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Fractured Frequencies #2
Resonance: A Rockstar Romance
Some dreams ask for sacrifice. Others demand everything.
I’ve loved Cooper Riddick for most of my life. Long before we crossed the line. Long before he left our small town and became Reign Cooper—the name in lights, the voice people chant back at from the crowd.
Loving him meant accepting second place, because music was always his first love.
We tried to keep things simple. Best friends. No promises. No expectations. But unrequited love doesn’t fade just because you ask it to, and eventually, wanting more started to hurt worse than walking away.
Now he’s back. Worn down by a dream that took more than it gave. And I’m not the same guy he left behind. I’ve rebuilt my life here, piece by piece, and I won’t give my heart to someone who can’t choose me. Not fully. Because this time, love isn’t enough on its own.
This time, wanting him means risking everything I’ve worked so hard to protect.
Resonance is a spicy mm second chance romance between a rockstar and ex-hockey player with a guaranteed HEA and is the second book in the Fractured Frequencies series.
Refer to front matter for trigger warnings.
I’ve loved Cooper Riddick for most of my life. Long before we crossed the line. Long before he left our small town and became Reign Cooper—the name in lights, the voice people chant back at from the crowd.
Loving him meant accepting second place, because music was always his first love.
We tried to keep things simple. Best friends. No promises. No expectations. But unrequited love doesn’t fade just because you ask it to, and eventually, wanting more started to hurt worse than walking away.
Now he’s back. Worn down by a dream that took more than it gave. And I’m not the same guy he left behind. I’ve rebuilt my life here, piece by piece, and I won’t give my heart to someone who can’t choose me. Not fully. Because this time, love isn’t enough on its own.
This time, wanting him means risking everything I’ve worked so hard to protect.
Resonance is a spicy mm second chance romance between a rockstar and ex-hockey player with a guaranteed HEA and is the second book in the Fractured Frequencies series.
Refer to front matter for trigger warnings.
Audible Audio
Published May 1, 2026
About the author
Vari Scott
10 books160 followersVari Scott is a British author of indecently decent romance. When she's not writing spicy stories with dirty talking men and sassy ladies, while her two pugs snooze under her table, she is reading them instead.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 150 reviews
maybe-not-sure
July 2, 2026I was excited for this, especially the audiobook because Jason Clark is narrating an MM🤩 and I also love Tim Paige.
I knew there would be a separation of 10 years, and most likely them being and hooking up with others during those years, and I was ready to digest that, with no on page scenes of course!
But the fact that they are best friends who started a friends-with-benefits arrangement since senior year of high school to explore together, and the fact that Declan is in love with Cooper, but when he is away at college still hook up with OP to "help forget" his love for Cooper, while also continue on hooking up with Cooper whenever they meet up, and they meet up often; it's not like they go years without seeing each other. This is so messed up to me.
Also, Declan lost his virginity freshman year because he couldn't bear the idea of Cooper having the last part of him that he hadn't already given. So, he lost his virginity after starting being intimate with Cooper (they haven't done any penetrative sex yet); Then later on, Cooper loses his virginity to Declan. The whole thing feels wrong to me.
All of that happens before the long separation btw.
No OP scenes on page as we are told all of this, but it still does not sit right with me. I don't know if my head can get past that (probably not) because I would love to listen to the audiobook as I've seen reviews praising the narration.
I knew there would be a separation of 10 years, and most likely them being and hooking up with others during those years, and I was ready to digest that, with no on page scenes of course!
But the fact that they are best friends who started a friends-with-benefits arrangement since senior year of high school to explore together, and the fact that Declan is in love with Cooper, but when he is away at college still hook up with OP to "help forget" his love for Cooper, while also continue on hooking up with Cooper whenever they meet up, and they meet up often; it's not like they go years without seeing each other. This is so messed up to me.
Also, Declan lost his virginity freshman year because he couldn't bear the idea of Cooper having the last part of him that he hadn't already given. So, he lost his virginity after starting being intimate with Cooper (they haven't done any penetrative sex yet); Then later on, Cooper loses his virginity to Declan. The whole thing feels wrong to me.
All of that happens before the long separation btw.
No OP scenes on page as we are told all of this, but it still does not sit right with me. I don't know if my head can get past that (probably not) because I would love to listen to the audiobook as I've seen reviews praising the narration.
June 30, 2026
Well this book came out of nowhere, cut open my chest, squeezed my heart to the point it almost stopped beating and then put me back together. At one point in the story, I almost DNF'd because the pain was too much for me. Now, let's be real, I am a wildly emotional reader and quite dramatic during certain cycles of the moon, but this book puts you through it, no matter how emotional you are.
Declan and Coop are best friends (w/benefits) that are on two different journeys in life. One stays home in their small town (due to unfortunate circumstances), the other follows his dream to LA for his love of music. And you all know the saying - out of sight, out of mind - essentially. Watching the closeness of Dec and Coop turn into missed texts, unavailable FaceTimes, pining from afar, love that's unrequited and a few bad assumptions made this book so angsty and so sad. OMG, the yearning and longing were torturous. I felt the pain of this book in my soul. I don't know if I've ever experienced such angst while reading; it's unrivaled.
Once the two reunite, the story turns into the cutest story of one proving himself to the other in the most endearing way. Coop refused to give up. He loved Dec and that's that. There were still moments of uncertainty and angst, but Coop's unconditional love prevailed.
My goodness what a great read to end my month. I read some bangers in the month of June and this is no exception.
Declan and Coop are best friends (w/benefits) that are on two different journeys in life. One stays home in their small town (due to unfortunate circumstances), the other follows his dream to LA for his love of music. And you all know the saying - out of sight, out of mind - essentially. Watching the closeness of Dec and Coop turn into missed texts, unavailable FaceTimes, pining from afar, love that's unrequited and a few bad assumptions made this book so angsty and so sad. OMG, the yearning and longing were torturous. I felt the pain of this book in my soul. I don't know if I've ever experienced such angst while reading; it's unrivaled.
Once the two reunite, the story turns into the cutest story of one proving himself to the other in the most endearing way. Coop refused to give up. He loved Dec and that's that. There were still moments of uncertainty and angst, but Coop's unconditional love prevailed.
My goodness what a great read to end my month. I read some bangers in the month of June and this is no exception.
May 12, 2026
“I loved you. And you ruined me.”
RESONANCE by Vari Scott
My bestie wrote the perfect summary in their review…
“Holy f*ck. Talk about an emotional listen. You know those books that break you and heal you at the same time, give you the whole range of emotions and when it's done, you both want to say, "thank god for the HEA" but also "I want more"? Yeah, that's Resonance. That's Cooper and Declan. That's Jason and Tim's performances.”
- @bookish_redpanda
I could not have summarised it better if I tried! This book was phenomenal. It is the SLOWEST of slow burns (kinda) and yet, I was never bored or feeling impatient because the way Vari wrote the emotional builds and gave us such a great look into their lives and emotions was perfection. Emmi and I remarked a few times about how the pacing was so good.
Jason and Tim are both favourites of mine because they both really know how to bring all facets of their characters to life. The emotion? Made me cry. The funnies? Made me giggle. The spice? I had to turn the book off at one point because one of them WHIMPERED while I was on the train to work… enough said?
I also made a few comment in my notes app that deserve to be added right here with no context 😂 :
MY FACE WHEN I REALISED HOW THIS LINKED TO CADENCE HOLY F*CK (don’t panic, whilst Book 2 in the series but can definitely and easily be read as a standalone. I DID have a small moment though cause I didn’t see it coming and it was epic (I hadn’t finished Cadence before this ALC came out so that is probably why))
Screenshotting this to remember to add it to my review cause WTAF JASON (I lost the screenshot so I don’t even know what it was about now 😅 but probably he either made me cry or he whimpered…. Could really have gone either way tbh 🤣)
The spice in this is so good. The way she connects the emotions to it and the way she keeps the pace up so well!
Cooper being a whimpering lil bottom is giving me life 🤣
I need more #bottomjason
My format: Audiobook 🎧 #ALC
Performers: Jason Clarke & Tim Paige
Production: Lyric Audio
Narration style: Dual
Main relationship: MM
What To Expect (tropes, rep present, k!nks etc):
🎸 MM romance
🎸 rockstar romance
🎸 best friends to lovers
🎸 unrequited love
🎸 second chance romance
🎸 singer x ex-hockey player
🎸 small town romance
🎸 I wish I could hate you but…
Th@nks to: MLunA for providing this copy.
RESONANCE by Vari Scott
My bestie wrote the perfect summary in their review…
“Holy f*ck. Talk about an emotional listen. You know those books that break you and heal you at the same time, give you the whole range of emotions and when it's done, you both want to say, "thank god for the HEA" but also "I want more"? Yeah, that's Resonance. That's Cooper and Declan. That's Jason and Tim's performances.”
- @bookish_redpanda
I could not have summarised it better if I tried! This book was phenomenal. It is the SLOWEST of slow burns (kinda) and yet, I was never bored or feeling impatient because the way Vari wrote the emotional builds and gave us such a great look into their lives and emotions was perfection. Emmi and I remarked a few times about how the pacing was so good.
Jason and Tim are both favourites of mine because they both really know how to bring all facets of their characters to life. The emotion? Made me cry. The funnies? Made me giggle. The spice? I had to turn the book off at one point because one of them WHIMPERED while I was on the train to work… enough said?
I also made a few comment in my notes app that deserve to be added right here with no context 😂 :
MY FACE WHEN I REALISED HOW THIS LINKED TO CADENCE HOLY F*CK (don’t panic, whilst Book 2 in the series but can definitely and easily be read as a standalone. I DID have a small moment though cause I didn’t see it coming and it was epic (I hadn’t finished Cadence before this ALC came out so that is probably why))
Screenshotting this to remember to add it to my review cause WTAF JASON (I lost the screenshot so I don’t even know what it was about now 😅 but probably he either made me cry or he whimpered…. Could really have gone either way tbh 🤣)
The spice in this is so good. The way she connects the emotions to it and the way she keeps the pace up so well!
Cooper being a whimpering lil bottom is giving me life 🤣
I need more #bottomjason
My format: Audiobook 🎧 #ALC
Performers: Jason Clarke & Tim Paige
Production: Lyric Audio
Narration style: Dual
Main relationship: MM
What To Expect (tropes, rep present, k!nks etc):
🎸 MM romance
🎸 rockstar romance
🎸 best friends to lovers
🎸 unrequited love
🎸 second chance romance
🎸 singer x ex-hockey player
🎸 small town romance
🎸 I wish I could hate you but…
Th@nks to: MLunA for providing this copy.
May 2, 2026
⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Resonance was an angsty, MM romance between best friends full of longing and pining spanning years. This was my first book by this author and I loved how she brought the emotions in this second chance romance.
Declan has been in love with his best friend Cooper for years until they shared a kiss one night. Cooper was open to them having a friends with benefits relationship, but Declan wanted so much more. They were both on their own journeys that pulled them in different directions. Declan was on his way to the NHL, till an injury takes away his dreams. At the same time, Cooper gets discovered and becomes a huge rockstar.
Years pass and Cooper comes back into town and now he has to try and rebuild his relationship with Declan. He has to work hard to gain Declan's forgiveness and he wants his other half back.
These two had a beautiful connection and I loved watching them come back together. They both had great character arc's and I appreciated their hard won journey to make things work between them.
AUDIOBOOK REVIEW
🎤Dual narration by Jason Clarke & Tim Paige
Jason Clarke and Tim Paige both brough the longing, angst, and emotions to their performances in a beautiful way. I would definitely recommend the audio. I flew through this book in a day.
Thank you to Luna Literary for providing the ARC and Must Love Audio for providing the ALC.
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Resonance was an angsty, MM romance between best friends full of longing and pining spanning years. This was my first book by this author and I loved how she brought the emotions in this second chance romance.
Declan has been in love with his best friend Cooper for years until they shared a kiss one night. Cooper was open to them having a friends with benefits relationship, but Declan wanted so much more. They were both on their own journeys that pulled them in different directions. Declan was on his way to the NHL, till an injury takes away his dreams. At the same time, Cooper gets discovered and becomes a huge rockstar.
Years pass and Cooper comes back into town and now he has to try and rebuild his relationship with Declan. He has to work hard to gain Declan's forgiveness and he wants his other half back.
These two had a beautiful connection and I loved watching them come back together. They both had great character arc's and I appreciated their hard won journey to make things work between them.
AUDIOBOOK REVIEW
🎤Dual narration by Jason Clarke & Tim Paige
Jason Clarke and Tim Paige both brough the longing, angst, and emotions to their performances in a beautiful way. I would definitely recommend the audio. I flew through this book in a day.
Thank you to Luna Literary for providing the ARC and Must Love Audio for providing the ALC.
May 1, 2026
The angst in this one… wow. It hit every single trope I love, so I absolutely flew through it. Tim Paige and Jason Clarke absolutely delivered, bringing Declan and Cooper to life so vividly that every scene played out effortlessly in my head.
Resonance is the second book in the Fractured Frequencies series, but you can read it as a standalone without any confusion. That said, if hate-to-love rockstar romances are your thing, I definitely recommend picking up Cadence too.
TROPES
🎤 Rockstar Romance
🎤 MM Romance
🎤 Best Friends to Lovers
🎤 Unrequited Love
🎤 Second Chance Romance
🎤 Singer x Ex-hockey Player
🎤 Small Town Romance
🎤 I wish I could hate you but…
Bookstagram Edit
Resonance is the second book in the Fractured Frequencies series, but you can read it as a standalone without any confusion. That said, if hate-to-love rockstar romances are your thing, I definitely recommend picking up Cadence too.
TROPES
🎤 Rockstar Romance
🎤 MM Romance
🎤 Best Friends to Lovers
🎤 Unrequited Love
🎤 Second Chance Romance
🎤 Singer x Ex-hockey Player
🎤 Small Town Romance
🎤 I wish I could hate you but…
Bookstagram Edit
April 20, 2026
4.25 ⭐️
I’d been eagerly anticipating this new release from Vari, and it absolutely lived up to the hype. She delivers all the longing, tension, and emotional pull I was hoping for. The story is layered from start to finish, with real depth and intensity.
The connection between Cooper and Declan feels vivid and undeniable, full of passion and heart. I also really enjoyed the writing style, and Declan’s little sister was such a standout character.
The audiobook was excellent! Dual Narration by Jason Clarke and Tim Paige, did a fantastic job bringing it to life.
Thank you Vari Scott, Luna Literary & Must Love Audio for this eARC/ALC. Releases May 1st!!
🎸 MM romance
🎸 rockstar romance
🎸 best friends to lovers
🎸 unrequited love
🎸 second chance romance
🎸 singer x ex-hockey player
🎸 small town romance
🎸 I wish I could hate you but…
I’d been eagerly anticipating this new release from Vari, and it absolutely lived up to the hype. She delivers all the longing, tension, and emotional pull I was hoping for. The story is layered from start to finish, with real depth and intensity.
The connection between Cooper and Declan feels vivid and undeniable, full of passion and heart. I also really enjoyed the writing style, and Declan’s little sister was such a standout character.
The audiobook was excellent! Dual Narration by Jason Clarke and Tim Paige, did a fantastic job bringing it to life.
Thank you Vari Scott, Luna Literary & Must Love Audio for this eARC/ALC. Releases May 1st!!
🎸 MM romance
🎸 rockstar romance
🎸 best friends to lovers
🎸 unrequited love
🎸 second chance romance
🎸 singer x ex-hockey player
🎸 small town romance
🎸 I wish I could hate you but…
May 7, 2026
Sports, rockstar, childhood best friends with a second chance, and lots of angst - all my favorite things mixed together?! There was no chance that I wasn’t going to love this book! But I had no idea how much I was going to love Cooper and Declan. These two are just everything. Their chemistry and connection were fantastic, and heartwarming and breaking all at once. Cooper kind of gave off lost puppy vibes, and Declan was the strong and steady force he needed in his life, but it took him a while to realize it. They felt so raw and real, Vari created truly special characters, making it impossible not to get swept up in their story and love. And I adore her writing style!! The timeline and pacing were perfect.
🎙️𝗔𝗨𝗗𝗜𝗢𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞 ⇣
Dual narration - Tim Paige and Jason Clarke did an incredible job, their voices were PERFECT for these characters. Tim’s voice embodied Cooper’s sunshine persona and his naïveté, and Jason was completely captivating with the way he portrayed Declan’s emotions and longing. And I enjoyed their vocals for the rest of the characters as well, they had me hooked all around!
Produced by @lyricaudiobooks 👏🏼👏🏼
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 ⇣
MM romance
Small town
Childhood best friends
Rockstar x ex hockey player
Unrequited love
Second chance
Angst and yearning
Dual POV
Spice
Thank you to must love audio and Luna literary management for the advanced copies!
🎙️𝗔𝗨𝗗𝗜𝗢𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞 ⇣
Dual narration - Tim Paige and Jason Clarke did an incredible job, their voices were PERFECT for these characters. Tim’s voice embodied Cooper’s sunshine persona and his naïveté, and Jason was completely captivating with the way he portrayed Declan’s emotions and longing. And I enjoyed their vocals for the rest of the characters as well, they had me hooked all around!
Produced by @lyricaudiobooks 👏🏼👏🏼
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 ⇣
MM romance
Small town
Childhood best friends
Rockstar x ex hockey player
Unrequited love
Second chance
Angst and yearning
Dual POV
Spice
Thank you to must love audio and Luna literary management for the advanced copies!
April 22, 2026
4.5✨ loved this so much the audio was brilliant! Jason Clarke narrating Declan omg it was everything! The yearning the pining loved every second. Cooper & Declan are best friends and their friendship is everything and when cooper goes to LA to live his dream he leaves Declan behind and the way Declan is so in love with him hurt my heart. Ugh I just love them both so much! So much angst! Defo read!
July 1, 2026
Beautiful
This story for Cooper and Declan was truly beautiful. I cried so much reading this book. The pining and longing between these two was the best I've read in a very long time.
This story for Cooper and Declan was truly beautiful. I cried so much reading this book. The pining and longing between these two was the best I've read in a very long time.
June 1, 2026
My second attempt with this author and I really liked this story. Coop and Dec were fun and sweet and their story was heart breaking at times. I teared up. I love when that happens.
Read
March 4, 2026BETA READ
Add to your tbr if you like:
- MM romance
- rockstar romance
- best friends to lovers
- second chance
- unrequited love
Resonance releases on 1 May 2026!
Add to your tbr if you like:
- MM romance
- rockstar romance
- best friends to lovers
- second chance
- unrequited love
Resonance releases on 1 May 2026!
May 6, 2026
OVERALL: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
•Storyline: ⭐⭐️⭐️⭐.5
•Dual Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
🎙️Jason Clarke and Tim Paige
•Spice Level: 🌶🌶️🌶️
•Trope:
MM Romance
Best friends
Rock Star
Ex Hockey Player
Small Town
Series: Fractured Frequencies: book #2
• THOUGHTS:
This was my very first ever Vari Scott book, and I LOVED this book so freaking much. I liked the timeline that the author presented. From when they were teens, like senior year of high school up to adulthood. It completely makes you fall for both Cooper and Declan. I mean I was pretty much in love with both of them within the first few chapters, do not get me wrong, but oh the journey that they go through.... This book is going to be a favorite of mine for the year. It was so well written, the characters were loveable, and relatable. I have nothing but good things to say about this book. You will love falling in love with Dec and Coop. Resonance is a book that will stay with you. I highly recommend!! Grab it consume it. Let's talk about it.
Oookkaayy, narrator chat time:
This was a dual narrative and boy did Jason and Tim shine!!! They were incredible! They captured each character, pulled out all my emotions. You guys it is a HEA but I cried. Lol. The ending but the depth that Jason and Tim provided to these characters you can't help it. Sigh. .. this is a need on your audiobook shelf.
•Storyline: ⭐⭐️⭐️⭐.5
•Dual Narration: 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
🎙️Jason Clarke and Tim Paige
•Spice Level: 🌶🌶️🌶️
•Trope:
MM Romance
Best friends
Rock Star
Ex Hockey Player
Small Town
Series: Fractured Frequencies: book #2
• THOUGHTS:
This was my very first ever Vari Scott book, and I LOVED this book so freaking much. I liked the timeline that the author presented. From when they were teens, like senior year of high school up to adulthood. It completely makes you fall for both Cooper and Declan. I mean I was pretty much in love with both of them within the first few chapters, do not get me wrong, but oh the journey that they go through.... This book is going to be a favorite of mine for the year. It was so well written, the characters were loveable, and relatable. I have nothing but good things to say about this book. You will love falling in love with Dec and Coop. Resonance is a book that will stay with you. I highly recommend!! Grab it consume it. Let's talk about it.
Oookkaayy, narrator chat time:
This was a dual narrative and boy did Jason and Tim shine!!! They were incredible! They captured each character, pulled out all my emotions. You guys it is a HEA but I cried. Lol. The ending but the depth that Jason and Tim provided to these characters you can't help it. Sigh. .. this is a need on your audiobook shelf.
April 20, 2026
First, thank you Luna Literary, Must Love Audio, and Vari Scott for the ARC/ALC. all opinions are my own!!
Vari’s books are the best immersive reads and I stand by that. First the Jason Clarke and Tim Paige truly did the best job narrating Declan and Cooper and I WILL be listening to the audiobook again before the year is over. Now on to Declan and Cooper who were everything I wanted from them. I knew I would love this book from the moment the tropes were announced. The emotional depth is this book is one of the best parts. The birthday texts? Let’s just say there were tears and leave it at that. Declan and Cooper broke my heart and put it back together. I LOVED Cadence, but this? This was truly the best book and is one of my favorites I’ve read this year.
Vari’s books are the best immersive reads and I stand by that. First the Jason Clarke and Tim Paige truly did the best job narrating Declan and Cooper and I WILL be listening to the audiobook again before the year is over. Now on to Declan and Cooper who were everything I wanted from them. I knew I would love this book from the moment the tropes were announced. The emotional depth is this book is one of the best parts. The birthday texts? Let’s just say there were tears and leave it at that. Declan and Cooper broke my heart and put it back together. I LOVED Cadence, but this? This was truly the best book and is one of my favorites I’ve read this year.
June 29, 2026
"It hurts in the best way possible" ❤️🩹
This book gave me life, broke me, killed me, brought me back to life and repeated that process over and over! First time reading this author and definitely not the last !! I am in awe.
This book gave me life, broke me, killed me, brought me back to life and repeated that process over and over! First time reading this author and definitely not the last !! I am in awe.
May 1, 2026
Received an ALC/eARC
This was a beautiful, raw, and emotional story about 2 best friends and life. Did I cry? Nah, I ugly cried! I was on an emotional rollercoaster with Declan & Cooper.. the yearning, the love, the tension, My broken heart. I received an advanced copy of both the audio and ebook; this immersive experience took me to another level of emotional damage. LOVED LOVED this book.
The narrators did amazing and I felt every emotion!
Amazing read highly recommend!
This was a beautiful, raw, and emotional story about 2 best friends and life. Did I cry? Nah, I ugly cried! I was on an emotional rollercoaster with Declan & Cooper.. the yearning, the love, the tension, My broken heart. I received an advanced copy of both the audio and ebook; this immersive experience took me to another level of emotional damage. LOVED LOVED this book.
The narrators did amazing and I felt every emotion!
Amazing read highly recommend!
June 16, 2026
I’m just going to dive straight into this review. Wow what an incredible story and audiobook. This MM romance is so angsty, emotional, and incredibly beautiful despite all the challenges these characters face.
I’m such a sucker for best friends to lovers romances where the characters have known each other since childhood, especially when the story takes you on a journey of losing connection and somehow finding their way back to each other. Both characters had such fantastic emotional depth. I was completely drawn in by the tension and chemistry from the very first chapter. It’s very character driven, but done so well.
I honestly thought Declan would be the one to crack because of his circumstances and how suddenly everything in his life stopped before he was able to start a promising career. But I loved that he kept going because he felt like he had no other choice. I loved how he still tried to stay connected despite everything. I’m just obsessed with Declan and how strong he comes off but so vulnerable at the same time.
Cooper, on the other hand, got swept up in fame and completely lost his way and his voice along with it. Watching him slowly realise that, and seeing the support he received from his bodyguard, was exactly what he needed. The choice he made to stay present but also making the effort in the end was beautiful.
These two together are honestly perfection. The spice was so intimate and delicious.
Lastly, the audiobook was absolutely brilliant. Tim and Jason were perfect for these roles and brought so much emotion to the story. Definitely a memorable audiobook experience.
This was my first book by Vari Scott, and it’s now become one of my favourite MM romances. Im so glad I took a chance on it. I’m really looking forward to reading more of her work in the future.
Genre/Type: Adult Romance 18+
APK: Audiobook ALC
Audiobook Length:
Narrators: Tim Paige and Jason Clarke - Dual
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Spicy Chapters: 8, 12, 13, 28, 69, 71, 73, 75 and 78
POV: First Person
Series or Standalone: Book Two In The Fractured Frequencies Series
Tropes or Themes: MM Romance, Small Town, Best Friends To Lovers, Rockstar, Sports (Ice Hockey), Second Chance, Unrequited Love, Angsty, Yearning, Jealousy, Manipulation, Its Always Been You, Time Jumps, Panic Attack, Mental Health, Sexual Content, Dirty Talk, Get On Your Knees, Taken Bare, After Care, Backdoor Play, Backroom Scene and Office Scene.
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I’m such a sucker for best friends to lovers romances where the characters have known each other since childhood, especially when the story takes you on a journey of losing connection and somehow finding their way back to each other. Both characters had such fantastic emotional depth. I was completely drawn in by the tension and chemistry from the very first chapter. It’s very character driven, but done so well.
I honestly thought Declan would be the one to crack because of his circumstances and how suddenly everything in his life stopped before he was able to start a promising career. But I loved that he kept going because he felt like he had no other choice. I loved how he still tried to stay connected despite everything. I’m just obsessed with Declan and how strong he comes off but so vulnerable at the same time.
Cooper, on the other hand, got swept up in fame and completely lost his way and his voice along with it. Watching him slowly realise that, and seeing the support he received from his bodyguard, was exactly what he needed. The choice he made to stay present but also making the effort in the end was beautiful.
These two together are honestly perfection. The spice was so intimate and delicious.
Lastly, the audiobook was absolutely brilliant. Tim and Jason were perfect for these roles and brought so much emotion to the story. Definitely a memorable audiobook experience.
This was my first book by Vari Scott, and it’s now become one of my favourite MM romances. Im so glad I took a chance on it. I’m really looking forward to reading more of her work in the future.
Genre/Type: Adult Romance 18+
APK: Audiobook ALC
Audiobook Length:
Narrators: Tim Paige and Jason Clarke - Dual
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Spicy Chapters: 8, 12, 13, 28, 69, 71, 73, 75 and 78
POV: First Person
Series or Standalone: Book Two In The Fractured Frequencies Series
Tropes or Themes: MM Romance, Small Town, Best Friends To Lovers, Rockstar, Sports (Ice Hockey), Second Chance, Unrequited Love, Angsty, Yearning, Jealousy, Manipulation, Its Always Been You, Time Jumps, Panic Attack, Mental Health, Sexual Content, Dirty Talk, Get On Your Knees, Taken Bare, After Care, Backdoor Play, Backroom Scene and Office Scene.
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July 8, 2026
I picked up this book because it came highly recommended by a trusted book bestie, and it absolutely lived up to the hype. Lifelong best friends and second-chance romance are two of my all-time favorite tropes, so I had a feeling this book would be a winner—and it definitely was.
Cooper and Declan have been best friends for as long as they can remember, and since they're both gay, it feels completely natural when their friendship evolves into a friends-with-benefits relationship their senior year of high school. The problem? Declan is secretly, hopelessly in love with Cooper, while Cooper genuinely believes what they have is casual. Talk about a recipe for heartbreak.
Both of them are chasing big dreams and neither one wants to keep the other from acheiving them. Declan is working toward a career in the NHL, while Cooper is determined to make it as a rock star.
I adored their friendship and how unwaveringly supportive they were of one another, even while living separate lives after high school. Cooper may have stayed behind trying to launch a music career that wasn't taking off, but he was still Declan's biggest cheerleader as he found success playing college hockey. They continued their FWB arrangement during that time, all while Declan quietly carried the weight of loving someone who didn't seem to love him back. The yearning and pining were absolutely heartbreaking.
Everything changes when Declan's hockey career comes to a devastating end. Suddenly, their roles are reversed. Declan is grieving the future he thought he'd have, while Cooper's music career is finally beginning to take off. As Cooper gets swept up in his growing fame, he slowly loses sight of himself—and of the people who matter most. Watching him drift further and further away from Declan was genuinely sad, especially knowing Declan never stopped reaching out with unanswered texts and FaceTime calls. Then after what ends up being six years of silence, Declan isn't just mourning the loss of hockey anymore—he's mourning the loss of the person he thought would always be by his side.
When Cooper finally returns to his hometown 10 years after leaving, he's burned out, broken, and trying to rebuild his life and figure out what he wants with his music. I'll admit, there were moments when I found him frustrating because he allowed the people in his music career to walk all over him and run his life instead of setting healthy boundaries. Why didn't he fight for himself? For his relationship with Declan? But I appreciated that once he came back he recognized the damage he'd caused and was willing to put in the work to earn Declan's forgiveness. And I was so glad Declan made him work for it. After everything Cooper put him through, an easy reconciliation wouldn't have felt earned.
One thing I kept wondering was how it took Cooper so long to realize he was in love with Declan. The songs he wrote about him absolutely wrecked me—they were beautiful, heartfelt, and made it seem so obvious from the outside. Still, watching them slowly find their way back to one another, open up about years of hurt, and finally choose vulnerability, forgiveness, and love was incredibly rewarding.
My one real complaint was that even after Cooper realized he loved Declan, he still let Declan be the one to say "I love you" first. After everything Declan had endured, I really wanted Cooper to give him that moment. Even so, I loved watching them rebuild the trust they'd lost and create something even stronger together.
I also loved Grace, Lockie, and Levi and everything they brought to the second half of the story. Cooper and Declan shared such a beautiful emotional connection, and their chemistry felt effortless. I especially appreciated that the author didn't simply hand Declan a second chance at hockey. Instead, he had to grieve the life he'd lost, rebuild himself, and discover a new dream. It made his journey feel authentic, and it made me love his character even more. He was such a steady, dependable presence and loved Cooper so deeply, even when it hurt.
If you're looking for an angsty friends-to-lovers romance filled with second chances, unrequited love, years of yearning and pining, and a deeply satisfying happily ever after, I definitely recommend giving this one a try.
Tropes:
Lifelong best friends
Friends with benefits
Friends to lovers
Second-chance romance
Unrequited love
Mutual pining
Years of yearning
Slow burn
Small-town romance
Rockstar romance
Hockey romance
Hurt/comfort
Emotional healing
Groveling
Found family
HEA
Cooper and Declan have been best friends for as long as they can remember, and since they're both gay, it feels completely natural when their friendship evolves into a friends-with-benefits relationship their senior year of high school. The problem? Declan is secretly, hopelessly in love with Cooper, while Cooper genuinely believes what they have is casual. Talk about a recipe for heartbreak.
Both of them are chasing big dreams and neither one wants to keep the other from acheiving them. Declan is working toward a career in the NHL, while Cooper is determined to make it as a rock star.
I adored their friendship and how unwaveringly supportive they were of one another, even while living separate lives after high school. Cooper may have stayed behind trying to launch a music career that wasn't taking off, but he was still Declan's biggest cheerleader as he found success playing college hockey. They continued their FWB arrangement during that time, all while Declan quietly carried the weight of loving someone who didn't seem to love him back. The yearning and pining were absolutely heartbreaking.
Everything changes when Declan's hockey career comes to a devastating end. Suddenly, their roles are reversed. Declan is grieving the future he thought he'd have, while Cooper's music career is finally beginning to take off. As Cooper gets swept up in his growing fame, he slowly loses sight of himself—and of the people who matter most. Watching him drift further and further away from Declan was genuinely sad, especially knowing Declan never stopped reaching out with unanswered texts and FaceTime calls. Then after what ends up being six years of silence, Declan isn't just mourning the loss of hockey anymore—he's mourning the loss of the person he thought would always be by his side.
When Cooper finally returns to his hometown 10 years after leaving, he's burned out, broken, and trying to rebuild his life and figure out what he wants with his music. I'll admit, there were moments when I found him frustrating because he allowed the people in his music career to walk all over him and run his life instead of setting healthy boundaries. Why didn't he fight for himself? For his relationship with Declan? But I appreciated that once he came back he recognized the damage he'd caused and was willing to put in the work to earn Declan's forgiveness. And I was so glad Declan made him work for it. After everything Cooper put him through, an easy reconciliation wouldn't have felt earned.
One thing I kept wondering was how it took Cooper so long to realize he was in love with Declan. The songs he wrote about him absolutely wrecked me—they were beautiful, heartfelt, and made it seem so obvious from the outside. Still, watching them slowly find their way back to one another, open up about years of hurt, and finally choose vulnerability, forgiveness, and love was incredibly rewarding.
My one real complaint was that even after Cooper realized he loved Declan, he still let Declan be the one to say "I love you" first. After everything Declan had endured, I really wanted Cooper to give him that moment. Even so, I loved watching them rebuild the trust they'd lost and create something even stronger together.
I also loved Grace, Lockie, and Levi and everything they brought to the second half of the story. Cooper and Declan shared such a beautiful emotional connection, and their chemistry felt effortless. I especially appreciated that the author didn't simply hand Declan a second chance at hockey. Instead, he had to grieve the life he'd lost, rebuild himself, and discover a new dream. It made his journey feel authentic, and it made me love his character even more. He was such a steady, dependable presence and loved Cooper so deeply, even when it hurt.
If you're looking for an angsty friends-to-lovers romance filled with second chances, unrequited love, years of yearning and pining, and a deeply satisfying happily ever after, I definitely recommend giving this one a try.
Tropes:
Lifelong best friends
Friends with benefits
Friends to lovers
Second-chance romance
Unrequited love
Mutual pining
Years of yearning
Slow burn
Small-town romance
Rockstar romance
Hockey romance
Hurt/comfort
Emotional healing
Groveling
Found family
HEA
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
this book is such a fantastic emotional roller coaster, and worth every moment. i laughed and definitely cried, and i rooted for the two main characters from start to finish. cooper and declan were both mature enough to put their life dreams & goals ahead of anything else, however opposite they may have been. they maintained their friendship while declan was away at college, and when he returned all he did was root for coop to get his turn making his own dream come true despite declan’s own just having fallen apart right in front of him.
i loved that their parents were best friends, that both came from families who not only supported their own son, but also the son’s best friend. it was a nice, small-town feel without the dysfunctional family aspect that i often see in the books i read. and of course, there were meddlers outside of the parents (who, for the most part, let the two boys work things out on their own), most namely in the form of declan’s closest buddy from college & a little sister with zero filter.
as someone with zero sex drive, understanding how these two could maintain their friends-with-benefits relationship, on top of their already best-friends-friendship, without both of them falling in love caused me to see things from a different perspective, gave me more understanding of how that dynamic might work.
it was refreshing to see how declan never gave up on coop fighting for his dream, and how coop never gave up on dec or their friendship in general: keeping him in his life, borderline annoying him until he couldn’t continue pushing coop away. i truly felt like i understood where both of these characters were coming from, and i’m really glad it was dual-pov so we could see both sides.
on top of realistic, flawed, lovable, well-developed characters—main ones & the side ones—the writing is fantastic. it flows, shows rather than tells, and digs deep into how the characters are feeling at any given time; both internally as well as how they’re handling (or, in some cases, not handling) it externally. the bar, the lost compass, felt like its own character, a place for not only solace, but somewhere that seemed to ground everyone in the town.
overall, this story is about declan and cooper and the coming-of-age, so to speak, of their friends to fwbs to lovers relationship. the side stories are all done in a way that makes you interested in them as well, rather than just waiting to get to the next coop/dec scene (which, thankfully, are not lacking, by the way). i really admire these two boys-to-men (pun not intended, lol) for their maturity, wanting to put everyone else first, while still not only pursuing their goals but making a life for themselves the way they need to in order to find out who they are.
the reason this review might feel a little “detached” is because this book made me so emotional, in all the best (and sometimes worst, lol) ways that even though i finished it over a week ago i still can’t figure out how to put into words all the ways it affected me. props to the author for invoking that kind of response in me & my cold dead heart. point is, read this book.
thank you to the author & publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book. this is a voluntary review.
i loved that their parents were best friends, that both came from families who not only supported their own son, but also the son’s best friend. it was a nice, small-town feel without the dysfunctional family aspect that i often see in the books i read. and of course, there were meddlers outside of the parents (who, for the most part, let the two boys work things out on their own), most namely in the form of declan’s closest buddy from college & a little sister with zero filter.
as someone with zero sex drive, understanding how these two could maintain their friends-with-benefits relationship, on top of their already best-friends-friendship, without both of them falling in love caused me to see things from a different perspective, gave me more understanding of how that dynamic might work.
it was refreshing to see how declan never gave up on coop fighting for his dream, and how coop never gave up on dec or their friendship in general: keeping him in his life, borderline annoying him until he couldn’t continue pushing coop away. i truly felt like i understood where both of these characters were coming from, and i’m really glad it was dual-pov so we could see both sides.
on top of realistic, flawed, lovable, well-developed characters—main ones & the side ones—the writing is fantastic. it flows, shows rather than tells, and digs deep into how the characters are feeling at any given time; both internally as well as how they’re handling (or, in some cases, not handling) it externally. the bar, the lost compass, felt like its own character, a place for not only solace, but somewhere that seemed to ground everyone in the town.
overall, this story is about declan and cooper and the coming-of-age, so to speak, of their friends to fwbs to lovers relationship. the side stories are all done in a way that makes you interested in them as well, rather than just waiting to get to the next coop/dec scene (which, thankfully, are not lacking, by the way). i really admire these two boys-to-men (pun not intended, lol) for their maturity, wanting to put everyone else first, while still not only pursuing their goals but making a life for themselves the way they need to in order to find out who they are.
the reason this review might feel a little “detached” is because this book made me so emotional, in all the best (and sometimes worst, lol) ways that even though i finished it over a week ago i still can’t figure out how to put into words all the ways it affected me. props to the author for invoking that kind of response in me & my cold dead heart. point is, read this book.
thank you to the author & publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book. this is a voluntary review.
May 11, 2026
Rockstar romances aren’t my usual jam (see what I did there 😂) but the blurb for this was so tempting, I just had to read it. And I’m so glad I did!
These two grabbed my attention and kept teasing me with how good they could be together as a proper couple for far too long. Declan, I was totally joining you in the pining!
God, I ACHED for Declan. I felt every little bit of heartache that man did. He’s so hopelessly in love with his best friend, and I so longed for Cooper to see it. Dec's a superstar in his own right, and I couldn’t adore him anymore. Welcome to my Book Boyfriend list, Dec!
And Cooper. He’s got a real energy to him, bright and charismatic, but talk about oblivious! Urgh, I wanted to yell at him so badly to realise what’s right in front of him! But he’s so resolute to achieve his dream, focused only on that goal, and I can’t blame him for that; I respect his drive and perseverance to get there. And I was pleased that he made it after working so hard for so long, I just wish it hadn’t hurt so much to see him leave Dec behind.
I got lost in these two. They have such an easy chemistry, and honestly, I had hearts in my eyes the whole way though. They are so freaking cute together and I was just waiting impatiently for Cooper to see it.
Life does throw complications at these two, does kick them down when they should be soaring, and it’s painful to read, but they do find their way back to each other eventually – or more like Cooper finds his way back home. Straight into the arms of the one person he finally starts to really see. I did sigh in relief when Cooper finally realises his feelings and loved that he was ready to fight for them.
I adored their families, and Gracie, of course. I loved how close she and Declan are. Very grateful for Levi and Lockie too as supportive friends as well.
And jeez, that ending gave me goosebumps. Loved it so much! What a fab ending for these two, for Declan who waited so long for his rockstar and for Cooper, who took way too long to see what was right in front of him but who got there in the end.
Definitely one of my favourite rockstar stories. This one’s moved straight onto my comfort read list.
-----
Some of my favourite quotes
Cooper is the drug I’m too addicted to quit.
It wasn’t a lightning strike. It was slow, steady, like gravity pulling me in. And by the time I realized I was falling, I was already gone.
“Don’t do that thing where you pretend something’s not good enough, just because you haven’t polished it yet. Just because it’s not finished doesn’t mean it’s not good.”
He looks like sin. A dirty temptation just for me.
He tastes like temptation, like everything I can’t get over and everything I’ll never be able to leave behind.
“I don’t give a shit about hockey, but I love you. That’s why I showed an interest in it. But you were never just the future NHL star, Declan. You were always just my Declan.”
“Guess what I’m saying is, sometimes the dream shifts. Doesn’t have to mean it dies, it just...changes shape.”
He’s everything. He’s always been everything.
“You’re more than Reign, Cooper. Don’t let them make you forget that.”
“I never wanted you as Reign. I only ever wanted Cooper.”
“I mean it, Dec. I’ve wasted enough time not realizing how I feel. I’m not waiting another second.”
“I don’t know how to do this again. I don’t know how to let you leave and pretend it won’t kill me.” “Then don’t. Feel it, feel all of it when I say this time I’m coming back because I love you. I’ve loved you before I even knew what that word truly meant.”
“I told you I was coming back. And I meant it. Wherever I end up...it only counts if you’re there with me.”
These two grabbed my attention and kept teasing me with how good they could be together as a proper couple for far too long. Declan, I was totally joining you in the pining!
God, I ACHED for Declan. I felt every little bit of heartache that man did. He’s so hopelessly in love with his best friend, and I so longed for Cooper to see it. Dec's a superstar in his own right, and I couldn’t adore him anymore. Welcome to my Book Boyfriend list, Dec!
And Cooper. He’s got a real energy to him, bright and charismatic, but talk about oblivious! Urgh, I wanted to yell at him so badly to realise what’s right in front of him! But he’s so resolute to achieve his dream, focused only on that goal, and I can’t blame him for that; I respect his drive and perseverance to get there. And I was pleased that he made it after working so hard for so long, I just wish it hadn’t hurt so much to see him leave Dec behind.
I got lost in these two. They have such an easy chemistry, and honestly, I had hearts in my eyes the whole way though. They are so freaking cute together and I was just waiting impatiently for Cooper to see it.
Life does throw complications at these two, does kick them down when they should be soaring, and it’s painful to read, but they do find their way back to each other eventually – or more like Cooper finds his way back home. Straight into the arms of the one person he finally starts to really see. I did sigh in relief when Cooper finally realises his feelings and loved that he was ready to fight for them.
I adored their families, and Gracie, of course. I loved how close she and Declan are. Very grateful for Levi and Lockie too as supportive friends as well.
And jeez, that ending gave me goosebumps. Loved it so much! What a fab ending for these two, for Declan who waited so long for his rockstar and for Cooper, who took way too long to see what was right in front of him but who got there in the end.
Definitely one of my favourite rockstar stories. This one’s moved straight onto my comfort read list.
-----
Some of my favourite quotes
Cooper is the drug I’m too addicted to quit.
It wasn’t a lightning strike. It was slow, steady, like gravity pulling me in. And by the time I realized I was falling, I was already gone.
“Don’t do that thing where you pretend something’s not good enough, just because you haven’t polished it yet. Just because it’s not finished doesn’t mean it’s not good.”
He looks like sin. A dirty temptation just for me.
He tastes like temptation, like everything I can’t get over and everything I’ll never be able to leave behind.
“I don’t give a shit about hockey, but I love you. That’s why I showed an interest in it. But you were never just the future NHL star, Declan. You were always just my Declan.”
“Guess what I’m saying is, sometimes the dream shifts. Doesn’t have to mean it dies, it just...changes shape.”
He’s everything. He’s always been everything.
“You’re more than Reign, Cooper. Don’t let them make you forget that.”
“I never wanted you as Reign. I only ever wanted Cooper.”
“I mean it, Dec. I’ve wasted enough time not realizing how I feel. I’m not waiting another second.”
“I don’t know how to do this again. I don’t know how to let you leave and pretend it won’t kill me.” “Then don’t. Feel it, feel all of it when I say this time I’m coming back because I love you. I’ve loved you before I even knew what that word truly meant.”
“I told you I was coming back. And I meant it. Wherever I end up...it only counts if you’re there with me.”
June 5, 2026
Declan y Cooper son mejores amigos desde siempre, al igual que lo son sus padres. Ambos tienen objetivos ambiciosos por los que llevan toda la vida animándose mutuamente. Declan es un grandísimo jugador de hockey que quiere dedicarse a ello como profesional, entrando a formar parte de la NHL. Cooper, por otro lado, desea ser una estrella del rock y poder compartir con el mundo sus canciones. De momento, uno juega en categorías bajas (aunque ya le están ojeando desde más arriba) y el otro trabaja en la tienda de discos del pueblo y canta los fines de semana en un bar. No obstante, ninguno duda de que el otro vaya a lograr su sueño y confían en poder hacerlo a la par. El problema es que todo cambia cuando el de uno de ellos se trunca y el otro tiene que aprender a lidiar con la nueva versión de su mejor amigo mientras descubre cómo gestionar que él si está alcanzando su meta. Sumado a ello, un día, debido a un juego tonto, se besaron y, poco a poco, su relación de amistad empezó a rozar límites sexuales que, en el caso de Declan, solo están agravando su enamoramiento por su mejor amigo. De un momento para otro, la vida de ambos adolescentes cambia por completo, así que se verán obligados a descubrir si el vínculo que tienen es tan fuerte como para superar cualquier obstáculo.
¿Qué puedo decir? Ha sido una de las mejores lecturas de lo que va de año y va a estar dentro del top10 de 2026, estoy convencidísima. Me ha gustado tanto!!! Declan es mi bebé, le protejo de todo. Lo injusta que me pareció su lesión y que fuera algo definitivo que no le permitiera volver a competir profesionalmente. Mi niño no se merecía algo así. Pero luego encima ver cómo su mejor amigo cumplía su sueño de ser cantante y se olvidaba de él en el proceso... Ha sido una historia muy dolorosa de leer en ese aspecto porque parecía que no encontraba su lugar en el mundo sin el hockey y que sus sentimientos por Cooper no eran correspondidos. Además, era muy complicado entender por qué Coop no le hacía ni caso. Por eso, cuando se descubre que es todo culpa de Liam, su puto representante... qué enfado, asqueroso!!! Eso sí, la actitud de Cooper cuando se da cuenta de que lleva años enamorado de Declan y hace de todo para que le perdone, me ha encantado... PELOS. Y las canciones que escribe para él... MÁS PELOS TODAVÍA. Por un lado, me gusta también que Declan siga vinculado al hockey por su hermana pequeña (super random que teniendo él más de 20 palos la madre se quede embarazada, eso sí) y que se haya hecho cargo del bar en el que trabajaba de camarero. Él es un empresario y le amamos. Por otro lado, el personaje de Cooper, aunque ha sido algo más complicado de conocer, me ha flipado también. Es super perseverante y tiene tanto talento... Uff y cuando manda a la mierda a Liam: una de las escenas más gratificantes de leer. El epílogo siendo perfecto también con Cooper de concierto dedicándoles una canción a Declan y al hijo que han tenido... pues lloro. Librito maravilloso que se queda dentro del corazoncito.
¿Qué puedo decir? Ha sido una de las mejores lecturas de lo que va de año y va a estar dentro del top10 de 2026, estoy convencidísima. Me ha gustado tanto!!! Declan es mi bebé, le protejo de todo. Lo injusta que me pareció su lesión y que fuera algo definitivo que no le permitiera volver a competir profesionalmente. Mi niño no se merecía algo así. Pero luego encima ver cómo su mejor amigo cumplía su sueño de ser cantante y se olvidaba de él en el proceso... Ha sido una historia muy dolorosa de leer en ese aspecto porque parecía que no encontraba su lugar en el mundo sin el hockey y que sus sentimientos por Cooper no eran correspondidos. Además, era muy complicado entender por qué Coop no le hacía ni caso. Por eso, cuando se descubre que es todo culpa de Liam, su puto representante... qué enfado, asqueroso!!! Eso sí, la actitud de Cooper cuando se da cuenta de que lleva años enamorado de Declan y hace de todo para que le perdone, me ha encantado... PELOS. Y las canciones que escribe para él... MÁS PELOS TODAVÍA. Por un lado, me gusta también que Declan siga vinculado al hockey por su hermana pequeña (super random que teniendo él más de 20 palos la madre se quede embarazada, eso sí) y que se haya hecho cargo del bar en el que trabajaba de camarero. Él es un empresario y le amamos. Por otro lado, el personaje de Cooper, aunque ha sido algo más complicado de conocer, me ha flipado también. Es super perseverante y tiene tanto talento... Uff y cuando manda a la mierda a Liam: una de las escenas más gratificantes de leer. El epílogo siendo perfecto también con Cooper de concierto dedicándoles una canción a Declan y al hijo que han tenido... pues lloro. Librito maravilloso que se queda dentro del corazoncito.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Advanced reader / listener copy received
Thank you Vari Scott , @lunaliterary and @mustloveaudio for the ALC -Rated 4.5 ⭐️
This is a beautifully emotional MM second-chance romance that dives deep into unrequited love, timing, and the cost of chasing dreams. Vari Scott is a new-to-me author, and wow… the way this story was written and narrated it lingers.
Declan’s hockey career. Cooper’s rockstar career. And the emotional fallout between them? Yeah… this one wrecked me.
From the outside, they both chased their dreams—Declan on the ice, Cooper on the stage. But what this story does so well is show that success doesn’t mean fulfillment… especially when it costs you the person who’s always been your home.
Declan’s journey hit hard. Watching him rebuild his life, find his strength, and finally stop settling for being second place? That growth was powerful. His hockey career wasn’t just a dream—it was part of his identity, and seeing how everything shaped the man he became? I felt that.
And Cooper… being a rockstar sounds like everything, right? But the reality? Exhaustion. Pressure. Losing pieces of himself along the way. When he comes back, you can feel how much that dream took from him instead of giving.
💔 The emotional moments between them? Absolutely devastating in the best way.
All those years of:
* hidden feelings
* Stolen moments together
* loving someone who couldn’t fully choose you
*
It builds into this raw, aching tension that just explodes when they’re finally forced to face it.
🎧 Narration: Jason Clarke and Tim Paige brought every ounce of that emotion to life. You could hear the history, the longing, the hesitation… the love that never really went away.
🔥 This book is about:
* Choosing yourself after years of choosing someone else
* The reality behind “dream careers”
* Loving someone who isn’t ready… until maybe it’s too late
* And deciding if they’re worth the risk—again
Because this time?
Tropes
Best friends ➡️ lovers ➡️ heartbreak ➡️ second chance
Rockstar x ex-hockey player dynamic
That deep, aching unrequited love
Emotional growth & boundaries
Small-town roots vs. big dream consequences
“I wish I could hate you… but I don’t” energy
Love isn’t enough unless it’s chosen fully.
Thank you Vari Scott , @lunaliterary and @mustloveaudio for the ALC -Rated 4.5 ⭐️
This is a beautifully emotional MM second-chance romance that dives deep into unrequited love, timing, and the cost of chasing dreams. Vari Scott is a new-to-me author, and wow… the way this story was written and narrated it lingers.
Declan’s hockey career. Cooper’s rockstar career. And the emotional fallout between them? Yeah… this one wrecked me.
From the outside, they both chased their dreams—Declan on the ice, Cooper on the stage. But what this story does so well is show that success doesn’t mean fulfillment… especially when it costs you the person who’s always been your home.
Declan’s journey hit hard. Watching him rebuild his life, find his strength, and finally stop settling for being second place? That growth was powerful. His hockey career wasn’t just a dream—it was part of his identity, and seeing how everything shaped the man he became? I felt that.
And Cooper… being a rockstar sounds like everything, right? But the reality? Exhaustion. Pressure. Losing pieces of himself along the way. When he comes back, you can feel how much that dream took from him instead of giving.
💔 The emotional moments between them? Absolutely devastating in the best way.
All those years of:
* hidden feelings
* Stolen moments together
* loving someone who couldn’t fully choose you
*
It builds into this raw, aching tension that just explodes when they’re finally forced to face it.
🎧 Narration: Jason Clarke and Tim Paige brought every ounce of that emotion to life. You could hear the history, the longing, the hesitation… the love that never really went away.
🔥 This book is about:
* Choosing yourself after years of choosing someone else
* The reality behind “dream careers”
* Loving someone who isn’t ready… until maybe it’s too late
* And deciding if they’re worth the risk—again
Because this time?
Tropes
Best friends ➡️ lovers ➡️ heartbreak ➡️ second chance
Rockstar x ex-hockey player dynamic
That deep, aching unrequited love
Emotional growth & boundaries
Small-town roots vs. big dream consequences
“I wish I could hate you… but I don’t” energy
Love isn’t enough unless it’s chosen fully.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
6🌟 3🌶
I received an ARC and an ALC for this. The narrators for the ALC were fantastic, they added a layer of emotion that elevated the book (not that it needed elevating lol)
The writing for this book is incredible. By 20%, I was beyond emotionally invested and in love with these characters that their pain, was my pain.
This was so viscerally painful and more than once, cracked my entire heart open
I've been hurting my brain on how to express my love for this and review it. How do you put into words how much a book gripped you by your heart, tore it in two, and then stitched it back with Cooper and Declan? How do you tell people that its one of the best books I've read and the emotional complexity of the book AND characters is immense.
The truth is, I cant. So please just trust me in saying that if you want an emotionally challenging read thats about an ex hockey star and a rockstar, about two bestest friends coming together in a second chance.. with foul mouths, intense longing/yearning and a plot that will have you GASPING... then this is one for you.
The tension is palpable, the chemistry is insane, the witty AND flirtatious banter is EVERYTHING. While both Declan and Cooper are very complex, multifaceted characters individually; as a unit, its also explored in such depth. The spice is impeccable. Dec is a dom, I have a great poker face when it comes to spice but this had me giddy like an idiot😂
This love story? This journey? Splintered its way through my heart and I cried a LOT. Even when I wasn't crying, my chest ACHED. The author @variscottwrites wrote this exceptionally. The tropes were very well written and she clearly has a knack for ruining readers🥺
-get on your knees and choke.
-tension
-yearning SO MUCH YEARNING
-unrequited love
-small town
-right person, wrong time
-best friends to best friends with benefits to strangers to LOVERS ohmygosh
-emotionally complex characters
-hockey player x rockstar
I've added a few of my favourite quotes. But I highlighted A LOT lmao. My first book by Vari and 1000% will not be my last, I've already downloaded Shutter Bug😅
I received an ARC and an ALC for this. The narrators for the ALC were fantastic, they added a layer of emotion that elevated the book (not that it needed elevating lol)
The writing for this book is incredible. By 20%, I was beyond emotionally invested and in love with these characters that their pain, was my pain.
This was so viscerally painful and more than once, cracked my entire heart open
I've been hurting my brain on how to express my love for this and review it. How do you put into words how much a book gripped you by your heart, tore it in two, and then stitched it back with Cooper and Declan? How do you tell people that its one of the best books I've read and the emotional complexity of the book AND characters is immense.
The truth is, I cant. So please just trust me in saying that if you want an emotionally challenging read thats about an ex hockey star and a rockstar, about two bestest friends coming together in a second chance.. with foul mouths, intense longing/yearning and a plot that will have you GASPING... then this is one for you.
The tension is palpable, the chemistry is insane, the witty AND flirtatious banter is EVERYTHING. While both Declan and Cooper are very complex, multifaceted characters individually; as a unit, its also explored in such depth. The spice is impeccable. Dec is a dom, I have a great poker face when it comes to spice but this had me giddy like an idiot😂
This love story? This journey? Splintered its way through my heart and I cried a LOT. Even when I wasn't crying, my chest ACHED. The author @variscottwrites wrote this exceptionally. The tropes were very well written and she clearly has a knack for ruining readers🥺
-get on your knees and choke.
-tension
-yearning SO MUCH YEARNING
-unrequited love
-small town
-right person, wrong time
-best friends to best friends with benefits to strangers to LOVERS ohmygosh
-emotionally complex characters
-hockey player x rockstar
I've added a few of my favourite quotes. But I highlighted A LOT lmao. My first book by Vari and 1000% will not be my last, I've already downloaded Shutter Bug😅
May 8, 2026
3.5⭐️ story
5⭐️ narration (Tim Paige continues to be one of my all time faves & Jason Clarke was so perfect in the emotional chapters inside Declan’s thoughts)
*I received an ALC copy of this audiobook, all opinions are my own*
I really wanted to love this one y’all, but it was just okay. The start was so strong! I loved that we started with Cooper & Declan at a younger age, just starting to explore and realize their feelings for each other (which of course they never discuss). And then it all starts to crack when Dec looses his NHL dream while at the same time Coop gets his dream music deal.
I was definitely expecting the second-chance to happen a lot earlier in the story, like right after a few chapters, so it was really refreshing to instead have it happen a lot later, after we’d had time to become attached to the characters and their potential romance. This definitely added to the emotional gut punch of the separation timeline. And worked really well. But I could see 50ish pages being cut with no problem 😂
BUT, I refuse to believe that a character would totally ghost their best friend (and love of their life - even if they haven’t acknowledged it) for TEN YEARS! Especially when we are old that their parents are also best friends and spend time together all the time. I do not believe that Cooper’s mom wouldn’t have given him the what’s what to stop being such a shitty friend.
And then, we basically don’t get any grovel. Basically Declan tells Cooper that he loved him when they were younger, and still loves him now and Cooper is like “wdym?!” When Cooper should be on his knees begging Declan to give him the time of day.
Also, just a reminder that we don’t use “clean” when talking about negative STI results. As that means folks with an STI are inherently “dirty” 😑
I also really liked Lachlan (Cooper’s bodyguard), but after ten years why was he just now stepping in to help Cooper escape the coercive control of his terrible manager? I think that easily would’ve happened a lot earlier. And then the resolution of all that felt too simple for how many pages it took up
5⭐️ narration (Tim Paige continues to be one of my all time faves & Jason Clarke was so perfect in the emotional chapters inside Declan’s thoughts)
*I received an ALC copy of this audiobook, all opinions are my own*
I really wanted to love this one y’all, but it was just okay. The start was so strong! I loved that we started with Cooper & Declan at a younger age, just starting to explore and realize their feelings for each other (which of course they never discuss). And then it all starts to crack when Dec looses his NHL dream while at the same time Coop gets his dream music deal.
I was definitely expecting the second-chance to happen a lot earlier in the story, like right after a few chapters, so it was really refreshing to instead have it happen a lot later, after we’d had time to become attached to the characters and their potential romance. This definitely added to the emotional gut punch of the separation timeline. And worked really well. But I could see 50ish pages being cut with no problem 😂
BUT, I refuse to believe that a character would totally ghost their best friend (and love of their life - even if they haven’t acknowledged it) for TEN YEARS! Especially when we are old that their parents are also best friends and spend time together all the time. I do not believe that Cooper’s mom wouldn’t have given him the what’s what to stop being such a shitty friend.
And then, we basically don’t get any grovel. Basically Declan tells Cooper that he loved him when they were younger, and still loves him now and Cooper is like “wdym?!” When Cooper should be on his knees begging Declan to give him the time of day.
Also, just a reminder that we don’t use “clean” when talking about negative STI results. As that means folks with an STI are inherently “dirty” 😑
I also really liked Lachlan (Cooper’s bodyguard), but after ten years why was he just now stepping in to help Cooper escape the coercive control of his terrible manager? I think that easily would’ve happened a lot earlier. And then the resolution of all that felt too simple for how many pages it took up
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Resonance by Vari Scott- Book 2 of Fractured Frequencies
Narrators: Jason Clarke & Tim Paige
Release Date: May 1, 2026
This book. This couple. OMG. I’m in love!
Vari Scott is a new to me author and now I need to go back and read the first book in this series! This couple was beautifully written with such depth and angst. Reading their story made my heart hurt, until it didn’t. There was smiles and spice, but the pure emotion of this book was everything!
I was lucky enough to be able to do an immersive read with this one and I was so glad!
The audiobook I can’t say enough about it. The performance from Jason Clarke and Tim Paige was dual narration style and it’s a master class in why dual narration can produce a beautiful audiobook. Both narrators performed the hell out of this one
If you love angst and rockstar romances - run - don’t walk to read (and listen) to this one!
Blurb:
Some dreams ask for sacrifice. Others demand everything.
I’ve loved Cooper Riddick for most of my life. Long before we crossed the line. Long before he left our small town and became Reign Cooper—the name in lights, the voice people chant back at from the crowd.
Loving him meant accepting second place, because music was always his first love.
We tried to keep things simple. Best friends. No promises. No expectations. But unrequited love doesn’t fade just because you ask it to, and eventually, wanting more started to hurt worse than walking away.
Now he’s back. Worn down by a dream that took more than it gave. And I’m not the same guy he left behind. I’ve rebuilt my life here, piece by piece, and I won’t give my heart to someone who can’t choose me. Not fully.
Because this time, love isn’t enough on its own.
This time, wanting him means risking everything I’ve worked so hard to protect.
What you will find inside this book:
🎤 Rockstar Romance
🎤 MM Romance
🎤 Best Friends to Lovers
🎤 Unrequited Love
🎤 Second Chance Romance
🎤 Singer x Ex-hockey Player
🎤 Small Town Romance
🎤 I wish I could hate you but…
Thanks to the author, Must Love audio and Luna Literary for the ARC & ALC to read and listen to and review.
Narrators: Jason Clarke & Tim Paige
Release Date: May 1, 2026
This book. This couple. OMG. I’m in love!
Vari Scott is a new to me author and now I need to go back and read the first book in this series! This couple was beautifully written with such depth and angst. Reading their story made my heart hurt, until it didn’t. There was smiles and spice, but the pure emotion of this book was everything!
I was lucky enough to be able to do an immersive read with this one and I was so glad!
The audiobook I can’t say enough about it. The performance from Jason Clarke and Tim Paige was dual narration style and it’s a master class in why dual narration can produce a beautiful audiobook. Both narrators performed the hell out of this one
If you love angst and rockstar romances - run - don’t walk to read (and listen) to this one!
Blurb:
Some dreams ask for sacrifice. Others demand everything.
I’ve loved Cooper Riddick for most of my life. Long before we crossed the line. Long before he left our small town and became Reign Cooper—the name in lights, the voice people chant back at from the crowd.
Loving him meant accepting second place, because music was always his first love.
We tried to keep things simple. Best friends. No promises. No expectations. But unrequited love doesn’t fade just because you ask it to, and eventually, wanting more started to hurt worse than walking away.
Now he’s back. Worn down by a dream that took more than it gave. And I’m not the same guy he left behind. I’ve rebuilt my life here, piece by piece, and I won’t give my heart to someone who can’t choose me. Not fully.
Because this time, love isn’t enough on its own.
This time, wanting him means risking everything I’ve worked so hard to protect.
What you will find inside this book:
🎤 Rockstar Romance
🎤 MM Romance
🎤 Best Friends to Lovers
🎤 Unrequited Love
🎤 Second Chance Romance
🎤 Singer x Ex-hockey Player
🎤 Small Town Romance
🎤 I wish I could hate you but…
Thanks to the author, Must Love audio and Luna Literary for the ARC & ALC to read and listen to and review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
When Vari writes a book, you can just tell she pours her whole heart into it. More so the characters she creates. They have purpose, they have soul. I could list all the tropes but Resonance is so much more than the tropes! It's the heart of the characters that grip you.
In Cadence, we got a glimpse of Reign Cooper but who was the man behind the mic!? Resonance brings us to Taunton Falls, the epitome of small town vibes. From local spots, to family first, to the regulars, Friday night open mics and Saturday's at the rink. Intertwined through their families, Declan & Cooper have been best friends for forever.
Supporting each other through all their individual achievements. When one dream shatters another opens, leaving behind heartache, exploring self-worth & purpose, love & finding your way back home.
Music is at the core & heart of the story. From the references to classics & the journey Declan & Cooper go on. Their character arcs are heavy & meaningful. It's finding strength in yourself & how they find strength in each other. Vari writes these types of scenes so incredibly.
Declan & Cooper are characters who are ambitious yet flawed. Relatable. Big hearts with big dreams. Best friends but more. This story is filled with such emotion, depth that is more than a romance. From heartache, to swoon worthly moments to yup, Vari just wants us to feel more heartache; Resonance is the MM romance, second chance story for those who want to be left with a rawness in their chest, who love feeling everything & finish a book & immediately go, what's next in the series, Vari!
Jason Clarke & Tim Page embodied Declan & Cooper so incredibly well in the audiobook! All the characters feelings, inner thoughts, how they expressed their words, the spicy scenes (which where 🔥🔥🔥) was palpable. The combination of Vari's writing & the timbre of the voices, Declan & Cooper come alive on & off the page.
Rating: 4.25⭐️
Spice level: 3🌶
In Cadence, we got a glimpse of Reign Cooper but who was the man behind the mic!? Resonance brings us to Taunton Falls, the epitome of small town vibes. From local spots, to family first, to the regulars, Friday night open mics and Saturday's at the rink. Intertwined through their families, Declan & Cooper have been best friends for forever.
Supporting each other through all their individual achievements. When one dream shatters another opens, leaving behind heartache, exploring self-worth & purpose, love & finding your way back home.
Music is at the core & heart of the story. From the references to classics & the journey Declan & Cooper go on. Their character arcs are heavy & meaningful. It's finding strength in yourself & how they find strength in each other. Vari writes these types of scenes so incredibly.
Declan & Cooper are characters who are ambitious yet flawed. Relatable. Big hearts with big dreams. Best friends but more. This story is filled with such emotion, depth that is more than a romance. From heartache, to swoon worthly moments to yup, Vari just wants us to feel more heartache; Resonance is the MM romance, second chance story for those who want to be left with a rawness in their chest, who love feeling everything & finish a book & immediately go, what's next in the series, Vari!
Jason Clarke & Tim Page embodied Declan & Cooper so incredibly well in the audiobook! All the characters feelings, inner thoughts, how they expressed their words, the spicy scenes (which where 🔥🔥🔥) was palpable. The combination of Vari's writing & the timbre of the voices, Declan & Cooper come alive on & off the page.
Rating: 4.25⭐️
Spice level: 3🌶
Review of advance copy received from Author
Format: 🎧 Audiobook 🎧 (ALC)
Performed by: Jason Clarke and Tim Paige
Style: dual
Production: Lyric Audiobooks
Holy fuck. Talk about an emotional listen. You know those books that break you and heal you at the same time, give you the whole range of emotions and when it's done, you both want to say, "thank god for the HEA" but also "I want more"? Yeah, that's Resonance. That's Cooper and Declan. That's Jason and Tim's performances.
This book. THIS BOOK.
Ugh, it's filled with tension and yearning and so much heart. So much pining and secret love and the pure brilliance of a romance set on years of friendship, even if parts of the story are utterly heartbreaking.
Scott has written this exceptionally. She's captured the core of the friendship of Cooper and Declan as teens, going into their 20's; their unwavering support for each other as they both rise to follow their dreams. The transition from best friends to best friends with benefits was seamless, and I love that you could tell from the start there was more, even if the boys didn't want to admit to it.
The sheer emotional punch of Declan losing out on his dream was so hard to listen to, and then the heartbreak that came shortly after with Cooper's "disappearance" into his music career - ugh, I can't write too much without spoiling the story, but this book. THIS BOOK.
Jason fucking Clarke, man. That's the other major comment for this. Jason. Fucking. Clarke. His performance was next fucking level. Beyond any other performance I've heard him in. His range, his emotions? His performance is what almost killed me. The number of messages I sent to my bestie (who also had the ALC) regarding his performance? Gah. I could wax poetic about him all day long. But all you need to know is he was perfectly cast, and no-one can convince me otherwise.
Throw Tim into the mix and this book is exceptional. His own emotional delivery, especially when certain things come to light (trying to stay spoiler free) was just beyond amazing. Tim Paige is Reign Cooper. There is no other way to put it.
I have been broken and healed by this story, and this is definitely one of those audios I cannot wait to re-listen to. Scott is definitely on my radar, and I cannot wait to read/listen to more of her works.
Thank you to the author, @lunaliterary.management and @mustloveaudio for the ALC opportunity. These are my honest thoughts that I have provided voluntarily.
Performed by: Jason Clarke and Tim Paige
Style: dual
Production: Lyric Audiobooks
Holy fuck. Talk about an emotional listen. You know those books that break you and heal you at the same time, give you the whole range of emotions and when it's done, you both want to say, "thank god for the HEA" but also "I want more"? Yeah, that's Resonance. That's Cooper and Declan. That's Jason and Tim's performances.
This book. THIS BOOK.
Ugh, it's filled with tension and yearning and so much heart. So much pining and secret love and the pure brilliance of a romance set on years of friendship, even if parts of the story are utterly heartbreaking.
Scott has written this exceptionally. She's captured the core of the friendship of Cooper and Declan as teens, going into their 20's; their unwavering support for each other as they both rise to follow their dreams. The transition from best friends to best friends with benefits was seamless, and I love that you could tell from the start there was more, even if the boys didn't want to admit to it.
The sheer emotional punch of Declan losing out on his dream was so hard to listen to, and then the heartbreak that came shortly after with Cooper's "disappearance" into his music career - ugh, I can't write too much without spoiling the story, but this book. THIS BOOK.
Jason fucking Clarke, man. That's the other major comment for this. Jason. Fucking. Clarke. His performance was next fucking level. Beyond any other performance I've heard him in. His range, his emotions? His performance is what almost killed me. The number of messages I sent to my bestie (who also had the ALC) regarding his performance? Gah. I could wax poetic about him all day long. But all you need to know is he was perfectly cast, and no-one can convince me otherwise.
Throw Tim into the mix and this book is exceptional. His own emotional delivery, especially when certain things come to light (trying to stay spoiler free) was just beyond amazing. Tim Paige is Reign Cooper. There is no other way to put it.
I have been broken and healed by this story, and this is definitely one of those audios I cannot wait to re-listen to. Scott is definitely on my radar, and I cannot wait to read/listen to more of her works.
Thank you to the author, @lunaliterary.management and @mustloveaudio for the ALC opportunity. These are my honest thoughts that I have provided voluntarily.
May 14, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4.5/5
🎙️🎙️🎙️🎙️🎙️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Tropes
🖤MM Romance
🖤Second Chance
🖤Rockstar Romance
🖤Best Friends to Lovers
🖤Unrequited Love
🖤Singer x Ex-Hockey Player
🖤Small Town Romance
🖤HEA
🖤Angsty
🖤Found Family
Resonance is a MM angsty, emotional, tension filled second chance romance. Declan and Cooper have been best friends since they were children. Their connection overtime changes into something more, full of longing and pining after something that seems unattainable. Declan wants more than Cooper is able to give him. Cooper is fine with friends with benefits, but Declan is not! Their lives then pull them in different directions. Declan is headed to the NHL and Cooper is on his way to becoming a rising star. Declan suffers an injury and returns home while Cooper leaves it all behind to chase his dreams and he becomes a huge rockstar. Years later Cooper returns home after burnout from the price of fame. He must work to repair his relationship with Declan because he wants him back in his life. Cooper must work hard to gain Declan’s friendship and trust back.
I absolutely devoured this book. We get to live right alongside these characters as they try to find their way back to each other and come out stronger on the other side. This book is so emotionally charged filled with tension, angst, and yearning. I ATE it up.
🎧AUDIOBOOK REVIEW🎧
Dual narration by Jason Clarke and Tim Paige.
I chose to read the book and then listen to the audiobook. The audiobook added so much more emotional layers. The narrative was spot on. I felt it all!! The painful years of longing and heartbreak. The emotions hit so much harder with audio, and these narrators did not disappoint. I loved the healing journey that this book took us on and cannot wait to see what Vari Scott will write next.
I would like to thank Luna Literary and Vari Scott for the ARC/ALC, these are my honest thoughts on the book.
🎙️🎙️🎙️🎙️🎙️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Tropes
🖤MM Romance
🖤Second Chance
🖤Rockstar Romance
🖤Best Friends to Lovers
🖤Unrequited Love
🖤Singer x Ex-Hockey Player
🖤Small Town Romance
🖤HEA
🖤Angsty
🖤Found Family
Resonance is a MM angsty, emotional, tension filled second chance romance. Declan and Cooper have been best friends since they were children. Their connection overtime changes into something more, full of longing and pining after something that seems unattainable. Declan wants more than Cooper is able to give him. Cooper is fine with friends with benefits, but Declan is not! Their lives then pull them in different directions. Declan is headed to the NHL and Cooper is on his way to becoming a rising star. Declan suffers an injury and returns home while Cooper leaves it all behind to chase his dreams and he becomes a huge rockstar. Years later Cooper returns home after burnout from the price of fame. He must work to repair his relationship with Declan because he wants him back in his life. Cooper must work hard to gain Declan’s friendship and trust back.
I absolutely devoured this book. We get to live right alongside these characters as they try to find their way back to each other and come out stronger on the other side. This book is so emotionally charged filled with tension, angst, and yearning. I ATE it up.
🎧AUDIOBOOK REVIEW🎧
Dual narration by Jason Clarke and Tim Paige.
I chose to read the book and then listen to the audiobook. The audiobook added so much more emotional layers. The narrative was spot on. I felt it all!! The painful years of longing and heartbreak. The emotions hit so much harder with audio, and these narrators did not disappoint. I loved the healing journey that this book took us on and cannot wait to see what Vari Scott will write next.
I would like to thank Luna Literary and Vari Scott for the ARC/ALC, these are my honest thoughts on the book.
Review of advance copy received from Author
🅰🆁🅲 🆁🅴🆅🅸🅴🆆
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Resonance by Vari Scott
"𝑰𝒇 𝑰 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒉𝒐𝒘, 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅. 𝑰'𝒅 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒊𝒇 𝑰 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅."
Ms. Vari Scott did it again. I was not emotionally prepared for this.
I’m usually not a second chance kind of reader, but wow… this one completely got me. The tears I’m shedding are a mix of heartbreak and swooning, and yes, my couch blanket has officially suffered the consequences.
From the moment I pressed play, I was completely immersed. The narration didn’t just tell the story, it brought it to life in such a vivid, intimate way that I felt like I was right there beside the characters, feeling everything with them. I found myself pausing just to brace my heart for what was coming next.
"𝒀𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒈, 𝑰 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒚 𝒊𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒖𝒅, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏'𝒕 𝒍𝒂𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈."
When one dream shatters, another begins to take shape and this story captures that beautifully. It is layered with heartache, self worth, purpose, love, and that quiet, aching journey of finding your way back home. Music sits at the very core of it all, threading the emotion through every moment. The character arcs are heavy, meaningful, and deeply human. It’s about learning to find strength within yourself, and then discovering how to lean on each other when it matters most.
Jason Clarke and Tim Paige were absolutely incredible as Declan and Cooper. They didn’t just narrate, they embodied these characters. Every emotion, every crack in their voices, every quiet moment… it all felt real. I honestly don’t know if it’s Vari Scott’s powerful writing or the narrators’ stunning performance, but together, they created something unforgettable.
This is one of those stories you don’t just listen to… you feel it. And this book is something you cannot miss.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Resonance by Vari Scott
"𝑰𝒇 𝑰 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒉𝒐𝒘, 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅. 𝑰'𝒅 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒊𝒇 𝑰 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅."
Ms. Vari Scott did it again. I was not emotionally prepared for this.
I’m usually not a second chance kind of reader, but wow… this one completely got me. The tears I’m shedding are a mix of heartbreak and swooning, and yes, my couch blanket has officially suffered the consequences.
From the moment I pressed play, I was completely immersed. The narration didn’t just tell the story, it brought it to life in such a vivid, intimate way that I felt like I was right there beside the characters, feeling everything with them. I found myself pausing just to brace my heart for what was coming next.
"𝒀𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒈, 𝑰 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒚 𝒊𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒖𝒅, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏'𝒕 𝒍𝒂𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈."
When one dream shatters, another begins to take shape and this story captures that beautifully. It is layered with heartache, self worth, purpose, love, and that quiet, aching journey of finding your way back home. Music sits at the very core of it all, threading the emotion through every moment. The character arcs are heavy, meaningful, and deeply human. It’s about learning to find strength within yourself, and then discovering how to lean on each other when it matters most.
Jason Clarke and Tim Paige were absolutely incredible as Declan and Cooper. They didn’t just narrate, they embodied these characters. Every emotion, every crack in their voices, every quiet moment… it all felt real. I honestly don’t know if it’s Vari Scott’s powerful writing or the narrators’ stunning performance, but together, they created something unforgettable.
This is one of those stories you don’t just listen to… you feel it. And this book is something you cannot miss.
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