Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE: Code Red

AUTHOR: N.R. Walker

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 102,000 words

RELEASE DATE: June 24, 2021

BLURB:

Maddox Kershaw is the main vocalist of the world’s biggest boy band. He’s at the top of every music chart, every award show, every social media platform, and every sexiest-man-alive list. He’s the bad boy, the enigma, the man everyone on the planet wants a piece of.

He’s also burned out and exhausted, isolated and lonely. Not in a good headspace at the start of a tour.

Roscoe Hall is Maddox’s personal manager. His job is high-flying, high-demand, high-profile, and he loves it. Maddox has consumed his entire life for the past four years. Roscoe knows him. He sees the real Maddox no one else gets to see.

He’s also in love with him.

When the tour and stress become too much, when the world begins to close in, Roscoe becomes Maddox’s lifeline. But as Maddox knows already, and as Roscoe is about to learn, the brighter the spotlight, the darker the shadow.

REVIEW:

Code Red is a fantastic book about the forbidden love between Maddox, the frontman of the boy band Atrous, and Roscoe, his personal manager. But it’s more than that: this is the story of Maddox and his struggle with a crippling anxiety that manifests from the enormous pressures on the young man. N.R. Walker depicts the potential ill-effects of the music industry we sometimes hear about plaguing boy bands and young performers.

Maddox is now twenty-three and the fame of the last seven or so years is wreaking havoc on him physically and emotionally. It stems from record company demands, expectations of the producers, screaming fans and the media, and from cameras always in his face. His life is not his own; he and the band are commodities owned by Platinum Entertainment. Maddox has become lonely, overwhelmed, and distant. He carries the weight of the band’s success on his shoulders, with scrutiny and criticism all directed toward him.

Roscoe has been Maddox’s personal band manager for four years, nearly 24/7. They have had a strong connection and simmering attraction for much of that time, but they don’t act on it until the beginning of the new tour when Maddox levels Roscoe with a look that says ‘I want in your pants.’ Involvement with a band member is strictly forbidden by Roscoe’s contact, but that doesn’t deter Maddox. He puts the full-court press on Roscoe with his innuendo and flirting, making it too hard to ignore his advances. It annoyed me that Maddox ignored the risk that Roscoe could lose his job.

Maddox needs Roscoe in his corner. He trusts Roscoe and knows he’ll catch him if he falls. In an industry where success depends on image and boys become personas created by corporate executives, Maddox longs to be seen, to have someone know the real person beneath the stardom; he yearns to be treated like a normal person, not a famous one. Roscoe, as Maddox’s handler, becomes his shelter in the storm.

Roscoe is Maddox’s lifeline, but a catch-22 paradox arises. As the pressure on Maddox increases and his mental health deteriorates, the only thing that helps is Roscoe’s presence. But the closer the men become, the more media attention they garner and they receive threats from rabid fans. So, the security team feels their safety is in jeopardy and the producers’ solution is to separate Maddox and Roscoe. But that causes Maddox’s anxiety to escalate, which is only alleviated by Roscoe’s presence ….

Roscoe’s protective instincts and nurturing personality warmed my heart. These are two genuinely nice guys. I adored the relationship between the five bandmates, whose banter and ribbing are indicative of deep friendships. These guys are unquestioningly supportive of Maddox and whatever changes he needs to make to improve his health. Speaking of which, Ms. Walker portrays anxiety and panic attacks realistically and compassionately, and with a message that there’s no shame in having mental health issues.

Code Red is a interesting commentary on the music industry wrapped up in a sweet love story. This is a book that will appeal to most contemporary readers. Highly recommended.

RATING: 

BUY LINKS: 

Amazon