Shake Me (Rock Stars on the Rise 1) by Jade C Jamison-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 15, 2025

He broke my heart before he even knew it belonged to him.

Zack Ryan was always the one.
The one I couldn’t have.
The one who never looked at me the way I looked at him.

When he asked me to be the drummer in his band, I said yes—because it meant staying close, even when I was firmly in the friend zone. For years, I stood behind him on stage, keeping the rhythm while my heart beat only for him.

But the better our band becomes, the harder it is to pretend.
One night changes everything.
One night, he finally sees me.
And the next morning, he breaks me.

Now, nothing feels certain—except the music and the heartbreak that won’t let me go.
I thought loving him would be enough.

I never expected it to shake me to my core before it ruined me.

•••••

REVIEW: SHAKE ME is the first instalment in Jade C Jamison’s contemporary, new adult ROCK STARS ON THE RISE rock music romance series focusing on Zack Ryan and Dani Mankin’s story line.

Told from first person perspective (Dani) SHAKE ME follows the building friendships and making of the band Once Upon a Riot.Dani Mankin met Zack Ryan and Braden Mitchell the first day of high school,and the trio became best friends during chess club. As high school moved along, Zack and Braden would start a band with friends Cy Gilliam and Parker Eggleston, but when Parker went to college, the band needed a new drummer, and Dani was about to get a crash course in learning to play the drums, the perfect venue to stay side by side with the man who had stolen her heart. Betrayal came swift at the cost of a friendship, and Dani would discover the band would become more important to Zack than her heart.

The world building covers several years in the life of Zack and Dani as we are up close and personal with the growing friendships, and the building of the band but Dani has never stopped loving our story line hero, even in the face of perceived betrayal and broken hearts. Covering dual time lines, present day finds Dani reconsidering her future, a future that may no longer include the man whom she loves.

The relationship between Dani and Zack begins as high school friends, that quickly evolves into band mates and more but Zack only sees his future in music, and a love relationship with Dani is not on his timetable. Zack will break Dani’s heart on more than one occasion but in the end Dani must make a decision about her own life, going forward. The $ex scenes are limited and mostly implied.

We are introduced to the band members including Cy Gilliam, Parker Eggleston and Braden Mitchell, as well as Dani’s best friend Ava, who may or may not be the catalyst that changes the direction of Dani’s life.

SHAKE ME is a fast paced, quick read; a story of friendships and heartbreak, desires and rejection. The premise is captivating and engaging; the romance is limited but heart breaking; the characters are determined and desperate. SHAKE ME ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Jade C. Jamison writes steamy contemporary romance that’s full of heat, heartbreak, and hard rock. Known for emotionally raw rockstar romances, sizzling billionaire stories, and unforgettable second chances, Jade delivers passionate stories with fierce heroines and brooding heroes.

When she’s not writing, she’s jamming to metal, sipping strong coffee, or spoiling her pets and family. Whether set in small-town Colorado or on tour with a band, her books take readers on an intense, romantic ride—one story at a time.