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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Just no. The mains have zero chemistry. The spicy scenes weren't spicing. He was selfish and she's desperate for him. I can't get over the third act breakup where somehow its her fault just because he's a rock star. I needed grovel and there was none. HEA but ick.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Picked this for 52 Book Challenge "Instrument on the cover" prompt. Fun, spicy romance.
What an enthralling ride! What a captivating read, from beginning to end.
5 STARS!!!
LOVED it!!! Cherry Beats by Vicki James! Cherry Beats is Tessa Lisbon and Presley West’s story. Their story just drags you in.
This book wasn’t about the glamorous life of a Rockstar. It showed a darker side of the Rockstar’s life. Don’t get me wrong this was not a Dark book to read. It does show the alcohol and drug use and the indiscriminate amount of sex these band members had. Life on the road wasn’t all fun and games but they made their lives as pleasant as they could.
Presley came to the relationship with a lot of baggage and Tessa kept finding out what that baggage was and sometimes she felt like she couldn’t deal with it.
Tessa Lisbon had a crush and has wanted to be with Presley West for 8 years. They hooked up 3 years prior to Presley becoming famous. Now that he is a “rockstar” he wants Tessa/Cherry even more.
While reading Cherry Beats I kept wondering how in the world could there be an HEA for Tessa Lisbon and Presley West’s future. With the world always breaking in to their lives after-all Presley was famous. He was a “rockstar”!
Thank goodness for Tessa’s friends Molly and Bourbon (Tessa’s boss). Tessa wasn't very close to her family was very dysfunctional & not supportive at all!
There is a passage in Cherry Beats that I just had to laugh at. It wasn’t that it was particularly funny. It just brought back good memories for me. My son named his Cockatiel “Jimmy” after Jim Morrison, Jimmy Page, or Jimi Hendrix. Take your pick of which one. He was a fan of all 3 Jimmy’s. And of course you will need to read Cherry Beats to even know what I just referenced.
I loved reading Cherry Beats! Even though this is the first book by Vicki James she is not an inexperienced author and it shows! Not when she can drag you into the story and makes you feel all the emotions happy, sad, anxious, angsty! Again I loved Tessa aka Cherry and Presley’s story! 5+ STARS!
LOVED it!!! Cherry Beats by Vicki James! Cherry Beats is Tessa Lisbon and Presley West’s story. Their story just drags you in.
This book wasn’t about the glamorous life of a Rockstar. It showed a darker side of the Rockstar’s life. Don’t get me wrong this was not a Dark book to read. It does show the alcohol and drug use and the indiscriminate amount of sex these band members had. Life on the road wasn’t all fun and games but they made their lives as pleasant as they could.
Presley came to the relationship with a lot of baggage and Tessa kept finding out what that baggage was and sometimes she felt like she couldn’t deal with it.
Tessa Lisbon had a crush and has wanted to be with Presley West for 8 years. They hooked up 3 years prior to Presley becoming famous. Now that he is a “rockstar” he wants Tessa/Cherry even more.
While reading Cherry Beats I kept wondering how in the world could there be an HEA for Tessa Lisbon and Presley West’s future. With the world always breaking in to their lives after-all Presley was famous. He was a “rockstar”!
Thank goodness for Tessa’s friends Molly and Bourbon (Tessa’s boss). Tessa wasn't very close to her family was very dysfunctional & not supportive at all!
There is a passage in Cherry Beats that I just had to laugh at. It wasn’t that it was particularly funny. It just brought back good memories for me. My son named his Cockatiel “Jimmy” after Jim Morrison, Jimmy Page, or Jimi Hendrix. Take your pick of which one. He was a fan of all 3 Jimmy’s. And of course you will need to read Cherry Beats to even know what I just referenced.
I loved reading Cherry Beats! Even though this is the first book by Vicki James she is not an inexperienced author and it shows! Not when she can drag you into the story and makes you feel all the emotions happy, sad, anxious, angsty! Again I loved Tessa aka Cherry and Presley’s story! 5+ STARS!
I'm starting by saying I hid the review because I didn't want to bother writing spoiler everywhere.
I really really really wanted to like this book. The reviews were spectacular and, let's be serious - it's a rock star romance, who doesn't like those?
I've read my fair share of rock star romances and I liked most of them, so I had high hopes for this one. Not gonna lie though, I actually liked it at first, until I reached the 30% mark. It started really well, I loved Tessa from the very beginning, she was really funny (though I didn't like the fact that she thought every girl that came into the bar with Presley was a bimbo...). However, her character seemed to be centered around Presley. Literally, from the age 11 she thought just about him. He's literally her world. She exists for him, that's how obsessive it looked to me.
I have a lot of problems with this book, but I'll start with the good.
I enjoyed every scene with Molly, Bourbon, Julia and even Rhett where in - I'd rather read a book about any of them *wink, wink Rhett&Julia* . I loved the fact that her bff wasn't a back-stabbing b.... or that hes boss always had her back and genuinely cared about Tessa. Julia seemed really badass, I hope she won't disappoint me.
And Rhett, oh Rhett, had the best line in the whole book:
Now... the issues with this book.
Sigh... I really disliked Presley. There, I said it. I'm sorry, ok? I don't think he was good enough for Tessa, even though she had flaws on her own.
1. He's an alcoholic and he takes drugs and his reason for that is not good enough, in my opinion. He literally has daddy issues and that's it - that's his only problem. He isn't a damaged hero, he is a spoiled brat. He literally has the world at his feet and he only thinks about the smallest inconvenience. Yes, his mom sucks. Yes, he needs a real family. No, his dad didn't deserve this. Is it a good enough reason to turn into an addict? No, it is not .
2. He slept with every woman he found slightly attractive - another night, another woman. He kept babbling about how much Tessa means to him, how she changed his life, how much he likes her. I know they weren't in a relationship, but that doesn't look like caring to me.
He even had sex with the one woman he should've never had sex with and he hid it from Tessa.
3. He took her on a tour against her will (meaning he never asked her if she wanted to, he just kinda made her accept), putting her life on hold for a month. He even carried her against her will on the stage just to confess in front of the whole world how much he loves her. He didn't even think about the consequences of his actions and how much it will affect her future.
4. Speaking of love, where was it in his case? We knew from the very beginning she's in love with him, and we found out pretty quickly he was in love with her too... But why? She didn't know a thing about him except for the fact that he is attractive, talented and had family issues. And he didn't know a thing about him except for the fact that she is hot and funny. Literally that's it. And he keeps mentioning how much he adores....her body.
There wasn't another thing to convince me how much they love each other. They did convince me they were attracted to each other since they had sex 80% of the book.
5. She had a legit reason to leave him since he literally had sex with a reporter who came back to destroy his life and he told her...this:
And by the way, what kind of reporter does that? She's making the media look worse than it does already. It's illegal to record something without the other person permission and it's illegal to leak photos that could destroy one's reputation.
Also, this quote is really... weird for me. This woman literally fired herself from the job she loved so much with this statement.
They did get back together, and that chapter with Bryan Adams was amazing, not gonna lie. I would have liked it more if Presley deserved to be forgiven. He never gave a proper explanation nor did he apologize, yet every person that matters in her life told her she is the bad one in this story.
I really struggled to finish this book, it almost became unbearable in the last chapters.
I could go on and on about what's wrong with it, but I might have to lower my rating.
2.5/5
I really really really wanted to like this book. The reviews were spectacular and, let's be serious - it's a rock star romance, who doesn't like those?
I've read my fair share of rock star romances and I liked most of them, so I had high hopes for this one. Not gonna lie though, I actually liked it at first, until I reached the 30% mark. It started really well, I loved Tessa from the very beginning, she was really funny (though I didn't like the fact that she thought every girl that came into the bar with Presley was a bimbo...). However, her character seemed to be centered around Presley. Literally, from the age 11 she thought just about him. He's literally her world. She exists for him, that's how obsessive it looked to me.
I have a lot of problems with this book, but I'll start with the good.
I enjoyed every scene with Molly, Bourbon, Julia and even Rhett where in - I'd rather read a book about any of them *wink, wink Rhett&Julia* . I loved the fact that her bff wasn't a back-stabbing b.... or that hes boss always had her back and genuinely cared about Tessa. Julia seemed really badass, I hope she won't disappoint me.
And Rhett, oh Rhett, had the best line in the whole book:
“I’m just saying,” he squeaked in a very un-Rhett like way. “We’re rock stars, folks. This isn’t a pleasant romance you two are playing out. It’s wild, and it’s in front of the world. If you’re looking for a quiet life, you ain’t gonna get it. I’m not sure why that would even be a surprise to you. The world is watching, waiting, begging for you to show them a glimpse of more. Especially after that declaration of love on the stage in Paris. What did you expect? For them to just coo and move on? Not a chance. We’re slap bang in the middle of the most invasive generation to ever exist. Either learn how to handle that or walk away now. It’s never going to get easier than this.”
Now... the issues with this book.
Sigh... I really disliked Presley. There, I said it. I'm sorry, ok? I don't think he was good enough for Tessa, even though she had flaws on her own.
1. He's an alcoholic and he takes drugs and his reason for that is not good enough, in my opinion. He literally has daddy issues and that's it - that's his only problem. He isn't a damaged hero, he is a spoiled brat. He literally has the world at his feet and he only thinks about the smallest inconvenience. Yes, his mom sucks. Yes, he needs a real family. No, his dad didn't deserve this. Is it a good enough reason to turn into an addict? No, it is not .
2. He slept with every woman he found slightly attractive - another night, another woman. He kept babbling about how much Tessa means to him, how she changed his life, how much he likes her. I know they weren't in a relationship, but that doesn't look like caring to me.
He even had sex with the one woman he should've never had sex with and he hid it from Tessa.
3. He took her on a tour against her will (meaning he never asked her if she wanted to, he just kinda made her accept), putting her life on hold for a month. He even carried her against her will on the stage just to confess in front of the whole world how much he loves her. He didn't even think about the consequences of his actions and how much it will affect her future.
4. Speaking of love, where was it in his case? We knew from the very beginning she's in love with him, and we found out pretty quickly he was in love with her too... But why? She didn't know a thing about him except for the fact that he is attractive, talented and had family issues. And he didn't know a thing about him except for the fact that she is hot and funny. Literally that's it. And he keeps mentioning how much he adores....her body.
Your smart mouth would sort them all out—keep them focused. You could be the Sharon Osbourne of our tour, only sexier. Not that I wouldn’t bang Shazza.
I miss your tits in the palm of my hands.
That leather-clad arse.
Your pretty green eyes.
Dammit, Cherry.
There wasn't another thing to convince me how much they love each other. They did convince me they were attracted to each other since they had sex 80% of the book.
5. She had a legit reason to leave him since he literally had sex with a reporter who came back to destroy his life and he told her...this:
“You’re persuasive and persistent. I like women like that. I’m drawn to confidence… to seeing the real version of whoever is put in front of me, whether that version is bad or good. You remind me of a girl back home. A sweet girl. A girl I watched transform in front of my eyes. The only difference between the two of you is that she’s too scared to live and you aren’t.” Presley paused, his eyes narrowing as a look I couldn’t decipher washed over his face.
“This girl sounds like she meant a lot to you.”
He blinked hard. “She will again one day. When I need her. When things get dark. I’ll seek her out when she’s useful to me.” He looked up into Janey’s eyes, his charm back in place. “Until then, I’ll focus on women like you. Women who know what they want. Women who don’t make you work so damn hard for every little thing. Women who like to live on the edge. You like to live on the edge, don’t you, Janey?”
And by the way, what kind of reporter does that? She's making the media look worse than it does already. It's illegal to record something without the other person permission and it's illegal to leak photos that could destroy one's reputation.
Also, this quote is really... weird for me. This woman literally fired herself from the job she loved so much with this statement.
“And for those of you who are wondering what happened with Presley and I that night, the answer is yes. It happened. I sometimes think I’m the inspiration for the band’s bestselling song My Greatest Mistake.” She laughed smugly. “I guess we’ll never know. Something tells me Presley West won’t be rushing to sit beside me again after this. I’m Janey Dominic, bringing you the latest celebrity news. Thanks for watching.”
They did get back together, and that chapter with Bryan Adams was amazing, not gonna lie. I would have liked it more if Presley deserved to be forgiven. He never gave a proper explanation nor did he apologize, yet every person that matters in her life told her she is the bad one in this story.
I really struggled to finish this book, it almost became unbearable in the last chapters.
I could go on and on about what's wrong with it, but I might have to lower my rating.
2.5/5
Finally read this. Okay there were parts that were great and overall a good take on the rockstar/normal girl theme. UK rock and slang. Celibate heroine.
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Sexual content
Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Classism
Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Sexual harassment
Tessa, Tess, Cherry, Poupée… ne voit que par ses idoles : Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams et Presley West. Les deux premiers sont des fantasmes inatteignables, le 3ème est le batteur d’un groupe anglais local qu'elle a découvert à 11 ans lors d'un concours de talents dans son école. Huit ans plus tard, elle est barmaid et lui sert des bières pendant qu'il drague une fille différente chaque semaine. Avant que Presley ne parte à Londres pour le lancement de sa carrière, ils passent la nuit ensemble : il la met au défi de le convaincre de s'engager! Cependant, au matin elle le supplie de la laisser partir et de ne plus jamais la revoir. Trois ans plus tard, elle ne s'est toujours pas remise de ladite nuit et Presley débarque tel un boulet de démolition dans sa vie…
J'ai apprécié ma lecture mais je n'ai pas été transportée. J'ai mis du temps avant de rentrer dans l'histoire et j'ai eu parfois des froncements de sourcils devant la traduction. Je pense que quelques notes du traducteur auraient été un plus pour comprendre certaines phrases ou jeux de mots qui tombent un peu à plat en français… Cherry est une fille, puis une femme déterminée, une groupie dans l'âme, elle vit, mange et respire musique et connaît les secrets des paroles des chansons de ses artistes préférés. Elle ne représente pas la groupie niaise, mais celle qui porte ses idoles, les défend de façon constructive et intelligente. Elle n'a pas vraiment confiance en elle à cause de sa famille et Presley lui parle souvent de son masque. Elle voue une véritable admiration sans borne au batteur. Lui se décrit comme égoïste mais c'est un travailleur, il est blessé par sa vie et lorsqu'il revient dans celle de Cherry, il porte sans le vouloir un masque. On voit assez bien la machine du star system qui l'a écrasé en trois ans (fatigue, lassitude, drogue, alcool et multiples coups d'un soir avec des femmes qui ne représentent rien pour lui). J'ai aimé le personnage de Molly, la meilleure amie de Cherry avec son patron Bourbon, ils sont son premier support, sa famille de cœur. J'ai lu que le prochain tome était sur Rhett, le chanteur, je pense que j'irai lire son histoire car le résumé m'intrigue, surtout en sachant qui est sa moitié… Si vous aimez les rock star, les groupies à fort caractère qui ont la langue bien pendue et ne se laissent pas marcher dessus avec une bonne dose de spicy, ce livre est pour vous!
J'ai apprécié ma lecture mais je n'ai pas été transportée. J'ai mis du temps avant de rentrer dans l'histoire et j'ai eu parfois des froncements de sourcils devant la traduction. Je pense que quelques notes du traducteur auraient été un plus pour comprendre certaines phrases ou jeux de mots qui tombent un peu à plat en français… Cherry est une fille, puis une femme déterminée, une groupie dans l'âme, elle vit, mange et respire musique et connaît les secrets des paroles des chansons de ses artistes préférés. Elle ne représente pas la groupie niaise, mais celle qui porte ses idoles, les défend de façon constructive et intelligente. Elle n'a pas vraiment confiance en elle à cause de sa famille et Presley lui parle souvent de son masque. Elle voue une véritable admiration sans borne au batteur. Lui se décrit comme égoïste mais c'est un travailleur, il est blessé par sa vie et lorsqu'il revient dans celle de Cherry, il porte sans le vouloir un masque. On voit assez bien la machine du star system qui l'a écrasé en trois ans (fatigue, lassitude, drogue, alcool et multiples coups d'un soir avec des femmes qui ne représentent rien pour lui). J'ai aimé le personnage de Molly, la meilleure amie de Cherry avec son patron Bourbon, ils sont son premier support, sa famille de cœur. J'ai lu que le prochain tome était sur Rhett, le chanteur, je pense que j'irai lire son histoire car le résumé m'intrigue, surtout en sachant qui est sa moitié… Si vous aimez les rock star, les groupies à fort caractère qui ont la langue bien pendue et ne se laissent pas marcher dessus avec une bonne dose de spicy, ce livre est pour vous!
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated