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Haven’t read Humans Don’t Have Horns yet? It’s available on KU, in paperback, and the audiobook is widely available across major platforms. All links in my Linktree.
This book gave me:
💔 A betrayal so messy it almost felt impossible to recover from
🚗 A road trip that forced two broken people into close proximity
🔥 Chemistry that started as revenge and became something much deeper
❤️ A reminder that healing sometimes arrives wearing the wrong face
The Plot
When Sean discovers that his girlfriend is sleeping with his uncle, and Calliope realizes her husband is cheating, their worlds collide in the most painful way possible. What starts as an unlikely friendship becomes a road trip, a rebound, and eventually something neither of them planned for.
My Breakdown
I’m subscribed to J.R. Rogue on Substack, which means I followed her long before I picked up one of her novels. There is something genuinely special about discovering books this way, instead of the algorithm.
It took me about a year to read this book, so don’t stop talking about your books. Sometimes readers aren’t ready for a book when they first hear about it, but every time you mention it, you’re helping it find its way to the people who need it.
We often talk about supporting indie authors, but Substack has created a space where readers can follow authors directly, watch their careers unfold, and discover books they might never have encountered otherwise. This is a huge game-changer for indie authors.
And, the truth is, if I hadn’t already been subscribed to J.R. Rogue on Substack, I probably never would have picked up this book. The rock star trope has never been one I actively seek out. In my head, it’s usually associated with rom-coms and celebrity romances, which tend not to be my preferred corner of the romance genre.
But The Rebound wasn’t that at all. And I knew enough about J.R. Rogue to trust her storytelling. The Rebound didn’t glamorize fame so much as humanize it. Sean’s celebrity status wasn’t there to make him seem larger than life. It highlighted how isolating that kind of life can be. This book didn’t make me fall in love with the rock star trope. It showed me that, in the right hands, even a trope I normally avoid can become a story I genuinely enjoy.
Rogue has shared that Shawn Mendes was part of the inspiration for Sean’s character. The funny thing is that I had absolutely no idea who Shawn Mendes was when I started reading. (I’m too old). In a way, I think that worked for my benefit because I didn’t expect anything related to the, apparently, very famous persona. Since reading, I’ve gotten to hear a lot of Mendes’ songs because my twelve-year-old son loves them. I can see what all the hype is about.
The Rebound doesn’t ease you into the story. It throws you directly into betrayal and heartbreak. Add family connections, age gaps, and a rebound relationship, and this book is packed with emotional explosives. The uncle is one of the worst assholes, and I really hated him and Sean’s girlfriend. They were both abusive in their manipulative ways to the extreme. To get me all riled up as a reader is definitely a good testimony to Rogue’s skill.
I really enjoyed Rogue’s writing. The book is absolutely a page-turner. But what stood out to me wasn’t just the pacing. It was how real everything felt. The characters felt like actual people. Their reactions, frustrations, and vulnerabilities felt believable.
I also loved the sense of place. The locations didn’t feel like generic backdrops where scenes happened to take place. They felt connected to the story and the characters’ emotional journey.
Rouge created a sense of longing and a strong desire to see things end in an HEA.
The Rebound is book one in the Red Note trilogy. And I encourage you to subscribe to J.R. Rogue and read more of her beautiful writing. I’m planning on keeping reading her stuff.
Some of the links I share will be affiliate links. I’ll still only recommend books I genuinely loved (honest reviews, always). If you buy through one of my links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
