Rowan Michaels and her best friend Dee Dawson are attending a concert from local up-and-coming band The Last Ones to Know. The wild and somewhat extravagant Dee decides to glam up the usually subdued Rowan, to the point that Rowan is almost unrecognisable. While at the concert, Rowan sees her long-time boyfriend Brady kissing another girl; he was supposed to be out of town on a business trip. She runs outside crying, and the band's singer, Adam Everest, sees her and comforts her. She is a bit star-struck, but even more impressed by how good- looking and nice he is. Rowan has been drinking a bit and gets even drunker with Adam; although they only exchange kisses, the chemistry they share is apparent. Rowan doesn't tell Dee about meeting Adam, but when he shows up in their French class at university, things get more complicated quickly.

I will admit that the concept of falling in love with a rock star was like catnip to me, and MAYHEM lives up to what I expected, and then some. Ms. Shaw perfectly captures university life and what being a freshman really is; the rock musicians also feel genuine: they are on their way up, they travel on a tour bus and they are not megarich. The various band members all have their own quirks and looks, albeit not clichéd; they behave like we understand rock musicians do but not outrageously so. Dee and Rowan do sound like 18 year olds, not like caricatures; they are very different from each other but they complement each other; their friendship is totally believable and their exchanges are spot-on.

MAYHEM is every girl's dream come true: meeting a rock star who will fall in love with her. I like the tone of the book, and it'a perfectly in tune with Rowan's personality; I felt I was also 18, that I was Rowan's friend. MAYHEM is very well written, the story moves along quickly, and I'm very much looking forward to the second instalment! A very impressive debut to a new series!