Thank you to NetGalley for the ALC of this book! As usual, Kayla casts some really great narrators that did a great job!

This book just wasn't for me, overall. I do really enjoy Kayla's books but I just about DNFed every chapter as I just had a hard time connecting with the story.

And then the 3rd act breakup was so dumb I wasn't sure it could recover. It's cute though! And it'll be for some people. It just wasn't for me.

Thanks so much for the ALC! Rockstar/bodyguard romance is so fun! The narrator’s did a fantastic job bringing this story to life and bringing the emotions to life. I wasn’t too attached to the characters and their individual journeys. It is a very fast paced book but did allow an interesting stalker background plot that kept things moving. The plus size representation was fantastic and I found it to be great to watch it unfold naturally. The MMC personal issues didn’t always track for me and I felt needed more page time for me to connect with him in a deeper way.

Redundant dialogue. MMC was a huge ick. His aggressive denial was really annoying and didn’t make sense??? Anyways, he gave me the ick even after his backstory was revealed and I think I was supposed to have sympathy and compassion for him?? Kind of a red flag until the end. FMC was likable enough, but I think she let him get away with too much.

Honestly, I’m so used to Kayla Grosse’s totally green flag MMCs 😂 maybe I’m just spoiled. My last book was a green flag MMC, too… so maybe this red flag MMC was just a bit jarring???

The end was a bit redeeming, if you can push through a third act breakup with some woe-is-me, self-righteous self-loathing 😂 The spice was also very my speed (though I didn’t like some of his “it’s just my body’s reaction” thoughts 🙄).

Audiobook narration was great— I’m already a fan of Grayson Owens and I’m looking forward to checking out more from Angelina Rocca. Their performances added to the characters and really boosted the ⭐️ rating for me.

This one hooked me with the second chance romance and sealed the deal with the broody bodyguard, and a little element of mystery to boot. It leans into the “it’s always been you” feeling, but both Liam and Birdy have to sift through some history and baggage before they earn that happily ever after. I really loved plus sized and confident Birdy, and wish I could have gotten the whole scene in this audio clip because her mom’s wise words were everything. I loved the body positivity in this story and how it’s celebrated. Combined with the pining and the great audio I enjoyed this one!

🎧Angelina and Greyson did a great job bringing this audio to life. I loved the whispery soft moments and the emotion they conveyed, and Angelina plays the heck out of a rockstar. Greyson was great in the tender moments and I enjoyed every moment of this listen.

I actually really liked this book! I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect to…. It was super cute and the storyline was so much bettter than I expected! It had romance and a little action sprinkled in there!

Perfect Sunday morning on the deck kind of read.

Sometimes I just need a romance with a guaranteed HEA to get me through a long few weeks.

This book is very similar to the movie The Bodyguard but the MMCs are childhood best friends turned enemies turned lovers. The ending is a bit of a twist though!

-Plus size FMC
-Friends to enemies to lovers
-Rockstar/bodyguard romance
-Spicy, open door
-Stalker plot

Back in high school, Liam Miller broke Birdie Wilder’s fragile heart with a few thoughtless words. While adult me can definitely give grace to both teenagers in that moment, teenage me would have been equally as devastated as Birdie. When we join grown up Birdie in the present, she’s grown into herself and embraced her body and her place in the music industry, but that doesn’t mean it’s all rainbows and unicorns.
I enjoyed this audiobook, which has been re-released with the dual narration style talents of Angelina Rocca and Grayson Owens providing the voices for our Birdie and Liam. The performances are top notch, and the audio quality itself is great. The story is kept fairly light in tone even considering that it deals with some darker concepts like grief, alcohol abuse, traumatic childhoods, and stalking. I struggled a little with being emotionally invested because it felt too low stakes at times for what was happening.
One thing that I was frustrated by is Birdie’s lack of safety net. I felt like too many of the people in her life had reverted to “hanger on” status and let being a true friend to her slide in favor of keeping things more surface. It felt at times like no one in her life was invested enough to take care of her, or really look out for her best interests. On the other hand, knowing what we do about fame and celebrity these days, that feels pretty authentic too. I do wish that Liam had done a little more overt yearning/groveling before Birdie gave in because that’s always fun to read.
Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Select, Fat Babe Publishing, and Kayla Grosse for the ALC review opportunity.

This book is ok but there was nothing particularly great or memorable about it. I finished the book because the narrators were great but if I had been physically been reading the book I would've struggled to finish because I had a hard time staying engaged with the story itself.

I love the way Kayla writes everything. I promise you, write me your grocery list and I’ll read it Kayla! 🙌
Chubby fabulous FMC
Second chance romance
Friends to lovers
Found family
Slow burn
Forced proximity
Perfect duet narration
🥵 🥵 🥵 🥵 🔥
As a plus size women every rejection is blamed on our weight and it’s devastating the younger you are. Now married to the most perfect skinny man I think how silly our brains work.

If you like cutesy romances with a main character that stands for diversity? (she is a curvy bombshell) than this one is for you. To me it felt kinda forced, here we have a rockstar that everybody loves but she’s stuck on old teenage angst about being overweight and feeling like she doesn’t belong. The way the subject was treated felt a bit superficial to me but hey to each their own. If you want a light romance for summer and don’t go expecting too much you’ll definitely like it.

I have always enjoyed Kayla Grosse’s work, so when I saw this audiobook available on NetGalley I knew I had to request it. I was delighted to be given the chance to read and listen. This is the sixth book of hers I have read, and I plan to go back and pick up any I may have missed.

Another great story from Kayla Grosse. I really enjoyed the rockstar and bouncer dynamic. The book had a touch of angst, strong character and relationship development, a mystery that kept me guessing, and some classic romance. I devoured it in no time.

The second act breakup felt a little predictable, and perhaps slightly unnecessary after the mystery and suspense subplot wrapped up, but it did not take away from my overall enjoyment. There were also some great steamy chapters, which added to the chemistry between the characters.

The narrators did a wonderful job bringing the story to life and kept me engaged throughout. My only small preference would be that in chapters from the male narrator’s point of view, female dialogue could be voiced by the female narrator (and vice versa), as I think it would improve the flow and make the conversations feel more natural.

Overall, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read and listen, and once again Kayla did not disappoint.

I have loved Kayla Grosse’s work for years and I feel like this one was a little more rushed than her other works. I loved both of the main characters as people and the who done it of the story. However, I feel like the romantic relationship between the two MC’s was rushed and wasn’t given enough space to grow to the place it was by the end of the story. I totally understand they were childhood friends; however, I feel like they didn’t really know each other as adults and both had baggage to work through and somehow had a pretty decent relationship right out of the gate? Overall still loved the book, especially with these narrators.

Thank you for the ARC!

2.5 stars

I like you like that...actually I didn't like anyone in this book. Birdie is the main character and if I had to pick, I guess she is my favorite character. I felt badly for her the whole book. Everyone in her life is absolute trash. Her so called friends knew she didn't like Liam (the MMC) and still tricked her into making him her bodyguard. I know it worked out fine, but still seems pretty messed up. I was at least expecting some sort of confrontation but Birdie never even yells at them. Liam sucks too. He says he's "head over heels" for her but only wants to be friends? Geez, I wonder why Birdie was confused. And he didn't want to date her so he wouldn't have to open up about his life, but was mad she didn't want to be best friends anymore? Make it make sense.

I did listen to this and have no complaints about the narrators and as always the spice was written super well. Thank you to Dreamscape Select for the ARC, this is my honest opinion.

3.5 ⭐️ I was getting some serious Princess Bride vibes from this second chance bodyguard romance. The premise so cute, but some of the execution left me feeling confused and parts of Liam’s POV was giving IRL man. I dont care to know about some other floozy you were with because “me man, must get dick blown”. Liam’s motivations for rejecting Birdie as a form of protection just don’t make much sense. I did enjoy the stalker/suspense plots. The spice/chemistry was there, however, much more muted than Kayla‘s other books.

I really wanted to love this one, I love a curvy girl read. Unfortunately, this one just did not work at all for me. It was okay not the worst. I just felt the stalking plot point was thrown in there but never truly developed. I hated that the MC was with another woman and then thinking about her it just was weird. The third act breakup was stupid and useless.

Why ?… I was so ready to love this curvy Florence/Taylor heroine, to embrace her story of empowerment and inner strength. Meeting again with the crush who rejected her when she was a teenager and broke her heart, I was ready to read this story of chemistry and enemity until both will forgive their old selves and meet in the middle...but the blurb only left me wanting a book that is not the one I’ve read.
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For a moment, I thought the book wasn't about Birdie. I mean... I thought the main character was Liam, and all the problems he had were too many. I felt like there was no room for Birdie, especially when he's immature and doesn't care about addressing his traumas or talking about them. He demands trust and stability, when he never gives them.
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In the middle of the book I was thinking…”If he keeps talking about sex with other women who aren't the main character, I'm going to have a fit” . Because how can this be her happy ending? Where's the yearning, the nostalgia for having been childhood best friends? He's a man wh&re who doesn't even think about her unless it's to describe what part of her body does it for him...ugh, and let's not even mention the woman he regrets losing his chance with, who isn't the FMC at all!!!
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And I keep reading, because I wanted to know how this was going to play out and wishing Birdie get the world at her feet at the end. I’ve read and enjoyed several Kayla Grosse books but this wasn’t the case and all the stars are for the amazing narrators works, because even when the characters doesn't hook me and the plot got rare, they amazing work keep me going forward until the end.
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I try to look the good in every book I read, and all the good is in Birdie, Kayla writes amazing FMC.
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Thanks to Dream Scape Select and Kayla Grosse for give me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest and voluntary opinion.

I really enjoyed this audiobook.

Liam and Birdie where everything. I loved the tension between them, and the way they made each other feel safe when all was said and done.
I would have loved to see more back story to their friendship and end of friendship, to really drive the emotion home.

The stalker aspect is very on point for a celebrity. I guess part of the stalker plot, but not the whole thing of it.

I did really enjoy this book, but would have loved more overall.

3.25⭐, 3🌶️

If Kayla Writes it, I'm gonna listen to the audiobook cause I know its gonna be a cute and saucy romance. AND THIS BOOK WE GET SOME ADDED ROMANTIC SUSPENSE?! Yay! A Second chance romance between a pop star and her could have been/ no bodyguard?! yes please. Im not a major SC fan, but this one wasn't cringey at all, I genuinely liked why they didn't work the first round. Overall, this was a fun story, nothing phenomenal or movig for me, but a cute audiobook to read while commuting to work/ out on a walk with my son.

💜Second Chance Romance
💙Romantic Suspense
🎙️Pop-Star x Bodyguard

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Select for an ALC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

IF KAYLA WRITES IT IM GOING TO READ IT
IF KAYLA WRITES IT IM GOING TO READ IT

LOVE YOUUUUU ABD THIS AUDIO ARE YOU KIDDING SO FREAKING GOOD


SHE is the rock star
He's her bodyguard
Second Chance Romance

Absolutely loved the representation of curvy girls in this book. I also really liked the MMC. i would have liked more plot when it came to the reason for the “second chance”. To me, that didn’t make sense much. But overall I really enjoyed it.

3.75⭐️
2🌶️
4🎧