Review: Before He Was Famous by Becky Wicks

One guy, one girl. One in the spotlight. One in the shadows.

Falling in love with your best friend isn’t always a great idea, especially when he’s Noah Lockton - the sexiest, most famous new talent on the planet. When 21-year-old small-town photographer Chloe Campbell is offered the chance of a lifetime – to join her celebrity childhood friend Noah on tour as an exclusive blogger for a New York magazine – she’s certain both have put what happened four years ago behind them. But his eyes still burn; his voice is still a jackhammer to her heartstrings; all his songs are about her. Is it possible that that night still haunts them both?

The music industry is a machine, spinning hype and rumors as much as his records. It’s not just Noah’s girlfriends who’ve got it in for Chloe (there’s no stopping the Twitter-obsessed, cat-loving pop-star Courtney Lentini for starters). Pretty soon, the jealousy and media frenzy surrounding these so-called-friends takes a life-changing turn and it seems making love means making enemies at every turn. When tragedy threatens to pull the final curtain on their relationship, both Chloe and Noah must make a choice. As much as this world leaves them starstruck, is living their dream really worth living without each other?

A story of lifelong friendships, love and hope, set in a world of celebrity, fame and social media gone very, very wrong.


4 Star Review by Jen Skewes

I am such a sucker for friends to lovers romance stories.  I know there is the usual angst that goes with these stories.  With one person loving the other even though the other person has no clue.  So they just sit back and keep their feelings to themselves about how they feel and watch as the other goes on with their sex life and relationships.   And truthfully I love every minute of it.  I love watching two friends fall in love and work out their feelings for each other.  Before He Was Famous is a friends to lovers romance but so different than what I expected and I mean that in a good way. 

Noah and Chloe have been best friends for as long as they can remember.  They’ve shared everything together and have always been by each other’s side.  Noah has been chasing his dreams of becoming a rock star.  And now he has the chance to live those dreams when he wins Show Us What You've Got.  Noah cannot be happier about winning and Chloe is just as happy for him and proud of him. But neither one of them know what wild ride they are about to embark on now that Noah is going to be famous.

Chloe is going to be joining Noah on the road as a blogger for a popular music magazine.  Chloe and Noah have been best friends for so long.  But they have also managed to keep their feelings for each other to themselves.  Four years ago they had a moment that neither one of them has spoken about since.  And while they are still best friends things are a little different between them since that night.  While Chloe is still a very important person in Noah’s life she feels like she is living in his shadow.    She loves him but having to deal with his girlfriends, his fame, the way the media spins things around is tough on her.  Noah is not the only one that is affected by his fame.   Noah and Chloe love each other even if neither one of them will admit it. When things start to become out of control for the both of them, as a result of Noah’s fame, the friendship that they have starts to slowly go down hill as well.  Will they be able to save their friendship and finally admit their feelings for each other or will fear get in the way?

I love this book for so many reasons.  I had expected the typical rock star romance with the angst that goes along with it.  And yes there was drama and some angst as well but it was nothing of what I expected which I loved.  This was a story about two friends who loved each other, but were both afraid to admit their feelings.  It is about two people trying to survive the obstacles that life has thrown their way.  Living your life in the spotlight is not easy especially when your record company and agent want to you go along with the scandals and the let people assume that what they read is the truth.  But how long will that work before it starts to affect who you truly are. How long before you start to lose yourself which means the possibility of also losing the one person that means the most to you?

Chole loved Noah but was so afraid of what she would lose by giving in to her feelings.  What I loved about Noah aside from him just being totally swoon worthy was how much he loved and cared for Chloe.  You could see that his feelings for her went way beyond friendship.  No matter who he was with Chloe is the one who always mattered.  There were moments when things between them became very rocky, their friendship starting to crumble, and my heart completely broke for them.  But at the same time I just wanted to yell at the two of the and tell them to wake up and see what they had together.   It seemed everyone around them knew they were meant to be except for them.   I wanted them to get over their fear and realize that they were meant to be together. 

Before He was Famous was such a great read.   I loved the drama and the suspense.  I loved Noah and Chloe together, both as friends and lovers.  Yes this is the story of becoming famous and how it affects your life but it is also a love story.  Becky Wicks did such a wonderful job with this story that is told in alternating point of views which I always love.  I love being inside the head of both characters.   And I loved their nicknames for each other. 

The supporting characters in this book were also fantastic.  I loved the relationship that Chloe had with Noah’s family especially his brother.  They were all a wonderful addition to this story.  I cannot wait for the next book in this series.