Book Review: Broncos and Ballads by Jody Hedlund

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Soulful country singer meets beautiful model! Broncos and Ballads is a heartwarming story about two people finding something real in the middle of the spotlight.

Brock McQuaid is a hit-making country singer fresh off a world tour and a messy breakup. When the tabloids start questioning whether he even understands the love he sings about, his ratings take a hit. Venus Vargas—a sought-after model and acquaintance of Brock’s—has secretly been in love with her best friend, Reed, one of Brock’s friends and a fellow country singer, since high school. But when she accidentally ends up in Brock’s arms while eavesdropping on a private moment between Reed and his girlfriend, Lexi, she impulsively blurts out that she’s dating Brock—partly to cover her heartbreak and partly to make Reed a little jealous too.

To protect their images and quell the gossip, Brock and Venus’s PR teams devise a plan: fake a relationship for a few months, distract the media, and boost both of their public profiles.

Broncos and Ballads is full of all the good feels—watching two people strip away the bright lights and discover who they really are. Brock and Venus’s friendship deepens as they spend time together. Venus becomes Brock’s muse, inspiring songs straight from the heart. In turn, Brock sees Venus as so much more than a pretty face—he sees the woman behind the glamour.

Even though the relationship starts out fake, their feelings soon become very real. It’s sweet, fun, and full of tender moments that made me smile from beginning to end.

While you can read this book as a stand-alone book, it is most rewarding to read it after reading Spurs and Sparks.

Request Broncos and Ballands at your local library, preorder it at most retailers, or find it for sale on Amazon.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Jody Hedlund. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

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Official Book Blurb:

The bad boy feels the McQuaid legacy of love is out of his reach. Maybe it’s closer than he realizes.

After a bad breakup, country music star Brock McQuaid finds his ratings tanking as fans begin to question whether he’s really experienced the love he sings about so passionately. To salvage his reputation, he agrees to pretend to fall in love with supermodel Venus Vargas, because she needs his help too.

Venus always thought she would marry her best friend Reed. But when he throws a surprise party celebrating his engagement to another woman, Venus finds herself scrambling to make sense of her relationship with him. To keep from being humiliated, she agrees to fake date Brock McQuaid.

The power couple makes headlines, but how long can they keep up their charade? Or is it a charade? The more time they spend together, the more real the relationship begins to feel. Will they be able to overcome the obstacles holding them back from love before their sham comes crashing down and crushes them both?