Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Popstar
SERIES: Famous
AUTHOR: Eden Finley
NARRATOR: Iggy Toma
PUBLISHER: Tantor Audio
LENGTH: 9 hours and 5 minutes
RELEASE DATE: August 11. 2020
BLURB:
Harley
What happens when the most successful boy band on the planet breaks up? How about 20,000 fans screaming my name. But the price of fame comes with an increased risk to my safety. I’ve been avoiding the dreaded B word for as long as I can, but after a close call with a rambunctious fan, I can’t do it anymore. It’s time to give in. I need to hire a full-time bodyguard. And when he shows up, he not only screams badass, he’s another B word I try to stay away from: boyfriend material.
Brix
Protecting people is not what my company usually does, but the boss knows I need money, and the pop star is offering an insane amount to live with him and make sure no more crazy fans break into his house. I’m doing it for the money and nothing else. He may be the prettiest man I’ve ever seen, and I may feel sorry for the celebrity life he’s been forced into since he was a teenager, but that doesn’t mean anything. Just because he fascinates me, that doesn’t mean I like him. It doesn’t.
Professionalism. I’m gonna live it. Breathe it. Enforce it… Mostly.
REVIEW:
Harley is a former member of a boyband who is now a successful solo artist. He’s kept his sexuality to himself (well at least to a small group of people) because his label doesn’t want to jeopardize his popularity with his majority female fan base demographic. This has been going on for some time now and even led to a breakup with his former boyfriend – the lead singer of another band. There is speculation about the two of them since they collaborate on some songs, so he has a beard fiance who is a dear friend. But then he has a run-in with a fan who gets waaaay too close for comfort. And so his manager decides he needs a bodyguard. Just so happens his cousin owns a security company of badass former military.
Brix left his military career behind to take a job with private security. He needs the money due to a personal situation and his former buddy Travis who owns the company offers him the most lucrative contract that he can imagine. If he takes this job, he can be out from under the crushing debt he’s barely making a dent in. However, he’s not ready for the gorgeous Harley Valentine. Also he’s not buying the fake fiance either 😉 Harley is nothing like his usual jobs. He gets that Harley is under a lot of pressure, but he’s not sure why he’s hiding who he really is. They aren’t exactly friends at the beginning of the gig, but Brix does his best to try to get Harley to take it down a notch after the incident with the fan has him tied up in knots.
Eventually Harley comes clean with Brix after he goes away with him and hangs with the rest of the security crew. But neither of them are really ready for a relationship and Brix is worried that he’s compromised his professionalism and his job getting involved with a client. Harley knows he needs the money, but he doesn’t know why and Brix hasn’t shared that with anyone. Harley pulls back since he doesn’t think Brix really is ready for a relationship if he can’t share things about himself.
Unfortunately for Harley, just as he’s in a fight with his label over albums due and creative control, the stalker fan reappears on the scene. Brix and Travis decide he needs to get out of his house. And he does, but it doesn’t end there. But Brix and the team are a lot more prepared to take on this fan than he realizes. When push comes to shove, Brix really does care about Harley and will do anything to keep him safe.
Well this is my week for new to me authors I guess a this is the third one out of three! And I’ve been really lucky because I’ve enjoyed every single one of them. YEA! So for the sake of transparency, I’ve never been a boyband fan, so I’m not versed in the way of boyband fans – other than from afar in the news. I’m not really one to follow celebrities in fact, so this was kind of fun for me. I found so many of these characters to be hilarious and charming – particularly Harley and Iris, Brix’s relief bodyguard. I liked the relationship between Harley and his trusted inner circle including his fake fiance, his manager Gideon and his former bandmates. I also really liked the interaction with his ex because I thought it really added to the backstory and was funny and realistic. There are a lot of tense moments as well and touching moments and some surprises along the way to the characters and the reader alike. I liked the way Brix did not push Harley to reveal himself until he was ready and then how he handled himself in the aftermath. The action was suspenseful in a good way. I loved how Brix was all in to protect Harley. Iggy Toma did a great job narrating this story. There are a LOT of characters and a lot of voices and he made excellent choices for them that made it clear who was speaking in each scene. He’s one of my absolute favorite. I’m hoping that the next book will be out in Audio soon and that Iggy will be at the wheel again. This book was a fun ride and I definitely recommend it 😀
RATING: 
BUY LINKS:
Audible