Tag Archives: Rockstars / Musicians

The Accidentals

By Sarina Bowen

Synopsis

Never ask a question unless you’re sure you want the truth.

I’ve been listening to my father sing for my whole life. I carry him in my pocket on my mp3 player. It’s just that we’ve never met face to face.

My mother would never tell me how I came to be, or why my rock star father and I have never met. I thought it was her only secret. I was wrong.

When she dies, he finally appears. Suddenly I have a first class ticket into my father’s exclusive world. A world I don’t want any part of – not at this cost.

Only three things keep me going: my a cappella singing group, a swoony blue-eyed boy named Jake, and the burning questions in my soul.


There’s a secret shame that comes from being an unwanted child. It drags me down, and puts distance between me and the boy I love.

My father is the only one alive who knows my history. I need the truth, even if it scares me.

Review

THE ACCIDENTALS is the first young adult novel by Sarina Bowen, and while I don’t usually read young adult, I’ll read anything written by Ms Bowen. Told only in Rachel’s POV, we follow her as she mourns the death of her mother, moves to a different state, goes to a new school, makes new friends, loses old friends, and struggles with intimacy, all while she navigates a relationship with her father, who she knew about but had never met prior to her mother’s death.

Going by the blurb, I thought the relationship between Rachel and her father, Frederick, would be the primary focus of the story, but it wasn’t. There was a lot of other stuff going on, which for me was too much and detracted from what I was really hoping to read: a story about a teen-aged girl and her previously absent father. Rachel and Frederick barely spent any time together, and when they finally had their heart-to-heart, it was done so at the 93% mark and only lasted seven pages. This was where I was expecting to have my heart broken for Rachel. Instead I felt nothing for a scene that felt incomplete and left me wanting.

Overall, I did enjoy this story, but I didn’t love it, and I think that’s because I had expectations that this would be an emotional read, and for me, it wasn’t one. I also felt that some threads were left hanging and when the book ended, it was very sudden and again, felt incomplete.

I’m a huge fan of Sarina Bowen, so it pains me when I (very rarely) give her a not-so-glowing review. I think a lot of readers out there will enjoy THE ACCIDENTALS, but sadly it just wasn’t for me.

The Accidentals

My Rating:  

Buy Links:  Amazon | iBooks

Visit Sarina Bowen:  Click Here

Say You Won’t Let Go: A Masters and Mercenaries Crossover #4

By Corinne Michaels

Synopsis

Emily Young had two goals in her life:
1. Make it big in country music.
2. Get the hell out of Bell Buckle.

She was doing it. She was on her way, until Cooper Townsend landed backstage at her show in Dallas.

This gorgeous, rugged, man of few words was one cowboy she couldn’t afford to let distract her. But with his slow smile and rough hands, she just couldn’t keep away.

With outside forces conspiring against them, Cooper hires the McKay-Taggart team to protect her. Emily refuses to let Cooper get hurt because of her. All she wants is to hold onto him, but she knows the right thing to do is to let go . . .

Review

Say You Won’t Go is about a small town guy who falls for a girl with big dreams.  But in chasing down her dreams she gets a serious stalker which requires the help of Wade Rycroft a bodyguard with McKay-Taggart.

This novella has so much charm and tension.  Cooper is the perfect example of an over-protective cowboy and Emily is independent and strong willed.  And they have to somehow find a way to blend their worlds without crushing each other’s dreams.

This novella has charm and we did get to see more of Wade Rycroft but I was missing the cross-over portion of this story.  Wade did not have a big part of the story.

Say You Won’t Let Go

My Rating:  

Buy Links:  Amazon

Visit Author: Corinne Michaels

Midnight Blue

By L J Shen

 

Synopsis

From bestselling author L.J. Shen, comes a new, standalone, contemporary romance.

It should have been easy.
I needed the money. He needed a babysitter to keep him from snorting himself to death.
I was cherry-picked especially for him. Responsible. Optimistic. Warm. Innocent.
The worst part is that I should have known better.
Alex Winslow. British rock star. Serial heartbreaker. Casanova with whiskey eyes.
“Don’t get near the devil in a leather jacket. He’ll chew you up and spit you out.”
Guess what? I didn’t listen.
I signed the contract.
World tour. Three months. Four Continents. One hundred shows.
My name is Indigo Bellamy, and I sold my soul to a tattooed god.
Problem was, my soul wasn’t enough for Alex Winslow. He ended up taking my body, too.
Then he took my heart.
Then he took my all. 

Review

Indie from the first few chapters in MIdnight Blue melted my heart, made me feel helpless but also determined.  She was strong and stubborn yet so fragile at moments that made me tear up particularly for her family situation.

Alex was a typical musician and his music family provided many complications in this story and drama.

Alex and Indie’s physical and emotional connection to each other was poetry on the pages.

Midnight Bue is told in dual point of view thereby assisting in connecting to both characters and their personal demons.  Personally, the length of the story was wonderful and allowed us to fully engage with the characters and the build-up to the dramatic secrets being revealed.

I definitely enjoyed the second half of Midnight Blue more than the first but they both were important to the overall build up and sexual frustration to this story.  The way the author takes us to different cities around the world was enjoyable.

Moving to the Paris chapter, I was expecting drama with the reunion but to experience, the devastation and betrayal in that chapter simply left me shattered.

Indie will stay with me for a long time, her individuality and the way the music family became her protectors was beautiful and gave me hope.

Finally, the Epilogue was brilliant and left me totally satisfied with all the characters and their final moments of where Midnight Blue concludes.

Quote:  “You look at me with dynamite in your eyes, waiting for me to light up the match and finally set you on fire”

Midnight Blue

My Rating:  

Buy Links:  Amazon

Visit Author:  Click Here

Roomies

By Christina Lauren

Synopsis

Marriages of convenience are so…inconvenient.

For months Holland Bakker has invented excuses to descend into the subway station near her apartment, drawn to the captivating music performed by her street musician crush. Lacking the nerve to actually talk to the gorgeous stranger, fate steps in one night in the form of a drunken attacker. Calvin Mcloughlin rescues her, but quickly disappears when the police start asking questions.

Using the only resource she has to pay the brilliant musician back, Holland gets Calvin an audition with her uncle, Broadway’s hottest musical director. When the tryout goes better than even Holland could have imagined, Calvin is set for a great entry into Broadway—until his reason for disappearing earlier becomes clear: he’s in the country illegally, his student visa having expired years ago.

Seeing that her uncle needs Calvin as much as Calvin needs him, a wild idea takes hold of her. Impulsively, she marries the Irishman, her infatuation a secret only to him. As their relationship evolves and Calvin becomes the darling of Broadway—in the middle of the theatrics and the acting-not-acting—will Holland and Calvin to realize that they both stopped pretending a long time ago?

Review

Roomies is a standalone romance about two people with different passions. Calvin who only wants to make music and Holland who wants to find her muse again.

Calvin, who is here on an expired visa, is given the opportunity of his lifetime.  He has to turn it down because of his immigration status.  But Holland believes Calvin is the best for her uncle’s show and will do anything to make sure he will join it.

I found that the story started a little slow but I realized quickly that the pace of the story reflected the pace of Holland’s life at the moment.  She was not moving through life very quickly.  She earned her degree in writing but after graduating the words didn’t come to her very easily so she started working for her uncle selling merchandise for his show.

Holland keep herself busy stalking Calvin until she was attacked on the subway where he was busking.  But it wasn’t until this crazy idea of how to get Calvin a legal status to work in this country did this story really start moving for me.  And it is at that point that Holland’s life started to move.  Her creative side started to come to the surface.

I really liked the way the story went.  Strangers that needed something from each other to two people who were passionate about each other.  It was obvious that Calvin was unique and cared very deeply for Holland. And Holland obsession turned into a relationship. Both had to get over hurdles to finally get to a good place in their lives.

This story was very touching and fun to see how these two found their way through this crazy arrangement.

Roomies

My Rating:  

Buy Links:  Amazon

Visit Christina Lauren: click here

Misadventures on the Night Shift (Misadventures #6)

By Lauren Rowe

Synopsis

Hotel clerk Abby Medford has always enjoyed the quiet solitude of the night shift. The long, boring hours allow her time to study her law books. But when bad-boy-rocker Lucas Ford checks into the penthouse suite one night and demands Abby personally deliver his room service request, her formerly quiet nights are quickly filled with Lucas’s erotic games.

But as Abby soon learns, if she thinks she can indulge her innermost desires with Lucas without giving him her heart, she’s dead wrong.

Review

Misadventures on the Night Shift will have every fangirl squealing with joy.  Imagine your favorite rock star walking into where you work and you have to confront him.

Abby just happens to be alone at the front desk at a hotel when Lucas Ford walks in with his handler.  He has been having a bad night and is a complete jerk.  Even though Abby is having a fangirl moment on the inside, she will not put up with any of his crap.  Lucas finds this intriguing and must get to know Abby better.  She ends up becoming his muse in a kind of indecent proposal.

I really liked Abby.  She is quiet and wants to be the good girl for her parents because of a problem that she had as a teenager to young adult.  Or what others let her perceive as a problem.

Lucas was a great bad boy. He was who he was.  He didn’t want to be imprisoned to his record label and was acting out in anyway that he felt necessary.  The record label was holding him back.

I really liked the way they brought out the best in each other. I really liked this book until the end. The two together were amazing together.  I just had a slight issue with the ending.  I’m not going to give it away but I just thought that Lucas contradicted himself a little.  But I really enjoyed reading this book and definitely going to read more by Lauren Rowe in the future.

Misadventures on the Night Shift

My Rating:  

Buy Links:  Amazon

Visit author: Lauren Rowe

Puck Love

By Carmen Jenner

Synopsis

Stella Hart is the hottest thing in country music. For ten years, she’s been Nashville’s darling. She’s pure, sweet, and a positive role model in an industry rife with scandals, sex, and sequins. Men want to own her, women want to be her—everyone wants a piece of her, and Stella? Well, she wants out.

As the center for the Calgary Crushers, Van Ross isn’t afraid of the spotlight, but he doesn’t much like it either. Despite his reputation as a player, the NHL’s bad boy lives for only two things: the game, and his younger brother. That’s why when he comes across a country music superstar seeking refuge at his home in the Canadian Rockies, he’s not too happy with the media shitstorm this surprise houseguest brings.

With a nationwide manhunt, paparazzi dogging their every move, producers of a reality TV show baying for blood, and a record label desperate to see their “good girl” returned safely home, Van and Stella’s lives are snowballing out of control.

While Van would like nothing more than to show the purest of them all how well he handles his er … stick, Stella is no puck bunny. Nor is she as innocent as she’d have the world believe.

With chemistry like theirs, tension runs high on and off the ice, but the end game is the same for both players: line up the puck, take the shot, and score. If only their hearts understood the play.

Puck fame and fortune.
Puck right and wrong.
Puck love.

Review

PUCK LOVE is the first book I’ve read from Carmen Jenner, and overall I found it an enjoyable read.

“Van, what happened to my panties?”
“I took one look at them and they just disintegrated into thin air. That happens quite a bit when I’m around.”

I liked Van.  Yes, he could sometimes be a bit of a pig, especially to Stella before they started sleeping together, and he came on to her pretty damn strong, but I did find humour in some of his comments.  I loved watching him with his little brother, Emmett, who has Downs Syndrome and who he clearly loved very much and would do anything for.  I know there are a few readers who hated him because he “cheated”, but since he and Stella were broken up at the time and he put a stop to it very quickly, I don’t consider what he did cheating, so I’m not going to hold that one scene against him.

I liked Stella, but I don’t really have much to say about her other than she suffered from severe panic attacks when performing, but was suddenly cured after starting a relationship with Van.  This was a woman who was questioning her entire career and life choices, but when the time came to return said career, she did so very easily and was suddenly loving it.  I guess I just don’t understand how getting a boyfriend can change how you feel about your job.

I thought PUCK LOVE was written well.  I didn’t notice any spelling or grammar mistakes, or any inconsistencies, and it did hold my attention pretty well.  That being said, there were a few things that slightly bothered me.  We never found out how the paparazzi discovered where Stella was hiding.  The first half (ish) of the story takes place in the span of a few weeks, but after that the story takes huge skips in time, ranging from one month to four months.  After feeling their connection build in those first few weeks, it was hard trying to feel that connection continue when they were apart for months at a time.  Lastly, Van and Stella had a huge conflict around the middle of the story, so I thought it was odd to add another conflict at the 90% mark, especially when it was just a misunderstanding and was resolved within a couple of pages.  It felt a bit pointless to me.

PUCK LOVE is told in dual POVs and is currently a stand-alone.  However, that could change as Van’s friend and Stella’s manager seemed to have a little something going on in this story, but in regards to Van and Stella, they got their HEA.

Puck Love

My Rating:  

Buy Links:  Amazon

Visit Carmen Jenner:  Click Here

The Road Back (Limelight Series #2)

By Piper & Jack Davenport

Synopsis

18+ for language and sexual situations…

Hadley Simon risked everything to earn her spot as the manager for America’s fastest rising band. They have been invited to open for rock royalty in a once in a lifetime summer tour, and it means she finally gets to do what she loves. She is the consummate professional and knows how to keep her emotions in check…until a sexy as hell drummer enters her life and turns her world upside down.

Jack Henry is living with his demons in relative seclusion…until he’s convinced to go back out on the road with his old band. The death of his wife ruined him, and he has fought his way out from under a pile of easy women, booze, and blow, but doesn’t know if he can resist the old temptations that nearly killed him. When he meets the beautiful and sassy manager of his opening act, he feels things he hasn’t in a very long time, bringing to the surface ghosts he thought were exorcised long ago.

But she is his new drug of choice, and he doesn’t know what scares him more…pursuing a life with her or the thought of one without her.

Review

What a fantastic read The Road Back was for me.  I loved the beginning, middle and ending, I feel so satisfied.

A favourite character for me was Hadley from the first book of this series.  There was something about this woman that just clicked.  The age difference between her and Jack was perfect for me and provided great moments of him stepping up for Hadley.  The way he cares for her during the road trip and ultimately stands up and claims her was pure hearts & roses.

The Road Back has humour, suspense and flows perfectly.  I could not put this down. It is just such a great rocker romance about being on the road and amongst family.  Rex & Roxie return as do Bam & Lucy and they definitely influence some of the storyline and provide some wonderful moments along the way.

Hadley & Jack’s connection both physical and emotional soothed my soul and sung to my heart, this was pure romance with an edge.

Finally, I was so happy with the way this story ended for Hadley & Jack.  I loved this rocking romantic tale and I could have read so much more on these two soulmates.

Quote:  You’re the dream I thought was lost

The Road Back (Limelight Series #2)

My Rating:  

Buy Links:  Amazon

Visit Author:  Click Here

Broken Road (Limelight #1)

By Piper & Jack Davenport

Synopsis

Life on the road is hard, love on the road is even harder…

Lucy Haddon is rock royalty. She’s the daughter of one of the biggest rock stars on the planet and is now in charge of her father’s empire, including planning the most anticipated reunion in rock history. She’s no stranger to the dangers of touring life, but has always managed to stay out of trouble by following her own set of rules. Her biggest rule…no dating musicians…even when it comes to her teenage fantasy.

Bad boy drummer “Bam” Nelson’s band has just been offered the opportunity of a lifetime… the last thing he should be thinking about is women. The meteoric rise of his band and the crash landing of his last relationship has left him burned out and closed off, but when a red-headed rock princess walks into his life, he realizes she could be the one to finally heal the wounds of his past.

He just has to convince her to break her own rule. 

Review

Broken Road is a surprising read for me as I do not normally enjoy Rock Star Romance however it had a great ensemble of leading and supporting characters and also had humour which was brilliant.  I have also loved Piper’s MC Romance so I was interested to see her take on this new world!

Firstly love Lucy and as any onion ring lover knows – onion rings solve all of life’s dramas and make everything good again – so Lucy is my kind of girl!

Considering Broken Road is written by two authors it flowed really well and kept its consistency and we are given quite a bit of background history on both bands.  With the series continuing to other characters it all formed a good base for when we pick up the next instalment “On The Road”.

Now Piper has a great knack of entwining characters from her other series and I have read the Dogs of Fire so I could follow random characters that appear in this story especially when the drama started to affect Bam and Lucy’s road to love.

Lucy’s parents were one of my most favourite components of this story!  They were funny and really explained Lucy’s overall outlook on love, life and no bullshit.  Sullivan Wallace her bodyguard was a constant companion for Lucy and I was enamoured with the way he cared for his girl. Bam was a typical artist and it was great to know the background of Roses for Anna and also Lucy’s dad’s band and their passionate love scenes were perfect.

My only complaint was I felt the story with Bam in the middle returning to his home was a little rushed and kind of thrown in to me and I was actually expecting a bit more drama/danger to Lucy/Bam?

I must admit I cannot wait to read “The Way Back” which  is Hadley & Jack’s story, I have a feeling it is going to be epic as Jack’s background story immediately pulled at my heart strings.

Favourite Quote:  “Hmm, onion rings. The meeting went that badly?”

Broken Road (Limelight #1)

My Rating:  

Buy Links:  Amazon

Visit Piper:  Click Here

Visit Jack: Click Here

Twist (Dive Bar # 2)

By Kylie Scott

Synopsis

When his younger brother loses interest in online dating, hot bearded bartender Joe Collins only intends to log into his account and shut it down. Until he reads about her.

Alex Parks is funny, fascinating, and pretty much everything he’s been looking for in a woman—except that she lives across the country. Soon they’re emailing up a storm and telling each other their deepest, darkest secrets…except the one that really matters.

When Alex pays Joe a surprise visit, however, they both discover that when it comes to love, it’s always better with a twist.

Review

I have been a fan of Kylie Scott’s since I first read LICK from her Stage Dive series several years ago and because of that, it pains me to say that I’m not feeling much love for TWIST.

Story-wise, I felt like it didn’t flow very well.  I often found myself thinking, “I don’t remember that.”, or “What are they talking about?”, or “How did the conversation shift from this to that?”.  I’d go back several pages to see if I missed a paragraph or something, but I never found anything that would explain my confusion.

Character-wise, not only did I not connect with Joe and Alex, but I also didn’t feel a connection between them.  There was nothing in their email communications that would explain why Alex would hop on a plane to surprise her “beloved”.  They had no chemistry and their relationship ran hot and cold from beginning to end.  There were things I liked about them, but for every one thing I liked, there was another thing I didn’t like.

TWIST is told only in Alex’s POV, but it also includes their email communications as flashback scenes.  While it’s part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone and it does come with a HFN ending for Joe and Alex.  Joe’s brother, Eric, gets the next book, but I disliked his man-child attitude so much that I have no interest in reading it.

Twist (Dive Bar # 2)

My Rating:  

Buy Links:  Amazon | iBooks

Visit Kylie Scott:  Click Here

Dive Bar Series

Bounty (Colorado Mountain #7)

By Kristen Ashley

Synopsis

Justice Lonesome has enjoyed a life of bounty.

Even so, she’s inherited the curse of the Lonesome. A poet’s soul. Which means she’s still searching for something. Searching for peace. Searching for the less…that’s more.

And when the foundation of her life is pulled out from under her, grieving, she goes to the mountains to find her oasis. She hits Carnal, Colorado and decides to stay.

Deke Hightower lost everything at the age of two. He lost it again at fifteen. His life has not been about bounty. It’s been about learning to live with less, because there’s no way to get more.

Deke’s also watched all his friends go down to the women who gave them what they needed. He wants that for himself. But he knows that search isn’t going to be easy because he’s a rider. His home is the road. That’s the only place he can breathe. And the woman who takes her place at his side has to do it sitting on the back of his bike.

When Deke meets Justice, he knows she’s not that woman. She’s cute. She’s sweet. And she’s into him, but she’s got it all and Deke knows he won’t fit into that. So he holds her at arm’s length. Establishes boundaries. And Justice will take it because she wants Deke any way he’ll let her have him.

But when Justice finds herself a pawn in a dangerous game, Deke makes a decision.

When he does, he has no idea he’s just opened himself up to bounty.

Review

Bounty, #7 of the Colorado Mountain is another great addition to this series. Now in all honesty it is not my favourite however I have always wanted to read a story on Deke.  Deke is a character that has stayed with me especially as he has played a role at significant moments in other books in this series. He was with Lauren in Sweet Dreams #2, hence he and Tate have that connection and I must say Tate delivered one of my most favourite parts of this whole series.  Tate stood back in his alpha male way and monitored Justice to make sure she was going to fit his friend and then how he cares for Justice at her most critical and highly emotional part in this whole story just brought tears to my eyes – I fell in love with Tate all over again. Deke also made a connection with me in Lady Luck with Lexie and also Breathe with Faye – I mean this man is an enigma – he is a traveller and in this book he found his Gypsy.

Another favourite moment was when Deke races to the police station and realises his emotional connection and need to protect Justice. Their love grew deeper and I kept returning to that poignant moment as for Deke it truly was his realisation of his need for this woman and he then became her warrior. I thought the part when Justice explained her old truck to Deke was beautiful and made you understand Justice’s inner thoughts on her life.

Now Joss rocked as her mother and another favourite character was Mr T – he was brilliant especially the way he cared about Justice. Can I say Krystal and Bubba as parents – OMG what an amazing little story in Bounty for them and I loved the name.

So my only complaint is that I really felt that all the characters from books 1 to 6 kind of got thrown into this story just for the hell of it – however perhaps the author was trying to show how they all have their own Bounty?  I really do not think it was needed and at times I was like – ok the whole gang is here – say hello and all go home as I want to get back to Deke and Justice. I would have been fine with her making the friendship connection with everyone at Bubba’s as that made sense, she sang and drank there and also Sunny and Shambles as they were the first to realise who she was when she moved to the town and I can understand Chance being a major player considering the dramatic situations that occur to Justice at her home. So many return characters and it just wore me down however I am very interested that at the end of the book it tells us that Woods and Maggie are coming as I felt really sorry for Woods when he lost out on Lauren to Tate – although I am team Lauren and Tate all the way !!

The ending was just perfection, it really did confirm to me they are kindred spirits both wanting and needing the road – I could have read more on Deke and Justice and would have loved to see a little Gypsy baby.

Bounty (Colorado Mountain #7)

My Rating: 

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