From the publisher:
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Tracy Wolff comes a fierce, emotional romance about two people surviving the spotlight and choosing love when everything says they shouldn’t.
They call her the Black Widow. A pop star. A tabloid tragedy. A girl who set the world on fire—and got burned in return.
But Sloane Walker doesn’t care what they say. Not anymore. The headlines, the hashtags, the rumors that never die? Let them come. She’s survived worse—like the betrayal that nearly destroyed her and the fans who blamed her for surviving. These days, she’s armor and eyeliner, singing songs that hurt and pretending they don’t.
She’s halfway through a sold-out tour and dangerously close to unraveling when a meet-and-greet throws her into the path of Mateo Sylvester—a media darling with a magnetic smile, a thriving career of his own, and a grandmother who happens to be Sloane’s biggest fan. He knows exactly how brutal the spotlight can be. He’s lived it. He’s got the press eating from his hand. She’s got a flask full of sweet tea, a voice full of ghosts, and no patience for golden boys with good intentions.
She tells herself it’s just a photo op. Just another handshake. Just another public face with private secrets and no idea what it means to bleed for your art.
But Mateo sees more than the stage persona. He sees the cracks in her smile. The songs she’s too scared to write. The girl underneath the glitter, still fighting to stay.
They weren’t supposed to fall. Not in the spotlight. Not when the world is watching. And definitely not when the people closest to them would do anything to keep them apart.
“Over the course of Wolff’s novel, both Sloane and Sly are revealed to be well-developed characters, and the plot moves briskly….An emotionally grounded romantic thriller with enough steam to satisfy genre fans.”―Kirkus Reviews
This is a Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce inspired romance that pairs a chart-topping pop star with an NFL star.
Twenty-seven-year-old Matteo “Sly” Sylvester is the quarterback for the Austin Twisters. Raised by his grandmother, Abuela Ximena, alongside his three sisters, Sly’s life revolves around family. To surprise his grandmother, he splurges on concert tickets—and a meet-and-greet—for her favorite artist: pop superstar Sloane Walker, better known as Black Widow. That brief encounter changes everything. A photo Sloane takes with Abuela Ximena accidentally captures Sly in the background, igniting an instant media frenzy. The attraction between Sly and Sloane is undeniable, but Sloane is convinced a relationship would be a mistake. Sly is too kind, too genuine, and far too good to be dragged into her chaotic, hyper-scrutinized world. Sly, however, is all in—and determined to prove they are worth the risk.
Sloane, though, is no stranger to scandal. Both of her former serious partners died tragically—one in a drunk driving accident, the other in a drowning—fueling obsessive fandom, conspiracy theories, and relentless online hate. Deeply traumatized and emotionally guarded, she hides behind a carefully constructed persona, pretending that her flask of sweet tea is bourbon while keeping the world firmly at arm’s length. That armor begins to crack when she meets Sly and his warm, loving grandmother.
Sly is immediately drawn to Sloane’s magnetic yet closed-off nature. Haunted by the trauma of discovering that a teammate assaulted his sister, he carries a fierce protective instinct. When Sloane begins receiving disturbing threats—complete with eerie dolls and escalating danger—his determination to keep her safe only intensifies. As their relationship grows under constant media scrutiny, Sloane must decide whether she is willing to let him in, even as a stalker shadows her tour. With the press tracking their every move and the stalker growing bolder, Sly and Sloane must decide if their connection can survive the pressure.
I wanted to feel more emotionally connected to the characters, but the insta-love element lost me early on, and it took me a while to fully invest in their story. Their backstories unfold slowly, making the first half feel sluggish. That said, both Sly and Sloane are engaging characters, and once the story gains momentum, the tension, drama, and emotional depth come through.
As the plot progresses, it becomes increasingly crowded with crime-thriller elements—including FBI involvement—which distracts from the central romance. Still, one of the novel’s strengths lies in its pop culture nods, especially the clever use of Taylor Swift song titles like “Getaway Car,” “Willow,” “August,” and “Wildest Dreams.”
This is very much a he-falls-first romance, blending a slow-burn romance with some steam. There is plenty of playful banter and a handful of delightfully cheesy, swoon-worthy moments. Ultimately, this is a story about more than romance. It is about healing, standing back up after life knocks you down, piecing yourself together, and learning to accept the joy you deserve.
2/2026 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
IT HAPPENED ON A SUNDAY by Tracy Wolff. Entangled: Amara. (September 2, 2025). ISBN: 978-1649379184. 465p.
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