Hidden In The Stars by Sadie Grubor (Falling Stars #2)
Contemporary Romance
Released: August 13, 2015
Self Published
Reviewed by Helyce
After an embarrassing and very public breakup with his long time girlfriend Laney, rock star Jackson Shaw of The Forgotten has become the very image of a Rock Star cliché. He is drinking too much, having way too much sex with multiple partners and has started doing a lot of cocaine. When he’s asked to go out to Los Angeles to judge a new reality show called Hidden Talent, he agrees–if only to get away from the mournful faces of his bandmates and friends who don’t know what to say or how to help.
Eliza Campbell is a young, single mom raising her son Lucas and her brother Kelvin. She’s been on her own for years after getting pregnant in her teens and getting disowned by her parents. Her aunt and cousin took her in, but once Lucas was born she moved out to Los Angeles to try to fulfill some of her dreams. It’s been tough, but Lucas has always been a priority and she’s been able to realize a bit of her dream by performing nights at a club called Lux Hedonica where she dons skimpy costumes in a very tasteful Burlesque show.
But Eliza’s orderly world is about to get turned upside down when the club she works at gets sold and she meets a sinfully gorgeous tattooed rock star who she can’t help but break her rules for.
Jackson Shaw is a very predictable rock star type character. He’s gorgeous, in a popular rock band, and can have any girl or girls he wants; but underneath all that he is a man who was in love with a woman who he thought was “the one”. He’s so broken up, he has gone off the deep end-drinking, using cocaine and finding empty comfort with any female who offers. He’s a mess and doesn’t realize how bad it really is. While in a club one night, with his current female flavor, super model Kristyna, he has a moment of clarity and realizes he doesn’t want this, or more importantly, he doesn’t want her.
I really liked Jackson in this story. Yes, his character is very much the cocky self-assured rock star, but there are hints of the man underneath that persona from the beginning. We see this in scenes where he’s with his band mates and their girlfriends and you immediately sense the loss he feels from his recent break up. He truly wants for himself that deep, intense, connection with someone. The rock star is who he is when he’s on stage or in front of cameras, but deep down he is a man who wants to be in love and wants to be loved back.
When Jackson visits the club where Eliza works, he is completely and utterly spellbound first by her voice and then by Eliza herself. He wastes no time making sure Eliza knows he’s interested, but she doesn’t have room in her life for a man and certainly not someone like Jackson Shaw. But she’s weak, and he’s so freaking hot, and it’s been a really long time since she’s been touched by a man, so she breaks all her rules for one night with Jackson Shaw.
Following that incredible night, Eliza and Jackson go through the very predictable and typical scenario that you might expect when getting involved with a celebrity like Jackson. There are rumors and paparazzi and Eliza goes through all the fears that a woman feels when she realizes that she has some strong feelings for someone who might not be right for her. Further complicating things is Jackson’s drug use, the sale of the club and the fact that Jackson will not stay away from Eliza, making it difficult for her to stick to her guns. She doesn’t want the bad parts of Jackson’s celebrity touching her son.
Adding to the relationship woes are two side stories; one where Jackson and Eliza have a stalker hell-bent on ruining the fragile beginnings of their love and the fact that Eliza’s brother and son have secretly sent in an audition tape of Eliza singing to the Hidden Talent show–of which Eliza becomes a finalist. Both these scenarios are running real time to the romance part of the story. They serve to move the story forward and provide avenues to secure the relationship in a really positive way.
While predictable (sorry I’m using the word a lot), I really enjoyed how the author weaves this story to show all the ups and downs, strong emotions and vulnerability of our characters. It comes across true and real and I could really feel Jackson’s want and need of what he knew he could have with Eliza. He’s willing to fight for it, lay his heart out and hope that it’s doesn’t get stomped on. The additional relationships between the band and their friends as well as Eliza’s close relationships with her co-workers at the club and especially her cousin Sid made this story really come to life for me. It read very smoothly; as if I was watching a movie–the scenes moving effortlessly from one to the other.
I felt the author did a fantastic job of showing us the human side behind the celebrity. While we know that celebrities are just “people” like the rest of us–they eat, sleep, shower, shop, deal with illness and addiction, etc., but once you’re in the eye of the public it’s easy to put celebrities on a different level and forget these things. They have feelings, emotions, trials and tribulations and yes, often these are plastered for all the world to see. It doesn’t mean that they are affected any less than that of a non-celebrity. This story covered all the bases in a realistic way.
Before ending, I need to highlight a secondary character, Sid, who is Eliza’s cousin. She plays a major role in here in helping Eliza to trust herself and her feelings–providing all kinds of support. Sid is hilarious and brings much in the way of humor to the story. She’s also extremely intelligent and a total badass with anything to do with a computer. She catches the eye of another rock star and I hope the author plans to write their story. It promises to be a wild ride.
Jackson and Eliza’s story is not really unique, and the struggles they face–him being a rock star and Liza working in a burlesque club–are predictable, but this story pulled me in and I was thoroughly captivated.
Rating: A
This does sound good! Thanks for the review.