Pop Star by Eden Finley

Narrated by Iggy Toma

If you’ve read or listened to Hat Trick, the final book in Eden Finley’s Fake Boyfriend series, you’ve already met Harley Valentine, one of the two protagonists in Pop Star, book one in her new Famous series. Harley was a member of Eleven, the most successful, most famous boy-band on the planet, and he came across as a selfish, spoiled brat, especially when he (in effect) blackmailed his former lover Jet Jackson – one of the leads in Hat Trick – to re-join the worldwide tour Jet had quit through burnout and a need to separate himself from Harley because their relationship was so unhealthy. Harley is gay, but isn’t out and can’t come out – his contract has him nicely hamstrung on that score – and even though Jet had broken up with him several times, their proximity on tour meant that they often fell into bed again – and Jet had had enough of being Harley’s dirty little secret.

By the time Pop Star opens, Eleven has split and its five members have gone their separate ways. Harley has embarked on a – so far – successful solo career, and is as famous and widely-recognised as ever. It’s clear, however, that he’s not exactly happy; if he’s not touring or recording or doing PR for concerts and albums, he’s holed up writing in his LA home, where he lives with his fiancée Evah – although as was made clear in Hat Trick, their relationship was manufactured by the record label in order to squash any rumours that Harley might be gay. To anyone on the outside looking in, Harley has it all – a beautiful fiancée, a great career, public acclaim and more money than he knows what to do with… but from the inside, it’s a lonely life. Harley doesn’t have any real friends, he’s feeling stifled creatively and he can’t set a foot outside his home without being hounded by paparazzi. And then things take a turn for the worse when he returns home exhausted after a concert and meet-n-greet to discover a young man waiting in his kitchen – a young man he doesn’t know who is clearly fixated on him and who creeps him out. Things are – thankfully – safely resolved, but having turned down the idea of hiring a round-the-clock bodyguard on several occasions because he dislikes the idea of having a permanent shadow even in his personal space, Harley is now forced to concede that it’s probably a good idea after all.

Former Army sergeant Nolan Brixton Reins – known as Brix – isn’t exactly over the moon at being given an assignment babysitting some bratty pop star. But Travis – the owner of the private security firm Brix works for – happens to be Harley’s manager’s cousin, so even though it’s not their usual bag, he’s taking on the job as a favour – and he offers it to Brix because he knows Brix really needs the money. Brix has no idea who Harley is – which is how come he ends up tackling him to the ground on his first day on the job.

Maybe that’s not the ideal meet-cute, but… well, it does get the ball rolling ;)

Of course we all know where things are headed, but the story is enjoyable despite its predictability. Regardless of the differences in their backgrounds and personalities, Brix and Harley just ‘click’ and as they start spending time around each other, they start to enjoy one another’s company as more than protector and protectee. The more Brix gets to know what Harley’s life is like, the more concerned he is to introduce some element of ‘normal’ into it, to let him know that it’s okay to have some downtime and maybe even some fun; and Harley finds that having Brix as a friend is surprisingly freeing, because he clearly likes Harley for who he is as a person and not just because he’s famous. Neither of them realises the other is gay at first (well, Harley ‘living’ with his fiancée would certainly serve to quell that impression) – and although it doesn’t take Brix long to work out Harley’s big secret, he can’t work out why Harley can’t just come out and be himself; there are plenty of queer people in the entertainment business after all.

Speaking as someone who worked in the music industry for a number of years, the way Ms. Finley writes about the realities of life lived in the spotlight of public opinion rings very true. The pressures Harley is under – whether it’s to deliver new material to record, to behave a certain way in public, to keep his sexuality under wraps – bring home how little control he’s had over his life for the last decade, and his exhaustion with it all feels very real. He’s more down to earth and vulnerable than in Hat Trick; he’s lonely and doesn’t have a life he can call his own, plus he’s at loggerheads with his recording company over his desire to move his career in a different direction creatively and find his own voice.

The author balances the different areas of the plot – the relationship, the insight into Harley’s musical career and the stalker plotline – pretty well; the one part that didn’t really work was Brix being so secretive about the reason he’s so deeply in debt. And while I liked both characters and the way their friendship developed, the romantic chemistry between them isn’t all that strong.

Iggy Toma – who was one half of the narrating team in the Fake Boyfriend series – returns to the microphone solo for Pop Star. He and Alexander Cendese made a good team in the previous series, but Mr. Toma is one of my favourite narrators, so I was quite happy at the prospect of having him in my ears for nine hours :) His voice is smooth and easy to listen to, and his performances are always expressive and emotionally ‘real’. His portrayal of Harley is beautifully nuanced and he’s especially good at conveying the character’s vulnerability and showing the reality of the person behind the persona. Brix’s deep, gruff tones work well to portray a big, grumpy badass, and I liked the way that gruffness gains a softer edge as Brix starts to get to know Harley and to give him the support he needs. There are a number of secondary characters in the story – Travis (Brix’s boss), Gideon (Harley’s manager) Iris (another bodyguard), to name but a few – all of whom are appropriately characterised and clearly differentiated, and special mention goes to Mr. Toma’s portrayal of the stalker, who comes over as really menacing in those early scenes simply because he doesn’t sound at all like a crazy person!

Iggy Toma’s excellent performance brings colour and vibrancy to the story and definitely added to my overall enjoyment of this audiobook. Pop Star is an entertaining, low-angst tale featuring two likeable leads, a good helping of humour and banter, and plenty of steamy moments, and I’m looking forward to listening to the next in the series when it’s released in audio later this year.

Caz