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desiree_mcl's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars.
After finishing [b:You Really Got Me|19510029|You Really Got Me (Rock Star Romance, #1)|Erika Kelly|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1409124841s/19510029.jpg|27627203] I was nervous/excited to get into Derek's story. I wasn't completely jumping up and down because Derek did annoy me a bit on the first book but I was excited to continue in this world with these characters.
I had some of the same problems with this book that I did with the first book. The writing does take a bit of time to get into. Not as much in this book and think that's because I'm use to the author's writing now. One thing that bothered me was the lack of good transitions from scene to scene. For example: Derek is Those lack of transitions happened a few times that I counted and it took me out of the story because I had to go back and reread to see if I missed something or to find out where we were and how much time had passed.
I loved Derek, for the most part. He was passionate about his work, he wanted to outshine his Dad, There were 3 incidences that really annoyed me. The first I could get passed, However the other 2 incidents, they bother me more. I don't think it's healthy when
I loved Violet, for the most part. It really bothered me that she would push Derek away and tell him that she didn't want to damage her reputation and career by getting involved with him. But no more than a page later, when they are alone on the bus, no camera's to have to act around, she's touching him all the time. It sent so many mixed signals that I didn't blame Derek for being confused and a bit pushy.
I wanted to love Gen, when we're introduced to her she's a driven, career woman, who knows her craft and is also sleeping with Derek, all this is before Derek meets Violet. But then when Violet entered the picture, she was still good at her job but she'd make comments to Violet that put her in the jealous ex category who wanted to undermine the competition. I was worried she would turn out this way and while she didn't turn out to be as bad as I feared she also wasn't what I hoped the character would be. I've been getting tired of the bitchy ex lover/girlfriend character lately. I just hoped for a character that while may be hurt the Derek wasn't interested any more would also be an adult and also not be desperate and come crawling whenever Derek was vulnerable or might be vulnerable.
Overall I really did enjoy this. I couldn't put it down and I can hardly wait to read the next book.
After finishing [b:You Really Got Me|19510029|You Really Got Me (Rock Star Romance, #1)|Erika Kelly|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1409124841s/19510029.jpg|27627203] I was nervous/excited to get into Derek's story. I wasn't completely jumping up and down because Derek did annoy me a bit on the first book but I was excited to continue in this world with these characters.
I had some of the same problems with this book that I did with the first book. The writing does take a bit of time to get into. Not as much in this book and think that's because I'm use to the author's writing now. One thing that bothered me was the lack of good transitions from scene to scene. For example: Derek is
Spoiler
about to film an episode on a tv show that has been clamoring to get him and Derek's father, Eddie, on together. The show is about to start taping, there is a break in the page and then we're seeing Derek get warmed up and asking where Violet is (but earlier Violet said she wouldn't have been able to come to the taping) however it turns out that the story jumped to that night's performance at Madison Square Gardens and completely skipped over the taping but there was no time mentioned so it seemed like it was still supposed to be a part of the taping.I loved Derek, for the most part. He was passionate about his work, he wanted to outshine his Dad, There were 3 incidences that really annoyed me. The first I could get passed,
Spoiler
after one of the times Violet pushed Derek away, he made a rash decision and texted Gen to come meet him.Spoiler
one partner tries to guilt the other into choosing between them or their job, which was what Derek did when Violet had to look for another client to mind. That scene between them just made me uncomfortable and not like Derek very much in that moment. And the last incident was with the three groupies/nymphs after his failed proposal. Violet tells him exactly what she felt and feels, she has a broken blood vessel in her eye from crying so much and Derek just doesn't seem to care at all.I loved Violet, for the most part. It really bothered me that she would push Derek away and tell him that she didn't want to damage her reputation and career by getting involved with him. But no more than a page later, when they are alone on the bus, no camera's to have to act around, she's touching him all the time. It sent so many mixed signals that I didn't blame Derek for being confused and a bit pushy.
I wanted to love Gen, when we're introduced to her she's a driven, career woman, who knows her craft and is also sleeping with Derek, all this is before Derek meets Violet. But then when Violet entered the picture, she was still good at her job but she'd make comments to Violet that put her in the jealous ex category who wanted to undermine the competition. I was worried she would turn out this way and while she didn't turn out to be as bad as I feared she also wasn't what I hoped the character would be. I've been getting tired of the bitchy ex lover/girlfriend character lately. I just hoped for a character that while may be hurt the Derek wasn't interested any more would also be an adult and also not be desperate and come crawling whenever Derek was vulnerable or might be vulnerable.
Overall I really did enjoy this. I couldn't put it down and I can hardly wait to read the next book.
allmadhere106's review against another edition
2.0
I enjoyed the first book and was excited to get a book about Derek. The book starts with Ben, Cooper, and Pete being out of hand with the partying and Derek at a loss to help them. In comes Violet, a "minder" who is hired to get them on the right track. I liked their tension in the beginning and how their intelligence was so well matched. I'm glad that the 3 members of the band wasn't a huge focus, but it did come up enough that I didn't enjoy the book as much. It was a lot of drama with those guys being rude/horrible, and there was more of it in the book than I wanted to see. I suppose it was realistic considering the discussions of addictions and the different levels that everyone was at, but it wasn't a feel good part of the read.
I also get that the point is that Derek is pushy/forward but that Violet is supposed to like it, but it pushes boundaries quite a bit. He doesn't take no for an answer in perusing her and cannot understand why she can't have a relationship with him because of her job. (He never pushes boundaries with having sex--there is consent.) If he believed in them so much, he would have tried to make it work long-distance instead of making her feel horrible for thinking of continuing to work. I understand that we are supposed to see the both of them grow from their separate insecurities, but a large portion of the book is him pushing and her trying to set boundaries. The ending was good, but a lot of the book made me go "ugh."
Like the first book, the pacing felt a bit off. The beginning showed a lot happening in a short period of time and it felt choppy. The ending was super drawn out with loads of angst. There could have been some more editing and/or exposition when needed. I'm not sure that I'll read the other books in the series, but the last 5% of the book did leave me with warm and fuzziness, which works to set up the rest of the series.
Tropes: m/f; super hot bass player in just-hitting-it-big band male meets sharp minded chameleon female; slow burn--there's A LOT of sexual tension until about 50% and then there's a lot of sexy times; crude language and sexy goodness; dealing with bad relations with parents; scenes featuring drugs and others having sex--witnessing the band go wild; miscommunication; discussion of her past in foster care and his physical abuse from his father.
Heat rating: HOT—sex scenes throughout with explicit language, which adds to the overall story and relationship.
I also get that the point is that Derek is pushy/forward but that Violet is supposed to like it, but it pushes boundaries quite a bit. He doesn't take no for an answer in perusing her and cannot understand why she can't have a relationship with him because of her job. (He never pushes boundaries with having sex--there is consent.) If he believed in them so much, he would have tried to make it work long-distance instead of making her feel horrible for thinking of continuing to work. I understand that we are supposed to see the both of them grow from their separate insecurities, but a large portion of the book is him pushing and her trying to set boundaries. The ending was good, but a lot of the book made me go "ugh."
Like the first book, the pacing felt a bit off. The beginning showed a lot happening in a short period of time and it felt choppy. The ending was super drawn out with loads of angst. There could have been some more editing and/or exposition when needed. I'm not sure that I'll read the other books in the series, but the last 5% of the book did leave me with warm and fuzziness, which works to set up the rest of the series.
Tropes: m/f; super hot bass player in just-hitting-it-big band male meets sharp minded chameleon female; slow burn--there's A LOT of sexual tension until about 50% and then there's a lot of sexy times; crude language and sexy goodness; dealing with bad relations with parents; scenes featuring drugs and others having sex--witnessing the band go wild; miscommunication; discussion of her past in foster care and his physical abuse from his father.
Heat rating: HOT—sex scenes throughout with explicit language, which adds to the overall story and relationship.
shannon_cocktailsandbooks's review against another edition
5.0
This review was originally posted on Cocktails and Books.
This is an intoxicating story about a famous rock group adjusting to their newfound success. It is the second installment of the Rock Star Romance series and each book is a stand-alone featuring a different member of the band, Blue Fire. This book centers on Derek Valencia and Violet Davis. The band is going through growing pains and trying to figure out how to deal with all the temptations that come with being a rock star. Violet is asked to tour with the group, as their minder and help the band members find healthy alternatives to sex, drugs and alcohol. It takes some of the guys in the band a while to get on board with Violet’s ideas.
Behind Violet’s tough and independent exterior she is vulnerable. She was raised in foster care, never had a loving relationship as a child and thinks because of her upbringing, she is unable to love. She has never allowed herself to get close to anyone; especially a client, but there is something about Derek, the group’s leader, that she finds hard to resist. Derek is sweet, upfront about his feelings and doesn’t have any interest in being with another woman, once he meets Violet. He is a big, alpha male with an emotional, sensitive side and he makes Violet feel things she thought she would never feel. He is attuned to Violet and they bring out the best in each other. Although Derek does have to work hard to get Violet to let him in and gain her trust, he is always patient and understanding. Derek and Violet are good together and have incredible chemistry. They each struggle with insecurities and they grow personally and emotionally. Erika Kelly writes a passionate story with engaging characters and there is also a charming cast of supporting characters.This book was reviewed by a member of the review staff at Cocktails and Books. The name of the reviewer can be found under the post categories.
This is an intoxicating story about a famous rock group adjusting to their newfound success. It is the second installment of the Rock Star Romance series and each book is a stand-alone featuring a different member of the band, Blue Fire. This book centers on Derek Valencia and Violet Davis. The band is going through growing pains and trying to figure out how to deal with all the temptations that come with being a rock star. Violet is asked to tour with the group, as their minder and help the band members find healthy alternatives to sex, drugs and alcohol. It takes some of the guys in the band a while to get on board with Violet’s ideas.
Behind Violet’s tough and independent exterior she is vulnerable. She was raised in foster care, never had a loving relationship as a child and thinks because of her upbringing, she is unable to love. She has never allowed herself to get close to anyone; especially a client, but there is something about Derek, the group’s leader, that she finds hard to resist. Derek is sweet, upfront about his feelings and doesn’t have any interest in being with another woman, once he meets Violet. He is a big, alpha male with an emotional, sensitive side and he makes Violet feel things she thought she would never feel. He is attuned to Violet and they bring out the best in each other. Although Derek does have to work hard to get Violet to let him in and gain her trust, he is always patient and understanding. Derek and Violet are good together and have incredible chemistry. They each struggle with insecurities and they grow personally and emotionally. Erika Kelly writes a passionate story with engaging characters and there is also a charming cast of supporting characters.This book was reviewed by a member of the review staff at Cocktails and Books. The name of the reviewer can be found under the post categories.
hotaling007's review against another edition
4.5
don't know why I let this sit on my shelf so long, it was a fraction book. amazing plot and amazing story line. characters were just perfect
cupcakegirly's review against another edition
3.0
Honestly, this one wasn't all that different from the first book in the series. Not a bad thing if you enjoy getting a behind the scenes glimpse into the sex, drugs and rock and roll life style, but I was hoping for a little bit more from the story and the characters.
This can be read as a stand alone, but I recommend starting with the first book.
This can be read as a stand alone, but I recommend starting with the first book.
mags_louise's review against another edition
4.0
A good and enjoyable read, I didn't enjoy it as much as the first book featuring Slater and Emmie though, mainly because the will they won't they that features heavily throughout this book, got a bit annoying for me, and at times I wanted to yell at both Violet and Derek, then bang there heads together. However there were some great moments and I do like the band, especially Ben and Cooper who were fun to read about, and I do like the band in general and would certainly read more from this author in the future.
eslismyjam's review against another edition
2.0
I enjoyed Violet as a character, I liked the meet-cute between her and Derek. I was behind the band and the idea that they were just about it make really big on their first tour. Violet being their minder was a little bit hard to swallow, since it really did seem far-fetched to me that a rock band would be asked to curb their partying and participate in activities like bowling, boxing and drinking green smoothies-- no matter how great the health benefits. Actually I was all good with this book and it as a "I liked it" three star read until about 60%. The trouble was that one Violet and Derek finally admit that they really do have feelings and that they really are going to act on them, I got bored. Derek lost his appeal for me once he started referring to Violet as "his woman" frequently. Then I got irritated a the sheer amount of lusting after each other that they two of them did. They would be apart for an hour and have to spend the rest of an evening telling each other how much they missed each other. That usually doesn't bug me that much, but for some reason it really did here. There were A LOT of sex scenes in the latter part of the book and I mostly skimmed. That was frustrating because there was a such a lot of chemistry and sexual tension in the first part of the book I felt let down that I didn't really care once their romance was solidified.
Then came the inevitable big conflict before the HEA and I didn't like it at all. Derek seems to lose his mind at the end and does really hurtful things and then Violet comes back and responds with more really hurtful things. It annoyed me at the amount of time it took for the two of them to come to their senses, particularly since the whole book didn't span more than about a month and a half.
Then came the inevitable big conflict before the HEA and I didn't like it at all. Derek seems to lose his mind at the end and does really hurtful things and then Violet comes back and responds with more really hurtful things. It annoyed me at the amount of time it took for the two of them to come to their senses, particularly since the whole book didn't span more than about a month and a half.
bookdrgn's review against another edition
3.0
I nearly did not finish this one. Only seeing Emmie & Slater's wedding kept me going.
It was so overwrought with drama, and grown adults hyperfocused on negative experiences, allowing them to overwhelm all the positive.
I get it, there's nothing like a childhood to screw up an adult, but given the few "ah-ha" moments Derek had with Emmie about their father in the previous book, the drama in this one seemed unnecessary.
Derek puts too much focus on material accolades representing creative success that even when he gets them he isn't convinced. All these people around him tell him he's great but he doesn't believe them.
Violet, oh Violet. I know what lacklove is and I know it can mess up kids, but it doesn't mean a person isn't capable of feeling love. And it was used as a crutch for Violet to withdraw from Derek and believe the worst about him.
Yeah, he was impulsive and a doofus, but she was his antithesis in every emotional way.
It went on for too long and there was obstacle after obstacle and so on and so forth.
It was so overwrought with drama, and grown adults hyperfocused on negative experiences, allowing them to overwhelm all the positive.
I get it, there's nothing like a childhood to screw up an adult, but given the few "ah-ha" moments Derek had with Emmie about their father in the previous book, the drama in this one seemed unnecessary.
Derek puts too much focus on material accolades representing creative success that even when he gets them he isn't convinced. All these people around him tell him he's great but he doesn't believe them.
Violet, oh Violet. I know what lacklove is and I know it can mess up kids, but it doesn't mean a person isn't capable of feeling love. And it was used as a crutch for Violet to withdraw from Derek and believe the worst about him.
Yeah, he was impulsive and a doofus, but she was his antithesis in every emotional way.
It went on for too long and there was obstacle after obstacle and so on and so forth.