If Not for My Baby by Kate Golden
Clementine Clark isn’t looking for love. Growing up with a single mom who weeps over a new guy each week tends to have that effect on a girl. But Clementine doesn’t mind being the rational one—she’s even buried her musical dreams so deeply within herself that she hardly notices the hole it’s left in her life.
That is until her best friend calls her with a life-changing opportunity: to join Irish megastar Halloran on his first US tour as a backing vocalist. Clementine wants to reject the offer, but the pay is enough to change her and her mom’s life. Overnight, Clementine goes from serving enchiladas at the Happy Tortilla to belting high notes before a cheering crowd.
But the whiplash of trading small-town Texas for sold-out stadiums is nothing compared to the rush of performing with the enigmatic Thomas Patrick Halloran. Poet, introvert, and lyrical genius, Halloran quickly gets under Clementine’s skin. The two couldn’t see the world more differently. And yet, over the course of the next eight weeks on tour, the romantic rockstar might just strike an unforgettable chord in Clementine. But will it be enough for an encore?
Review: I have a weakness for famous musician romances, so I was really intrigued by this premise of a backup singer who falls for the famous rockstar. I loved that Clementine comes from a single mom household and is new to the business and that Halloran is Irish. Yeah, he's famous but at heart he's just an introverted poet.
First, can I just say that this was OUTSTANDING on audio. It is duet narration and I loved the Irish narrator for Halloran's parts. Amazing. The audio was a full 5 stars and in fact I almost rated this book up to 4 stars for the audio quality alone.
The only other books I have read by Kate Golden were two of her fantasy books. I actually enjoyed this contemporary romance a lot more!
I question how great it really was traveling on that tour bus, but I was here for all the forced proximity and tension between them. The title comes from the name of his hit song, and I loved all the scenes of them singing together and complimenting each other on their musical abilities.
Clementine and Halloran have instant chemistry, which is understandable, because he is hot. But at the same time, this was my biggest gripe with this book. They like each other, there is no real obstacle, not even the fact that she is working on his tour. Everyone is ok with them being together. Despite being a musician, Halloran is earnest and very into her. It just felt a little too insta-love. Without tension and doubt, there is no real story and at times I wondered what the central tension was supposed to be in this book.
That being said, I did enjoy this story and vicariously living through Clementine, who gets to live out the fantasy of the famous musician only having eyes for you. Absolutely recommend listening to this one if you read it!
Stars: 3
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