3.5/5 ⭐️

Thank you Netgalley for the arc!

I’m a sucker for a rockstar romance, so when I saw this one was inspired by Hozier I knew I wanted to read it. This book follows Clementine who ends up singing backup on tour for popular Irish musician named Halloran. While on tour, Halloran and Clementine develop feeling for one another and have to navigate both their complicated feelings, and everything concerning the tour.

Overall, this was a good book. I loved the chronic pain and mental health rep in this! I also really loved the sense of found family among the band and backup singers. You really got the sense that they were a close knit bunch from the beginning. And especially in the epilogue.

Although, I really wish this book didn’t play into the whole mysterious, woodland creature, bog man idea of Hozier. It felt like every other sentence was mentioning forests, myths, etc.

Thank you for allowing me to read this ARC copy of If Not For My Baby. First off I want it known I will read anything Kate Golden writes. I love her characters and the way she tells her stories. I enjoyed this stand alone just as much as her Sacred Stone Trilogy. I didn't realize how badly I needed a "rock star" romcom in my life. It was so fresh and fun. I found myself relating to Clementine so much. I too am 'self sufficient' and have a hard time letting others help me when I need it. So I was learning with her throughout the book while she navigated her relationship with her friends, mom, & Tom aka Hollaran. This is a 5 star read for me and I already have my copy preordered. Thank you again.

I love a good rock star romance. There are some things I really enjoyed about this story but it also had a lot of pacing issues. The opening scene is kind of terrible and paints Clementine in a way that she fails to be in the rest of the story. It’s 20% of the way into the story by the first time she actually talks with her MMC. The vibes are good and the story starts to build from there. There are like 2 spicy scenes and then the story hits fast forward and we don’t see what they’re actually up to in the present. The characters had a lot of deep conversations, but sometimes it felt kind of pretentious. I also felt like, from the moment Clem and Tom started an actual friendship, it became weird that she still referred to him in her thoughts as his artist’s name.

I did really like the Tom character. He is steadfast and compassionate and has buckets full of patience for a very flighty woman. That said, it could not be said that he is written to be anyone but Hozier. At times it felt a little too fan fiction-y. From his artists name to his look, country of origin, style of music lyrics, height, Tom is Hozier. It would have been nice if he was “like” the artist while actually being the author’s own creation.

I did like that the expectation wasn’t that Clem would drop her life to follow Tom around, that she was encouraged to find her own dreams. She is meant to be finding her strength and identity through the story, which is why the 3rd act breakup brought on by a mean girl felt poorly planned and kind of undid the lovely feminist support the story had up to that point.

If Not for My Baby

5⭐️ | 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️

This book perfectly captures the all-consuming thrill of falling in love for the first time. You know that giddy rush of late-night texts, the secret stolen moments when you keep it all to yourself just to make it feel even more special. And then, when people finally find out, it somehow makes everything more intense and real. Yeah, this book nails that feeling. It’s full of butterflies, the raw sincerity of true love, and the heartbreak that inevitably comes with it.

Blurb:

Clementine Clark never expected to swap her small-town life for sold-out stadiums, but joining Irish rock sensation Thomas Halloran on tour changes everything. Singing backup for the brooding, poetic star is exhilarating—but it’s Thomas himself who truly throws her off balance.

As late-night rehearsals turn into stolen moments, their connection deepens, blurring the lines between music and something more. But love on tour is never simple. With the world watching, Clementine and Thomas must decide—are they just a fleeting melody, or a song that’s meant to last?

Tropes to swoon over:
🎸 Rockstar romance
☘️ Irresistible Irish accent
💘 Hopeless romantic MMC vs. cynical FMC
😍 He falls first—and hard
🛡️ Protective MMC
💋 The most swoon-worthy chaste kiss EVER

Clementine and Thomas' forced proximity blossoms into a slow-burn romance that is as healing as it is electrifying. Every glance, every lyric, and every stolen moment between them is laced with tension and longing. But what truly makes their love story unforgettable is Thomas himself—his quiet patience, his unwavering support, and the way he sees Clementine even when she struggles to see herself. He never pushes, never demands—just waits, offering her the space to work through her fears while showing her, in every small but meaningful way, that she’s worth the risk. His tenderness is heartbreakingly beautiful, making their romance feel like pure poetry. And with a found family that adds depth and warmth, this book doesn’t just give you butterflies—it completely steals your heart. I never wanted it to end!

I'm genuinely torn because I love the Clem part of the story and hate the Halloran part, which is a pretty weird feeling for a romance novel. Honestly, I might recommend it to friends who AREN'T Hozier fans.

As a fan, this was WAY too close to being Hozier throughout the first half of the book. It feels like Clementine is falling in love with a caricature of Hozier. Eventually — though WAY too late — the differences between Hozier and Halloran become clear as Clem starts to fall for him. Halloran is the rock star who the fans have idealized (and happens to be weirdly similar to Hozier), and Tom is the real and flawed man that Clem is in love with.

The last quarter of the book? Chef's kiss. The emotional journey Clem goes on while falling in love and learning about herself is beautiful. The writing is lovely, and I do actually want to pick up Kate Golden's other books. So while this isn't exactly what I'm going to recommend to people, I am still excited to read more from Golden.

Wow this book!!! Everyone add it to your TBR! It’s a must and you will fall in love with Tom and Clem like I did 😍.

This book made me feel so giddy inside. Kate did a great job at writing this book. It was so descriptive I felt like I was watching a movie. I had a lot of LOL moments and especially loved TOM. The yearning !!!!

I want to reread it again it was so good.

Brief synopsis:

Clementine, a talented singer caring for her ailing mother, who gets a life-changing opportunity to join Irish megastar Halloran's US tour as a backing vocalist, leading to a passionate and unexpected romance.

Quote:
“His voice, even holier. I am a believer. I am reformed. If that’s the kind of worship he sings about, I will gladly be on my knees morning and night.”

“Life will sabotage your dreams enough. Why do it yourself?”

“To be loved is to be known-the worst of you, the best of you.”

Spice:
🌶️🌶️🌶️

If I had to describe this book in three words, they'd be: poetic, magical and beautiful.

A tale as old as time, a rockstar and his back up singer. You're probably wondering how one could spice up our beloved trope? Well, ask Kate Golden and take notes, because that's exactly what she did.

"All I know that I need him. Physically, religiously, unspeakably."

Clementine Clark, a woman that's afraid of change and opening up to people, makes a leap of faith and takes her friend's place in the upcoming Tom Halloran US tour. Not only will it be her first time singing in front of so many people, it'll be her first time traveling the states and leaving her mom. Clem's growth is palpable during the story. She starts off as this closed-off small town girl and slowly grows to accept who is as a person and outside world. Clementine learns about friendships, love and, sadly, how cruel the outside world is. And even though she says she's not a romantic, deep down we all know she is.

Tom Halloran, a world renown superstar, is ready to end it all. The tour, the music, the endless lonely nights on tour - they don't seem to bring joy anymore. But then he hears his new back singer sing on stage for the first time. That's when Tom picks up a piece of paper and goes hunting for a pen to write from the heart again. His hunt is unsuccessful, some might say, because Halloran overhears Clem talk on the phone to her failed sexting link and the world gains color again,

"When you introduced yourself to me I thought you were an angel... Come down from on high to ruin my life."

They try to stay away from each other, but the pull is just too much for them. Tom tries his best to show Clem what falling in love really feels like, but she's too skittish. One wrong move and she'll be gone.

The prose is truly magical. The way Kate Golden is able to capture intimate moments shared between two loving people amazes me. Not only do our main characters feel realistic, but so do supporting characters. The tour bus feels alive, buzzing with excitement before the show, and relaxing afterward. Even the main conflict feels perfect for the entertainment industry.

In other words, please read this book. It is an absolute out of body experience that had me giggling, kicking my feet and smiling to myself just thinking about them. And this is your reminder to never stop chasing your dreams.

While I did enjoy this book, I have realized that I do not enjoy fan-fiction about real people.

I really liked Halloran’s character, and i can’t say I know much about Hozier but it just felt like an EXACT replica of him and idk it felt weird ???? I tried to block it out as much as I could and in those moments I did enjoy the romance and the story itself. I liked the subtle intimacy between him and Clem though, and I haven’t read many music/singer romances so I did enjoy that aspect of the story. I just don’t think this type of fan fiction is for me unfortunately 🌝 could very well be a ME problem because I can see why people would love this! Just not my cup of tea I guess 🫣

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an ARC of this novel. All opinions are honest and my own.

It’s official. Kate Golden has become a new insta-read author for me.

I’m going to be 100% honest here - I don’t usually go for rockstar romances.

But after reading and absolutely LOVING Golden’s writing in The Sacred Stone’s trilogy (and the way she brought to life the characters) I couldn’t pass on her newest novel.

‘If Not for my Baby’ is a Hozier inspired romance… and going into this I didn’t know ANYTHING about Hozier. Seriously. I didn’t even know he was Irish until I read his Wikipedia page 4 days ago.

However, I’m now not only a fan of rockstar romances… I’m also a Hozier fan because of Golden’s fictionalized version of him.

That’s the power of Kate Golden’s writing.

It put me through the wringer in the best possible way. I cried, I cringed, I got butterflies, and I stayed up way too late reading.

PUB DATE: August 5, 2025

SUGGESTED SNACK PAIRING: hot tea (Barry’s of Lyons - but I won’t spoil the book and tell you which), or chicken enchiladas

Triggers: sexual harassment, chronic illness/pain, depression, (brief) suicidal thoughts, alcohol use, drunk driving, abandonment, death, grief, injury detail, violence


A link to my review will be posted to my Instagram closer to pub date

Thank you so much for the arc of If not for my baby @kategoldenauthor
@berkleyromance
I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH This hozier inspired rockstar romance was such a cute read with the dynamic of a love-averse girl and a golden retriever introvert hopeless romantic. I LOVED the mmc Halloran and how sweet he was to Clementine, there was not a toxic bone in this man's body. His introverted ways definitely resonated with me and I really loved reading about a different sort of mmc than I'm used to, his sweetness was refreshing, I loved that there was some fibromyalgia rep as well! I read this through the cyclone with no power so when i found out the mmc had an Irish accent - I couldn't imagine what it sounded like in my head so I had my boyfriend make his best attempt and it helped
Overall such a cute fun read ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Here are some of the tropes:
rockstar romance
sneaking around
Irish accent mmc
"get your hands off her"
he falls first
forced proximity on a tour bus
spicy

I had heard rumor that this was Hozier fan fiction. And let me tell you that is exactly what this is. There’s actual quotes from Hozier in it. I was slightly weirded out. I thought they meant fan fiction based on lyrics not the man himself! Also no hate to wattpad and ao3 but this just reads like something off of one of those sites. No I grew up reading those sites so again no hate but not what I expected. And on top of it all Clementine infuriated me the majority of the book so that didn’t help.

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance & Netgalley for the arc!!

If Not For My Baby is a musician romance, heavily inspired by Hozier. It follows Clementine as she joins musician Tom Halloran on his tour, subsequently allowing her to follow her dream of pursuing a career in music!

I enjoyed both Clem & Tom's characters a lot & thought they both carried way more depth than I expected! Between Clem's outlook on love and where it comes from, her mothers diagnosis, and her insecurities and Tom's story, the loss he's experienced, and how life in the spotlight effects him. I enjoyed getting to know these two!!! I thought that had a decent amount of chemistry, there was definitely a bond between these two, but I personally wished there was a bit more development there! That being said, i did enjoy their romance and getting to see them both find comfort & safety to be themselves with each other!!!

I haven't read many musician romances, so I wasn't entirely sure what to expect with this one! I loved the music aspect and the entire bands dynamic. This is definitely VERY heavy on the Hozier inspiration, and in a lot of ways read like a fanfic, which i didn't mind since i was huge on one direction fanfiction when i was younger.

I do understand some of the criticisms on this book, and while I may not have felt the same way while reading, I can see where people are coming from! I do think that Kate Golden took a pretty respectful route with Tom's character, seeing as it was very similar to Hozier & the Hozier the public is able to see. This one may not be for everyone but i do encourage you to give it a shot and form your own opinions/experience!

The definition of a 3 star read. Now that I’ve read it, would I buy it or reread it? No. But it was fine.

Loved the writing. I would read more by this author. The banter / conversations between the main characters was so good.

The FMC was absolutely annoying though. So unrelatable and kinda stupid. The jealousy for his ex’s that were all made up in her head was actually concerning.

I liked the MMC. He was so wise and sweet. My only gripe with him was the insta-love. I wish the romance had progressed differently.

The third act was predictable and boring, just like the FMC. So I guess it fit, but I still didn’t like it.

I just did not connect with this story, and while I did like the author’s writing, I could have stopped at any point in this book and been fine with never finishing it.

Thank you Berkley Publishing and Kate Golden for the gifted e-ARC. Opinions are my own.

If Not For My Baby is a treat for anyone who loves a good rockstar romance, and yet at the same time it's also a breath of fresh air!

It follows Clementine, a young woman living in a small town with a mother in need of expensive clinical treatments and deeply disillusioned about love. In order to help her mom, she's even set aside her dreams of making it big in the musical scene. Everything changes, however, when a friend presents her with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: join rockstar Tom Halloran on tour as his backup singer. Clem's life changes drastically from one day to another, but nothing takes her more by surprise than Tom himself. He's a romantic, a poet, an introvert, and their chemistry on and off stage is undeniable. But will it be enough to change Clem's heart?

Look, I love Kate Golden (Fantasy Author Version), but I absolutely need more of Kate Golden (Romance Author Version) too! This book had all the wittiness and humor that I love in the contemporary romance genre, but it was also very different from what I've grown to expect in a rockstar romance. There's no room for girls vs girls to claim to rockstar's heart, or for a broody, tattooed, unavailable man to change his ways here. Tom Halloran is the definition of a green flag, and even if you don't think that's your fictional type, trust me, falling in love with this man is unavoidable. It's not every day you read of a man who wears his heart on his sleeve, who lives his emotions openly even when he knows there's a risk of pain, and who loves so fully and patiently. The dynamic between Tom and Clem worked perfectly! She's a Bolter (and oh, how this grated on my patience sometimes), he knows it, he calls her out on it, and instead of pushing her away he repeatedly holds out his hand. A DREAM MAN. The romance was sweet and passionate, absolutely everything one could hope for in a Hoziermance.

One of the things that stood out to me the most was how relatable the characters are in this book. Clem--flaws and all--is someone many readers will be able to relate to. She has real problems, real fears, real insecurities, and even Halloran, despite his superstar status, is just a normal guy. It was a great reminder that celebrities are humans too, and even though it's not likely that any of us will be living a romance with our celebrity crushes anytime soon...for the space of these 300 pages it feels good to dream.

2.5 stars. The .5 is because I was able to finish it. The romance is okay, but the third act breakup is incredibly contrived. Clementine Clark does not communicate like an adult which is particularly obvious toward the end of the novel where she finds herself upset that Halloran has a dating history. This upset is only assuaged through learning that the muse is dead. It’s strange.

Halloran is, obviously, a tall man, and the author leans heavily on the implications that come with that. She further reiterates this point through making Clementine point out how she’s a small itty bitty baby girl *during the sex scenes*, which I found to be incredibly off putting, but I know there’s a market for that.

I want to say that this book works for Hozier fans who want to have sex with him, but even then, I am iffy on it because the author makes it a point to poke fun overzealous fans several times throughout the novel, which is confusing because that would alienate the target audience for this book.

For Hozier fans who are skeptical of this book, I would recommend skipping it. It is clear that the author wrote this novel based on the writing from Unreal, Unearth, and it seems like she took her interpretation of the album—and Hozier’s previous work—from TikTok. It’s quite reductive and hyper-focuses on the myth of Orpheus without any real depth to that focus.

I found the entire thing to be really strange to read. I’m sure its audience is out there, and I am just not a part of it, but I hope the author did not alienate them by throwing unnecessary punches at them.

Thank you Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars ─ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆

Well, I finally got to read it!! I swear I've been waiting MONTHS!

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

If Not for My Baby follows down-on-her-luck Clementine, a waitress currently making ends meet trying to care for her mom. She gets the opportunity of a lifetime to be a background singer to Irish folk singer-songwriter, Halloran. A cynic when it comes to love, she has to guard herself against the the soulful, introverted Halloran, or she may just get more than she bargained for...

Read if you like:
─Single POV
─Rock star MMC
─He-falls-first
─Age gap (24 FMC, 32 MMC)

I enjoyed Halloran's character! I'm a sucker for a good famous MMC. I think this is a product of having been a teen during the 2010s. What a time. I much prefer an MMC who is kind and introverted to the classic violent-asshole-manwhore archetype that so many books have going on these days.

Clementine was also a very believable character. A lot of the conflict in this book stems from her own gripes about love and relationships and sex. That can get old real fast, but the author did a good job of making it feel natural and reasonable considering how Clementine grew up.

My biggest gripe with the book is how fast the romance progressed. There was yearning, (love a good yearning), but this felt a little premature. Listen, I love a gone man as much as anyone else, but it needs to feel earned. I want to see the build. The tension. The slow realization. This ended up feeling a little love-at-first-sight, which does it for some people, but not really for me.

Also, I hate reading lyrics in books. I don't know why, but I refuse to do it. They could be the most beautiful lyrics of all time and I would skip right over them. So, I couldn't tell you how good Halloran's songs are. This is in no way a reflection of the book, I do this whenever I encounter lyrics. Or poetry. I think there's something wrong with me 😂

Overall, this was definitely worth the read! I would recommend this to anyone who had a parasocial relationship with a celebrity in their childhood. (Come on, I know we all had at least one. Nothing to be ashamed of.) Keep an eye out for when it releases August 5th!

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for providing me early access to If Not for My Baby in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
Pre-read:
A rockstar and his background singer fall in love? Sign me up 👀

Edit: AHHHH!!! NetGalley approved me!!!

When first beginning this book I understood it to be loosely inspired by Hozier, in the sense that this is an Irish Musician who has a love affair with a member of his band, someone who was invited to sing along side him while on tour. However I think in so many ways this book just did not hit the mark.
- this feels like hozier fan fiction, but if hozier was a little dirtier than her outwardly portrays himself to be.
- if this book is based on hozier, he as an individual cares very much about the history of Ireland and for the author not to mention a key personality trait of this person they are trying to create a fictional story about, feels like they didn’t do the necessary research beforehand.
- the writing of this novel felt incredibly juvenile
- the age gap didn’t necessarily bother me but I don’t believe it was done well. Creating two characters with years between them and at two drastically different places in life. They didn’t have very meaningful conversations and I believe that to be a factor.

AHHHH ok listen!!! am i a big fan of rockstar romances? no. BUT I AM A BIG FAN OF KATE GOLDEN ROCKSTAR ROMANCES🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️

i am so happy to say i enjoyed this book way more than i anticipated to simply because this subgenre isn’t typically my jam BUT i absolutely adore kate’s other books so i knew if anyone could get me to enjoy my time reading one it was her!!!

while i admit i don’t know anything about hozier other than a few songs (and that he’s ragingly hot after making this edit, wtf??) so i fear i probably missed a lot of cute little nods to him. i fell in love with tom SO fast, he was so swoony and romantic that it made me want to actually run to see what the hype was surrounding the real version 🤭

i freaking LOVED clem, she felt so real and relatable. she did annoy the heck out of me from time to time (bc i am her, lbr) she was witty as hell and had me cackling out loud often, i absolutely loved the way she loved her people.

i really enjoyed the dynamic between these two, tom was never afraid of calling clem out on her bolter bs and he did so with the utmost love and respect. their love felt so intense yet so soft at the same time which idk if that makes sense but to me it does. the emotional depth between the two of them was *chefs kiss*. they were fun and flirty but also real and raw!!!

the found family we get to see between clem and her new band mates (most of them anyway) was EVERYTHING. it was honestly refreshing to see women just getting along and not having to compete and pit eachother against one another. i loved every tour bus moment, or when the girls would help clem get ready. it was just so fun 🥹

if you are a fan of DJ&T6, a star is born, fleetwood mac (minus the toxicity of these first three things), and obviously hozier then this book is quite literally for you!!! i can’t recommend it enough 🥰

Listen, if Kate Golden writes it, I’m going to read it! But watching her branch into a new genre and absolutely smashing it was something special. To be able to write something so different, in such a way that showcases everything we love about her writing style, is truly an example of how much she has mastered her craft.

It was so fun to go on this tour with Clementine and Halloran. I found Clem deeply relatable, which is something that always draws me in deeper when reading a romance. Halloran is the perfect quiet, introverted rockstar who meshed so well with our FMC. I felt like these two brought the best out in each other.

Please put this one on your radar! I can’t wait till this one hits shelves so more people can have as much fun as I did reading it.

Pick this one up if you like:

-Rockstar romances
-Hozier vibes
-Irish accents
-Slow burn romances with spicy happy endings
-Growth and coming into your own
-Romance on the road

This was surprisingly cozy and low angst for a rockstar romance and i'm not mad about that. I loved the chronic illness rep we got and how both of our MC's were healing in their own ways. The lyrics were such a great touch and the epilogue was lovely. It just felt like a soft, cozy hug and a cup of Barry's tea!

Thank you so much to Berkley Publishing Group for my ARC!

3.75/5