Her Rock Star's Dark Secret by Cindy Ray Hale {Review}

 

Her Rock Star's Dark Secret (A Maple Creek Brides Sweet Romance) by Cindy Ray Hale

Kindle Edition

Publication: September 28th 2020 

Source: I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given 

  

Lauren Parker is a salon owner and a single mom. She works hard to get by, but her business is still on the brink of collapse. When her best friend sets her up on a blind date with her celebrity brother, Lauren is not amused. She’s not interested in dating and definitely not interested in her old enemy from high school.

Chase Remington, lead singer of a mega-famous band returns to his hometown of Maple Creek, Virginia for his ten-year high school reunion. He was a known bad boy back in his school days and has since reformed. Only he’s still holding onto a dark secret from his past in Maple Creek and he can’t let go of it. Not even to heal.

Chase volunteers to join Lauren’s committee to plan a memorial service for a former classmate, and they discover that maybe they have more in common than they first assumed. As Chase grows closer to Lauren, his secret gets dangerously close to becoming exposed.

If you enjoy sweet romance set in a small town with swoony moments, then you’ll love this book!

 

My Review: 5 Stars

 

I'm completely charmed by the small town of Maple Creek. In fact, it's reminiscent of the place I grew up, in some ways, and that led to a very sweet and nostalgic feeling while reading it.

 

Lauren and Chase didn't get along at all in high school and are now reunited for their 10 year high school reunion, which will also be used to commemorate a classmate who died shortly before their graduation. Dealing with delicate topics, such as bullying and suicide, can be different to pull of, but I felt that Hale did a great job of incorporating them into the story by placing importance on the awareness of such things, but not allowing them to cast a dark and depressive shadow over the book.

 

Although this story felt a bit like insta-love, these characters share a past and a background, which made it very believable for me. As Lauren and Chase worked together on a project, the layers of hatred pulled away and I was hooked. I couldn't get enough of the burgeoning romance! Just as with any great story, they each had issues stemming from their pasts to work through and I loved watching them progress through their journeys of restitution while allowing love in. A celebrity and normal person trope is one I adore and I loved how the author mashed them together. 

 

This is one of my newest favorites by this author and I can't wait to travel back to Maple Creek and see what's next.

 

Content: mild romance; talk of suicide and bullying