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lifeand100books's review against another edition
1.0
Upon finishing this book I got the overwhelming feeling that the author had a list of races, ethnicities, social issues, and mental health issues and was trying to fit as many of them as possible in this book. It led to parts of the book feeling disingenuous. Overall the book has pacing issues. A social issues/mental health issue would get randomly thrown out and throw off the pacing of the story. I could have used less "issues" just sprinkled throughout and just delved deeper into Trey's apparent PTSD/anxiety and Dom's drugging and subsequent sexual assault.
I felt the sparks between Trey and Dom during their first performance and wished that the rest of their romantic sequences had that same spark and intimacy to them. We miss a lot of their love story being told to us. Instead we know that for their weeks apart they Skype and talk for hours, but where is the developing intimacy for the reader to see?
Overall I think this needed stronger editing to help the pacing and story structure out.
I felt the sparks between Trey and Dom during their first performance and wished that the rest of their romantic sequences had that same spark and intimacy to them. We miss a lot of their love story being told to us. Instead we know that for their weeks apart they Skype and talk for hours, but where is the developing intimacy for the reader to see?
Overall I think this needed stronger editing to help the pacing and story structure out.
witandsin's review
4.0
My review cross-posted from Wit and Sin: http://witandsin.blogspot.com/2016/06/review-body-rocks-by-am-arthur.html
Body Rocks is a great mix of sweetness, eroticism, and angst. What starts out as a sexy story about two young men from rival bands develops into something much more. Trey and Dom are endearing heroes who both possess an innate goodness and optimism that made me smile more than once over the course of the story. It’s easy to root for them because they’re likeable, and I became invested in the story because there’s so much joy to be found in their burgeoning romance. When they meet onstage at an open mic night – not knowing they’re each from rival bands – things heat up fast. Yet even though Body Rocks is a hot and heavy story, there’s an innocence about Trey and Dom, and the lack of cynicism keeps the story buoyant even through its darker moments.
Trey and Dom fall fast and hard for one another, but the rivalry between their bands isn’t all that threatens to keep them apart. This is where (strangely enough) the story’s strongest point is also its weakest. A.M. Arthur makes this book stand apart with her diverse cast and how they cope with heavy issues. However, though I loved this about the book, the sheer abundance of issues Dom and Trey face also took the story down a notch for me. Body Rocks tackles abuse, sexual assault, attempted suicide, blackmail, self-harm, special needs, coming out, and more. Don’t get me wrong: I loved that Ms. Arthur isn’t afraid to approach serious topics and she treated each one with honesty, emotion, and respect. However, with so many serious issues packed into the story, I didn’t feel like any of them were given the depth they deserved; there were simply too many topics and not enough time to delve into them properly.
Body Rocks is a compelling read that’s packed with action and emotion. Even with all the hard topics woven into the story, Body Rocks never feels weighed down by angst. This is a story of love (romantic, familial, and between friends) and healing. Trey and Dom are such vibrant characters that the book moves at a fast pace and the families they have made for themselves are simply wonderful. I can’t wait to read the next Off Beat book, Steady Stroke!
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Body Rocks is a great mix of sweetness, eroticism, and angst. What starts out as a sexy story about two young men from rival bands develops into something much more. Trey and Dom are endearing heroes who both possess an innate goodness and optimism that made me smile more than once over the course of the story. It’s easy to root for them because they’re likeable, and I became invested in the story because there’s so much joy to be found in their burgeoning romance. When they meet onstage at an open mic night – not knowing they’re each from rival bands – things heat up fast. Yet even though Body Rocks is a hot and heavy story, there’s an innocence about Trey and Dom, and the lack of cynicism keeps the story buoyant even through its darker moments.
Trey and Dom fall fast and hard for one another, but the rivalry between their bands isn’t all that threatens to keep them apart. This is where (strangely enough) the story’s strongest point is also its weakest. A.M. Arthur makes this book stand apart with her diverse cast and how they cope with heavy issues. However, though I loved this about the book, the sheer abundance of issues Dom and Trey face also took the story down a notch for me. Body Rocks tackles abuse, sexual assault, attempted suicide, blackmail, self-harm, special needs, coming out, and more. Don’t get me wrong: I loved that Ms. Arthur isn’t afraid to approach serious topics and she treated each one with honesty, emotion, and respect. However, with so many serious issues packed into the story, I didn’t feel like any of them were given the depth they deserved; there were simply too many topics and not enough time to delve into them properly.
Body Rocks is a compelling read that’s packed with action and emotion. Even with all the hard topics woven into the story, Body Rocks never feels weighed down by angst. This is a story of love (romantic, familial, and between friends) and healing. Trey and Dom are such vibrant characters that the book moves at a fast pace and the families they have made for themselves are simply wonderful. I can’t wait to read the next Off Beat book, Steady Stroke!
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
paddlefoot55's review
4.0
ARC received via Netgalley for an honest review
Musicians? Check!
M/M romance? Check!
A.M Arthur is a new to me author, but I am a sucker for a rocker and a bit of a m/m groupie these days, so it really was a no brainer for me to read Body Rocks.
Trey Cooper never knew that going out one night would change his life forever.
Dominic was fighting demons that night he hopped on stage at Off Beat, the bar where Trey worked and had gone that night.
OMG the chemistry between this pair is amazing - not just physically but musically as well.
I loved that each of the characters in this story is flawed. And their flaws made them perfect to me.
While at times I felt that the writing was a little cliched, the storyline and the characters soon made me forget that and pulled me right back into their lives.
This is not just some boy meets boy, they fall in love and live happily ever after kind of story. It is darker, grittier and at times hard to read (not the story, but what happens to our lovelies). I laughed, I cried, I got angry right along with the characters.
There are some fantastic secondary characters whose stories I am looking forward to in the future *cough cough Mr Size 14 please!*
Musicians? Check!
M/M romance? Check!
A.M Arthur is a new to me author, but I am a sucker for a rocker and a bit of a m/m groupie these days, so it really was a no brainer for me to read Body Rocks.
Trey Cooper never knew that going out one night would change his life forever.
Dominic was fighting demons that night he hopped on stage at Off Beat, the bar where Trey worked and had gone that night.
OMG the chemistry between this pair is amazing - not just physically but musically as well.
I loved that each of the characters in this story is flawed. And their flaws made them perfect to me.
While at times I felt that the writing was a little cliched, the storyline and the characters soon made me forget that and pulled me right back into their lives.
This is not just some boy meets boy, they fall in love and live happily ever after kind of story. It is darker, grittier and at times hard to read (not the story, but what happens to our lovelies). I laughed, I cried, I got angry right along with the characters.
There are some fantastic secondary characters whose stories I am looking forward to in the future *cough cough Mr Size 14 please!*
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