We go to the gig of our favorite artist and by some miracle, you lock eyes in the crowd and he notices you.
You intrigue him – he’s never met anyone like you before. And so begins a once-in-a-lifetime kind of romance.
I’ve lost count of how many actual concerts I’ve gone to wishing deep down that this would happen to me.
Alas, no luck yet. I guess I’ll have to stick to reading rockstar romances instead of experiencing it first-hand…for now.
Luckily, while I may not have a musically-inclined buff beau, I do have plenty of experience in the field of this particular genre.
I have consumed every rockstar romance novel to exist (okay that might be a slight exaggeration but it’s not far off) and I’m here to share my recommendations.
The crème de le crème of rockstar romance, if you will. So, if you’re ready to let out your inner fan girl, delve deep into any of the amazing books listed below!
Stella’s life is going smoothly. Super smoothly, in fact.
She has just nailed the very biggest win of her career, so it’s safe to say that she’s riding high.
But that high is very short-lived when she receives a phone call that she never expected.
Needing time to collect her thoughts, Stella ditches the idea of her booked flight home and decides to give herself more time with a drive home instead.
Along the way, she reflects on all the decisions that have led to this very moment.
During Stella’s road trip, you’ll take a ride through yesteryear and you’ll discover all the secrets of her life, including the very special men that held great importance and influence throughout the years.
Pros
Love Triangle – If you’re a fan of the love triangle trope, you’ll adore this book. Both boys are so well-developed and different in their own ways. You really root for them both in different ways. Be prepared to struggle to choose your favorite book boyfriend!
Music Accompaniment – Each chapter comes with its own accompanying music which is amazing. It gives a soundtrack to the novel that only helps you better understand the plot and characters.
Relatable Characters – Each character comes with their own set of flaws that helps to make them feel more real. There is evident development for all characters involved which only makes you feel closer to them.
Cons
Slow Burn – This book definitely takes a bit of time to get straight into and for some readers, it may be a struggle to get to the thicker points of the plot.
Viper has been long accustomed to superstardom. World tours, 100 million albums sold, more groupies than he can count.
Life is just one big party for the lead guitarist of TBD – the biggest rock band of all time.
Except until it isn’t.
When the lead singer of the band walks out mid-recording session and never returns, things look ropier than ever.
What follows? Tanked auditions, fame chasers, and absolutely no success at all.
That is until Halo walks through their doors. He’s drop-dead gorgeous with a beautiful voice to match. It seems as if all their prayers have been answered.
That is until love and lust complicate things.
Viper cannot deny his feelings for Halo, but considering he’s straight, it’s an unrequited love that can never be.
But their undeniable, palpable chemistry both on and off-stage isn’t something that you can fake…is it?
Pros
LGBTQ+ Representation – This bisexual love story is so romantic and exciting. It is refreshing to see something different from your typical boy-meets-girl love story.
Palpable Chemistry – The chemistry and tension between these two characters are tackled so impeccably. They just radiate sensual desire and romance. It’s hard not to fall in love with both of these characters.
Great Character Development – These characters are so well crafted and their development throughout the story is amazing. Not only do they grow as a pair, but as individuals too.
Cons
Repetitive Slow Burn – There’s quite a lot of back-and-forth between the two main characters in terms of will-they-won’t-they. At times, it gets a little repetitive which can make it difficult to read. However, the payoff is definitely worth your efforts.
Much like any typical arrogant lead singer of a world-famous band, Jimmy is far too accustomed to getting what he wants exactly when he wants it.
Money, women, parties, it all comes to him easily and effortlessly.
However, after a true PR disaster, Jimmy finds himself in an unfamiliar situation – being told what to do.
He must clean up his act and this results in him entering rehab.
Lena is soon hired as an assistant with one job; to keep Jimmy out of trouble.
Simple enough, right? Maybe but things become considerably more complicated when the pair realizes the sizzling chemistry between them.
Despite this, Lena is resolved to push her feelings aside and get the job done.
But when Jimmy pushes her one step too far, could he have just lost the best thing that ever happened to him?
Pros
Emotionally Driven – This rock star romance comes from a place of such heart and raw emotion. You’ll experience all manner of emotions in just mere minutes with this intriguing read.
Slow-Burn – While not for everyone, this is the perfect slow-burn book. Scott does an incredible job of slowly increasing the intensity throughout the story to the point that it is almost agonizing.
Laugh Out Loud Funny – There are plenty of hilarious moments in this book. The characters are witty and banter bounces between the pair often. It really brings light to a book that sometimes reaches rather dark places.
Cons
Rushed Ending – For such a slow burn it does feel as if the ending of the book moves at an incredibly fast pace that makes the conclusion feel a little rushed.
Killian might be a world-famous retired rock star to everybody else, but to Liberty, he’s just some annoying guy that she found sprawled out across her lawn.
Albeit the most devastatingly handsome guy she’s seen to date – not that he needs to know that.
To Killian, Liberty is a grouchy recluse that needs to liven up a little bit and find a way out of her shell.
But there’s something about her that he can’t quite shake.
She’s pretty cute, he has to give her that. But it’s more than just her looks.
There’s something so intoxicating about her – even millions of adoring screaming fans have never provoked anything this strong within him before.
But when Killian makes the decision to get the band back together, can he really have it all? The music, the fans, the fame…and keep Liberty in the process?
Pros
Friends To Lovers – It’s a refreshing take on a rock star romance to have the couple fall in love before the hardships of fame are really introduced. It’s definitely a unique take on the typical storyline of these kinds of books and it truly is like a breath of fresh air.
Character Progression – These characters are so well-built and you can’t help but love and relate to them so well. Neither are perfect, they come with flaws that we recognize in ourselves. And their development together throughout the book is great.
Dark Yet Light – There are some rather dark themes in this book in terms of backstory, yet Callihan does a really fantastic job of combining these sadder and darker moments with some really light-hearted and funny scenes to ensure the perfect balance between light and dark.
Cons
Long-Winded – Around the 60% mark, the book does become a little long-winded and harder to read and follow.
When Braxton Fawn gets the call telling her that she’s the new guitarist for Bound she is overjoyed. It’s a dream come true.
However, she was not the first pick of her new bandmates and they are set on turning this dream into a hellish nightmare. If they push hard enough, she’ll just quit, right?
Well, Braxton doesn’t plan on going down easy. She is determined to make it to the end of this tour if it kills her. She just needs to ignore her obvious attraction.
… And how hard could that be?
Pros
Character Chemistry – The chemistry between Braxton and her bandmates is so palpable. The way she slowly builds the tension between them is almost agonizing in only the best ways.
Dual POV – Dual POVs are always a pro for me. It gives us readers an even better insight into the minds of several characters and it allows you to bond with them so much better.
Enemies To Lovers – If you love the enemies to lovers trope, you won’t find a better book than this one. All emotions come from passion and this is so evident throughout this story.
Cons
A Little Long – While this story is very engaging there are a few chapters that seem a little slower in pace that aren’t pivotal to the storyline. The book could probably benefit from being 100 or so pages shorter in my opinion.
Jackson is desperate for money, so he doesn’t turn his nose up when he is offered a job as a bodyguard for famous rockstar Stone.
The only problem? He’s helplessly attracted to him.
Stone has a well-known reputation as a bisexual bad-boy player who uses and discards all those that fall so easily at his feet.
But there’s just something about his new bodyguard that has him thinking maybe he’s finally ready to settle down into something more serious.
The longer the pair spends together, the more the feelings flourish. But there are rules that must be obeyed between boss and employee; don’t get involved.
It’s a line that you can never cross…not even once…right?
Pros
Heartwarming Message – The main theme throughout this book is that love is love – in any form. Love is something that cannot be ignored and you must always follow your heart. I love that this story also includes a representation of the LGBTQ+ community.
Astronomical Attraction – The attraction between the two characters in this book is terrific. Blakely builds tension easily and effortlessly, kicking up the intensity little by little. It will drive you mad and you’ll love every second of it.
Forced Proximity – If you’re a fan of the forced proximity trope, this book will definitely be for you. Two characters must deny their obvious feelings for each other because of their jobs. This forced proximity ultimately only draws them closer and the character progression throughout is fantastic because of this.
Cons
A Little Repetitive – During the middle section of the story, there seem to be a few pacing issues where scenes become a little repetitive which can make it slower to read.
British rock star Alex Winslow was everything that was wrong with famous band members. Arrogant. Entitled. Irresponsible. A serial heartbreaker.
And Indigo Bellamy was the exact opposite. Responsible. Innocent. Optimistic. Warm. But also broke.
So when the job of essentially babysitting the English heart-throb to keep him out of trouble is offered to her, she simply cannot turn it down.
And so she signs the contract – three months, a world tour, four Continents.
However, everyone always warned her that you can’t pull people up; they’ll only drag you right down with them.
But having already sold her soul to the devil is it too little too late for Indigo?
Pros
Brooding Bad Boy With Baggage – If you love your rockstars to be broody, dark, and come with a lot of baggage, then you’ll adore this book. Your next book boyfriend is definitely here – he radiates intensity and seduction unlike any other.
Contrasting Dual POVs – This format is so interesting in this book. Especially when you see the juxtaposition between this gloomy and dangerous boy and sweet and innocent girl. It shows the same story in two very different lights.
Emotional – There are so many twists and unexpected connections throughout this novel that will leave you in absolute emotional turmoil. Be sure to have a box of tissues beside you for this one.
Cons
Dicey Dialogue – I felt that the dialogue in this story sometimes left something to be desired. It didn’t always feel very authentic or realistic.
For Tru Bennet, Jake Wethers was her first-ever love. That was until he moved from England to America to follow his music career leaving her broken-hearted.
Fast-forward 12 years later and Jake is the world’s biggest rockstar, and the lead singer of the band The Mighty Storm.
Tru Bennet is now an established and successful music journalist. And one day she receives any music journalist’s dream…except hers.
Interview the renowned Jake Wethers before he jets off for his highly anticipated world tour.
Knowing the wonders this opportunity could do for her career, she reluctantly agrees, resolving herself to keep things strictly professional.
However, no one could anticipate sparks this strong between the pair. And Jake soon offers her the chance to join the band on tour.
It’s perfect, she’ll have behind-the-scenes exclusives that any journalist could only dream of. The issue though…Tru’s boyfriend is not best pleased.
Can Tru and her boyfriend’s relationship survive her hitting the road? And can she keep her secret feelings for her first love at bay?
Pros
Emotional Rollercoaster – Our hearts are truly at the mercy of Towle during this story. And like a masterful puppeteer, she’ll have you laughing, crying, cheering, gasping, signing, and swooning on cue. If the emotion exists, you can bet you’ll feel it throughout this storyline.
Edge Of Your Seat – This book builds suspense so well. It has you gripped and hanging on the edge of your seat right until the very last page. It’s so engaging and unpredictable.
Deals With Serious Issues – Though this story is ultimately a romance novel, it still highlights some deeper and more important issues such as the dark side of fame, commitment, loss, and love.
Cons
Error Issues – There are a fair few grammatical errors throughout the novel that for some might be quite hard to ignore.
Buyers Guide To Rockstar Romances
Tropes
There are a few different tropes that you’ll see time and time again within rockstar romances, so you’ll want to pick out the novels that are based on your favorite tropes.
Here are a few of the main tropes you’ll be likely to find.
Enemies To Lovers – The protagonists begin the novel as enemies who despise each other, throughout time it becomes obvious that this hatred is nothing more than passion. These books tend to be slow-burners where the real romance doesn’t kick in until around halfway through.
Friends To Lovers – The protagonists begin the novel as close friends. They are blind to their attraction which is usually revealed later on in the plot.
Forced Proximity – The protagonists often begin as strangers. The plot of the story forces them into a situation together where their feelings develop over time.
Love Triangle — The main protagonist has two love interests fighting for her affection. Ultimately, the protagonist must make a choice between their head and their heart.
Format
Next, you’ll want to consider which format you will prefer for your novel, the typical formats you can choose from are as follows:
3rd Person/Narrator – The story is usually told by an unbiased third party or narrator who explains the lives and stories of the characters involved in the plot.
1st Person POV — In this format, you will hear the story from a particular character’s point of view. This will often be biased and have gaps in knowledge.
Dual POV – The story will be told similarly to a 1st person’s POV, however, you will hear sections of the story recounted by two or more characters.
Pacing
Romance novels in general have different pacing options.
Sometimes, the romance of the novel will hit early on and only further develop throughout the plot and circumstances of the characters.
Other times the romance creeps in slowly and the connection between the characters comes much later in the plot line.
Slow-Burn – A slow-burn novel will draw out the tension and attraction between characters. There will be a lot of back and forth between them in a ‘will-they won’t-they’ manner.
Fast-Action – A fast-action novel will usually introduce and establish the couple much earlier in the plot. The couple will then face hardships and other circumstances together and the emphasis will be on how they get through these situations together.
Final Thoughts
Everyone wants a handsome and hunky rich rockstar to come and sweep us off our feet, right? Even if they do tend to come with a little emotional baggage.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Rockstar Romance?
As the name suggests, a rockstar romance book is a romance novel where one of the protagonists deals with the perils and benefits of being a famous musician.
What Are The Typical Tropes Of Rockstar Romance?
Rockstar romances can really vary in their typical tropes. I would argue that the most common, though, are love triangles, forced proximity, and friends or enemies to lovers.
Noah Burton works as a Librarian full time, and is a blogger in his spare time. His goal is to write compelling recommendations for all of the most popular books he can find, from science fiction to romance.
With a passion for books, a drive to find new reads to get stuck into, and a love for sharing book recommendations with others, Noah can help you find the next novel for your bucket list.
