Tag: Rock Star Romance

Throwback Thursday Review: Rock Addiction by Nalini Singh

Posted May 20, 2021 by Holly in Reviews | 4 Comments

Throwback Thursday Review: Rock Addiction by Nalini SinghReviewer: Holly
Rock Addiciton by Nalini Singh
Series: Rock Kiss #1
Also in this series: Rock Courtship, Rock Addiction, Rock Courtship, Rock Hard, Rock Hard, Rock Redemption, Rock Redemption, Rock Redemption, Rock Addiction, Rock Courtship, Rock Hard, Rock Wedding, Rock Wedding, Rock Wedding, Rock Addiction (Rock Kiss, #1), Rock Hard (Rock Kiss, #2), Rock Redemption (Rock Kiss, #3), Rock Wedding (Rock Kiss, #4), Rock Addiction
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: September 9th 2014
Pages: 406
Add It: Goodreads
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four-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

A bad boy wrapped in a sexy, muscled, grown-up package might be worth a little risk…

Molly Webster has always followed the rules. After an ugly scandal tore apart her childhood and made her the focus of the media’s harsh spotlight, she vowed to live an ordinary life. No fame. No impropriety. No pain. Then she meets Zachary Fox, a tattooed bad boy rocker with a voice like whiskey and sin, and a touch that could become an addiction.

A one-night stand with the hottest rock star on the planet, that’s all it was meant to be…

Fox promises scorching heat and dangerous pleasure, coaxing Molly to extend their one-night stand into a one-month fling. After that, he’ll be gone forever, his life never again intersecting with her own. Sex and sin and sensual indulgence, all with an expiration date. No ties, no regrets. Too late, Molly realizes it isn’t only her body that’s become addicted to Fox, but her heart…

I just recently re-read this book, and it was just as good this time around. If you haven’t already, I highly recommend the entire series.

This review was originally published on September 8, 2014

A curious thing happened when I read this book. The first time through, I struggled a bit with the pacing and didn’t warm up to Molly until the 2nd half of the book. I loved the second half, but I was lukewarm about the first.  Then I started thinking about a particular scene in the first part of the book and ended up doing a full re-read. I fell in love. I have no idea why, but I really connected with Molly the second time around. Maybe because I knew all her secrets, so her motives made more sense? Or perhaps I just paid more attention to her and not as much to Fox? I’m not sure. What I can say is I devoured it the second time around. And the third. And the fourth. Fox and Molly are both complex, emotionally compelling characters. I adored this book.

Fox sees Molly at a party and decides he wants to take her home. She’s been on his mind all night. He gets his chance when she decides to duck out early, and he takes her home. Once there, he decides one night will never be enough. She sings to him in a way no other woman ever has, and he isn’t ready to give up her song. If only Molly felt the same way.

After an ugly scandal ruined Molly’s childhood and forced her to grow up far too soon, she’s kept her world tightly controlled. Fox threatens to shatter that control with his sexy lip-ring and overwhelming personality, but she has no desire to ever be the in the spotlight again. If only Fox wasn’t so addictive…she might be able to resist.

Fox is everything you’d expect from Nalini Singh. An alpha rock star with a sexy lip ring and whiskey voice. Jealous, possessive, sex on a stick… and surprisingly sweet and tender. I struggled with was why Fox was so fixated on Molly. I wish we’d been given more to explain why he was so attracted to her in the beginning, and why he wanted to own her after their first brief encounter. I get he was attracted to her, but his deeper feelings made little sense. As the story progressed I didn’t doubt his commitment or his feelings, but in the beginning they were hard to swallow.  His quick claim on Molly was surprising, but I can’t deny he worked it well.

“You know when you get the whisper of a melody in your head, or the murmur of a song? And you have the gut feeling that if you could just hear the rest of it, just capture the music”—the need an ache as frustrating as it was piercing —“you’d have something fucking amazing?”

Noah nodded.

“Yeah well, that’s what it feels like with Molly.” The most potent whisper of his life. “I’m not about to walk away from that.”

 

Molly is understandably hesitant to enter into a relationship with Fox. Not only is he a man with a bad reputation, he’s a man who lives his life in the limelight – somewhere Molly never wants to be.

“You’ll go,” she said, gripping the counter behind her and fighting back tears. “After a month, you’ll go. But I’ll still be here, living my life. Being famous, even by association… I can’t handle it, Fox.”

Despite her reservations, Molly is the perfect fit for him. She’s bold, knows her own mind and isn’t afraid to stand up for herself. And if she’s just as possessive and jealous as Fox? Well, let’s just say that led to some of my favorite scenes. Both are a bit damaged, but they complete each other.  I fell in love with them.

The band is a family. I felt like I came to know each member in turn through their interactions with Molly and Fox. That Molly and Fox became home base for the band was lovely. I liked how they accepted Molly and treated her as one of their own. Each time they were on page I felt like I was sitting down with a close-knit family.  They had their share of problems but they worked through things together. Same with Molly’s best friend Charlie, and her sister Thea. I like that she had friendships outside her relationships with Fox.

This is spicier than many of her other books, but that worked so well. The sex scenes were smoking hot. There were quite a few more than I’m used to seeing from Singh, and some of them felt gratuitous. The makeup and angry sex scenes were some of the best, but others didn’t need to be included, in my opinion.

The story is sizzling hot. It has all the elements needed to be a winning romance. Singh really knows how to work the story to captivate her readers. The story is emotional, twisted, sweet and sexy all at once.  I’m only sorry it ended.

4.25 out of 5

This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

four-half-stars


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Release Day Blitz: Twist by Kylie Scott

Posted April 11, 2017 by Holly in Promotions | 0 Comments

Dive-Bar-banner-with-Chaser

From New York Times bestselling author Kylie Scott comes the second sizzling stand-alone novel in the Dive Bar series!

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.

Buy the Book

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon AUS | Amazon CA | iBooks | B&N | Kobo | Google Play

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Excerpt

“I wanted to talk to you a bit more about what happened between us online,” he said, his mouth a serious straight line. “How I came to use my brother’s profile.”

Ugh. “I’m pretty sure I found out everything I needed to know last night.”

“I didn’t mean to lie to you, Alex.”

“Once is a mistake.” I crossed my legs, kicking my black leather bootie back and forth. So I was a little aggravated. Sue me. “Months’ worth of e-mails is not. You could have introduced yourself to me, Joe, told me who you really were. You chose not to. Christ, no wonder you kept putting off meeting. I should have known something was wrong.”

“You’re right. I shouldn’t try to sell you excuses.” A big sigh from my “friend.” “Truth is, I’m not used to being the bad guy. Usually I’m the one cleaning up my brother’s messes.”

“Lucky me.”

Twist-promo-9

About the Author

kyliescottimage

Kylie Scott


FACEBOOK | TWITTER | FACEBOOK FAN GROUP | INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS

Kylie is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author. She was voted Australian Romance Writer of the year, 2013 & 2014, by the Australian Romance Writer’s Association and her books have been translated into eleven different languages. She is a long time fan of romance, rock music, and B-grade horror films. Based in Queensland, Australia with her two children and husband, she reads, writes and never dithers around on the internet. You can learn more about Kylie from http://www.kylie-scott.com/


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Review: Rock Wedding by Nalini Singh

Posted September 20, 2016 by Holly in Reviews | 1 Comment

Review: Rock Wedding by Nalini SinghReviewer: Holly
Rock Wedding by Nalini Singh
Series: Rock Kiss #4
Also in this series: Rock Courtship, Rock Addiction, Rock Courtship, Rock Hard, Rock Hard, Rock Redemption, Rock Redemption, Rock Redemption, Rock Addiction, Rock Courtship, Rock Hard, Rock Wedding, Rock Wedding, Rock Addiction (Rock Kiss, #1), Rock Hard (Rock Kiss, #2), Rock Redemption (Rock Kiss, #3), Rock Wedding (Rock Kiss, #4), Rock Addiction, Rock Addiciton

Publication Date: July 19th 2016
Pages: 345
Add It: Goodreads
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four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh continues her Rock Kiss series with a hot, sweet, emotional contemporary romance about love and forgiveness…
After a lifetime of longing for a real family, Sarah Smith thought she’d finally found her home with rock star Abe Bellamy, even if she knew Abe didn’t love her the way she loved him. But their brief relationship, filled with tragedy and heartache, nearly destroyed her. Alone, emotions in turmoil, and already shaky self-esteem shattered, Sarah struggles to pick up the pieces in the wake of their divorce.
Abe knows he’s to blame for the end of his marriage. Caught in a web of painful memories, he pushed away the best thing in his life – the sexy, smart woman he adores – breaking them both in the process. Then fate throws him a second chance to get things right, to prove to Sarah that she means everything to him. Abe desperately wants that second chance at love...even if he knows he doesn’t deserve it.
But can he convince Sarah – now strong and independent without him – to risk her wounded heart one more time?

Heartbreak and forgiveness are at the center of this tale, the final(ish) installment in Singh’s contemporary Rock Kiss series. Abe and Sarah married quickly and loved deeply, but Abe’s addiction to drugs and alcohol caused him to treat Sarah poorly, eventually pushing her to the point she left him. Now Abe is clean and he wants his wife back. Sarah has had enough of heartbreak and insecurity and isn’t interested in falling into Abe again. Yet she can’t deny this Abe is the one she fell in love with all those years ago, and she finds him hard to resist. Abe is willing to do anything to get Sarah back, even take it slow and do things her way. While I enjoyed this, it wasn’t my favorite of the series.

I think part of my problem with this book was the way Sarah’s growth from young, fragile girl into strong, hear-me-roar woman was described. Although I admit she certainly seemed to come into her own, and had no trouble holding her own with Abe, I felt like it was incongruous with her situation in the previous book. Not only was she in an abusive relationship not weeks before she and Abe reconciled, but she made excuses for her ex and seemed to hold no ill will against him. Not that she was anxious to repair the relationship or anything, but she seemed to get over her trauma rather quickly.

That isn’t to imply I didn’t enjoy the story, or find it both heartwrenching and heartwarming. I truly fell into Abe and Sarah, and really pulled for them to come out in a strong, healthy marriage that was built to last. But the connection I felt to some of the previous characters was missing here.

3.75 out of 5

four-stars


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Review: Strings Attached by Stephanie Julian

Posted January 12, 2016 by Holly in Reviews | 0 Comments

Review: Strings Attached by Stephanie JulianStrings 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


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Review: Back to You by Lauren Dane

Posted January 4, 2016 by Holly in Reviews | 0 Comments

Review: Back to You by Lauren DaneReviewer: Holly
Back to You by Lauren Dane
Series: Hurley Brothers #3
Also in this series: The Best Kind of Trouble, Broken Open

Publication Date: June 1st 2015
Genres: Fiction
Pages: 384
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four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

What won't he do for a second chance? 
Former model Kelly Hurley has finally put the ashes of the past behind her. After a passionate but turbulent marriage to rock star Vaughan Hurley that ended in heartbreak and divorce, Kelly rebuilt her life in Portland, where she settled so their two young daughters could be close to their father. Just not so close Kelly couldn't truly make her own way without interference from the man who shattered her heart. Now Kelly's finally ready to move on, and she's planning to marry another man. 
But not if Vaughan has anything to say about it. 
Vaughan knows he was a fool all those years ago. A young, selfish—and prideful—fool. Even as he buried himself in the fast, decadent rock-star lifestyle, he could never drown out the memory of Kelly's beauty and love. Or the sweet, searing heat whenever they touched. For years, he's had to deal with the pain of seeing her only because of their daughters, but it was never enough. Now Vaughan must prove that he's the only man Kelly needs, before he loses her for good. And there's only one way to do it…

This is a great reunited lovers story. Vaughn and Kelly were everything I’d hoped they’d be from the glimpses we had of them in previous books. The timeline of this book runs parallel to Broken Open, the 2nd book in the series. There isn’t a lot of overlap, however. Just enough to see certain scenes from a different perspective, but not enough to make me feel like I was reading the same story twice.

Vaughn and Kelly loved each other deeply once upon a time. Then Vaughn screwed it all up and Kelly left him. She’s been a wonderful mother to their two girls, and made sure he had a much access to them as possible given his schedule, but she’s mainly avoided him and his family, who blamed her for their separation (something he hasn’t ever bothered to correct). Vaughn is man enough to admit he never stopped loving Kelly, but it isn’t until she gets engaged to someone else that he realizes he isn’t ready to let her go. He’s going to fight for her – for them.

Kelly let Vaughn in once, and he broke her heart. She can’t deny she still has feelings for him, but she doesn’t trust him not to break her again. Until suddenly he’s back in her life, admitting he was the one who ruined everything and trying to make things right. She wants to resist him, but this Vaughn isn’t the man she knew before. He’s stronger, steadier and sexier than ever. Kelly doesn’t want to give Vaughn her heart, but she isn’t sure she can resist. Not when he’s determined to bust through her walls.

Vaughn didn’t impress me in the previous books, and he wasn’t shown in a very favorable light once the details of his past came to light in this book. But it was clear he’d grown and matured, and I really came to love him. His determination to right his past wrongs and prove to Kelly he was the man she needed him to be was admirable and sexy. He was a wonderful father, a loving brother and son, and great husband material.

Kelly was a strong woman who was understandably gunshy. Her fierce protection of her children and her determination to let them grow up with as much family near as possible was lovely to read about. Too often the ex-wife (even when she’s the heroine of the story) keeps her kids away from her former in-laws, but Kelly did her best to keep them involved. Considering her former mother-in-law’s extreme dislike of her, this was no easy task. That’s the theme for Kelly, though; doing things that are hard because they need to be done. I had a lot of admiration for her.

There was a good amount of anger, frustration and sadness between them, which really came across well. My heart hurt for the both of them. I wanted to see Vaughn man-up and do right by Kelly, but I understood why he held back so long. Similarly I wanted Kelly to forgive Vaughn and let him back in, but I understood her wariness. They had chemistry in spades, though, and I truly felt their love for one another.

An intoxicating tale of love and second chances. The secondary characters add flavor and excitement without overshadowing the romance.

4 out of 5

four-stars


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