The Heartbreakers by Ali Novak | Book Review

The Heartbreakers by Ali Novak

The Heartbreakers Chronicles #1
Date Read: Jan 3, 2018

First Published: 2015

Kindle

Young Adult, Contemporary Romance
Rating:

Re-Readability:

"When I met Oliver Perry, I had no clue he was the lead singer for The Heartbreakers. And he had no idea that I was the only girl in the world who hated his music."
Stella will do anything for her sick sister, Cara—even stand in line for an autographed Heartbreakers CD...for four hours. She's totally winning best birthday gift this year. At least she met a cute boy with soft brown hair and gorgeous blue eyes while getting her caffeine fix. Too bad she'll never see him again.
Except, Stella's life has suddenly turned into a cheesy love song. Because Starbucks Boy is Oliver Perry – lead singer for the Heartbreakers. And even after she calls his music crap, Oliver still gives Stella his phone number. And whispers quotes from her favorite Disney movie in her ear. OMG, what is her life?
But how can Stella even think about being with Oliver — dating and laughing and pulling pranks with the band — when her sister could be dying of cancer?

It's always a good idea to kick a new reading year with something light and fluffy to get you in the reading groove, and the Heartbreakers Chronicles was the perfect pick for such a task, even as it sprinkles some more serious topics along the way!

For those who don't know, one trope I always love in contemporary romance is the star and the normal girl (or the reverse, although I can't think of any). There is just something captivating about the dilemmas and conflicts that arise from such a union, where it isn't usually lack of love between the couple but more so the circumstances that keep coming in their way.

As for contemporary YA in that category, The Heartbreakers is a fairly good example. It's the type of book that kind of sweeps you off and the next thing you know it's 3 a.m. in the morning somehow and you've finished reading.

It's just... cute. It's really cute. The relationship between Stella and Oliver is cute, the relationship between the three twins is cute (I feel weird calling them triplets for some reason), and the relationship between the band members is cute. The way they embrace Stella into their fold instantly is... say it with me... CUTE! And they're cute because of the way they flow, like real friends, and real siblings, and real crushes. It's smooth where it needs to be an awkward where it should.

Also: they're all really funny and witty, which... I love.

But the novel is not just cute and funny. It has some serious issues, since the setting is the backdrop to Stella's coming of age story, as she struggles with finding her own individual identity outside of her siblings, as well as with the concept of death as her sister is sick and she could potentially lose her.

However, those heavy subjects definitely don't overshadow the light, fluffy vibe the novel's got going, so if you're not looking for that you can rest assured, and if you are... pick up the Fault in Our Stars or some other soul-crushing novel instead.

The highlight of the book is definitely The Heartbreakers as a group. As I said before, these four guys feel like great friends, and when they're away from the limelight they even feel like normal guys. Albeit sort of rich ones. My favorite boy of the bunch HAD to be Alec. I have a thing for the silent yet observant and thoughtful types.

But Alec is not the main male characters of this novel - Oliver is. He is the guy Stella meets at a coffee shop one day without realizing who he is. He's the one who calls her to their suite when they find out they're in the same hotel. He's the one who kind of adorably falls in love with her. He is also the one I had kind of mixed feelings about. I loved who he was with Stella, but sometimes, he would slip into his stage persona, and that one was confident and sure of himself to the point of being slightly obnoxious. Stella always kind of shut him down when those happened, but those moments stopped me from loving him.

But Stella brings him back to himself - the sweet, kind, attentive, occasionally awkward guy who can just hang around and chill with the people he loves most. Still confident, but in an attractive way.

And aren't those the best relationships--ones where you make each other better by being together?