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Fallin' for the Fame
Not yet published
Expected 20 Jan 26
It started with a DM. It might end with her heart.
Samara Allen loves her boyfriend, Justin. He’s steady, dependable, and has been by her side since forever. But when you’ve been secretly DMing Legend Blake—yes, the R&B superstar Legend Blake—every day for three years, things start to get complicated.
So when Legend finally slides into her real life with the job opportunity of a lifetime, Sam knows she should walk away. But the money’s too good, Hollywood’s too tempting, and Legend? He’s got that voice, that smile, and that dangerous what if she’s been trying to ignore for years.
Now she’s tangled in a web of secrets, chasing something she’s not sure she can handle. The longer she plays the game, the harder it gets to remember the rules… or if she ever really wanted to follow them in the first place.
And no matter how it looks? Everyone’s got secrets. Even in the spotlight.
If you live for contemporary Black romance, celebrity temptation, and that slow-burn heartache that hits way too close to home, you’re gonna feel this one.
Samara Allen loves her boyfriend, Justin. He’s steady, dependable, and has been by her side since forever. But when you’ve been secretly DMing Legend Blake—yes, the R&B superstar Legend Blake—every day for three years, things start to get complicated.
So when Legend finally slides into her real life with the job opportunity of a lifetime, Sam knows she should walk away. But the money’s too good, Hollywood’s too tempting, and Legend? He’s got that voice, that smile, and that dangerous what if she’s been trying to ignore for years.
Now she’s tangled in a web of secrets, chasing something she’s not sure she can handle. The longer she plays the game, the harder it gets to remember the rules… or if she ever really wanted to follow them in the first place.
And no matter how it looks? Everyone’s got secrets. Even in the spotlight.
If you live for contemporary Black romance, celebrity temptation, and that slow-burn heartache that hits way too close to home, you’re gonna feel this one.
355 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication January 20, 2026
6 people are currently reading
21 people want to read
About the author
Kimberly R. Vargas
2 books27 followersKimberly R. Vargas writes heartfelt stories about love, heartbreak, and the women who find their way back to themselves.
She’s the creator of The Next Chapter, an audio newsletter and storytelling space for readers who believe in second chances and soft landings. Her work celebrates women of color, emotional healing, and the kind of romance that sees you clearly.
As an indie author with big dreams and a soft spot for complicated love, Kim handles everything from writing to recording her own audio fiction. When she’s not knee-deep in edits or planning her next book release, she’s belting out a Mariah Carey high note or dancing in the basement like it’s 1999.
She lives in Michigan with her husband, two kids, and a very spoiled puppy.
She’s the creator of The Next Chapter, an audio newsletter and storytelling space for readers who believe in second chances and soft landings. Her work celebrates women of color, emotional healing, and the kind of romance that sees you clearly.
As an indie author with big dreams and a soft spot for complicated love, Kim handles everything from writing to recording her own audio fiction. When she’s not knee-deep in edits or planning her next book release, she’s belting out a Mariah Carey high note or dancing in the basement like it’s 1999.
She lives in Michigan with her husband, two kids, and a very spoiled puppy.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 31, 2025
Fallin’ for the Fame by Kimberly R. Vargas is messy, emotional, and very real in the way it explores obsession, comfort, and the temptation of what looks shinier from the outside. Samara’s fixation on Legend starts off funny and relatable in a celebrity crush kind of way, but it slowly reveals something deeper about her need for escape and validation. At the same time, her long history with Justin represents safety, familiarity, and a life she already understands. That push and pull between fantasy and reality drives the entire story and had me constantly questioning Samara’s choices.
What really stood out was how quickly everything in Samara’s world shifts. She is hit with change from every direction and instead of grounding herself, she starts chasing possibilities that feel exciting but unstable. Vargas does a great job showing how overwhelming transitions can cloud judgment, especially when emotions, ambition, and admiration are all tangled together. The entertainment industry backdrop adds another layer of tension and highlights how ruthless fame can be, particularly for women trying to survive it without losing themselves.
This book frustrated me in the best way. Samara had me yelling at the pages because she is clearly intelligent and capable, yet keeps putting herself in situations that chip away at her self worth. The story digs into themes of loyalty, boundaries, and the danger of shrinking yourself to be close to someone who was never meant to choose you. By the end, the growth felt earned and the resolution was satisfying without feeling rushed. Fallin’ for the Fame is a cautionary tale wrapped in drama, heart, and hard lessons, and it definitely kept me locked in from start to finish.
What really stood out was how quickly everything in Samara’s world shifts. She is hit with change from every direction and instead of grounding herself, she starts chasing possibilities that feel exciting but unstable. Vargas does a great job showing how overwhelming transitions can cloud judgment, especially when emotions, ambition, and admiration are all tangled together. The entertainment industry backdrop adds another layer of tension and highlights how ruthless fame can be, particularly for women trying to survive it without losing themselves.
This book frustrated me in the best way. Samara had me yelling at the pages because she is clearly intelligent and capable, yet keeps putting herself in situations that chip away at her self worth. The story digs into themes of loyalty, boundaries, and the danger of shrinking yourself to be close to someone who was never meant to choose you. By the end, the growth felt earned and the resolution was satisfying without feeling rushed. Fallin’ for the Fame is a cautionary tale wrapped in drama, heart, and hard lessons, and it definitely kept me locked in from start to finish.
December 28, 2025
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This story is a seductive reminder that fame doesn’t just come with flashing lights and red carpets—it comes with secrets, temptation, and impossible choices. At the center of Fallin’ for the Hollywood Fame is a woman caught between desire and discretion, pulled into a love triangle where every glance feels dangerous and every choice could cost her everything. One love represents safety, image, and the life the world expects her to want. The other? Forbidden, intoxicating, and wrapped in secrets that refuse to stay buried.
My thoughts: Sam was wrong for how she did Justin. That man really loved her and she allowed her delusional crush for Legend cloud her judgement. I get that she has been crushing on that man since high school. But still she was wrong. When he decided that he wanted to meet her. She went into it thinking this was her chance to her man. But he wanted her help to get his woman back. That should have been her queue that he didn’t I feel the same way. But nope, she helps him and then regrets it. Things happen they end up getting close but she had to be a secret. Again, that should have her queue to leave him alone. But nope, she still stuck with him. I was happy that she finally realized that she wasn’t who Legend needed to be with. I am also glad that Justin never stopped loving her.
This story is a seductive reminder that fame doesn’t just come with flashing lights and red carpets—it comes with secrets, temptation, and impossible choices. At the center of Fallin’ for the Hollywood Fame is a woman caught between desire and discretion, pulled into a love triangle where every glance feels dangerous and every choice could cost her everything. One love represents safety, image, and the life the world expects her to want. The other? Forbidden, intoxicating, and wrapped in secrets that refuse to stay buried.
My thoughts: Sam was wrong for how she did Justin. That man really loved her and she allowed her delusional crush for Legend cloud her judgement. I get that she has been crushing on that man since high school. But still she was wrong. When he decided that he wanted to meet her. She went into it thinking this was her chance to her man. But he wanted her help to get his woman back. That should have been her queue that he didn’t I feel the same way. But nope, she helps him and then regrets it. Things happen they end up getting close but she had to be a secret. Again, that should have her queue to leave him alone. But nope, she still stuck with him. I was happy that she finally realized that she wasn’t who Legend needed to be with. I am also glad that Justin never stopped loving her.
January 4, 2026
Thank you to Kimberly R. Vargas for the gifted eARC. These are my honest and personal thoughts.
Summary: We follow Samara who lives a normal, and what some would call “boring life” with her family and long term boyfriend Justin. For years she has been keeping up with and crushing on famous R&B star Legend Blake. When an opportunity presents itself for Samara to get closer to Legend, will she choose the Hollywood life or what she knows to be home?
Thoughts: Sooooo much mess! The situation just continued to get more messy with each page. When I say these characters stressed me out for 90% of the book but I enjoyed every second! I was wanting to have some serious conversations with my girl Samara and say get it together girl. I was so glad to see the growth in them all by the end. I truly enjoyed this read!
Summary: We follow Samara who lives a normal, and what some would call “boring life” with her family and long term boyfriend Justin. For years she has been keeping up with and crushing on famous R&B star Legend Blake. When an opportunity presents itself for Samara to get closer to Legend, will she choose the Hollywood life or what she knows to be home?
Thoughts: Sooooo much mess! The situation just continued to get more messy with each page. When I say these characters stressed me out for 90% of the book but I enjoyed every second! I was wanting to have some serious conversations with my girl Samara and say get it together girl. I was so glad to see the growth in them all by the end. I truly enjoyed this read!
January 5, 2026
Fallin for the Fame by Kimberly R. Vargas was very entertaining. I really loved the three main characters in the book, but Samara—the main female character—worked my nerves at times. The way she was so infatuated with Legend was honestly sad because she didn’t see her own worth. She literally shrunk herself at times just to be in his presence.
One major takeaway I got from this book is that sometimes what we’re searching for is already right in front of us. Instead of always chasing a dream, we may need to appreciate the present and love the people who truly love us. We shouldn’t take for granted the life we already have while chasing a version of life we think we want, especially when our reality can be better than the dream we imagine.
This was a great first book for me by Kimberly R. Vargas, and it definitely won’t be my last. I’m looking forward to reading more from her in the future.
One major takeaway I got from this book is that sometimes what we’re searching for is already right in front of us. Instead of always chasing a dream, we may need to appreciate the present and love the people who truly love us. We shouldn’t take for granted the life we already have while chasing a version of life we think we want, especially when our reality can be better than the dream we imagine.
This was a great first book for me by Kimberly R. Vargas, and it definitely won’t be my last. I’m looking forward to reading more from her in the future.
January 8, 2026
Fallin’ for the Fame is a slow burn celebrity romance built on temptation, poor choices, and secrecy. What starts as a long-standing crush and 3 years of DMs slowly unravels into something messier and more complicated when Samara, already in a committed relationship, risks everything for the possibility of being with the man she’s fantasized about.
The star of this story lies in its emotional tension, where every decision carries consequences, every secret lingers dangerously, and a slow build that pays off.
If you love contemporary celebrity romance filled with drama, moral gray areas, and love that forces you to question what you’re willing to risk, this one is guaranteed to leave an impression!
The star of this story lies in its emotional tension, where every decision carries consequences, every secret lingers dangerously, and a slow build that pays off.
If you love contemporary celebrity romance filled with drama, moral gray areas, and love that forces you to question what you’re willing to risk, this one is guaranteed to leave an impression!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Wow, there are so many thoughts that I could say about this book, but I really do not want to spoil it. lol This, for me, was definitely one that I could easily see as a movie or TV show. I mean, the premise is amazing. Our main character Sam is something else. Sam is tired of the day-to-day of her life and wants to try something new and take a risk, but the thing is, when the opportunity comes for something new with her boyfriend, that is the time she turns him down and is given, honestly, an opportunity of a lifetime by her celebrity crush and friend, R&B singer Legend.
Overall, I enjoyed the story, and it started off as me reading a preview of it to see if I wanted to get the ARC and ended up with me being locked in, wanting to know what was gonna happen next, if they would get found out or if she would get the guy. And I don’t care what anyone says, but y’all could never make me hate Legend. At first, I thought that he was going to be a sketchy character. One thing I will say that doesn’t spoil anything too much is that at least when it comes to this love triangle that we get, the intentions of some of them are super clear.
I must say that personally, myself, I was irritated with Sam a lot, but had to remind myself that she is in her early 20s. she was 22 or 23 so she’s young still and very much learning. What we see is a cautionary tale that everything that glimmers isn’t always gold.
This is a perfect story for anyone who loves celebrity gossip or reality TV shows. Some of the tropes include friends to lovers, workplace, as well as second chance. Because this is in Hollywood, we get some interesting side characters some you will love and some you’ll definitely hate. With how the book ended, I do wish that we could’ve gotten a couple more chapters of how certain relationships were repaired by the main characters. We get this big plot twist and climax in the story, but then it’s like we’re moving on, and I would’ve liked that more flushed out.I do wish as well that since this story is only told from the perspective of Sam that we would’ve gotten POVs from Legend, Indigo, and Justin as well.
Thank you to Kimberly R. Vargas and Booksprout for providing this ARC.
Overall, I enjoyed the story, and it started off as me reading a preview of it to see if I wanted to get the ARC and ended up with me being locked in, wanting to know what was gonna happen next, if they would get found out or if she would get the guy. And I don’t care what anyone says, but y’all could never make me hate Legend. At first, I thought that he was going to be a sketchy character. One thing I will say that doesn’t spoil anything too much is that at least when it comes to this love triangle that we get, the intentions of some of them are super clear.
I must say that personally, myself, I was irritated with Sam a lot, but had to remind myself that she is in her early 20s. she was 22 or 23 so she’s young still and very much learning. What we see is a cautionary tale that everything that glimmers isn’t always gold.
This is a perfect story for anyone who loves celebrity gossip or reality TV shows. Some of the tropes include friends to lovers, workplace, as well as second chance. Because this is in Hollywood, we get some interesting side characters some you will love and some you’ll definitely hate. With how the book ended, I do wish that we could’ve gotten a couple more chapters of how certain relationships were repaired by the main characters. We get this big plot twist and climax in the story, but then it’s like we’re moving on, and I would’ve liked that more flushed out.I do wish as well that since this story is only told from the perspective of Sam that we would’ve gotten POVs from Legend, Indigo, and Justin as well.
Thank you to Kimberly R. Vargas and Booksprout for providing this ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Author
An advance copy of this book was provided to me for free by the author.
“Even the messiest paths can lead you right where you’re meant to be.”
Samara embodies this notion when she decides to implode her boring life, and long term relationship, after her 3 year virtual relationship with her high school crush turned R&B star, Legend Blake, turns into the possibility for a real life connection. Legend asks her to move to LA and act as the assistant for his infamous ex-girlfriend, Indigo, to help him figure out ways to win her back. As Samara is caught in the middle of Legend and Indigo’s relationship and the whirlwind of Hollywood, she grapples with if her new life is actually a dream come true or a tragedy of her own making.
What I loved most was watching Samara’s growth as she begins to question her long-held fantasies and reckon with what she truly wants out of life. She’s forced to reconcile the dream of finally being with Legend with the reality of who he is, and who she is becoming in the process. As the dynamic between Samara, Legend, and Indigo grows messier and more emotionally charged, the tension builds in ways that keep you turning pages, bracing for the fallout. Vargas makes Samara’s flawed choices feel deeply human, inviting empathy even as you hope she’ll see the truth before it’s too late.
✨ If you are looking for an adult coming of age story filled with messy growth and some celebrity drama, Fallin’ for the Fame should be in your reading list!
“Even the messiest paths can lead you right where you’re meant to be.”
Samara embodies this notion when she decides to implode her boring life, and long term relationship, after her 3 year virtual relationship with her high school crush turned R&B star, Legend Blake, turns into the possibility for a real life connection. Legend asks her to move to LA and act as the assistant for his infamous ex-girlfriend, Indigo, to help him figure out ways to win her back. As Samara is caught in the middle of Legend and Indigo’s relationship and the whirlwind of Hollywood, she grapples with if her new life is actually a dream come true or a tragedy of her own making.
What I loved most was watching Samara’s growth as she begins to question her long-held fantasies and reckon with what she truly wants out of life. She’s forced to reconcile the dream of finally being with Legend with the reality of who he is, and who she is becoming in the process. As the dynamic between Samara, Legend, and Indigo grows messier and more emotionally charged, the tension builds in ways that keep you turning pages, bracing for the fallout. Vargas makes Samara’s flawed choices feel deeply human, inviting empathy even as you hope she’ll see the truth before it’s too late.
✨ If you are looking for an adult coming of age story filled with messy growth and some celebrity drama, Fallin’ for the Fame should be in your reading list!
Review of advance copy
Sam is with her boyfriend Justin together almost 15 years since they met at second grade first as friends and then they became couple . From when she was a teenager she had a crush on a boy from the same high school who know is one of the best R&B singers Legend Blake . The last three years they message each other daily . When Justin gets an job offer and he proposes she tells him no and they break up because she does not want to go to Silicon Valley but when Legend asks her to go to LA she travels there . Legend asks her to help him win back Indigo Taylor his ex while she will working as her assistant . Sam will do everything for him even if it hurts her . But when a chance to be with him appears which guy will she choose ? Legend her dream man or Justin the man who truly loves her ?
Review of advance copy received from Author
This book definitely pulled out strong emotions for me. Samara was a frustrating character and her lack of communication and indecision caused pain for multiple people, especially someone who showed up for her consistently for years. Some of her choices were hard to understand and felt self sabotaging.
That said, the story itself was engaging and thought provoking. The author does a great job showing how unresolved issues and emotional confusion can lead to messy situations. While parts of the book were stressful, it was well written and I wanted to see how it would end. (ARC Review)
That said, the story itself was engaging and thought provoking. The author does a great job showing how unresolved issues and emotional confusion can lead to messy situations. While parts of the book were stressful, it was well written and I wanted to see how it would end. (ARC Review)
Review of advance copy
this was a beautifully done romance novel, it had that element that I was looking for from the description. The characters were everything that I was looking for and enjoyed how good the plot was used. I enjoyed the use of celebrities and how it was used during this plot, it was everything that I wanted from the description. Kimberly R. Vargas wrote this so well and am excited for more.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I was blessed to be apat of the review
The price of Fame !!!
This is 1st book by Kimberly and it took me some time to bunker down and dig in. I ended up crying, I am a sucker for the underdog. This book was a slow burn and definitely had me upset. Alot of broken
In the end it was a very good book and I feel in love with their stories.
The price of Fame !!!
This is 1st book by Kimberly and it took me some time to bunker down and dig in. I ended up crying, I am a sucker for the underdog. This book was a slow burn and definitely had me upset. Alot of broken
In the end it was a very good book and I feel in love with their stories.
January 5, 2026
This was very interesting concept. What happens when you actually get a chance with your celebrity crush? I'm not sure if I would've made any of the same decisions that Sam did but this is definitely a case of what if.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews