Review: "Aimee and the Heartthrob" by Ophelia London (Backstage Pass #1)

Note: This ARC was provided by Entangled Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

But this was Aimee. The girl who'd been in his life for so many years, it was like she'd always been there...tucked inside his heart, waiting for him to be ready.

Aimee Bingham and Miles Carlisle have known each other for five years, before he became part of Seconds to Juliet, the pop group composed of five teenage boys that skyrocketed to fame over the past two years. She had the biggest crush on him but after her brother Nick informed her that she was nothing more than a nuisance in Miles' eyes, she promised to bury whatever feelings she had for him deep, deep down, wanting to forget how hurt she was. She hasn't seen him since he left to become a music superstar and she's preferred it that way...until her parents decide she should spend three weeks with Nick who just happens to be interning as part of Seconds to Juliet's crew on their worldwide tour.

Miles Carlisle has always seen Aimee Bingham as the little sister he never had, but when he sees her after two years apart, he's shocked to see how much she's grown up. To his seventeen-year-old eyes, she's no longer the pre-teen tomboy with the pigtails. She's now sixteen and he's finally noticing her, something his best friend Nick, who just happens to be Aimee's brother, dissuades either of them from pursuing. Best friends may have a code but Miles is willing to throw caution to the wind for the girl he's falling for. It's almost as if all of Aimee's old fantasies are coming true, but what happens when something from Aimee's not-so-distant past makes Miles, the so-called player, wonder if he's being played?

Aimee and the Heartthrob by Ophelia London is the first book in the multi-authored Backstage Pass series from Entangled Publishing's Crush imprint, making this a young adult (YA) romance. This is, without a doubt, one of the most squee-worthy books I've read this year and I'm already adding it to my list of 2015 favorites. It was cute, sweet, and had me remembering what it was like to be a teenager daydreaming about my favorite boy band and the one boy band member I wished would only sing for me. You don't have to be a teen to enjoy this book because I'm pretty sure, regardless of age, we've all had a crush on a singer or someone in a band or group before, no matter the music genre.

Aimee was the perfect lead female character, with the right amount of innocence and curiosity that someone at sixteen would have. Miles was the ideal lead male character and partner for Aimee--a famous band member enjoying the benefits of success while quietly wishing for some semblance of normalcy. They both have that insecurity and self-doubt that countless teens deal with on a daily basis, making them characters that are easy to empathize with and relate to. I don't think there was one thing about either of them that I didn't like because even the way they were handling their individual issues and those as a couple was how you'd expect mature teens but still teens nonetheless to handle them.

One of the best things about this book was that it truly was about Aimee and Miles. There wasn't any major family drama going on and the other factors didn't play as huge a part as you would expect in creating conflict. Thankfully, there weren't any exes running around trying to make a play for either of them, though they both have their own bad experiences in the relationship department. This book was simply a wonderfully written story about young love and how trust and faith in one another are important to make any relationship work, whether one or both of you are famous or you just happen to be regular people. Aimee and the Heartthrob was a great start to this series and it gets five-plus stars. ♥

Release Date: 14 April 2015

Date Read: 08 April 2015

Learn more about Ophelia London here.

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