Built to Fall: A Rockstar Romance by Julia Wolf
Rating:4.5/5
Steam: 3.5-4
Angst: 2
Trope: Age Gap, Grumpy Sunshine, Rockstar, Real Body Heroine, close proximity
Standalone
I came across this authors TikTok Video Pimping the book. It has some of my favorite tropes in it so I thought what the heck let’s give it a try. Julia Wolf is a new to me author and shamwow I will be reading more! Everything about this story just worked. It brought the steam and the spice! A sassy and tough as nails heroine, our grumpy silver fox hero and a blend of seriously amazing side characters having you devouring this story in one sitting. The message in this story is all about loving who you are while recognizing that you have to be whole in order to truly love anyone else.
Claire is easily one of my favorite heroines of all time! She is totally a book bestie now! I adore her and know that she would be an instant friend for me. She is smart and sassy. Not afraid to take risk and embraces who she is! Claire’s story isn’t easy, a shitty ex, she has PTSD when it comes to violent men, and yelling and outbursts of any kind sets her off. Watch Claire gain her voice and power was fantastic in this story. It made my connection with this character even better.
I absolutely LOVED how Dom connected with Claire’s soul, and loved her curves. Dominic always made it clear how much of a goddess he thought she was. But Dom is very gentle with her. Even though he can be an asshat, he always apologized to her when he unintentionally scared her and made sure she knew it wasn’t her fault for how she reacted.
The sexual chemistry was off the charts hot — seriously, this book has some of the hottest scenes but it was their emotional connection that I loved beyond everything else. Dominic may have been a rockstar that seemed to have the world at his feet, while Claire is a struggling almost-divorcee who is used to the world not giving her a second chance, and while they are complete opposites their connection is true and raw. They see each other for who they truly are and who they want to be, instead of everyone else’s preconceived notions.
Dom is a damaged hero and a total grump, but he had his heart irrevocably broken in such a horrible way that it changed who he was. He hardened himself against the world, but it seems Claire always knows what he needs when he needs it. She also sees the things inside his heart and soul that he doesn’t show anyone — she just *gets* him. I love how much they support one another and the little touched and moments between them just add to the steaminess of their connect. The back and forth between these two was just pure gold! Their snark and witty banter was absolutely everything
Overall this is a fantastic read. There were a couple of story issues for me like the call letters of the radio station in Georgia. But over all this is a fantastic read. I will totally recommend it to everyone!
