Star Lover: A Spicy Second Chance MM Romance

by Kent Holland

286 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication November 10, 2026

About the author

Kent Holland is an openly Queer writer of gay and queer romance novels that have a lot of heart and a healthy amount of spice. He is based in Tennessee. When he is not writing, he enjoys listening to music, running marathons, spending time with his friends, and reading books in any number of genres. A percentage of the profits of all of his book sales goes to support various LGBTQ+ charities, and you can explore various resources to support the LGBTQ+ community on his website, or through the QR code linked in each book. You can connect with him on Instagram at kenthollandwrites.

Reviews

[Brittany Barbieri]

Star lover by @kenthollandwrites

We have Kenny who is in the adult entertainment industry, shows up to an all inclusive resort for his friend’s wedding. Having a grand time, until his ex Roman shows up as well, which means they are stuck with each other. Let the fun begin! Jumping in and out of their past and present was a refreshing experience! Getting to see how they were in different parts of their lives together.. my favorite!

I loved these two boys together! They were sassy! The fact that in the beginning Kenny is doing everything he can to get under Roman’s skin was just the best, But I will say poor Roman.

I love that we are getting glimpses of the couples in the hothead series. You’re seeing the couples as side characters and kinda catching up and it was so refreshing being able to be back in that world for a brief time.

I adored them together, when they had this moment of clarity and closure between them it felt freeing, because they were both able to understand what happened during their relationship. Seeing how much they loved each other proved that they just needed to be patient and understanding with each other!

The spice between them felt good. Almost like the end of one chapter and the beginning of another!

I couldn’t stop reading their story I was so sucked in and so enthralled by them that I was just having the best time ever! You know a book is good when you tell yourself “ one more chapter.” And one more chapter becomes more then…

This story had so many beautiful twists and turns and moments of love and kindness and then moments where you’re on the edge of your seat along for the ride that these characters are in.

You feel for them!!! Because life is all about the person who you’re always meant to be with and that one person! And they were each other’s person! They just needed to find their way back!

When they admit their feelings again for each other, oh my heart healed, all I wanted it throughout this entire book was for them to find their epilogue! 🥹🤫

I can’t wait for all of you to read this to see if they got their happy ending who knows maybe they did but now you’ll just have to read it and find out! 🤫🤐

[Tim Huitt]

I'm not crying, you are.
To say this was a fun breather between 'Hothead and
'Smokeshow is an understatement. I was at the edge of my seat, rooting for a romance that wasn't supposed to happen between two characters. This novel felt all too real for me. I love how the Hothead universe has actual disasters, emergencies and turmoil that melts into the plot; but the real bad guys in 'Star Loverare miscommunication and trauma.
I always have to commend Kent and his dedication to research and how he handles certain subject matter.
He created such a beautiful story in Star Lover that! wanted so much more! Sex positivity and queer joy are always at the heart of his novels and you can definitely feel it in this one.
Holland's new novel was hot, edgy, and ultimately, a beautiful and heartfelt second chance novel that radiates Queer joy and sex positivity. I LOVED the expansion of Kenny's story and hope we get to see more of him.

[Ivy Margriette]

Thank you to the author for providing an eARC, and this is my honest review!

This is my very first book by Kent Holland, and even though he mentioned this is the shortest book he’s written, I found myself deliberately slowing down my reading speed. When you fall in love with a story, you just don't want it to end!

While this book is definitely spicy, the heat never feels like mindless filler added just to pad the page count or keep things from getting boring. Yes, it centers on a protagonist in the adult industry, but it is about so much more than just the spice! It delves into the craft, art, pride, vulnerability, and heart behind it. True to what Kent highlights in his author’s note, sex work is work, a hard, honest work, and this book portrays that reality with immense grace and respect.

***WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW***

When Roman’s face gets blasted across porn sites for the entire world to see, a cold dread settled right in the pit of my stomach. I called my cousin, a very smart software engineer: "If a 12-second video of my face ended up on a porn site and got taken down, how could I make sure it’s gone for good? Can I just lie and pretend it’s a deepfake?!" Imagine his utter shock before I hastily explained it wasn't about ME, but a fictional author in a book! I fully blame Kent Holland for writing that scene so vividly that it had me sweating, dreading, and spiraling in real life!

***END OF SPOILERS***

After all that agonizing tension, I was so relieved and happy to see them get their well-deserved HFN. This was an incredible, immersive read, and I will definitely check the rest of Kent Holland's backlist.

[Jarrod P]

Y’aaalllllll I was hooked on this. Right from that first dripping moment Kenny and Roman reunite (iykyk) I cackled. From there this book just got its fingers into me I could not put it down.

We have a second change x only one bed trope fest that takes place at Kenny, a sex worker, and Roman’s, a gay romance author, friend’s wedding. As often happens, these ex-boyfriends end up having to share a room much to their annoyance. Particularly as Kenny has work appointments and Roman is struggling with a deadline on his latest book.

Not only does this book hit the spice in the right ways, it’s also full of supportive friends and well placed humour. Throw in a dash of unsupportive families and an accidental scandal and this story will leave you feeling fuller than Kenny during that one scene 😳

This was my first foray into Hollands work and it won’t be my last for sure

[Marley Wright]

This book was beautiful. Funny, witty, emotional, but beautifully put together. I really liked the careful and respectful approach to content creators and how it affects not only the person and how they see themselves, but their relationships, and fights for legitimacy within broader society. The two main characters were wonderful, and I found myself being pulled in by their dynamic from the very beginning. I also liked the way their reconciliation developed—it felt real, and mature without seeming forced. The story did a great job of blending fun, lighthearted moments with serious conversations in a way that made for such an enjoyable read.

[Eli Wallack]

Thank you to Kent Holland for sharing this ARC. It was so delightful to find a really unique story line in a queer romance, even while it visited some familiar tropes. Ex-boyfriends Kenny, an adult film star, and Roman, a romance writer, reunite while in a wedding party. There are some really poignant moments of introspection where the book is able to explore the relationship writers and creators have with people who consume their work. There is a lot of thoughtful consideration of gay culture, shame, masculinity, and family dynamics that really elevate Holland's work.

[Esther]

Some of the best communication can happen whilst naked. Don’t believe me - read this book.

A fantastic effort again. I am a big fan of Kent Hollands work. This one is no exception as it combines wonderfully a great story, interesting characters, liberated naked encounters and a better view on the world.

I was excited about Kenny’s story and i was right to have been (gr?)