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caseroo7's review against another edition
3.0
Find this review and more at Ramblings From This Chick
Rough Rhythm is the second story in the Made In Jersey series from Tessa Bailey. This is a standalone novella and features James and Lita. James and Lita meet one night at a bar. Lita was hungry and homeless, and James was looking for someone different in the endless Hollywood meat market. But when James let his desires get a bit out of control that night, he vowed to keep her at arms length and make up for how he had treated her. Lita has been trying since that night to show James that she wants all of him, but no matter what she does she can't seem to get through to him. When she finally takes things too far though, James exits her life and Lita decides to do whatever it takes to not only bring him back, but to also show him exactly what is between them.
I will admit that I had a bit of an issue with Lita here. I disliked her pretty much from go, and that was a bit hard to come back from. She was very young and I do understand that part of that played into her actions. But this girl was beyond reckless and her self-destructive behavior almost seemed to be a joke to her. She didn't care that she was hurting herself or others around her, and she actually thought that her childish and immature behavior would win James over, as if that would convince him to explore his darker side with her. James I liked, but it felt as though his character was just surface deep. He was constantly saying how his desires were too dark and that Lita should be afraid of him, but honestly I didn't really see it. Yes there were some moments of him restraining Lita and them acting out fantasies and situations of non-consensual sex, but honestly it wasn't what I had been expecting at all. Tessa Bailey knows how to give the reader heat and dirty talk, but I felt like this one didn't really deliver on the darker edge that was promised here.
Overall, this story had some good moments but it just didn't completely do it for me. I wanted more of James and his darker side, and less of Lita acting like a brat. I think a lot of my problem here was that this story just didn't draw me in like I had hoped and I was never fully invested in it. That could be a length issue, as there just weren't as many pages to really engage the reader since this was a novella instead of a full length novel. I still love Tessa Bailey, and there is definitely some heat and chemistry here. But I had been expecting this story to be on the darker side, and to me it wasn't much darker than Tessa's books typically are. I also didn't feel the same connection to the characters or between them that I typically do with Tessa's books and that is what really kept me from falling in love with James and Lita's story.
**ARC Provided by Inkslinger PR**
Rough Rhythm is the second story in the Made In Jersey series from Tessa Bailey. This is a standalone novella and features James and Lita. James and Lita meet one night at a bar. Lita was hungry and homeless, and James was looking for someone different in the endless Hollywood meat market. But when James let his desires get a bit out of control that night, he vowed to keep her at arms length and make up for how he had treated her. Lita has been trying since that night to show James that she wants all of him, but no matter what she does she can't seem to get through to him. When she finally takes things too far though, James exits her life and Lita decides to do whatever it takes to not only bring him back, but to also show him exactly what is between them.
I will admit that I had a bit of an issue with Lita here. I disliked her pretty much from go, and that was a bit hard to come back from. She was very young and I do understand that part of that played into her actions. But this girl was beyond reckless and her self-destructive behavior almost seemed to be a joke to her. She didn't care that she was hurting herself or others around her, and she actually thought that her childish and immature behavior would win James over, as if that would convince him to explore his darker side with her. James I liked, but it felt as though his character was just surface deep. He was constantly saying how his desires were too dark and that Lita should be afraid of him, but honestly I didn't really see it. Yes there were some moments of him restraining Lita and them acting out fantasies and situations of non-consensual sex, but honestly it wasn't what I had been expecting at all. Tessa Bailey knows how to give the reader heat and dirty talk, but I felt like this one didn't really deliver on the darker edge that was promised here.
Overall, this story had some good moments but it just didn't completely do it for me. I wanted more of James and his darker side, and less of Lita acting like a brat. I think a lot of my problem here was that this story just didn't draw me in like I had hoped and I was never fully invested in it. That could be a length issue, as there just weren't as many pages to really engage the reader since this was a novella instead of a full length novel. I still love Tessa Bailey, and there is definitely some heat and chemistry here. But I had been expecting this story to be on the darker side, and to me it wasn't much darker than Tessa's books typically are. I also didn't feel the same connection to the characters or between them that I typically do with Tessa's books and that is what really kept me from falling in love with James and Lita's story.
**ARC Provided by Inkslinger PR**
effyofthegaladhrim's review against another edition
4.0
My brain the entire time reading this was just Paris Hilton saying “that’s hot.”
kymreads's review against another edition
3.0
The MC’s seemed awkward at times...maybe if I’d read others in the series they wouldn’t seem so... My impression was that the 1001 books can be read as standalones but maybe not.
ameserole's review against another edition
4.0
Probably my favorite novella so far. Probably.
Rough Rhythm was really good. This book was jam packed with so many freaking things that I feel like I had whiplash after it. Especially between the two MC's because - hot damn. It was good.
In it, you will meet James and Lita. It was seriously cute that James was so serious and intense because it just made him more lovable in my eyes. Then there's Lita who was an annoying twat at first but then became more likable. Probably because James just made her better. They were definitely on a different level sexually and that's why I liked it so much.
The smut was everything to me. I didn't know I needed this book but I'm damn proud that I found it. Will definitely have to look into more books by this author because Tessa can deliver.
Rough Rhythm was really good. This book was jam packed with so many freaking things that I feel like I had whiplash after it. Especially between the two MC's because - hot damn. It was good.
In it, you will meet James and Lita. It was seriously cute that James was so serious and intense because it just made him more lovable in my eyes. Then there's Lita who was an annoying twat at first but then became more likable. Probably because James just made her better. They were definitely on a different level sexually and that's why I liked it so much.
The smut was everything to me. I didn't know I needed this book but I'm damn proud that I found it. Will definitely have to look into more books by this author because Tessa can deliver.
jackie_of_all_books's review against another edition
4.0
Lita(my little plaything) and James
We were introduced to Lita and James in Sarges book. Lita is the drummer in their band and James is their manager. The prologue is 4 years earlier. James had just quit his job and is in the bar looking for an escape when he catches sight of Lita but at this point he’s never met her before. And then she falls down. We know from Lita perspective she’s been homeless a week and hasn’t been able to eat so she came in hoping to be able to swindle some man into feeding her. But she becomes disgusted with herself and goes to leave when she passes out but strong arms catch her. Now we’re 4 years later. Lita is in jail again and if she counted correctly this will be the 21st time James has had to bail her out, she does this for his reaction. But when he comes to get her this time he’s quiet. She asks him why he’s not mad and he tells her she could have been killed, she stole a cop car. She admits she does this to get a rise out of him to feel the connection she felt the night they met. He tells her he can’t keep having her put herself in danger. In one week he will no longer be manager of old news, he found his replacement. He walks Lita to her room and she tempts him. He ends up pinning her on the bed and chokes her and calls her his little plaything, that was the nickname he had called her 4 years ago. She tells him to bring it she can take it and he bites her pussy and realizes what he’s doing that he’s harming her and no one should ever harm her. He gets up and apologizes and says he did everything out of best interest for her and he leaves. When he leaves he gets a call from his mother. We get another flashback to 4 years ago. He had taken Lita back to his room and fed her chocolate donuts and hot chocolate from room service. He tells her he’s hungry but not in the ways she was. And that she should go. But instead she turns the light off and goes to him and he tells her to crawl. Back in present day. James father had a stroke, he hasn’t spoken to his father in a decade but he came home to help with the landscaping business while his father is in the hospital and recovering. Which is good because he has somewhere to release this pent up energy and he just left the band. Lita went to Sarge in hopes he’d know where James was but he doesn’t but says they could ask their security for help. James is looking at a crowd of people and can feel her, and there’s Lita. She tracked him down and came to him. She’s wearing the outfit she had had on the night they met. He asks her why and she tells him she doesn’t want to say in front of his mom. He sees her heel is bleeding and Carrie’s her to his car and drivers her to his hotel. He Carrie’s her upstairs and inspects her heel and says she’s punishing him by doing this. She tells him she wore the outfit so they could have a do over since he regrets the night they met. He asks if she can shower while he gets food. When he gets back he tells her to put the outfit on and eat. They talk about the night they met. He made her crawl to him, and tied her to the headboard and had her suck his dick. He had spanked her. And in the morning he saw her bruises and he felt so bad. So in this scenario. He eats her out til she cums. She tells him the do over is over at midnight. He tells her he’ll wake her up at midnight. James doesn’t understand how he can have such protectiveness over Lita but want to dominate her as well. She wakes up and he comes onto her like a stranger. She fights him back and he stops and she tells him she didn’t say the safe word she just knows he likes when she fights back. They continue that way as he dominates her. And then he sinks his cock into her for the first time. They have also kissed through this for the first time. Afterwards he cleans her up and cuddles her to sleep. The next day he’s dressed before she wakes up and he tells her they have places to be. She’s trying to seduce him in the car when he tells her he has a meeting with a realtor and explains he is helping his parents sell their house, his childhood home. Lita is ectastic to see his childhood home but what she doesn’t know is James dad used to beat him and his mom, he doesn’t have happy memories in the house. When they get to the house the outside is beautiful and he even makes a comment to Lita that the outside was always pretty. She asks to see his room and she’s about to suck his dick when they hear the realtor call up to them, cockblock. After the meeting he takes her to work with him for landscaping. She’s a little tease. When the others leave for lunch she tells him she’s going on a walk and to not follow her and she takes off running. He chases after her and catches her. She fights back but he pins her down and then fucks her. She tells him she’ll never ask him to stop. She knows he feels guilty and she tells him to kiss her it’s all okay. They’re on their way back when there are cop cars. James crumbles internally. He feels like this is a replay of when the cops used to be there for his dad beating his mom. The cops tell them there was a report of screaming in the woods. Lita tells them it’s been a big misunderstanding and everything is fine and they can go. When they get in the car Lita asks if they can just laugh it off. And James tells her they were there for a reason, her safety. His dad used to beat his mom and now he’s doing the same to her. She tells him this is different that she consents to what they’re doing. He tells her she falls for this toxic pattern. She was in an abusive household and had an abusive ex boyfriend and found it in him too. And she says fuck you in a survivor I got out of those situations and I thought what we were doing was with love and then she leaves. He tells her he needs to think she just said she loves him and she tells him they need space apart. For the next month James is miserable without Lita. He decides he needs to go and see his dad and see how they’re similar. But when he talks to his dad he realizes they’re nothing alike. His dad didn’t like himself so he took it out on other people. James just has dark desires of ways to give pleasure to Lita. Lita got her own apartment. She started her own bank accounts that James hadn’t started for her. She was being responsible and getting to practices on time. It’s time for them to record and she’s really hoping she’ll see James and not the new manager. They go to record and there is James voice. And he’s really there. He tells her to play, she’s the best drum player he’s ever seen. So she plays and then He tells her he’s sorry and he loves her and he’s sorry he doubted her strength and that he was lost without her. She runs to him and then he tells her he doesn’t have much time and the cops are there and he tells her he stole a cop car to get to her and she tells him she’s right behind him with bail. The epilogue is 2 months later, he sneaks into her apartment and sneaks up on her while she’s practicing. She begs him to stop and fights but doesn’t use her safe word as he takes her. We know he’s back to being the band manager because he couldn’t stand for her to travel without him. And then it’s over. We also discovered at one point. James created this band for Lita. He asked what she does the day they met and she said she was a drummer so he found her a singer and a guitarist and became her manager. He did all of that for her. I’m really glad we got Lita and James story. We got so many teasers of them throughout sarge story. I definitely felt we deserved reasoning for why James wouldn’t give into Lita and why she was as reckless as she is. And we find out they were the way they were because they’re crazy about each other. And we got to find out about the night they met, their back story’s. I really liked James and Litad story and damn was it pretty hot. CNC. Dom and sub. Rough rhythm is a good title, she’s the drummer of the band. And the 2 of them have been out of rhythm for 4 years, and they like it rough
We were introduced to Lita and James in Sarges book. Lita is the drummer in their band and James is their manager. The prologue is 4 years earlier. James had just quit his job and is in the bar looking for an escape when he catches sight of Lita but at this point he’s never met her before. And then she falls down. We know from Lita perspective she’s been homeless a week and hasn’t been able to eat so she came in hoping to be able to swindle some man into feeding her. But she becomes disgusted with herself and goes to leave when she passes out but strong arms catch her. Now we’re 4 years later. Lita is in jail again and if she counted correctly this will be the 21st time James has had to bail her out, she does this for his reaction. But when he comes to get her this time he’s quiet. She asks him why he’s not mad and he tells her she could have been killed, she stole a cop car. She admits she does this to get a rise out of him to feel the connection she felt the night they met. He tells her he can’t keep having her put herself in danger. In one week he will no longer be manager of old news, he found his replacement. He walks Lita to her room and she tempts him. He ends up pinning her on the bed and chokes her and calls her his little plaything, that was the nickname he had called her 4 years ago. She tells him to bring it she can take it and he bites her pussy and realizes what he’s doing that he’s harming her and no one should ever harm her. He gets up and apologizes and says he did everything out of best interest for her and he leaves. When he leaves he gets a call from his mother. We get another flashback to 4 years ago. He had taken Lita back to his room and fed her chocolate donuts and hot chocolate from room service. He tells her he’s hungry but not in the ways she was. And that she should go. But instead she turns the light off and goes to him and he tells her to crawl. Back in present day. James father had a stroke, he hasn’t spoken to his father in a decade but he came home to help with the landscaping business while his father is in the hospital and recovering. Which is good because he has somewhere to release this pent up energy and he just left the band. Lita went to Sarge in hopes he’d know where James was but he doesn’t but says they could ask their security for help. James is looking at a crowd of people and can feel her, and there’s Lita. She tracked him down and came to him. She’s wearing the outfit she had had on the night they met. He asks her why and she tells him she doesn’t want to say in front of his mom. He sees her heel is bleeding and Carrie’s her to his car and drivers her to his hotel. He Carrie’s her upstairs and inspects her heel and says she’s punishing him by doing this. She tells him she wore the outfit so they could have a do over since he regrets the night they met. He asks if she can shower while he gets food. When he gets back he tells her to put the outfit on and eat. They talk about the night they met. He made her crawl to him, and tied her to the headboard and had her suck his dick. He had spanked her. And in the morning he saw her bruises and he felt so bad. So in this scenario. He eats her out til she cums. She tells him the do over is over at midnight. He tells her he’ll wake her up at midnight. James doesn’t understand how he can have such protectiveness over Lita but want to dominate her as well. She wakes up and he comes onto her like a stranger. She fights him back and he stops and she tells him she didn’t say the safe word she just knows he likes when she fights back. They continue that way as he dominates her. And then he sinks his cock into her for the first time. They have also kissed through this for the first time. Afterwards he cleans her up and cuddles her to sleep. The next day he’s dressed before she wakes up and he tells her they have places to be. She’s trying to seduce him in the car when he tells her he has a meeting with a realtor and explains he is helping his parents sell their house, his childhood home. Lita is ectastic to see his childhood home but what she doesn’t know is James dad used to beat him and his mom, he doesn’t have happy memories in the house. When they get to the house the outside is beautiful and he even makes a comment to Lita that the outside was always pretty. She asks to see his room and she’s about to suck his dick when they hear the realtor call up to them, cockblock. After the meeting he takes her to work with him for landscaping. She’s a little tease. When the others leave for lunch she tells him she’s going on a walk and to not follow her and she takes off running. He chases after her and catches her. She fights back but he pins her down and then fucks her. She tells him she’ll never ask him to stop. She knows he feels guilty and she tells him to kiss her it’s all okay. They’re on their way back when there are cop cars. James crumbles internally. He feels like this is a replay of when the cops used to be there for his dad beating his mom. The cops tell them there was a report of screaming in the woods. Lita tells them it’s been a big misunderstanding and everything is fine and they can go. When they get in the car Lita asks if they can just laugh it off. And James tells her they were there for a reason, her safety. His dad used to beat his mom and now he’s doing the same to her. She tells him this is different that she consents to what they’re doing. He tells her she falls for this toxic pattern. She was in an abusive household and had an abusive ex boyfriend and found it in him too. And she says fuck you in a survivor I got out of those situations and I thought what we were doing was with love and then she leaves. He tells her he needs to think she just said she loves him and she tells him they need space apart. For the next month James is miserable without Lita. He decides he needs to go and see his dad and see how they’re similar. But when he talks to his dad he realizes they’re nothing alike. His dad didn’t like himself so he took it out on other people. James just has dark desires of ways to give pleasure to Lita. Lita got her own apartment. She started her own bank accounts that James hadn’t started for her. She was being responsible and getting to practices on time. It’s time for them to record and she’s really hoping she’ll see James and not the new manager. They go to record and there is James voice. And he’s really there. He tells her to play, she’s the best drum player he’s ever seen. So she plays and then He tells her he’s sorry and he loves her and he’s sorry he doubted her strength and that he was lost without her. She runs to him and then he tells her he doesn’t have much time and the cops are there and he tells her he stole a cop car to get to her and she tells him she’s right behind him with bail. The epilogue is 2 months later, he sneaks into her apartment and sneaks up on her while she’s practicing. She begs him to stop and fights but doesn’t use her safe word as he takes her. We know he’s back to being the band manager because he couldn’t stand for her to travel without him. And then it’s over. We also discovered at one point. James created this band for Lita. He asked what she does the day they met and she said she was a drummer so he found her a singer and a guitarist and became her manager. He did all of that for her. I’m really glad we got Lita and James story. We got so many teasers of them throughout sarge story. I definitely felt we deserved reasoning for why James wouldn’t give into Lita and why she was as reckless as she is. And we find out they were the way they were because they’re crazy about each other. And we got to find out about the night they met, their back story’s. I really liked James and Litad story and damn was it pretty hot. CNC. Dom and sub. Rough rhythm is a good title, she’s the drummer of the band. And the 2 of them have been out of rhythm for 4 years, and they like it rough
deanapotter's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 Stars
James has two sides. One that is so protective it’s almost to the point of obsession. The other that is dark, dangerous and addictive. He battles within himself constantly. A past, dark desires and guilt hold James back from knowing true bliss.
Lita is bold, loud and fun. A talented woman who will go after what she wants. No matter the cost or danger. James left a taste for a desire that only he can give the night the two met. Lita continuously puts herself on the line hoping, wanting something but doesn’t quite expect.
Tessa Bailey is my Queen of dirty talking men. OMG, Raw and gritty with a dark edge. I loved every word. Rough Rhythm is a fast, leaving you breathing hard, hits you where it counts novella. Raw desires, intense passion and deep emotions, Tessa Bailey seduces readers with her dirty words and charismatic characters.
For the lovers of a hands down dirty book, Rough Rhythm is the read for you!
James has two sides. One that is so protective it’s almost to the point of obsession. The other that is dark, dangerous and addictive. He battles within himself constantly. A past, dark desires and guilt hold James back from knowing true bliss.
Lita is bold, loud and fun. A talented woman who will go after what she wants. No matter the cost or danger. James left a taste for a desire that only he can give the night the two met. Lita continuously puts herself on the line hoping, wanting something but doesn’t quite expect.
Tessa Bailey is my Queen of dirty talking men. OMG, Raw and gritty with a dark edge. I loved every word. Rough Rhythm is a fast, leaving you breathing hard, hits you where it counts novella. Raw desires, intense passion and deep emotions, Tessa Bailey seduces readers with her dirty words and charismatic characters.
For the lovers of a hands down dirty book, Rough Rhythm is the read for you!
mccorbin's review against another edition
3.0
Lita and James made a few small appearances in Crashed Out and their story intrigued me so I found myself extremely excited when the ebook popped up as an ARC.
I think that I am going to be the minority here when I say that while I was excited to start the book, that excitement didn’t continue all the way throughout the book. Nothing really grabbed a hold of me and kept me glued to the pages. I don’t know if it was because Lita was constantly poking the bear James and was surprised when he would turn around and bite or that James held back for so long and while the moment that he explodes was hot, I didn’t like how he retreated afterwards. It felt like a very unstable relationship was building and then it would crumble and then it would build again. That repetitive action got a little old for me. The clarity for James at the end was great because it helped him realize why what he craves isn’t bad but it came as a surprise on who opened his eyes when he didn’t even want to see James.
I did find the bedroom time written well. I think this is the first kind of style fantasy that I have read from Tessa and she did a great job writing it and making it hot.
I think that I am going to be the minority here when I say that while I was excited to start the book, that excitement didn’t continue all the way throughout the book. Nothing really grabbed a hold of me and kept me glued to the pages. I don’t know if it was because Lita was constantly poking the bear James and was surprised when he would turn around and bite or that James held back for so long and while the moment that he explodes was hot, I didn’t like how he retreated afterwards. It felt like a very unstable relationship was building and then it would crumble and then it would build again. That repetitive action got a little old for me. The clarity for James at the end was great because it helped him realize why what he craves isn’t bad but it came as a surprise on who opened his eyes when he didn’t even want to see James.
I did find the bedroom time written well. I think this is the first kind of style fantasy that I have read from Tessa and she did a great job writing it and making it hot.
erinnicole28's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars. Not my favorite of the series, but happy to see James and Lita have their HEA.
timitra's review against another edition
3.0
Rated 3.5 Stars
While it is quite an enjoyable read it just did not fully engage me, I was not drawn into the story.
While it is quite an enjoyable read it just did not fully engage me, I was not drawn into the story.