LONELY FOR YOU ONLY

A demure heiress falls for a bad-boy rock star with a sordid past.

Scarlett Lancaster has everything a rich teenager could desire, but all she really wants is for Ian Baldwin to realize she’s been crushing on him for years. Scarlett is sure Ian will confess his feelings at her 18th birthday bash, held at the Plaza Hotel courtesy of her wealthy father. Instead, Ian is practically missing in action the entire night, leaving Scarlett to celebrate with her father’s surprise gift: a performance by Tate Ramsey, ex-member of Five Car Pileup. Having received a check for $1 million, the washed-up former boy bander rocks the stage at Scarlett’s soiree, much to the birthday girl’s irritation (she was hoping for Taylor Swift). After a confrontation between the two gets snapped by the paparazzi, Scarlett spontaneously kisses Tate to help him avoid more negative press. When pictures of their kiss go viral, Tate is skyrocketed back into the public’s good graces: the bad boy saved by the virginal ingénue. All of a sudden, Tate is given a second chance at stardom and a new gig with a record label, as long as Scarlett continues to be in the picture. In hopes of making Ian jealous, Scarlett agrees to join Tate in L.A. as he records his new album, even signing a legal agreement to appear as his girlfriend in public. Swept up by the excitement of fame and Tate’s undivided attention, Scarlett can’t help but fall under the rock star’s spell. Murphy’s fake-dating romance teems with allure and tension, but her characterizations tend to miss the mark. Scarlett is devoid of personality, and Tate often feels more crass and borderline pedophiliac than sexy. Though the prospect of a rock star/fan love story is promising, readers will be hard-pressed to find anyone to root for here.

A rock star romance that’s mostly off-key.