Review: Runaway Rock Star (States of Love) by C.J. Anthony

Just hours before Brandon Harris is supposed to head home to Cincinnati for a Labor Day family picnic, his boss at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame forces him into giving a private tour to bratty British pop-rock star Lucas Black. Before he knows it, he finds himself swept up in a whirlwind road trip through Ohio with Lucas riding shotgun.

Lucas grabs hold of this wild opportunity to run away—even for a few precious days—from the gilded cage that is his carefully managed life. He's just looking for a little fun and freedom as a normal person. From roller coasters to a college football game, Brandon begins to see the real Lucas Black buried under the famous persona. But by the time he and Lucas discover their mutual attraction, they only have one night left before both of them have to go back to their real lives. The fun is over...unless Lucas can run away for real this time and keep their adventure going.


There are a few things that can guarantee my excitement and that is rock stars, boys in the closet and road trips. This book has all of the above and they gave me all that I could have wanted in a short story.

Brandon Harris loves working at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame museum. His love for music gave me all the feels because I am a self-proclaimed music nerd. When Brandon is given the task of guiding a British pop star on a solo tour that shut down the museum, he is less than thrilled. While Brandon loves music, his tastes don’t lend the pop charts and what he knows of Lucas Black, it’s nothing worth writing home about.

But… things aren’t always as they seem and while the British pop star starts off as annoying they soon change as the men find common ground in what else, music. When they hit the tour and come to John Lennon’s piano, the age old question of who Brandon prefers – Beatles or Stones – is asked and the young men start to let guards down and allow perceptions to fall away.

Being the music nerd that I am I loved going on the tour with Brandon and Lucas. When Lucas invited Brandon to his show that night, I felt for him because he was supposed to be heading home for a family barbeque but he gives in and goes. He has an attraction to Lucas that he can’t deny but tabloids etc. have pinned Lucas as straight so Brandon allows this new possibility of friendship evolve. I did like that while Lucas pop music isn’t Brandon’s bag, he could appreciate the level of showmanship of Lucas on stage live and how the man not only owned the stage but his love of performing was evident. When Lucas slips Brandon a note inviting him backstage, I thought things would get sexy but really, they didn’t because they became more mysterious as Lucas asks Brandon for a ride and then dons a disguise and off they go on an adventure.

The way you make me feel. I know it’s crazy, and we’ve only known each other for a weekend. But I couldn’t walk away from this. I want us to give it a go, see where the road takes us.

The road tip aspect of the story was fun but due to page length it was also short but then again, they were only driving a matter of a few hours to each stop each day so what could they really do. The road trip allowed Brandon to see Lucas as more than the pop idol that he’d become and get to know the young man whose father took his talent as a cash cow opportunity and how lonely and controlled Lucas’ life really is.

Now I love that both men have a thing for Ryan Adams because Heartbreaker is one of my all-time favorite albums and “Come Pick Me Up” is one of my favorite songs but I have to admit that my crush on a pop idol had me picturing Lucas as well, Harry Styles. Don’t shoot me but… chin length hair, green eyes, long limbs, British, pop star who truly wants to make REAL music, dating Taylor Swift for two weeks and having a closet full of beards??? I mean, just those few things alone to me scream Harry and then the music… if you haven’t heard the type of music Harry currently makes as a solo artist and compare it to what Lucas writes during their trip… I am just saying. Lucas is Harry to me and that my friends makes a huge difference because I adore Harry. So much.

Anyway.

As Lucas gets Brandon to go along on this road trip adventure he gets himself caught up in the life of Lucas Black and finds himself wishing that things could be different. Oh but they totally could if either of these young men knew how to flirt or pick up signals! It was frustrating and yet incredibly endearing to see Lucas throwing things out there that went way over Brandon’s head and thank goodness for ex-boyfriends, Halsey concerts and jealousy because they made for one hell of a hot first kiss.

Yup, they finally get there but man it was so freaking bittersweet to know that both Lucas and Brandon wanted more than one night could or would give them but neither of them knowing how to find ad app that could steer them in the right direction for this road trip of romance and life. Le sigh. Le freaking sigh.

I have to say that the end was super satisfying and I would love to catch up with these two again. They were fun and so adorable with their slow burn road trip romance. This book and these two men truly made my Sunday better for spending it with them.




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