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Superstar
When Leon first saw him singing in a dive bar, he was mesmerized. But he didn't know he'd be going home with the dangerously sexy lead singer that night. He couldn't have predicted he'd fall in love. But then, Leon never expected his love to be reciprocated. Yet the hot singer with the gravely voice told Leon he loved him; told him he’d come back.
So, why, three years after that fateful night, is Leon perched at the edge of a bridge, ready to make a fatal leap?
Superstar is the story of a groupie and the rock star he loves. It's the tale of a man on the edge, both literally and figuratively...and it's a timeless story of love found and lost lost, all set to a driving rock beat.
Superstar is about promises made, promises broken, and dreams unfulfilled. And, ultimately, it's about realizing that love can come along when one least expects it—and in the unlikeliest of places...
Genres: Gay / Contemporary / The Arts
50 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2009
2 people are currently reading
84 people want to read
About the author
Rick R. Reed
118 books1,046 followersReal Men. True Love.
Rick R. Reed is an award-winning and bestselling author of more than sixty works of published fiction, spanning genres such as horror, psychological suspense and love stories. He is a Lambda Literary Award finalist and a multiple Rainbow Award winner.
Entertainment Weekly has described his work as “heartrending and sensitive.” Lambda Literary has called him: “A writer that doesn’t disappoint…”
Find him at www.rickrreedreality.blogspot.com. Rick lives in Palm Springs, CA, with his two rescue dogs, Kodi and Joaquin.
Rick R. Reed is an award-winning and bestselling author of more than sixty works of published fiction, spanning genres such as horror, psychological suspense and love stories. He is a Lambda Literary Award finalist and a multiple Rainbow Award winner.
Entertainment Weekly has described his work as “heartrending and sensitive.” Lambda Literary has called him: “A writer that doesn’t disappoint…”
Find him at www.rickrreedreality.blogspot.com. Rick lives in Palm Springs, CA, with his two rescue dogs, Kodi and Joaquin.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 19, 2017
Superstar is an homage to Karen Carpenter's haunting 1971 version of the song written by Bonnie Bramlett and Leon Russell, originally called "Superstar (The Groupie Song)" :
But like the song, Leon is the one left asking "don't you remember ...." and this sense of devastating loss and deep loneliness leads him to the Aurora bridge in Seattle, aka "the suicide bridge." A hipster on a bike -Russell - stops and tries to talk Leon down from jumping. If you're familiar with Reed's romance novels, you can imagine the ending of this short story. However, if you've read Reed's delightfully macabre stories, maybe you can't help but wonder
Long ago and oh so far away, I fell in love with you before the second show ... Don't you remember you told me you loved me baby, You said you'd be coming back this way again baby ...Leon has an intense one-night-stand with a singer one night in a dive in Ballard and feels a real connection - a sense of destiny - and believes they both fell in love that night.
But like the song, Leon is the one left asking "don't you remember ...." and this sense of devastating loss and deep loneliness leads him to the Aurora bridge in Seattle, aka "the suicide bridge." A hipster on a bike -Russell - stops and tries to talk Leon down from jumping. If you're familiar with Reed's romance novels, you can imagine the ending of this short story. However, if you've read Reed's delightfully macabre stories, maybe you can't help but wonder
February 6, 2017
This was a short quick read that was ok. Leon has an intense one-night-stand with a singer one night in a dive in Ballard and feels a connection and believes they both fell in love that night. This book reminded me of that old song Superstar. While sitting on a bridge a biker Russell tries to talk him out of jumping. This was my first time reading this author. This book was well written with no errors in grammar or spelling I just wish it was longer.
November 20, 2009
This is the second book I read of Rick's 'newer' venture into romance and away from horror (the first was VGL Male).
I think Superstar is an interesting transition between 'horror' and romance that I'm tempted to call 'dark romance'. The reason is that it starts out pretty bleak - the main character, Leon, is about to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge. The only reason he hesitates is that he wants to run through his memories of what brought him to ths point one more time. Those memories are described in vivid detail and I loved the language Rick uses.
When a glimmer of hope appears on the horizon in the form of Russell who comes by on his bicycle and tries to stop Leon from jumping, we not only find out how miserable Russell is himself but, like Leon, we're given a glimmer of hope that life might be worth living after all.
While there is no clear 'happy ending', the hopeful message at the end is encouraging.
I think Superstar is an interesting transition between 'horror' and romance that I'm tempted to call 'dark romance'. The reason is that it starts out pretty bleak - the main character, Leon, is about to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge. The only reason he hesitates is that he wants to run through his memories of what brought him to ths point one more time. Those memories are described in vivid detail and I loved the language Rick uses.
When a glimmer of hope appears on the horizon in the form of Russell who comes by on his bicycle and tries to stop Leon from jumping, we not only find out how miserable Russell is himself but, like Leon, we're given a glimmer of hope that life might be worth living after all.
While there is no clear 'happy ending', the hopeful message at the end is encouraging.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 9, 2011
I really like the way Rick set this one up, I like that it didn't have the 'expected' happy ending, but still had a good one. It was a fun short read worth the time.
June 7, 2017
Packs quite the punch
Wow. I was not expecting this to be as gut-wrenching as it was. I really expected something completely different. Im very happily surprised. This story was well written and evoked so much emotion. The despair was palpable. If the author can tell this good of a story in 30-some pages, I'd love to see what he does with a novel.
Wow. I was not expecting this to be as gut-wrenching as it was. I really expected something completely different. Im very happily surprised. This story was well written and evoked so much emotion. The despair was palpable. If the author can tell this good of a story in 30-some pages, I'd love to see what he does with a novel.
May 25, 2020
Like all Reed's stories, it is well told with emotional depth. But, the premises never worked for me.
August 19, 2011
http://threedollarbillreviews.com/201...
As the blurb states pretty clearly, this is a story about love found...and love lost. It's about the gut-wrenching process of facing reality, and realizing that you can no longer live with the pain, or with being alone. The story is two tales woven together, one looking to the past and the other looking at the future. Though the idea behind the story is quite intriguing, the short length and circumstances of the lost love made the story hard for me to embrace.
Leon is alone on a night when all his friends are busy and decides to visit a bar where a band is playing. He admires the lead singer through the entire show, and though he is sure at times that the singer is looking right at him he doesn't think that could possibly be true. So when the singer approaches him at the end of the night wanting to spend some time together, Leon couldn't be more shocked. An evening of hot sex ends with promises of more and Leon being swept up in thoughts for the future. Reality unfortunately comes crashing down on him, and three years later he's hit rock bottom, all thanks to the encounter with a soon to be superstar.
Superstar is a well-written story, but one with characters and a premise that I found hard to embrace. The underlying message is one that is easy to understand, and I liked the way it was woven into the story, but it was the incident that drives this story that I had some trouble with. Leon and the lead singer are together for one night, and since the mysterious guy doesn't spend the night they are actually together for a few short hours. Now the sex may have been magical, but the words of love and promises of more are a bit hard to believe at that point. Even more difficult, is the fact that three years later Leon is still dealing with the aftereffects of this single meeting. His feelings of abandonment and being used are very real, and presented well within the story, but I would have found them much easier to believe if the relationship between the two had existed for more than just a few hours.
Though Leon is referred to as being a groupie, he meets the singer prior to the band hitting it big. There is some mention that he follows the band's progress and stardom, but not to the level of what I would expect of a groupie. Those details might have made Leon's three-year obsession seem more justified to me, and his inflated memory of that night while following every aspect of the band's rise to fame. It's possible that this is the author's intention, but I didn't get that impression from my reading.
The story is presented in two alternating parts, one with Leon in the present where he's put himself in a precarious situation, and the second a flashback to three years prior. All of the flashback sections are in italics, which I believe is an attempt to make it clear that they are part of the flashback and to separate them from the story that is told from the present. Personally I felt that the story clearly delineated the switches from present to past and the use of italics was overkill. Of course this is a minor detail, and doesn't reflect at all on the story, but it was a bit frustrating to me to read so much in italics when it really wasn't needed.
It's hard to give much detail about the story without revealing too much due to the rather short length. Possibly my favorite character is Russell, whose outlook on life provides a much needed antithesis to what Leon is struggling with at the time they meet. Through the use of three characters, Leon, the singer and Russell, Reed presents different attitudes toward love and promises. A second reading of the story helps to uncover the different threads reflecting on life and love. For me it would have been more successful if the story had been a bit longer, to flesh out the relationships a bit more and make the predicament that Leon finds himself in more believable. That added weight is a crucial and necessary element when commenting on themes that are so global and intricate.
Reed's stories are often set in very specific places and this story is set against a backdrop of Seattle. Readers familiar with the city will likely recognize the included details that add an extra element of realism to the story. In the end, I liked this tale but for me it would have been more effective if executed just a bit differently. The overall themes that are incorporated are presented in an intriguing way, but unfortunately I had trouble connecting with the character of Leon. Others may not have the same issues that I did, and the story is worth a read due to the solid execution and promising ending.
As the blurb states pretty clearly, this is a story about love found...and love lost. It's about the gut-wrenching process of facing reality, and realizing that you can no longer live with the pain, or with being alone. The story is two tales woven together, one looking to the past and the other looking at the future. Though the idea behind the story is quite intriguing, the short length and circumstances of the lost love made the story hard for me to embrace.
Leon is alone on a night when all his friends are busy and decides to visit a bar where a band is playing. He admires the lead singer through the entire show, and though he is sure at times that the singer is looking right at him he doesn't think that could possibly be true. So when the singer approaches him at the end of the night wanting to spend some time together, Leon couldn't be more shocked. An evening of hot sex ends with promises of more and Leon being swept up in thoughts for the future. Reality unfortunately comes crashing down on him, and three years later he's hit rock bottom, all thanks to the encounter with a soon to be superstar.
Superstar is a well-written story, but one with characters and a premise that I found hard to embrace. The underlying message is one that is easy to understand, and I liked the way it was woven into the story, but it was the incident that drives this story that I had some trouble with. Leon and the lead singer are together for one night, and since the mysterious guy doesn't spend the night they are actually together for a few short hours. Now the sex may have been magical, but the words of love and promises of more are a bit hard to believe at that point. Even more difficult, is the fact that three years later Leon is still dealing with the aftereffects of this single meeting. His feelings of abandonment and being used are very real, and presented well within the story, but I would have found them much easier to believe if the relationship between the two had existed for more than just a few hours.
Though Leon is referred to as being a groupie, he meets the singer prior to the band hitting it big. There is some mention that he follows the band's progress and stardom, but not to the level of what I would expect of a groupie. Those details might have made Leon's three-year obsession seem more justified to me, and his inflated memory of that night while following every aspect of the band's rise to fame. It's possible that this is the author's intention, but I didn't get that impression from my reading.
The story is presented in two alternating parts, one with Leon in the present where he's put himself in a precarious situation, and the second a flashback to three years prior. All of the flashback sections are in italics, which I believe is an attempt to make it clear that they are part of the flashback and to separate them from the story that is told from the present. Personally I felt that the story clearly delineated the switches from present to past and the use of italics was overkill. Of course this is a minor detail, and doesn't reflect at all on the story, but it was a bit frustrating to me to read so much in italics when it really wasn't needed.
It's hard to give much detail about the story without revealing too much due to the rather short length. Possibly my favorite character is Russell, whose outlook on life provides a much needed antithesis to what Leon is struggling with at the time they meet. Through the use of three characters, Leon, the singer and Russell, Reed presents different attitudes toward love and promises. A second reading of the story helps to uncover the different threads reflecting on life and love. For me it would have been more successful if the story had been a bit longer, to flesh out the relationships a bit more and make the predicament that Leon finds himself in more believable. That added weight is a crucial and necessary element when commenting on themes that are so global and intricate.
Reed's stories are often set in very specific places and this story is set against a backdrop of Seattle. Readers familiar with the city will likely recognize the included details that add an extra element of realism to the story. In the end, I liked this tale but for me it would have been more effective if executed just a bit differently. The overall themes that are incorporated are presented in an intriguing way, but unfortunately I had trouble connecting with the character of Leon. Others may not have the same issues that I did, and the story is worth a read due to the solid execution and promising ending.
January 4, 2017
This was an interesting setup for a short story. A young guy standing on a bridge, contemplating suicide due the rejection of a past lover.
The story was good. The use of flashbacks was clever and moved the story along at a good pace. But I had a hard time connecting with Leon. I honestly thought he was an idiot for pining after a one night stand for three years. And because we only get the story from his POV, and he's basically hanging off a bridge, I don't think he's a very reliable source of information. I'm not sure if he actually could have an undiagnosed medical condition but considering he's had suicidal thoughts he at least needs some form of help.
IRL I would get him help. Whatever he needed. I have had a suicide in my family and I know what kind of aftermath it leaves in its wake. In fiction however...I really wasn't empathetic to his pain.
The ending was an interesting choice.
If I actually cared whether or not Leon jumped I would have rated this higher, but sometimes in books I'm just immune to this sort of angst.
The story was good. The use of flashbacks was clever and moved the story along at a good pace. But I had a hard time connecting with Leon. I honestly thought he was an idiot for pining after a one night stand for three years. And because we only get the story from his POV, and he's basically hanging off a bridge, I don't think he's a very reliable source of information. I'm not sure if he actually could have an undiagnosed medical condition but considering he's had suicidal thoughts he at least needs some form of help.
IRL I would get him help. Whatever he needed. I have had a suicide in my family and I know what kind of aftermath it leaves in its wake. In fiction however...I really wasn't empathetic to his pain.
The ending was an interesting choice.
If I actually cared whether or not Leon jumped I would have rated this higher, but sometimes in books I'm just immune to this sort of angst.
September 28, 2012
A bit of a darker romance than I usually read when looking for a romantic read. I felt Leon was quite naive and/or suffered grandiose delusions and he was a bit immature. He got his heartbroken by a one night stand whom he believed he loved and was loved by. He created this situation on his own(yea okay the guy egged him on but he never gave up even when the guy turned him away) and when he didn't get what he wanted decided he was going to end his life. Russell was a great addition to the story and he made Leon's problems look mediocre compared to what Leon was going through in his life. For me that added in a little shine of light that said "hey man, someone else has it worse and yet he's not jumping off the bridge, my problem is bad but nothing I can't fix if I really want to".
Read
June 21, 2011Read through the On the Edge collection. So sadly, I do not have a copy of that drool-worthy cover.
February 1, 2017
I enjoyed this story. It was wonderful. It reminded od the song " SUPERSTAR" performed by the Carpetners, and Luther Vandross. I loved the song, and I loved this story.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews