My Rock Star Neighbour by Kathy Strobos
Series: New York Spark #4
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Pages: 329
Published By: Strawbundle Publishing on 10th October, 2025
Format: Epub
Source: Gifted
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Book Synopsis:
When a wary rock star and a cynical reporter fake date to bury a scandalous rumour, will true love be exposed as the real story?
Nick: I do my best song writing while playing my guitar on the fire escape. Unfortunately, my in-bed-at-ten next-door neighbor, Maddie, is not a fan of my music. She clambers out on the fire escape to yell at me about making “noise.” In bunny slippers, no less. But then she trips and falls into my arms.
That photo of Maddie plastered all over me hits the papers, just as my dream recording company wants to sign my band. Which is a problem, because an obsessed fan is claiming that I’m her boyfriend and now the media is blowing up that I’m two-timing them both. Good-bye recording contract, unless….
Maddie: I’m supposed to cover the story. Not be the story! But when Nick begs me to fake date, I can’t resist the chance to be Nick’s girlfriend—even if fake—the opposite of my life as a city desk reporter. But my ex said I’m a terrible kisser, and there’s no way I want Mr. Hot Rock Star saying the same thing. Hence, clause 11 in our contract: There will be absolutely no physical contact.
Nick: When Maddie receives a threatening photo of the two of us with an X over her face, my desire to protect her suddenly feels all too real. It’s either a troll or her undercover investigation has been compromised. With both our careers at stake, is breaking up—so Maddie can return to being safe behind-the-scenes—the only solution?
Book Review
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
I had never heard of Kathy Strobos before but when I saw the title, the cover and then read the blurb I thought that it sounded like a fake-dating romcom that would very much appeal to me. And I can confirm that it did!
I absolutely loved both of the main characters from the very beginning. To see their chemistry blossoming through the fake-dating was very enjoyable. Strobos fleshes out Maddie’s character beautifully, making her feel genuinely relatable. I also loved Nick’s character—he stands out from the typical up-and-coming rockstar “bad boys” often seen in romance novels. Understanding and learning parts of their backstories made me root for them both even more!
Although this is a fake-dating romcom, I enjoyed that the story focuses on more than just the romance. I love how Strobos weaves Maddie’s work as a reporter and her ongoing investigation into the plot, balancing intrigue with heartwarming moments. The romance made me feel giddy and the intrigue and danger from the investigation was a nice balance for the plot.
The book is written in first-person with each chapter being from either Maddie or Nick’s perspective. I like how the reader was able to hear their thoughts alongside seeing the actions play out. I felt more connected with both characters through this style of writing.
The pacing of this book is good throughout and I was really happy with how the story ended. I was rooting for both characters from the very start. Therefore I was very satisfied with how Strobos brought it all together at the end.
I have definitely already had a look at the other books in this series… I may end up reading some of them in the future! I’m so glad this blog tour allowed me to discover a new author who I would definitely read from again. If you are someone who loves a good romcom mixed with a mystery element then I would definitely recommend checking this one out.
About Kathy Strobos –
Kathy Strobos is a writer living in New York City with her husband and two children, amid a growing collection of books, toys, and dollhouses. She previously worked as a lawyer before switching careers to write romantic comedies full-time and get in shape. She is still working on getting in shape.
Born and raised in Manhattan, she loves writing about New York City and her smart heroines who live and fall in love there, amidst its vibrant energy and the aroma of homemade chocolate chip cookies. She is the award-winning author of: A Scavenger Hunt for Hearts, Partner Pursuit, Is This for Real?, Caper Crush, My Book Boyfriend, Love Is an Art and My Secret Snowflake.
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