REVIEW: I Want You To Want Me (Rock Star Romance #2)

I Want You To Want Me (Rock Star Romance #2), by Erika Kelly
Publish Date: July 7, 2015
Publisher: Berkley Romance
Format: paperback, provided by the publisher
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble
 
Rating: 4 STARS

(From Goodreads) Derek Valencia finally has the success he’s worked so hard for. His band is touring its debut album and great reviews are rolling in. But when pictures of him tossing naked groupies off a balcony go viral, it’s damage-control time. He’s assigned a “babysitter” whose sole job is to keep him out of trouble.

Violet Davis swore she’d never work in the music industry again, but being a minder for a rock star will earn her enough to pay off the mortgage on her wildflower farm. And for a girl brought up in the foster care system, owning her own home means more to her than anything.

Though at first the two bang heads, the rocker and the farm girl soon grow close and realize that they make sweet music together. But can a girl who craves the stability of life on a farm really make it work with a man whose life is spent on the road with his band?

Derek Valencia was my favorite side character from You Really Got Me (Rock Star Romance #1), so I was so excited to see he was getting his book next. What was great about this book is that Derek's relationship with Violet was only one of the key relationships in his life that is explored, and all of them were fascinating. Anything involving Derek would be. 

Derek has always been the heart of Blue Fire, in addition to its bass player. He was the business manager and the publicist before they could afford to hire professional ones. He mother henned the other guys in the band and always tried to keep them on the straight and narrow in the face of all their new-found fame. But, not even Derek could prepare them all adequately for that. Which is where Violet comes in. 

She's a minder - someone who insinuates herself into someone's life so as to keep him or her or them away from the bad things and substitute them for good. Needless to say, her presence in the band's life isn't very welcome at first. But, the thing about Violet is, she is used to it. In her line of work, she gets berated a lot. And, Violet is well suited to her job since emotion isn't something she was brought up with, so it's not something she engages in. She can approach her job stoically and distantly. Violet doesn't think she's capable of love. 

Honestly, Violet frustrated the hell out of me. What she went through as a kid was awful - being abandoned and growing up in foster care. So, I can understand why it might be harder for her to trust others and to give her heart away. Even Derek saw that about her, which was why he was infinitely patient with her. Once Derek got to know her, he saw so many things about her that he liked. She is beautiful and smart and compassionate and giving. But, she doesn't let anything about herself that is real out, and Derek becomes determined to help her do that. 

But, Violet has talked herself into a box, and she absolutely refuses to think outside of it. No matter how many times Derek or Emmie or her friends Francesca and Mimi tell her that she IS capable of feeling the full scope of emotions - including love - she refuses to believe them. Even after Derek shows her time and time again what love is, she refuses to see it. And, even after Derek begs her to take a chance on him and on their relationship, she refuses to do it. And, it was all I could do to keep from throwing my book across the room. 

Derek is a complex guy. He's fighting an uphill battle with Violet, but he also has this terrible relationship with his father to deal with too. His dad is a former famous jazz musician that is looking to ride his kid's coattails for an additional 15 minutes of fame. To do that, his dad blasts him in the press, shows up at events to antagonize and embarrass him, and is constantly putting down his talent and his choices. Derek has been looked over his entire life by the people who are supposed to love him, and my heart broke for both the little boy he was and the good man he grew into. Derek's relationship with his dad is interesting and complicated and so sad. 

But, Derek's relationship with his band mates is incredible. They are the family Derek and Emmie should have had growing up, but didn't. Slater, Cooper, Pete, Ben and Derek are super tight, and I loved their banter and joking with one another. When one of them has a hard time, the others rally around him. And, when tough love has to be shown, it's done with no pleasure or delight. 

The best thing about this series is the focus on the music and the music industry. A lot of rock band series focus mostly on the coupling of the band members with a song here and a concert there thrown in for show. The Rock Star Romance series puts so much more of a spotlight on the things that make the music business go round, and I absolutely love it. It makes these books shine and stand out among the others. 

I Want You To Want Me is written in dual POV. Because Slater is in the band and Emmie is Derek's sister, and they're all on tour together, there is a lot of time spent with the couple from book 1. Despite Violet's frigidity and lack of trust in Derek's and her relationship, the sexy times are hot and plentiful. And that cover - So. Gorgeous. I can't wait to see who the next guy will be to find love. Will it be goofy guitarist Cooper? Or maybe the adorable drummer Ben. And, I'm thinking that Mimi would be perfect for either of them. Either way, I'll read it, because these books so far have been a sure thing. 

BLOG TOUR REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Chasing River (Burying River #3)

Eep! CHASING RIVER is out, and I'm so excited for you guys to read it. Because... HOT IRISH MEN. And hey - it's K.A. Tucker, and when has she let us down, right? Check out my review, and then enter the giveway!

Chasing River (Burying River #3), by K.A. Tucker
Publish Date: July 7, 2015
Publisher: Atria Books
Format: e-ARC, provided by the publisher
Genre: new adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble
 
Rating: 4.5 STARS

(From Goodreads) Armed with two years' worth of savings and the need to experience life outside the bubble of her Oregon small town, twenty-five-year old Amber Welles is prepared for anything. Except dying in Dublin. Had it not been for the bravery of a stranger, she might have. But he takes off before she has the chance to offer her gratitude.

Twenty-four-year-old River Delaney is rattled. No one was supposed to get hurt. But then that American tourist showed up. He couldn't let her die, but he also couldn't risk being identified at the scene—so, he ran. Back to his everyday life of running his family’s pub. Only, everyday life is getting more and more complicated, thanks to his brother, Aengus, and his criminal associations. When the American girl tracks River down, he quickly realizes how much he likes her, how wrong she is for him. And how dangerous it is to have her around. Chasing her off would be the smart move.

Maybe it's because he saved her life, or maybe it's because he's completely different from everything she's left behind, but Amber finds herself chasing after River Delaney. Amber isn’t the kind of girl to chase after anyone.

And River isn't the kind of guy she'd want to catch.

There are so many awesome things about CHASING RIVER - the setting, the history, the suspense... the romance. I've read all of K.A. Tucker's books, and I can safely say that this one is different - in all the best ways. 

Amber is tired of being the good little sheriff's daughter, so she takes four months off of work and heads off for a trip around the world. To guide her on her journey, she and her brother Jesse's girlfriend Alex develop a bucket list of things she must do. Item number one - have a torrid affair. When Amber is in Dublin, she meets River Delaney when he saves her life from a pipe bomb, and suddenly she realizes she might be able to check off item number one. Except, Amber's not a casual sex kind of girl. Feelings get mixed up, and in this case, only complicate matters. 

When I was in college, I could've studied abroad, but I chose not to. I had my nice, neat box in which I had placed myself and by that time, I was too scared to step out of it. So, Amber's story really spoke to me. She was in the same place, doing what was expected of her, looking pretty, dating duds. And, the last dud finally jump started her adventurous spirit and sent her on a four-month trip around the world. Can you even imagine putting your entire life on hold to do something like this? Alone? 

Amber gets stuck in a wrong place wrong time kind of situation in Dublin when she wanders into a park set up with a pipe bomb, and her savior comes in the form of hot ginger River Delaney. Even though he takes off as soon as he knows she's okay, she can't get him out of her mind, and when she finds him working behind a bar, she is instantly glad she sought him out to thank him for his help.

For River's part, his head is a jumbled mess. He's upset over his brother's continued involvement in a dangerous terrorist organization. He's worried about him and about the blow back from his actions that might fall on both River and their youngest brother Rowen. And, now he can't get Amber out of his head either. So, when she shows up at his bar, while momentarily stunned (I LOVED that part), he is instantly intrigued and wants to know more about her. Thus... a torrid affair begins. 

River is completely amazing. He tries to take care of everyone and everything. He is the middle brother, so he feels responsible for looking out for Rowen, and now that his older brother Aengus is so messed up, River feels like he has to take care of him too. He has to manage his family's pub and make sure his parents are okay. And then after meeting Amber, he wants something just for him. And, damn it, I wanted him to have it. I wanted him to have her. 

One thing I've noticed about K.A. Tucker's Burying Water series is that these books feature these relationships for which the HEA seems completely elusive. Chasing River is no exception. I absolutely loved River and Amber together. They are complete opposites, and because of that are perfect for one another. River is spontaneous and energetic and unpredictable. Amber is grounded and respectable and sensible. River has secrets and his brother is a criminal. Amber's father used to be the sheriff. Not only are they very different, but they live so far apart. It's not in Amber's nature to move to Ireland, and River simply is not capable of moving to the states. How on earth could they ever be together? 

I love that uncertainty. Because when that HEA does come - and it always does - it's even better. Because underneath it all, you're always assured that the two people involved are good people and they are trying to carve a life for themselves out of the crap hand they've been dealt. And you just want them to get there, you know? You want them to find a way to be happy together. And I wanted that for Amber and River so much. 

Chasing River is told in dual POV, which is perfect. There's so much going on in River's life and in his head, it was great that we got to spend so much time with him. I loved the bond he has with Rowen and how they worked together in their pub. I especially loved the Irish setting and all the history. K.A. Tucker really did her homework, and it shows. None of this book takes place in the states, and I was completely okay with that. This was so much better. And, now I can't wait to see what K.A. Tucker comes up with next.

Born in small-town Ontario, K.A. Tucker published her first book at the age of six with the
elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. She currently resides in a quaint town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.

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REVIEW: Manwhore +1 (Manwhore #2)

Manwhore +1 (Manwhore #2), by Katy Evans
Publish Date: July 7, 2015
Publisher: Gallery Books
Format: e-ARC, provided by the publisher
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble
 
Rating: 5 STARS

(From Goodreads) Billionaire playboy? Check.
Ruthless businessman? Check.
Absolutely sinful? Check.

Malcolm Saint was an assignment. A story. A beautiful, difficult man I was supposed to uncover for a racy exposé.

I intended to reveal him, his secrets, his lifestyle—not let him reveal me. But my head was overtaken by my heart and suddenly nothing could stop me from falling. I fell for him, and I fell hard.

Malcolm Saint is absolute Sin, and I've become a hopeless Sinner.

Now that the assignment is over, Saint wants something from me--something unexpected--and I want this wicked playboy's heart. But how can I prove to the man who trusts no one that I’m worthy of becoming his plus one?

Character growth is a wonderful thing, don’t you think? It’s one of the most satisfying and fulfilling things about books. I love watching characters start from one point and, through shared experiences and mistakes and successes, end up at a different place at the end of the book. I love reading about their catharsis – the “ah-ha” moment where everything changed for them. The character growth of both Malcolm and Rachel is absolutely my most favorite part of Manwhore +1. Both of them exhibited believable and profound change in themselves, and it was so incredibly satisfying.

At the end of Manwhore, Rachel had seen the error of her ways, but it was too little too late for Malcolm, and he had cut all ties with her until several months later, when he requests a meeting with her. Rachel sees her chance, and despite his obvious reticence to start things up with her again, she’s determined to not let him go this time. Job issues and family issues continue to threaten their path to happiness, though, and since the ground is already rocky, there is a constant question about what the final nail in the coffin will be.

Rachel is my hero. Seriously. I know in my review of Manwhore, I sort of blasted her for her wishy-washiness when it came to choosing between her job and Malcolm. Rachel’s indecision was completely quashed, though, when Malcolm left her in the wake of the revelation of her deception. In that moment, she knew that she would choose Malcolm over her job, but at that point, it didn’t matter anymore. In Manwhore +1, that choice comes up again, and this time Rachel doesn’t hesitate. She wants her man back, and she will do whatever is necessary to make that happen. Even give up her job at the magazine that she protected so valiantly.

My heart broke for this girl. I spent the first 30% of so of Manwhore +1 waffling between hand-wringing and tear-wiping. She was absolutely desperate to get Malcolm back, or at least to get him to hear her apologies. And she was so, so sorry for her part that she played in driving him away. Rachel has no problem accepting responsibility and admitting she was wrong. And, she does so repeatedly. But, she never crosses that line into desperation, which I was so thankful for. Rachel is a strong woman who made a mistake and is now trying to fix it and find her way back to the man she loves.

Malcolm is feeling a bit tortured. He misses Rachel. He understands why she did what she did, but that doesn't make the fact that she played him and hurt him any less impactful. And, yet, he's man enough to admit that his life was better with her in it. Malcolm and Rachel do a dance around each other for awhile while they each piece through their feelings - Rachel through her guilt and Malcolm through his anger.

Where Malcolm might have seemed a bit cold and distant at times in book 1, he is far from that man in book 2. Character growth, I tell ya. He fell in love with Rachel and she hurt him - you can't come away from that the same way you were before. In book 2, Malcolm is softer yet more intense. He's not ever mean to Rachel, but he doesn't make it too easy for her either. And, when Malcolm's father sticks his nose into their business, it gives them both a rally point and a commonality to come together on. And Malcolm's not too proud to admit that he wants Rachel to end up on his side this time.

Manwhore +1 is told entirely from Rachel's POV, and there were many times I found myself really, REALLY wanting to know what was going on in Malcolm's head. This is a sexy, sexy book. I mean - it's Katy Evans. Of course it's sexy. But, Malcolm and Rachel have such amazing chemistry - it made me have a lot of trouble putting this book down. Although Malcolm and Rachel's story comes to a close at the end, I find myself wanting so badly to read more. Luckily, the novella Ms. Manwhore will be out this fall, and then who knows? Perhaps, in the same nature as Katy's Real series, we'll see a few books on the side characters. Here's hoping. Because this book was perfection. Total, mind-blowing, sigh-inducing, Saintly PERFECTION.