Title: Rock King (Nothing But Trouble, Book 1)
Author: Tara Leigh
Genre: Contemporary Romance / Rockstar Romance
Release Date: February 20, 2018
Cover Designer: Forever Romance
Hosted by: Buoni Amici Press, LLC.
Fans of Kristen Callihan and Kylie Scott will scream for this sizzling bad boy rock star romance!
I’m not who you think I am.
Shane Hawthorne has it all. At least, that’s what the headlines say about me. I have millions of fans, awards, more money – and women – than I know what to do with. But what you don’t see is the wreckage I’ve caused. The memories and pain I can’t escape, even when I pour them into music and spin them into gold.
I tried to forget. To lose myself in booze and groupies. It didn’t work. It hurt me and – worse – it hurt my band. That’s the last thing I want to do, so I’m cleaning up my act… starting with Delaney Fraser.
Gorgeous, smart, drama-free, and even nice – Delaney is the perfect “girlfriend.” When I’m with her I don’t have to pretend. It’s like she sees the real me. And I can see a future with her. But that’s dangerous. Because the truth is, Shane Hawthorne doesn’t actually exist. He’s a shield to hide who I really am. Fraud. Runaway. Addict. Murderer.
And it’s impossible to love a lie, right?
The Nothing but Trouble series:
Rock King
Rock Legend
Rock Rebel
MY REVIEW:
“My “girlfriends” were a thin veil of armor against the hordes of groupies that clawed their way toward me, offering anything I could ever want. And too much I didn’t need.”
I love a good rock star romance! So I was thrilled to read ‘Rock King’, the first book in a new series by Tara Leigh, a new-to-me author. Shane Hawthorne is a rock god, worshipped by fans but very troubled and hiding a terrible secret. Care is taken with building his character and his story, so that not too much is revealed all at once. I grew to love this character and my heart broke for him as his sad past was revealed.
Shane survives by creating a fake persona, complete with his name, personality and yes, girlfriends.
“I wore Shane like a geeky teen slipping into the personality of his buff, heroic alter ego in his favorite video game. Shane Hawthorne was my avatar, and everyone thought he was real. Every girl wanted to fuck Shane Hawthorne. Every guy wanted to be Shane Hawthorne. No one more than me.”
Delaney Fraser is selected to be Shane’s new, pretend girlfriend. She is suddenly thrust into a world of wealth, travel, personal stylists and carefully controlled PR. Although this sounds like it might be a little formulaic, Tara Leigh puts a fresh spin on this story and the characters felt surprisingly real. Delaney likes Shane for who he really is right from the start, and he feels their genuine connection, too. But he is afraid the truth about him will destroy Delaney.
But Delaney has serious issues in her past as well and there is much drama when Shane finally learns the truth about her. This is not a light book but instead is a good, solid, contemporary romance with two broken souls who yes, actually find true love! I loved the description of the L.A. scene and the music world. Tara Leigh is a wonderful writer who did her research and it shows! The supporting characters were also fantastic. Shane and Delaney both deserved happiness and their love scenes were off the charts steamy. If you are looking for a sexy, rock-star romance with a HEA, you will love Rock King. And I am looking forward to Piper’s story next!!
“Shane Hawthorne, I’m yours.”
My eyes skidded over Delaney, taking in her flushed face and now naked lips, their gloss left behind on her wineglass. I continued my downward trajectory, sweeping over every inch she’d poured into the red dress still scratching at my corneas. “I don’t know what kind of guys you’ve been with before—but I’m with you right now because I think you’re fucking gorgeous. I look at your face and all I see is your perfect mouth, practically begging for me to kiss you.”
Finishing the last of my beer, I set the glass on the table. “That night, I could barely tear my eyes away from your ass, like half the guys there. And as for the rest of you, no one needs to tell me that you were made for my touch, Delaney.”
I kept my comments focused on Delaney’s physical attributes because everything else—especially this strange connection we seemed to share—made me feel like I was unraveling from the deepest part of me. It was too big, too unruly, to cage in with mere words. But whatever it was, it had kept me from walking away.
My heart thudding, I tried to stem the tide of words leaking from my mouth, but they wouldn’t stop. “I don’t want you because Travis told me I should. I want you because…Goddamn it, I’d have to be dead not to.”
Tara Leigh attended Washington University in St. Louis and Columbia Business School in New York, and worked on Wall Street and Main Street before “retiring” to become a wife and mother. When the people in her head became just as real as the people in her life, she decided to put their stories on paper. Tara currently lives in Fairfield County, Connecticut with her husband, children and fur-baby, Pixie.