Review: Nothing But Trouble by Matt Cain

Thursday 23 July 2015
Title: Nothing But Trouble
Author: Matt Cain
Publisher: Pan
Publication Date: 16th July 2015
Pages: 528
ISBN: 9781447238300
Source: Review Copy
Rating: 4/5
Purchase: Amazon
Lola Grant is the hottest pop star in Britain and she's about to go global. But behind the music, her addiction to bad boys is taking her personal life in a dangerous direction. When it comes to men, Lola just can't stay away from trouble - and her self-control is pushed to the limit when she meets her handsome new drummer Jake Hunter.

Looking out for Lola is her best friend and manager Harvey Sparks. But Harvey's fighting his own demons and can only watch from the sidelines as the star he helped create begins to fall. When Lola seeks comfort in a life of wild partying, she meets good-hearted showbiz reporter Freddy Jones, a man who may just be able to offer her a way out.

But as she starts rehearsals for her Trouble tour, Lola finds herself faced with an even bigger threat. And unless someone can get through to her before opening night, she's in danger of losing everything she fought so hard for - in full view of the whole world.

Nothing But Trouble is Matt Cain's second novel. His first, Shot Through the Heart has been on my radar for a while but sadly I've never found the time to read it. I'll be hoping to in the near future however as I loved Nothing But Trouble.

Lola Grant is described as the hottest pop star in Britain and she's about to go global. The opening to Nothing But Trouble is so fabulously OTT it should be silly but I loved it (and that's what books like this are all about). Lola finds herself in a situation (only drunk on live TV making some shocking and embarrassing confessions) that would damage the career of most other pop stars. Lola is a very easy character to like because she's so normal and down to Earth in the beginning. Somebody who is just like the rest of us, seeking reassurance and love and somebody who just wants to be happy. Despite the fact she's a famous pop star she is still at times a relateable character.

On the other side of the camera for this confession is Freddy Jones, a showbiz reporter that lacks the bloodthirstiness of his competitive colleagues and somebody that needs that story that could catapult his career. He's not too sure whether he wants that to be Lola however as he could see himself developing feelings for her. Again Freddy is a believable and accessible character, and I actually saw bits of my own personality in his at times throughout this story.

Lola's best friend is her manager Harvey Sparks. He also catches the eye of somebody from the news team, Spike. A man a little younger than him but so very alike that they are perfect for each other. Harvey and Spike were two of my favourite characters in the story, in the beginning so reluctant to share too much about themselves with each other but the reader could see how similar both their lives had been. Their journey from the beginning to the end of the story was brilliant.

Like most pop stars trouble is always just around the corner and whilst I can't talk too much about the story that comes in the form of drummer Jake Hunter who in the beginning was such a cliche of what a straight man sleeping around should be that it was hilarious. Lola's self-control is pushed to the limit when she meets the infuriating Jake. Meanwhile it seems that not everybody is happy about Lola's new found success and that somebody is plotting revenge in the background. Is Lola about to lose everything she has fought for - in full view of the whole world? I do love stories of revenge and couldn't wait to see how everything would play out in this novel.

It is clear when reading Nothing But Trouble just how much fun Matt had writing it, and that always makes a book so much more enjoyable to me. He also uses his own experiences to add authenticity and give a real and believable insight into the music world. Nothing But Trouble is a brilliant summer read that delivers on everything it promises. It was one of my most anticipated July books and it didn't disappoint. I highly recommend the book for fans of Victoria Fox, Nigel May and Rebecca Chance. I'll be hoping to read Shot Through the Heart really soon.

1 comment:

  1. I loved this book. I loved how Lola Grant was a mixture of Adele in her gobbiness and Amy Winehouse with her self destructive nature. Really good story :)

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