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A review by justinkhchen
Stars in Your Eyes by Kacen Callender
4.0
3.75 stars
An earnest, if slightly disjointed effort, Stars in Your Eyes is Kacen Callender's first foray into adult romance, and it definitely shows—the novel is a buffet of elements/tropes, from rom-com, hard-hitting drama (triggers beware), social commentary, steam, to alternating POVs/formats (tweets, fanfic, etc.). While the individual pieces are objectively on point, as a novel one can't help but feel like the author is throwing everything at the wall and see what sticks.
I became more engaged in the plot once we passed the cliché setup (co-stars fake dating for publicity), when the novel dived into both heroes' personal challenge and public scrutiny. The story then took on a more candid, serious tone, which I found rather refreshing within a romantic context, and I appreciates the author's effort in challenging the required happy ending, leaning more into realism rather than just a straightforward, all encompassing HEA.
Overall, even though Stars in Your Eyes is not a complete home-run, due to its slight identity crisis (straddling between a tropey romance and intense character study), the potential is evident, and I look forward to the next adult entry from Kacen Callender!
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**
An earnest, if slightly disjointed effort, Stars in Your Eyes is Kacen Callender's first foray into adult romance, and it definitely shows—the novel is a buffet of elements/tropes, from rom-com, hard-hitting drama (triggers beware), social commentary, steam, to alternating POVs/formats (tweets, fanfic, etc.). While the individual pieces are objectively on point, as a novel one can't help but feel like the author is throwing everything at the wall and see what sticks.
I became more engaged in the plot once we passed the cliché setup (co-stars fake dating for publicity), when the novel dived into both heroes' personal challenge and public scrutiny. The story then took on a more candid, serious tone, which I found rather refreshing within a romantic context, and I appreciates the author's effort in challenging the required happy ending, leaning more into realism rather than just a straightforward, all encompassing HEA.
Overall, even though Stars in Your Eyes is not a complete home-run, due to its slight identity crisis (straddling between a tropey romance and intense character study), the potential is evident, and I look forward to the next adult entry from Kacen Callender!
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**