I'm not usually drawn to books about musicians, but I'm such a Jenny Holiday fan I wanted to give this one a try. And I was pleasantly surprised. Really entertaining and the romance was *chef's kiss*.

This was a lot of fun! My first read by this author, and it won't be my last. I really enjoy celeb/non-celeb books, and this one didn't disappoint. I didn't read the first book in the series, but it didn't have any impact on my ability to enjoy this one. There's a lot of nuance involved in this type of relationship, and it was made even more interesting by the fact that the love interest had such a prestigious career. I appreciated that we got to see Jesse's internal struggle with letting himself fall in love vs. his desire not to hurt his career or that of his bandmates.

Infamous is such an immensely satisfying, beautifully slow burn friends to lovers romance.

Jesse is an up and coming rock star when he meets Hunter on the train. As they meet and forge a connection while on the train, the seeds are planted for a beautiful relationship. But, one with obstacles, as Jesse may have acknowledged to himself that he's bi, but his soon to be acquired manager has absolutely no qualms in telling Jesse that if he wants him to take Jesse on, there will be no hints that Jesse's anything but a straight rock star. So for two years, two years after the connection was made, and put away never to be touched upon again, Jesse does his rock star thing, slamming up the charts with his band, and bam, Jesse and the Joyride are now big time. When Hunter ("Dr. Baby Silver Fox" is what Jesse calls him because of his prematurely gray hair) sees a poster of Jesse on his young patient's hospital room wall, he knows he has to do something. That thing is to use the email address Jesse exchanged with him two years ago, and asks Jesse if he'd have the time to come down to his hospital and make his patient's day. And bam again, that connection is forged once again, and a beautiful, solid friendship emerges.

But, both men are feeling something for each other, something more than best friends. Hunter doesn't want to hide back in the closet, refuses to be Jesse's secret from the world, from his band, from the record company's management, the way he was a secret to his ex's world. So Jesse has to make a decision - acknowledge who Hunter is to him and potentially lose his record contract and all his fans and his fame, or keep his rock star life and lose his best friend and lover.

I absolutely loved Infamous. It's so well written and well drawn. There are no cardboard cookie cutter characters here. Jesse and Hunter are both realistic (rock star persona aside) men who react and feel like the rest of us do. They love and despair like we all do. And they're such a delicious couple with a slow burn that honestly couldn't have been better written. Sometimes authors take the slow burn too far, put too much slow in the burn, but Jenny Holiday dances close to that line but never crosses it. She ratchets up the tension between the two and lets it all burn but never painfully. Well, that is until the inevitable pain we all experience when the one you love hurts you and you have to take yourself away to process. Even the way Hunter takes himself away, and where, is painful, but in such a realistic manner that I wasn't rolling my eyes or thinking he was being a drama llama, because he wasn't, he was just reacting in a familiar, human way. And the way Jesse gets his man back? Swoon. So swoony. Gah, I love these two - Dr. Baby Silver Fox and the hot rock star!

Even if you don't normally read MM fiction, I highly recommend you put Infamous on your TBR list because it's a beautiful friends to lovers story. It's heartfelt. It's sweet. It's sexy. And it's real. Can't ask for more than that in good (great) fiction.

I tried this book on a whim and it ended up being one of the best things I've read in a long time. Jesse is an up and coming rock star who gets caught by the tabloids kissing a guy. His agent tells him that if he plans to make it big he needs to push his bisexuality aside and only date women. Jesse decides success is totally worth the sacrifice.

What Jesse doesn't count on is Hunter. The two had met a few years before and Hunter works with critically ill children and has asked Jesse to visit one of them. From there the two men become good friends. At some point Jesse realizes he loves Hunter but he's not sure he can give up his career. Hunter loves Jesse too but he's not willing to go back in the closet for anyone.

I should have hated this book. I can not stand the "coming out for you cuz I love you" trope. I bash it in almost every review I've done w/it as a plot point. (It's such bs imo. Not everyone comes out. It's ok when people choose not to. It feels like the m/m equivalent of the m/f "I'm pregnant & therefore we will live hea") Anyways.......I'm a total hypocrite cuz I ate it up here. I absolutely loved these two and their relationship. It was such a well written friends to lovers story that I was able to put my dislike of that aside. The slow burn here was great. I loved that the author had them take the time to really build a solid friendship and relationship.

This is a totally new author for me and I'm really glad I tried this. It was one of the better written stories in this genre and I can't wait for more from this author. I'm also going to go back and read the first book in this series which is a m/f romance. I highly recommend this story. It's a gem.

**ARC received from publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

This book is actually pretty long, but it was never boring, it was actually really hard to put this down to sleep. These two together were exciting enough for me to have to see what happened next. For the first half of the book it was "when are they finally give in!" and then the second half was "when is Jesse going come out so they can be together, damn it!" and it was as frustrating as it was wonderful. It was a good kind of frustrating lol.

I loved pretty much everything about this novel - except the cover. I really enjoyed Ms. Holiday's 49th floor series...but had somehow gotten away from this author and missed some of her newest releases. I loved this opposites pairing with two men learning how to be in love and commit when the man of their dreams isn't quite what they dreamed of. Great story, characters and a nice low level of angst throughout, Infamous convinced me to give rock star romances (not my favorite trope) another try.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆☆☆
This story gave me all sorts of warm fuzzies and left me smiling for the rest of the day. Several of my favourite genre tropes are here – there’s a brooding bad boy rock star, a dedicated, solitary paediatrician, and a wonderful bromance that becomes something more.

When Hunter and Jesse first meet, they get drunk on a train together. The slightly geeky doctor and the wild child rocker aren’t an obvious match, but they work – and from the start, they make each other better. I loved the friendship that builds as Jesse becomes invested in Hunter’s patients.

Both Hunter and Jesse are complicated men and I love the slow burn chemistry between them. I love the easy dialogue between these two and I also love the slightly awkward moments as they attempt to join their lives together.

As much as I love the story, I’m not sure I fully believed the conflict in the book. Jesse is closeted professionally. In Canada. In 2017. Even one of Hunter’s young patients doesn’t get it – pointing out that gay marriage was legal in Ontario in 2004. The situation does add drama and tension – if not realism.

But ultimately, this is a character and relationship driven story and I loved the characters and their relationships. Jenny Holiday is a new author to me and I really love her writing. I’m definitely going to be looking for more of her work.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
4.5 stars of delicious hotness

The second book in the series, I read it as a standalone. I shall, however, be reading Famous when I get the time because Ms. Holiday's writing style is much to my liking.

This is a really well constructed story, which I have added already to my reread list. This is both because it is a super hot and cute story, but also because I know I read it at high speed, so much did I want everything to go the way I hoped.

I found the set up – with their first meeting on the train at a seminal point in both their lives – to be a really gorgeous start to a really lovely story. Whilst we know why Jesse is super cautious, we also know just how he feels, so we can only hang on and hope that the issues he finds to be difficult to address will be resolved. Even though the reason may be trite, he gave his word, and following the 'brand' advice has brought them success. I also loved that this barrier means that they become truly good friends, and that is incredibly valuable at setting up the future that they both deserve.

Some of the conversations with the bandmates, particularly early on, are very funny and seeing them away from the groupies and being decent guys is endearing in a 'bad boy' rock star novel. The hospital visits start out as a brilliant way of giving Jesse a chance to understand Hunter's world, and to make a difference without a fanfare.

Ms. Holiday does not disappoint with the way the story develops, and I urge you to add it to your reading list. I shall be looking out for future installments with great interest.

So... this is the first book by Jenny Holiday that I've read. Which also means that it must be the first book in her Famous series that I've read, even though it's the second book in the series. So... yeah, I did it again, and I make no apologies. I could give you the patent 'do as I say, not as I do' speech, but I honestly don't think skipping a book in this case is a really big deal. As far as I can tell, there's little reference to the first book in Infamous. Which marks the end of the confession part of this review...

Then there was Hunter and Jesse... I absolutely loved these two. They broke my heart, but I still adored them. Jesse did what he had to do to save his career, but he didn't do it just for himself. His decisions and actions affected the band so he made a decision that changed everything for him.

Hunter made some tough decisions too. He didn't want to live in the shadows any more. He wanted to be himself and not feel guilty for doing so. That put him and Jesse on opposite ends of life in general. He needed to be true to himself and Jesse needed to be true to everyone but himself.

Infamous covers a fairly long timespan. The closeness between Jesse and Hunter builds over several years and begins with a chance meeting. They're drawn together over one of Hunter's patients and their friendship takes off from there.

Over that time period a lot happens and a lot of emotions come into play. Jesse doesn't know how to keep Hunter at a distance and still 'keep' him. Hunter's afraid that he's reading Jesse all wrong and neither one of them realize just how much they mean to each other... and then...

Yeah, there were tears... happy tears, exasperating tears and heartbreaking tears. Being inside both these guys' heads was frustrating and beautiful. I had no idea how they would work things out, I just knew that they had to...

I'm not sure if I'll go back and read the first book in the series, but I do know that I'll be keeping my eye out for more books by Jenny Holiday.

I laughed, I cried, and I'm pretty sure I wanted to kick Jesse's ass a couple times. Not only are the two main characters wonderful and loveable and engaging, but the secondary characters (especially Jesse's bandmates) are great as well. Nothing earth-shattering in the way of plot (it played out pretty much like you'd imagine this trope would) but the writing was tight and immersive. Definitely a new author for my short list.

Review will appear in my end of the year mini review post on Friday 12/29/2017. Link will be added when review posts.

I very much enjoyed the first book in this series, Famous. Don’t worry if you somehow missed its release, you don’t have to read these books in order, as they can definitely be read as stand-a-lones.

Infamous is the story of a bad boy rockstar who gives up part of himself so that he and his band have the chance at hitting it big. When he makes the deal with his new manager, he is told very firmly that he needs to stay on the straight and narrow and that means no drugs, no out of control partying and definitely no hook-ups with men. He’s okay with this, until he meets a pediatric hospitalist who becomes his best friend and heart’s desire.

I really, really loved this book. I loved the relationship between Jesse and Hunter. Ms. Holiday builds it slowly by first developing a deep, true friendship and then letting their attraction for each other play out naturally. I honestly believed this couple’s fall into love and lust by the time they got there. Jesses is scared of what coming out means for his career, and Hunter is never going to be the man who hides in the closet for his lover ever again, so you can guess that there is a big moment when each have to decide what is important to them. My heart hurt for this couple so many times, but ultimately felt like they came out the other side with a bond and love for each other that made their HEA absolutely believable.

I’m hoping this author continues on with this series in the future. Final Grade- B+

A really touching and sweet romance about choosing between two different dreams. The bromance and growing attraction was realistic and very well written.

A fantastic slow-burn, friends-to-lovers read! While closeted rocker falls in love with nerdy regular guy isn't a new trope, Jenny Holiday gave it a fresh spin. I absolutely loved Jesse and Hunter, and the characters that surrounded them. Holiday did a wonderful job of continuity with a storyline that spans years and I look forward to reading more by her.

4.5 stars
I think “Infamous” is a wonderful story with great characters and I’m thrilled to have found a new and exciting author, Jenny Holiday. Her writing style really captures the joy and uniqueness of falling in love with the right person and all those confusing and troubling feelings of longing, anxiety and fear associated with it (plus other issues related to the main characters).
The friends-to-lovers trope is superbly written with a really slow burn romance, but lots of sexual tension.
I loved the characters: they’re vibrant, genuine and intense. Jesse and Hunter are really great guys: the charismatic and generous rock star and the devoted and hardworking pediatrician. And their interactions sound so authentic and heartwarming, I loved that they were so affectionate with each other even before (and beyond) sex.
The story moves smoothly and all the characters have a certain depth that enhance the plot.

4.5 Stars ~

I didn’t really research this book before I picked it up, based off the blurb, because I was in the mood for one of my favorite contemporary reads. I love music, and I love reading, so I get all kinds of happy when I can combine my two loves together. What I didn’t realize is that there was a book one. In fact, until I sat down to get the information to write this review, I hadn’t a clue since it reads as a stand-alone just fine. So, if you are on the fence about jumping into the middle, don’t be.

Something about a well-written friends-to-lovers story just gives me all the feels. Infamous did just that and so much more. The closeted rock star is not necessarily a unique trope, but the delivery of this story was exceptional. I fell hard for both Jesse and Hunter, and the build up from strangers to friends to more was perfectly paced and just what I needed.

The two meet and strike up a conversation as both of their worlds are getting ready to change—Jesse to stardom, Hunter leaving his ex behind and starting over in a new town. Their initial meeting is fleeting but memorable. Flash forward two years, and one little girl brings the two back into each other’s orbit. They start spending time together, and they connect in a way that neither has really experienced. The crux of their issue is that Hunter has set a boundary for himself—that he will never be hidden and forced into the closet, and Jesse … well, Jesse is in a closet of his own making. So much so that Hunter isn’t even initially aware that Jesse is anything other than straight.

Jesse’s character was one of my greatest surprises. As Hunter got to know him, and seeing him through Hunter’s eyes, really endeared him to me. His brand of “bad boy next door” worked. He was a risk taker; he had the charming personality; he knew how to work his narrative. But, beneath that was someone who truly cared for those around him, who loved the music he played, and who needed someone to, for once, take care of him.

Hunter, a pediatrician, is such an amazing person. As a Hospitalist he deals day in and day out with kids who are extremely ill. His heart is on his sleeve and he develops connections to those children, which can be devastating for him when the worst happens. He’s a workaholic and devoted to his profession. By nature, he is a nurturer and even in the smallest ways, he is constantly showing the genuinely kind person he is. But he also needs someone to break him out of the monotony, to help him make other experiences in life. To challenge him.

Hunter offers Jesse the caring Jesse desperately needs. At the same time Jesse breaks Hunter out of his tendencies to work himself to the ground. Their personalities are so different: Jesse with his rock star wardrobe and devil may care attitude. Hunter with his professional attire and quiet strength. They couldn’t be more different, yet they bring out the best in each other.

Their chemistry is immediate, but their relationship develops over time. I loved the slow-burn as Jesse struggled with his developing feelings for his best friend, while trying to stay within the brand he promised he would present. And Hunter, the attraction he constantly fought, thinking his best friend was straight but losing the battle as Jesse surprised him with his heart, time and time again. When the two finally give in, the setting was amazing and the buildup had been soooo worth it.

Of course, even after they finally express how they truly feel, there is still the issue of Jesse’s public image, and Hunter’s refusal to be a boy on the side again. I was very pleased with the execution of that portion of the plot. It had me biting my nails and on the edge of tears myself, as I was so connected with the two of them.

Really, the only thing that stands out as an issue for me was a couple of minor timeline inconsistencies that popped up; one of the characters indicated it was “months ago” since a specific situation occurred, but according to my math, it was eight days. Seriously it was soooo minor, but yeah, I had to be me and go make sure I didn’t miss something. And really, they were so insignificant it didn’t really bring me out of my enjoyment at all.

If you are in the mood for a heartwarming, slow burn romance with two wonderfully crafted characters who have a few obstacles to jump over on their way to HEA, give this one a shot. It rocked!

¡Oh, me encantó! Apenas leí la reseña de Infamous me pareció simplemente genial. Adoro los romances de superestrellas de rock y también los romances de amigos a amantes. Esta novela te ofrece ambas opciones, además de unos personajes extraordinarios.

Trama: Engancha. Es sencilla, interesante, divertida y tierna. Los diálogos fueron concisos y la historia nunca se volvió aburrida y tediosa. Además no hay dramas excesivos.

Personajes: Estuvieron bien desarrollados, sobretodo, Jesse y Hunter. Creo que fueron perfectos como personajes principales. Es inevitable no cogerles cariño desde el inicio. Los ame a ambos, pero mi favorito fue Hunter. Era imposible no ponerme de su lado. Sus sentimientos simplemente me llegaban. Además era el hombre perfecto.

Los personajes secundarios también hicieron un buen trabajo. Fueron adecuados. Me gustaron mucho los miembros de la banda, la hermana de Jesse y los niños del hospital.

Romance: En una palabra, adorable. Desde el principio, lo supe. Sabía que me encantaría y no me defraudo. NO insta-love, NO triángulo amoroso. Sólo Jesse y Hunter. Me gustó que su relación comenzará con ellos siendo amigos y luego, poco a poco, fuera desarrollándose. Eso hizo que su romance se sintiera muy real, además provocaba muchísima tensión. No podía dejar de leer. Quería que estuvieran juntos y fueran felices. A pesar de que Jesse y Hunter tenían personalidades diferentes, se complementaban muy bien. Disfruté tanto con ellos que hasta me sacaron algunas lágrimas.

En conclusión, Infamous es una de mis novelas favoritas de romance M/M este año. Disfruté mucho leyendo y estaría encantada de leer más sobre Jesse y Hunter.

4.5 Stars.

Infamous is a great friends to lovers romance with all the pleasure of the Rock Star theme as well.

Jenny Holiday hits all the right notes with this touching romance about Jesse, the rock star, and Hunter, the doctor.

Watching them become such close friends while crushing on each other is a joy. I love how Hunter's life as a doctor is shown to be as complex and important (maybe more in some ways) than Jesse's famous job as a singer and songwriter.

Jesse makes a choice early in this book not be out as bisexual in exchange for getting the agent he wants/needs to make his band successful. He also fears being out in terms of the damage it might due to his ability to make a living in music. Hunter won't be with another closeted man.

The conflicts is realistic as is the way there two men fall more and more in love until something has to give.

It is a slow burn romance with a number of compelling elements outside the romance.

I just loved Hunter and Jesse and the connection they had.

I am not sure that the last flash of drama was needed or that Jesse wouldn't have told Hunter that he was bi and the agreement he had made with his agent and that kept it from being a 5 Star read for me but every other moment made this a shining gem of a love story.

Can't wait for more in the series!

I was given this book for my honest review. So, there you have it!

As a reader obsessed with rock star romances, I was immediately captivated by the cover to this book and the smoldering lead singer desperate to live life on his own terms that’s depicted. From the first page to the last I was quickly consumed by this story and its familiar storyline that won me over wholeheartedly nonetheless.

Jesse Jamison’s fame is skyrocketing, but it’s his personal life that’s floundering. When first we meet him he’s indulging a bit too much and getting dumped by his girlfriend after pictures of him kissing someone else surface. It’s at that low point that he meets someone that will change his life irrevocably, a man that makes him question how he’s been living and becomes his muse that takes his band to the top of the charts. To reach those heights though he has to sell his soul, deny who he is, and live a life that’s manufactured. He’s able to keep up the charade for awhile but once he’s reunited with Hunter it’s clear that his life will change regardless of what his manager or his fans decide. He and Hunter become fast friends, finding a soul-deep connection that ends the loneliness they’ve both been feeling. But as time goes on those feelings turn romantic. Despite fears over what coming-out could mean for his band, the constant war raging in his heart can no longer be denied as it sets off a series of heartbreaking events that show Jesse who his real friends are and just how much Hunter means to him. Jesse’s an immensely appealing character full of charm and teeming with sensuality. He puts on a facade of being the sexy partying rock star, but he has a big heart of gold and deeply cares for those he calls friend. He’s torn by his feelings for Hunter, desperate to be honest and claim him out loud, and I ached for him in feeling he had to choose between his wants and needs. He’s the ideal rock star in many ways, and while I enjoyed seeing his bad boy rocker side, it’s the quiet moments between him and Hunter that I cherished the most. Their closeness was one based on mutual support and caring and it just felt right when they evolved from friends to lovers.

Hunter Wyatt just ended a decade’s long relationship with a man that kept him hidden from the world. He’s left alone and starting over and it’s at that point that he meets a man that will complete him. It’s a long journey to reach HEA though, a journey full of uncertainties and heartache that kept me fully immersed in all the highs and lows. Hunter’s a strong-willed character who refuses to be anyone’s secret ever again. He’s quiet yet commanding when it comes to standing up for what he needs and I admired him for that. Hunter has a big heart too and he and Jesse had a crackling connection teeming with sexual tension that was palpable. He was torn by his feelings, scared of ruining their rich friendship, but once they finally admitted the truth about how they both felt I squealed like a school girl.

This was a charming romance that moved at a very slow pace, almost too slow at the start especially. I enjoyed that time was taken to create a solid foundation between Jesse and Hunter which made their journey to HEA all the richer. Jesse’s fear of the damage coming-out might have on his career didn’t ring completely true though as times seem to be changing a bit. Media’s hot topic today is quickly forgotten tomorrow, so any negativity wouldn’t last long. Jesse and Hunter were a decadently delightful pairing. Their scenes together were full of heart and soul with dual POVs that gave us great insight into the thoughts and feelings they kept hidden. The music world was vividly depicted too, warts and all, showing a world based on fiction more than fact. It’s a cutthroat world where individuals sometimes have to sell their soul to reach the top, which is why I cheered when Jesse finally took control of his life. Jesse’s bandmates are a fun bunch, playful, with interactions that were brotherly in their mocking. I would’ve loved to see more of them as they were a good support to Jesse who had far too many people in his life wanting to use him and not wanting to see the man behind the image. I’d actually love to see them take center stage with stories of their own as the glimpses we got of them were very tempting. From start to finish this was a romance that kept me invested wholeheartedly as the intense emotions seeped into my heart and had me rooting for this likable couple to get their much-deserved HEA. Though this book is part of a series it stands strongly on its own and I look forward to what this author plans next.

This book is, quite simply, adorable.  Both Jesse and Hunter are refreshingly sweet, kind, good people, and reading this book felt like curling up under a fluffy blanket.

The two are, on the surface, complete opposites, but underneath are both caring, thoughtful men.  Jesse is your typical rock star, dressing in jeans and band T-shirts.  Hunter dresses impeccably, wearing a shirt and tie every day under his doctor's coat, and when invited to spend the weekend at Jesse's cabin with his band, dresses like he “packed for brunch in the Hamptons rather than slumming it with a rock band.”  While they seem like they should have nothing in common, they are both invested in presenting a certain image to the world and understand how deviating from that could hurt them.

I was a bit worried about the whole "Jesse in the closet" thing - so often these turn into very, very painful experiences for both the characters and the reader - but I thought it was handled well.  While Hunter realizes rather quickly that his feelings for Jesse go beyond friendship - "no crushes on straight guys" is something he says to himself more than once - Jesse is more confused and conflicted about how he feels for Hunter.  It's not shame, thank goodness, that keeps him from acknowledging and acting on his feelings, but rather fear of ruining his carefully cultivated bad-boy image and losing everything he and his band have worked years for.  And despite his expansive hook-up history, Jesse has basically no experience being in an actual relationship or in love, while Hunter was involved in a years-long closeted relationship.  Even without much experience, though, Jesse realizes that getting involved with Hunter secretly would be seriously harmful and just wrong.

“I just want someone awesome to love me—publicly.[...] Is that too much to ask?”
Also - consent done right!  While Jesse is bi, he hasn't had much sexual experience with men, and Hunter adorably - and sexily - keeps checking that everything they're doing is OK.  With all the current conversation on verifying consent, it was lovely to see it so well done.

As for cons, without going into spoilers, when Hunter fears that Jesse will refuse to acknowledge any sort of relationship between them, he does something that felt completely out of the blue unexpected, and something that could have had life-altering consequences seemingly on a whim.  It's not that it was something that I saw as out-of-character for Hunter, just that it felt like that particular choice was made in reaction to Jesse's betrayal and not for any other reasons.

Overall, I just cannot get over how adorably sweet this book was.  After finishing it, I walked around for the rest of the day with a smile on my face.  So, if you're looking for the perfect antidote to 2017, this book is for you!