This book was recommended to me by a friend who is well aware that I hate pretty much everything having to do with the romance genre. I was definitely skeptical going into it, but I'm SO glad I decided to trust her opinion on this one.

On the surface level, Trick of the Spotlight certainly does appear to be a straightforward boy-meets-girl romance novel. It features a five-member boy band known as Vortex, hailed as perhaps the greatest international success the pop music industry has ever seen. The boys are introduced right off the bat in the first chapter, and while it did take me a bit of time to familiarize myself with such a large cast, they do manage to distinguish themselves fairly quickly with their vastly different personalities. And I have to say, from the sassy, scandalous Kim Mino to the regal, no-nonsense Mahn Jaeyoon, I just may have let out a few fangirl squeals thanks to their hilarious antics and genuine dynamic.

While the plot is heavily focused on the boys, Trick of the Spotlight is told from the perspective of Kit Allister, an American college drop-out who has forged her own path to K-pop stardom through her undying love for Vortex. At this point, you may think you already know where this story is going (I thought I did too), but here is where I will make it clear: "straightforward" is the LAST word I would use to describe this book. 

The first few chapters are mostly lighthearted and fun. The Vortex members are effortlessly charming, and Kit is very much a typical fangirl. This was definitely relatable and even endearing at times, but it did contribute to a bit of a slow start. Before long, though, both Kit and the reader are simultaneously confronted with the fact that Vortex, for better or for worse, are not who they appear to be on camera--and from then on, the book completely hits the ground running. Between the potentially life-ruining secrets, the suspenseful drama, and the rocky relationships between the characters, you barely have a second to gather yourself. I'm pretty sure I wanted to cry for every single character at LEAST once.

During what is probably my favorite scene in the book, everything you thought you'd learned about the characters turns right on its head in one of the most jaw-dropping plot twists I've ever experienced as a reader. Even after all of the chaos that led up to that point, I never saw that one coming. And don't even get me started on the ending!

Between the author's fantastic way with words, the palpable personalities and  emotions of the characters, and the plot twists powerful enough to knock you off your feet, this series deserves all the love it can get. M.L. East, you know how to tell a captivating story.

The cover was super cute. However the story lacked imagery and the pace was very slow. The author introduced a lot of character's in one scene and it overwhelmed me and made the chapter feel jumbled. There is a such thing as introducing too many characters. I felt the author describe a lot of unimportant things. Every one was hard to picture. The dialogue seemed unnatural. It might be just me. Maybe I'm the problem, but I really wanted to enjoy the plot as I do like K-Pop and romance. The idea is a good mix. I couldn't connect with anyone. I give this three stars because show vs tell is a really important asset to any book, but the plot has tons of potential. The author shows great monologue and a clever way of showing the MC past.

The author should have put the "dictionary" in the front as I don't know Korean and it took over 289 pages to find out if was there the whole time to help me. Maybe this book is for someone else. I hate giving bad reviews based on plot because every plot isn’t meant for everyone. So I will base it on writing. I didn’t see any bad grammar that distracted me. So that’s cool

I am drastically unfamiliar with K-Pop and everything surrounding the explosive genre, but I truly enjoyed this book. When they say never meet your heroes or your idols, it's the truth in this story. What we see is a well-orchestrated, choreographed visual for fans to fall in love with, and we believe the facade we are presented. We forget that behind the scenes there are very real, flesh and blood human beings, with feelings and less than perfect personalities. What does it mean to be perfect? What does it mean when someone with all the authority and all the money is pulling the strings? In Trick of the Spotlight we learn this very thing when new K-Pop sensation Kit is thrown into the lion's den with her idols, Vortex. She quickly learns that not everything we see is a true representation of fact; and when the heart gets involved, things can get really messy. East writes a very explosive and entertaining tale with characters that are fully and individually drawn out; some likable, some not so much. East's writing flows smoothly and is a truly fresh voice in the writing world. I was really impressed with the glossary of suffixes, terms, and terms of endearment - it was greatly helpful in understanding and immersing myself in the whole K-Pop experience! And seeing that this book ended on a cliffhanger, I'm looking forward to reading the next installment!

Some of my favorite lines from the book (I highlighted so many while reading it's difficult to pick just a few!):

"My heart took a swing at my ribs and knocked the air out of me because even his name conjured magic, echoes of a voice like liquid starlight."

"...my stilettos sat in a spiky mass of awkward angles looking like a bird with a broken wing."

"He hopped down the stairs like a cotton candy sparrow, basking in the sound of his name in a thousand mouths."

"But there was always something tragic about the lurid display of a sunset, like the sun was flavoring the air with its desperation as Earth turned her face away."

"His palms were a Rorschach test hosting four dancing pairs of gory shoes."

“Trick of the Spotlight” introduces Kit Allister, a young woman from Ohio who’s in to k-pop like millions of others around the world. She’s especially a fan of the group, Vortex. When a video of her singing their biggest hit song goes viral, she finds stardom at the same agency as her idols.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story. Anybody who has been a fangirl of a musician, group, movie star, etc, will get a kick out of how Kit reacts when meeting her idol group and then dreamboat. I laughed at loud several times at her absolute irrational emotional giddy. Amazing. Kit herself is the narrator and more than relatable, she is also very likable. The beginning of the story throws a lot of characters and names out there. It’s a little confusing at first, but about a quarter of the way in they all start to show their individual personalities - do they ever!

No, just no. This makes no sense. None. I don't have words to explain how angry I am about his book. So many themes, no consistency. You've got bullies biting people, threatening people everywhere, supposed best friends, I just can't. Save your money.

Oh. My. God. I am officially obsessed. This book was jam packed with classic k-pop drama, making me nostalgic for all of the manwhas I'd read in the past. Kit is a fantastic heroine, and I absolutely adored her. The light admid Vortex's swirl of destructive emotion. Saichi and Mino (Minchi!) were so wonderfully complicated, and the LBGQT+ aspects were powerful and I just loved how Kit stood her ground when it came to protecting her friends and their identities. Ryo, Namgi, and Jaeyoon filled the expected roles of bad boy, goof ball, and caretaker needed to round out the group, and I'm excited to see more of them (especially Ryo) in book 2. Which I'm going to start reading as soon as I finish this review. Because dayuuuum, this was a good book. Seriously, if you like music industry drama, you NEED to read this.

So, this was a completely fabulous surprise. I've been way into K-drama's lately, and I saw this book go on sale and decided to pick it up on a whim. Dude. It was EXACTLY what I was looking for. It was fun and romantic with surprising plot twists, fabulous banter and loveable characters, and scenes that I just wanted to jump in and LIVE there. I just totally loved it. Today was a day I was supposed to be doing other things, but I just couldn't stop reading this book.

I am SO ready for book 2. I am so ready for book 2, in fact, that I actually signed up for the newsletter for updates (which I NEVER do), and then went straight to ML East's page to see if she'd written anything else. So yeah. Needless to say, I highly recommend this book and WILL be reading the sequel.

Well done, ML East.

I am so glad I found this book and author ! I was hooked from the first chapter. It really drew me in and almost felt like I was back as a pre teen in my young imagination years obsessed with boy bands. I will mention at times it felt long but also I don't have much leisure time to read and often am tired so could only read this here and there. Regardless I enjoyed the plot, characters, and any twists! I am not into K pop but really I could put that aside and think of this as any boy band and can girl who also gets stardom! Ps. I love how the author wrote her bio at the end <3 kudos and looking forward to more from the author - Amanda

First off, I had a lot of reservations about reading this book. K-pop is about the furthest thing you can get from my musical tastes, and while I might enjoy a concert or two once in a blue moon, I've never "stanned" or "shipped" anyone. It's all unnecessary theatrics to me.

However! What I do love, and cannot get enough of, is drama, especially in my romance, and this book delivered both in spades. Each chapter was juicier than the last, and required no actual knowledge of the K-Pop industry to follow along (not that it doesn't help, of course). East did an excellent job of giving the necessary details when needed, while focusing mainly on the actual plot. I can imagine being a K-Pop fan only adds to the fun and intrigue of reading this story, but it's definitely not a necessity, so don't let that hold you back.

As for East's strengths as a writer, I was thoroughly impressed with her descriptions, especially with emotions. While settings were a bit weak, her ability to convey the intensity and rawness of the characters' feelings really drew me into the story. That ability alone was enough to make me want to keep reading. I will only add to this that if you're the type of reader that gets bogged down by a lot of description, this may not be the book for you, but in my personal opinion, I did not think it was overdone.

Additionally, the plot was solid, and touched on a number of important issues that still plague certain cultures and industries in a way most of us probably don't realize. I can imagine that will be difficult for some readers, but it's important to understand that sometimes representation means being honest about these things. Racism and homophobia are still serious issues, and to deny that reality gives a falseness to stories that are otherwise genuine, so I really appreciated East's courage for tackling that.

I also was not at all expecting that ending. Every theory I had proved false, although a part of me was admittedly expecting more of a conclusion, even knowing there are more books to come. My only complaint is that I honestly would have liked this better if at least one thing got tied up. It almost felt like the book ended based on length, less than plot, so it's definitely not something I would recommend reading unless you're prepared to invest in the series, especially for those of you like me who insist it's not a romance without a HEA.

Overall I was very happy to give this book a chance, and I will absolutely be waiting impatiently for book two.

K pop bothers me. I love the music but how the idols are treated is another story. Thankfully being older and not fangirling, it's easier to discern the way fans are played to and how girls are deceived with images of sugar coated perfection. ML East has it right. She has written K pop as it is. This book deserves more and I urge K pop fans to read this. KIt finds herself in the Idol world, working her way up she still fangirls Vortex a five man group. Vortex are anything but perfect despite the image. I had my ideas about what the truth was. Nothing is as real as it's portrayed. Having experienced fandoms in the past and later reading what my then 'crushes' wrote about those days, I was more than horrified. This whole arena needs the truth to be out there, Let the idols live normal lives, stop ridiculing them, stop the culture of making fans get into debt just to get fan calls etc. READ this. At last an author who has grit and tells it like it is. Great novel

Loved this book one question I might have missed though what is kit's ethnicity? I'm ready for book 2 sending the author good vibes to publish it soon.