Review: Aimee and the Heartthrob by Ophelia London

Aimee and the Heartthrob 

by Ophelia London

(Backstage Pass #1)

April 14, 2015

Genre: YA Contemporary

Contains: references to drug use and drinking, some sexual content and references, lots of kissing

Source: eARC for Honest review

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…

This is a cute, sweet story about two childhood friends discovering that a few years of growing up can mean a whole lot more to their relationship. Aimee had a childhood crush on Miles, her brother's best friend. But Miles always saw her as his friend's little sister. When Miles hit the big time, joining a boy band and leaving home to travel and tour, Aimee tosses her crush out the window and tries to move on with her life and her heart. It's now been two years since they've seen each other, and two years can do a lot to people. Not only do they look different (yep, lots of physical attraction), but their personal experiences over the last few years have changed and molded them, leaving them wary and self-protective. But when you reconnect with someone who knew you way back then, can you let those walls down? And what if your personal walls aren't the only barriers to your happily ever after?

Aimee and Miles are very cute. There is definitely a youthful feel to this novel - word choices, abbreviations, and all. The entire time I was reading I had a One Direction song (the only song I know from them) playing in my head. Yep, Miles is in a boy band, and this story definitely gives off the boy band vibe. But in a cute way. Aimee has youth and the emotions of a renewed crush going for her. Miles is the band's "heartthrob" and has a reputation as a player, though there is more to this cutie that meets the eye (and the gossip). Seeing these two reconnect and see each other in a different light was a lot of fun. Though their relationship is pretty superficial, I could still feel their connection and how sweet they were together. Basically, they are cute and sweet and fun to read, giving off all those gooey feelings of first love, though I would have liked more depth.

As for the story, this was really a build-up of discovery, of feelings, of trust. We get the tour bus experience, the band lifestyle, the varying band member personalities, the nosey manager, and of course, the super protective big brother. There is a bit of drama, but mostly toward the end, but don't expect a big angst-fest. Overall, the pacing is pretty steady, and I was never bored, reading the book fairly quickly. It was a fun read. There are some sexual references, lots of kissing and making out, some minor mature language. There also appears to be more books about some or all of the band members planned for the future. It appears that Ryder, the bad boy, is getting his own book, but written by a different author. So if you like to follow boy bands, this could be the series for you.

Goodreads ~ Amazon