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Rock Wedding (Rock Kiss #4) by Nalini Singh-Review, Book Tour & Giveaway

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ROCK WEDDING (Rock Kiss #4) by Nalini Singh-Review, Book tour and Giveaway

 

ROCK WEDDING
Rock Kiss #4
by Nalini Singh
Genre: adult, contemporary, rock star, romance
Release Date: July 19, 2016

 

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 19, 2016

After a lifetime of longing for a real family, Sarah Smith thought she’d finally found her home with rock star Abe Bellamy, even if she knew Abe didn’t love her the way she loved him. But their brief relationship, filled with tragedy and heartache, nearly destroyed her. Alone, emotions in turmoil, and already shaky self-esteem shattered, Sarah struggles to pick up the pieces in the wake of their divorce.

Abe knows he’s to blame for the end of his marriage. Caught in a web of painful memories, he pushed away the best thing in his life – the sexy, smart woman he adores – breaking them both in the process. Then fate throws him a second chance to get things right, to prove to Sarah that she means everything to him. Abe desperately wants that second chance at love…even if he knows he doesn’t deserve it.

But can he convince Sarah – now strong and independent without him – to risk her wounded heart one more time?

••••••••••

REVIEW: ROCK WEDDING is the fourth and final full-length installment in Nalini Singh’s contemporary, adult ROCK KISS romance series focusing on the members of the rock group Schoolboy Choir. This is Schoolboy Choir’s keyboard player/vocalist Abe Bellamy, and business entrepreneur Sarah Smith-Bellamy’s story line. ROCK WEDDING can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty although I recommend reading the series in order for backstory and history.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Abe and Sarah) ROCK WEDDING is a story of second chances and happily ever afters. Throughout the series the reader becomes aware of the rocky relationship between Abe Bellamy and his (ex) wife Sarah Smith-Bellamy but the truth behind Abe’s destructive behavior comes to light in the current story line. Two years together and a devastating loss find our heroine running towards freedom, a divorce and a new start to life. Fast forward to present day wherein Sarah finds herself the victim of another relationship that goes horribly wrong, and Abe comes calling hoping for a second chance. What ensues are Abe’s attempts to become a better man, a better husband and a better friend to the people he loves.

ROCK WEDDING is an emotional story line; a story about overwhelming loss, the destructive nature of addiction, and the struggle to forgive and move forward. Abe’s story is heartbreaking-a man unable to let go of the grief and guilt from his past. Sarah is a woman whose earlier years were filled with rejection and abuse. Wanting a family to call her own is everything Sarah had hoped and dreamed but her marriage to Abe was anything but. Abe’s addictions and subsequent verbally abusive behavior pushed our heroine over the edge and into the arms of something worse.

The relationship between Abe and Sarah is one of second chances. Abe’s past treatment of Sarah is reprehensible and destructive not to mention the accusations meant to destroy the human psyche. Rehab and working towards a cleaner lifestyle find Abe hoping for a second chance with the woman he has always loved. Abe’s grief and guilt will forever remain but he must learn to deal with the emotional and physical fall out of his actions. In the end both Abe and Sarah are stronger for the losses they have endured. The $ex scenes are provocative and intense.

All of the previous story line couples and characters play secondary and supporting roles. There are several weddings, proposals and marriages as each member of the band gets his happily ever after. The world building focuses on second chances and forgiveness-the music, the tours, and the band are secondary to the story and almost non existent. There are some issues of repetition and redundancy but easily overlooked.

ROCK WEDDING is the final installment in the Rock Kiss series but Nalini Singh has revealed she will be writing a few novellas and short stories to update the reader on some of our favorite Schoolboy Choir romances, and the potential for a spin off series in the works. The story line saw the evolution of four relationships culminating in a series of weddings and celebrations. The premise is entertaining and emotional but the angst is limited to the events of the past; the characters are broken but strong; the romance is a second chance at a happily ever after.

Reading Order and Previous reviews
Rock Addiction
Rock Hard
Rock Courtship
Rock Redemption

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

 

excerpt

 

 

Sarah sat on the floor of her living room, books spread out all around her.
Having worked nonstop for days, she’d given herself the afternoon off. First, she’d gone to see her son. The anniversary had rolled around again, and though she hurt, this month wasn’t one of the bad ones. She’d talked to him, told him about her day, left him with a kiss.
Her plan for the rest of the day had been to get into her pj’s and curl up on the couch with Flossie to binge-watch a favorite television series. Then had come the buzz at the gate that made her heart thunder and her skin flush… and the delivery of a most unexpected package.
I hope you’re doing okay today. Say hi to Aaron for me. I’m sorry I threw your books in the pool. I was a dick. – Abe
Sarah stared at the note card again, still not certain she was reading it right. The first two lines, they turned her throat thick, but the rest… He’d been so high that day that she’d have bet her business he had no memory of the ugly incident. Sarah had never forgotten it: she could still feel the wrenching ache of the sobs that had overwhelmed her as she tried futilely to fish out books that had been well and truly drenched.
Abe, meanwhile, had moved on to throwing the pool furniture into the shimmering blue water.
Her fingers trembled as she picked up a leather-bound copy of Jane Austen’s Persuasion. It matched the other Austen novels he’d sent her, the set a lovely reissue packaged for collectors. Beside the fancy collector’s editions lay cheerful paperbacks with laughing couples and/or dogs on the covers.
She stifled a wet laugh. He’d clearly chosen those at random, but it was cute that he’d remembered she liked romances with animals in them. Half the time when she’d read to him or talked to him about her favorites, she’d thought he was mostly asleep. It hadn’t mattered—she’d just liked being with him.
The most surprising book in the package was the one about the entrepreneur who’d gone from rags to riches on stubborn grit and sheer determination.
It gave her a funny, fluttery feeling in her tummy to realize Abe really did take her business endeavor seriously. It wasn’t mockery, not when he’d gone to the effort of choosing these other books with her likes specifically in mind. He’d thought she’d like the book because she was an entrepreneur too.
Her eyes burned.
Her hand went to her phone, but she hesitated, the memories of her awful loneliness while she’d been with Abe holding her in place. Curling her fingers into her palm, she picked up the television remote instead.
She had to keep her distance if she was to have any chance of protecting her battered heart. Because this Abe? The one who sent her flowers and books and who dropped by to make sure she was all right? He was more dangerous than the man who’d broken her to pieces.


© Copyright 2016 by Nalini Singh

 

 

About The Author

Nalini Singh is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Psy-Changeling, Guild Hunter, and Rock Kiss series. She lives and works in beautiful New Zealand, and is passionate about writing.

If you’d like to explore her other books, you can find lots of excerpts and free short stories on her website. Slave to Sensation is the first book in the Psy-Changeling series, while Angels’ Blood is the first book in the Guild Hunter series. The Rock Kiss books are all stand alone and can be read in any order.

STALK HER: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Rock Redemption (Rock Kiss #3) by Nalini Singh-Review and Book Tour

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ROCK REDEMPTION (Rock Kiss #3) by Nalini Singh-Review and Book Tour

ROCK REDEMPTION BLOG TOUR

Rock Redemption
Rock Kiss #3
by Nalini Singh
Release Date: October 6, 2015
Genre: adult, contemporary, romance, rock

Rock Redemption

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / BAM

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 6, 2015

Kit Devigny could have loved rock guitarist Noah St. John. Their friendship burned with the promise of intense passion and searing tenderness…until the night Noah deliberately shattered her heart.

Noah knows he destroyed something precious the night he chose to betray Kit, but he’d rather she hate him than learn his darkest secret. All he has left is his music. It’s his saving grace, but it doesn’t silence the voices that keep him up at night. Chasing oblivion through endless one-night-stands, he earns a few hours’ sleep and his bad boy reputation.

When a media error sees Noah and Kit dubbed the new “it” couple, Kit discovers her chance at the role of a lifetime hinges on riding the media wave. Wanting—needing—to give Kit this, even if he can’t give her everything, Noah agrees to play the adoring boyfriend. Only the illusion is suddenly too real, too painful, too beautiful…and it may be too late for the redemption of Noah St. John.

•••••••••••••

REVIEW: ROCK REDEMPTION is the third full length installment in Nalini Singh’s contemporary, adult ROCK KISS romance series. This is “Schoolboy Choir’ rock guitarist Noah St.John, and actress Kit Devigny’s storyline. ROCK REDEMPTION can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Noah and Kit) ROCK REDEMPTION is a storyline about second chances at friendship and love. Noah’s personal life is spiraling out of control and there is nothing he wants more than to be loved and love but our hero (or lack of a better term) has a secret-a dark and heartbreaking past that controls his present, and in this, Noah sets about to destroy the woman who holds his heart. Noah is on a self-destructive path into the abyss; his man-whoring reputation precedes his friendship with Kit; the drinking, drugs and $ex barely appease the voices in his head. Noah is a man who doesn’t like to be touched; to kiss; or acknowledge the demons from his past.

Kit is an actress on the cusp of making it big but her love for Noah St. John finds our heroine walking away when Noah betrays both his friendship and love for Kit Devigny. The push and pull, and angst of Kit and Noah’s friendship borders on emotionally abusive, co-dependent, and obsession. Noah continues to push away the only woman he has ever loved in the hopes of keeping secret his past; Kit tries to keep her distance, letting go of the man with whom she has fallen in love, but she is unable to completely sever the ties that bind. ROCK REDEMPTION follows Kit and Noah as they struggle with their rekindling friendship and building love. Both Kit and Noah come from well to do families whose fame and fortune follow our leading couple wherever they go.

ROCK REDEMPTION is an emotional storyline both for the reader and the leading characters of the story. Kit and Noah’s relationship is akin to a psychological study in co-dependency while the world around them begins to close in and tighten the rope. There are moments of heartbreaking betrayal and family dysfunction, secret revelations and letting go of the past. The relationship between Noah and Kit is emotionally draining; the sexual attraction and anxiety is highly charged; BUT the romance is very, very slow to build. There are only one or two quick $ex scenes (late in the story) that leave the reader wanting more. ROCK REDEMPTION focuses on the rebuilding of a friendship before anything deeper can be explored. The lack of romance may be difficult for some readers especially with Noah’s numerous attempts to destroy his relationship with Kit. I think Nalini needs to write a novella that furthers Kit and Noah’s romance; the epilogue advances the storyline one year wherein we know nothing about the previous twelve months.

There is a secondary plot running through ROCK REDEMPTION that barely merits mentioning: Kit has a stalker whose identity and purpose seemingly come out of left field. For all intents and purposes, this particular scenario is more of a distraction; its’ purpose in the story is negligible and does nothing to affect the main storyline premise. It probably would have been better to remove this plot deviation entirely.

Molly and Fox (Rock Addiction #1) figure prominently throughout the storyline as our hero and heroine find emotional support from Rock Kiss’s introductory couple, as well as David and Thea (Rock Courtship 1.5), and Abe and his ex wife Sarah whose own rocky relationship may see a fresh restart. We are briefly introduced to Kit and Noah’s parents, as well as Kit’s friend Becca, and Terrence, a man vying for Kit’s attention.

ROCK REDEMPTION focuses on the struggles of a friendship destroyed by betrayal and mistrust. Noah is more of an anti-hero, and Kit’s emotional breakdowns are heartbreaking. There is no infidelity but Noah’s attempts to push Kit away involve other women, drinking and drugs. The characters are colorful, charismatic and honest; the romance is virtually non-existent due to the very slow rebuilding of Kit and Noah’s friendship. The sexual attraction and angst is palpable but our couple is slow to act on their growing feelings until a good portion of the storyline has elapsed. There are a number of scenes of self-reflection, and inner monologues with flashbacks that push the storyline forward (or back) revealing some of the backstory and history for our couple. The lack of romance between Kit and Noah may be a problem for many readers.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

 

excerpt

 

Kit groaned at the sound of her phone. Reaching out blindly toward the nightstand, she hurled mental curses upon herself for forgetting to turn it off so she could catch some uninterrupted sleep before her four-a.m. makeup call.
It’d be fun and great for her career, her agent had said when recommending Kit take the superhero flick. Coming off two serious and emotionally wrenching projects, Kit had taken Harper’s advice and jumped on board the high-budget, high-octane venture. Unfortunately, Harper had forgotten to mention the four hours it would take to put her into the head-to-toe makeup required for the role. Daily.
“What?” she snarled into the phone without checking to see who it was.
“Hey, Katie.”
Every cell in her body snapped wide awake. Lifting her eyelids, she just stared at the ceiling through gritty eyes. Her heart thumped, her throat moving convulsively as she swallowed. She hated that he could still do this to her, hated it, but her visceral response to Noah wasn’t something she could stop. She knew because she’d tried for the past two years and three months.
“Noah,” she said flatly. “Do you know what time it is?”
“Two fifteen,” he answered.
Kit should’ve hung up. God, he’d hurt her. So much. But there was something in his voice that had her sitting up. “Are you drunk?” One thing she knew about Noah: no matter his bad-boy rep, he was never wasted. He might give a good indication of it, but look closely and those dark gray eyes were always sober.
“Probably.” A silence, followed by, “I just wanted to hear your voice. Sorry for waking you.”
“Wait,” she said when he would’ve hung up. “Where are you?”
“Some dive.” He took a deep breath, released it in a harsh exhale. “I’m sorry for being an asshole. I wanted to tell you that. I don’t want to go without saying that.”
“Noah,” she said, a horrible feeling in her stomach. “Where exactly are you?”
“The Blue Flamingo Inn off Hollywood Boulevard. Far, far, far off.” He laughed, and it held no humor. “It has a neon sign of a blue—surprise!—flamingo that’s flashing right through my window. Looks like someone stole the curtains.”
Having already grabbed her laptop, which she’d left beside the bed after answering some e-mails before sleep claimed her, she found the Blue Flamingo Inn. But Noah was already gone, having said, “I love your voice, Kit,” in an oddly raw tone before hanging up.
He didn’t pick up when she called back.
“Damn it! Damn it!” She shoved aside the blanket under which she’d been buried, having turned the AC to ice-cold as she usually did at night. Shivering, she tugged on a pair of jeans and an old sweatshirt over the panties and tank top in which she’d gone to sleep.
Pulling her black hair into a rough ponytail to keep it out of her eyes, she ran through the house, phone in one pocket, credit card and driver’s license in the other. In the kitchen, she grabbed her keys off the counter and shoved her feet into the tennis shoes by the door that led to the garage.
She was in her car and on the way to the motel three minutes after Noah had hung up, mouth dry and an ugliness in her gut. “Please be okay, please be okay, please be okay,” she kept saying, the mantra doing nothing to calm her down, but at least it kept her mind focused.
She wanted to call Molly and Fox, or the others in the band, but no one was currently in the city. Schoolboy Choir had completed the final show in the band’s hugely successful tour just over two weeks earlier. Day after that, they’d all gone their separate ways to recharge and regroup.
“Much as I love these guys,” David had said with a grin that reached the dark gold of his eyes, “I’ve been looking at their ugly mugs daily for months. We need to go blow off some steam separately before we start snarling at each other.”
At the time, Kit had nodded in understanding, having had that same experience while working on location for long periods. Tonight, however, she wished the others were all here, not scattered across the country, because something was very wrong with Noah.
“Noah doesn’t do drugs,” she told herself as she drove as fast as she dared, not wanting to risk getting pulled over and further delayed. “He isn’t the kind to—” She couldn’t say it, couldn’t even think of Noah ending his life. “No,” she said firmly, her hands white-knuckled on the steering wheel. “Noah isn’t like that.”

 

If you’d like to read the rest of this chapter, as well as the next, click this link: http://nalinisingh.com/books/rock-kiss-series/rock-redemption/

 

ROCK REDEMPTION TEASER 2

series spotlight

Rock Addiction
Rock Kiss #1
by Nalini Singh
Genre: NA, contemporary, romance, rock
Release Date: September 9, 2014

 

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / KOBO /

Rock Addiction coverAbout the book: Release Date September 9, 2014

Click HERE for our review of ROCK ADDICTION

A bad boy wrapped in a sexy, muscled, grown-up package might be worth a little risk…

Molly Webster has always followed the rules. After an ugly scandal tore apart her childhood and made her the focus of the media’s harsh spotlight, she vowed to live an ordinary life. No fame. No impropriety. No pain. Then she meets Zachary Fox, a tattooed bad boy rocker with a voice like whiskey and sin, and a touch that could become an addiction.

A one-night stand with the hottest rock star on the planet, that’s all it was meant to be…

Fox promises scorching heat and dangerous pleasure, coaxing Molly to extend their one-night stand into a one-month fling. After that, he’ll be gone forever, his life never again intersecting with her own. Sex and sin and sensual indulgence, all with an expiration date. No ties, no regrets. Too late, Molly realizes it isn’t only her body that’s become addicted to Fox, but her heart…

_____________________

Rock CourtshipRock Courtship
Rock Kiss 1.5
by Nalini Singh
Genre: contemporary, new adult, romance, rock musicians
Release Date: September 30, 2014

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About the book: Release Date September 30, 2014

Click HERE for our review of ROCK COURTSHIP

What happens when the Gentleman of Rock decides to play dirty?

A drummer for the hottest rock band on the planet, David has a single, powerful weakness: Thea, the band’s publicist and the woman who steals his breath away with her every move.

Only problem is, Thea doesn’t date clients–or musicians. Emotionally scarred by a cheating ex, she’s not about to risk her heart with a man who has groupies buzzing around him like flies. Even if his sexy smile ties her up in knots.

What she doesn’t know is that David is a one-woman man…and he’s madly in love with her. David’s determined to prove he’s worth the risk, and willing to court her, step by exquisite step. Thea’s about to discover just how long and hard this handsome drummer can play.

________________

ROCK HARDRock Hard
(Rock Kiss #2)
by Nalini Singh
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic romance
Release Date: March 10, 2015

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ROCK HARD (Rock Kiss #2) by Nalini Singh

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 10, 2015

Wealthy businessman Gabriel Bishop rules the boardroom with the same determination and ruthlessness that made him a rock star on the rugby field. He knows what he wants, and he’ll go after it no-holds-barred.

And what he wants is Charlotte Baird.

Charlotte knows she’s a mouse. Emotionally scarred and painfully shy, she just wants to do her job and remain as invisible as possible. But the new CEO—a brilliant, broad-shouldered T-Rex of a man who growls and storms through the office, leaving carnage in his wake—clearly has other plans. Plans that may be equal parts business and bedroom.

If Charlotte intends to survive this battle of wits and hearts, the mouse will have to learn to wrangle the T-Rex. Game on.

About The Author

nalini bioNEW YORK TIMES AND USA Today bestselling author of the Psy-Changeling and Guild Hunter series Nalini Singh usually writes about hot shapeshifters and dangerous angels. This time around, she decided to write about a hot and wickedly tempting rock star. If you’re seeing a theme here, you’re not wrong.

Nalini lives and works in beautiful New Zealand, and is passionate about writing. If you’d like to explore her other books, you can find lots of excerpts on her website. Slave to Sensation is the first book in the Psy-Changeling series, while Angels’ Blood is the first book in the Guild Hunter series. Once Rock Addiction is out, swing by the site to check out the special behind-the-scenes page, complete with photos of many of the locations used in the book.

STALK Nalini:  Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Rock Hard (Rock Kiss #2) by Nalini Singh-Review and Book Tour

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Rock Hard (Rock Kiss #2) by Nalini Singh-Review and Book Tour

rock hard book tour

Rock Hard
Rock Kiss #2
by Nalini Singh
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic romance
Release Date: March 10, 2015

ROCK HARD

Amazon.com / B&N / KOBO / The Book Depository

ROCK HARD (Rock Kiss #2) by Nalini Singh

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 10, 2015

Wealthy businessman Gabriel Bishop rules the boardroom with the same determination and ruthlessness that made him a rock star on the rugby field. He knows what he wants, and he’ll go after it no-holds-barred.

And what he wants is Charlotte Baird.

Charlotte knows she’s a mouse. Emotionally scarred and painfully shy, she just wants to do her job and remain as invisible as possible. But the new CEO—a brilliant, broad-shouldered T-Rex of a man who growls and storms through the office, leaving carnage in his wake—clearly has other plans. Plans that may be equal parts business and bedroom.

If Charlotte intends to survive this battle of wits and hearts, the mouse will have to learn to wrangle the T-Rex. Game on.

•••••••••••••••

REVIEW: ROCK HARD is the second full length installment in Nalini Singh’s adult, contemporary Rock Kiss erotic romance series. This is wealthy businessman and former ruby player Gabriel Bishop and personal assistant Charlotte Baird’s storyline. Charlotte is Molly Webster’s best friend whom we met in the prequel novella Rock Addiction. ROCK HARD can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty.

Told from third person point of view, the focus of the storyline is on the building relationship between Gabriel and Charlotte. Gabriel is the new owner and CEO of Saxon and Archer Corp, and is in the process of cleaning ‘house’ when he is introduced to the quiet, shy, mousy and intelligent Charlotte Baird. When Gabriel offers Charlotte the position as his new personal assistant, Charlotte begins to bloom in her role within the company but Gabriel begins to notice that everything is not right within Charlotte’s world. As Gabriel begins to fall for his new PA, his own past makes another attempt at forgiveness and hope.

Part of the premise looks at a terrifying time in Charlotte’s past; a past that has shaped her present, forcing her to withdraw and hide behind drab colors, frumpy clothes and an unattractive hair style. Charlotte’s past is mired in betrayal and pain, and she has never quite learned to deal with the aftermath and recurring PTSD.

The relationship between Gabriel and Charlotte begins as employee and employer, and slowly moves into something more. Gabriel is reluctant to make any advances towards his new PA although his attraction to her is complicated and immediate. For months Gabriel makes requests of Charlotte to purchase gifts and send flowers to an assortment of women in his life, while Charlotte slowly grows despondent in her attraction to her new boss. She isn’t the type of woman Gabriel is attracted to but that doesn’t stop Charlotte from fantasizing about the possibilities. There is plenty of sexual tension as our couple dance around one another for a good portion of the story. The sex scenes are intimate and personal, but are limited to the final few chapters in the story.

The secondary and supporting characters include a few fellow employees; Charlotte’s former roommate and BFF Molly; Gabriel’s extended and close knit family; as well as Charlotte’s ex boyfriend whose hold and obsession over Charlotte controls everything that she does.

The world building takes a departure from the previously music themed storylines and focuses on big business and millionaires with dark and tormented pasts. The only connection to the previous two storylines is the friendship between Charlotte and Molly Webster –first introduced in Rock Addiction.

ROCK HARD is, thus far, my favorite Rock Kiss installment. Nalini has found her niche; her groove; her momentum within the contemporary romance genre with ROCK HARD. The flow of the storyline is smooth and evenly paced. Although the premise is a familiar one -wealthy CEO meets broken, virginal damsel in distress-the storyline works as it reads with more maturity than the previous two installments-a diversion from the New Adult feel and premise.

Copy supplied by the tour promoter.

Reviewed by Sandy

excerpt

 

Charlotte arrived at work at seven thirty the next morning to find Gabriel Bishop’s office door open, but no carnivorous predator inside. A fresh suit was hanging on the back of his door, however, which meant he’d been in already.
Deciding to catch up on e-mails that had come in overnight from international suppliers as well as stores involved in a stock take, she was typing a reply when a sweaty Gabriel arrived fifteen minutes later. He was dressed in black running shorts and a faded University of Auckland T-shirt that was currently sticking to his body.
She’d known he was in shape, but now she realized none of it was an illusion created by his well-cut suits. Okay, she’d already known that, but seeing his muscled body in the flesh was a whole different ball game. He was built like a tank, hard and powerful.
Each of his thighs was thicker than both of hers put together, his biceps toned, his shoulders appearing even wider than usual. Everything about him was big. Civilized clothing didn’t make him look better, she realized—it toned down his intense masculinity. Out of his suits, with the ink on the upper part of his left arm exposed, as well as that on his opposing thigh and…
Her skin hot and lower body clenching, she just nodded in response to his “Good morning.”
Disappearing into his office, he returned with his suit pants and a fresh shirt slung over his arm, along with a sports bag. “Push the meeting with Sales to nine, will you, Ms. Baird? I need to talk to HR about something before then.”
“Yes, sir,” Charlotte said almost soundlessly, but he was already gone, heading toward the employee shower one floor down.
The thigh tattoo went all the way around, the design intricate.
Heart rate a rapid stutter, Charlotte got up after he disappeared and decided to go grab him a coffee. He’d bought her one yesterday after all. She was just being nice. “Oh, shut up, Charlotte,” she muttered once she was in the elevator, and slumped her face into an upraised hand.
The truth was she was running away. Only for a few minutes, but that’s what this was: strategic retreat. Gabriel Bishop was overwhelming. Once, before she’d ever met him and under the influence of cocktails, she’d told Molly she wanted to rip off his shirt and sink her teeth into his pecs.
That desire hadn’t waned even now that she knew he was a T-Rex. Of course, the desire was all strictly in her imagination. The idea of actually handling him in real life? So impossible as to be laughable. Charlie-mouse was not about to play with a predator who could eat her alive and not even notice the bones. The good news was that she could admire him in relative safety—there was no chance in hell he’d ever notice her as a woman.
Getting the coffee from a nearby café, she took it back upstairs. He was in his office when she entered, the striped dark gray of his tie hanging around his neck and his damp hair roughly combed. The scent of clean, fresh soap over warm skin permeated the office. Shooting her a smile that turned him from gorgeous to flat-out devastating, he flipped up the collar of his white shirt to get the tie in place. “Thank you, Ms. Baird.”
Nodding, Charlotte escaped, though she really wanted to stay. She’d never realized how erotic it was to watch a man dress until this precise moment. And she shouldn’t be having these thoughts about her boss—especially since she couldn’t keep from quivering like a rabbit in his presence. Sometimes she just annoyed herself.
“Get to work,” she muttered and knuckled down.
Gabriel was fine for the first hour, but then he began barking orders even a six-armed woman with a split personality would have had trouble handling.
Finally, pushed to the edge, Charlotte snapped. “I’m going as fast as I can!” she yelled when he asked her for something a minute after he’d asked her to complete another task.
He scowled and held out a file. “This is a priority.”
Grabbing it from his hand, she said, “Fine,” and slapped it down on her desk.
It was over an hour later that he disappeared for ten minutes. When he returned, it was to put a small bakery box on her desk. “I think you need something to sweeten your mood today, Ms. Baird.”
What she needed was for the T-Rex who was her boss to stop snarling and growling, she thought as he returned to his office. Not opening the box until her curiosity had almost killed her, she found it held a slice of decadent chocolate cake with a white-chocolate ganache topped with curls of both white and milk chocolate. “I cannot be bribed with cake,” she muttered, eating a bite nonetheless.
Full two-chapter excerpt available on Nalini’s Website: http://nalinisingh.com/rockhard.php

 


Series Spotlight

Rock Addiction
Rock Kiss #1
by Nalini Singh
Genre: NA, contemporary, romance, rock
Release Date: September 9, 2014

 

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / KOBO /

Rock Addiction coverAbout the book: Release Date September 9, 2014

Click HERE for our review of ROCK ADDICTION

A bad boy wrapped in a sexy, muscled, grown-up package might be worth a little risk…

Molly Webster has always followed the rules. After an ugly scandal tore apart her childhood and made her the focus of the media’s harsh spotlight, she vowed to live an ordinary life. No fame. No impropriety. No pain. Then she meets Zachary Fox, a tattooed bad boy rocker with a voice like whiskey and sin, and a touch that could become an addiction.

A one-night stand with the hottest rock star on the planet, that’s all it was meant to be…

Fox promises scorching heat and dangerous pleasure, coaxing Molly to extend their one-night stand into a one-month fling. After that, he’ll be gone forever, his life never again intersecting with her own. Sex and sin and sensual indulgence, all with an expiration date. No ties, no regrets. Too late, Molly realizes it isn’t only her body that’s become addicted to Fox, but her heart…

_____________________

Rock CourtshipRock Courtship
Rock Kiss 1.5
by Nalini Singh
Genre: contemporary, new adult, romance, rock musicians
Release Date: September 30, 2014

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About the book: Release Date September 30, 2014

Click HERE for our review of ROCK COURTSHIP

What happens when the Gentleman of Rock decides to play dirty?

A drummer for the hottest rock band on the planet, David has a single, powerful weakness: Thea, the band’s publicist and the woman who steals his breath away with her every move.

Only problem is, Thea doesn’t date clients–or musicians. Emotionally scarred by a cheating ex, she’s not about to risk her heart with a man who has groupies buzzing around him like flies. Even if his sexy smile ties her up in knots.

What she doesn’t know is that David is a one-woman man…and he’s madly in love with her. David’s determined to prove he’s worth the risk, and willing to court her, step by exquisite step. Thea’s about to discover just how long and hard this handsome drummer can play.

rock hard teaser 1

About The Author

nalini bioNEW YORK TIMES AND USA Today bestselling author of the Psy-Changeling and Guild Hunter series Nalini Singh usually writes about hot shapeshifters and dangerous angels. This time around, she decided to write about a hot and wickedly tempting rock star. If you’re seeing a theme here, you’re not wrong.

Nalini lives and works in beautiful New Zealand, and is passionate about writing. If you’d like to explore her other books, you can find lots of excerpts on her website. Slave to Sensation is the first book in the Psy-Changeling series, while Angels’ Blood is the first book in the Guild Hunter series. Once Rock Addiction is out, swing by the site to check out the special behind-the-scenes page, complete with photos of many of the locations used in the book.

STALK HER: Website |

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Rock Courtship (Rock Kiss Novella) by Nalini Singh-Review and Release Day Blitz

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Rock Courtship (Rock Kiss Novella) by Nalini Singh -Review and Release Day Blitz

rock courtshop release day blitz

Rock Courtship
Rock Kiss 1.5
by Nalini Singh
Genre: contemporary, new adult, romance, rock musicians
Release Date: September 30, 2014

Rock Courtship

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ KOBO /

About the book: Release Date September 30, 2014

What happens when the Gentleman of Rock decides to play dirty?

A drummer for the hottest rock band on the planet, David has a single, powerful weakness: Thea, the band’s publicist and the woman who steals his breath away with her every move.

Only problem is, Thea doesn’t date clients–or musicians. Emotionally scarred by a cheating ex, she’s not about to risk her heart with a man who has groupies buzzing around him like flies. Even if his sexy smile ties her up in knots.

What she doesn’t know is that David is a one-woman man…and he’s madly in love with her. David’s determined to prove he’s worth the risk, and willing to court her, step by exquisite step. Thea’s about to discover just how long and hard this handsome drummer can play.

••••••••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: ROCK COURTSHIP is the second storyline in Nalini Singh’s contemporary, new adult Rock Kiss romance series focusing on the four members of the rock group Schoolboy Choir. This is drummer David Rivera and the band’s PR consultant Thea Arsana’s storyline. Rock Courtship is a friends to lovers storyline that follows the ‘courtship’ of David and Thea. Although this is the second in the series, it can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but I always recommend reading a series in order to understand the background and history of the characters.

Told from two close third person POVs, we follow David as he endeavors to convince Thea that they would be perfect for one another but as the band’s PR consultant Thea is reluctant to become involved with her client. Following the devastating heartbreak of her previous relationship, Thea pulls no punches when she tells David that they would be better off as friends. Thea isn’t willing to risk their friendship for what could amount to a one-night stand.

The relationship between Thea and David is one of mutual attraction, one that began a couple of years earlier when Thea was involved with another man. David has bided his time hoping that Thea would give him a chance, but Thea’s heart has been broken and she refuses to allow anyone that close –ever again. Betrayal is ugly and trust must be earned.

The secondary characters include David’s family, the members of Schoolboy Choir as well as Molly, Thea’s sister and the heroine from the first storyline Rock Addiction. The world building continues to reveal a little bit of information about the band members and how they came to be. There is some trouble for the band when Abe’s drinking spirals out of control but the resolution is so quick that it barely merits a mention in the storyline.

Overall, Rock Courtship is a quick read; a sweet romantic storyline where the drama is limited to a couple of pages and ends rather abruptly without too much angst or anxiety. David has been in love with Thea for a very long time and convincing Thea that he is the man for her occupies most of the storyline premise. The quick resolution to any drama was disappointing because it left me wanting more details as to the who, what and why.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

______________________________

Rock Addiction
Rock Kiss #1
by Nalini Singh
Genre: NA, contemporary, romance, rock
Release Date: September 9, 2014

 

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Rock Addiction coverAbout the book: Release Date September 9, 2014

A bad boy wrapped in a sexy, muscled, grown-up package might be worth a little risk…

Molly Webster has always followed the rules. After an ugly scandal tore apart her childhood and made her the focus of the media’s harsh spotlight, she vowed to live an ordinary life. No fame. No impropriety. No pain. Then she meets Zachary Fox, a tattooed bad boy rocker with a voice like whiskey and sin, and a touch that could become an addiction.

A one-night stand with the hottest rock star on the planet, that’s all it was meant to be…

Fox promises scorching heat and dangerous pleasure, coaxing Molly to extend their one-night stand into a one-month fling. After that, he’ll be gone forever, his life never again intersecting with her own. Sex and sin and sensual indulgence, all with an expiration date. No ties, no regrets. Too late, Molly realizes it isn’t only her body that’s become addicted to Fox, but her heart…

Excerpt Black and Hot Pink

 

“Beer—whatever you have on tap,” David said to the grizzled bartender and grabbed a stool, his eye on the rugby game in progress on the TV screen bolted above the bar.
He’d hardly taken a sip of his beer, the dark liquid bitingly cold, when he felt a presence at his back. Instincts honed by a childhood in one of the toughest areas of New York had him focusing on the mirror behind the bar to check out the situation before he turned. A big, bald, and heavily muscled male with a spiderweb tattoo on his neck was standing behind and just to the side of David, a smirk on his pockmarked face.
Belly heating, David turned with a slight smile. “Problem?”
The bald man bared his teeth and, laughing, looked to a table to his right. “Hear that, boys?” he called out to his friends. “The pussy rock star here wants to know if there’s a problem.”
Laughter and shouts from that particular table, while the rest of the men in the bar went quiet. David didn’t move, taking a measure of the players without letting it show. “Always know your opponent” had been one of the first things his father had taught him—Vicente Rivera didn’t believe in turning the other cheek; he believed in teaching his sons how to put bullies on the ground and keep them there.
“Yeah, there’s a problem,” the bald guy said, shoving at David’s shoulder. “This is a real bar for real men. Not pussies.”
Like that, then. Good. He was in the mood to do some violence. Lifting his beer, David took a long drink, then slammed it down… and punched Bald Head in the jaw at the same time that he kicked out with his foot to connect with the other man’s knee. The jackass went down like a ton of bricks.
Roaring in rage, the man’s friends came at David.
He grinned and started to show them what this “pussy rock star” could do.
It wasn’t until they’d broken a table and several chairs, and the bartender had called the cops that David realized Thea would have to deal with the fallout from this. Fuck, fuck, fuck, he thought as he was shoved into a cell alone, his erstwhile opponents in the cell opposite. Sliding down the graffiti-marked wall to the floor, he thought about the phone call the desk sergeant had said he could make and decided against it.
Fox had Molly with him—the band’s lead singer had been waiting for his girl to arrive since the instant Schoolboy Choir set foot in the city. As for Noah and Abe, they both had their own plans. He knew any one of the three men would drop those plans in an instant to come to his aid, but since the cops had made it clear he’d be spending the night in a cell no matter what, why mess up their plans?
“You do or say anything that’ll hit the media, you call me. Day or night. I hate surprises—so don’t you dare surprise me.”
Thea had given that order to all four of them when she’d agreed to act as their publicist. Her up-front nature and dedication to her job was part of the reason they’d hired her; Thea was the best and she didn’t take any shit from her clients. He wasn’t doing himself any favors by not calling her.
Right then, David couldn’t find it in himself to care. It wasn’t as if she could hurt him any more than she already had. And Jesus, how long was he going to carry this torch that was burning him alive? “Fuck, fuck, fuck,” he said aloud, banging the back of his head against the wall.

 

 

About the Author Black and rose

 

nalini bioNEW YORK TIMES AND USA Today bestselling author of the Psy-Changeling and Guild Hunter series Nalini Singh usually writes about hot shapeshifters and dangerous angels. This time around, she decided to write about a hot and wickedly tempting rock star. If you’re seeing a theme here, you’re not wrong.

Nalini lives and works in beautiful New Zealand, and is passionate about writing. If you’d like to explore her other books, you can find lots of excerpts on her website. Slave to Sensation is the first book in the Psy-Changeling series, while Angels’ Blood is the first book in the Guild Hunter series. Once Rock Addiction is out, swing by the site to check out the special behind-the-scenes page, complete with photos of many of the locations used in the book.

STALK HER:  Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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