Mae Evans is the biggest country music star the world has ever seen, but her journey to the top was not an easy one. Fighting against bad press after the end of her last relationship left her hurt and untrusting. Burying herself in her work, she’s determined to change people’s opinions of her and has absolutely no intention of getting into another high-stakes relationship – that is, until she meets Wyatt Lucas.
Wyatt is an up-and-coming football player with the work ethic of a champion and the heart of a teddy bear. Smitten from the moment he hears Mae sing, he’s determined to show her that she doesn’t have to face the world alone.
The two hit it off instantly. They show up to each other’s events, take long drives after games, and manage to win over the entire internet in the span of a week. When their connection gets caught up in a less-than-kind news cycle, their relationship and their careers face uncertain futures.
Elora Maxwell is an independent historical fiction author. She writes historical things, romantic things, fantastical things, and sometimes devastatingly sad things. When she’s not traveling through time, she likes visiting amusement parks, watching movies, and forcing everyone around her to listen to Taylor Swift.
You can find her on Instagram and TikTok @author_eloramaxwell
I rate the books I read but I don’t usually write out reviews, however I feel like something needs to be said about this book. As a swiftie I was hopeful for this book but really it just ultimately left me uncomfortable. It felt poorly written, almost childlike, with forced lyrical references throughout the book, which felt awkward instead of charming or cute, and frankly took away from the story. The book also tries too hard to be parallel to Taylor and Travis- specifically referring to actual events that have happened in their relationship, without giving attention to the plot of the story to allow it to progress there. It was like the book was trying too hard to be about Taylor and Travis, while also trying too hard to not be directly about them. I almost DNF, but I was hopeful and wanted to give it more of a chance, however the story continued to lack depth- leaving me wanting more from the characters, more development in the relationship, and simply no feeling of chemistry or connection between Mae and Wyatt.
You all should know me by now — I can’t promise that this review doesn’t have something you’d consider a spoiler within it. 🍄 BEWARE 🍄
Influenced by the fast paced, insta-love story that is ❤️ Taylor Swift + Travis Kelce 💛, BLINDSIDED BY THE SPOTLIGHT is a closed-door contemporary sports romance that you can read from cover-to-cover in one sitting. Sprinkled with Swiftie references, supportive friends and family, and the absence of a third act break-up almost puts this in the cozy category for me!
Reading about Mae and Wyatt was such a refreshing change from the conventional romance novels. I loved to see how a healthier and more positive relationship could function with stressors outside of the relationship itself (like the issues dealing with Mae’s mother 👀). The pacing of the story is quick, with Blindsided coming in at 235 pages and some elements of the plot feeling slightly rushed. However, I think this story will resonate with readers who enjoy conversation heavy narratives and golden retriever boys who value communication 😌
This is a lightly spiced, feel-good romance and I’m excited to see if she will continue to write about more characters in this universe 🤭
Big thanks to this local author for providing me with an advanced e-ARC of Blindsided by the Spotlight in exchange for an honest review 📝 Any die-hard Swiftie will want this on their shelves!
Mae Evans, the reigning queen of country music, takes center stage in "BLINDSIDED BY THE SPOTLIGHT," a tale as rich and poignant as the melodies that define her career. As Mae battles against the shadows of a shattering past, the book elaborates some intriguing topics fom heartfelt journey where fame, love, and the spotlight intersect. . The narrative opens with Mae's determination to reshape public opinion, haunted by a past relationship that left her battered by the harsh scrutiny of the media. Enter Wyatt Lucas, a rising football star whose magnetic personality and genuine kindness prove to be the antidote to Mae's guarded heart! . The chemistry between Mae and Wyatt is palpable from the moment he hears her soul-stirring voice. Their connection deepens with each shared event, post-game drive, and social media-worthy moment. The author expertly crafts a whirlwind romance that captivates not only the characters but also the virtual audience that quickly becomes enamored with their love story. . Elora Maxwell's blend of humor, passion, and character development shines through, making "BLINDSIDED BY THE SPOTLIGHT" a must-read for fans of romance with a side of celebrity drama. This was a fabulous and riveting romance page-turner, I loved it so much and I highly recommend it to every romance fan, especially Swifties!
I went in with very low expectations, just curious to see what someone had done with the Travis/Taylor story. It was fun to find some Taylor lyrics scattered throughout, but the book reads like a pre-teen level book. The writing style and the author’s interpretation of how a relationship works or even how people interact in general, feel very inexperienced.
2 stars for the effort and for managing to get a football player x country music star romance out there ahead of everyone else. But yeah, this was just a bit of a let down for me. I lost interest at around 13% and pushed through. But there is just nothing there to make me want to finish the story.
First and foremost, a huge thank you to Elora Maxwell for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of Blindsided by the Spotlight.
On December 10, 2023, an announcement for a book inspired by Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s whirlwind romance was released and I knew I had to read it as soon as I could.
After waiting about 3ish weeks, my wish was granted and I am forever changed for it.
I LOVED this book with every fiber of my being. From the first chapter, I was hooked by the romance between football star, Wyatt Mayfield, and country music star, Mae Evans.
Wyatt is such a golden retriever boyfriend. He falls head over heels for Mae as soon as he sees her. Ultimate 2024 book boyfriend for sure. And that made me swoon. Mae is the ultimate girl boss. I loved her storytelling and her character development from being afraid of love to embracing it. (Labyrinth by Taylor Swift coded).
I will admit… there’s kind of a “third act breakup” in this BUT it’s not what you think. Although I was a little annoyed with Wyatt for his lack of communication, I understand he just needed to get his head back in the game (no pun intended; wink, wink).
This book made me feel all the feels. It’s wholesome. It made me fall in love with love all over again. It was one of those “lying on my stomach blushing and kicking my feet in the air” feelings that stayed throughout the entire book.
If you’re a diehard Swiftie like me, you’ll get a kick out of the many Taylor lyrics and Traylor references within its pages.
I love sweet contemporary romances like this. I love spice more than anyone else. But this book honestly didn’t need it. I loved the wholesomeness. It made me super giddy.
I need a physical copy of this book asap. I annotated my e-copy from front to back and I cannot wait to add this one to my shelf.
thank you to Elora Maxwell for sharing this arc with me!🫶🏼
amidst all the craziness of my SJM rereads this month, i read this little gem! it was definitely a cute, quick read that hits the spot, ESPECIALLY with the super bowl coming up!!! Mae was such a likable FMC and definitely had the spirit of a classic country music star (i’m looking at you shania and dolly🫶🏼) she was a sassy spitfire that i adored💐💕Wyatt was definitely a gentleman in a world full of boys✨i was picturing him as JJ McCarthy the whole time.
one thing i would have liked to see more of is the lyrics to Mae’s songs! i really enjoyed the music side of this book. i spotted at least 10 classic country references, which makes my heart happy🫶🏼i also wished we could’ve delved into the football side of Wyatt’s career more, but it was still satisfying enough.
read if you like: 🏈football romance ✨country music 🏈taylor swift references ✨taylor swift x travis kelce 🏈closed door romance
First, thank you so much to Elora for letting me read this book ahead of its official release.
I have to be honest, I’ve had a rough start with this one and almost DNF’d… but there’s a few reasons why I had stayed on till the end.
Mae Evans is The biggest name in country, crossing into the mainstream & making it big after having been able to escape a childhood that nobody deserves. At first, this was a trope that I did not enjoy too much — there are so many works about this story out there already. However, what’s different about this and what got me to change my mind in the end was the way Mae got to witness and support her mother getting better. Some may say that it was unrealistic, which it had been to a degree — but please keep in mind that this is a book with roughly 50k words, hence time had to be condensed a little.
Wyatt Lucas really really caught my heart and made me finish the book towards the end. He may be an up and coming football star, but his feelings and patience as well as understanding with Mae was something that truly spoke to me. Of course, with the missing break up scene this was to be expected in some way, but this man actually worked through his emotions while communicating them clearly to the woman he loves, which I found to be truly refreshing. I do however need to mention that he may not be a “book boyfriend” to those who want the MCs’ relationship to start with direct sexual tension and sparks as this does border slow burn in my eyes.
The pacing caused by the length of the book on top of the minor details previously mentioned just irritated me at first. I’m glad that I pulled through as Wyatt Lucas genuinely captured my heart, but I don’t think I would re-read it anytime soon. I would have preferred more details on some storylines whereas I felt like others could have been skipped altogether as I hadn’t perceived them to serve the purpose of the plot too much. One example for this would be the start of Mae and Wyatt’s relationship. As previously stated, in my eyes it bordered slow burn — yet I had felt that at some point they just went from dating to fully in love with each other; I would have definitely enjoyed more glimpses into their journey along the way.
This book is for all the girlies (gender neutral!) who love casual & lowkey Taylor Swift references, a (almost) no-turbulence romance between two adults who not only love each other but also respect each other as individuals.
*I received this book as an ARC and am voluntarily leaving this review, which reflects my personal opinions on this work.
Dadurch, dass so viele Referenzen wie möglich von Travis und Taylor eingebaut wurden, wirkte es sehr ohne Zusammenhang. Die Figuren hatten nicht die Chemie, die man bei Taylor und Travis vermutet. Es war sehr erzwungen genau gleich zu sein.
I want to thank Elora Maxwell for allowing me to receive a ARC of this story!!
This was such a fun story to read, especially for my swiftie heart. There are lots of Taylor Swift lyrics & references that were so fun to find! It was like finding Taylor’s easter eggs.
This book is inspired by the popular Taylor & Travis romance, but Elora found ways to make it her own, too.
Mae is so fun & strong-willed. Wyatt is that perfect “golden retriever” boyfriend that we all want to see. Their adorable & healthy relationship was so reassuring.
This book is very fast paced. I would’ve loved to get a bit of a longer start to their relationship as they fall VERY quickly. However, if insta-love stories are your thing, this book is perfect for you!
** I received an ARC for free & am leaving this review voluntarily!
I would like to preface by saying I am a LOVER of badly written romance books but even THIS is bad. I don't normally write reviews and I can't believe I'm doing this.
Let us start up with character descriptions shall we? Mae: Brunette, musician, knock off Taylor Swift, has a crazy mum (can we say character trauma everyone), also a whiny helpless crybaby
Wyatt: Football, Travis Kelce but with aggression, tall??? family guy I guess, perfect because of course book men have no flaws, dating a famous girl but doesn't walk around with security and punches people in the face... I think that's it
Let's not forget the knock off Jason Kelce and Kylie with their kid and knock off Tree Paine I don't like leaving reviews for indie authors because I think it takes a whole lot of bravery to put your book out there but come on, this was a shit show
The white background has more personality than the characters I stopped actually reading around chapter 15 and just skimmed through the rest
EDIT: Since the author has liked this review, I want to add a bit on my thoughts on the book (typically I do little jokey jokes instead). I'm not a Swiftie, but I love fame romances and I devoured this one. I agree at times with other reviewers: their relationship is a little insta love, things happen quickly, and there is a lingering feeling something is missing. However, if you look at this as a debut novel, it is so incredibly promising. I can feel how much Maxwell is pushing herself to write a cohesive story within an outlandish premise and it makes me SO excited to read her future contemporary romances.
Within the realm of contemp romance, this book bucks a few tropes that have become expected, which I think is what makes it fall flat for some readers. It's fairly PG, and spends more time with character work than plot, but I think Maxwell can go even further. I'd like to spend more time with these characters, really getting into their world and seeing them navigate it. With the foundation seen here, I think that's easily within her grasp.
Personally, I'd like to see a fantasy novel from her, as her background is in historical fiction. She did well grounding the fantastical elements of this and it would lead to a great, well-realized world.
A HUGE congrats to Elora Maxwell for her debut novel! Blinded by the Spotlight is a nod to our favorite relationship to come from 2023 - Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. This book was heavily inspired by the two of them.
Mae Evans is Country Music's superstar. She is known for her songwriting and storytelling. After her last relationship ended and was projected on every tabloid and publicized, she's trying to move forward and show the world who she really is.
Wyatt Lucas is a rookie football player who's love for the game runs deep. While attending Mae's show at his home stadium, he is instantly captivated by her.
After the two of them are setup by their managers, they instantly hit it off. Juggling their careers and their new, budding relationship is tough, but they together they make it work. Having multiple wrenches thrown at them, the two show that they truly are meant for each other by how they stick together and overcome it all.
Wow! I'm usually weary when it comes to reading debut ARC's but I just knew this was going to be great. Elora made this book so easy to read and all of the little twists she put in there were done so well. Wyatt is the most perfect gentleman and was such an adorable MMC. Mae was such a strong FMC proving to everyone just what she was made of after overcoming so much. I thought I would miss the spice in a book, since this was closed door, but the book didn't need it.
So impressed by you, Elora, and I hope we get more from the other characters in the book!!
I really really really wanted to love this, personally the writing made me question if I'd missed parts. This had so much potential but because of how fast or patchy it was I just didn't have the feels and had to dnf at 70 percent
I was so excited to read this book and wanted to love it but I just found it a little clumsy. Whilst it was cute it just felt a little unfinished and I wanted more plot and more character development. I did like the basis of the book.
Okay first of all…if your character is from Louisiana please….for the love of all things holy…put PARISH. There is no “County” here 😭😭😭😭
Also the writing style is not for me. It was too fast paced & made me feel like I would miss things by how much it jumped. This story had a lot of potential but was too jumpy & the insta love is a little too instant.
One minute she's afraid from his anger driving (which definitely triggered her since she almost died from the paparazzi chasing her), the next they're completely fine like nothing just happened. He had multiple pet names for her but they were only said once and felt super awkward. Idk.. I wanted to like this so much, some parts were adorable, but it was a bit of a let down.
I saw the cover of this book & was instantly drawn to it. A sports romance inspired by Taylor & Travis?! Sign me up! This was such a cute, contemporary romance novel that gave me all the wholesome feels. Being a Swiftie, I really enjoyed all the references Elora included, as well as the celebrity & athletic perspective we often forget being on the outside looking in. Elora did a wonderful job of incorporating each characters’ family dynamics & completely tugging at my heartstrings. This was such an adorable, quick read that I would recommend to all who are fans of closed door romances, pop culture, & of course, fellow Swifties!
Country music star. Pro-football player. After Mae has fought her way to the top & endured heartache from her most recent breakup, she vows to bury herself in her work. Then Wyatt hears her voice & decides he has another plan. He falls for her instantly & is bound & determined to gain her trust & show her life is better when you share your joys & struggles with someone you love. But can even the strongest of love survive in the limelight & be endgame?
Mae is such an inspirational character whom I was cheering for throughout the entire book. She is strong & noble. Wyatt is the ultimate golden retriever MMC. He is loyal, loving, & protective. Their whirlwind romance elicited laughs, sympathy, & adoration from me as the reader. I LOVE a HEA & am so glad they both receive the love & ending they deserve.
“Find your flicker of light.”
🎤He Falls First 🏈Dual POV 🎤Closed Door 🏈Instant Attraction 🎤HEA
First of all, I wanna say thank you to Elora Maxwell for the ARC copy. Thanks for trusting me with this.
I’m obsessed with the Tayvis relationship, like, I watch their photos and videos and believe in love just because of them, that's why when I found out that this book was inspired by them I knew that I needed to read it.
But I have to be honest with you, I was expecting a little bit of something different, I don’t know how to put into words what I was expecting.
This book is an insta love, and I’m not a big fan of this trope, I’m kind of the ‘enemies to lovers’ type, but the reference to Taylor and Travis was my motivation.
It's a really soft romance, with the close door romance trope, it was really cute and quick to read, it’s the kind of book that you can read in one sitting on a summer day.
About the characters, you are going to find big characteristics of Taylor and Travis, but at the same time they are different in other things.
I think that is a kind of sport romance plus celebrity romance. Like I said, it was a cute read.
The book is going to be available on February 2nd. You can pre-order it now.
I absolutely fell in love with this cozy romance!! Blinded by the Spotlight was a love story unlike any I’ve read before… the main characters, Mae and Wyatt, actually.. communicated?! 🥲💗🙏🏼 Their conversations were mature and honest and so refreshing!!
I found myself internally shaking my fist at Wyatt at one point, but thanks to the alternating perspectives, he was quickly forgiven!
While some parts did feel a little rushed through, both Mae and Wyatt were so easy for me to cheer for. It felt so natural for me to believe in the plot and really imagine them together.
This novel is such a quick and fun read and as a Taylor Swift and KC Chiefs fan, I felt so giddy finding some of the little ✨Traylor✨ references sprinkled throughout.
If you’re a Swiftie or just a romance girly, Blinded by the Spotlight needs to be your next read!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
As soon as they started dating, I said someone should make the Taylor and Travis relationship into a book - so when I saw this, I knew I would be reading (despite the questionable rating).
The premise of this is fun, and playing “is that a lyric?” while reading the book was entertaining. But the pacing of this was HORRIBLE. Like made no sense horrible. A lot more needed to be flushed out to for things to make sense. Also, if you are going to base things on real life people, make the characters at least a LITTLE similar in personality/appearance to the real ones (this book did not).
If you are a huge Swiftie, it’s a short read, so go for it. Other than that I would not recommend.
Tropes: sport romance, celebrity romance, based on a real couple
This book was cute. While it was an overall quick read, the story felt like a bit of a jumble. I really enjoyed Mae, she was strong & feisty which I always love. & Wyatt was such a little puppy dog when it came to her.
Unfortunately reading about their relationship felt kind of off for me. There were a lot of breaks in between the couple seeing each other that I wish we could’ve gotten more time with them to develop their relationship (phone calls/video chats/ texts etc). These little pockets of time would’ve made more sense for me to better understand them. Even from an insta-love perspective, it just felt like there were things I was missing. Overall I enjoyed the book & would like to read more from the author & see stories about side characters like Hannah or Raleigh.
This was such a cute book to read for any Swiftie! There was, however, a very glaring error that I am shocked no ARC reader or proofreader caught - at the beginning of the book, her ex is named Trenton Travers, and then somewhere in the middle it changed to Trenton Travis before going back to Travers again. The storyline started out strong and then kind of fell out a bit. But it’s still a cute, closed door romance that any Taylor and Travis fan will enjoy.