Starstruck

by Amy Clipston

Can a small-town waitress capture the heart of a world-famous heartthrob? For Heather Gordon, life in her small North Carolina town has always been simple and uneventful. Until one night when a rowdy food fight breaks out in her family’s restaurant where she’s a waitress. The culprits? The internationally famous rock band, Kirwan. And when Alex Kirwan, the charming and enigmatic lead singer, wants to make amends for his brothers’ (and bandmates’) behavior and invites her to attend one of their concerts as a guest of the band, Heather’s world is turned upside down . . . and sparks fly. Alex has always loved music, but his rock star life isn’t all glamorous people and parties. It’s also paparazzi and online tabloids, a new city every week, and the loneliness of touring—even if he has his brothers with him. But with Heather things are different, and he’s instantly smitten and determined to get to know the sweet, pretty woman who has absolutely no interest in his fame. If only he can convince her to take a chance on his crazy life. Once Alex leaves for tour, he and Heather begin exchanging messages and calls. Despite the distance between them, they find themselves learning they have more in common than they ever could have imagined. But even while Heather and Alex’s relationship deepens, they must face the harsh realities of fame and the pressures it puts on their personal lives. Will their love be enough to overcome the challenges that come with celebrity, or will the rigors of distance and Alex’s life on the road tear them apart? Filled with heart and the intoxicating allure of possibility, Starstruck is a must-read for anyone who has ever dreamed of finding love in surprising places.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Christian Fiction, Christian, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Clean Romance

352 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2023

About the author

Hi! I'm a bestselling author of heartwarming romance and happily ever after.

Contemporary Romance (Non-Amish)
The Heart of Splendid Lake (2021)
The View from Coral Cove (2022)
On the Way to Christmas (Anthology) (2022)
Something Old, Something New (2023)
Starstruck (2023)
Finding You (2024)
With This Ring (2025)
Second Chance at Sunshine Inn (7/2025)
The Lighthouse at the Cove (12/2025)

Stand Alone Amish Fiction
Caring for the Amish Family (4/2025)

Guideposts Amish Suspense
A Heart Set Free (9/2025)


An Amish Legacy
1. Foundation of Love (2022)
2. Building a Future (2022)
3. Breaking New Ground (2023)
4. The Hearts of Shelter (2023)

An Amish Marketplace
1. The Bake Shop (2019)
2. The Farm Stand (2020)
3. The Coffee Corner (2020)
4. The Jam and Jelly Nook (2021)

An Amish Homestead
1. A Place at our Table (2017)
2. Room on the Porch Swing (2018)
3. Seat by the Hearth (2018)
4. A Welcome at Our Door (2019)

An Amish Heirloom
1. The Forgotten Recipe (2015)
2. The Courtship Basket (2016)
3. The Cherished Quilt (2017)
4. The Beloved Hope Chest (2017)

Hearts of Lancaster Grand Hotel
1. A Hopeful Heart (2013)
2. A Mother’s Secret (2014)
3. A Dream of Home (2015)
4. A Simple Prayer (2015)

Kauffman Amish Bakery
1. A Gift of Grace (2009)
2. A Promise of Hope (2010)
3. A Place of Peace (2011)
4. A Life of Joy (2012)
5. A Season of Love (2012)

Amish Anthologies
• An Amish Kitchen (2012) – Spoonful of Love (Stand-alone story)
• An Amish Cradle (2015) – A Son for Always (This story complements A Mother’s Secret)
• An Amish Market (2016) – Love Birds (This story complements The Forgotten Recipe)
• An Amish Harvest (2016) – Love & Buggy Rides (This complements The Courtship Basket)
• An Amish Home (2017) – Home Sweet Home (Stand-alone story)
• An Amish Summer (2017) – Summer Storms (Stand-alone story)
• Amish Sweethearts (2018) –Complements The Kauffman Amish Bakery Series and also has a sequel to my story in An Amish Summer
• An Amish Heirloom (2018) – Complements A Place at our Table
• An Amish Homecoming (2018) – Complements A Place at our Table
• Seasons of an Amish Garden (2019) – Complements The Christmas Cat, novella included in An Amish Christmas Love
• An Amish Reunion (2019) – Complements Room on the Porch Swing
• An Amish Christmas Bakery (2019) – Cookies and Cheer (Stand-alone story)
• An Amish Singing (2021) (Collection of four stories by Amy Clipston)
• An Amish Christmas Wedding (2020) –Evergreen Love (Stand-alone story)
• An Amish Barn Raising (2021)
• An Amish Schoolroom (2021)
• An Amish Quilting Bee (2021)

Young Adult
1. Roadside Assistance (2011)
2. Reckless Heart (2012) (Kauffman Amish Bakery young adult book)
3. Destination Unknown (2014)
4. Miles from Nowhere (2015)

Non-Fiction
A Gift of Love (2014)

Seasonal
• A Plain and Simple Christmas (2010) Naomi’s Gift (2011)
• Kauffman Amish Christmas Collection (2012)
• An Amish Christmas Gift (2015) includes Naomi’s Gift
• An Amish Christmas Love (2017) –The Christmas Cat
• An Amish Christmas Bakery (2019)
• An Amish Christmas Wedding (2020)
• On the Way to Christmas (2022)

Reviews

[Oceana Reads Co. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hehe cheesy but cute! I’m a sucker for a celebrity romance.
No language and only kissing!

[Gloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this unlikely meeting between a small-town waitress and baker with a popular rock star. Heather is a down to earth gal with goals in mind to open her own bakery and bookstore when she has raised enough money. waitressing at her parents' barbeque restaurant near Charlotte, North Carolina. When a rock band of brothers and their road crew eat in the restaurant, and the younger brothers have a food fight, she is furious, much to her younger sister's embarrassment. Wendy and lots of patrons recognize the band but not Heather. The older brother Alex tries to make things right by giving the sisters VIP tickets along with a backstage pass. What started out as a chance meeting turns into a friendship and progresses into a relationship but with the odds, can it be real? This is a sweet and endearing story with emotions that one can feel and empathize with as well as feel the frustration of tour life and celebrity recognition that prohibits a normal life. I thought Ms. Clipston did a wonderful job showing both sides of this type of relationship, the pros and cons. The characters are wonderful, likable and relatable. Highly recommend for those who enjoy romance, especially with lots of kissing.
I received a copy for the purpose of an honest review. These are my thoughts and opinions.

[Ella Ferris · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I started this it showed a lot of promise, but by about halfway I just wanted it to be over so I could start something new...
I've read books by Amy Clipston that I've enjoyed, unfortunately this was not one of them.

I think the main thing that I didn't like was the characters. They were pretty flat, and basically faultless, which is worse that the "one fault characters" that I have mentioned in other reviews. At the beginning of the book there was promise for good character development, but as Heather and Alex's relationship progressed...nothing else really did. And when things happened to cause "tension" it wasn't really a gradual thing, it was more "there hasn't been anything to cause tension in quite a few chapters, so let's do such and such".

Also there were random things that I thought were unnecessary and strange, like describing the size of a bed (i.e. she climbed into the king-sized bed), of which happened not once or twice, but three times.

Besides that weirdness, there was the common annoyance of mine: characters thinking of nothing but kissing, hugging, etc. There was some of that before Heather and Alex started dating, but after that 'first kiss' where Alex declares he wants to date her and whatnot, they both are constantly thinking of the next time they can kiss and how much they miss each others lips. They even tell each other as much. I guess that leads to another annoyance: romantic or 'dating' relationships -starting off- with a kiss. I think that is absolutely ridiculous. "Oh we've kissed now so I guess we gotta start dating" is essentially what it is.

Anyways. This has been a bit of a tangent. But my honest to goodness thoughts, nonetheless.
2 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC. :)

[Lissa Hawley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3rd person can be really hard to pull off. And frankly, this one didn’t. The whole time I was reading, I felt like I was reading. I never fell completely into the story. It was a lot of telling instead of showing.

It also didn't help that the MCs were two of the most boring people I have ever read. (And one was a rockstar!)

Recommended only if you really like 3rd person clean romances.

(For the record, I do like clean romances, but they still need to be romantic.)

[Marija · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a real refreshment to read this sweet clean romance. A bit different from the books I usually read. I liked the story, the characters were easy to relate to and kept me interested so I finished it in record time. This is my first book by this author and it won't be my last. Looking forward to her future works.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness! What took me so long to finally get to reading this book?!? I had previously tried starting this novel a couple of times and because of things pulling my focus away in real life, I never made progress in it past the first chapter. Yet, when I started listening to the audio book this time around, I absolutely could not stop! I listened every chance I got and ended up finishing it in a day and a half. I love, love, love celebrity romances and this was such a great one!

The way these two got to know each other was sweet. Although their first meeting was not a good one, Alex was immediately pulled in by Heather, both with the fact that she didn’t follow his band and that she wasn’t infatuated with meeting him. The way things progressed between them with texts and then calls and face times, it really built up the growth of attraction between the two.

There were so many sweet moments in this story between two people who lived very different lives from each other. They each carried their own insecurities about their relationship and all of the extra baggage that came with being involved in a romance that would eventually garner publicity on the world stage.

I loved this story from start to finish and I keep thinking of Heather and Alex days later! If you like celebrity romance novels, I highly recommend this one. I enjoyed the narration for the audio book, as well.

I received a complimentary copy of this ebook but ended up listening to the audio book from my library. I enjoyed this story so much that I also purchased a print copy for my own shelves.

You can read this review on my blog:
https://brittreadsfiction.wordpress.c...

[Lynn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Christian girl romance strikes again! Small town baker and sweet rockstar fall in love and they Never Drink Alcohol and Never Ever Sleep Under The Same Roof (forget about bed) Even Though They Are In Their Late Twenties. And they get engaged at someone else’s wedding hahaha. Bonus point because it is set in charmingly specific small town NC.

[Catherine Victor Simpson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks NetGalley and HarperCollinsChristian publishing for an advanced copy of this audiobook.
Firstly I should make a confessiob I did not realise this was a Christian genres book because my main criticism was going to be that the relationship between Heather and Alez was very cheesy and unrealistic but I guess I now understand why the was very little physicality and no sleepovers! lol
That aside I liked the meetcute and the beginning of their relationship through texts, calls and emails but the lack of drama save for what seemed like 5min of paparazzi drama made it somewhat flat.
If you like Hallmark movies I recommend however if you want a more realistic story this is not for you as there will be much eyerolling.

[Lori Wilen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would like to thank Amy Clipston for providing me with an ARC of this book in return for my honest opinion. Amy has another 5 star hit on her hands with Starstruck. I loved the story. It took me back to my teens and brought back many memories of times I thought I had forgotten. I truly loved all the characters especially the main two Heather and Alex. Each one of Amy's books is a delight to read, no matter the genre. I have said many times that Amy could write a laundry list and send it to me and it would be the best 5 star read. Amy's stories are from the heart. She feels her characters and brings them to life through the words on her pages. She takes us to places we feel we know with characters that we can relate to. There is always something inspirational about each of her books and this book is no different. I definitely could read this again and know at some point I will and I have no hesitation in recommending this book. If you are an Amy Clipston fan you know exactly what I am talking about. If you have never read an Amy book before go ahead and read this one. I would be surprised if it disappointed you in any way.

[Tiffany Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed reading Heather and Alex's stories! Heather may be the character that I've related to the most, out of all of Amy's characters. I definitely related to the way she didn't feel like she deserved Alex and her idea for a bookstore bakery. I thought that making the deserts have literary names was really cute. One of my best friends and I used to talk about starting a bookstore bakery with literary names for the deserts and coffees. Alex was truly swoon worthy and I loved the way he doted over Heather and was completely willing to do whatever it took to make their relationship work even though they couldn't see each other often. What I love about Amy's books is that she writes relatable characters and sweet stories. I love the settings and how sweet portrays small town life. I really love that while there was definite chemistry between Alex and Heather, there were no sex scenes. I have to admit I loved the visit to Flowering Grove and the cameo with Christine!!! Amy, you've definitely hit another one out of the park!

Thank you Netgalley and Amy Clipston for letting me have a copy of Starstruck, in exchange for an honest review. The contents of my review were not affected by this, in any way.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starstruck was a clean romance about being famous yet wanting just normal things. About trust and being enough. About chasing one´s dreams. I truly loved the flow of the story. A sweet, small-town romance that will make you believe in love. Heather has dreams of opening her own business in her small town, North Carolina. Alex and his brother's dreams of being a band have come true. Alex finds life on the road lonely until he meets Heather.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Dana Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amy Clipston has written a precious romance about a member of a brother rock band who falls for a small-town girl.
What young girl never dreams that their favorite rocker will fall in love with her. This story is kinda like that, but the heroine didn't even know who the hero was. Which made it super cute.
I really enjoyed it and I think if you are looking for a sweet romance this will be for you.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you love sweet romance book without angst this one will fit the bill. It follows the story of a famous boy band member and a small town woman. It reads like a Hallmark movie. I enjoyed it as a palette cleanser between a thriller and angst ridden romance.


"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

[Brianna Hart · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be fair, this one was predictable but I think every girl has dreamed this dream. Falling in love with a celebrity who loves you back- you out of all the other women throwing themselves at the celebrity. I liked that it lived out that fantasy but it was also what made it feel unrealistic too. It was cute but overall the plot was just okay.

[Meagan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I skim read the second half of the book since I was so bored by the characters. The female says she doesn’t want to be a ‘fan obsessed’ with the male rock star but most of her initiated conversations with him are about his music career. It was like a Hallmark movie romance…flat, boring characters where they don’t grow as individuals or within the relationship but end up together at the end.

[Shibani Faehnle · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF - I found these leads incredibly boring.

[Dawn · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you want syrupy sweet this is the book.

[jasmin · Rating 1 out of 5]

okay so i’ve thought about this for a day and i decided it would be a disservice to not give my full thoughts.

this is easily one of the worst books i have ever read in my life and i am dead serious. however, in the spirit of the fact i have wanted to buy it for multiple weeks from barnes and noble i had to keep with it.

let’s first touch on heather- her like whole bit is she’s not like other girls and actually hates kirwin so what could she want to do with alex kirwin? she’s just a small town waitress with a dream of opening a bookstore bakery combination! think of the worst pick me girl you ever read in a one direction fanfiction and times her by 10. that’s heather.

as for alex- if i had to read the words “dorky little rockstar” one more time i would’ve thrown the book away. he’s almost as bad as heather in the “not your typical rockstar” category. this man has like, everything in the world and all he cares about is the children in the hospital- which is great but I GET IT. i think this is mentioned on every single page of the book.

some general house keeping instead of bullying, this book is like shockingly third person. like idk how else to describe it than it was so easy to be hyper aware of the third person of it all. i forget the authors name but girl it is never the move to call a girl who’s going to 1 show a groupie in a sexist way. the internal misogyny is scary. don’t read this book

[Beyond the Pages with Eva K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick Summary: A small town girl and a rocker meet and fall in love

My Review: Starstruck by Amy Clipston is a standalone contemporary romance.

About the Book: When a band of rockers decide to go to a small town eatery, they make a bit of a mess and get on the wrong side of a local waitress. The older, more mature band member takes a liking to her and they go on to form a friendship that becomes more. When the challenges of his success interrupt their lives, can they make their budding love work?

My Final Say: This novel was pretty straight forward. It didn’t have a lot of conflict or drama. It was simply a sweet story about finding the one and doing everything possible to make things work. I was captivated by the story.

Rating: 4.5/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: A
Status: Clean
Level: 🍭

#wishlistread

[Faith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heather Gordon's small-town life is turned upside down when she falls for a rockstar.

A sweet contemporary romance, that makes for a quick read. Great for someone looking for a light-reading pick-me-up. I liked that Heather is close to her family, and that they are supportive of her goals and everything else. Alex Kirwan is a world-famous heartthrob, who longs for a simpler life, possibly settling down from the hubbub of being famous.

A sweet read about finding love when you aren't looking, with nice characters, and a rather straightforward plot that does tend to go where expected. A little too predictable and fluffy for my taste, but if you like Hallmark movies chances are you would like this sweet romance.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Inspirationalfictionreader · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of Starstruck, famous person meets normal every day person romance, is hard to find and when done well, I really enjoy it. This story started out strong. I liked both Alex and Heather and their fun banter, but about 1/3 of the way through the story, I started to struggle a bit. It felt more like a teen read to me with very basic dialogue, so I thought maybe it was a teen read and kept going. When I found out the characters are in their mid to late 20’s, I just really struggled to connect with their romance and the simplistic dialogue. While this wasn’t the story for me, I am sure others will really enjoy the sweet romance.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Jennifer Riedeman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starstruck is the story of an aspiring baker/bookstore owner and a rockstar falling in love. While the concept sounds promising, it fell short for me. 2 1/2 ⭐️ rounded up.
I had several issues with the book. First, the dialogue sounded inauthentic – I don’t know anyone that speaks the way the characters spoke – to each other, their family, their friends, and even to themselves.
Second, I understand this was a “clean” romance, which is something I’m fine with. However, I don’t see the romance scenario playing out anything like how it did in the book. Maybe 30 years ago, when times were more innocent, but these are characters in their mid to late 20s, who have both supposedly been in previous relationships, and it comes across as teenagers experiencing their first crush. If I had to read about how they kept thinking about the other person’s lips one more time, I was going to throw my Kindle.
Finally, while the characters weren’t off-putting, there wasn’t enough to really draw me in and care about them. I’m afraid I won’t be able to give any details about this book a month from now because it was forgettable.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Pam Newcomb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this sweet love story.

[Marisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute and sugary sweet! It’s a clean romance! It felt like a book or movie I have read/seen before. So it was all very predictable. Fast read since they are texting and emailing most of the book!

[Emily Farrand · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a really sweet romance. It is worth the read if you want a easy going, Hallmark, love story.

[Lydia Timpson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dnf
Too quick insta attraction and tbh the dialogue mage me cringe

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starstruck is a very cute love story between the lead singer in a band, Alex, and a small town girl, Heather. It goes through their not so meet cute, their deep connection and the trials of being separated for long periods of time.

Things I liked: the actual storyline, the characters and their text/email conversations.

Things I had a hard time with: the dialogue was to perfect, to polished and not necessarily how people would talk.

Overall, I did enjoy the book. So if you are looking for a super sweet, spice free (kissing only), lovely romance, then this is the one for you!

I received a complimentary copy of this book thanks to Thomas Nelson and Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Sara Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet and clean rockstar & normal girl fall in love. Alex was great and I wanted to like Heather more. I wasn’t a huge fan of her poor self image that ran the entire book. She never really seemed to work on it.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alex Kirwan and his brothers have a Rock Band that has achieved stardom and his life is a lonely life of tours and performances. On tour in North Carolina the band stops at a well known BBQ restaurant for dinner and his younger brothers get into a food fight. Heather Gordon, the daughter of the owners, is a waitress that night. She is also a baker, well known for her desserts and cookies. She is disgusted with the mess the younger men left and when Alex comes back into the dining room after a phone call with his mother, Heather lets her displeasure be known. Tired of women fawning over him, it is refreshing to Alex to meet a woman who displays none of that. Alex gives tickets for his concert to Heather and her younger, starstruck sister, Wendy and even though Heather is not impressed she goes to appease Wendy. That night their friendship begins and soon turns to long distance romance. After some angst about their different lifestyles and homes (his family is from the West Coast) love conquers all. This was an entertaining, fast-paced romance.

I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All views expressed are only my own honest opinion.

[Caro · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story made me happy. It was a sweet and easy read. The romance isn’t rushed but you see their relationship grow. Very sweet - Alex is swoony and Heather is a lovely girl. A simple, delightful story. Heather is a genuine, lovely, down-to-earth girl, and Alex is an honest and normal guy. Heather has quirky names for her cakes; some of them are really silly and don’t make any sense at all (like Plot Twist Cinnamon Rolls or Love Triangle Lemon Cake, how weird is that!) but that is the only flaw I can come up with. I loved the lack of sex scenes, finally a book that is about love, romance, courtship and all the feels. It has enough depth to be interesting and believable. I liked it a lot and will recommend this book to my friends.
I received and reviewed an advanced copy of this book and I am grateful for this opportunity. All thoughts and opinions are my own.