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Love Songs Suck

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After growing up in Nashville with two musician parents, I promised myself one thing—I would never, ever fall in love with anyone who had anything to do with the music scene. I will take my stable, albeit boring, accountant boyfriend, thank you very much, and live securely ever after. At least, that was the plan. Who knew one ridiculous party where boy band sensation Finn Thatcher showed up would turn my life completely upside down.

How dare he write a song about me. A song that went straight to number one. A song that messes everything up with his band. And who gets the blame for that? That’s right, me. I’m the new Yoko Ono. The only way to fix it is to give the world what it wants—a love story. We are talking the whole freaking fairy tale. Nothing says true love like a fake relationship. But what if it’s not so fake? What if I want the happily ever after? Or am I just another love song to Finn?

Audible Audio

Published May 22, 2023

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2116 people want to read

About the author

Becky Monson

22 books1,298 followers
By day, Becky Monson is a mother to three young children, and a wife. By night, she escapes with reading books and writing. In her debut novel, Becky uses humor and true-life experiences to bring her characters to life. She loves all things chick-lit (movies, books, etc.), and wishes she had a British accent. She has recently given up Diet Coke for the fiftieth time and is hopeful this time will last... but it probably won't.

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5 stars
1,242 (43%)
4 stars
1,042 (36%)
3 stars
487 (16%)
2 stars
86 (2%)
1 star
22 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 343 reviews
Profile Image for Toni Shiloh.
Author 56 books1,881 followers
April 5, 2023
Really adored this book. Sad I read it so fast (all in one night, stayed up late too) but also happy I read it so fast. Totally worth it.
Profile Image for Suzan.
1,166 reviews
June 19, 2023
There were so many things I loved about this story. It’s funny, sweet, and full of so many swoon-worthy moments. I was immediately hooked by it and couldn’t stop listening to the audiobook.

After growing up with two musician parents and feeling like her life was too unpredictable and unstable, Louella wanted nothing to do with the lifestyle of the famous and wealthy. Her goal was to live a simple, secure, and stable life.

Everything was going according to plan until she met boy band sensation Finn Thatcher at a party. He writes a song about her that goes straight to number one, and then he unintentionally reveals her identity. As the paparazzi invade her life, they try a fake friendship and then fake dating to get rid of them. Soon the lines become blurry between fake and real.

Finn and Louella are the cutest couple, and Becky did a great job in capturing all the feels of a man and woman who are so drawn together, and the fluttery feelings and sweet tension of a new relationship. I loved it!

I also loved:
❤️ He falls first
🎶 He writes her love songs
❤️ Slow burn
🎶 Music titles for chapter headings
❤️ Friends to lovers
🎶 Close proximity
❤️ Text messages between Finn & Louella
🎶 HEA

The narrator was fantastic! Her voice was natural and very expressive—not like she was reading it, which kills an audiobook for me. She did a fabulous job in changing her voice for the different characters, and her performance really enhanced the story.

Many thanks to the author for a gifted audiobook. All opinions are completely my own.
Profile Image for Katie (hiding in the pages).
3,518 reviews331 followers
April 5, 2023
An embarrassing encounter at an after concert party. A déjà vu connection. A singer from one of the top boy bands in the country. An awkward technical writer who is really just a normal girl. And a hit song that changes everything.

Louella (aka Lou) finds herself in a precarious situation when her identity is outed on a national talk show as being the inspiration for Finn's award winning hit.

I loved how each chapter was named a song title and they were relevant. Lou and singer/songwriter Finn have the sweetest friendship, with chemistry as thick as buttercream frosting, but she's engaged to another man. I couldn't get enough of Lou. Her relationship with her teenage sister was spot on. The friendship with Val and Marco was funny, loyal perfection. And the relationship that results with Finn from this unintended blunder was pure excellence! From the texts, to the late-night songwriting, to the creative ways to ditch the paparazzi, I was all in.

"Being transported in a box to get away from the paparazzi was definitely not on my life bingo card."

Becky Monson isn't a one-hit wonder. Love Songs Suck left my heart spinning and swooning, and my soul craving more. I didn't want to leave this world! And I desperately need these songs to be real and in my life.

Content: mild language; mild+ romance

*I received a complimentary copy. The opinions and thoughts expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.*
Profile Image for Lyna Rae.
46 reviews2 followers
April 13, 2023
Slow moving cry fest

The character is literally always crying. Why?
I rate books on if I would read them again, and if I would recommend, I won't to either.
It had such a good premise, likable characters, and drama, while completely falling flat. I only finished this book so I could add it to my reading list and not my DNF...
I also feel like the reviews are padded because there is literally none bad at all, and statistically, I can not be the only one who didn't care for this book.
Profile Image for Mara.
1,470 reviews111 followers
June 13, 2023
Audiobook: I loved it just as much as an the book. I really like the narrator who has narrated other books by this author. I binged listened and would've finished it in one day, had I started it a couple of hours earlier.

I have a new favorite from Becky Monson!! I can't tell you how fast I devoured this book--it would've been even faster but I had a full weekend. However, I got back to it as soon as humanly possible and didn't put it down until I finished it, but then I was sad that I'd read it so fast. #bookworm problems

Louella (aka Lou) is just a normal girl with a job writing technical manuals until she has an awkward meeting with Finn Thatcher, star of the boy band More Than That and he writes a song about her. Not just any song but a song that's nominated for a Grammy!! When the paparazzi discover she's THE Louella and camp outside her apartment she doesn't know what to do. She can't stay inside her apartment forever. Can she?

This is a great slow-burn romance with a friends to lovers vibe, some close proximity and fake dating. I didn't want to stop reading about Louella and Finn, and couldn't wait to see what it was going to take to finally bring them together.

There are so many things I love about this book:

🎵 Louella's relationship with her younger sister.
🎵 Louella's bestie Val and her husband Marco! Marco is the best!!
🎵 The song titles for each chapter!!
🎵 Of course Finn and Louella--the texting and playful banter oh my!
🎵 The way she sneaks out of her apartment--appliance boxes are good for something after all.
🎵 "Fake" dating
🎵 Swoony kisses
🎵 Finn's family!! They're awesome!

Do yourself a favor and put aside a day to read this book, because once you get sucked into Louella and Finn's story you won't want to stop. This is a sweet romance with just kisses and mild language.

I received a complimentary ecopy from the author but loved it so much I bought a digital copy for my personal library. All thoughts expressed in this review are my own.
95 reviews4 followers
April 4, 2023
I luckily received an ARC copy for Love Songs Suck and I'm so thankful that I did as I'm not sure if I'd have been able to wait another day to read this.
I'm a fan of Becky Monson's back catalogue, and each time, I think she can't possibly beat the last release she does! Don't get me wrong, they're all 5-star reads - her writing just resonates with me so much - but Love Songs Suck is her best work yet.
Our leading man Finn (I guarantee you're going to swoon) and Louella meet at an after-party - he's a pop star/ she's with a relative - and they share a connection. Lou has a boyfriend (don't worry, there's no cheating), but Finn writes a hit song about her and the rest? Well, I don't want to give away any spoilers, but you're going to love the slow burn build-up between them...
What I will say is that this book is perfectly paced, the writing flows, and the plot never stutters or lags. The chemistry between the leads is fantastically written, and you root for them from their very first meeting.
Becky Monson excels at writing well-rounded 3-dimensional characters, including the supporting cast, that you quickly fall in love with.
One slight warning...get comfy and settle in because once you start reading, you're not going to be able to put it down. I'd planned 'just one chapter' and finished it in the small hours of the morning it was just that enjoyable

100% recommend this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Profile Image for ੈ✩‧₊˚ faithreads *ೃ༄ (inactive).
365 reviews73 followers
April 16, 2024
I really liked this book! I thought it was sweet and heart felt and cute! I absolutely hated Kurt lol! The first page when she described him as ‘practical’ I couldn’t stand him. I was always team Finn😍 I thought that there was a few cringey parts, which is why I’m giving it 4 stars, but overall it was pretty good!!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Length of book: 317 pages
Language/TW: 4/10
Format I read: Kindle Unlimited
Genre: Romance
Would I recommend to others: Yes!
Tropes: pop star, slow burn, friends to lovers, HEA
Profile Image for Jade Odoms.
381 reviews12 followers
June 19, 2023
Cute idea and I was into it at first but Kurt should not have been involved for so long!!! Too much inner monologue and not enough action. The fake dating didn’t start until like 75% and then they were just magically in love after barely hanging out?? The only fun part was the texting 😂
Profile Image for Julie.
Author 47 books589 followers
July 28, 2023
Such a cute romance with plenty of funny moments. Finn is a mega-famous musician and Louella is his inspiration for a hit song. Their connection gets complicated when the paparazzi gets involved and lines get blurred between real feelings and fake dating. I loved the ending and the epilogue. This book definitely hits all the right notes!
515 reviews
June 21, 2023
Love Songs Suck is my first Becky Monson book so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I don’t like when things get too silly in a romcom, but I like a lot of humor, humor that feels natural and not forced. This story delivered just that! It hit all the right spots for me! I loved the first person narrative and I really liked both Louella and Finn. Their romance slowly builds as the story progresses so it feels realistic - it was perfection! I really loved their late night texting sessions! I also loved Louella’s relationship with her teenage sister and Finn’s family was awesome! The pacing in this story was perfect! It never slowed, so I never lost interest. My only issue with this story is that there was mild language throughout. I would’ve been much happier without it. With that being said, I really enjoyed everything else about this romance.

I listened to the audiobook of this story, which I highly recommend. I really loved the narrator and the the way she voiced the characters and made them come alive.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own. 4.5 stars.
Profile Image for Aimee .
3,072 reviews298 followers
April 19, 2023
Fun, Light and So Good!!

There's so, so much to love about this book. 💙💙 Fantastic, lovable characters, music references. The beginning of each chapter had a song reference and I really loved that and how it related to what was happening in the story. This was a fun, light love story that provided the best kind of distraction. It was so, so good!!

Content: kissing
Profile Image for Rachel Crosby.
69 reviews13 followers
August 9, 2023
Have you ever wanted a song written about you that went platinum? Well, that is what happened to Louella.

Her parents are both in the music world, and she was firm that she never wanted a musician, so she has chosen to settle down with a man who has a stable, reliable job.

All of Louella's plans turn upside down when she meets Fin at a party and a few weeks later writes a song about her. The song is an instant hit, and Fin has promised to keep Lou's identity a secret, but when he accidentally says that her dad played on the song, paparazzi are suddenly around her apartment, and she is trapped with no way out.

Fin's manager has all kinds of ideas about how they can capitalize on the publicity, but the problem is Lou is engaged.

Fin and Lou start texting, and he sneaks her out to get some normalcy back into her life.

There is a fun plot twist near the end of the book that was kind of predictable, but also not exactly what I was waiting to happen.

What is going to happen with Lou & Fin?
Are there more songs likely to happen since Lou and Fin are spending so much time together?
Do the paparazzi leave her alone?
Read this book, and your questions will be answered!
Profile Image for Tori Pace.
3 reviews
January 8, 2024
Another homerun!!

Love the quirky style of rom coms Becky writes and this one is no exception! Filled with funny introspections and the perfect amount of not taking yourself too seriously. Have loved this one from the first page. Can't wait for her next book!
Profile Image for Jessica Kinzer.
84 reviews3 followers
May 22, 2023
Such a cute rom com! First book by this author that I’ve read but will definitely be reading more by her! Love the fame, the happiness, the heartbreak (ish), and the down to earth-ness of the book. The main characters best friend and boyfriend / fiancé / husband are the absolute cutest supporting characters!
Profile Image for Deborah.
676 reviews52 followers
May 4, 2023
Cute, some tension and some LOL moments!! Read it in one sitting!

Only complaint is the pages of wordiness. I just skimmed a lot.
Profile Image for Charissa.
Author 19 books81 followers
May 5, 2023
This is a story about Louella and Finn. She’s engaged to an accountant and looking forward to a mundane life with her future “normal and tame” husband. Having been raised by musician parents who always chased after the limelight, she wants nothing to do with that lifestyle. But when her dad plays backup for Finn, a famous musician, she meets Fin at an after party and feels an instant connection. But no! Just no! She’s engaged to a normal man, and that’s her dream. She wants nothing to do with Finn’s lifestyle where you have no privacy from fans. But when Finn goes on to write a #1 song about Louella, the world suddenly wants to know who this girl is. And overnight, she has paparazzi camped outside her apartment building and her fiancé wants to keep his distance, not wanting to come under fire at work from her attention. And that’s how she meets Finn for the second time, when he helps her escape her prison apartment to talk to his publicist about how to get the people not to care about her anymore.

This was a fun story of unrequited love, opposites attract, and just a lot of angsty heart-tugging back and forth as Louella fights her feelings for Finn because she thinks she can plan what life she will live. And he’s not going to be part of it, even though he’s pretty amazing, the more she gets to know him. Super fun book!
Profile Image for Laura.
472 reviews10 followers
April 22, 2023
Too much time

It took too long for the characters to get together. She has engaged to a different guy for 60% of the book. He was in love with her after one two minutes interaction. The story was cute but it was not a that funny to be considered a rom-com. I wish the author would have given us a more profound relationship between the main characters.
Profile Image for SnarkyMoggie.
146 reviews1 follower
October 21, 2024
It's strange. I read another one of her books 'The Accidental Text', something I thankfully didn't realise until after I had finished this one, and didn't like it. The characters in the other one weren't sympathetic, I had a big issue with the family relationships and it lost Stars because of that.

I picked this one up because I am in the mood for Romance, after promising myself I would read something in the horror genre because it's October (that's not going well) and finished it within a few hours. I adored this one. Yes, it was a bit predictable. Yes, I guessed that there had to be another big 'Oh my God, the world is ending for the two main characters' after the first one, but I enjoyed myself. I liked Louella, and I loved Finn. I wish we had seen more of his world, but since Louella wasn't really part of it... I guess there wasn't any reason to do so. I even could forgive the protagonist's slightly laughable back story, and, the epilogue's over-the-top everything is perfecting ending. I think a lot of that was because since each chapter has lyrics from a song I remember from when I was younger had me humming along as I read.

I'd highly recommend this, because this is one of the good ones. I bought it after borrowing it from Kindle Unlimited.
Profile Image for Jeanne Alfveby Crea.
977 reviews106 followers
May 30, 2023
I really enjoyed listening to this story! I finished it in two days. The narrator did a fantastic job with this fun, addicting romantic comedy!

Louella just wants a normal life after growing up with her musician parents. She has a stable boyfriend and is looking forward to a normal low-key adult life. That all changes when her Dad fills in on the guitar with a popular band. They are invited to an after party, where Louella has an awkward encounter with Finn Thatcher, the star of the boy band More Than That. Later he writes a song about her that is extremely popular and is up for a Grammy.

I could not put this down, I kept wanting to know if Louella would change her mind about Finn, since she doesn't like the Paparazzi that comes with his lifestyle AT ALL. Very cute romantic comedy, funny banter and texting. Great supporting characters, I especially loved Lou's best friend Val and her husband Marco, and Finn's family that keeps him grounded, and a surprise twist or two. And the fact the every chapter begins with the name of a song. Perfect!

I highly recommend the romantic comedy, it's delightful! Love Songs Suck by Becky Monson.
Profile Image for Courtney | Bookish Beach Babe.
491 reviews52 followers
July 5, 2023
“𝙉𝙤 𝙤𝙣𝙚’𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙪𝙩 𝙖 𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙮 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚-𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙙. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣.”

read if you love:
•rockstar romance
•forced proximity
•fake dating
•he falls first
•slow burn
•single POV

i’ll be the first to admit that rockstar romances aren’t my favorite and i tend to avoid them, but the premise of this book intrigued me so much and it didn’t disappoint!! louella and finn’s meet cute was so memorable. their chemistry was apparent from the start and it was easy to see that finn was smitten.

fast forward some months and louella’s world is turned upside down by the song written on that fateful meeting. the story that follows was both hilarious and heartwarming. i absolutely loved finn and his lyrics — i wish they were real songs! his love for lou was so evident and throughout the story you could see his feelings for her through his words and actions. the way he took care of her and constantly put his feelings on the back burner made my heart swoon. he was so respectful of her!

louella put up a valiant effort against finn’s charms and her growing feelings for him — she did have a fiancé after all. and what was up with that guy?? i got worried that we wouldn’t find out kurt’s deal, but that part of the story was oh so satisfying and a twist i never saw coming. lou’s resistance made for the best slow burn and when she and finn are finally free to feel all of the feels together it was chef’s kiss! i truly enjoyed this story from beginning to end and the narration really brought it to life! highly recommend!!

thank you to the author for the audiobook! my thoughts are my own.
21 reviews
April 4, 2023
I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC of this book and I absolutely loved it! I have read Becky Monson’s entire catalogue and Love Songs Suck might be my favorite. She writes witty and charming rom-coms that actually make me laugh out loud.

All of her books have lovable, snarky, and relatable leading ladies but Louella really resonated with me. Would I have shown up at my parents house for family dinner with my hair piled on my head, in sweats and a grease stained shirt, yes I would. Would I have run to the smoothie place down the street in a similar outfit with no makeup on, yes I would. Did my career take a massive turn from where I thought I was headed, yes, it did. Am I awkward around super hot men that have eyelashes for days and blurt out stupid things, yup, that’s me!

Finn, our leading man, is extremely swoon worthy! Not only is he down to earth, but he’s also considerate and kind. Add in how ridiculously hot he is and the fact that he’s a musician, and I’m dead. He’s the man my teenage self envisioned me ending up with 😉

Our lead characters have an awkward meeting at an after party for Finn’s band. Sparks fly, a song is released, and well, things get intense from there. We meet some hilarious side characters-Marco, I am talking about you, and a few not-so-great characters. I don’t want to say too much and spoil anything!

This is a must read for anyone who loves music and fantastic rom-coms!! Once you pick it up, you won’t be able to put it down! Binge-worthy! Seriously, it’s that good!!
1,030 reviews17 followers
May 2, 2023
Not a great start, but I liked the ending

The start of this book has some odd emotional cheating that the main characters oddly justify. I kept almost tossing the book for that, but I hung in there, and the ending was fantastic. I don't think you can really change the beginning without the ending. I will also say that even the ending kind of justifies the beginning because the ex is truly a villainous human. So, maybe this just wasn't the book for me. I always struggle with books that have any level of justification with cheating to build a romance. Not for me.

Content: Kissing only. This is a PG story. No other real triggers.
Language: No language
Religious: Not religious

Happy reading!!
30 reviews1 follower
April 4, 2023
Absolutely Enchanting!

LOVE SONGS SUCKS is such a fabulous book. It is one of those books that gives you butterflies in your stomach reading. It is funny, original, and full of surprises. What I absolutely love about this book is that it makes you believe in taking chances and that the unexpected can bring the best things ever to your life.

Finn is a swoony boy band music star who has a heart of gold. Louella is the daughter of musicians whose life choices leave her with one desire: a normal, stable, non-music life. What happens when they meet and feel a connection the best romance movies are made of? You'll have to pick up this baby to find out!

Read it today! You will love this one!
Profile Image for Kim Golding.
441 reviews2 followers
February 8, 2024
This Love Song DEFINITELY Doesn’t Suck!

What a cute book!! Finn and Louella were so cute! I loved how they both felt a spark from the first time they met, how he wrote a song about Lou after their first encounter, how down to earth Finn was despite his fame, how Lou finally realized what a tool Kurt was, how Finn was willing to do whatever it took to make things right with Lou, how they stayed up late writing songs together, their faking dating, their first kiss, and, of course, their HEA!!
Profile Image for Tabitha.
627 reviews8 followers
April 9, 2023
Oh my goodness, this one kept me laughing. I love the sisters' relationship as well as the best friend and her husband. So much snark. Finn and Louella are great together. Becky Monson has written another book that will stick with me. Great chemistry, clean romance, a little bit and angst and miscommunication but not much. Any bad feelings are probably due to Kurt. Really recommend this book. I will probably reread!
Profile Image for Shauna.
1,422 reviews13 followers
July 2, 2023
Rounding up because his name was Finn. Hahaha. I adored this book. Louella is strong and resilient daring to dream. Finn is living the dream. When their worlds collide what will happen?

Anyone have a crush on a celebrity? Singer? What do you think life would be like if you connected with them? Absolutely read this and find out how Louella’s life gets changed dramatically and how she determines her own path. Finn is dreamy. Completely.

This author excels at finding a great balance between wit and character growth. This story was no different. All the feels. All the heart emojis.
Profile Image for Tricia Anson.
549 reviews55 followers
January 15, 2024
What a perfectly fun, swoony, celebrity, fake-dating, love-triangle (done perfectly right—coming from someone who doesn’t like them) romcom. I adore the chapter headings being love songs, I wanted nothing more than to binge read, and Finn and Louella are the sweetest together. Song writing, texts, a slow fall with tons of tension, great side-characters, and a perfect epilogue. Loved it.
CW: mild swearing (A-word a few times)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 343 reviews

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