Review: Twisted

Twisted by Cari Quinn

My rating: 3 of 5 stars




The books in this series have been kind of hit or miss for me, but thankfully this one was a hit. The tension between Jazz and Gray has been palpable throughout the series so far and seeing it all come to a head in this book made for a really solid read.

I'm going to start off by saying that I skipped just about every sex scene in this book. I didn't do it because they weren't well written, but because I'm just not feeling that scene at the moment. The plus side to that for me is that, even despite not reading the sex aspect of the book, I still really enjoyed what I was reading. It's all to common to fall into the easy sell of loads of sex and little plot line when you know that it sells, but that definitely wasn't a problem here. Twisted is a plot-driven erotic novel and not the other way around. The story flashed between now and then, so we really got a good picture of what formed the relationship between Jazz and Gray. It does get a little crazy at times, but I would be lying if I said that wouldn't be disappointed if I didn't get a little craziness from Oblivion. That is part of what makes me like this series. Can it be over the top? Without a doubt, but it is still done in a way where it is believable. Especially from a rock band on the rise to fame.

I do have one major issue though. I'll stick it in a spoiler for those who don't care to know though..
Can we PLEASE stop with the unplanned pregnancies with this one? It was frustrating with the first book, it's frustrating with this one. If I have to read it in the next book, there is a good chance that my brain will explode along with my will to continue with this series. Even if I understand why it would be continued on with Jazz, that doesn't mean that I can't be over the unplanned pregnancy trope within this genre. Especially when there are so many other issues that should be focused on without bringing a baby in the mix. Unplanned pregnancy happens, yes. I am just so far over reading it without this genre that it isn't remotely funny.

If it wasn't for the aforementioned spoiler, this would have been a solid 4 star read for me. That's a personal thing for me though, so take that it as you will. I'd still recommend this to anyone looking for a hot rock star read chock full of interesting and dynamic characters.




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Review: Rock, Rattle and Roll

Rock, Rattle and Roll by Taryn Elliott

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



*Arc provided by Netgalley for a fair and honest review.

This novella from the Lost in Oblivion series was a quick and hot view into the life of Harper and Deacon, post-wedding. On their honeymoon, no less, so you know that it is at least going to be interesting on one area. As you can tell from the title, it does delve into more than just sex though. On that note...

I wish I could say more than this novella was more than just okay. That's all it was for me though, just okay. I am a little over the unplanned pregnancy trope rampant in this genre of books. It was handled slightly differently in this book, which was a good thing though. It added something that makes it stand out a little more. It's hard to write book that stands out despite following the same basic formula, but this author does manage to do that. Interesting characters and good writing make a huge difference.

Anyhoo. If you were already a fan of the great chemistry inspired by Harper and Deacon, you'll dig this novella. It's just enough to keep your appetite going for more of the series.



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Rock Angel Review

 *Arc received via Netgalley for an honest review. 

Shan is young, beautiful, talented, and addicted to heroin in Rock Angel, a novel that follows her meteoric rise to guitar goddess stardom in the 90’s. She is discovered in New York by a handsome, arrogant musical genius named Quinn, and sparks fly between them when he hires her as lead guitarist of his band. Although Quinn is accustomed to bedding a different groupie every night, he can’t ignore his deepening feelings for his new band mate. From gritty Greenwich Village clubs to L.A.’s Troubadour; gigging and touring the country to the cover of Rolling Stone, Rock Angel is infused with the passionate music and intense sexual chemistry of Shan and Quinn. Shan must work out her personal demons and learn to trust Quinn enough to love him, but still remain true to the music that has always been her salvation.
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I'm going to cut straight to the point with this one.  Rock Angel is one of the best books centered around music that I have read in a long fucking time.  It's not without it's flaws, but even then I was hooked to every moment. It hit those cords that anyone who lived and loved the music of the time would understand.  Though the music played a huge part into making this book, it was Shan, and in turn her relationship with Quinn (think Kim Gordon & Thurston Moore, but with a happier ending), that made this something special.

I don't want to do a full review this far out from the release date in September, so I'm going to keep this (relatively) vague.

The hardest hitting point with this book is Shan's heroin addiction.  Anyone who even paid even the slightest attention to music in the 90s knows how much it was a part of the music scene.  How many people it took and lives it ruined.  Shan's addiction throughout the book was handled in such a way that this was constantly on your mind.  You could feel her struggles with it on every page. You ached with her she tried to get clean..and when she relapsed again.  And you respected her because even despite this struggle, she never stopped trying.  Addiction is a bitch to kick and nothing in this book made you think otherwise. I respected that more than anything else.

Shan's addiction made have been the hardest hitting point in this, but the relationship between Shan and Quinn was the most impactful.  You walked with them through their first meeting, falling in love, their troubles (and there was a lot of them) and back again. Everything was laid bare through the music they wrote together and their everyday interaction.  Nothing was ever easy for them and they fought for what they had, which in the end made everything a little sweeter.

Rock Angel is something special.  Maybe it's just because the 90s had such a big impact on me, so a love story set in that time would mean even more to me. It wasn't just that though.  It's angsty and hard-hitting, while also being poetic and beautiful.  It makes you feel...to remember what it was like back then. I loved every sweet and painful moment.

So kudos to the author on this.  I think she really nailed this debut novel.  4 out of 5 Stars.

Rocked by Taryn Elliott

Opening for their idols on their first tour, Oblivion is living the dream. Mostly. Frustrated at being shoved out of his mediator role by their new manager, Deacon McCoy loses himself in brutal workouts. He only comes up for air long enough to refuel—and to tease the deliciously cute chef who makes him crave a lot more than what she's offering on her serving plate.

As the child of roadie parents, Harper Pruitt has heard every pickup line twice. To her, musicians are one step above the scraps on her cutting board. All she wants is to get enough experience to run her own catering company, but Deacon and his bottomless stomach are too tempting to resist. He's far from the typical rock star and before long, she finds herself experimenting with him, inside and out of the kitchen. 

Apron - and panties - optional.

When Harper sees that Deacon’s dream band with his best friends may be turning into a nightmare, she can't walk away. Deacon's so much more than just a peacemaker and the man behind the bass. But she has her own dreams to chase...even if she's starting to think what she's building with him might be the biggest one of all

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Rocked was a well written, intriguing, and hot with a capital H, book.  It was also incredibly drawn out and repetitive book too though, with an ending that left me wishing for something different.

Rocked is centered around the relationship between Harper and Deacon.  Harper is a former roadie and recently graduated chef with a jaded view of the rock 'n roll lifestyle.  Deacon is the bassist of the up and coming band, Oblivion, who isn't your typical just making it big rock star.  The two meet on tour, where Harper is just starting out on her career as a sous chef with the caterers for the tour. Insert sparks between the two here.

 Harper is really hesitant for anything more than a hook up.  She has been there, done that and came home with a t-shirt.  Deacon, however, pushes for more from the start.  It makes for an interesting dynamic between the two.  The biggest problem with this, is that this dynamic just ends up extremely repetitive after a while.  Honestly, there is only so much sex and so much relationship questioning (on Harper's part) that I can take.  I think that we could have done without a few chapters of this book and still wouldn't have lost the understanding on their relationship.  I can't really say that it messes up the book, per se, but that was primarily because I just skimmed a good chunk of the second half.

While the relationship between Harper and Deacon was interesting, I think the band itself was the thing that really made this book for me.  Oblivion is just starting to make it bad, so we really got to see their journey from getting discovered, to touring, to finally getting that record deal and all of the troubles and joys in between.  There is a prequel book that shows how the band got together, but I have not read it yet.  I'd say that it won't affect your understanding of this book, but I plan to check it out anyway just in case.  Anyway.  At times, the band kind of overshadowed Deacon's relationship, but that really isn't a bad thing. Especially since it was the relationship aspect that got so repetitive.

Overall, this book is definitely worth reading.  Be prepared to skim if you aren't into tons and tons of sex and drama, but give it a shot regardless.

3.5 Stars.

*ARC provided via Netgalley for an honest review.

See Through Me Review

*ARC received from author via NetGalley for a fair and honest review. 

See Through Me did not live up to it's potential for me.  There was enough there to make it an incredibly interesting story, but in the end, it just never fully formed as a story and ended all to abruptly. Yes, yes we get warned beforehand that there are two sides of the story, so to expect a cliffhanger.   It wasn't a cliffhanger so much as screeching halt though.

This book tells us the story of Katie and Ash, in present time and through flashbacks from their tween years on.  They both had a rough childhood, in different ways, but found a way to find peace in their friendship and eventual romance. This entire book focused on that, with a little side bit of stalker(ish) drama thrown in.  It was that drama that messed up this book for me.  It reached that grey area where it was not enough to brush aside, but yet not fleshed out enough to understand why it was there in the first place.  I assume that was to draw you into the second book in the series, but it didn't work for me.

In the end, I just didn't have enough to go on, for anything really.  So much happened, and yet none of it was fully formed for me.  I wanted to like Katie and Ash, because I liked the idea of them together, but I never felt like I was able too.  Maybe once we get Ash's story the everything will come together.  Sometimes we really do need two sides of the story.

My Rating--2.75 Stars (because I feel like being difficult tonight)