Review: Fast Lane by Kristen Ashley

For those who don’t know me, I love Kristen Ashley. HARD. When I hear she has a book coming out, I clear my schedule and get ready. And when the book arrives, whether ARC or release day, everything gets dropped and my family can eat cereal for all I care. Luckily my hubby loves her almost as much as I do, so he totally understands.

Fast Lane was written in a way I don’t think I’ve ever read before. She said she was inspired by Daisy Jones & The Six. While I’ve not read that, I was unsure for what I getting myself into. I’ll admit it took a little bit to find my groove but once I did, I couldn’t put it down.

Lyla and Preacher’s romance spanned decades and I loved every heartbreaking moment. In typical rock ‘n roll fashion, there was a lot going on, but in the midst was their love. It was all encompassing. Preacher’s world revolved around Lyla’s and vice versa. Theirs was a love that hit you in the gut. Listening to her tell their story, I could feel how much she loved him. They made bad decisions, but they made them together. What’s life without a little drama, right?

This book was a true roller coaster of emotions. I had faith that Kristen wouldn’t do me wrong, but I’ll admit it got a little tense a few times. And I can remember the moment. You know what I’m talking about? The moment just when you think all is lost, something happens, and you lose your freaking mind. Let’s just say I’m glad no one was home when I read that part.

In true Kristen Ashley form she brings you up, down, and all around, till you’re a puddle of goo on the floor. I really hope this gets put in audible form. I do believe hearing the voices and all the pain will hit ever harder than just reading. Thank you, Kristen, for going with your gut and giving us a story that is different than what we’re used to, and yet still the same emotional romance.

~Melpomene

Buy Fast Lane https://amzn.to/2nP0krt

Review: Strong by Kylie Scott

“For a woman with so much pride, Martha, you have a very thin grasp of your worth.”

Let me start out by saying that this book can be read as a standalone. While it features characters from Kylie’s Stage Dive series, you can fully enjoy this without reading those. BUT, and I emphasize that, you really should read them. They’re super fun and have enough emotion weaved throughout them to make me very happy.

This story is ten years in the making. While Sam has always been in the background watching and waiting, Martha has been out front causing mayhem and grief. They are the epitome of opposites attract. I wanted to reach in numerous times and wring her neck. Martha has been watching the Stage Dive guys fall one by one but all the while she’s been watching their super hot bodyguard from the sidelines. She knows she’s all wrong for him, but she can’t stop the wanting.

Sam has been wanting Martha for 10 years. Hard to believe this spoiled, high maintenance girl would ever want him. But he’s not willing to wait any longer and sets his sight on her and slowly reels her in. Of course there are fireworks when this happens, and not just the beautiful, awe inspiring kind. The kind that blow things up and make you take cover.

Sam has the patience of a saint. Martha definitely didn’t make it easy but it was fun to watch. I’m glad that things worked out, and not just between her and Sam. She isn’t the most liked character and it’s been a long time coming and growing up, on her part. It was also fun to see the past characters join in the party and come together. love when series end like this.

~Melpomene

Grab Strong https://amzn.to/2DGEs8W

Dive into Stage Dive from the beginning
Lick https://amzn.to/2xT914T
Play https://amzn.to/2IjNAyQ
Lead https://amzn.to/2xSRHgw
Deep https://amzn.to/2IheI1e

Review: Capture by Rachel VanDyken

Designed grunge paper texture, background

Designed grunge paper texture, background

Oh, my happy little heart. This book was quite a sweet read.

Dani blames herself for her parent’s death. After a trauma like that she lost the ability to speak. She functions with texting. She’s lost many friends over this, and people think she’s snotty or just acting. She wishes she could just open her mouth and say the words, but she can’t. It’s not a life she wants, but no matter what she does, she can’t break through this barrier.

Lincoln Green goes through assistants a bit more often than he wishes, so when he hires a non speaking Dani, he hopes this might work in his favor.

Dani is very nervous working the hot actor, but there’s something about him. He’s super funny and very patient with her. Soon she finds herself falling for the guy who is so out of her league, but, at the same time, seems to be just what she needs.

I positively loved this sweet story. My heart broke for Dani and the way she struggled. We each function differently and handle trauma the same way. I am so glad this was shown in a positive light. I wanted to reach in and give her a hug and tell her it’s ok.

I was so happy to see all the Seaside gang there. It was fun. And also there was a nice surprise tucked in there, and that REALLY made me happy. Well done, Rachel!!

~Melpomene

Buy Capture (Seaside Pictures Book 1)

Review and Giveaway: Lead, by Kylie Scott

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“Break something bad enough. there’s no point trying to fix it.”

Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy………. This man was lost. He was so used to his stupid mom treating him and his brother like crap, as he grew up. He felt no love. He made my heart hurt. Growing up with no one to care for him, he turned to drugs and women to escape life. But too much of something takes it’s toll and he lands himself in rehab. But afterwards, he is determined to put himself back together. So he hired Lena to be his assistant and to keep him on the straight and narrow. He doesn’t want her there, but he needs her there.

Lena had no idea what she was getting herself into, with the megastar. She doesn’t take his crap and gives it just as good as she gets. Pretty soon all that arguing and banter starts creating feelings that she has no where to put them. No matter what they do, they seem to spark whenever they’re close.

Jimmy has no idea how to deal with that. He is used to one night stands and wants nothing to do with relationships. But there’s something about Lena that he needs, but he would never tell her that.

They grow closer, the more time they spend with each other. Soon you see them hanging out and doing little things for each other, and with each other. But he refuses to look at it as more than a casual friendship. Poor Lena looks at it as a growing relationship, but knows that could never be.

After some very explosive scenes, Jimmy pushed her away, instead of dealing with what’s happening between them. But soon he realizes that love is quite possible for him, no matter what he was told as a child.

Jimmy has no idea how to love and be loved. He needs Lena to help him, even if he doesn’t realize it.

EXCERPT:
“Lena, you seen my old black Led Zep shirt?”
“Nope.”
“You sure?” His brows became one dark cranky line. The scratches on his face were healing well, thank goodness. Though it didn’t reduce my desire to throttle his mother on a daily basis.
“Yes. I haven’t seen it.”
Can’t find it anywhere…”
“And this is a surprise, how?” I slipped my hands into my back jean’s pockets. “Jimmy, you own more clothing than Cher, Brittney, and Elvis, put together. Things are bound to go missing.”
“Sure you haven’t seen it?”
“For goodness sake, what do you think, Jimmy? That I stole it to sleep in or something?” I laughed bitterly. Sure as hell, the truth deserved a good mocking. I’d sunk so despicably low.
I hadn’t even meant to steal the stupid thing, but the shirt had been mixed up with my laundry a few days ago. It’d been the first top I laid my hand on after stepping out of the shower, ready to go to bed. Without thought, I’d put it on and it’d been so soft, the scent of him lingering beneath the laundry detergent. Every night since, I’d found myself in it come bedtime. My shame knew no limits. And no, I still hadn’t quit. The words still hadn’t come even close to leaving my mouth.
He frowned. “No.”
“That I have some deep secret longing to feel close to you resulting in my stealing your shirt like some creepy perv?”
“Course I don’t fucking think that,” he replied crankily, reaching up to grip the top of the doorframe. All of his bulging muscles stretched the arms of his white T-shirt in the nicest way. It was all I could do not to start drooling, my heart beat taking up residence somewhere down between my thighs. And who could blame it? Not me. Maybe if I got laid, this would go away and things would return to normal. It’d seemed safer to avoid rubbing up against any men just in case I got carried away and started dating again. This new situation, however, changed everything.
“Well, of course not! That would be crazy.” And wasn’t that the god’s honest truth? Cray-zeee. Lock me up and throw away the key because it wasn’t like I didn’t know better.
“Just can’t figure out where the hell it could be.”
Angels couldn’t have smiled as innocently. They might have tried, but they would have failed, the dirty-mouthed, winged, little liars. “Jimmy, I don’t know where it is. But I’ll look around for it later, okay?”
“Yeah,” he said, and then added as an afterthought, “and stop looking at me weird.”
“I’m not!”


This is the 3rd book in the Stage Dive series. I like the fact that they can be standalone, but to fully enjoy all the characters, you must start from the beginning. You MUST!!

~Melpomene

**** a Rafflecopter giveaway****

Buy:
Lick (A Stage Dive Novel)
Play (A Stage Dive Novel)
Lead: A Stage Dive Novel
Pre-order Ben’s book, Deep (A Stage Dive Novel)

Review: Seeing Stars, by J. Sterling

01 saving I don’t know why I waited so long to read this, but I’m so glad I finally did. Ever since I read J.Sterling’s The Perfect Game, I’ve been hooked. And when she came out with this shorter, non angst filled story, I wanted to give it a whirl. But I heard different people complain, so I was a bit nervous. But after reading it, I just don’t understand how someone can’t like this story.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Walker Rhodes is a hot singing sensation who never settles down, spends too much money gambling and gets in trouble on the daily- at least if you believe all the tabloids.

Madison Myers is a hard working talent agent assistant thrust into the spotlight one day after Walker pulls her on stage during one of his concerts. She tries to stay away from him, but he keeps chasing her. She is strong in her resolve and he is relentless in his pursuit. The question is… WHY?!?!

Tabloid Headline Reads: Walker Rhodes pulls woman on stage during LA concert and serenades her with stars in his eyes and we watched as the sparks flew! But just who is this mystery woman who has stolen Walker’s heart? And will she be the one to finally tie down our favorite womanizing gambler?

Our readers poll:
80% say no way!
The other 20% wish they were her!

Read more inside…

Just the description sounded perfect. It was the right amount of sweet and not all the drama. When I got to 75%, I thought there was going to be some major drama and angst, but I was totally wrong and WAY off. This story needed none of that. It made me realize that you can have stories that make you feel happy and not require you to have your heart ripped out first.

Sometimes you need a break from all the drama in your life. This was that perfect little break. Now I can’t wait until the next story!

~Melpomene

Buy Seeing Stars

Play(Stage Dive #2), by Kylie Scott

0101

“Life is a song, Anne. Let’s play.”

I was super excited when Play released a week early!! I hurried through my current reread so I could start this one. Of course I couldn’t put it down, so that means I stayed up WAY too late. But I had to finish it!! I needed to know what was happening with Mal. While this is book 2, in the Stage Dive series, it can be read as a standalone. I love series like these.

Synopsis
Mal Ericson, drummer for the world famous rock band Stage Dive, needs to clean up his image fast—at least for a little while. Having a good girl on his arm should do the job just fine. Mal doesn’t plan on this temporary fix becoming permanent, but he didn’t count on finding the one right girl.

Anne Rollins never thought she’d ever meet the rock god who plastered her teenage bedroom walls—especially not under these circumstances. Anne has money problems. Big ones. But being paid to play the pretend girlfriend to a wild life-of-the-party drummer couldn’t end well. No matter how hot he is. Or could it?

Anne has had a crush on Mal, for years. So when she meets him, she is completely shocked at how he acts around her. He teases and pushes her buttons, but he also makes her want to tear off her clothes and jump him. This is a big problem, when decides to move in with her. When he comes up with the fake girlfriend plan, she is hesitant to go along, but she has no choice. Now if only she could tell her heart to stay out of it, everything would be fine.

But of course, that’s not going to happen, is it?

Mal seemed quite high strung and a bit crazy. I was wondering if there wasn’t an underlying cause. I seriously thought he had mental issues. He was so up and down, I was getting whiplash, just like Anne. But eventually you find out the reason behind his happy-go-lucky routine and it broke my heart. He was so sweet and kind and I never wanted him to have to go through what was happening.

I found myself cracking up half the time. I knew there was some serious issues happening, but Mal was so good at keeping the bad tucked away, you couldn’t help but chuckle at him. And while he was joking around, he very serious about Anne. He would do anything for her. I also loved the bold way he spoke to her. If he wanted her, he had a way saying plainly saying it, and yet making it come out kind of funny.

In the end, I was quite happy and sad. He deserved happiness, but I will miss his antics. Hopefully, in the next book, we’ll see a bit more of his goofiness.

~Melpomene

Buy Play (A Stage Dive Novel)