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Andi
For a decade, I’ve managed to dodge getting assigned to photograph my brother’s rock band, Young Decay. That is until one of our photographers tries to get a photo of the band’s most elusive and private member.

It’s only for ten days. Just long enough to capture their Halloween homecoming show run and while they find a permanent replacement.

I’m set for home, thinking I can avoid all the fears going home comes with. Fears that I’ve been running from for years now.

I expect the darkness of the past to dig its claws into me and threaten never to let go.

However, I don’t expect to find someone who sees my darkness not as a flaw but as another beautiful part of who I am. And I especially don’t expect that someone to be my brother’s best friend, Young Decay’s masked bassist, Mads Tourning.

Or as I know him… Maddox Keynes


Maddox
Since Young Decay’s early days, my privacy has been a part of me I’ve clung to. I’m used to wearing the mask day in and day out, hiding myself from anyone who might want a glimpse.

They don’t expect to find a monster running from his past, hoping people will forget he even exists.

Yet, here I am heading home for our band’s Halloween homecoming run.

I’m ready to shed my mask and finally breathe a little in front of the people who took me in as a kid, and even to see the woman I’ve had a crush on for a decade.

I never expected to one day have her in my arms, to share the darkest corners of my soul with.

And now that I have her… I’ll do anything to keep her.

Even if it means losing everything.Madness is a brother's best friend, masked rockstar, dark romance.

307 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 30, 2023

292 people are currently reading
4094 people want to read

About the author

Jack Whitney

12 books786 followers
Female Dark Adult Fantasy writer out of South Carolina, US

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5 stars
1,171 (42%)
4 stars
916 (33%)
3 stars
493 (17%)
2 stars
118 (4%)
1 star
44 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 355 reviews
Profile Image for ren ౨ৎ (rozanov's version) .
98 reviews15 followers
April 19, 2025
⁀➷ 2 ★ ´ˎ˗

i thought this was going to be a fun steamy sleep token inspired rockstar romance. what i got instead was a book that felt like someone asked chatgpt to write a story influenced by hot topic and the brother’s best friend trope.

like… how are you going to advertise a masked MMC when he BARELY wears his mask?

also why does every dark romance seem to have like this cartoon villain character that is a carbon copy the last one i read? like these men who just want to kidnap and destroy the FMC's life. it feels so dramatized and stupid, thus trivializing the real trauma mentioned in the book.

i think jack whitney should’ve had to pay for my even in arcadia tour tickets as consolation for the time i spent wasted reading this.

flop. flop. flop !!
Profile Image for Emily (Busybookreporter).
256 reviews12 followers
October 22, 2023
Y’all know I love Jack Whitney, and this book was no exception! How the woman continues to created such amazing worlds and characters is beyond me! I’m not normally a dark romance girlie but I really liked this one. Madness follows Andi, a photographer with a traumatic past, and Maddox, the bassist for Young Decay who keeps his identity a secret by wearing a mask. Maddox is best friends with Andi’s brother, and when Andi is asked to photograph the band for their homecoming run, tensions build between them. Both are running from their pasts, but find security with each other. The tension, the banter, all the spice. It’s all so good! It’s dual pov so we get to see the story from both Andi and Maddox’s side. There’s an extensive trigger warning list at the front of the book so be sure to check that out. I’m so excited to see where Jack is taking this new series! Madness is an adult dark romance, 18+ for sexual content and themes
Profile Image for Alexis C..
Author 9 books77 followers
October 25, 2023
Jack served up my favorite things on a platter - brothers best friend, sexy band, excellent spice, and a spooky girl after my own heart. I absolutely loved it.

The vulnerability between Maddox and Andi was beautiful and I loved that they had this lifelong connection and understanding. There was a great balance of history and an exploration of their trauma as important parts of their characters but it also had plenty of spice and fun moments.

I can’t wait for the rest of this series! Im calling it now, I think Reed is going to be my main man of this series (sorry, Maddox) bc that’s my type right there
Profile Image for Walter .
28 reviews
May 31, 2024
Dnfed it I can’t lie what on earth
Profile Image for maha.
181 reviews3 followers
October 27, 2023
"𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗲'𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝘂𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿."

madness by jack whitney is a dark romance following the story of andi and her brother's best friend maddox. andi is a photographer who gets assigned to go on tour with young decay, one of the biggest up incoming rock bands which happens to consist of her brother reed & his best friend maddox. andi & maddox have been a part of each other's lives since they were kids, there has always been this unspoken connection between the two and they can't seem to fight it anymore. 

first & foremost, please look up trigger warnings before picking this up because certain scenes are slightly gruesome.

i'm such a huge fan of jack's written & i've been seeing her post about this book for weeks now so i was so excited to receive an arc for this book. it did not disappoint at all!! 

i loved the way the book was written, it was so easy to read and intriguing that i wasn't able to put it down. i finished this in one sitting and went away falling in love with every single character. i adore andi & maddox is just the coolest mf alive who has been simping for andi since he was a teenager & i ate that shit up! i really loved the dept jack added to both the characters, how they were trying to evolve past their own trauma. i was worried the book would simply be the two of them trying to "fix" each other but instead it was them accepting one another for who they are which was very wholesome. i really loved reed, he was was hilarious and i loved the whole family as well as the band! i would love to dwell more into their stories especially reed with possibly his own book?

overall, this was such a great read! if you're looking for a fun, spicy, brother's best friend book- PICK THIS UP! 
Profile Image for Neelakshi.
511 reviews393 followers
November 18, 2023
2.5⭐

A muscle flinches in his jaw. “And you? What do you want?”
I think my heart has somehow melted into him.
“I just want you,” I admit. “Maddox Keynes. Mads Tourning. I don’t care which mask you wear. So long as the name I get to call you at the end of the day is ‘Mine.’”


Ugh I wish authors would stop writing sonnets and Shakespeare in the dialogues where the main characters are just having a conversation like babe it's not that serious.
Also I really see this book getting famous for being "dark" on ig but like.....where is the dark?
Profile Image for Sascha.
35 reviews
May 16, 2025
⭐️ 2,75

What was this? Hahahahahah

When I saw it was a dark romance about masked man in a band.. I was so ready but the writing was not my favorite.. I would love to read more about the band and the 'music part' in it (with the masks please) But after the like? First 80 pages?? It's just some people having casual sex and saying some cringe shit to each other. And where was the bdsm part that was mentioned in the trigger warnings?!?

The playlist of this book was soo fun to listen to when I was reading hihi and also to talk about all the cringe shit in the book club 🫶🏻
Profile Image for Ashley.
517 reviews17 followers
Read
April 2, 2025
Book 2 of Rockstar Travel Group
Profile Image for Lex.
51 reviews18 followers
June 17, 2024
Madness: A Young Decay Novel by Jack Whitney

Blurb

ANDI For a decade, l've managed to dodge getting assigned to photograph my brother's rock band, Young Decay. That is until one of our photographers tries to get a photo of the band's most elusive and private member. It's only for ten days. Just long enough to capture their Halloween homecoming show run and while they find a permanent replacement. I'm set for home, thinking I can avoid all the fears going home comes with. Fears that l've been running from for years now. I expect the darkness of the past to dig its claws into me and threaten never to let go. However, I don't expect to find someone who sees my darkness not as a flaw but as another beautiful part of who I am. And I especially don't expect that someone to be my brother's best friend, Young Decay's masked bassist, Mads Tourning. Or as I know him... Maddox Keynes MADDOX Since Young Decay's early days, my privacy has been a part of me l've clung to. I'm used to wearing the mask day in and day out, hiding myself from anyone who might want a glimpse. They don't expect to find a monster running from his past, hoping people will forget he even exists. Yet, here I am heading home for our band's Halloween homecoming run. I'm ready to shed my mask and finally breathe a little in front of the people who took me in as a kid, and even to see the woman l've had a crush on for a decade. I never expected to one day have her in my arms, to share the darkest corners of my soul with. And now that I have her... I'll do anything to keep her. Even if it means losing everything.

Spoiler Free Review

4/4 ⭐️ 4/5 🌶️

I received an ARC for Jack Whitney’s newest book Chaos which in turn made me want to obviously read this first. This was my first time reading a novel by Jack Whitney.

The plot was good! Had me hooked the entire time. And the spice was 😏. There was so much to take in reading this novel. And the characters were written well! I loved the depth both Maddox and Andi had.

Another thing I loved about this is how it takes place around Halloween. And if anyone knows me Halloween is my FAVORITE holiday. So bonus points for that 😉.

Tropes:

Rockstar romance
Brother's best friend
Slight reverse age gap
Hidden identity
"Who did this to you?"
Trauma Bonding

Triggers:

Graphic depictions of assault
domestic abuse
death
stories of childhood abuse
past trauma
suicide / self-harm
explicit sex scenes including breath play, masks, and bondage.
Profile Image for ⚡eli⚡.
390 reviews25 followers
April 12, 2025
“I'm the only creep in a mask you're allowed to fall for.”

“Break, beautiful,” I whisper. “Don’t be afraid of me. I’ll pick up all your pieces.”

***
Madness is an adult, rockstar dark romance where you will experience palpable chemistry, Halloween vibes, trauma time, music euphoria and love in all forms. I've been a fan of Jack for a while now and at some point, I will read her backlog. She has this wonderful talent to easily immerse readers into her fantasy or non-fantasy stories, where you will get swept away in a world of well written characters and interesting plot. And you can always count on Jack to deliver spice and amazing mid-size FMC's portrayal!

Maddox is such a lovable MC. Contrary to my initial assumptions of him as a typical rebellious rockstar, he proved to be a genuine romantic at heart. His affection for Andi was force to be reckoned with and it captivated me completely. He has been obsessed with her since he was 13! And same could be said about Andi. I just wanted to hug them both. The dynamic between them was electrifying! They both were each others crush when they were younger, but they didn't act on their feelings.. And now, after couple of years, they finally act on them. Sneaking around was thrilling, but they deserve more. What would Reed say (Andi's brother and Mads bandmate), hm? Pick up the book and find out!

What to expect:
* emo rock band
* brother's best friend
* childhood crush
* masked bassist MC
* mid-size photographer FMC
* reverse age-gap (5y)
* trauma bonding
* 'who did this to you'?
* 'you can take it'
* 'necklaces'
* love for tattoos

CW's: graphic depictions of assault, domestic abuse, death, stories of childhood abuse, past trauma, suicide, and self-harm, breath play, masks, and bondage.

Madness (Young Decay #1) review
Chaos (Young Decay #2) review
Bedlam (Young Decay #3) review

Actual rating: 4.5 stars
Profile Image for Samantha Burke.
321 reviews169 followers
October 30, 2023
"She isn't meant for me. Her soul wasn't made to soothe mine. Her body was never made for me to claim. But I've never been a believer in god or fate of even fucking unicorns. So, fuck all the things that say we aren't meant to be. I'll make us fit."

5/5 ⭐ (check TW)

🖤 he's the masked bass player
🖤 she's the concert photographer (and his best friend's sister, who also happens to be the lead singer)
🖤 "crawl to me"
🖤 dual pov
🖤 emo rock band with hot as fuck members
🖤 trauma bonding


I don't think I can ACCURATELY DESCRIBE HOW MUCH I LOVED AND ADORED THIS BOOK. Listen... this is coming from someone who literally lives and breathes music... obsessed with masked men (and bands)... and wants to tattoo this book onto her heart.

This book is for those who live through music. This book is for those who listened to the "not cool" music in high school that everyone likes now. This book is for those who are obsessed with Sleep Token, Ghost, Slipknot, etc.

BUT NOW LET'S GET INTO THE GOODNESS THAT IS MADDOX. Because holy fucking fuck. That man can crush me with his bare hands and I'd say thank you. Like, need me to lick your boots? SAY. LESS.

This book HIT. The dedication had me tearing up. This book was SOLID perfection, and I officially need more rockstar romances in my life, so my inner fangirl can truly thrive.

EVERYONE, SAY THANK YOU TO JACK FOR CREATING ANOTHER MASTERPIECE TO DEVOUR ❤️🔥
Profile Image for Erin.
328 reviews17 followers
October 26, 2023
It’s so secret that I love everything Jack Whitney writes. Madness is no exception. An emo rock bad? Masked bassist with a dark past he’s trying to outrun? Best friends older sister?? Mid sized FMC… this book had soooo many of my favorite things.

Maddox has been crushing on his best friends older sister for years, but he made a promise that he would never act on those feelings. It’s been 5 years since the last time they saw each other and with one glance he can tell those feelings never went away. And Andi? Oh she’s into him too.

This book was nothing short of AMAZING! The plot was excellent. Both Mads and Andi have such traumatic and dark pasts, and they’re definitely bonded because of them. Desperately trying to prove that they’re nothing like their parents, and becoming healthy adults. Andi’s family is so great. I loved the little peaks we got into their dynamic. And the found family aspect with the band?! My absolute favorite thing ever. I also LOVED the bit of suspense Jack added. It just made the book even better.

And the SPICE!! Ohhhh the spice. 🥵🥵🥵.

Five amazing stars!!
Profile Image for Sophie.
117 reviews6 followers
July 20, 2025
(scroll for my updated opinion)

original review, right after finishing the book, 11.7.2025:

tbh I didn't expect to like this book so much, it is labelled dark romance and the only DR book I've started to read so far was "haunting adeline" and it absolutely wasn't for me and I couldn't finish it, so yeah I didn't have a great start with that genre...
Still, I wanted to put aside my prejudices and give DR another chance and what could be better for that than a metal bassist x concert photographer who both love tattoos and spooky stuff romance? I mean, this setting was made for me and I wasn't disappointed:D i have to admit, some dialogues/thoughts of the characters were super overdramatic and I totally cringed, also, all the sex scenes got kinda boring after a while, but still all in all I had a lot of fun reading this. I loved the band, the friendship between Maddox and Reed, the sibling bond between Andi and Reed, Andi's, Reed's and Madoxx' humour, Kamden and Koen, Tina, the integrated playlists, the concerts and especially that there was consent everytime they had sex (which was almost on every page of that book lmao). I was kinda scared that I'll have to DNF because of rape smut, but that wasn't the case yeyy, instead they were both super passionate about everything they were doing and I loved that for them. I initially wanted to give 4 stars, but (I don't care that it was clearly over the top) I LOVED the ending, so it's a 4.5 after all. I'll definitely order part two, it's about Reed and Reed is a gem, so yey for me:D

________________________________________

edit, 20.7.2025, because I have to add some stuff:

soooo I originally discovered this book through a youtube video on my for you page ("oh no, there's a metalcore themed romance novel" by _crustbag_), I didn't finish the video, because of spoilers, but now, after I've finished the novel for a while, I finally watched it. It's a 38 minute long review and the youtuber talked about a lot of stuff I already thought of while reading. Tbh, a lot of my ratings are entirely mood-based, sometimes I give more stars because I just had fun reading and ignored plot holes, cringey writing, stuff that made no sense and so on, other times I feel like critically analysing every detail of the book and then my rating turns out a lot harsher. My original rating of "Madness" was a "well anyway, I had a lot of fun, don't care about the cringe or weird stuff"-rating, but after I thought about everything more critically and after I've watched the youtube video, I have to admit, that the book actually is pretty bad... some dialogues really are SUPER cringe, I already mentioned that in my original review, but I realised it even more after the youtube video, the youtuber described it as "it just comes off as someone trying really hard to appear deep by trying to recall Pierce The Veil lyrics that they only vaguely remember" and omg he is SO RIGHT, I couldn't have said it better lmao. He also said that the photos in the book are giving hardcore tumblr from 2013 or smth vibes and this is also very true. He also analysed the playlists integrated in the book and yeah what should I say to that... I mean, he loved them and I did as well, still do, but the songs/bands are pretty mainstream metal... and don't get me wrong I love most of those songs/bands, they're popular for a reason, I'm not a "you're only a true metalhead if you're listening to norwegian blackened deathcore thrash grindcore metal" type of person and I do enjoy a lot of music that is considered "mainstream", but if the whole setting is the metal scene, the protagonists are all portrayed as hardcore metal fans and even metal musicians... I'd expect some less popular songs in the playlists as well, you know, stuff you only know if you're more involved with the scene... but anyways, I still loved the playlists:) (I know I kinda contradict myself here, but I hope you know how I mean it). Then another thing the youtuber talked about which totally irritaded me as well: the protagonists are all super rich, they own multiple flats, a pool and pool house, maddox and reed randomly bought three floors, maddox bought a house just so he could have it, they flex with their wealth and so on and all of this just doesn't work with the "counterculture, yey we're alternative" vibe they wanna give off. It's becoming less dominant, since metal becomes more and more mainstream, but at it's core/in historical context, metal, just like punk, emo and goth, is anti-establishment. Being alternative is not just about a look or an aesthetic or not even only about the music, it is also political (or it should be in my opinion). Of course the looks and the aesthetic belong to the scene in the sense of just expressing yourselves and your love for dark stuff, I personally LOVE to dress up, do black make up, corpse paint, piercings, tattoos... but it's not mandatory and not the only/most important thing that defines "alternative". I love that more and more people discover metal music and yeah of course you can dress however and listen to whatever you want, but don't praise yourselves as "omg I'm so different and so alternative because I like metal music and tattoos and black clothes" when you're super rich and flex with it and don't care about where the whole scene actually comes from. The characters and their mindset/behaviour just annoyed me, but the problem I have with all of that goes way beyond the book, I could continue this discussion for another 372021 paragraphs but I'm just gonna leave it at that and switch to another quote from the youtuber: He described Maddox' character as following: "this guy has two modes, it's "talking about women like they're objects" and "trying too hard to be deep tumblr poetry". I know that this dichotomy is supposed to be hot, but there are plenty of guys like this that exist in the real world and they all suck to be around" and yepp, he's right again. Last but not least: after thinking about it, Reed is a red flag after all. The youtuber mentioned a lot of other stuff as well, a lot of the plot made no sense at all, but I don't have the motivation right now to write everything down, you can just watch his video, it's great:) So yeah all in all I have to adjust my rating to three stars, the writing is around 1.5 - 2 stars, but still 4.5 stars for the fun I had while reading (all logic left my brain otherwise I can't explain this)
So new rating: 3 stars
5 stars for the youtube video I watched.
Profile Image for kim_is_bookish.
606 reviews31 followers
October 23, 2023
ARC REVIEW

INFINITE STARS!!!!!

I became obsessed at 6% and knew this would be a 5 star read 10% in. And boy did the 90% left shatter all expectations I had!!!! IT’S SO FREAKING GOOD AND PERFECT!!! The depth of these characters, the healing, the music, the vibes, the spice… ALL OF IT!!! Pure masterpiece!!! Literally obsessed!!! Can’t wait for the other band members’ books!!!

This is for you if you love:

🎵 rockstar romance
📷 younger brother’s best friend
🎵 boy obsessed
📷 broken main characters
🎵 masked bassist
📷 who did this to you?
🎵 sneaking around
Profile Image for Trudie Earle.
154 reviews4 followers
December 10, 2024
Yeah, nah. Not even remotely good. Not even salvageable with “good moments”. Theoretically I should have been able to finish this book in just a few days but the reality is that it took me over a week because I could never read more than a few pages at a time.

Maddox and Andie both need therapy before they do anything else. And how is this Adam guy just getting away with stabbing people? Why was he protesting? What was the significance of him protesting? Terrible, thoughtless plot line. I’ll leave it at that.
Profile Image for DeLaney.
184 reviews17 followers
October 26, 2023
Jack, I know I can always count on you to give me a spooky szn vibes story and this checked alllllll the boxes.

You want the moody, broody, masked, touch her & you die man? Check
Independent strong female with a traumatic background and some mommy issues? Check
Crazy ex boyfriend? Check
Hot band that gives alll the vibes of emo punk rock/bad omen vibes? Double check!

I loved this book. Seeing Andi and Mads grow and heal together was amazing. I really hope we get a book for Reed ;)
Profile Image for Kait Reads.
169 reviews
October 23, 2023
Y U M M Y

I loved it. Every part. All their broken, fragile pieces.
Jack continues to impress me with how attached I get to the characters and am rooting for their HEAs from the first moment!
Profile Image for Gabriella.
71 reviews279 followers
June 16, 2024
i read this because it was pitched to me on tiktok as a sleep token romance and i am not ashamed.
Profile Image for Betty.
498 reviews36 followers
March 25, 2025
4.5 ⭐️. This is a fantastic dark romance! It’s my first book by this author and I loved it!

Maddox is 🥰 and Andi is a total badass. This is the kind of rockstar romance that I love. No groupie sex drama; just great characters with real depth, real love and connection. The author creates an amazing alternative rock atmosphere.

❤️ no third act break up.
🗣️honest real communication. No misunderstandings, ever. About anything.
- no OW at all. His past isn’t really mentioned. He’s been in love with her forever.
- OM. There is no OM drama in the jealousy sense, but her ex is a terrible and dangerous person throughout the story.
🎸 Andi is a professional photographer for various rock bands and Maddox is the bassist with her brother in their popular metal band.
🧨. This is not a slow burn. These two get together and are 🔥.
👥. Dual POV; HEA; 1 yr later epilogue

Dropped 1/2 star because I’m greedy and wanted a longer epilogue.

So these two go back years. He is dealing with trauma related to his abusive and criminal father and she is dealing with trauma related to her emotionally and physically abusive mother and abusive ex boyfriend. He was sort of adopted by their family and she is 5 yrs older than him. We learn about their shared history which helps form their connection today. Maddox wants nothing to do with his father, is afraid that his father’s past will make him a target, and in fact hides his appearance on stage behind a mask.

The two meet after 5 (?) years when Andi is asked to photograph the band for a week in their hometown. This makes both of them face their old demons and their affection and insane attraction to each other. It’s been years since they saw each other and their chemistry is immediately off the charts. Both are concerned about her brother finding out but rather than this being annoying (as I often find this trope) it adds to the heat of their attraction and fun of the story. It helps that there is never a doubt that each would choose each other if forced.

🧨. I love that they didn’t fight it; they both are in it together and own it. They support each other as they each deal with their demons. They are truly there for each other emotionally time and time again.

The tension in the story comes not from the relationship but from the danger of Maddox’s identity being discovered and the danger from Andi’s ex.

I just loved this story! It is dark and at times violent. There is some tough subject matter but it is made easier by the absolute love, supportive family and devotion surrounding these characters.

❤️❤️❤️❤️

Forced proximity
Rockstar
Trauma
Childhood friends
He falls first
Obsessed masked MMC
Found family
No third act breakup
Brothers best friend
Touch her and die (literally)
Profile Image for Ellen.
19 reviews
May 17, 2025
Well, this was the most smut I've ever read, but I liked it 😉 I did miss some darker stuff and a bit more plot, but it was easy and fun to read #fuckingfuck
Profile Image for Briar Reeds.
134 reviews7 followers
June 10, 2024



『Writing:』5/5
『Spice:』3.5 (not an overly exaggerated amount of scenes, but the ones that were there WHEW!)
『Tension:』4/5
『Sad:』3/5
『Funny:』4/5
『Overall:』5/5

'*•.¸♡ read this if you like ♡¸.•*'

❥ masked and or long haired men and or sleep token
❥ the brothers bff / forbidden love trope
❥ "I've always loved you"

ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ : Shelter - Sleep Token

。・゚゚・Quick Plot・゚゚・。
Andi groans audibly when her boss tells her that she has to go photograph her famous rockstar brother's home concerts. She hasn't gone home in years, and didn't plan on starting this year, either. Especially not on Halloween. Her mind changes quickly when she sees Maddox again. The glow up that someone can go through in five years can be ... delectable. Maddox has loved Andi since he can remember, and clearly that hasn't changed. There's a thousand people in this arena right now, but there's only one that knows the Mads behind the mask.

*+:。.。 Characters 。.。:+*
Andi - fantastic FMC! She isn't overly whiny or helpless. She's pretty badass, despite the setbacks life tried to give her.
Maddox - resident sad boi / long haired, sage eyed, misunderstood absolute angel.
Reed- The menace little brother who would give Andi the world.
Zeb / Bonnie / James (side characters, but they add flavor!)

❣ Quotes❣
"If I was a palm reader, this would look less awkward to your entire family, who is staring at us through the window."
"Break, beautiful."
"Pleasuring her is my new religion."

'*•.¸♡ things I liked ♡¸.•*'
MaddoxMaddoxMaddox.
Honestly, I loved that YD doesn't give off the "we are better than you, peasants" vibe, even though they're super popular. The found family trope is absolutely one of my favorites. The Matthews family is one of my top book families now!

→ things I didn't like ←
There were a few words / phrases that were said a LOT. Other than that, the story line was great, the writing was great, the editing was awesome. There isn't much to go onto the "things I didn't like" section!

︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶Summary︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶
This book was SUPER easy to get into, and I didn't want to put it down! I've only read one other rockstar romance, and it was no where near this one. The story and characters had me kicking my feet and audibly squeaking / giggling like I'm not a fully married woman. I can't wait to read the second one!
Profile Image for Lanae (findmeonsmutlane).
785 reviews23 followers
April 8, 2024
This ended up being a pretty heartfelt and deep little read. I was sold when it was described as a rockstar romance, with a masked band member, and to top it off, a brother's best friend romance.

The book was way more emotional than just expected! I knew that there was darker pasts, and cause of the trigger warnings, past abuse. But it was really emotional reading about the characters reliving their past and still trying to move on from their trauma. I loved their connection and how they were there for each other. How they didn't diminish what either went thru, and allowed each other to rage and break down. I felt their connection.

The plot itself felt typical of a brother's best friend romance. Lots of secrets and hiding. The fact the brother was oblivious the entire book was kinda silly. I wish there was a little more drama with that aspect. The one younger brother seemed like he may have caught on, but then it just never went any farther. I also felt like maybe the parents knew or had an idea, and again it was just never really expanded on.

My biggest gripe with the book is that there were a lot of things that could have been more developed and expanded upon that would have made the story better. The ending was very quick and rushed. We had the blow up with the ex boyfriend and the reveal of the relationship and the reveal without the mask all within like the same chapter. I wish it was more spread out. We didn't see any of the fallout after the arrest, we saw nothing of a further conversation with reed and Maddox and the relationship. We say nothing of Andi being confronted at work. And we didn't even get the proposal! So much that was built up over the course of the book and then just barely mentioned at the end. I wish we had gotten more.

And smaller gripe, I was annoyed that andi was treated so harshly by her work about the relationship with Maddox. Like I get where the company is coming from, but also they know that she has known Maddox since childhood, she knew his real identity. The was history there. To automatically suspend her for a month and accuse her of sleeping with other bands and also taking off book pictures just seemed like a bit much.

In the end, it was a good read. I enjoyed it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Cassandra Weber.
83 reviews
August 14, 2024
Absolutely ate this up!! Sleeptoken feels… depth in plot… wow yep can’t wait for the next read!!!
Profile Image for gen.readsatnight.
60 reviews
October 30, 2023
Jack Whitney is going on my instant-read list. It's official.

This story took me back to 2005, when music was more than everything, feelings were communicated through songs lyrics and where we spent hours imagining our lives with the guy from the band. And what it would have been like if all our dreams happened.

It gave brother's best friend, masked (!) tattooed bassist in an awesome emo punk rock band, perfectly spiced spice, a badass FMC with an awesome job, a crazy ex (ugh Adam), trauma bonding for the MMC & FMC, found family.

I was blown away by this book, hooked from the very start. I couldn't put it down. I wanted it to keep going. I CANNOT wait for the rest of the story (Chaos, Bedlam, Havoc; here's looking at you!)
Profile Image for Hayley Briana.
Author 18 books57 followers
October 26, 2023
Jack became my favorite author prior to releasing her first book and has never disappointed! As a dark romance lover I was beyond excited when she announced “Madness” and knew I NEEDED IT!

The dark and twisty aspect with a nod towards masked band members had me hooked from the start. Watching Maddox and Andi’s relationship evolve was epic! And the spice 🥵

If you have a thing for dark romance and sleep token you should seriously pick this one up, immediately!

Can’t wait to see what Jack comes up with next!
Profile Image for lisa.
72 reviews
May 1, 2025
"I think my madness has found a home in yours."

ja idk was ich mir dachte als ich mir dieses buch ausgesucht hab! kp wann das buch erschienen ist aber es hat sich gelesen als wäre es straight up aus wattpad 2013 entnommen mit cringy ass emo zeug and dont get me wrong ich liebe emo zeug aber ehm... irgendwie wurde jedes cringy ass emo klischee in diesem buch erfüllt

"Jesus mother fucking, goddamn cheese, crackers, and holy shit balls."
Profile Image for Jordyn Hughes.
98 reviews21 followers
August 4, 2025
Another incredible story by Jack Whitney! Mads and Andi’s love story truly is a beautiful example of your person picking up the pieces and helping you become whole. This entire series is seriously addicting and will stay living rent free in your head long after finishing.

My only thing is I wish there was more development with the villain of the story. The foundation was there but I just needed a little more to really drive it home.
Profile Image for B.
Author 4 books15 followers
October 26, 2023
Another amazing read but Jack Whitney!! I love these two. The romance is so cute and had me smiling and giggling at their early flirting, then blushing when things got 🌶️
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