The white-hot front man for the band Tattoo Thief trashed his penthouse, abandoned his dog and fled the country.
Now New York newbie Beryl Sutton is stuck with his mess.
As his house sitter, she must pick up the pieces, but a fragile connection drives her to uncover the real man behind the mic. Why is he running? And what can bring him back?
Unexpectedly running into her dad’s best friend, Dan, brings with it an unprecedented turn of events for Beryl. She has spent her life stuck in the town she grew up in, working soul-destroying jobs to make ends meet, and never taking the kind of risks that can lead to adventure. When Dan offers her a job, which comes with a move to New York City, she sees an opportunity, a chance to finally escape, to get out into the world, and make memories that will otherwise be lost to her.
The job is not exactly what she expected, though. New York brings it’s own challenges, but Gavin’s apartment is a different story. She knew the job involved looking after the houses of rich clients while they are away, doing menial tasks like restocking their fridges and collecting and organising their post. What she didn’t expect was the state of Gavin’s apartment when she first walked into it. The whole place is completely trashed, and he has left for an undeterminable amount of time. With a dog boarding company keen for some contact with someone in charge, Beryl finds herself, not only with the apartment of a rockstar to clean up, but also his dog in tow.
As Beryl starts to settle into her role, she finds herself taking on new challenges. Moving to New York was a fresh start for her, and although she doesn’t necessarily take all the changes in her stride, she does embrace the challenge. She is keen to try new things, to step out of her comfort zone, and finds herself doing so on a regular basis. Beryl is a great character, as she is not only realistic, but also kind, despite being flawed. She does sometimes fall a little too far into the mindset of trying new things, and puts herself in some difficult situations, but these only make her seem more real.
As Beryl tries to find out just what Gavin wants her to do with his apartment, they begin to talk more over message. Gavin is a deeply troubled man, running from his emotions and problems, and leaving behind the mess. However, taking time away from his everyday life has given him new perspective, and as his messages with Beryl begin to occur more frequently, his mindset begins to shift. There is no doubt that Beryl was good for Gavin, that she helped him to work through a difficult time. The revelation of what the breaking point was, making Gavin leave, is somewhat disturbing though, and certainly brings into question Gavin’s humanity. Just how much is he truly willing to use others to push himself forwards? Gavin is a questionable character, and although he does seem pleasant, and is kind of Beryl, I couldn’t bring myself to truly like him.
There are some points of this story in which forgiveness is given freely and easily, and it does seem at times like it is given too easily. One thing in particular that was slightly disturbing is Beryl making the decision to wear a dress that belonged to Gavin’s recently deceased girlfriend on a date with him. The decision to do such a thing in itself is rather disturbing to consider, but the outcome seemed almost anti-climatic. Surely Gavin would have found such a thing incredibly concerning, and make more of a deal out of it? Especially considering he specifically asked her to throw away the clothes before he got home.
The story itself is good, and it’s the kind of book you can read quickly, but truly connecting with the characters is a little difficult at times, and certain situations do come across as wildly unrealistic. It’s a good read if you are after a hot rockstar romance, but the story and events are not necessarily overly emotionally investing.
Heidi Joy Tretheway writes steamy romantic fiction. Her first career as a journalist took her behind the scenes with rock stars, chefs, and politicians … all of whom inspire her novels.
She also has an alter ego.
As Heidi Tretheway, she writes squeaky-clean business nonfiction. With 20-years as a B2B marketing executive, Heidi is an authority on marketing, branding, and organizational effectiveness.
Heidi also narrated the No. 1 true crime podcast "Happily Never After: Dan & Nancy" from Wondery.
Away from the keyboard, you’ll find Heidi snorkeling, refereeing soccer, and salmon fishing. She loves French carbs and plane tickets. Heidi lives in southwest Washington with her soccer-obsessed family and calls Berlin her second home.
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