Near Miss Rock Star Collection

Near Miss #1-3

by Amy Booker

This collection is a bundle of books 1-3 in the Near Miss Rock Star Series.

Indigo King is the hottest new rock band in the U.S., and they’re just hitting their stride, on and off the stage.
Here is a breakdown of the series:

In Almost: Near Miss Book #1, meet Ryan Crawford, Indigo King’s handsome lead singer and guitarist. He’s the group’s diplomat, always looking out for everyone else. Sarah Lawrence, his former best friend, and writing partner might just give him the second chance he’s always wanted with her. But will Ryan’s rock ‘n roll lifestyle screw it all up for him?

So Close: Near Miss Book #2 takes us in-depth into everything Matt Sturridge, the deliciously mysterious drummer. For the energetic power source of the band, he’s soft-spoken and keeps some deeply painful secrets. Unfortunately, secrets can’t stay hidden forever. Samantha Fisher is filming a documentary of the band while on tour and is determined to figure Matt out. But, it might cost both of them everything.

We follow enigmatic bass player Jude Lockwood in Barely: Near Miss Book #3. The band has just finished a world tour, and it’s back to home base for a small break. For Jude, it’s LA, where his best friend Rena owns Vital Records, LA’s coolest record store. Ren is a single mom of a six-month-old daughter, Charlotte, who’s got Jude wrapped around her pudgy little finger. The self-professed player of the band might just have to reconsider his confirmed bachelor status.

821 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 25, 2022

About the author

Amy Booker is a full-time author and former musician now living her passion of writing complex contemporary romances that immerse readers into the realities—both beautiful and gritty—of life on stage and behind the scenes. Most feature rockstars, while some venture into the glitz of Vegas.

With over a dozen novels under her belt, Amy draws from her own experience to pen authentic plots and multidimensional characters. Never one to shy away from tough topics, her books tackle real situations with emotional depth.

When she's not crafting her next book, you can find Amy embarking on thrilling travels, getting lost in audiobooks, catching Arsenal matches, or tuning into the Critical Role D&D show. She shares her home with rescue pup Gunner and has an adult son with special needs who fills her days with both challenges and immense love.

Stay up-to-date with Amy’s latest heartfelt releases on www.amybookerauthor.com.

Reviews

[Doris · Rating 5 out of 5]

For All Rock Romance Lovers

This is a great collection revolving around the rock band Indigo King giving me so many things I love in my rock star books. If one is for certain with this band is that family is first. The problems come to everyone with their rise to fame. I recommend this rock star collection for everyone who can’t get enough of bad boy rockers.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is 3 full length books in the Near Miss Rock Star Series. Indigo King is a popular rock group, going on tour. Ryan, Matt, and Jude are members of the band. They state they are all equal, a trio. The stories take a peek into the life on tour, and all the difficulties of stardom. We go through all the emotional upheaval as each romance develops. The stories are interconnected, with the main characters appearing in all three books.
Almost: Near Miss Book #1- Story of Ryan (lead singer and guitarist) and Sarah. Sarah was Ryan’s best friend. He blew it, and their friendship got rocky. He is back for a second chance.
So Close: Near Miss Book #2- Story of Matt (drummer) and Samantha. Matt’s childhood was rough and made it so he holds secrets, rarely trusting others with info about himself. Samantha meets Matt when he runs into her. She was brought on to do a documentary of the band. Samantha is just what Matt needed to learn to trust.
Barely: Near Miss Book #3- Story of Jude (bass guitarist) and Rena. Jude and Rena have been friends for over a decade, with Jude firmly in the friend-zone. Rena gets Jude to join a “last man on earth” dating site, so they can both find their partners. (Jude adores Rena’s baby, Charlotte.)

The narrators did a great job! Each character sounded distinctly different. It was a pleasure to listen to them.
I received a free copy of this audiobook, and am voluntarily leaving my review.

[Kirsten Pardini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meet the Band

Book 1 - Almost - Ryan and Sarah

Sweet second chance romance. If you’ve read/listened to Amy booker before, you’ll know how intense her emotional roller coaster can be. These characters prove this same principle. High school best friends with crushes on each other separate to follow the path put in front of them. They come together and let misunderstandings and simple lack of communication ensue. Not gonna lie it’s hard to get through at some points but stick with it! It’s so adorable and worth it by the end.

Book 2 - So Close - Matt and Samantha

The ups and downs of Matt and Sam are so cute! While the story is still intense it was much easier for me to get through then the first one. When their is a lot of “will they, won’t they “ in romances it sometimes gets to me and I need to take breaks! But this one is definitely my fave so far! I love the quiet broody giant! So sweet to watch them get their HEA!

Book 3 - Barely - Ren and Jude

Friends to lovers insta-family type love story. Jude needs to accept he knows how to love and be loved and Ren needs to see what a really man is like to have in her life and around her baby. But will Rens ex husband get in the way, or will their individual fears?
Sweet and steamy finally to this band series!

The voice actors for this series were amazing! They did such a great job giving the characters the correct feeling for their personality!!.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[JoJoRe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook review

Amy Booker is truly gifted.
I can count in one hand the authors that create stories with real, relatable characters. Characters that have normal professions, normal dreams, normal flaws like us. And yes I know being a Rock star and famous is not your everyday normal but these three men are humans just like the normal musicians that chase a career in the industry. In this case they actually made it.

Ryan & Sarah, Matt & Samantha and Jude & Ren are fantastic characters in their own right. Addison Barnes narrates Sarah’s, Samantha’s and Ren’s POVs in each story whilst Ryan Lee Dunlap brings Ryan, Matt and Jude to life. Both narrators do an incredible job.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fabulous rock star collection of three stories surrounding the group Indigo King. It is a great collection with wonderful characters and nicely developed stories. Family and all the fun and drama that brings with some rock star fun and glamour as well as the issues fame bring to the mix. Loved every bit of these stories.

[Mandy Foley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great collection of stories revolving around the boys from rock band Indigo King, full of emotion, these stories cover everything the good, the bad and the ugly, highly recommended to read these, I’m really loving this authors work.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 1, Almost:
Oh this was a fun story! It is a wonderful second chance story with great characters! Sarah and Ryan are almost (see what I did there) perfect together, they just have a few things to overcome along the way. Sarah cut Ryan lose because she thought she was doing the right thing and didn't want to hinder his career, but with his band coming back home to record their next album, that'll make it difficult for them to avoid each other.
It's a second chance type romance, though it could be described as a missed first chance, then earned second chance. Now, Booker does not make it an easy journey for either Sarah or Ryan, they both have to work for it, and she penned a wonderful story for them!
There is wonderful chemistry between the leads, with some steam, and some mild appearances of misconstrued infidelity. (Reasons why if you chose to drink, please do so in moderation because it's not an excuse.)
I'd recommend this story to anyone looking for a second chance story with a rockstar lead!
Plus! I'm fairly certain this band had a small cameo in Booker's other series when the band goes to Vegas. I'll need to reread that book to be sure, but I'm fairly certain.

Book 2, So Close:
Another great addition to the series! This story is delightfully suspenseful! Sam and Matt have an acrimonious start to their relationship, and it gets worse when a jogging accident breaks Sam's wrist. This story is a wonderful slow-burn enemies-to-lovers tale with a perfect amount of suspense! I love Sam, she's a wonderful character with her strength and tenacity, and when she wants something, she goes for it. Matt was a bit more mysterious with his hidden demons and a bit of a hot head. Together, Sam and Matt ignite, especially when Matt pulls his head out of his rear.
I liked how the story had a good mix of romance and suspense, without being too heavy on either. The beginning of the story was a little slow and took time to pick up, but once it did, the rest of the story flowed quite nicely.
This is the second story in the series and the first does not need to be enjoyed before enjoying this one, but I recommend reading/listening to it first to properly enjoy this one!
The story has slow-burn steam and swearing, and some violence on page.
TW: childhood abuse, child neglect, references to drug use (none on page), and violence.

Book 3, Barely:
A fun finale for the series! Jude and Ren were adorable together! It was a perfect single mom/friends to lovers trope.
Ren and Jude have been friends for eleven years, so what's changed now? Matt and Ryan are engaged and Jude is still single and he finally notices his friend Ren and her adorable daughter Charlotte. It's an entertaining story with the fun angst of friends who think their love is unrequited and fear ending a friendship if they are wrong. There is plenty of Charlotte in the story, she's not just included for a little then forgotten about. I liked the addition of Charlotte's dad, it was a little rocky at first, but definitely helped the story. There were times where I would have loved if they could have both just talked to each other because talking is always an important part to all relationships!
The story has swearing and a little steam, and tons of angst!
The book can be read as a standalone, but read the others first because they are great!

I loved both narrators and I thought both of them did an excellent job with the voices and giving each character a personality!.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Near Miss Rockstar Collection is a fabulous box set that includes all three books in the series. 
Almost:
Sara and Ryan were best friends through high school and both felt more but didn't say a word. His dream is to be a rockstar, so she has to do the thing that hurts her the most and push him away to let him follow his dream. It hurt Ryan just as much and when he comes home to write songs for their next album, he can't let himself see her. But he finds out her reason for letting him go and they try to rekindle their love. 
So Close:
Matt is the drummer in the band Indigo King, and Sarah is with them on tour to video their daily life. Matt is a moody person, anyway, but his bandmates know something is wrong because he's actually nervous. Sarah can see something's bothering him and makes an attempt to get him to open up. Matt almost bites her head off, but realizes that he feels comfortable talking to her. He admits that he needs to protect her and the band from his unhinged brother, but there's someone on the tour who's a mole and letting his brother in on all of their plans. It's a good story and Matt is particularly well-developed, with his Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde behavior, he's lucky that Sarah won't give up on him.
Barely:
Jude is the bassist for Indigo King and he has a reputation as a womanizer, but a good friend. His very best friend, Ren Scott, is newly single and the mother of the most adorable little girl, Charlotte. Jude and Ren are obviously great friends, but Ren hasn't had such good luck with men. Besides, they're just good friends, right? As they spend more time together, especially caring for Charlie, the lines are blurred. After a disastrous New Year's Eve's kiss, both Jude and Ren have to figure out if they're friends or more. The narration is very well-done by Ryan Lee Dunlap and Addison Barnes. Their expressive voices are well-modulated and the pacing is even with the right emotion to bring them to life. 

[Karen Soriano · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised at how good this box set is.
This is a rock star romance. Each story is about one of the members of the band.
Each finds love after dealing with their own problems.
These books had all the feels and kept me interested throughout the whole trilogy.

Addison and Ryan did an excellent job with the narration,

This book was an ARC and this is my honest review.

[Trisha c · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these stories. Amy Booker stories are about a rock band that struggles in life and their rise in fame. . She includes the good , bad and ugly parts of being on the road, their fights, hookups, drinking and being out of control.
But ,they all find love, but it wasn't easy for them, Jealousy, feelings of betrayal, danger ,stalkers; all put the relationships to the test. I love how each story is interconnected , and how the band always put family first, no matter what the situation is.
Addison Barnes and Ryan Lee Dunlap are new narrators for me. They are very talented voice actors. They were amazing and gave each character their own voices and personalities. Thank you for a great listen.
I was gifted this audio by the author and offered my honest review.

[TELA666 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked that each book & band member had a distinct personality & plot. For me So Close was the best, then Barely followed closely by Almost, 5☆, 4.5☆ then 4☆'s.
For Rockstar books they lean towards slow burn, drug free ( some alcohol) and strong morals overall which is unusual but refreshing. The loneliness and sacrifices of the lifestyle are at the forefront.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Caroline Doig · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are emotional stories in this fantastic rockstar collection with the guys from the band Indigo King and this is my absolute favourite genre rockstars, bands etc.
Book 1 Almost: Ryan’s and Sarah’s story.
Book 2 So Close: Matt’s and Samantha’s story.
Book 3 Barely: Jude’s and Ren’s story.
A wonderful, sexy and entertaining collection I loved these stories and the characters and I can’t wait to read more by this author and I definitely recommend this collection.

[Dee Mac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Almost
I can’t praise this book enough. A heartbreaking second chance “almost” love story about Ryan and Sarah, and their family and friends. A lot of angst, a few heartbreaks, and strong love. A smiled, my chest hurt and I cried but I couldn’t put it down. A strong start to what promises to be an amazing and emotional series.

So Close
Oh my, this one was tough to read, but in a good way. Matt had lived with so many demons for so long and Samantha’s arrival coinciding with his past returning made for some serious ups and downs. Hard issues were covered but with compassionate delivery. A love story at it’s core with a touch of passion, sweetness, humour and romance.

Barely
I have loved this series. The writing is captivating and heartfelt, you are part of the journey that the characters are on. Jude and Ren are so sweet and cute, their banter is witty and humorous. The unrequited love and heartbreak they both suffer through is emotional and brought tears to my eyes. However, when they finally express their feelings for each other we are given a truly beautiful, steamy HEA.

An absolutely wonderful series and I’m so glad it’s now available as a boxset, Amy Booker has fast become one of my favourite authors.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Anij · Rating 5 out of 5]

“There were chances, just a chance for something more.”

What’s better than a rockstar romance? How about a box set with three rockstar romances? This is all three books in Amy’s Near Miss series about the members of the rock band Indigo King. Like many rockstar series each book focuses on a different band member and are better if read in order. These three books flow from one to the next naturally. Even though book one, Almost, focuses on Ryan and Sarah we are also first introduced to Matt and Jude. The scenes with them help us understand both men better so when we later read their books, we already know a little about them. I especially felt this helped with Jude. There’s a scene where he goes over to Sarah’s house to talk to her that really demonstrated he’s much more than the player he likes everyone to think he is. The first book also really shows us the tight bond between the three band members who consider themselves family. This is more important in book two where we learn all of Matt’s secrets and just how much he really needs this family. Almost has an ending that is a little vague. Ryan and Sara’s true HEA doesn’t come until later in the series which again illustrates the need to read them all in order. I think providing all the books together like this just makes sense and is the absolute best way to experience everything this band and the three rockstars have to offer.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Near Miss Rock Star Collection

I won this collection in a Goodreads Giveaway. This was a really good romance collection. Not too heavy on "relations" if you know what I mean, but more focused on the falling in love aspect. There are three stories in this collection that follow a band of three Rockstars. Each story focuses on each of the members of the band and who they fall in love with. I absolutely fell in love with each band member and their personalities which were all different and beautifully displayed. I highly recommend this collection. Thank you for my copy!

[Cindie Wenger · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow

Wow, just wow! Love, love, love, Ren and Jude! They’ve been friends for so long they were afraid to ruin it with a romantic relationship. Each one has feelings about the other, but is afraid to tell each other. Jude falls in love with Charlotte, and is certainly a baby whisperer. He finally pulls his head from his tail and tells her how he really feels. Completely love this series. Each character could be a best friend. Hope there will be an update with these couples.

[Denise Brennan · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent

This is a new author for me and one I am glad I discovered. Each story can be read alone but is better as a box set. The main characters are real, flawed people making the love stories more realistic and entertaining.

[Petra Moss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fabulous boxset about a rock band and the relishing various members developed. Hour of endless fun .

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Fiestymomof5kids · Rating 5 out of 5]

love these books such a great read