Never meet your heroes. What about fall in love with them?
Natalie Foy accepted her life as it was. Her job provides for her and her many houseplants. Crafty hobbies keep her busy. But her heart beats faster at the deafening noise of Seeing Stars, her favorite hard rock band.
Charismatic singer Chris Canseco has it all: fame, talent, and a loyal crew of bandmates. When he spots Natalie, he realizes she could be his missing piece.
Natalie must reconcile falling in love with the man she gets to know with the rockstar she crushed on for years. Could the one person who accepts her for her true self be a sweet, talented, gorgeous musician?
Between the chaos of his world and the calm of hers, between stardom and sincerity, could her crush on a rockstar turn into the kind of love that lasts?
Never meet your heroes. What about fall in love with them?
Natalie Foy accepted her life as it was. Her job provides for her and her many houseplants. Crafty hobbies keep her busy. But her heart beats faster at the deafening noise of Seeing Stars, her favorite hard rock band.
Charismatic singer Chris Canseco has it all: fame, talent, and a loyal crew of bandmates. When he spots Natalie, he realizes she could be his missing piece.
Natalie must reconcile falling in love with the man she gets to know with the rockstar she crushed on for years. Could the one person who accepts her for her true self be a sweet, talented, gorgeous musician?
Between the chaos of his world and the calm of hers, between stardom and sincerity, could her crush on a rockstar turn into the kind of love that lasts?
Natalie stared at her glowing monitor and sighed.
Friday afternoons were the worst. On Fridays, she helped the pediatric clinic, but it was of little use. Everyoneâs patience had evaporated by then. Children were certainly not in the mood for shots, nor were their parents thrilled by the subsequent wailing.
She wished she could stare out the window and daydream, but solid concrete surrounded her makeshift workstation in the corner behind the nursesâ station. That way too bright shade of white paint only found in old, overcrowded hospitals like this one didnât exactly inspire creativity. Between that and the blue haze of her screen, her eyes glazed over and her brain tried to turn itself off. Even the vibrant pink orchid that just barely fit on her desk seemed bored.
After a barrage of no shows, screaming children, and one dreadfully boring staff meeting, Natalie felt more than ready to go home, order Thai food, and glue herself to the couch. Not an exciting social life, but it worked for her. At some point, her roommate Mandy would strut in and detail her night out at the latest hotspot, snapping photos and seeking attention. Those stories reaffirmed Natalieâs life choices, which werenât full of adventures, but at least minimized trivial conversations with drunken idiots in bars.
Natalie adjusted her earbuds and looked down at her phone. She switched the music to the Smashing Pumpkins to match her light irritation, and squirmed in her chair, trying to adjust the lumbar setting to a mythical comfortable position. Ugh. Watching the clock was miserable, but she was too burnt out to look at another spreadsheet. Nope, that delightful infection rate analysis would have to wait until Monday.
In her attempt to kill time, she pondered the freedom of the weekend ahead. Yoga on Saturday, maybe go visit her friends Emily and Jane on Sunday, or even drag them to the new plant nursery in Highland Park. Absolutely nothing tonight. She considered stopping by the library on the way home, but, again, she was a tad brain dead.
Natalieâs phone buzzed.
Mandy: youâre coming to the thing tonight right? we need to leave at 7. you willing to drive? your lack of vices is convenient.
Natalie groaned. She forgot she had finally caved and promised to attend some charity event with Mandy tonight. A gala or something for an environmental organization in Beverly Hills that Mandy assured her would be crawling with eligible men.
Natalie wasnât particularly interested in playing wingwoman, making small talk with men twice her age who bragged about their contribution. She wasnât the type to âgo outâ or party. She had a few close friends she liked to see when she could, but the rest of the time she was on her own with her hobbiesâsewing, baking, or reading.
But she owed Mandy. The girl had terrible luck lately, and Natalie felt useless giving advice in this area, given the limits of her own experience. Her past relationships typically ended with a shrug and a return to her regular life.
Mandy, on the other hand, could erupt into tears at the mention of an ex, and the thought of much time alone sent her spiraling into depression. This time, she got past the crying and manic cleaning phase and moved on to the rebound part. The possibility of meeting someone new made her giddy. So, fine, Natalie would put up with a night out for the sake of her friendâs happiness.
* * *
âTonight is going to be loads of fun, trust me.â Mandy giggled and twirled her strawberry blonde curls around her finger like a little girl, checking out her reflection in the mirror flirtatiously.
Grow lights did not make for the most flattering lighting, but Mandy looked goodâenergized by an adventurous spirit and sassâin any setting. And the jasmine, hanging from pots anchored to the ceiling, was happy enough to bloom, filling their shared bathroom with a sweet, feminine fragrance.
Natalie flashed her a small smile, making Mandy remember who she was talking to. âTry to have a good time, ok? You might actually like it.â
Natalie shrugged and leaned further into the doorframe. âIâm going for you.â
Mandy shook her head. âYou need to get laid. Itâs been too long.â
Natalie rolled her eyes and toyed with the hem of her flared skirt. âPass. Most men are not on board with the whole not drinking thing. Or the excitement of a Friday night trip to the library. I can always fall back on my Plan Bâbecome a crazy cat lady.â
Mandy leaned on the vanity and started unpacking makeup from drawers. She scoffed. âYouâre already a crazy plant lady. You play like youâre some plain Jane antisocial girl when really youâre a rocker chick with a hell of a sense of humor and a nice ass. You donât sit around all day. You go to concerts and bake and are well-read. Even if you have a hoarding problem.â
Natalie chuckled, brushing her fingers over the fiddle leaf fig at her back.
âYou just have to meet the right person,â Mandy reassured her, mouth agape while applying mascara.
Natalie swallowed hard. âI guess so.â
It felt more complicated than that to Natalie, nearly impossible to imagine. She didnât find most people to be worth the vulnerability of opening up.
Mandy inspected her handiwork in the mirror. âYour parents ever ask you why youâre twenty-six and not married?â
Natalie snorted. âItâs 2016.â
âI know thatâs not an old maid anymore, but still.â
âThey donât care enough to bug me about it.â She smirked. âIs that what youâre aiming for, Mandy?â
Mandy stuck her tongue out. âNo way. That would please my mother too much. Just fun for now. Go get ready. We need to leave soon.â
Natalie departed the bathroom for her own bedroom, thinking about Mandyâs half-joking inquiry. She considered many of the life goals others expected of herâfalling in love, getting married, having childrenâabstract concepts.
She could live with a job that paid the bills, and with having a roommate. As long as she got to take advantage of the wonders of Los Angeles and stay the hell away from her Florida hometown.
She made enough money to not have to scrimp as much as she used to, lifting the weight of if sheâd be able to make rent that month. That stuff consumed her for so long that it left a void, one she didnât fill with anything fun or even productive. Natalie accepted her life for what it was and spent little time imagining the alternatives. She was fine with that. She certainly didnât need a man to support her or keep her busy.
Natalie opened her worn closet door that was likely original to their 1920s Spanish-style apartment, casually browsing for an appropriate outfit. She selected a simple little black dressâa vintage-inspired cut with off the shoulder straps and pencil skirt. She enjoyed getting dressed up and had a fairly impressive collection of thrift store finds. A stupid charity event was good enough to whip out the nice pieces.
The sleeveless dress was elegant, but its simplicity showed off the intricate fine line tattoo of plants that wrapped around her forearm, giving her a slight edge. If it was cool out, her faux leather jacket would get some use. Nothing made her feel more badass than sporting a black leather jacket with a cocktail dress. It sent a âdonât fuck with meâ message that came in handy. She pulled out her favorite heelsâher feet would kill her at the end of the night, but they gave her a boost of confidence. Made her feel sexy but strong. A quick application of black eyeliner and red lipstick and she was ready for an evening of forced socialization. What the hell, right?
Heartthrob by Zoey Vale is one of those stories that makes you believe in timing, even the wildly improbable kind. Natalie is not chasing fame or fortune. Her life is quiet, predictable. Work, plants, the usual crafting rabbit holes. And okay, yes, sheâs had a bit of a thing for Chris Canseco, frontman of Seeing Stars. So when fate drops him right in front of her, all charm and smirk? Sheâs not sure whether to laugh, run, or hope he asks her name.
What makes this book work is that it doesnât go full fantasy. Natalieâs not some starstruck groupie. Sheâs grounded and not sure how to handle the fact that the guy she used to swoon over is suddenly in front of her. Chris isnât just a walking clichĂ© either. Heâs sweet and a little worn down by the chaos of his world. Their connection builds slowly. Thereâs tension, thereâs banter, and yes, there are some very steamy scenes, and I am here for it! Letâs just say Vale does not fade to black.
The emotional side surprised me. Natalieâs past, while not front and center, adds weight to her choices. Chris isnât trying to fix her. He likes her just as she is. Sheâs not trying to âsaveâ him either. Itâs about figuring out whether two very different lives can overlap in a way thatâs sustainable.
For a debut, this is seriously impressive. The writing is smooth without being too polished, the characters feel lived-in, and the romance has enough depth to stick with you after the last page. Iâd recommend Heartthrob to anyone who loves rockstar romances but wants something a little softer around the edges⊠more heart, less drama-for-dramaâs-sake. Definitely for fans of stories where the fantasy brushes up against real emotional stakes. Fans of Elle Kennedy or Talia Hibbert will feel right at home here.