Good Morning All,

Apologies, it’s taken me a little while to get around to finishing a book and writing up my review. I’m in the middle of moving house and my life has been consumed by sifting, sorting and packing. I have managed to get a little downtime this weekend to get this book done and should hopefully be getting to the end of moving mayhem to get back into throwing myself into books.

Book 📖

Star in the Shadows by Helen Buckley

 

Thank you to Helen Buckley for reaching out to me and offering a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Description 🔖

Kiara is in a famous girl group and from the perception of the public has it all. However she is trapped in her tumultuous past and self medicates in order to quiet her demons. Her sanctuary as a child was the Jacobs family who lived nearby, but she hasn’t seen them in years and most certainly not since she has risen to fame. Members of the Jacobs family blame themselves for Kiara’s disappearance years ago and aren’t sure if Kiara even wants to reunite with them. When a tell all television interview is aired, neither of them can hide anymore, but can they rekindle their past relationships?

General Thoughts 🤔

This isn’t generally a book that would jump out at me that I would choose to read, however I am always open to trying new stuff. I have to say it didn’t really float my boat, but it wasn’t dreadful either. I know that some people absolutely live for a slow burning romance and if you do, I’d definitely recommend this. Unfortunately, I spent the first third of the book feeling like I was waiting for something to happen.

I enjoyed the dramatic parts of this book (I won’t give away any spoilers) and the darker themes within the book were dealt with well.

Characters 👫👭👬

Kiara is obviously the main character and she is very troubled. I felt a lot of empathy for her struggle and I don’t think anyone could say they wouldn’t have taken the same steps as she did in an attempt to save herself.

I loved the family dynamic within the Jacobs household. They seemed to me like the kind of family everyone would hope to have. Open and honest with one another and always there to support each other. The fact that they took Kiara in as their own and cared for her like a family member was very sweet.

Writing Style ✍🏽

As I mentioned above, I don’t do well with slow burners and I start to get itchy and feel like I’m waiting for the big THING to happen. However if you do like a slow burner, the author has done a good job of keeping us as readers clinging on to the possibility of a blossoming romance.

This is a good first novel from Helen Buckley and I will keep an eye open for any of her future work.

Conclusion & Scoring 🎖

I’m glad I read this book as it was definitely more laid back than my usual reading style and I was able to get through it slowly without having to remind myself what had previously happened. Unfortunately though, this book didn’t get me excited (which is more to do with me than the book for sure!). If you like a building romance with some dramas thrown in for good measure, I’d recommend this for you.

I’d give this a strong 2.5 out of 5 (sorry I can’t have half a love heart emoji haha). If I compare it to other books I’d score a 3 it wouldn’t quite be there, but it’s definitely not as low as a 2.

😍😍😫😫😫