Rating: 2.75, rounded to 3
Note: People are saying this can be read as a standalone. I HIGHLY disagree. I did not read the other books in series and on several occasions the book is clearly referencing another event that was likely a major plot point in another book.

Plot: 3/5
Spice: 2.5/5
Characters: 3/5

Overall reco:There is an interesting book in here, and maybe if I'd read the other books I wouldn't be judging this so harshly but this was advertised as a complete stand alone during the ARC sign up. Shit, the one I saw didn't even mention that there were other books. My process for rating books is looking at my list of read books and going 'if I was to reco this to my past self, what would I tell them to read before?' And that's how I settled on 2.75. It would probably be higher if you read the other books in the series and were not sure about the drummers story. It's pretty good for a hurt/comfort book, not the best for sure, but there were things about it I liked. Jordan's chapters while Mac was

on tour

  really hit hard. I agree with others that say this wasn't friends to lovers this was fucking idiots to lovers. The whole middle part of the book, all the way up to

when Jordan quit

was fucking enjoyable and totally had me forgetting the initial frustration with this book.

I want to say that had I not been reading this as an ARC, I would have DNF'd this book before the good stuff. I don't want that to encourage people to push through a DNF, but if you are doing this as a standalone and struggling, maybe go read the others and then try again.

(Rant Time)
About that not a standalone thing. There is a specific plot point that comes up halfway through that comes out of fucking left field and probably spoiled an earlier book, not that I care that much about it, but it creates a fucking weird plot hole in this one. beyond that one event There are weird cuts in the beginning that cause the book to feel disjointed and I think that's because they are cutting around chapters that happened in other books. At least, that's what I'm rationalizing. Specifically 

  chapters 2 & 3. Toby returns from rehab. We go from a bar that I THINK is before we go see Toby? To after some fucking blow up that I THINK is because Mac is drunk or maybe had drinks?

  We don't see the interaction. So I can only assume this was in another book and we are getting Mac's POV after the moment. I was already struggling with getting into this authors style and this was jarring.
Time jumps?
I feel like the author forgot to tell us when time jumped in the beginning. Like we get the hints in the dialog but a few chapters in we start to get "one year later" in the chapter heading and holy shit I wish the first few chapters had that. I was so distracted at the beginning trying to understand what was going on. How long ago was the last chapter? Did it happen immediately? No? Yes?

Plot holes
I an not one of those people that keeps detailed notes in books. I do notice plot holes or things that don't make sense to me. It's not always and really depends on how into the book I'm in. But enough of them will rip me out of a book. There are several inconsistencies that just fucking bothered me about this book.
First, 

Jordan decides he needs to quit and distance himself from Mac. So he calls the security company to quit, only for them to say they don't rehire. Which leads to the deepfake reveal that is clearly in another book and pissed me the fuck off This feels like a BFD and it's just glossed. But the head of security says that he was hired by Mac directly. I have no idea that is true but assuming it is, how does Jordan not know? Has he not filed taxes? Looked at his paychecks? No idea when this happened but at this point it's been at least 6 months of book time. I'm going to go out on a limb and say this happens in book 1 because Rex seems involved and I think book 1 is Rex. Also, Jordan swaps out with other security guards to avoid Mac but um.. that's a big fucking risk for that security company to take. Like holy shit. Not to mention the blow up that Ian and Mac have in the middle of Europe about Mac wanting Jordan back and Ian being all 'I'm head of security and what I say goes'. So he does work for you? I want to note I do contact work where my paycheck comes from company A while I work for Company B. I report to Company B for everything but if Company A told me something they are my actual employer and I listen to them.. So when that hole thing with quitting happened I was just fucking mad and confused 

.
Second, 

What the fuck was the 'bus incident' at the beginning with Rex that the Therapist mentions? Also, what the fuck was the point of the prologue? Other than to show us Mac has always been out and proud? 

Third, 

Um. Jordan is the emergency contact for Mac even though they haven't talking in well over a year and the last thing they DID talk about was effectively a break up? oh yeah "not third act break up" they break up every other chapter and then have a car crash instead. These guys are super huge rockstars that own their own building but don't have a staff that keeps these forms updated?
Also, that car crash scene was fucking ass. I'm sorry. What was the fucking point of that aside from more references to the deep fake and making Jordan almost run away? Like Rex comes into yell at Jordan to not abandon his brother and like cool, but like the whole fucking thing felt extra unnecessary? Mac and Jordan were finally connecting and it all just felt like it was go get a hospital bed scene? It didn't feel like EITHER of them grew from that and if the point was to put pressure on Jordan's previous trauma of family dying (which feels SUPER fucking glossed over) that was not communicated well. 

Fourth, 

Um the epilogue. What? Just fucking what? He was working on that while Mac was finishing the Europe tour? Right.. when he 'cut ties with the guys from sentry' and 'poured himself into his gym'? But he was able to gain access to the empty space in the family strip mall building? and totally fixed it up and had Peach do a nice mural. While they are short staffed at the security group, right after being in the hospital with really significant trauma. 

The sad thing is that I probably would have been able to just accept this part because its the end and cute but by this point I was feeling nitpicky and kind of angry about this clearly-not-a-standalone-standalone

I recieved a copy of this book for free for an honest review.