Definitely not Starstruck.

Lex Harrington is living a stranger’s life. After high school, she and her boyfriend, superstar quarterback Brad Wakefield, headed off to college, secure in the knowledge of their brilliant future. Then an injury ended Brad’s football career, and he convinced Lex to drop out of school and return home with him, where everything fell apart. 

Because the glossy surface of their relationship concealed a dark truth: years of emotional abuse culminating in Brad’s walking out on Lex and their infant son. At twenty-three, she’s a single mother with no future prospects, struggling to make ends meet while dealing with the aftermath of her destructive marriage.

When Jaron Richards left for college, he vowed he’d never look back. Brad laid waste to his friendship with Lex, leaving nothing to bind Jaron to his hometown. But his unrequited love for Lex has never faded, even as his star has begun to rise, making him Hollywood’s hottest new actor.

Now Jaron is back in town to film his latest movie, and his presence stirs up everything Lex would rather forget. Can they find a way to pick up the pieces and build a future together?

This book's storyline opened up so much potential to be a really good book.  I have been trying to avoid any New Adult books, but this synopsis had me hooked.  I'm a sucker for the celebrity/small town girl story line already, but adding in the element of the emotionally abusive first marriage, I couldn't pass it up when I saw it on Netgalley.  Now I wish I would have. 

The biggest issue with this book was that Lex and Jaron had absolutely no chemistry.  Seriously, zip. It made it almost impossible to get involved in the story. This lack of chemistry also bothered me in the fact that in the end, their relationship came across more of one of convenience for Lex. Even Lex herself had previously said that she never saw Jaron as anymore than a friend prior to their "relationship".  And they had known each other since they were toddlers.  So, color me shocked she suddenly falls in love with the best friend who just so happens to NOW be a rich and famous movie star who is awesome with her kid and is willing to be a father to him right after the kid starts asking why he doesn't have any other boys in his family. There were ways to make all of this believable and seem less like Lex is taking advantage of the person who has loved her his entire life, even when she was in love with an emotionally abusive asshole who happens to be the star quarterback and on his way to the NFL until he blows out his knee, loses his career and promptly bails on her and their son. See where I'm going with this?  You really want to have the benefit of the doubt in Lex, but I was never able to give her that. There just was not enough there. 

I do want to add that Owen, Lex's son, was annoyingly adorable. Three year old boys are cute as hell when they aren't being annoying as hell. The author nailed that aspect of this book.  I also feel that the emotional abuse situation was handled well, in that it showcased a lot of how it happens and the issues that it causes. These things, however, just was not enough to offset the rest of the book. 

At the end, Starstruck definitely did not leave me that way.  

1.5 Stars. 

Arc provided by Sweenix Rising Books via Netgalley for a fair and honest review.