“Life is full of secrets, and narrow-minded people, and sugar-coated, empty conversations that hold no weight. What’s real is what’s inside us. What’s important is what we feel.”
I’ve read previous works of LJ Shen and what I love about her stories are how different they are from other New Adult authors. She’s not afraid to take a chance in writing a book where people would have to read twice about what they just read. For example, a character can say something crude and filthy but it goes well with the story. Another thing about her taking risk, some of the books she writes can be something no one has thought about or has but were too scared to write it because of the content. But LJ Shen does it so well that it makes her a unique author in the New Adult world.
This book would be labeled into the ‘haters to lovers’ category in the New Adult genre. LJ Shen tends to play a lot with this category but she plays it so well. There are some authors who try to do it but it just comes off as it to be in the ‘trend’. LJ Shen actually shows when they began to care about each other, when their feelings actually began to happen, and then the aftermath.
So, what do you get when you have a foulmouthed, bad-boy, addict of a British rock star and a sweet and innocent, selfless and snapping baby-sitter who must stay on this guy to make sure he is clean? You get Midnight Blue by LJ Shen.
Indie Bellamy is your ordinary girl who gets pulled into a world full of chaos and money. She took a job opportunity to help her and her brother’s family out of poverty. Her brother dropped out of joining the NFL and began to spiral out of control. While her sister-in-law is busy trying to provide for her ill two-year-old. They all live in a one-bedroom apartment, adding more into her stress. She finds an opportunity to get money quick by giving up three months of her life to ‘babysit’ a rock star. But the thing is, this isn’t just an ordinary bad rock star.
Alex Winslow is one of the world’s hottest musicians and had a world tour after coming out of rehab. His life spiraled out of control after breaking up with his then girlfriend Fallon after she cheated on his with his rival. Now, he needs to be clean after suffering from alcohol and drug addiction. This is where Indie comes to play.
“Because when you’re a rock star and make a crap ton of money, everyone wants a piece of the pie. A pie you baked. With ingredients you bought.”
Their relationship starts off rocky. They despise themselves due to the circumstances they find themselves to be. He nicknames her ‘Stardust’, which I find to be adorable. What I love about their relationship is how they jump off each other. While he is mostly a dick to everyone, she doesn’t stay quiet and fights back. She crawls under his skin and he doesn’t know what to do with her.
In the beginning, Alex just wanted to use her like he does with all the groupies he comes along with. But to his surprise, she becomes his muse for the tour and he can’t write music without her present, therefore he can’t get rid of her. So in his eyes, Indie would help him write his album, he’d sleep with her and then get rid of her when he was done.
“Because Indie, like drugs, was a temporary fix. Once our three months were up, she’d leave my surly arse and run back to what was left of her dysfunctional-yet-loving family. I wouldn’t blame her. Hell, I wouldn’t even stop her. Because deep down, I knew a bastard like me couldn’t keep her.”
I’ve always said that the characters in a book is what drives the story. You can have the most amazing plot in the entire world but if you have characters who are useless and monotone then you better believe no one is going to want to finish your story. With the main characters of this book, they drove the story. Indie was feisty and didn’t let herself be pushed around by a rock star. she retaliated every word he said to her and she did things he told her not to do because she wanted. Alex, on the other hand, didn’t know how to control this little ball of blue fury and sometimes would be surprised by her actions, specifically one scene where he tells her to find him a one nigh stand. She does it without hesitation because she doesn’t want him to know that her feelings for him are growing.
“Close your eyes,” he croaked.
“Why?”
“Because everything is so much more beautiful when you can’t see it.”
Rating:
This book gets a: ★★★★★
Over all this book was an amazing read and I loved every single thing about it. I remember seeing it on my Goodsread feed and I decided to check it out. Three chapters in, I knew I was stuck in this world until the last page. It was emotional and had me speechless. This book is explicit for young readers and can be read if you are over eighteen though.
“I like to live on the edge.” He licked his lower lip.
“I like to live safely within the lines,” I retorted.
“It’s a comfortable place to be, but nothing ever grows there.”
That is my review for the book Midnight Blue by LJ Shen. What are your thoughts on the book? Comment down below and let me know!
Thanks for reading!!
Please, share and follow me.
Hope your lucky stars look after you all!!
