This was a perfect rockstar romance!

When Clementine is given the opportunity of a lifetime to take her friend's place as a back-up singer on Halloran's tour, she does so reluctantly. Having spent her years suppressing her ambitions to take care of her mother, Clem finally steps out on her own. Tom Halloran is the epitome of the tortured, soulful singer-songwriter genius. He's made his name unpacking heartbreak and knows it well. Painfully reserved, until he unleashes his magic on stage, Halloran is about to fall for the one girl determined to save herself from ever having her heart broken.

The thing that I most loved about "If Not For My Baby" was the fresh take on the rockstar persona that Tom's character embodied. As someone who prefers a "green flag" guy, his introspective nature and gentleness with Clem was so beautiful. As opposed to the high ego, womanising rockstars that I've read in other books of this genre.

Clementine was also a beautifully written character, with her fatal flaw of being scared to risk her heart providing the perfect tension. I also loved that she was a Musical Theatre lover. The chemistry between the characters had me. The first scene when they really speak for the first time in front of the hotel vending machine will live rent free in my mind.

Kate Golden's prose was so atmospheric and beautiful and really made me feel like I could hear the music and feel it's emotional impact on the characters. I can't wait to sell out other work from this author.

The tropes
🎸 Rockstar X Back-Up Singer
🇮🇪 Irish MMC (can I say, quite Hozier coded...)
❤️ He falls first
🚍 Found family on tour
🌶️ Yes
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

𝑹𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒄. 𝑷𝒐𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒄. 𝑴𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍.

★🎸🎧⋆｡ °⋆ Idk what it is, but I’ve been on a music romance high for a while. This is probably the third one I’ve read… anyways it was good. I haven’t read any of Kate Golden’s books before (even though I have her fantasy series), but I found it sweet and had the slowest of slow burns I’ve ever read. Texas girl Clementine and Irish Rockstar Tom will be a romance to remember.

❤️‍🔥 Sensual
☘️ Age gap
🎸 Small town girl x rockstar
❤️‍🔥 Slow Burn
☘️ Cynical (her) x Hopeful (him)
🎸 Proximity

જ⁀➴ Overall, it was enjoyable. Though it’s probably just me, but it felt like it dragged in some parts of the book which is why I stopped reading at one point. But once I got into it again, I manage to fly through it.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for the ARC.

As soon as I saw the cover, I knew I had to read this, and I ended up finishing it all in one sitting. If it’s not already obvious from the cover, this book is basically a Hozier fanfic, with the MMC clearly inspired by him. I don’t really know much about Hozier beyond the fact that he’s a beautiful man who writes absolute masterpieces, so I can’t say how closely the character matches him. I’m a total sucker for a rockstar romance, and this completely lived up to my expectations. Bonus points, of course, because he’s Irish.

The story had so much more depth than I was expecting. It follows Clem and Tom as they fall in love, with music being a huge part of their bond, and I loved them so much. Their relationship felt so natural and full of emotion, and the book also explored some deeper themes that made their connection even stronger.

I have to say I was fully flustered and intimidated when Tom was first introduced. That quiet confidence in his early scenes with Clem?? I was not prepared. But as we got to know him, he turned out to be so sweet, romantic, and just full of passion.

I usually hate lyrics in books (I know, I know, it’s a rockstar romance, I should’ve expected them), but honestly the lyrics in this were beautiful. They felt sensual, melodic, and actually fit the tone of the book, which is rare. Even the way Tom spoke, especially to Clem, felt lyrical, so full of emotion you could tell this man was completely in love.

Also yes, I listened to Hozier while reading this. I had to fully commit.

Did I mention I loved this book?

ARC Review: If not for my baby by Kate Golden
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Firstly a massive thank you to NetGalley and Hachette for the opportunity to read Kate Goldens newest release If not for my baby early.

This is steamy second chance rockstar romance following the main FC Clementine and the main MC musician Tom Halloran. We are taken on the road on Tom’s recent music tour where we are given a creative insight into the possibilities of what can happen on tour and two characters falling in love. Clementine is a bit of a love skeptic and Kate does a fabulous job of writing about Clementines journey from skeptic to hopeless romantic.

This is an enjoyable worthwhile read. If not for my baby is due to be released August 2025.

Clementine is stuck. Stuck in a dead end job. Stuck having casual hook ups with a friend, who she can’t imagine her life with. Stuck with crippling anxiety around relationships, curtesy of her mum who had a bad teenage relationship that ended in Clementine. Not to mention her mum’s debilitating chronic pain that Clementine helps manage.

Suddenly Everly, talented singer friend, can’t fulfill a gig to a sexy Irish singer, Tom/Halloran, and his band. Can clementine save Everly’s backside by stepping in 40 hours before the first gig? Don’t worry that the Irish man in question is build like some statue of Zeus! Don’t worry that he’s irresistible introverted but inexplicably caught up in Clementine, who he nicknames Clem *squeal*. And definitely don’t worry that his voice could drop panties of women from five counties over!!!!

It’s all good Clem you definitely won’t fall in love with Thomas Patrick Halloran. Nope no way. Uh uh.
Oh no, is that Tom…? Drinking a cup of tea while reading Homer?! You in danger girl.

Oh Kate where have you been hiding my whole life? This book popped up as a suggested ARC on NetGalley and it immediately caught my eye. The cover is stunning. I read the back cover blurb and thought it sounded sweet.
What I hadn’t been expecting was phenomenal writing. I hadn’t heard of Kate Golden before reading If Not For My Baby and immediately on finishing it I ordered her earlier series!

What Kate does very well;
- builds strong backgrounds for her main characters.
- the motivations of main and supporting characters are in line with their personalities and realistic.
- Kate builds tension like nobodies business. The scene near the vending machine… ohhh boy.
- the locations the characters are placed are perfectly described, allowing the reader to walk right along side Clem, Tom and the band.

The only thing that lost this book a start, and it’s a completely personal reason and I know will gain it an extra star for other readers, I’m just not a huge age gap fan. I felt like this one read better than many others I’ve read but I still just don’t love the trope.

Now I just need to wait next to the door until Kate’s other books arrive!

It's as if this story was prescribed to replenish my soul! The depth of character was beautiful and had me feeling like I was a member of the band. Kate Golden has brought something new to the rockstar boyfriend trope and she has done a superb job. Not only is the MMC sexy, masculine and mysterious, he is also quiet, thoughtful and a good guy. The storyline felt extremely feasible which was refreshing for the rockstar romance genre. I consumed this book at an alarming pace and was left feeling thoroughly satisfied rather than hungover from the romance rollercoaster.

I love a good music based romance, and was so excited to read this one. However, I’m conflicted. As a Hozier fan, I liked the idea of a MMC with Hozier vibes but this was just straight up Hozier, down the similar lyrics and similar song themes.

When I could seperate the story and Hozier in my mind, I really enjoyed the storyline. I love the found family feels, the music tour, the falling in love and following dreams of it all. I was overall happy with the epilogue, I love a story where the FMC doesn’t give up her dreams in the pursuit of love.

I just wonder how Hozier feels about this.

🩷 Book Review 🩷
📚 If Not for My Baby
✒️ Kate Golden
💫

Thank you Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Nope, just nope. I went into this blind and came out feeling like I should've DNF'd it instead of persevering.

I am all for fanfic, read plenty but this one just felt like a ctl+c and ctl+v situation of a real persons life and I was not vibing.

Publication date: Aug 12, 2025.
Publisher:Hachette Australia & New Zealand (thanks for the ARC, this one rocked!)
When Clementine gets the opportunity of a lifetime, touring as a backing singer for mega star Irish singer Halloran, she takes the gig reluctantly.
But after eight weeks on the road in a tour bus with the band, and Tom Halloran, many things change.
I loved this and couldn't put it down. An introspective, irish singer MMC, yes please! The musical, movie and theatre references! The playlist at the back! Easy five stars.

From the moment I laid eyes on the bold, vibrant cover to the final, emotionally charged page, this story had me hooked. Equal parts soulful music journey and slow-burn romance, it conjures echoes of A Star Is Born and Daisy Jones & The Six, wrapped in the kind of heart-stopping chemistry you’d expect from an iconic musical duo—think Stevie and Lindsey, minus the toxicity.
Clementine Clark has never strayed far from her Texas roots. Living in the quiet town of Cherry Grove, she’s long set aside her own ambitions to care for her chronically ill mother. With mounting medical costs and few options, Clem works long shifts at a local diner, quietly shelving her passion for music. But when her best friend gives her a shot at joining rising singer-songwriter Thomas Patrick Halloran on tour as a stand-in vocalist, Clem faces a life-changing decision—and a chance to reclaim the dreams she thought she’d buried forever.
She never expected to meet someone like Tom.
Far from your cliché rockstar, Tom is equal parts enigma and poet—reserved, grounded, and utterly compelling. He’s the kind of man who lives in lyrics and shadows, whose allure lies in his quiet intensity rather than bravado. When a late-night meeting over snacks turns into something deeper, Clem and Tom begin a connection that feels as fragile as it is powerful.
Still, Clem is cautious. With a lifetime of witnessing heartbreak and instability, she doesn’t trust easily—especially not someone who turns his pain into hit songs. She’s torn between responsibility and possibility, fear and longing. Could this journey be more than a temporary escape? Could love and ambition coexist?
What follows is a romance that burns slow but hot, full of vulnerability, creative spark, and hard-won trust. Their bond doesn’t just simmer—it soars.
This novel isn’t just a romance; it’s a story about choosing yourself while learning to open your heart. With emotional depth, swoon-worthy moments, and just the right amount of heat, it’s a triumph in the genre. Clem and Tom's story is unforgettable, and I have no doubt readers will be rooting for them just as fiercely as I was.
Massive thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the ARC—this love story absolutely sings. Five stars, hands down!

4 Stars!

This was a fluffy romance which is exactly what the doctor ordered after some of the books I've been reading. I loved it. Everytime Tom was speaking I was reading it in an Irish accent 🤣🤣 Clementine seemed so British to me though, didnt give me Texan vibes but that could be because I was thinking about One direction the whole time 👀

I loved the emotion of the book as well, I could genuinely feel the emotion behind the characters and how they were feeling

it's safe to say that I had <i> no idea </i> what to expect when going into this book. I'm a massive (massive!) fan of Kate Golden's <i> Sacred Stones trilogy </i> and thought that was really well written with great world building. so when I heard through the grapevine that she was working on a contemporary romance, my first thought was "what about fantasy?"

I think this being her first foray away from fantasy/romantasy kind of shows in the writing at the start, I was honestly quite annoyed by the FMC and desperately missed Arwen from Sacred Stones. however my experience with the writing definitely improved as the story went on and the MMC became more prominent. Kate Golden definitely knows how to write a really good MMC!

overall, I really enjoyed this, I'll pretty much read anything Kate writes. I don't believe I've read a rockstar romance before (DJATS doesn't count), so I liked this!

one critique i've been seeing a lot of discourse about in the other reviews is about how inspired it is by a certain musician. yes, I did have that same experience whilst reading it and couldn't really get him out of my head. I think it is a <i> real fine line </i> of writing something so blatantly inspired by a real human being that respects his privacy, we've been seeing this with Harry Styles for well over a decade too. I don't have too much else to add on that regard.

3.75 / 5 stars. thank you again to NetGalley & Hachette Australia & NZ (love you guys!) for the arc, I'm such a supporter of Kate so this was so exciting for me!