Slick's review posted at Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews 
 Music is special; it brings people together, it makes us happy, it helps us grieve and it a part of our everyday lives. That is especially true for Liberty (Libby) Bell and Killian James. Their lives have centered around music but in very different ways and Idol is what happens when their worlds collide. Idol by Kristen Callihan is a beautifully told story of friendship, life, love and of course music and I found it impossible to put this book down. 
 To say that Libby and Killian meet in an unusual way is putting it mildly and believe me Libby doesn't put anything mildly. I loved that she was outspoken, unflappable and so strong despite the losses in her life. While it was easy to see her pain she was doing the best she could to deal with her new life and she thought she was doing a pretty good job until Killian crashed into it. 
 Full of charm and smiles Killian is every bit the heartthrob his fans make him out to be so meeting a woman who not only doesn't fall at his feet but seems to view him with disdain is a new experience, but he can't help but admit there is something about "Ellie May" that peaks his interest. 
 At first it was easy to think of this as opposites attract story, but it becomes clear quite quickly that these two are very much alike. There was a slow build up to their relationship that was endearing and the fact that they so easily shared so much of their lives with one another was quite telling. They really did form a strong friendship before anything sexual happened between them. I loved that we got to see this from both of their points of view; the longing, the fear and the feelings neither one wanted to admit, but what was even better was seeing how much they genuinely respected and cared for one another even during their most difficult times. 
 What I loved most about this book besides the attention to the music they both loved and shared was the dialog; it was smart, funny, reverent and at times lyrical. The author wrote the characters voices so distinctly (and I'm talking every character in the book) that I could hear them in my head. Their tone, the infliction, the humor and yes, their smarta$$yness (and I know that's not a word but it should be). 
 When I got down to the 80% mark I got a little nervous and was afraid this book was going to end in a cliffhanger which would have ruined a fantastic story, but instead this author wove magic around these characters and through the music they shared with each other showed there was hope and a future. 
 There was so much right about Idol and while this could have turned into an angst filled mess on many levels, Ms. Callihan instead chose to focus on the music, the friendships, and the love and in that she gave us a wonderful love story of a couple who will make beautiful music together for a lifetime. 
 Review copy provided for an honest review.