Composed: A Reckless Abandon Novel

by Victoria Peploe

"Wanna be reckless with me and abandon all your sensibilities?"

Cole Hayes meets Hendrix Moore at fifteen years old and they fall in love.
For five years, they live, breathe, and dream music. When Cole starts a band, Hendrix pours her all into writing them songs. Together, they create a legacy, and Reckless Abandon is born.
The band gets signed, and everything they ever wished for is right there in their grasp.
Until the day Hendrix slips away.
Ten years later, sitting at the top of the charts, Cole has everything a rock star could want. But he doesn't have the one thing he needs. His muse disappeared somewhere along the way, and now he’s standing at a crossroads while Reckless Abandon waits on his next move.
If they want to keep chasing their dreams, Cole has to find the music again.
And to do that, he has to go all the way back to where it started.
Back to her.
Only Hendrix isn’t the same girl who walked away.
She locked her guitar case years ago and left it gathering dust in the back of a wardrobe.
Can Cole convince her to write with him again or will the final chord ring out and bring the curtain down on Reckless Abandon forever?

Composed is an emotional, second-chance contemporary rock star romance is a second chance, contemporary rock star romance set in England.

Genres: Romance

501 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 10, 2025

About the author

Love hurts before it heals

Based in the English countryside, Victoria writes raw, heartfelt romances that feature strong-willed women and their swoon-worthy loves. With a background in music and performing arts, she’s obsessed with dramatic moments, music that tells stories, and leading ladies who steal the spotlight. When she’s not writing or chasing after her mini-human and fluffy pup, she’s busy trying to persuade her husband to buy her a pet panda (apparently it’s a no-go, but she’ll keep trying).

Find her on Instagram and Threads: @victoriapeploeauthor
TikTok: @victoria.peploe

Reviews

[❅ Karen ❅ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love with their love.. and pain. Their story was absolutely heartbreaking in the best way possible. It was just as healing.
You follow Cole, a lead singer of a rock band, and Hendrix, the songwriter and music engineer. Life doesn't go as planned but their story is not over.
I grew heavily attached to this family. They are the perfect balance to their personalities. This book shows the pain needs a little more than time to heal.

🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

[sads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was actually insane, I LOVED IT 😮‍💨

It follows Hendrix, a mixing engineer, and Cole, a world-famous rockstar, within a dual timeline of their relationship. I love second-chance romance, and this book truly did it justice. The yearning and longing between Hendrix and Cole was quite literally everything. The chemistry between them never died, WHICH I LOVED 😭 AND THE FOUND FAMILY IN THIS BOOK, GOD EVEN BETTER I CANNOT, like the love the band has for Hendrix is so heartwarming, especially because she found a safe space in music and the boys were just there for her 😭😭 my shaylas

I CANNOT WAIT FOR BOOK 2

[yeonjoo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, ‘Composed’ for disproving my claim that second chance romances are annoying.

This was quite literally everything. I can’t even say much except for the fact that Hendrix and Cole are the definition of ‘if it’s meant to be, it’ll be’. Their mutual yearning for one another was to die for. Also, can we take a moment to appreciate Cole’s band!? The way his band became a safe space for Hendrix 😩😩😩 loved it.

Thank you so much for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review!

Please give ‘Composed’ a chance if you like:
✨rock stars
✨second chance
✨found family
✨slow burn

~arc for honest review~

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review to come. But I will happily say, this is one of my top reads this year!!

[Brittany Rader · Rating 3 out of 5]

✨ARC review✨

I thought this book was a solid debut. It had some things I like and some things I didn’t like, but overall, I found the story and characters to be entertaining.

Composed is a second chance romance about high school sweethearts Hendrix and Cole who broke up right as Cole was on the brink of making it big with his band, Reckless Abandon. Ten years later, Cole and the band have lost their creative spark and reach out to Hendrix to see if they can recapture the musical magic they had in their youth. As we watch the two reconnect in the present, we also get a series of flashbacks to watch them fall in love and then fall apart.

I am a sucker for a second chance romance and I grew up listening to 2000s/2010s pop punk, so this book seemed right up my alley. I loved all the music references and that the relationship between Hendrix and Cole stemmed from their musical connection. Music was not only the heart of their relationship, but of the entire found family dynamic that was built between the vast cast of characters; the music truly felt like another character in the story, rather than just a lens through which the story was told.

How I feel about interconnected standalone romance series really depends on the characters — the characters need to be different enough from each other to warrant their own stories; they need to be dynamic enough for me to care about them even when they’re in the periphery of the story; and they need to have connections to each other outside of the romantic relationships to make the series make sense as a whole. I thought Victoria Peploe did a really great job of establishing the foundation of this series. All of the characters felt really fleshed out and had clear personalities and roles within the group. I genuinely grew to care about the side characters and would be genuinely interested in reading their books when they come along.

I did get a bit frustrated with the conflict that drove the story. The entire conflict was essentially self-created by one of the main characters and it felt a bit unrealistic; it also required the other main character to be completely oblivious to their partner’s personal life, which I find hard to believe. It wasn’t the end of the world, but since the cause of the breakup is the connection between past and present in a second chance romance, it made the whole story a bit exasperating for me.

I also think it’s worth mentioning that that the book felt a little under-edited. Yes, I read an advance copy and many of these things will likely get fixed before publication, but it took me out of the story every time I caught these. There were a lot of small spelling and grammar mistakes as well as quite a few continuity errors (e.g., outfits or hair changing mid-scene, a room being pitch black one moment and then being able to see each other the next, a character disappearing in the middle of a scene, etc.). These weren’t the end of the world and I tried not to let them impact my rating of the book, but they were a bit distracting.

Again, I overall enjoyed the book. There were a few things I didn’t love, but I still think it was a solid read.

[Maya Delgado · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5☆

Thank you Victoria Peploe and Love Notes PR for an arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

"I love you.'
'I love you.'
'Always and forever?'
'And even after that."

First of all, the Thesaurus was a nice touch and so were the song recommendations at the beginning of each chaper; little things like this already add so much to a book, it personalizes it, and in my opinion, it makes it sweeter.

Aughh! The book was so so good, and what makes this even better is the fact that Composed is Vitoria Pepole's Debut novel!! It's so mind boggling to me how you can write such a good story first go. I can't imagine how much work it must take to write a full story, but I hope you know I think your hard work was worth it. I enjoyed Composed so much, and I hope everyone else who decides to pick it up enjoys it just as much.

The moment I started reading I already felt connected to the characters, it was so easy to settle into the routine of Hendrix's life and feel like someone who actually knows her and her story. Everyone in Hendrix's life were so heartwarming and special, I've never felt a found family as found family as this one. Her friendship with Saint and Riley especially were the sweetest things ever. I devoured this story and all their banter. Everyone's connection and routine with each other was so good that at moments I just wanted everyone to be together together.

The rock world and all the music composition was so fun to learn about, as well as skateboarding. I love how everything was incorporated together. Also the Autism representation was so well done, it didn't feel forced and it was just effortlessly inclusive.

I do think that they got together again kind of fast, I was expecting an angstier second love confession, but Victoria, girl, you made it work so well, like even after they were together again I was still so invested in their story and connection. You expressed the portrayal of a dysfunctional family so well; I was tearing up a lot during my reading experience, which is a job well done.

Cole's and Hendrix's relationship inestelf was so sweet, they worked together so well. Their banter, their ideas, their priorities, and their love for each other was god tier. I want more, I can't wait for that epilogue!! Also if you're thinking about making other books about Saint & Theo's story, and Axel's & a secret someone's story, then absolutely yes, I would read them all!

TROPES ☆
-Rockstar boyfriend
-Found Family
-Second Chance


-

Quotes

-"I explore the tattoos on her lower leg, my fingers tingling as they graze over her. Truth is the song was just an excuse—I do want to hear it, I want to hear everything Hendrix has to say in her music. But more than that, I just want to hear her."

-"There’s something so intimate about sharing your breath with another person."

-"It’s just easier to sit in anger than any of the other unspoken emotions swirling constantly through me."

-“This doesn’t work without her. I don’t work without her. God knows I’ve fucking tried.

[Rechal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book follows Cole Hayes and Hendrix Moore — two kids who met at fifteen, fell stupidly in love, and then spent the next five years breathing the same air, the same music, the same dreams. Together they built a band, Reckless Abandon, and a makeshift little family that felt more real than anything either of them grew up with.

But the second the band got signed and the world finally started paying attention, everything unraveled. Hendrix didn’t just slip away… she disappeared. From Cole. From the guys. From the only people who ever loved her right. And she did it without a goodbye.

Ten years later, she’s not the girl who used to light up rooms. She’s quieter, steadier, tucked behind the soundboard as a mixing engineer and co-owner of an audio company — basically doing everything possible to avoid the version of herself who lived too loud and loved too hard.

And then fate (because that messy little gremlin loves drama) puts Cole in front of her doorstep

Because his label contract ends and he's staring at a blank notebook, realizing he hasn’t written a single meaningful song in a decade — because when Hendrix walked out, she took his muse with her. So he makes the one decision he’s been avoiding: he brings her back into the picture… even though she swears she hasn’t written in years.

Hendrix’s turmoil? So palpable. She’s guilty, anxious, terrified — but she still says yes.
Not for the band.
Not for the music.
For him.

Because once upon a time, she didn’t just love Cole — she lived for him. And leaving him broke her just as much as it broke him.

Their reunion? Awkward, emotional, and dripping with ten years’ worth of unresolved everything.

Cole’s friends — Saint, Axel, and especially Carter — are ice cold toward her, and honestly? Fair. She was their family too, and she vanished without a trace. That tension adds so much grit and realism to their dynamic.

The book also dives deep into parental neglect and how it shapes you long after you’ve escaped it. Hendrix’s parents failed her in every possible way, and that pain is exactly what pushed her to run from the one place she actually belonged.

Watching her work through that trauma — with the help of her girls, Riles and Talia — was one of my favorite parts. When she finally starts choosing herself, she finally chooses Cole, too.

Also, the way she kept everything? Ticket stubs, old merch, CDs, framed memorabilia — a whole damn wall dedicated to their achievements. It made her love for him hit harder than any dramatic confession could.

At its core, this book is about found family, music, healing, forgiveness, and the terrifying, beautiful mess of coming home to someone who never stopped waiting.

Overall? A solid four-star read. Emotional. Musical. Perfectly chaotic. And packed with that second-chance ache that grabs you right by the heart.

[Lovelette · Rating 5 out of 5]

🎸To find the muse he thought he lost, he has to begin again—and it starts with her. 🎶

📖 Composed by Victoria Peploe
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️.5
Rockstar Romance

Tropes:
🎤 Musicians
🖋 Tattooed MCs
💔 Second chance
🏡 Chosen family
🔥 Slow burn

Cole and Hendrix fell in love at fifteen—two teenagers who breathed in rhythm and exhaled lyrics. For five years, they built Reckless Abandon from the ground up: he sang, she wrote, and together they created something electric. But when the band finally got signed, Rix vanished without a word. Ten years later, Cole is free of a suffocating contract… but he realizes he also lost his muse. So he returns to where it all began.

This book highlights music in a way most rockstar romances don’t. The story centers music—its power, its pulse, its ability to wound and heal. The songs become a living thing between Cole and Rix, and I felt wrapped in their world like the music itself was humming through the pages.

The heartbreak of their breakup cut deep. Their chemistry is phenomenal—messy, emotional, soul-level. I was crying early on because the flashbacks make it clear what’s coming, and yet you still feel the intensity of their connection. Their love is so encompassing it feels like drowning, but the kind you’d willingly sink into.

The story gripped me from page one. I devoured it before I even started work that morning. If anything, I wished their breakup had a slightly stronger reasoning, because Rix didn’t just leave Cole—she walked away from the entire band, her family of choice. It made the grief that much heavier.

Rix has been carrying the weight of the world since she was young. Even as an adult, putting herself back together isn’t easy, but she manages to build a life adjacent to her dreams. She sacrifices so much for the people she loves, and it’s heartbreaking and beautiful all at once.

Cole, though—my god. He had my whole heart from the start. He grovels even when he was the one abandoned. He tries so hard to honor her boundaries while also refusing to lose her again. His devotion from youth to adulthood is everything. If I had Cole and the band in my life, I’d be the luckiest person alive.

And Saint and Rix’s friendship deserves its own standing ovation. Despite their painful childhoods, they built a family through music—messy, supportive, fiercely loyal. The kind of chosen family that changes your whole life.

I cried, I ached, and I felt every note. This book made me bleed music the way the characters did—and it was an incredible experience.

Thank you Love Notes PR and Victoria Peploe for this ARC.

[Maxine Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a rockstar romance but there is something about them that makes me 100% obsessed and they hit me hard. So if there are big feelings involved it kicks my ass. I dont know why, but its one sub genre that even though i love it, i tend to avoid it.

So you can imagine how torn ive been when a favourite author has been singing this books praises for the last few months, her recs have not steered me wrong before, but also the emotional damage a rockstar romance can unleash on me is scary.

Obviously i was brave and it was the best decision ever.

In the authors note @victoriapeploeauthor mentions this is a love letter to her teenage self and the music scene and it absolutely reads that way.

The amount of joy i was filled with while reading!!! The music mentioned was music i listened to all the time in my 20's so it was extra awesome.

There was lots of things i loved about this book, but if i go into it all, ill be here all day, so ill keep it short.

- The women! Not just the mc, every single female character, i loved them all and want more. There are all different types of friendships, old, new and found again.

- The friendships in general and the different dynamics with each character. When Hendrix broke it off with Cole, it didnt just impact them. Her leaving impacted everyone, they all had their own friendship with her, but also watching how it broke Cole, they had to try and lift their friend back up.
Saint and Hendrix have such a special bond.

- Austism rep. You can tell the author loves someone who is neurodivergent. Riley is a phenomenal character. And while there is no shying away from how it impacts Riley and those around her, its not the only part of Riley we see.

Composed is one of my favourite reads this year. It has everything i love in a contemporary romance and then adding rockstars and music. Its like it was written just for me.

If you want:
🎶Found family
🎶Music
🎶Black cat energy
🎶Second chance romance
🎶Piercings

With a sprinkling of
🎶Yearning
🎶Family trauma
🎶Banter

This just might be the book for you.

[Nikolett Berkiné Varga · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was absolutely amazing. A rock star romance, second chance, slow burn, and found family story, honestly, it had everything you could possibly want and need. The love, the pain, the emotions… all of it was written beautifully and hit so deeply.

Our FMC, Hendrix, is a mixing engineer, and our MMC, Cole, is a world-famous rock star. They met when they were just kids, fell in love, and spent years together, until Hendrix left. Now, ten years later, they’re both changed. After Cole’s label contract ends, he finally has the freedom to make the music he wants… except he can’t write a single song. Before, he and Hendrix wrote the band’s music together, so he goes looking for the one person who ever truly understood his sound and his heart.

What truly stood out to me was how deeply you can feel the characters’ emotions. I felt Hendrix’s turmoil her guilt, anxiety, and fear, not just because of Cole, but because the entire band was her family. When she left, she didn’t just leave him… she left all of them. Watching her work through her trauma and slowly find her way back was everything.

And Cole? That sweet, devoted man completely stole my heart. He honours Hendrix’s boundaries while also refusing to lose her again. He is all in for her steadfast, patient, and so deeply in love.

Hendrix finding her way back not only to Cole but also to the band felt so powerful and emotional. And the music? It’s not just background noise it’s the heart of the story. Their songs are living, breathing things between them, and I loved how central music was to their relationship.

The pacing was great, the writing absolutely shined, and the emotional journey took me places I wasn’t expecting, but I loved every damn minute of it.

Composed took me on a ride, and I am so glad I went along.

Thank you so much to Love Notes PR and Victoria Peploe for trusting me with an ARC of this incredible book. It was truly an honor.

[Ayesha (ash.oldsouldiaries) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay besties… this book? Actually insane. I am OBSESSED 😮‍💨🔥

When I tell you this was THE ARC I’ve been dying to get my hands on, I mean it with my whole chest. And the way it fulfilled my expectations?? Like,thank you, God. Even though this is a little outside my usual reading taste, it grabbed me immediately and I ended up loving it way more than I expected.
We follow Hendrix, a mixing engineer (queen of my heart), and Cole, a world-famous rockstar (hello???), across a dual timeline of their relationship. And listen…I am a second-chance romance girl to my core, and this book DELIVERED. The yearning? The unspoken emotions? The tension that never fully went away?? I was kicking my feet. The chemistry between Hendrix and Cole never died and I ate up every single second of it 😭
AND THE FOUND FAMILY ELEMENT?? I’m sorry but the band had me in actual tears. The way they adore Hendrix, support her, protect her, and make her feel at home in music?? My heart was screaming. Like… please, where do I sign up for this friend group? oh My shaylas 😭😭
Let’s talk craft for a sec because for a debut novel, this was so solid. The pacing? Great. The emotional beats? Hit every time. The writing style? Addictive. I did get a tinyyy bit confused between chapters here and there , dual timelines be wild sometimes , but honestly, it didn’t ruin anything for me. I was too busy inhaling the story.
Overall, this book felt like one of those reads you finish and immediately think, “oh I’m absolutely obsessed.” And now I’m just sitting here, patiently (not really) waiting for book 2 because I need more of these characters in my life IMMEDIATELY.
If you’re looking for a romance with chemistry, heart, found family, music vibes, and a little emotional destruction… this is IT.
thank you lovenotes PR and Victoria peploe for this opportunity 🤍

[Veronica · Rating 5 out of 5]

**ARC REVIEW**

Reckless Abandon is an emotional, slow-burn second-chance romance that hits all the right notes—heartache, longing, and the undeniable pull of a love rooted in music.

The story begins with Cole Hayes and Hendrix Moore, two teenagers who fall hard and fast at fifteen. For five years, they’re inseparable partners in life and in art, building songs, dreams, and a future together. When Cole forms a band, Hendrix becomes its creative heartbeat, crafting lyrics that define their sound. Their shared passion launches Reckless Abandon, a band on the brink of everything they ever wanted… until Hendrix suddenly walks away, leaving both Cole and their musical spark behind.

A decade later, Cole is a chart-topping rock star who seemingly has it all—except the muse who made him believe in the music in the first place. With the band waiting for his next move and his own creativity running dry, Cole realizes the only way forward is back. Back to Hendrix. Back to the girl who once wrote his heartbeat into lyrics… and who hasn’t touched a guitar in years.

What unfolds is a beautifully crafted reunion full of tension, vulnerability, and emotional rawness. Hendrix is no longer the fearless music-obsessed girl he lost, and reopening old wounds comes at a cost. The question threaded through every chapter—can they revive their connection, or is this the final note for both their love and the band they built?

This novel will appeal to fans of deeply felt romances, creative partnerships, and stories that ask whether the past can truly be reclaimed. With music woven into every beat, Reckless Abandon is a love letter to the people who shape us—and what it means to find your way back after everything falls apart.

[Sanvi Speaks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE ITTTTTTTTT 😍😍😍😍😍😍

It's been a while since a book made me cry and this one made me a weeping mess 😭

This is the BEST FOUND FAMILY TROUPE. I have ever read 🫶🏼🤌🏼 such an amazing book. Each and every page made me want this kind of friendship. Whether it's Saint, Carter, Axel and Cole or Rixie, Riley and Talia both groups made me wish I had a gang like that. Their relationship is so so so beautiful and it is so precious. Nobody judges no one, nobody changes no one and the way they support, accept and cherish their relationship especially how comfortable they are with each other and their connection with Rixie is awesome 🫂

My Man Cole is such a golden retriever with a golden heart ❤️❤️❤️ he is the best. The boyish grins the author wrote definitely gave me butterflies 🦋🦋🦋 he saw Rixie when he was 15, he fall in love and they seperated for 10 years but..... He still loves her, trusts her and would give her anything if she says so (even if it is his career) his love, longing, pain, fear and happiness everything moved me, broke me and healed me ❤️‍🩹

Rixie, her childhood wasn't easy and she made some wrong calls but she was never wrong. She loved only one ever, Cole Hayes but when fears overpowered their love, she faltered she didn't just break up with him. She broke the family. But the beauty of family is you can always return, everyone always remembers. Such an amazing found family she got. And the relationship she has with Saint moved me to tears. EVERYONE SAYS BREAKUP HURTS BUT HAVE YOU BROKEN UP WITH YOUR BESTIE💔💔 not just that she and Axel were cute and she and Carter was 🤌🏼

Everything about this book screams perfection ✨✨ The story, the characters, the plot, the arcs, the connection, the ending each and everything was awwwwwwwwesome

[ReadMeRough · Rating 5 out of 5]

Composed by Victoria Peploe is a beautifully written, emotional, and deeply nostalgic second chance rockstar romance that hits straight in the heart — and the playlist. 🎸❤️‍🔥

Hendrix (“Rixie”) and Cole were once inseparable — the rebellious kids who found safety in music, friendship, and each other. Now, ten years later, Cole’s band Reckless Abandon has finally escaped a brutal record contract, and the world-famous lead singer is looking for his muse again. He finds her in Rixie — the girl who taught him to play guitar, then walked away to let him chase his dreams.

She’s now a mixing engineer with her own studio, fiercely independent but still haunted by a toxic upbringing and the pain of leaving him. Their reunion in England is full of raw emotion, old wounds, and undeniable chemistry. When he calls her Rixie again, it’s like no time has passed. The connection is electric, the banter easy, and the longing—achingly real.

From rainy nights at the skatepark to late sessions in the band’s warehouse studio, their love story feels like a song you can’t stop replaying. Cole calling her his muse, his melody, and everything in between made me melt. 🥹

If you love:
🎶 Rockstar + mixing engineer dynamics
🎸 Second chance romance
🔥 Pierced, tattooed, alternative characters
🏠 Found family vibes
💔 Angst, healing & emotional depth

…Composed is your book. It’s not just about falling in love again — it’s about rediscovering who you are through the music and the people who never stopped believing in you. A love letter to every alt soul who finds home in noise.

[Laura Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Composed By Victoria Peploe ARC Review

This was an emotional read that left an emotional impact on my heart and it’s why I’m really glad to give this story a 5 star rating as I couldn’t stop devouring the pages and finding their way back together. I can’t wait for Carter’s book within in the series.

Hendrix, was a kind of woman that was crazy, impulsive, an made reckless decisions but I think I enjoyed reading about her character because I really liked how she had an emotional connection with Cole and her friends and had high expectations and how they had such a connection with each other.

I really adored and enjoyed reading how they were each other’s muses and how they created new memories and re connected. I’ve devoured this story and it left me with a book hangover and wanting the next one whenever however this is my first book by this author and I’m going too read more from her because I couldn’t stop getting hooked onto each page.

Cole, was determined to try recreate their relationship but their were challenges I thought the chemistry was there between them and how they couldn’t stop devouring each other and I was so glad they got their happily ever after in the end and the way they both communicated with each other left new memories within my head from reading this book.

My final thoughts on this book was this was a beautiful read that left me with thoughts of what’s coming next and I can’t wait to read the stories of the band mates and to see what’s coming next but I don’t think anything will beat this story so far.

[Camryn Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

⋆ ℭ𝔬𝔪𝔭𝔬𝔰𝔢𝔡 |
#ᴀʀᴄʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ
ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: 5★


ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛꜱ -

“Hendrix laughs, the melodic sound sparking every inch of me. I cup her cheeks and kiss her until she’s clinging to me, breathless. And fuck if I’m letting her go this time.”

Both MCs tattooed, second chance, and a rockstar romance!? You know I was sat and it did not disappoint and the bonus is that both are in their early 30s and I loved that

I couldn’t put this book done for nothing, I was eating it up, I laughed, cried and screamed but I’m just a girl loll

“You’re my person.” AHHHH ugh I just love them and their little phrase after every “i love you” they say “always and forever” like ughhh my heartttt

The chemistry and amazing tension with Cole and Hendrix chef kiss and the dual timeline had me hooked because I was so invested in their relationship

Oh don’t even get me started on the found family aspect!? Oh it was amazing I just had such a good time I can’t wait for more from this series

The yearning was amazing loll I love Cole so much and Hendrix was so my girl I would die for her

The pacing of the book was incredible I couldn’t put it done for nothing!

“Rixie Moore. My biggest fan.”
“Always and forever, Rock Star.”

Tropes- Second Chance, Contemporary Rockstar Romance, Black Cat x Golden Retriever, Slow Burn, Singer x Songwriter, Flashbacks, Found Family



Thank you for giving me this arc 🎀


•pics are from Pinterest, edits is mine•

[Dawn Cornelius · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cole & Hendrix share a love story that transcends from childhood to adulthood.

This book is told in dual POV and dual timeline so you get a good sense of where they started and how they end up back together after 10 years apart.

Likes:
- Story flow was great, no real confusion on what was happening
- The found family aspect was done so well with how characters are introduced and different personalities of everyone
- The emotional aspect of her family life was written very well - it had me tearing up at the end.
- Cole's ability to forgive even when he didn't have all the facts. He just knew he loved her and she was worth it when she never felt that way.
- The terror twins - I wish we got more of them but I know we will in Carter's book (hopefully)

Dislikes:
- The "conflict" between the two characters took too long to be revealed and I don't think they properly discussed it once it came out
- Sometimes the flashbacks seemed too much and not needed for the overall story once I got to the end
- I wish she got resolution with both parents
- Unsure how her best friends and boyfriend had zero clue her home life wasn't healthy - especially with how long they dated before they broke up

I will definitely check out the rest of this series though and I am appreciative to Love Notes PR for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨ BOOK REVIEW — Composed ✨
⭐️ 4⭐️

Vibes:
🎶 Rock-star romance • second-chance love • heartbreak + music as medicine • old flame rekindled

This one hits with nostalgia, regret, and that aching pull of “what if.” Cole and Hendrix used to be everything to each other — childhood sweethearts, music partners, inseparable. But when fame, pain, and life pulled them apart, the band’s rise came at a cost. Now, years later, Cole’s on top — but he’s missing his muse. Hendrix is back… but changed, guarded, and not the same girl he knew.

What stands out:
🔥 Emotion that cuts deep — the heartbreak, regret, and longing feel real and raw
🎸 Music + memories as a love language — it adds a layer beyond just romance
💔 Second-chance tension: two people older, wiser, scarred — trying to find their way back, but unsure if it’s even possible
🖤 The pull between want and fear, love and self-preservation

What’s a bit off:
⏳ The healing arc takes its time — slow burn that might test your patience
⚠️ Some emotional walls feel heavy, which makes pacing feel uneven

Final take:
Composed is soulful, bittersweet, and deeply human. It’s about love, loss, music, and the scars that come with giving your heart — and maybe being brave enough to reclaim it. If you love romance that whispers more than shouts, and characters who fight their past to try for a new melody — this one lands.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Composed is a second chance romance with a dual timeline. This is the story of Hendrix and Cole. Hendrix is a songwriter/music engineer and Cole is a lead singer of a rock band. These two who were high school sweethearts that broke up right when Cole’s band was about to take off. Fast forward 10 years later they are back in each other lives having to deal with emotions and unresolved issues between them.

I found the story to be written really well. The story gets your attention from the first page and keeps your attention all the way to the end. Hendrix and Cole are both likable and relatable characters. Composed is one of those story that flows really well. There is confusion or getting lost. This is an emotional story with everything going on around Hendrix and Cole This a slow burn romance and there are some steamy scenes throughout the book. The steamy scenes are well written and not over the top or cheesy.

Overall, Composed is well written slow bun second chance romance. Hendrix and Cole are both good main characters. The story is one that will keep your attention from the beginning all the way to the end.

[Ashlley · Rating 4 out of 5]

★★★★☆ (4.25/5)

Thank you, Victoria and Love Notes PR for the ARC!

This book had me in a CHOKEHOLD. Second chance done right!! With so many second-chance romances out there, I’m always chasing that perfect mix of angst and yearning, and this one definitely delivered!

Hendrix and Cole’s story is raw, messy, and heartbreaking, with a hard earned HEA that feels sooo worth it. And Cole omg. My man. I cannot imagine anyone wanting to hurt this man. He’s devoted, kind, and loyal even after everything he’s been through. I would genuinely sacrifice my firstborn for him. He has such a big heart and always finds room to forgive 🥹

Dual timelines can be tricky, but Victoria handled it so beautifully! She made us feel everything from past to present. The heartbreak, the longing, the slow healing, and the ending they deserved.

Now, what bumped this down a star for me was the conflict. It took so long to be revealed that it felt a little anticlimactic?? Might just be a me thing, but some of the flashbacks also felt more like fillers than essential moments. Still good, just not plot-plot.

Other than that, this was such an incredible read!

[Heidi Sandoval · Rating 5 out of 5]

Composed
by Victoria Peploe
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Victoria Peploe and Love Notes PR for the gifted copy — all opinions are my own.

This book earned 4.5 stars. Romances are a dime a dozen and it takes a lot to stand out. I really appreciated how Peploe crafted this story, she covered the details, laid the clues, and her thoughtfulness really shines with this book. I believe this is her first novel and I was floored. This is such a great story.

The plot is about a rock band’s rise to fame, broken families, broken hearts, and the consequences in life that come from the trauma of childhood. It would have been so easy for Peploe to focus on the trauma, like so many authors are doing now, but she really focuses on the relationships without being a therapist or taking risks with discussion trauma in an uninformed way. And she was brilliant. I was thinking about this book when I wasn’t reading it, and while it was somewhat predictable (minus half star) it was endearing, relatable, and pulled me right into the plot. Such a good read. loved it.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

BOOK REVIEW: Composed by Victoria Peploe

Hendrix Moore and Cole Hayes fall hopelessly in love as teenagers. They connect through their passion for music and become inseparable. When Cole starts his band, Reckless Abandon, he and Hendrix write songs and plan a future together. The band becomes a family. But once the band gets signed, Hendrix just disappears.

Now, 10 years later, Reckless Abandon are chart topping artists and Cole is a world famous rock star. But the band has lost their creative spark and they decide to find the girl that helped them start it all for inspiration.

Read this one of your love:
💜second chance romance
💜rockstar romance
💜found family
💜slow burn
💜lots of tension and chemistry
💜some spice
💜dual POV & dual timeline

This emotional second chance romance is full of heartache, longing and love of music. Hendrix’s childhood trauma plays a huge role in how the story pans out. The relationships and friendships in this book are what found family dreams are made of. And Cole will just make you swoon😍 I could not put this one down! If you like second chance, rockstar romance, this is the book for you! And the best part? It’s a series! So now I can’t wait for book 2!👏🏼👏🏼 (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Thank you to Love Notes PR and Victoria Peploe for the opportunity to read an eARC of Composed. All opinions in this review are my own.

[isabella lola · Rating 5 out of 5]

GAGGGYYYYYY

omfg i loved this book so much it was EVERYTHING

i loved hendrix and cole so much their story was GORG and they are truly soulmates

i loved the then and now so much just getting to see their entire story across 16 years it was perfect

second chance romance ✅
rockstar romance ✅
slow burn ✅
found family ✅
honestly what more could you want !!!!!!

the most perfect secondary characters too, everyone was written so so well i loved them all!!! can’t wait to read more from them😋😋

i loved hendrix’s friendships with all the guys from the band but especially with saint, they were an amazing duo with such a good bond

also her friendship with riley and just riley in general!!!! love love loved and i can’t wait for what im guessing will be a book about her and axel🤭

cole’s. yearning. nothing more to say on that

i just love a rockstar romance so much and i could not have asked for more with this!!! need the rest of the series now !!!!!!!!!!! pls

thank you to love notes pr for this arc!!

[Em · Rating 5 out of 5]

📚✨ Composed by Victoria Peploe
⭐️4.5/5 | 🌶️3/5

Thank you to Love Notes PR and Victoria Peploe for this ARC!

This book transported me straight back to my band-fanfic era on Wattpad, in the BEST way. Does every chapter have its own song? The nostalgia was unreal. Middle-school me is absolutely screaming.

At its heart, Composed is about found family, music, healing, forgiveness, and that terrifyingly beautiful chaos of coming home to someone who never stopped waiting.

And listen… the MMC YEARNS. Like, big-time. Chest-aching, soul-spilling, heartbreak-on-a-loop yearning. And we all know I’m weak for a man who yearns. This man? He took it to a whole new level.

I fell in love with their love… and their pain. Their story is heartbreaking in the most healing way, tender, messy, emotional, and threaded with that slow-burn, second-chance ache that grabs you right by the heart.

Overall? A solid win. Emotional. Musical. Perfectly chaotic. And everything I want from a contemporary rockstar romance.

🎧eading Mood: headphones on, heart cracked open, fully invested

[Veronica Iris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Hendrix and Cole. Their story is about finding love, family, and yourself despite the hurt life throws your way and your own personal demons. You'll fall hard for this young, group of friends who become a fierce, unbreakable family through music-rockstars who will make you laugh, scream, cry... and maybe even blush.
The side characters- their found family- will show you what it’s like to feel loved no matter what.

This is a Second Chance Rockstar Romance that will have you rooting for more than just the main love story.

Representation includes:
• Addiction
• Abuse
• Mental health
• Neurodivergence (which made my heart so full as a momma of two neurodiverse kiddos)
• Queer representation
• Skateboarding
• Tattoos/Piercings-because let's be honest, the inked and pierced ones always hit different

Is it a HEA? You'll have to dive in and find out for yourself. And trust me... you'll want to 😉❤️

[•Cici• Theory of A Dreamer Book Blog♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was instantly curious about this book! I got right into the Reckless Abandon world. I so enjoyed this story!

Hendrix and Cole's journey pulled me in! These two were so in love and making their dreams a reality which led to Reckless Abandon. The thing is though, they went their separate ways. Years later, Cole and Hendrix collide once again. Could music bring them and their hearts back together?

Cole and Hendrix had my attention quickly! I enjoyed the fact that there was history between these two and getting to see them be brought back into each other's lives. From things they'd been through together and in their lives, being around each other again, all things Reckless Abandon and music, and everything still between them, I wanted to see how everything would turn out for Hendrix and Cole!

From personal stuff to their love, I really got to know both Cole and Hendrix throughout. I adored their shared passion for music and seeing them be reunited! The chemistry and realness between these two was so good! Hendrix and Cole had me feeling a lot with them!

With Composed, Ms.Peploe has created such a good second chance romance debut that brought singer x songwriter, music and rockstars, love, and many feels! I'm so looking forward to more from this author and the Reckless Abandon world! 💜🎶

Check out the author's note about the content.

*I volunteered to read and review a copy of this book from Love Notes PR / the author*

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Y'all know I'm a sucker for a British romance novel and this was excellent.

Hendrix Moore walked out on Reckless Abandon, the band she had been writing for since high school, when she was twenty one. And leaves her heartbroken boyfriend, Cole, in her wake. When she gets a phone call ten years later from him, stuck with writers block, she is forced to confront the reasons she left in the first place.

it's been a while since I read a rockstar romance, but this was so grounded and down to earth. I really liked that it was a second chance romance, but it wasn't just Hendrix and Cole reuniting - she had to negotiate friendships with his band mates as well, and work out how to be a part of the family that they had made themselves into. It had all sorts of ace dynamics and I loved it.

Read this if you love:
🎤 Second chance romance
🎤 Found family
🎤 Rockstar romance
🎤 Rock music and British romcoms

Thank you to the author and Love Notes PR for the ARC - the book is out now!!

[Jade. · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝
𝐛𝐲 𝐕𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚 𝐏𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐞
𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟒𝐭𝐡

- - -
Read this if you like:
□ Rockstar romance
□ second chance
□ slow burn
□ black cat x golden retriever
□ found family

Thank you Love Notes PR for the ARC!

It's the first time I am reading a rockstar romance and I really liked this one. It even made me fall in love with contemporary romance.

I love that this book has some of my favorite tropes like slow-burn romance and golden retriever vibes. I also loved that at the beginning of every chapter, there is a song title and the band name. I was so happy when I recognized some of these groups! The main characters, Hendrix and Cole, are so wholesome and their bond is incredible. I highly recommend this gem!

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

High school sweethearts Hendrix and Cole, who broke up just as Cole was about to become successful with his band, Reckless Abandon, are the focus of this second chance romance. Several years later, Cole and the band have lost their artistic spark and turn to Hendrix to find out if they can rekindle the musical magic of their youth. In addition to seeing the two reunite in the present, we also witness a number of flashbacks in which they fall in love before parting ways. I thought it was great that Hendrix and Cole's friendship was based on their shared love of music. Music was not just crucial to their relationship, but also to the entire found family dynamic, which was one of my favorites. Overall, I thought the book was enjoyable. I can't wait the next book!

[Janirys · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm speechless! - ARC Review
If you love slow burn and second chances, you're going to love this story.

Hendrix and Cole were so different from how teenagers are usually portrayed in books. Just like Alex, Carter, Saint, and Theo. It was nice to see the friendship they formed as teenagers and to understand what led to their separation.

This book shows a way to forgive and handle situations like adults.

The bond between Hendrix and Cole never broke; it was always there, and when they meet again and start to create, it's so magical.

I can't wait for the second book!