Review: Ehh... Could've Been Better..
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 04 25, 2014
The first thing you see when you read the synopsis is, "Gemma Carson didn't plan on waking up married." Bamm! That hooked me right in and I decided to give Good Girls Don't Date Rockstars a chance. Like the synopsis tells us, Gemma wakes up married to her high school boyfriend... who's also her son's father. Panicked and a little hung over, Gemma leaves the morning after, expecting a quick annulment and to never speak of the incident again. Trevor Bowers has other plans, however. He once let Gemma walk out of his life and he's not willing to do it again.I read Gary's first book in the Rock Canyon Romance series, Things Good Girls Don't Do, and despite the cheesiness, I thought it was a cute, light read. With that in mind I started Good Girls Don't Date Rockstars with a couple of expectations, and to be honest, I was a bit disappointed. Gary's female protagonist, Gemma Carson, is one stubborn Mama Bear and while that can be a good quality to have, it worked against her throughout the majority of the novel. There are the classic tropes most romance novels seem to have, and while I expected them, I was hoping for a little more. That's not to say I didn't like the protagonist, but at times I just wanted to shake her. Now, onto her more positive attributes, Gemma is fiercely loyal, loving, caring, and she'll do just about anything to protect her son--all good qualities a mother should have. When it came to dealing with her son, Charlie, I had no protests. Gemma thought she'd picked the right choice for them at the time, and I can't blame her for that. The thing I loved most about Gemma? Her love of books!Often when it comes to the male hero, romance novels tend to go for the same type: handsome (of course), rugged, and just a bit damaged--and Trevor definitely fits the bill. Unable to forget about the one that got away, Trevor jumps at the opportunity to rekindle the romance he and Gemma once had, oblivious to Charlie's existence. I can understand why he would be extremely pissed off that Gemma never once told him about his son; what I couldn't get behind was the 360 change in regards to his feelings at the revelation. Angry and hurt I can relate to, but angry to the point of hateful? That's where I draw the line. Honestly, I felt a bit indifferent when it came to Trevor. I liked him just fine, but there really wasn't a point in the story where I fell in love with him.The romance in novels like this one tend to be a whirlwind effect, where lust plays a major role in the majority of the book. I have no problem with that, but the overall cheesiness of Trevor and Gemma's relationship did start to annoy me towards the end. Perhaps that means I've been reading too much romance lately and not enough of something else, but I found their relationship to be a bit cliched and predictable. I really did enjoy those first couple of chapters that set the stage for the rest of the book, but once the hype died down, I found myself longing to get to the finish line. Regardless of my thoughts on Trevor and Gemma, I enjoyed the rest of the Rock Canyon gang--Gracie in particular! I'm definitely interested in Gracie's story, and I hope to hear news about it soon. Nevertheless, Good Girls Don't Date Rockstars was one of those light, fast and easy reads, perfect for when you need a break from the heartbreaking books that do away with your heart.