Strings Attached by Stephanie Julian
Series: Baseline Sins #1
Publisher: Penguin
Publication Date: November 17th 2015
Genres: Fiction, Erotica
Pages: 183
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The first novel in a steamy spin-off series from the national bestselling author of the Salon Games novels...
On the surface, Sebastian "Baz" Valenti is a rock god with the lifestyle to match. With his drop-dead gorgeous looks and his band, Baseline Sins, at the top of the charts, he can have any woman he wants. But the constant touring and recording has taken its toll. Now he’s turned to scoring films, a gig that has introduced him to the one woman he really wants but can’t have...
Trudeau Morrison is all business all the time. As the managing director of ManDown Films, it’s her job to keep Baz focused on business too. It’s not an easy task, considering Baz has made no secret of his desire for her. But Tru doesn’t want to get involved with a rock star, even if he is the hottest man she’s ever met.
Trouble is, once Baz gets an erotic taste of Tru, he’s not going to give her up. Now he just has to show her that rock-steady is nothing compared to rock and roll...
Praise for the Salon Games novels"An erotic romance that shines."—Romance Novel News
“Stephanie Julian know[s] how to write seriously hot, melt your e-reader sex scenes. I really think they’re some of the hottest I’ve ever read...really delicious, almost dreamlike ménage scenes. It’s an incredibly sensual, deeply seductive read.”—Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews

This is the first book in the Baseline Sins series, which features the members of the band Baseline Sins. It’s a spinoff of another series that I didn’t read. I feel like I missed out on quite a bit by not reading the first series.

There were a lot of continuity issues I had a hard time overlooking. I liked the basic feel of the story, but things kept coming out of nowhere and throwing me off. For example, there’s a sex club of some sort that’s introduced halfway through the book out of nowhere. Neither the hero or heroine indulge or visit it, so I’m not sure why it was included. I get the impression it was to tie this series to the previous one, which apparently features the club, but it made little sense in the context of this book.

That said, I did like the two main characters and how they connected. Tru made me laugh with her temper and insults, and I liked that Baz was struggling to come back to himself and that wasn’t glossed over or brushed aside. He’d had a rough year and needed to come to terms with his past actions and the way he’d disappointed the rest of the band. I enjoyed his renewed relationship with his best friend from the bad, though I wish that relationship had been explored further. There was clearly something between them, but it was glossed over.

The chemistry between the main characters and the personal journey of the hero kept me glued to the pages. Though I experienced some frustration and confusion having come to this series late in the game, I can’t deny I enjoyed it and look forward to more. I may read the original series to see if this one makes more sense after.

3 out of 5