Review: Before He Was Famous (HotFlush #1) by Becky Wicks

Before He Was Famous (HotFlush #1) by Becky Wicks 

Published May 29th 2014

From: Net Galley

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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Synopsis:

Falling in love with your best friend isn’t always a great idea, especially when he’s Noah Lockton - the sexiest, most famous new talent on the planet. When 21-year-old small-town photographer Chloe Campbell is offered the chance of a lifetime – to join her celebrity childhood friend Noah on tour as an exclusive blogger for a New York magazine – she’s certain both have put what happened four years ago behind them. But his eyes still burn; his voice is still a jackhammer to her heartstrings; all his songs are about her. Is it possible that that night still haunts them both?

The music industry is a machine, spinning hype and rumors as much as his records. It’s not just Noah’s girlfriends who’ve got it in for Chloe (there’s no stopping the Twitter-obsessed, cat-loving pop-star Courtney Lentini for starters). Pretty soon, the jealousy and media frenzy surrounding these so-called-friends takes a life-changing turn and it seems making love means making enemies at every turn. When tragedy threatens to pull the final curtain on their relationship, both Chloe and Noah must make a choice. As much as this world leaves them starstruck, is living their dream really worth living without each other?

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Review:

This story has all the enactments of a great tale. Two people who have known each other for years. Lots of insider jokes and great development of all the characters. As the story progresses into darker unfamiliar waters its interesting to see how they all cope. Because the great thing you realise while you're reading is that Chloe and Noah are totally out of their comfort zone.  

Aside from Chloe and Noah, there's a Brit (imagine Russell Brand) manager who speaks in cockney rhyming slang, an arrogant photographer who moonlights as a Pap, and a crazy girl called Courtney who only appears to be in the music industry for the image.

The story twists and turns. Noah becomes more famous than even Justin Bieber. The music side of the story sheds unbecoming light on what happens behind the scenes. And then Chloe becomes a moving target of a pyscho stalker.

All together the story was good but at times it slowed down so much I did flick through a few pages. If you like to read about music people then you'll enjoy the hype that surrounds Noah. The love side is genuine (thank god) and I'll definitely be reading the next installment. 

-CBx

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You can reach Becky Wicks here:

Web

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Review: Unexpected (Unexpected, #1) by Amity Cross

Unexpected (Unexpected #1) by Amity Cross 

Published February 4th 2014 

From: Free on Amazon

Rating: 3 out of 5

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Synopsis:

Blair is looking for an escape. West is looking for a connection.

One down and out woman. One isolated rock star. Life at the top is lonely, but so is life at the bottom.

Blair is just looking for someone to take the edge off her crappy life. Dull the pain, breathe a little life into her neglected body. A chance meeting at a bar leads to a night of passion. No names, no personal details. Just sex.

Well, it wasn't personal until she sees the guy standing on a stage ten meters in front of her. How the hell didn't she realize that the guy who blew her mind is the guitarist out of that dirty rock'n'roll band, Affliction? And why is he chasing her down the street? And how does he know her name?

Sometimes you find the things you didn't even know you were looking for in the most unexpected places.

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Review:

This was a freebie from Amazon and I love rock stars so I thought, why not? I must admit, it's sat on my kindle for about a month. Once I started reading though, well, it is kind of addictive. 

Blair doesn't come across as a nice person. Actually she's a self-confessed super-bitch. She likes one off sex to take the edge off and this particular night, the night she meets super hot and tattoed West, ends in a different way to her normal slam-bam-thank-you-sir kind of nights.

West is on the look out for a connection. That's it. Call it sex, call it chemistry but when he meets Blair in that seedy bar he feels it immediately. Note: for those of you who hate insta-love then you'll hate this. Both parties think the other is hot and f***able. So they do. Blair does a runner straight after, only to see him on stage the following night. He chases her out of the venue then gets her to commit to spending the week with him. It doesn't happen quite so quickly as that but, you get the idea.

The story is short and has plenty of scope. There aren't that many characters in the story, and the rock star life described is very stereotypical of New Adult rock star stories. Personally, in real life, I don't think these two would have a chance at making it. But, hey, this isn't real life, is it?

I liked West, I didn't like Blair too much. I felt the connection sure enough, but I didn't get down into the depths of the characters. Yes, we're told why Blair is the way she is, and we're told why West feels alone. Apart from a few conversations between them which always ended abruptly (if not rudely) it was difficult to get into their minds.

Anyway, a good quick read, and yes, there are lots of hot scenes. There is also sequel :)

-CBx

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You can reach Amity Cross here:

Web

Goodreads

Review: Rocked by Clara Bayard

Rocked by Clara Bayard

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Published: February 25th 2013

From: Free on Amazon

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Synopsis:

She's dreaming of a life of excitement and romance. 

When rising rock star Joe Hawk wanders into the diner where Liss works her dark night is brightened by his incredibly blue eyes and sexy smile. The attraction is immediate and every moment is charged with erotic heat. 

He's searching for something real.

The first impression is easy. Taking the next step is much harder. The plus sized beauty has to overcome her insecurities to take a risk on a man whose life is the opposite of everything she's ever known and changing faster than either of them realizes.

From the first electric touch their chemistry is undeniable and the possibilities are endless

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Review:

This book was free on Amazon so I swiped it because I love Rock Star stories going for ordinary girls. In this short story, Lisa works at an all night diner. On a quiet night a gorgeous unassuming guy walks in and sits. They share conversation and then, being a gentleman, he walks her home. The story is very sweet. There are no twists or turns. Everything goes very smoothly except for self doubt on Lisa's part. This could only get 3 stars in my opinion because nothing really happens except at the end. I thought this one would be another Lick by Kylie Scott and I know there are a ton of follow-on stories to keep the tale of Lisa and Joe going. It's a shame the author didn't combine the books to a novel size rather than cut it up into novellas. Anyway, a good, nice read if you like Rock Stars! - CBx 

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Review. Thoughtless (Thoughtless #1) by S.C. Stephens

Thoughtless (Thoughtless #1) by S.C. Stephens

Publishers: Self-Pubbed

Date: June 11th 2011

From: Bought 

My rating: 5 out of 5

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Synopsis:

For almost two years now, Kiera's boyfriend, Denny, has been everything she's ever wanted: loving, tender and endlessly devoted to her. When they head off to a new city to start their lives together, Denny at his dream job and Kiera at a top-notch university, everything seems perfect. Then an unforeseen obligation forces the happy couple apart.

Feeling lonely, confused, and in need of comfort, Kiera turns to an unexpected source—a local rock star named Kellan Kyle. At first, he's purely a friend that she can lean on, but as her loneliness grows, so does their relationship. And then one night everything changes...and none of them will ever be the same.

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Review:

Thoughtless is probably one of the best New Adult books out there at the moment. The content is full on, heart wrenching, sometimes annoying, lots of times gaping or gasping (whichever you prefer) and all for a love triangle, a subject many readers hate to read about. This book however is difficult to resist and by the end you will be totally and utterly emotionally drained, I guarantee!

What makes this book complete are the two men in question. Denny Harris is Keira's boyfriend of two years, an Aussie, insanely devoted to her, who loses his way in their romance with a few selfish actions. Thoughtless you might say. The other is Kellan Kyle. A beautiful, gifted, sincere guy who also has a reputation as a man-whore and strangely goes through a dry spell when Keira and Denny come to live with him as housemates. Kellan is lead singer of a band called the Douchebags (D-Bags for short) and along with the other 3 members has a full and happy life - or so we think.

Keira, the voice and female lead is a 21 year old, quite naive student who has never lived outside of her hometown in Ohio. Her parents are very protective and she considers herself book smart not people smart. Keira feels overshadowed sometimes by her beautiful and very flirtatious sister, Anna, and with her family combined we get to understand why Keira makes the decisions she makes after their move to Seattle.

This is a rollercoaster book. Quite long and fully packed with great side kick characters such as Rita, the 40 something barmaid with leathery skin who lives vicariously on her one encounter with Kellan, to Jenny, the sweet as a button waitress who befriends Keira and keeps her on the straight and narrow. Many of the characters you will form an opinion on almost instantly whether its to like or hate, it doesn't really matter. And just so you know, I'm with Keira on her view of Griffin!

All in all a great read. I would class this alongside Love Unscripted as one of my favourite NA reads. 

-CBx

You can reach S.C. Stephens here: 

Web

Goodreads

ARC Review. Play (Stage Dive #2) by Kylie Scott

Play by Kylie Scott

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Expected publication: April 1st 2014 by St. Martin's Griffin

From: Net Galley

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Synopsis:

Kylie Scott returns with the highly anticipated follow-up to international bestseller LICK 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?

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Review:

Sadly I was disappointed by this book in the Stage dive series. I've read Lick so many times. It's one of my favourite books to read when I get in a funk and don't know what to read next.I loved the characters and I loved Mal. In Play, I didn't love Mal so much. Aside from his uber-flamboyant attitude and his playful chatter he didn't come across as likable at all. What I mean by that is he just wasn't real enough. The book makes him look and sound like an idiot by the end, nor capable of having a normal conversation with anyone. I also didn't like Anne much either. Her placcid, "okay, just think about the sex" quirk worked for a while but then I got frustrated with her for not sticking up for herself more. Two times that spring to mind are when Mal is feeling up the music exec (I would have stormed out, and yes, I know they were still 'faking' but even so.... The second time was when Reece and Mal were fighting out front. Instead of leaving them to it she gets involved and then gets a thump in the eye. And THEN she acts like 'oh, its okay, just stop fighting and be nice'. It didn't sit well with me. The inclusion of the other characters IS great. Dave and Ev are still super happy (yay) and while we still don't know too much about Jimmy, Ben or even Sam, we know things are stirring underfoot.

 -CBx

You can reach Kylie Scott here: 

Web

Goodreads

Review: Meeting Trouble by Emme Rollins

Meeting Trouble by Emme Rollins

Publishers: Self Published

Published Date: November 3rd 2013

From: Free Download Amazon
My rating: 3 out of 5

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Synopsis:

Sabrina can't believe her luck-she's always dreamed of front row seats to see her favorite band, "Trouble," but when she bumps into lead singer, Rob Burns, and he invites her backstage, she finds herself hoping her luck doesn't run out-and that maybe, just maybe, all her dreams will come true.

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Review:

I love anything to do with rock stars meeting the girl next door. this book had a great story line. Sabrina bumps into Rob, literally, and gets injured. He takes care of her and makes sure she's looked after during the concert. Afterwards they meet again backstage and begin their wild couple of days.

The only thing wrong with this book was it was a little too safe. Yes, there's an abundance of sexy scenes and lots of talking in restaurants about food. Apart from that if you want wild rock stars being raucous and downright dirty, then this isn't the book for you. 

Simply, a girl meets a rock star who is an ordinary guy at heart and they fall in love. The ending was also a tiny, teeny-weeny bit disappointing with a perfect opening for another book...or not.

A quick read and a cute story.

-CBx

You can reach Emme Rollins here: 

Web

Goodreads

Review: Lick (Stage Dive #1) by Kylie Scott

Lick (Stage Dive #1) by Kylie Scott

Publishers: Momentum

Published Date: July 1st 2013

From: NetGalley

My rating: 5 out of 5

Synopsis:

Waking up in Vegas was never meant to be like this. Evelyn Thomas’s plans for celebrating her twenty-first birthday in Las Vegas were big. Huge. But she sure as hell never meant to wake up on the bathroom floor with a hangover to rival the black plague, a very attractive half-naked tattooed man, and a diamond on her finger large enough to scare King Kong. Now if she could just remember how it all happened. One thing is for certain, being married to rock and roll’s favourite son is sure to be a wild ride.

Review:

I loved, loved, loved this one! So much that I read it again straight after finishing. At the moment everyone seems to be writing books about rock stars and the antics that go with it. Lick is slightly different from the start. Evelyn wakes up curled up in the bathroom feeling extraordinarily rough after a night on the tequila. Sat opposite her is a gorgeous guy, definitely swoon-worthy. After a few words she discovered the worst possible nightmare. She married him! Him being David Ferris, God Guitarist of the rock band Stage Dive. He's world famous, very rich, and for some reason likes big-boned, heavy boobed Evelyn. Its all a big misunderstanding she tells herself. If she forgets about it no one will ever know, it could be a secret. 

However, the world press are waiting at the airport the next day and Evelyn is headline news!! Here begins her adventure into how to get unmarried, and nothing goes to plan! What I loved most was the chemistry between Evelyn and David. The obvious reason is that they are perfect for one another, even though Evelyn can't see it and David acts like an ass because of his own insecurities! 

This book isn't so much a rock star on the road story that I've been reading a lot of, more of an intense romance with a whole lot of love involving a girl-next-door and a guy who clearly adores her for who she is. Even if you don't like rock music Lick is a great goosebump bringer, heart-acher with the added bonus of mature love for +17's. 

You can reach Kylie Scott here: 

Web

Goodreads

Review: Connected (Connections #1) by Kim Karr

Connected (Connections #1) by Kim Karr

Publishers: Signet Romance

Published Date: May 7 2013

From: NetGalley

My rating: 3 out of 5

Synopsis:

What if a ‘Once in a Lifetime’ could happen twice? 

Suffering from a past full of tragedy, Dahlia London's soul has been left completely shattered. Happily ever after is a far cry from reality in her world. But, when she is reconnected with her past, the bonds that form are irrefutable.

When River Wilde, lead singer of The Wilde Ones, comes back into Dahlia’s life, the intensity that fires their relationship combined with underlying feelings that have never died lead her to believe she has met her soulmate. 

Struggling with confusion as old connections fade and new ones begin, Dahlia's grief begins to lift--but guilt remains. River wants to be the one to mend all that is torn within her. 

But with a past that is never really gone, can their future survive?

Review:

Hmm. Its hard to write a review when others have praised a book to such extent and you didn't quite like it as much. Dahlia London experienced an epic tragedy. Her boyfriend Ben is shot right in front of her and slowly she builds her life back. But it takes time. Over a year goes by and she's only just about to embark on a new beginning. Five years previous she had an encounter with a really hot guy in a bar. The experience left an impression on her so when her friend asks her to do an interview and a photoshoot at first she's not interested. Then she finds out its River Wilde, the same guy she met in the bar. Still unsure about whether its the right thing to do she agrees to do the job. He wouldn't remember her anyway, it happened five years ago. From the moment they meet again River and Dahlia are both aware of each other, desire unfurls but they both keep it in check. Until River asks her for dinner. 

My first impressions were that I liked this book. The story of Dahlia and Ben, their romance, the aftermath of college, it all came across as meaningful and wonderful living in their world. Some of Ben's comments annoyed me such as his repetative swearing when giving a compliment. Big turn off for me. But it was clear they were devoted to one another. However the minute Dahlia 'fell' into the conference room I got annoyed. Why do authors always insist on the MC making a complete idiot of herself at the first meeting. Fifty Shades had Ana falling on her knees, Eva fell on her ass in Bared to You. Dahlia crushed her wrist again the glass door and everything about that moment felt too contrived especially when River said the lamest line afterwards, "No apology necessary, that's the kind of collision I wouldn't mind having every day." Ugh, gag much? Then a little later she drops her bag again and her contents fall all over the floor. She's on her knees picking her stuff up and he's on a chair looking down at her. Again! Too contrived. The author is clearly trying to set the tone that this will be a steamy romance but of dominant/submissive status but actually the book isn't anything like that. So these scenes to me had no meaning or purpose for the feel of the book which is a romance not an BDSM story. 

After this scene everything goes badly and is poorly executed. If someone held my hand half an hour after meeting them I would yank it away. Very awkward and uncomfortable. Dahlia is doing a job, she's supposed to be professional and is apparently vulnerable, but in the next couple of chapters she all but throws herself at him and he obliges. Yes, he's giving her steamy eyes and licking his lips a lot so he's getting a vibe that she wants something. Once they do reach THAT moment the romance does come over as sensual and romantic. then the story really starts being good. Dahlia all but ditches her life and heads back to LA with River, lives with him for a while, meets his family. The undercurrent tones suggest that his sister is hiding something that we'll find out in the next book. The brother clearly has designs on Dahlia. And Ben's secret at the end revealed more of what could be a great intrigue.

So, I enjoyed it mostly. Once the initial 'Connection' (see what I did there!) was out the way, the different characters held form and Dahlia started acting like a human being not a horny teenager claiming self doubt when she projected nothing like it. 

-CBx

You can reach Kim Karr here: 

Web

Goodreads