White Noise

Caffeine Daydreams #1

by Lark Taylor

What happens when a world-famous rock star gets trapped in a lift with a journalist?

Ollie

I thought my day couldn’t get any worse. After catching my best friend and girlfriend in bed together, the only thing going right in my life is the interview for my dream job.

But fate is laughing at my expense. One mishap leads to another until I find myself trapped in a lift and missing my interview.

And I’m not alone.

I’m about to discover unexpected things about Luca Weston, lead singer of the world-famous rock band, Caffeine Daydreams.

After we’re rescued, I can’t stop thinking about Luca. Given I’ve spent my life burying my emotions and identifying as straight, obsessing over an unobtainable male rock star is a whole new experience.

When I’m suddenly assigned to be the journalist following Caffeine Daydreams on their tour, can I resist Luca and keep things strictly professional?

Luca

Getting stuck in a confined space with a journalist should be my worst nightmare.

But something about this uptight man intrigues me. Ollie has me opening up in a way I never have before.

The lift doors open, Ollie walks away, and I wonder if I’ve missed my chance with the man of my dreams.

When my manager insists on having a journalist follow us on tour, I know the perfect man for the job.

I have six weeks to find out if the chemistry between Ollie and me is real, and if it is, I’ll turn my whole world upside down to keep him.

White Noise is a sexual awakening, forced proximity, MM rockstar romance. The first in the Caffeine Daydreams series, each book will follow a different couple as they find their HEA. Although better read in order, these books can stand alone.

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Contemporary, Forced Proximity, Music, LGBT, Contemporary Romance

293 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 6, 2023

About the author

Lark lives with her family in southern England. An obsessive romance fan, she loves nothing more than a Happily Ever After – especially if there’s a good plot and a hefty amount of spice along the way. When she’s not reading or writing, she can be found hiding from adult life in escape rooms, travel and the MCU. As a Bi woman with OCD, Lark is a fervent supporter of the LGBTQIA+ community and an advocate for mental health awareness and support.

Reviews

[Noah · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's like I never get a minute, feels like I'm never not on tour / Sometimes I start to miss you, what am I doing all this for? (Better – Ricky Reed, Leon Bridges & Kiana Ledé).

Hey, I’ve read this before! Well, maybe not literally, but with how interested White Noise seems in going through the motions, there’s no denying that I felt intimately familiar with this book the more time I spent with it. Call this review the Minority Report the way predicted every plot point. Call me Nicholas Cage's Next the way I knew what was coming next! I mean, being predictable and familiar is hardly the worst thing a book could do, it's not like this is a mystery where knowing who the killer is ruins the whole thing from the jump. I guess you could say there was a killer here... boredom! Ha ha. Okay, that's not fair, because White Noise did garner a lot of good will from me due to its similarities to Sometime After Midnight by L. Philips, which was a book I had a good time with, even though it was mostly because the rockstar in that book was the one doing the chasing. But let’s get on with it, why don’t we? We’re introduced to our main character, Ollie Normalman (I don’t remember his last name), as he walks in on his girlfriend and best friend doing the dirty behind his back in what is probably the best chapter in the book due to its romcom vibes and the devastated yet humorously deadpanned way that he reacts to his entire life being uprooted. I found it kind of refreshing, actually, because can I just say that I almost always hate the “friend characters” in stuff? Pick one out of a hat and I'll probably have an opinion on them! I hated Foggy Nelson from the Daredevil show (pick any), where he’s always like, “I'm so sad that my best friend is Daredevil! He'd better stop because he’s putting himself in dangee~eer” and it’s like, lay off weirdo. He’s a superhero. I hated that moment in Spider-Man: Home of the Green Screen Cameos where Spider-Man is all crying and hugging his girlfriend Zendaya in the climactic scene, and then his buddy Ned is all there crying too and trying to get in on the hug?!? Like, give them some space. Weirdo. Oh man, don’t get me started at how much I hated that part in 27 Dresses where Katherine Heigl exposes her lying ass sister’s fake ass in front of her entire family and we're supposed to think she went too far and see it as the moral turning point in the film rather than a moment of extreme catharsis. Too much you say, 27 Dresses? Yeah well, not enough if you ask me! Just know that I was sitting there like Emperor Palpatine all like, “yesss, let the hate course through you!” I hate friend characters, why are they always so damn fake and why is it that the main character is the one who has to do all the heavy lifting in the relationship!? And let me tell you, I hate the fact that it often feels like nobody else finds these characters as annoying as I do! Will the real haters please stand up? Because I've been standing over here all alone! Please join me.

So yeah, props to this book because I thought it was so cool how instead of giving the kind of characters that would normally be given their own little story arcs the time of day, this book had them fade into obscurity, becoming completely inconsequential after their disastrous debut. And yup, I cheered when I finally found a book that just flat out portrays the “friend character” as a straight up asshole from the first page. Go White Noise, expose their ass! And look, I know the whole “walk-in-on-my-significant-other-having-sex-with-my-bestie” trope is such a tired cliché at this point, but it still gets me from time to time. It’s like how a jump-scare can make you jump no matter how much you try to anticipate and prepare for it. Because even though I didn’t particularly find Ollie to be an interesting character, I was still like damn… that’s cold, so cold I felt like I was chilling in Phendrana Drifts. Unfortunately, the fun heightened plot and interesting characterization doesn’t last very long, because then all the insta-love bullshit that normally happens in these “shirtless-man books” starts… you've guessed it, happening at an alarming rate. Oh well, I enjoyed it while it lasted. That one chapter was soo~ooo good! Anyway, then enters super rockstar Luca, who is supposed seem like he has layers and a soul under his cocky visage, but if I were honest, he reminded me less of a wounded superstar with a hidden heart of gold and more like that boyfriend character in Begin Again, the one where Adam Levine is a cowardly sellout who cares more about shilling factory made slop rather than the art and joy of making music. Oh wait, I forgot to tell you what character Adam Levine plays! Badum tssss! Anyway, they have their little meet cute and connect on a deeper level than either have ever known with anyone else Before Sunrise style, that is, until Luca’s scumbag manager (and White Noise’s designated villain) ruins everything by having Ollie sign an NDA, thus expertly cutting off any budding romance from blossoming. But worry not! Because they then meet again months later When Harry Met Sally… style and it's totally on once again! Um, then the rest of the book happens. If it sounds like I got super vague all of a sudden, it’s because I got a little carried away and I feel like I’ve pretty much just gave everything away at this point. Don’t worry, if you’ve read one of these books, then you've read them all, I promise! It’s the usual, Ollie is doing Ollie and Luca is doing Luca and then eventually they do each other. Sex scenes on top of more sex scenes and boom, White Noise everyone!

You know how I talk a lot of trash about John Green? Yeah well, have I ever told you about the infamous “John Green Tumblr Incident?” Oooh ominous! Well, back in the day, Tumblr used to have this really odd feature where anybody (and I mean anybody) could edit other people’s posts without the original post author changing, so it still looked like whatever newer text was shown was something that they wrote. You probably know where this is going, right? People started editing the hell out of John Green posts to make it look like he was saying some wild ass shit. Here, you just have to read it yourself (nsfw): As I near 200,000 followers here at fishingboatproceeds, I just wanted to say Cock is one of my favorite tastes. Not only that, but balls smell amazing. It makes me go a little crazy on it to be honest. Like, I cannot get it far enough down my throat to be satisfied. I’m only satisfied when I feel those intense, powerful, salty, hot pumps of cum down my throat. When I sit back on my heels, look up at you with cum all over my mouth and slobber running down my neck, hair all fucked up and wipe my mouth with the back of my arm and ask you if I did a good job and you cannot even speak because I’ve drained all of your energy out the tip of your dick….. That’s when I’m satisfied.” Damn John Green, I didn't know you had it in you! Now if you read the text up there in a British accent then you’ve got yourself Luca’s faux bad boy sex-talk. And if you're really curious about this book, then you can just imagine the writing oscillating between John Green's Riley Hart era and everyone talking like a fucking trained therapist and there, now we’ve all read White Noise. Yay! In all seriousness though, I really do think it’s funny how authors still very much cling to the idea that the quintessential picture of the biggest musical artist around is still the “80’s rockstar." I'll grant them that they probably just like the aesthetic, I suppose, but there’s nothing even hedonistic or toxic that would evoke the rockstar image in this book anyway! What with all of the members in this wack ass band being in their mid-thirties and constantly saying shit like “that life is in our past now,” and it’s like, then what’s the point in making them rockstars? Sure, it might have been interesting if Caffeine Daydreams (that’s their band name haha) was like, super washed or something, and Luca trying to settle down with Ollie could have been fueled by him trying to find an “out” of his dwindling party lifestyle, but nah... we can't have our characters looking like failed artists can we? They have to still be cool to be sexy, right?

I'm just saying, it would have been more interesting to me if White Noise went about its narrative in the same way A Star is Born (2018) revolves around rock music, but is a more of a “the age of the Wild West is coming to an end” kind of thing, with Bradley Cooper growing increasingly jealous and resentful that Lady Gaga’s pop career is taking off rather than her sticking with her rock music origins. But then that has to be the main point of the story; rather than trying to pretend like a rock song would be in the Top 100 Billboard like in this book, it folds the genre’s fade into obscurity into the narrative that rides parallel to Bradly Cooper’s own growing fears and insecurities. It could have worked with White Noise, but remember… Caffeine Daydreams are apparently supposed to be the biggest band IN THE WORLD! If anything, I see this fictional band as being more in line with something like The Black Keys, a mid-tier band who had a string of hits about ten years ago and garnered acclaim with their bluesy sound, but are now washed as fuck and just take advantage whatever remaining fans they have left by overcharging them with their insane ticket prices, but I digress. This book is a “cake-and-eat-it-too” kind of situation, where we’re supposed to buy into the idea that these guys are still living it up, fucking around, and selling out arenas while also being super wholesome and sweet on each other? I repeat, then why feature them as rockstars if we don't even get to see their wild side? Besides... pshh, with a name like Caffeine Daydreams, they sound less like rockers and more like they’d be a cover band doing The Police’s greatest hits catalogue at their local coffee shop. I don’t know if this is a hot take or not, but in my opinion, the closest approximation to the classic rockstar image could now only be found in Hip-Hop. Seriously, in terms of lyrical content, electric performances, and glamorous lifestyles, I think of rappers like Young Thug, Lil Uzi Vert, or even singers like The Weeknd! Not whatever image this Luca guy is supposed to be conjuring up, all thrusting away on stage like an embarrassingly drunk karaoke performance. I guess if you really wanted to, you could make the argument for Bruno Mars (he plays instruments and shit) too, and while I like his stuff, with his little James Brown dances and retro styling, there’s no doubt that his music is redundant of people who have already done it before and better. Anyway, I know I’m stuck on this, but like, what kind of music does Caffeine Daydreams even play? Dream Pop?? I mean, I guess it's rock music, but then we go back to the suspension of disbelief that that type of music would still be selling out stadiums. Nuh uh, I don't think so! Alrighty then, I think I’m tired of talking about this book now. Sure, I didn’t hate it, but with the storm of clichés and the lack of grounded appeal, I can’t really say that I liked it either.

“One thing was certain, I had a shit ton of groveling to do if I wanted any hope of a future with him.”

[Carol [Goodreads Addict] · Rating 5 out of 5]

White Noise is book one in the brand new series, Caffeine Daydreams, by Lark Taylor. This is my very first book of Lark’s. The cover is what grabbed me. As soon as I saw it, I knew I would have to read this book! This is a MM, rock star, sexual awakening romance that I completely fell in love with.



Luca Weston is thirty four years old. He is the lead singer of the world famous rock band, Caffeine Daydreams. Luca’s band has been together for a very long time. They started out as kids, just playing for fun and have worked themselves up through the ranks until they hit it big. Luca went through his party days when he was younger but he’s tired of being alone. He wishes he had someone to settle down with, someone to come home to. Then he got stuck in an elevator and his life was changed forever.



Ollie Winters is twenty seven years old, is a journalist, and is not having a good day. It started out as good. He had a job interview that was going to be a huge advance for him. But a quick trip home before his appointment changed everything. Then, when he gets to his appointment, late, he finds himself trapped in an elevator with a famous rock star. Only their time together didn’t go quite as he might have expected.

“Obviously, twenty seven was not too late to be learning new things about myself.”

These two! Ollie and Luca! They were adorable. Both had stories. Both came from tough childhoods. But together, they found something that was missing from their lives. They just seemed to see each other. Which for Luca, was very special. Everyone wanted Luca the rock star. No one wanted Luca the man. Suddenly Ollie finds himself on tour with Caffeine Daydreams for six weeks to write weekly articles about the band. He’s determined to keep things professional between he and Luca but how long will that last? How long will he be able to resist him?



I absolutely adored this introduction to these men of Caffeine Daydreams. I didn’t even know I needed a rock star romance! Lark gives us just enough hints at the coming books to have me on the edge of my seat. I can’t wait. I’m going to have to look through Lark’s other work as well. I have a feeling there will be plenty more of her books in my future.

For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...

[Drusilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice story, well written but the plot offers little out of the ordinary. The first half is pretty good. There are a few hot scenes that give it a good spice and the dynamic that Luca and Ollie have from the first moment is wonderful. I love both of these characters.

Why did being pinned beneath him feel so right? I’d always been the alpha in the bedroom. I’d never considered letting someone else take control. 🤩

The melodrama that unfolded was already apparent from afar. And that bored me so much. Honestly a miracle that I did not fall asleep several times, given that I'm super tired this week. Therefore, my rather high rating for a story that has bored me rather. As I said, the characters are really wonderful and the writing style has convinced and kept me hooked.

Well, and then there is the problem with the lack of communication .... Maybe a little more depth for the story would have been helpful. It's clear why they are so insecure, but a bit more background and all would make the book better. After all, when a little communication does take place, it's beautiful.

He bit his lip. “I come with a lot of baggage.” I dropped a kiss on the end of his nose. “So do I. But I think it’ll be easier if we take turns carrying it.” 😍

[taylor :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC, and this is my honest review.

I have been waiting to read this book for 400 years. As soon as I saw the author playing around with this plot bunny she had, I was like “Okay so where is the pre-order link?” Anything she writes, I eat it up. And a rockstar romance? Hell yes.

The way this book started is probably one of my favorite beginnings of a book in the history of ever. So basically after having the worst morning of his life, Ollie finds himself stuck inside an elevator with rockstar god Luca from the band Caffeine Daydreams. Ollie was already in a pissy mood due to his morning, and being stuck with Luca was the icing on the cake. Luca wasn’t happy with being stuck in an elevator with a journalist either, but both found out that each of them are more than just their careers. After being stuck with each other for a few hours, they formed a bond and found themselves opening up to each other about their lives. And then once they were let out, they went their separate ways. I don’t think either would’ve guessed that they would be thinking of each other and obsessing over each other in the time they were apart. So, 5 months later, and Ollie finds himself as the journalist following Caffeine Daydreams on tour for 6 weeks. What could go wrong?

I loved this. Even though I wanted to riot towards the end. I was like “ooooooh noooooo”, but all is well. HEA is attained. It wasn’t an easy ride, though. Ollie had trouble expressing his emotions due to rough childhood, and Luca’s lifestyle is hard on a relationship. I was rooting for them so hard, so it felt like my victory as well when they figured it all out.

Luca and Ollie were so fun, so sweet, so hot, and so very very very sexy. The spicy times were spicy, but I expected nothing less from this author. I found it cute how Ollie thought he could remain a professional and stay away from Luca. He tried, but man was it delicious to watch him give in.

I loved so many of the characters in this book, and I am excited to see them get their stories in the future. So, if you want to read a book that contains a rockstar/journalist romance, bi-awakening, forced proximity, and a lovely family of rockstars, then you must give it a try!

PS Here are some of my fav quotes from the book

“I’d hoped today would change my life, but as I watched my girlfriend of six years get railed by my best friend, this wasn’t how I’d thought it would happen.”

“I had a void he could fill, but I was ninety-nine percent sure that wasn’t what he’d meant.”

“I stared at the rock star straddling my lap and began to question my sanity.”

““Buckle up, baby,” he murmured. “I’m gonna ruin you for everyone else.” He already had. Didn’t he know that?”

“I want to watch you on stage tonight, knowing my cum is leaking out of your hole.”

[Mila · Rating 3 out of 5]

***3.5 rating***

Brief Review: Ollie and Luca's book

This story was absolutely adorable, revolving around Luca, a charismatic rockstar and lead singer of the band Caffeine Daydreams, and Ollie, a passionate journalist. As the plot unfolds, they find themselves entangled in a love story that's both heartwarming and thrilling.

The elevator scenes and the moments shared in their hotel rooms were particularly delightful 😉. Alongside the main characters, Kai and Silas, the side characters, also left a strong impression. The unresolved sexual tension between Kai and Silas added an exciting layer to the story, leaving readers eager to explore their dynamic further.

However, I did find the miscommunication between Ollie and Luca to be a bit frustrating. It seemed to hinder their connection at times and dampened my overall enjoyment of the book. Additionally, the predictable evil manager subplot somewhat detracted from the overall experience. Nevertheless, the numerous adorable moments between Ollie and Luca certainly made up for these minor drawbacks.

Overall, it was an endearing and enjoyable read, and I'm eagerly looking forward to any future developments between the characters!


I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semi-colons~✡~ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Half the story is sex, with the straight reporter falling for the slutty bi rockstar who gives him head. I mean, that's all it takes, right? Every straight man is just one blowjob away from a Pride parade.

The other half is a set-up for books 2 and 3. Yeah, yeah ... we fucking get it. Stop already.

And the final half is a wilted plot about the hardships of fame and the machinations of an evil, greedy manager etc.

Wait ... that's three halves. So I suck at maths. Sue me.

[hope · Rating 3 out of 5]

✰ 3 stars ✰

❝You’re just…I can’t even describe it, Luca. I look at you, and it’s like I can breathe easily for the first time ever.❞

okay so...i did rate this 3 stars but i still really enjoyed this, i promise! but it was a bit predictable for me and nothing too special. don't get me wrong, there was some moments i adored but also some i just wasn't a fan of. so i decided on a neutral rating (which is 3 stars for me). i normally don't like when the characters are acting on the instalust right away, especially on their first meeting.... ollie just caught his long term best friend and girlfriend in bed together and on his way to his interview he gets trapped in a elevator with luca where some....stuff goes down, but i freaking loved that scene. their meeting felt so natural and i honestly believe they fell in love with each other during that time. even now being finished with the book, i still believe it. they had instant chemistry and were able to easily open up to each other and how ollie recognized the signs of anxiety and helped luca with his anxiety. it was such an emotional scene but then it turned very hot. but i wasn't complaining. 🥵

❝It’s you. Ever since that day in the lift. It’s always fucking you.❞

luca has been in the industry for a while now, he's been the wild child and has had his fun with all the groupies, but he's ready to settle down. he wants someone to see him for the person he is, not the famous playboy rockstar. there is a moment in this book where luca says he's a man who can captivate an entire stadium but he'd rather have an audience of one every time, and that longing he had for companionship and love made my heart hurt for him. and the fact that he really meant it too because once he met ollie, he knew ollie was it for him. after a small separation (5 months) following the elevator scene, they still couldn't get each other out of their minds. 🥺 and now ollie is hired as a journalist to go on tour with Caffeine Daydreams for 6 weeks.

now this scene right here:

Nausea waged war with dizziness for my attention. ❝Wanna lie down.❞
Ollie muttered before shifting me in his arms. ❝I’ve got you, baby. Here, sit on my lap.❞
Numb, I let him move me like a puppet. Somehow we were on the floor, me straddling his lap. ❝Can’t feel my hands. Feet don’t work.❞
❝I’ve got you. It’s just us, Luca. You can let go.❞

i- 😭😭😭

ollie gave me butterflies. his protectiveness was perfection. the way he immediately threw himself in front of luca when the press was all up in their faces or how he helped luca when he was having an anxiety attack. he did not care about anything else around him besides luca. his first instinct was to comfort and protect and i loved that. and the jealousy scenes? luca got so jealous he didn't even want other people breathing the same air as ollie, it was so hot.

⚡️ spoilers! why i didn't rate this higher ⚡️

✧ them not communicating was getting on my nerves. i get why ollie didn't because his trust has been ruined before plus with luca's reputation and him being a very famous rockstar, he had a lot to consider. but luca? he didn't want to say anything because he kept thinking ollie was using him as an experiment, or that he didn't want more than a hook up and blah blah blah... which wasn’t the case like…at all. i thought luca would have done more about this because he was very adamant about making ollie his. and it was like he forgot that ollie is here on a professional job and honestly had a lot more at stake than him. but anyway, they were going around in circles and it just got really annoying.
✧ kevin. firstly, fuck that guy. kevin had been shady from the start so the whole thing with him was predictable. what bothered me was that ollie should have had at least some sort of suspicion that what kevin said was lies, because he already had an instinct throughout the book that something fishy was going on. but ollie just left without even talking to luca first! it was really no surprise because ollie and luca could not communicate for the life of them.
✧ what was up with all the set ups for the future couples. there was too many it felt like it was taking away from the main couple. i love getting little hints but there was too many. i just wanted to see our mcs.

⚡️ spoilers end ⚡️

what to expect:
🎸 rockstar/journalist
🎸 they get trapped in an elevator
🎸 bi-awakening
🎸 found family
🎸 forced proximity
🎸 protective mmc 🥺
🎸 jealousy scenes
🎸 future couple setups 👀

this is a good rockstar romance, but it's definitely not the best out there but if you're looking for a quick steamy read with the tropes mentioned above, and can handle some frustration with regards to the mc's not being able to communicate with each other 🤣 then you'll enjoy this! silas and kai's book is next and please bring on the unrequited love, best friends to lovers bc that's going to bring the angst!

'Caffeine Daydreams' series
book 1 - White Noise - 3 stars
book 2 - Green Light - Oct 26th 2023 (kai and silas's story)
book 3 - jack and arlo's story?

[Renae Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

White Noise is a fantastic rockstar romance between Ollie and Luca who develop an intense connection after being stuck alone in an elevator together. I loved this entire premise of Luca and Ollie meeting and interacting for the first time. Their unique predicament forces both characters to lower their guards and share their innermost thoughts, fear, and desires. Luca and Ollie are both initially intrigued by one another, which quickly escalates into something more primal and intense.

After this brief, but impactful encounter, Ollie and Luca go their separate ways, but cannot forget one another. This next part of their story focuses on Luca and Ollie meeting again and learning their attraction was not a fluke but a sign of them having something real. Their attraction to one another is further complicated due to their conflicting jobs.

Overall I really enjoyed this romance between Luca and Ollie. They are two complicated guys who have a hard time trusting others, which makes their connection so much more powerful and meaningful due to their intense care, concern, and loyalty to one another. I loved getting their story and seeing how their relationship progressed.

*** I reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. ***

[♡ cal ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

its giving... mid. i don't hate it but i don't like it; wasn't bad but wasn't that good either. however, it wasn't boring so few points for that. unfortunately, two grown brilliant men being manipulated like that truly hurt my soul.

[martina (the life of a chaotic reader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

i can’t believe lark taylor made me read a rockstar romance. well, she didn’t make me, but i had to read it because she wrote it.
so, here we are. honestly my music star phobia got better when i decided that luca was just a rock taylor swift. i love tricking my silly little brain.

but i have a question. lately i’ve read quite a few books where they end up in rome and it’s so wrong. i’m talking about big things and it’s giving me the ick. now, do authors have issues with my hometown or they usually make up their own geography?

anyway. the book. yes, we should talk about the book.
honestly i liked it. ollie and luca made sense together, they had great chemistry and the story had a good flow. i have a couple of little complaints: i really wish they talked more about heavier topics and i don’t really get why they hooked up again when they met the second time.

i wish i could say that i care about the other band members, but i try to save my daily lies for serious issues.
i didn’t see them enough to care. simple as that. yes, the thing with *checks notes* *clears throat* harry and louis (i’m so sorry i can’t help it) is quite interesting but it will be hard for me to read.
i do care about arlo though. but that��s because i have the brain of a horny squirrel and star/bodyguard is always yummy. but that little bit of information we got in the epilogue is making me feral. lark, why do you do this to me? i physically can’t wait for his book now.

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

Lark Taylor is one of my favorite authors and I loved The Reckless Damned series so much! I was really looking forward to seeing how she would create another completely different universe for her next books...

I quickly became attached to Luca and Ollie from the start, and really enjoyed their first meeting… I'd never read one like it before and I thought it was fun.

I'd like to point out that if you're not a fan of insta-love then this might not be the right book for you. But if, like me, you don't mind at all, then it's perfect! 😊

I liked the portrayal of an anxiety problem in Luca's character, I thought the subject was well written.

There was no way for him to know that I'd written "Something" after going through an anxiety attack alone... wishing desperately to have someone who'd hold me through it. God, I wanted this. Wanted him. Always.

Ollie was always ready to help, protect and support Luca whenever he needed it. He was always there for him. He saw him as the person he was, not as his rockstar persona.

I'd deal with this. Whatever was breaking him right now, I'd be the one to pick up the pieces and put him back together.

And all this despite the fact that Ollie didn't have an easy past. He was often fearful and didn't let others approach him too easily for fear of being disappointed again or having his heart broken...

But that wasn't going to stop Luca from doing everything in his power to win his heart! 🥰

There was only one thing I was sure about. I was falling for Luca. At some point, without realising, I'd leapt off the tripwire. There was no safety net. No bungee cord. I just had to hope and pray I'd find Luca falling alongside me.

They were so sweet together... 💜💜💜

We've heard so much about the next couples that I'm really looking forward to Kai and Silas' story!

🎸 Rockstar
🎸 Journalist
🎸 Bi-awakening
🎸 Forced proximity
🎸 Found family

[Marci · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super sweet!!💕 I loved how they took care of each other and how big physical touch was in their relationship. Ollie calming Luca down from an anxiety attack is a good example of that. I definitely appreciated the mental health representation here and thought it was well done and very relatable! There’s fun banter and solid writing. I’ll definitely be reading more from this author in the future, this was my first book by her. But I have some issues.😬 My first gripe was that the two guys sounded far too similar. There was also a huge lack of chemistry between Ollie and Luca. I didn’t feel those magical sparks! Maybe because everything was soooo insta. It felt like one conversation and hookup happened and both of them were like okay he’s the one.🎉 No buildup at all! I love the buildup, I’m a slow burn girly. They kept telling us in inner monologues how this connection was so special and different but I really couldn’t *feel* it! I pretty much never pick up pop star romances but I’m going to stick with this series, the second book is especially intriguing to me and I’m picking it up right after I post this review!😌 I’d recommend this book to fans of Lily Morton, which as I’m typing out makes sense why I never fully loved it because I’m not a big Lily fan.😂 All in all, a cute and light rockstar + journalist romance that never made me feel the fireworks the pairing claimed they felt about each other. This was fun, I promise!!! I feel like all I did was complain omg I’m sorry Ollie and Luca!!! 💖 Wait let me end on a positive note…I really love the cast of characters we’re introduced to. We get enough snippets of the next pairings to build anticipation of what’s to come. I’m excited to see more even if I didn’t love this as much as I had hoped to!

[Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️ 3.5 stars ⭐️

«Ruin me? Fuck, Luca had the power to break me.»

I love Lark Taylor’s writing, but White Noise was missing a bit of oomph to make it a great read.

Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed Ollie and Luca’s story. It just felt a little incomplete.
I don’t feel we were given enough backstory of the characters. They had solid foundations for a lot of emotional depth and angst, but I felt only a glimpse of all that could’ve been.
We get a peak of both of them struggling with different issues, but don’t get much more than that.
And I wanted more. More about their past, Ollie’s dad, Luca’s anxiety disorder. There was so much more to unveil.

I guess what I’m trying to say is, it wasn’t… angsty enough?
Sure, there was some drama, the classic 3rd act breakup, the villain no one expected to be a dick (but we all knew of course). It was all resolved too quickly.
All that drama managed only to piss me the fuck off —
yes, I was screaming at my kindle. We all do it.

I feel like I’m rambling at this point, but TL;DR it wasn’t enough. Good, but not great.

Side note: the cameo of my favorite demons was amazing, I love easter eggs and cameos.

Other side note: I’m definitely looking forward to Arlo and Jack’s story, because I also love bodyguard romances.

CW and tropes(spoilers):
- Rockstar/lead singer vs journalist
- Queer awakening
- MC with panic attacks
- Forced proximity
- Cheating (not between MCs)
- Vers MCs

[Iman (hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the kind of book that I can’t relate to the couple but they are good together if you know what I mean?? The writing was entertaining however, the bi-awakening was lacked of depth same goes to the predictable plot. Nothing tooo enjoyable and special. Just ordinary rockstar x journalist romance you can think of.

Their relationship was rooted by lust rather than mature emotional bond. They did have a good first impression as they were so open to each other in the beginning. I was even hopeful because of that, but it turns out they were both infatuated by their sexual desires constantly near the climax. Simply not my cup of tea.

The drama at 80% was quite packed and the miscommunication trope was predictable. So many side characters were involved made me uncomfortable if I was in their situation loll.

I was looking forward to the musical band atmosphere from Luca’s POV but ofc, these kind of romance don’t usually focus on that. And this book had many repetitions of the “hot Luca singing scene” which just bores me so much near the end. Point is, don’t expect much on the depth of the musical band subplot.

Looking forward to Green Light.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! It was really good and hard to put down. I really think it could have been a couple of edits away from five stars because it did have a few problems:
First it was too short. Once I got past all of the setup and the tour started I was thinking “oh good now the book can really start” then I realized it was 45% into the book. There should have been the quick meeting and set up in the elevator with the tour starting at like 20% with way more book dedicated to the tour and getting to know each other and falling in love.
Second this book had some really bad foreshadowing. Both Luca and Ollie had more than one thought like “wow Kevin seems a bit suspicious, I wonder if I can trust him” “well my band mates trust Kevin so I guess I should too but hmm I’m not sure” “Kevin looked at me funny - is he trustworthy?” Like I get you need to throw in hints so the third act conflict doesn’t come out of nowhere but this was children’s tv show levels of bad foreshadowing. So surprise surprise it turns out Kevin is not a good guy and not trustworthy - after all the build up and “foreshadowing” he is quietly fired off page. Ok. Another reason this book should have been longer.
I was getting to the end getting upset we didn’t see Suzie and Callum again - but then they popped up on the last page. Like I’m glad they did but wish it had happened in the main book and not the epilogue.
I really did enjoy this story and loved both the characters I just wish it had taken another trip to the editor and had some minor adjustments because it could have been amazing.

[Julia (bookish.jka) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"You’re not an experiment, Luca. I’m right here in this with you, and I want to try everything. Are you in this with me?"

I loved everything about White Noise, which is the first book in the Caffeine Daydreams series by Lark Taylor, about the life and loves of the guys in a rock band called - you guessed it - Caffeine Daydreams. This is Luca and Ollie's story.

Luca is the flamboyant front man/singer in the band and is always in the news for one notorious reason or another but the truth is, that's just his megastar "persona" and he's actually looking for someone to finally SEE him for who he really is.

Ollie is a tenacious journalist, who has his own set of issues. He is closed off and very protective of his privacy and doesn't trust most people. After catching his live-in girlfriend of 6 years in bed with his best friend, he ends up running late for his dream job, and stuck in a broken-down elevator with a famous rockstar in the middle of a panic attack.

Those two hours start a series of events that change both Ollie and Luca's lives, and make Ollie realise that he isn't actually as straight as he thought...

Some of my favourite tropes in this one:

🌶️MM romance
🌶️Forced proximity
🌶️Bi-awakening
🌶️First times
🌶️Found family
🌶️Great side characters
🌶️All the steam
🌶️HEA

Can't wait for Silas and Kai and (presumably!) Jack and Arlo❣️

4 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Vanessa GLP · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5✨

[haletostilinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐︎ 4.5 Stars Rounded Up! ⭐︎

I absolutely adored this. I'd say this even went by too fast because I was just too into it and these two that 260 pages actually felt like half of that.

Which is part of why I'm giving .5 off. I just wanted so much more with these two and it didn't feel like enough. But also there is some clearly manufactured drama near the end that was a little frustrating. But it wasn't as bad, because it did play into their securities and it made sense for Kevin, the bad guy of this book, to be trying to break them up as he did. Still frustrated me though that they let themselves so easily believe his blatant lies and manipulation. Especially when they were so suspicious of him leading up that.

But, in the end, I just loved the rest of this too much to care more about that beyond a .5 star off.

I loved Luca and Ollie from the jump. They just connected right away, and I couldn't even be mad when they knew each other for like an hour and jumped to sex in the elevator they were stuck in. It just felt right, even having known each other for such little time.

The chemistry, the buzz, it was there from the get go for me.

And I just continued to love these two further as the story went on. They were also just so in love from the basically the jump and I felt that too. The longing for each other, the feelings, the love.

Ollie, 27, has his day turn to the worst when he forgets his portfolio for a job interview at a big publication, and comes back to find his best friend of 20 years fucking his girlfriend of 6 years in their bed. Yikes.

And maybe more time should have been spent on Ollie's feelings of loss over Callum, his former best friend - he cared more about losing his best friend than his girlfriend, who it was apparent he didn't even love anymore - but I kind of like how he didn't just forgive him after such a massive betrayal. And Callum wasn't important to the overall story, so I was whatever about him.

Anyway, then he rushes to his interview, which he's late for, to see that Luca is there with crowds of people there. Luca is a mega star, but the real him has anxiety attacks, and when the crowd gets bad enough, his bodyguard holds back the crowd long enough for him to rush to the elevators - right into the elevator Ollie rushed onto get to his interview.

After Ollie helps talk Luca down from his panic attack, they quickly start to bond, especially as they're stuck in an elevator as half of the cities' power went out.

This starts a love story for the ages. But Ollie's had a tough life - his father was abusive to his mother, although he never talks about if his father was abusive to him specifically. Either way, seeing it or experiencing it is traumatizing - and add onto that, his mother committed suicide when he was 18, and he grew up poor, the kind of poor where he didn't know some days if he'd get anything to eat.

Luca, 34, grew up that way too. Only now he's rich and famous. And while it's great for the most part, Luca is tired of being micromanaged and also not getting to have anything real with anyone. He's at the age where he's done partying and just wants to settle down. But his manager, Kevin, doesn't want that. Because greedy, money grubbing reasons.

But when Luca meets Ollie, that's....basically it for him. For both of them.

But it isn't sooth sailing. 5 months after the elevator incident, as the band is going on tour, Luca makes it so Ollie and only Ollie can be the journalist Kevin is insisting be on the tour to write several in depth articles about the band.

When they're reunited, it doesn't take long for them to give in not only to the lust, but the deeper feelings brewing between them.

Except Ollie is a bit emotionally stunted and doesn't know how to talk about his feelings, and Luca is so unsure about how Ollie feels because Ollie holds back so much of himself, that he ends up kinda holding himself back as well, and it becomes a continuous loop of the other thinking the other doesn't feel as strongly as the other one does.

They're stubborn idiots, and insecure as well, but of course their love prevails and Kevin gets his comeuppance, and they get a wonderful HEA.

I also love the follow up we get with Ollie's ex and her having to see Ollie with Luca, her idol, much more happy without her. Take that, Suzie. And Callum too.

This ended wonderfully. I'm just greedy and wanted even more of them. But I get that their main story came to a close and now it's time for the other members' love stories, which I can't wait for. The epilogue hinted that in the 2 years after the events of this one, Kai and Silas might have worked out their shit - I sure hope so - and got together. Although their mentions of Arlo were a little ominous and Luca had a different bodyguard than Jack - who had once been Arlo's bodyguard and they are clearly in love...or it's complicated, who knows. But something happened between them - and they didn't mention Jack. So color me intrigued.

Can't wait for Kai and Silas' story next. I can't wait for Silas to get his head out of his ass and realize what's right in from of him.

I'll be seated for it! 😍

P.S. We get a brief cameo of almost all the brothers from the Reckless Damned series and their partners near the end of this, so this does take place in the same world there is a real devil and god and demons and the supernatural, all that. So I put in the AU tag because this still place takes place in that kind world. Kind of wild to think about, these two having a regular life and love story while they live in a supernatural world haha.

[ivy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hits all the basic rockstar romance plot points. Likable characters. More intriguing side characters.

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

Enjoyable but even though all the pieces were there I just couldn't find that emotional connection to either character.

The best way for me to describe it is that it felt like I was being told their story by someone with a monotonous voice. I didn't feel the sadness, excitement or heartache and that disappointed me, because when I think of Ferry's book and how much that got to me it's hard to believe these books were written by the same author.

I also felt like there was far too much set up for the other two couples and it was just repetitive after the first couple of hints. How many times do we need to be told Kai is into Silas but Silas is oblivious? How many times does it have to be mentioned that something more is happening with Jack and Arlo? It started to feel a little condescending, like the reader wouldn't possibly be able to pick up on the hints unless they were bashed over the head with them repeatedly 🙄 I'd rather have more about Luca and Ollie and not just sex scenes then skipping back to laying the groundwork for the rest of the series.

I'm hopeful this was just a blip and that the next book is better, but I'm also wary that maybe this author is just far better with paranormal than contemporary.

[☆Kylie☆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like Lark Taylor, I truly do, I love her supernatural series, read them all, I also love the new one she's starting, but...

This one was bad. I almost never dnf but in this one I did.

One day a rockstar and a reporter are closed in an elevator, sounds like a nightmare, right? Except they started to makeout... Just because... They are bored I guess?

But that's not even what bothered me the most, what really did was when said rockstar used his status to make sure this reporter would be the one following him on tour...

I mean, c'mon, it's so sleazy to use a job (on purpose) to met someone again and see if they really have chemistry or not.

If it was by accident, they did not even know it was the other... That would be acceptable. But it's someone's job... Just no no no.

[LifeReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very enjoyable read and Im always a sucker for any rock star romance. This is quite a fast paced story and was perfect for the mood I was in as Lark just gets stuck right in.

I loved the way Ollie and Luca just exploded into each other’s lives whilst both going through their own personal torments. Not that I like to pick favourites but Luca was the stand out for me. It really felt like his journey and I was delighted these 2 got their HEA.

Lark has set up the other characters nicely for their stories to come in this series. I must say out of everyone Jack has my interest.

[Bati · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say. I'm just a girl who has a soft spot for rock boys. 😁I can't wait for a next book💜

[Iz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute and sweet!
A quick and steamy morsel by Lark Taylor, but unfortunately it didn't totally work for me.

I'm a sucker for forced proximity and bi-awakening stories, so this one by all accounts should have worked for me: unfortunately, some things were missing.

But first things first, the positives:
1) I totally adored the fact that there was mental health rep. I applaud Lark Taylor for introducing a chronic sufferer of anxiety as a main character: more authors should follow her lead because the world desperately needs more diverse reads.
2) I loved the side characters. Arlo and Jack intrigued me to no end, and I cannot wait for their book. I hope the angst delivers! And Silas and Kai already made my heart bleed with the oblivious-bff-pining. I'm excited to see what will happen with them.
3) I loved Luca as a main character. He was really great: again, I found him relatable for the mental health rep, and in general, he was really lovable.

So why three stars?
I think my brain has had enough with the constant-banter- and-sexual-innuendos-fueled contemporary romances: I don't get why they have become the norm in the genre. I can't stand pointless banter anymore; I love funny books, don't get me wrong... But there's a difference between a good, snarky, funny book and the ones that seem to be dominating the MM genre recently. That's the reason why Ollie and Luca's dynamic didn't totally work for me: their initial meeting and getting-to-know-you phase were both great; but after that, it was mainly banter, sex and miscommunication, and I got a tiny bit bored. I needed more plot, more heart, more grit and more soul. I read it easily, don't get me wrong; I just felt like it was missing something.

I so wish I could have loved this more, especially considering it's an ARC generously provided by the author. But I cannot not be honest with my thoughts and feelings.

I also feel like I'm in the minority here; lots of people are loving this, and lots of people obviously love banter-fueled, light-hearted romances. I don't think this specific type of subgenre of MM is for me anymore, BUT I'll definitely be reading the next few books, if only for Arlo and Jack.

I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Kaity · Rating 2 out of 5]

Audio: 4 stars, 5 stars for Joel Leslie, and 4 stars for Dan Calley
Book: 2.5 stars

The beginning started out with promise, I enjoyed it even when suspending belief that if you met a stranger who happens to be a massive rock star and you (for all your life thought you were straight) decided yes I will let that hot rock star blow me! lol then become massively obsessed wit them! Haha

Even after all that, around the 50-ish% mark I started to get bored. I wanted more with the band and tour life, but we just got a small glimpse of a show then hotel room for sex..

I ended up skimming until the end.

Also is this the same Closet from the “Reckless Damned” series…? Aka going to be some paranormal elements in this series? lol

[Sheena · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars

He was performing for me. Despite everyone watching, I was the one he gave all his attention to. The one he didn’t take his eyes off. That kind of attention was dangerous to someone like me. I’d lived my life surviving on the barest scraps. What Luca was offering was a full five-course meal.

I loved Lucas and Ollie. They had me jumping happily. They were so cute together. I loved everything from their little meeting in the elevator to Ollie working on the articles with the band. I feel like their relationship flowed well enough to the point where it made sense. I loved Arlo and Ollie’s friendship. I love it when loners find a friend in another’s significant other. It’s so adorable to me. Also I loved how Ollie was always there defending him and reassuring him about his anxiety attacks. Everything made sense when they were together.

“Because you saw me,” he said honestly. “There you were, your life in tatters, and yet you helped me. You didn’t judge me. Didn’t treat me differently. For the first time in years, someone didn’t look at me and wonder how they could play my fame to their advantage. You weren’t hoping for a story to tell. You didn’t judge me for having an anxiety attack, just talked me through it before offering me a very private part of yourself.”

I really liked this book. I wanted to love it though so badly. Everything, the tropes, characters and plot, were there for an amazing story, but there was so many mistakes. I just wanted more. It felt like many important parts of the story was missing? Like at the end when I got to the epilogue, it didn’t feel like one. The story felt very unfinished. I was so dissatisfied with it. There was too many things happening throughout the main plot. I didn’t care about what’s happening between Arlo and Jack. It would have been better if there were tiny inferences in the next book since theirs is going to be third. Also there were too many pages focused on Silas and Kai. I know their book is next, but I’m selfish and I wanted more Lucas and Ollie. Okay my tiny rant is fine now. Overall though it was good, not great, but good. Hopefully in the next one it actually focuses on the couple.

Even with the end we’d had to the day…I was happy. Luca was in my arms. The world was shut away. And I was happy.

Last thing the parallel from the beginning to end? Absolute died dead. When Ollie talked about Luca making Italian food and watching Air Crash Investigation I was on the ground.

But I loved him. I loved being in his space. Watching him cook us Italian food and then snuggling in front of Air Crash Investigation.

[E.L. Ough · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love, Love, Love this book!! You want a rock star book this is it!!

Ollie is having the shittest day, late for his interview at his dream job, finds his girlfriend screwing his best friend in his bed, traffic on the way to said interview, hordes of screaming girls in the lobby on the way to the late interview and then coffee spilt on him! Could his day get any worse?? Yes, yes it can! In rushes a man having an anxiety attack and then a power outage so the lift they are in stops and they’re stuck! I mean…..someone give him a break!!!

Luca is over the crowds and the paparazzi, the downside to being famous is the lack of privacy, throw in an unexpected packed lobby and his anxiety and it wasn’t long till he was overwhelmed. Luckily for him the man in the lift was able to help calm him down and share his own experiences which turned into them being able to bond. And bond they did 😉

Once free from the lift they don’t expect to see each other again but Luca wasn’t having none of that! It might have taken 5 months but he was going to see Ollie again!!

It was cute how Ollie thought he was going to be able to resist Luca!! Even though emotions were held back there was no denying the spark and heat between these two! I really liked the story, I did know what was gonna happen and it was a bit of insta lust but I enjoyed it, and I enjoyed the set up for the next books, looking forward to Kai and Silas.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Content warning in book if you need it.

💜Rockstar
💜Journalist
💜Bi-awakening
💜Forced Proximity
💜Found family
💜Insta lust
💜Anxiety rep

[Holly]

Dnf’d at about 40%

This book was just not it for me.

I know that this author normally writes fated mates and this read like they had a difficult time transitioning to just humans in love. It was a lot of instalove with very little background.

Idk it just felt incredibly rushed and like there wasn’t a whole lot of planning put into it. But again. These are just my opinions.

[loverexreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

White noise by Lark Taylor is book 1 in the Caffeine Daydreams series.

This was my first time reading Lark Taylor and I was curious to see if I would like her writing style as much as most readers I know do. I actually liked the way this author told her story, with a perfect balance between dialogue and narrative. It was easy to imagine certain scenes, especially when Caffeine Daydreams were performing live. I liked that there was a lot of details in her descriptions, which made me feel as if I was there.

On the other hand, the love story between Luca and Ollie was a little harder to get into for me. Everything happened so quickly between them, and the instalove/instalust nature of their relationship left me a little wanting. I felt there wasn't enough to justify this instant attraction. Especially Luca, who was really intense in his obsession with Ollie. Since the basis of their relationship seemed shaky, I had a hard time feeling emotionally invested in their relationship. I felt there was a real problem when I realized I was more interested in the side stories about Luca's bandmates. They kind of stole the spotlight that should normally have been on the two MCs.

I would have liked Lark Taylor to dig deeper into her characters' emotions. I often had the impression that we were staying very much on the surface. For example, with Luca's anxiety problems, there would have been a great opportunity to develop this aspect further and give him more depth.

Steam was pretty good, with well-detailed scenes. Some of them ended rather abruptly which sometimes left me wanting more.

The second half of the book held my interest to a greater extent without necessarily influencing my final opinion. It was a decent read, but not a memorable one for me.

Perhaps I'll give the series a second chance, as I'm intrigued by what we've learned about Silas and Kai.

[Mélanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

White Noise by is the first book in the Caffeine Daydreams series. I am really into rockstar romance at the moment and let me tell you this one is AMAZING!

Luca is the lead singer in his band. He loves what he does, but is now in a place in his life where he wants more. He wants someone to come home to and to share little intimate moments with. Luca lives with anxiety and I very much appreciated Lark’s approach on mental health and talking about the misconceptions of antidepressants. He was a very endearing character that was burned in the past by people who were only interested in him for his fame, so he was insecure about letting someone in.

Fucking around with groupies and other celebrities had been fun in my early twenties. But at thirty-four, I was ready to settle down. I was ready for more. I wanted the kind of love that led to Grammy award-winning songs. The kind that left you feeling like you had a hole in your chest when you were apart from them. Like you could finally breathe easy when they were near.

Ollie was no stranger to mental health because his mother suffered from it. He was very supportive of Luca and helped him through his anxiety. Ollie had a very hard time trusting people because he was let down by those who were closest to him. He was a journalist with a big understanding heart and was very considerate to not share intimate details about the band members.

I loved the development of their relationship. The chemistry and tension between them was so intense 🥵. The writing was perfection and I almost felt the chills of being at a live concert while reading it 😅. As always, Lark’s sense of humour was on point.

“Buckle up, baby,” he murmured. “I’m gonna ruin you for everyone else.”

I can’t wait to read the next book and learn more about Arlo, Kai, Silas and the other side characters 😍.

**I received an advanced copy of this book and these are my honest thoughts**

Tropes:
🎸 Rockstar
🎸 Bi-awakening
🎸 Forced proximity
🎸 Found family