Love a bad boy who is a total cinnamon roll for his girl, and Rome was definitely that for Lili!

Their story was a super cute and quick listen, with just enough spice to keep it interesting!

4⭐️ 2🌶️ 5🎧 This was such a good book with villains that took their role seriously! Lili’s mom and ex...simply infuriating!

I loved Rome! He was such a bad boy on the outside, but such a softy on the inside, especially when it comes to Lili. Lili and Rome both had such traumatic childhoods, it was so wonderful to watch them grow from their past experiences and move forward in life towards each other.

This was my first time listening to Desiree Ketchum and Connor Brown and thought they did a fantastic job narrating this story.

I really wish I had been Introduced to this series earlier! I must read all the others ASAP because what! I’m obsessed!

Not terrible, but not super awesome either. It’s a perfect ballerina and a bad boy rocker romance. It was very lust driven. The transitions were awkward at times and made me confused where the story was going. I wouldn’t read it again.

Overall the book was ok. It was your typical bad boy meets good girl scenario and just goes from there. It was a quick cute story with a little spicy. I feel like it was missing so much. The book had a TON of potential and could’ve been such a great read. I think there could’ve been more drama to make it more interesting and give them reader some excitement. It could’ve gone in so many directions but it just felt like you skimmed along then book HEA without much happening. If you’re looking for a quick cute read then this will be good, but if you’re looking for something with some drama… omg moments…. Or heartbreak, this isn’t it.

Worth the Trouble
by Eva Simmons
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Story & Narration)
🌶️🌶️🌶️ (Spice level: Steamy with substance)

Review:
This was a high-sizzle, emotionally grounded romance between a rock star with a bruised past and a ballerina trapped in a high-society world. Rome is all rough edges and unexpected tenderness, while Lily is poised and polished on the surface—with a quietly rebellious streak underneath. Their chemistry builds through a series of “chance” meetings that become very intentional, very fast.

Rome really shines here—emotionally layered, a bit broken, but still fiercely lovable. The romance is as much about self-acceptance as it is about steamy tension (and yes, there’s plenty of that too).

Narration-wise, both voices were strong. It took me a beat to adjust to the male narrator—he didn’t scream “rock god” at first—but his delivery grew on me, especially as he shifted between characters with ease.

Tropes I loved:
🎸 Opposites attract
🎭 Forbidden romance
📍 Fate-driven run-ins
💞 Emotional past
💃 Rock star × ballerina (yes please)

———————

If you’re into romances with unlikely pairings, found freedom, and just enough spice to fog up your earbuds, Worth the Trouble is… well, worth it.

Rome Moreno is a rock god but he started off by thinking I was a stripper and asked me to ride his lap. Not exactly how you impress a dance princess who lives by the clock I sold my soul to pay for my dreams and Rome with his tattoos and scars shakes up my carefully planned life. One taste of forbidden fruit and things get messy I thought I had nothing left to lose but I was wrong. Cute story but it did not fully win me over

Thank you to NetGalley & Tantor audio for the ALC!

I think that this had potential for sure, but execution wasn’t the best! I did find myself enjoying this, but I do have a few things to mention.

First, I feel like the pacing of the narration was off, but very possible that that’s just a ME problem.
Second, I feel like I wanted Lily’s mom to apologize better/more for the way she was treated.
Third, something should have happened to Von, he got let off wayyyyy too easy for my liking.

I DO like when a man is a player and then turns his life around for her, big fan of that. I love that she didn’t judge him, based on his past. I do see why other people loved it though!

**I also didn’t realize that it was the 4th book in the series when I requested it, oopsies**

It is definitely a book I went in to with an open mind. I’ve only ever read one other Rock Star book and it is one of my most favorite books. So I had to make sure I didn’t compare that to this one. I am so happy I didn’t have Rome is definitely an amazing man! Sure he acts like the play boy and plays the role, but deep down, he is a man with a broken heart. And then you have Lili that is just as broken thanks to her parents but no one knows. These two open each other up and become part of each others souls. It was definitely a good read!

Just another insta lust smut book that attempts to create deeper characters by giving them issues that are only occasionally addressed. Read it for the smut, not the romance.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7567444593

Overall I loved the story. Rockstar romance is one of my favorite genres. It took me a bit to get used to the male narrator but after I did he fit Rome. The female narrator was absolutely brilliant. Desiree Ketchum is always a fantastic choice of a female narrator.
There were some production issues such as a burp I heard and some pauses that did not seem natural and some of the clicks marking places were heard. That I am sure is easily fixed.
The story again was good. Two broken pieces coming together to form an unbreakable relationship. Rome was the the playboy band member that slept with woman and used other things as therapy.
Enter a gorgeous dancer that he mistakes as a stripper. She’s got a personality that intrigues him and challenges him. Of coarse they meet again when her car breaks down and he happens to be driving by and what do you know, they are neighbors. Good girl meets bad boy, enemies to lovers, rock star romance are just a few tropes in this book that I enjoyed.
I definitely plan to read about the other 3 bandmates and their stories. I am giving the story a 4 star but few things do need fixed before release.

Truly enjoyed listening to this book so much. Rome was the best MMC.

I was so intrigued by the first chapter it was so hard to stop listening.

Thank you NetGalley and Eva Simmons for allowing me to listen to this ALC.

This dual narration audiobook was a fantastic listen. Being the fourth book in a series, I had reservations about not understanding the world enough to enjoy this book but I was proven wrong. The narrators did an excellent job of bringing the characters to life and injecting them with personality, making them feel so lifelike and believable.

The romance was gentle and engaging, a truly beautiful love story. Both characters face struggles that neither want to show to the other but find themselves slowly becoming more vulnerable with each other, opening up and sharing the burden.

To watch our MMC, Rome, fall head over heels was such fun, seeing him begrudgingly admit that he was obsessed with Lily had me giggling and kicking my feet.
Lily falling for her polar opposite in Rome was such a healing experience, watching her realise life is more than what she’s been forced into over the years felt very special.

I will absolutely be starting this series from the beginning.

I’d give it 4.5 stars but was very fast paced. But I love the story none the less. I can’t wait to finish the series!

ARC AUDIOBOOK REVIEW– Worth the Trouble by Eva Simmons

I think Worth the Trouble is a solid book, but I probably would’ve connected with it more if I’d read the physical copy. The story itself kept my attention, and I did enjoy it overall—but the audiobook experience didn’t quite hit it for me.

The main issue was the narration setup. The male and female narrators had noticeably different pacing. I found myself constantly adjusting the speed depending on who was speaking, and that pulled me out of the story every time the POV changed.

Another thing that didn’t work for me: during their own chapters, each narrator voiced the other character, which isn’t uncommon, but here, it just didn’t flow. It felt off—like I was listening to two versions of the same person trying to do impressions of each other, rather than a natural back-and-forth. It killed some of the chemistry and emotional buildup that the book itself was trying to deliver.

So while I liked the plot and can see myself enjoying it more in print, the audiobook narration made it harder to immerse myself fully.

Loved the character development ,
Not big on angst but the spice made up for it . They did trauma bond but the development of their relationship had me locked into the book. Definitely my favorite out of the

I love rockstar romances and then there's also a dancer!! Sounds like my perfect book! I devoured this audiobook in 24 hours and fell in love with Rome and Lili and their character development. The narrators were fabulous and really brought the characters to life. I haven't read the rest of the series but am immediately going back to read them now.

I loved this book <3 It was so beautifully crafted and I adored Rome and Lili's relationship.

Rome, the “Riff King,” is a complex character battling his demons behind a wild, hard-partying image, while Lili’s disciplined ballerina life hides her own struggles with control and vulnerability. Watching these two imperfect souls collide and slowly peel back their walls to find trust and healing is what makes this story stand out 💗

The spicy scenes in this book were soooooo good. The desire they had for each other made my heart MELT.

“He takes my air, my life, my heart. His ink might as well crawl from his skin and seep into my own. Because I’ll never escape him.” (like COME ON 🥰)

Reading about both characters growth was truly incredible—Rome’s journey from self-destruction to confronting his past felt authentic and moving, and Lili’s strength in embracing vulnerability added real emotional weight. Their relationship is raw, passionate, and layered with tension and tenderness, which keeped me completely hooked!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Another 5 star read. I mean at this point why wouldn't it be? I really loved Rome and Lili. Desiree Ketchum and Connor Brown did an amazing job narrating their story. I love rockstar romances and Eva did an amazing job as always. I will definitely be going back to read the first three in this series! Thank you to Netgalley, Tantor Audio and Eva Simmons for allowing me to listen to an ALC of, Worth the Trouble!!

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up to 4 ⭐️
This is book four in the series but can be read as a stand-alone. This is the first one that I have read, and there are spoilers, so I would recommend reading the others first. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Desiree Ketchum and Connor Brown, who did a fantastic job bringing the characters to life.
This is the story of Lili Chen, who is a professional dancer who lives a very strict and regimented life, controlled by her mother and the dance studio. She has no freedom and no sense of self. Then she meets the famous rockstar (who she does not recognize), Rome Moreno. What ensues is a tale of dealing with your demons, self-acceptance, and love.
Overall, I liked the story and how she wrote the characters. There were several inconsistencies with the story that really stuck out to me, but I tend to notice these things. Otherwise, it was an enjoyable read.