Lonely for You Only: A Lancaster Novel

by Monica Murphy

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

An utterly charming new adult romance revolving around party life, viral sensations and the entertainment industry, Lonely for You Only is packed with the kind of romantic tension that keeps the pages turning.

From New York Times bestselling author and BookTok sensation Monica Murphy comes a swoon-worthy new-adult romance full of love songs.

Young heiress Scarlett Lancaster is delighted when her father tells her he hired a famous pop star and former boy band member to play at her eighteenth birthday. But delight becomes utter disappointment when it turns out he wasn’t talking about Harry Styles. No, Scarlett’s dad hired Tate Ramsey, former lead singer of the band Five Car Pileup, who hasn’t been popular for years.

Tate, after years of alcohol- and drug-fueled partying, is sober and ready for a comeback. He is in top form at Scarlett’s party and blows the audience away with his performance—though Scarlett herself still isn’t impressed. But when they talk after he leaves the stage, their encounter ends in a kiss that surprises them both—and immediately goes viral.

The viral kiss and the video of Tate singing at the party do wonders for both of their burgeoning careers. So after some careful negotiation, the two of them agree to start a fake relationship. But before long they discover their feelings might not be fake after all …

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798212630955
Publisher:	Blackstone Publishing
Publication date:	02/06/2024
Series:	The Lancaster Prep Series , #6
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	70,172
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 5.30(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Karen Erickson is a USA Today bestselling author who writes what she loves to read, sexy contemporary romance, and has had novels published since 2006. She also writes as the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Monica Murphy.

Editorial Reviews

Monica Murphy has the uncanny ability to yank at your heartstrings and leave them in tatters. Angsty, sexy, funny, and delicious—this is another slam dunk straight into my top three books this year!”

Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling auth L. J. Shen

11/27/2023

Bestseller Murphy (Playing to Win) delivers an addictive new adult romance between a former bad-boy pop star and a heiress with hidden depths. Scarlett Lancaster is ecstatic when her father announces a surprise performance by a pop star at her 18th birthday party—until she sees it’s Tate Ramsey, a washed-up former member of Five Car Pileup, the boy band Scarlet was obsessed with in middle school but hasn’t listened to since. For newly sober 21-year-old Tate, the performance is an opportunity to rebrand himself after spending most of his career wasted. The two butt heads after the show, but what begins as a heated conversation turns into a steamy make-out session. After their kiss is captured by paparazzi, rumors that they’re a couple start flying. With Tate’s breakout performance gaining traction and Scarlett’s hopes of becoming an influencer suddenly within reach, the two decide to use the misconception to boost their careers, forming a contractual agreement to act as a loving couple in public. The result is a fun fake-dating setup replete with banter and sexual tension. Though Scarlet starts out a bit one-dimensional, readers will enjoy seeing both characters grow together and separately. This is sure to find fans. Agent: Nicole Resciniti, Seymour Agency. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

Monica’s writing doesn’t just blow me away. It owns me.”

USA Today bestselling author Marni Mann

Murphy’s exploration of new-adult characters figuring out who they are and what they want to be rings true, and the chemistry between them…will have readers cheering them on.”

Booklist

Monica Murphy books are guaranteed five-star reads. With addictive writing and lovable characters, her stories hold you captive from the first page to the last.”

Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling auth Devney Perry

Addictive and utterly romantic. A must-read of 2024!”

New York Times bestselling author Samantha Young

Passionate, sexy, and heartwarming, Lonely for You Only is a love story that captures the sizzling chemistry, playful moments, and breathless longing of falling in love.”

New York Times bestselling author Lauren Layne

2023-11-04
A demure heiress falls for a bad-boy rock star with a sordid past.

Scarlett Lancaster has everything a rich teenager could desire, but all she really wants is for Ian Baldwin to realize she’s been crushing on him for years. Scarlett is sure Ian will confess his feelings at her 18th birthday bash, held at the Plaza Hotel courtesy of her wealthy father. Instead, Ian is practically missing in action the entire night, leaving Scarlett to celebrate with her father’s surprise gift: a performance by Tate Ramsey, ex-member of Five Car Pileup. Having received a check for $1 million, the washed-up former boy bander rocks the stage at Scarlett’s soiree, much to the birthday girl’s irritation (she was hoping for Taylor Swift). After a confrontation between the two gets snapped by the paparazzi, Scarlett spontaneously kisses Tate to help him avoid more negative press. When pictures of their kiss go viral, Tate is skyrocketed back into the public’s good graces: the bad boy saved by the virginal ingénue. All of a sudden, Tate is given a second chance at stardom and a new gig with a record label, as long as Scarlett continues to be in the picture. In hopes of making Ian jealous, Scarlett agrees to join Tate in L.A. as he records his new album, even signing a legal agreement to appear as his girlfriend in public. Swept up by the excitement of fame and Tate’s undivided attention, Scarlett can’t help but fall under the rock star’s spell. Murphy’s fake-dating romance teems with allure and tension, but her characterizations tend to miss the mark. Scarlett is devoid of personality, and Tate often feels more crass and borderline pedophiliac than sexy. Though the prospect of a rock star/fan love story is promising, readers will be hard-pressed to find anyone to root for here.

A rock star romance that’s mostly off-key.

Kirkus Reviews