Book Review: Aimee and the Heartthrob

Aimee and the Heartthrob (Backstage Pass #1)

By: Ophelia London

Published By: Entangled Crush

Publication Date: April 24, 2015

Page Count: 223

Buy it at Amazon or Barnes & Noble

Source: ARC Kindly Provided by Publisher via NetGalley

Audience: Young Adult - Contemporary

There are some moments when you just need to lose yourself in cotton candy romance that will bring a smile to your face. Life has enough stress so I don't always want my reading to be work. Aimee and the Heartthrob was like a warm bubble bath - relaxing, calming, and enjoyable.

Aimee Bingham has big plans for her summer. Once her parents leave to work with Doctors Without Borders, she is going to live it up with her best friend for three weeks until her grandmother returns from a cruise and takes over parental supervision duties. I was slightly taken aback at first that at Aimee's age her parents were worried about leaving her alone, but I suppose that three weeks without an adult presence is a bit much. Things take a turn when Aimee's best friend is diagnosed with mono and Aimee finds herself on tour with one of the hottest boy bands of her generation (I couldn't help comparing them to N*Sync from my day and One Direction from the current teen band craze). Any other girl would be over the moon about spending time on the road with the beautiful faces that grace magazine covers and fill playlists, but Aimee is less than thrilled. It's not just about her summer plans being demolished, but rather about Miles Carlisle.

Miles is the one that got away for Aimee. The pair grew up together, but Miles was always her brother's best friend and she was the tag along little sister. Miles never knew of her deep affection for him even though it was apparent to everyone else. When Miles hit it big and became famous, Aimee's heart cracked a little, but it totally shattered when her older brother told her Miles only saw her as a little sister and found her to be annoying. Aimee convinces herself that Miles won't even spare her a second thought. She hasn't seen him since he left two years prior and she's not sure how things will go, but she knows she has to guard her heart.

Of course, in predictable fashion, Aimee has grown up quite a bit since Miles last saw her and the sparks are instantaneous. I'm not sure it's considered insta-love if it's been brewing off the page for years, but it doesn't take long for these two to begin to think of one another as more than childhood friends. Following the traditional Elizabeth and Darcy roles, the two feel like they have the other all figured out. These assumptions as well Miles' loyalty to Aimee's older brother causes some angst and unhappy moments. Both try to fight their feelings for one another, but the heart wants what it wants.

Aimee and the Heartthrob is a sweet romance that will put a smile on your face. There were some moments that were a bit cheesy and over the top, but I found myself pushing those thoughts to the side because I wanted to know how things would end up for Aimee and Miles. I'm not a huge fan of music industry books so I wasn't super into those components of the novel, but I did like seeing how the industry impacted Miles. I would recommend this to those who are looking for a cute, fast read with lots of charm. As a teen, I would have eaten this up and put Miles on my book boyfriend list. I'll certainly read the rest of the series with the hopes that Aimee and Miles will make an appearance from time to time.

One Last Gripe: Some of the dialogue was a little odd. Aimee often spoke in ways I have never heard real teenagers speak. She said things like "Crappers" and "Holy nut-burgers". It made her sound less mature and unrealistic. Frankly, it annoyed me.

Favorite Thing About This Book: I am a sucker for a sweet romance.

First Sentence: The voices were getting muffled, so Aimee pressed the whole side of her face flat against the door, wishing she'd been carrying a glass of water when her parents had banished her to her bedroom.

Favorite Character: Aimee - her blogging was a plus!

Least Favorite Character: Miles' exes

Summary:

He never noticed her before, but now she's all he can see...

Miles Carlisle is every teen girl's fantasy. His rugged good looks and exotic British accent have helped catapult his boy band, Seconds to Juliet, to super-stardom. But after two disastrous and very public breakups, Miles isn't interested in dating just any girl; he wants The One. And the only girl he's interested in is not only his best friend's little sister - and off-limits - but won't even give him the time of day...

As a kid, Aimee Bingham had a huge thing for Miles...until he made fun of her for always tagging along. Now that she's outgrown both him and her pigtails, the prospect of spending two weeks on tour with the childhood crush who broke her heart isn't exactly enticing. Except now Miles seems interested. Very interested. And no matter how hard Aimee tries to resist him, her crush is definitely making a comeback. But everyone knows that falling for a heartthrob is a backstage pass to heartbreak...