found them cringey with clichés that gave me the ick.

From 60-70% onwards I felt the book changed, the writing seemed rushed and like the author changed styles, the book became very dialogue heavy and now there was not enough narrative. The balance seemed to tip off for me, there was a lot of ping ponging between he said she said, I know some people might enjoy this style of writing, but I’m not a fan.

Might sound harsh, but the last 20% of the book I was struggling, there seemed to be lot of unnecessary fillers, and by the last 10% I was skimming the pages.

The supporting characters in this book could easily have a story of their own to tell, which I would be intrigued by! Especially if the leading female characters are as formidable and feisty as Phoebe in the face of danger and suspense, but unfortunately I’m not sure Kate’s writing style is for me.


Thank you to Kate Callaghan & NetGalley for an Advance Copy of this eBook

Release Date: 21st February 2025
Pre-Order Now Available

Well I just flew through this book. I’ve been in major slump and this was just what I needed. I loved the romantic suspense with a touch of mystery. I was legit on the edge of my seat the entire time. The characters were well written and I enjoyed every second.

Got me crying and giggling. Kate Callaghan has an amazing writing style and the relationships between the mcs were well developed. Loved the grief, the way it was handled. And the romance..i’m still kicking my feet. I’ll read other books from her for sure !

Wow, Phoebe has a whirlwind trip to Munich. She learns her new fiance is trash and chaos ensues. Upon return home, the chaos continues since she’s the ex of a famous rockstar. You piece together who is holding the puppet strings and we’ll WOW. This novel is in third person POV, I found the pacing to be a little off but still enjoyed it.

This book was a rollercoaster. I was mad, I was sad, I was angry, I was emotional, I was so freaking FRUSTRATED. And I have to give it out to the author for making me FEEL so much. Although I hate third pov in ROMANCE books, this was an exception. Something about this book made it hard to put it down. I really enjoyed this book! My goodreads review is already up and I'll post one on my bookstagram soon too!

3 stars! 💫 This book was... alright. I mean, I’ll probably forget about it in a week 🤷‍♀️. Big thanks to Kate Callaghan, BooksGoSocial, and NetGalley for the ARC! 💙

Okay, let me break it down for you: Phoebe and Axel had potential—I mean, who doesn’t love a little romantic suspense? But, honestly? I wasn’t completely hooked. At first, I was intrigued by the whole suspense vibe, but then the plot kinda dragged. The romance had its moments, for sure—Axel was swoon-worthy, Phoebe was a badass—but it felt like there was WAY too much buildup and not enough oomph when it finally came together.

Let’s talk about the beginning. It was SLOW... like, I almost DNF'd it. 😬 But then the romance picked up, and I started getting a little more invested. The whole "ex's best friend" and "dead lover" tropes? Honestly, they were a bit much for me. The dead lover trope isn’t my fave (hello, unnecessary drama), but okay, it kinda worked here. The twist? Meh. I saw it coming from a mile away. Could’ve been way more mind-blowing.

And girl, let’s talk about Phoebe hiding the fact she was the songwriter... for like, no reason? 🙄 I get the whole "martyr" thing, but it just got frustrating after a while. Also, everything got dragged out a bit too much—like, please, just give me the drama already!

Axel and Phoebe definitely had chemistry, no doubt, but some of the suspense was way too predictable. It wasn’t a bad read by any means—it kept me turning pages because I was curious to see how it ended. Would I recommend it? Eh... it’s okay, but I’ve definitely read better.

Tropes:
🎶 Drummer x Artist
✖️ Ex’s Best Friend
🎸 Brother’s Best Friend
❤️ He Falls First
🔪 Stalking

CW: Grief, Loss of a loved one, Stalking

This book was so action packed with lots of twists, banter, and spice!This book was so action packed with lots of twists, banter, and spice!