Times Like These by Julia Wolf

Category: New Adult Romance
Publication date: 02/08/2019
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Cliffhanger: No

There was lots of good stuff here. Then...there was some not-so-great stuff. 

via GIPHY

Plot overview: Quirky girl Dalia gets into an internet kerfuffle with rockstar Nick. He calls her a name no woman should ever be called. To make it up to her, Nick’s manager offers her a job as an assistant to the band, requiring Dalia to travel on tour with them.

So, I’ll start with the good stuff first, ‘cause that’s what my mom raised me to do: 

1. I like Nick. Despite what he called Dalia in the beginning, he apologized, and honestly, I kind of understand the head space he was in when he did it, and I don’t hate him for it. I also love that he isn’t your typical manwhore rockstar hero. He was pretty lowkey about his fame and sex appeal and I enjoyed that about him. And he was grumpy, which is always a plus. 
2. The secondary characters were all pretty fabulous. I’d probably read their stories, but none of them came across as clean-cut sequel bait, which I appreciated. 
3. It was well written. I was invested in the story and read through to the end. I know that doesn’t sound like a huge compliment, but given the sheer number of DNFs I’ve had lately, it actually is a nice compliment.  

The bad stuff for me was mostly about Dalia. I found her generally grating and unlikeable. She was a total Mary Sue (good at so many things, everyone adores her on sight). She was also stubborn to the point of being annoying, and rudely refused to go to any of the band’s shows, even when Nick practically begged her to. And even though Nick should never have called her what he did, she was wrong when she immediately jumped on Twitter and disparaged his bandmate, claiming he was high when he passed out on stage. She had absolutely no proof of that, and should’ve kept her mouth shut. She didn’t deserve what she was called, but she definitely provoked the attack.

So, long-story-short, it’s not a bad read. I liked Nick, and I liked the supporting characters. I just wish I could’ve fixed Nick up with a heroine from a different book.

(And also, this didn’t impact my enjoyment of the book at all, but I think Blue is the Color is a stupid rock band name. I know no one asked for my opinion, but, yeah...there it is.)     

Does this book contribute to or help crush the romance stigma?
It’s stigma-free. No rehab needed.

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