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Rock Star Romance #2
I Want You to Want Me
From the award-winning author of You Really Got Me comes the next romance in her red-hot Rock Star Romance series, about a rocker who lives for his music—and loves with all his heart.
Derek Valencia finally has the success he’s worked so hard for. His band is touring its debut album and great reviews are rolling in. But when pictures of him tossing naked groupies off a balcony go viral, it’s damage-control time. He’s assigned a “babysitter” whose sole job is to keep him out of trouble.
Violet Davis swore she’d never work in the music industry again, but being a minder for a rock star will earn her enough to pay off the mortgage on her wildflower farm. And for a girl brought up in the foster care system, owning her own home means more to her than anything.
Though at first the two bang heads, the rocker and the farm girl soon grow close and realize that they make sweet music together. But can a girl who craves the stability of life on a farm really make it work with a man whose life is spent on the road with his band?
Derek Valencia finally has the success he’s worked so hard for. His band is touring its debut album and great reviews are rolling in. But when pictures of him tossing naked groupies off a balcony go viral, it’s damage-control time. He’s assigned a “babysitter” whose sole job is to keep him out of trouble.
Violet Davis swore she’d never work in the music industry again, but being a minder for a rock star will earn her enough to pay off the mortgage on her wildflower farm. And for a girl brought up in the foster care system, owning her own home means more to her than anything.
Though at first the two bang heads, the rocker and the farm girl soon grow close and realize that they make sweet music together. But can a girl who craves the stability of life on a farm really make it work with a man whose life is spent on the road with his band?
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 7, 2015
177 people are currently reading
1879 people want to read
About the author
Erika Kelly
41 books1,843 followersAward-winning author Erika Kelly writes sexy, passionate, and emotional contemporary romance. Married to the love of her life and raising four children, she lives in the southwest, drinks a lot of tea, and is always waiting for her cats to get off her keyboard.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews
March 3, 2016
With other women, he kissed them as a prompt. It was the starting gun to the games about to be played. But with Violet... Derek wanted to KISS her. He wanted that sexy mouth like nothing he'd ever wanted before. Wanted the thrill of that first meeting of tongues, that first sigh of surrender.
All the time IRL and on GR, my friends are like, "Carmen. Why are you reading another book by [author]? Didn't you hate her first book? Didn't you rant to me for five hours about how horrible it was? Why would you bother reading another book by [author]?"
Well, friends, it is because sometimes authors improve. I like giving authors second and third chances to impress me. Just because I hated a book by someone, doesn't mean their writing or their plotting won't get better.*
That's the case here. I was laughing and laughing at Kelly's first book in this series, You Really Got Me. It was hilariously bad.
Then I closed it and immediately plunged into her next book, I Want You To Want Me. I thought I would be getting another dud.
But I was in for a pleasant surprise. This book was engaging and heartrending. I thought it was good. "Erika Kelly is ripping my heart out through my chest," I thought to myself. "I love this, the emotions are so strong here."
If I had given up after her horrible first book, I would have missed this.
PLOT
Derek Valencia is the bass player in up-and-coming rock band Blue Fire. His dad was verbally and emotionally abusive to him, and he's very sensitive to criticism and rejection.
Violet Davis is a "minder." She helps rich businessmen or celebrities go clean (off drugs and heavy alcohol) and helps them clean up their image and make better life decisions. She's called in by Emmie Valencia (the heroine from Book One) to help the band - a few members have started doing drugs and it's quickly spiraling out of control.
Posing as a groupie, Violet comes on heavily to Derek. He smells a con. He thinks she's a reporter. When all is revealed, he's very upset, but realizes that he does need outside help to get the band out of trouble. Eventually the two realize they can't fight their attraction to each other.
But Violet grew up in foster care and she's convinced that she's damaged. She once heard a social worker say about her that
"She'll likely never be able to trust or fully experience love."
and Violet fully believes that this is true. She's never let a man close enough to fall in love with him.
Violet is strong, gentle, extraordinarily calm, and very kind. She's a farm girl and her dream is to one day own the farm she lives on now, and make perfume, stationary, soap and potpourri from the wildflowers she grows there.
...
The tension and angst are high in this book. I was wracked with anxiety about whether these two lovebirds would end up together - which is my gold standard for knowing if a romance novel is good or not. If an author can get me to care and worry about a couple, you know I will be writing a positive review of it.
If you can't stand tension and angst, this isn't the book for you. But Kelly has come leaps and bounds from her first novel. In You Really Got Me, the angst was endlessly repetitive and seemed to have no point or basis. Here, Kelly has boiled down the couple's core problems into a succinct interaction that makes sense and isn't disruptive to the plot.
I felt as if both characters had genuine problems and concerns, which is a huge deal in a romance novel. So much romance is based on stupid stuff - it's great when I can feel like the characters have actual problems (psychological, emotional, financial) instead of just being drama queens and drama kings. In Kelly's first book, the latter was true. Here, she's finally drawn characters with actual believable issues.
Skeeze
Again, I want to say, that in this novel - as in most rock star romance novels - the skeeve factor is really high. You are going to be reading about groupies, orgies, tons of drugs, public sex, men having sex with tons of women who they don't know their names and don't give a crap about, and a lot of disrespectful and skeevy stuff. Only YOU know if you can handle this kind of book. I was wrinkling my nose in disgust at a lot of the stuff the band was doing. And Derek himself is no saint. As a bass player in a successful rock band, he's done some pretty disgusting stuff. I mean, when he thinks Violet is a reporter he
"Oh, I've got something, all right." Pulling her hand out of his pocket, he brought it around to his cock.
She tensed, wrenching her wrist away.
Why did he like that so much? He didn't give a shit about a reporter out to fuck him over, but he liked that she had a line she wouldn't cross. She had some sense of decency. "This is how we have fun, sweetheart. You know that, right?"
With a mischievous look in her eyes, she licked her lips. "Oh, I know. I just thought we'd have another kind of fun first, you know?" And then she got on her toes, her breasts brushing his chest as she leaned into him, and whispered in his ear, "I get so wild when I'm high."
"Yeah?" One finger on her collarbone pushed her back on her heels. "We don't have time to get you high." Settling a hand on each shoulder, he pressed, urging her to her knees.
And here it was. Just how far would she take this game?
She stepped away. "Oh, come on, don't be like that. It's so much more fun when we're high. Come on."
He reached for her, tugged her toward him. "Your time with the band is almost up, sweetheart." He unzipped his jeans with one hand, while the other reached for her wrist. "You either get on your knees or you can get off the bus and go find your friends."
He was so sure he'd see fear in her eyes. So sure she'd freak out, that he wasn't prepared for her head tilting back as she let out a laugh loud enough to hurt his ears in the small room.
"That's it? That's all you got?" She shook her head, wiping her eyes. "Oh, my God, you're supposed to be the sex god."
I'm almost DNFed after reading this scene. I mean, ew. I hate when authors make the heroes disrespectful pieces of shit. A villain? Fine. A hero? No way. The fact that I actually thought Derek was an okay guy by the end of the book is a testament to Kelly's writing.
But he wouldn't have actually gone through with the blowjob. He was just testing her.
Oh, just testing her. Mmmmmmm-hmmmmmm. That's perfectly fine, then.
Oh, wait, NO IT'S NOT. What shitheel behavior. Ugh. Very disgusting. I'd really appreciate it if you didn't make your romance hero a piece of filth. But I guess that's too much to ask of the rock-star-romance subgenre.
You might notice that Violet calls Derek on his shit. Now, they are both lying to each other in this scene, she's undercover. But even after all is revealed, Violet continues to call Derek on his shit. For instance, she doesn't let him call her "babe" and she demands respect from him when he gets out of line. I love strong women who call the hero on his shit. This was vastly appreciated by me. Violet overall was a great character.
I wouldn't say Derek is a mensch, he never makes it into mensch territory. But one thing I will say in his favor is that he steps up, owns and takes care of his business. When he fucks up - and he often does in this book - he is amazing at taking responsibility for his mistake and then doing whatever he can to make it right. That's so manly. I love when men are like this. I'd have to say it was the most attractive aspect of his character.
"Okay. It's fine."
"No, it's not. I hurt your feelings last night."
"You can't hurt my feelings if I don't have them. You're my client."
"Oh, I hurt your feelings. And I'm telling you that I'm sorry. I never thought I had a type before, but that's because I've never met anyone like you."
^^ That's just part of a much larger excellent scene where Derek just handles himself like a man. Very attractively.
Nymphs
It cracks me up in this novel that the band refuses to call groupies "groupies" and instead decides they are "nymphs." The constant talking about "nymphs" is really hilarious. "Derek, get your dick out of that nymph's mouth and get on stage!" "The bus was full of nymphs." "Did she think he was having sex with those nymphs?" "Where are the nymphs?" LOL No end to the laughter. And Kelly plays it completely straight - she's not tongue-in-cheek at all about this - so it's extra funny because she's serious.
How's the sex, Carmen?
No, sorry, not inspiring, not exciting. It's not bad, it's just not very interesting or stimulating. IMO.
Songs in the Book
Van Morrison "Into the Mystic"
Mazzy Star "Fade Into You"
Kimya Dawson "You Love Me"
..
Tl;dr - I'm so glad I decided to give this author a second chance. Despite a shaky start, I really ended up caring about and cheering for the couple. Even though this could have been better (the sex was not up to my standards and neither was the hero, for that matter), overall it was heartrending and that made me happy.
THREE REAL STARS, FOUR ROMANCE STARS
*Some authors never get any better. Eventually I give up on them.
All the time IRL and on GR, my friends are like, "Carmen. Why are you reading another book by [author]? Didn't you hate her first book? Didn't you rant to me for five hours about how horrible it was? Why would you bother reading another book by [author]?"
Well, friends, it is because sometimes authors improve. I like giving authors second and third chances to impress me. Just because I hated a book by someone, doesn't mean their writing or their plotting won't get better.*
That's the case here. I was laughing and laughing at Kelly's first book in this series, You Really Got Me. It was hilariously bad.
Then I closed it and immediately plunged into her next book, I Want You To Want Me. I thought I would be getting another dud.
But I was in for a pleasant surprise. This book was engaging and heartrending. I thought it was good. "Erika Kelly is ripping my heart out through my chest," I thought to myself. "I love this, the emotions are so strong here."
If I had given up after her horrible first book, I would have missed this.
PLOT
Derek Valencia is the bass player in up-and-coming rock band Blue Fire. His dad was verbally and emotionally abusive to him, and he's very sensitive to criticism and rejection.
Violet Davis is a "minder." She helps rich businessmen or celebrities go clean (off drugs and heavy alcohol) and helps them clean up their image and make better life decisions. She's called in by Emmie Valencia (the heroine from Book One) to help the band - a few members have started doing drugs and it's quickly spiraling out of control.
Posing as a groupie, Violet comes on heavily to Derek. He smells a con. He thinks she's a reporter. When all is revealed, he's very upset, but realizes that he does need outside help to get the band out of trouble. Eventually the two realize they can't fight their attraction to each other.
But Violet grew up in foster care and she's convinced that she's damaged. She once heard a social worker say about her that
"She'll likely never be able to trust or fully experience love."
and Violet fully believes that this is true. She's never let a man close enough to fall in love with him.
Violet is strong, gentle, extraordinarily calm, and very kind. She's a farm girl and her dream is to one day own the farm she lives on now, and make perfume, stationary, soap and potpourri from the wildflowers she grows there.
...
The tension and angst are high in this book. I was wracked with anxiety about whether these two lovebirds would end up together - which is my gold standard for knowing if a romance novel is good or not. If an author can get me to care and worry about a couple, you know I will be writing a positive review of it.
If you can't stand tension and angst, this isn't the book for you. But Kelly has come leaps and bounds from her first novel. In You Really Got Me, the angst was endlessly repetitive and seemed to have no point or basis. Here, Kelly has boiled down the couple's core problems into a succinct interaction that makes sense and isn't disruptive to the plot.
I felt as if both characters had genuine problems and concerns, which is a huge deal in a romance novel. So much romance is based on stupid stuff - it's great when I can feel like the characters have actual problems (psychological, emotional, financial) instead of just being drama queens and drama kings. In Kelly's first book, the latter was true. Here, she's finally drawn characters with actual believable issues.
Skeeze
Again, I want to say, that in this novel - as in most rock star romance novels - the skeeve factor is really high. You are going to be reading about groupies, orgies, tons of drugs, public sex, men having sex with tons of women who they don't know their names and don't give a crap about, and a lot of disrespectful and skeevy stuff. Only YOU know if you can handle this kind of book. I was wrinkling my nose in disgust at a lot of the stuff the band was doing. And Derek himself is no saint. As a bass player in a successful rock band, he's done some pretty disgusting stuff. I mean, when he thinks Violet is a reporter he
"Oh, I've got something, all right." Pulling her hand out of his pocket, he brought it around to his cock.
She tensed, wrenching her wrist away.
Why did he like that so much? He didn't give a shit about a reporter out to fuck him over, but he liked that she had a line she wouldn't cross. She had some sense of decency. "This is how we have fun, sweetheart. You know that, right?"
With a mischievous look in her eyes, she licked her lips. "Oh, I know. I just thought we'd have another kind of fun first, you know?" And then she got on her toes, her breasts brushing his chest as she leaned into him, and whispered in his ear, "I get so wild when I'm high."
"Yeah?" One finger on her collarbone pushed her back on her heels. "We don't have time to get you high." Settling a hand on each shoulder, he pressed, urging her to her knees.
And here it was. Just how far would she take this game?
She stepped away. "Oh, come on, don't be like that. It's so much more fun when we're high. Come on."
He reached for her, tugged her toward him. "Your time with the band is almost up, sweetheart." He unzipped his jeans with one hand, while the other reached for her wrist. "You either get on your knees or you can get off the bus and go find your friends."
He was so sure he'd see fear in her eyes. So sure she'd freak out, that he wasn't prepared for her head tilting back as she let out a laugh loud enough to hurt his ears in the small room.
"That's it? That's all you got?" She shook her head, wiping her eyes. "Oh, my God, you're supposed to be the sex god."
I'm almost DNFed after reading this scene. I mean, ew. I hate when authors make the heroes disrespectful pieces of shit. A villain? Fine. A hero? No way. The fact that I actually thought Derek was an okay guy by the end of the book is a testament to Kelly's writing.
But he wouldn't have actually gone through with the blowjob. He was just testing her.
Oh, just testing her. Mmmmmmm-hmmmmmm. That's perfectly fine, then.
Oh, wait, NO IT'S NOT. What shitheel behavior. Ugh. Very disgusting. I'd really appreciate it if you didn't make your romance hero a piece of filth. But I guess that's too much to ask of the rock-star-romance subgenre.
You might notice that Violet calls Derek on his shit. Now, they are both lying to each other in this scene, she's undercover. But even after all is revealed, Violet continues to call Derek on his shit. For instance, she doesn't let him call her "babe" and she demands respect from him when he gets out of line. I love strong women who call the hero on his shit. This was vastly appreciated by me. Violet overall was a great character.
I wouldn't say Derek is a mensch, he never makes it into mensch territory. But one thing I will say in his favor is that he steps up, owns and takes care of his business. When he fucks up - and he often does in this book - he is amazing at taking responsibility for his mistake and then doing whatever he can to make it right. That's so manly. I love when men are like this. I'd have to say it was the most attractive aspect of his character.
"Okay. It's fine."
"No, it's not. I hurt your feelings last night."
"You can't hurt my feelings if I don't have them. You're my client."
"Oh, I hurt your feelings. And I'm telling you that I'm sorry. I never thought I had a type before, but that's because I've never met anyone like you."
^^ That's just part of a much larger excellent scene where Derek just handles himself like a man. Very attractively.
Nymphs
It cracks me up in this novel that the band refuses to call groupies "groupies" and instead decides they are "nymphs." The constant talking about "nymphs" is really hilarious. "Derek, get your dick out of that nymph's mouth and get on stage!" "The bus was full of nymphs." "Did she think he was having sex with those nymphs?" "Where are the nymphs?" LOL No end to the laughter. And Kelly plays it completely straight - she's not tongue-in-cheek at all about this - so it's extra funny because she's serious.
How's the sex, Carmen?
No, sorry, not inspiring, not exciting. It's not bad, it's just not very interesting or stimulating. IMO.
Songs in the Book
Van Morrison "Into the Mystic"
Mazzy Star "Fade Into You"
Kimya Dawson "You Love Me"
..
Tl;dr - I'm so glad I decided to give this author a second chance. Despite a shaky start, I really ended up caring about and cheering for the couple. Even though this could have been better (the sex was not up to my standards and neither was the hero, for that matter), overall it was heartrending and that made me happy.
THREE REAL STARS, FOUR ROMANCE STARS
*Some authors never get any better. Eventually I give up on them.
April 14, 2020
I keep trying these (okay, twice) and I don't know.
Violet is a minder. Not a sober companion, but a minder. And oof. Reading this book made me feel like my high school days when I'd go pick up my guy friends from their houses and their somewhat strict parents would visibly relax to let him go to some music festival for two days or on some road trip "Oh, Sam's going. Okay, that's fine. Yes, yes. See you in two days."
Guess what's not fun? Babysitting boys who are your age. Bigger than you, and drinking. Over the course of two days (I LOVE music ok, if you are wondering how I fell into this bullshit. I also love my friends. So that's that. And the person whose parent said the words above was my friend for like 10 years.).
Reading this book left me with that wiped out feeling. It's drama, it's work, it's exhausting and you leave it wondering just a little bit who you are because none of that two day concert marathon stuff is real. Did you actually connect on a genuine level or does it just end up being being hazily happy fuzzy around the edges. Seen through a fake filter. Who was real, what was real when you ate out of coolers and slept 4 to a hotel room, just making sure that everyone had enough water or didn't do something stupid. In the end we all end up safe, and some of it was luck, and more of it was me. I wouldn't have traded it then, but now I look back and think how much it took out of me. (see my flashing introvert sign?)
Having it be the heroine's job well, that is just that much worse. I guess reading this book felt kind of miserable. Because Derek gives off that vibe too. Like he's trying to manage everything and just cannot.
I didn't get a great sense of Derek, or maybe I just didn't like him that much. For multiple reasons. I did think Violet's story compelling and sweet. The grand gesture at the end was BLAHECH. Mommy and daddy issues galore. A heroine who asks after sex if 'she's different' A hero's whose internal monologue that tells us that yes she is.
I obviously enjoyed it enough. Parts of it were sexy even though the way she writes sex is weird "Honey soaked channel" anyone? Part of the journey felt compelling and real too--but in the end, it didn't give me warmth, and I just don't know if I can revisit this again (not to mention it takes a very special book/author to make me want be alongside an addict's journey)
So that's that.
Violet is a minder. Not a sober companion, but a minder. And oof. Reading this book made me feel like my high school days when I'd go pick up my guy friends from their houses and their somewhat strict parents would visibly relax to let him go to some music festival for two days or on some road trip "Oh, Sam's going. Okay, that's fine. Yes, yes. See you in two days."
Guess what's not fun? Babysitting boys who are your age. Bigger than you, and drinking. Over the course of two days (I LOVE music ok, if you are wondering how I fell into this bullshit. I also love my friends. So that's that. And the person whose parent said the words above was my friend for like 10 years.).
Reading this book left me with that wiped out feeling. It's drama, it's work, it's exhausting and you leave it wondering just a little bit who you are because none of that two day concert marathon stuff is real. Did you actually connect on a genuine level or does it just end up being being hazily happy fuzzy around the edges. Seen through a fake filter. Who was real, what was real when you ate out of coolers and slept 4 to a hotel room, just making sure that everyone had enough water or didn't do something stupid. In the end we all end up safe, and some of it was luck, and more of it was me. I wouldn't have traded it then, but now I look back and think how much it took out of me. (see my flashing introvert sign?)
Having it be the heroine's job well, that is just that much worse. I guess reading this book felt kind of miserable. Because Derek gives off that vibe too. Like he's trying to manage everything and just cannot.
I didn't get a great sense of Derek, or maybe I just didn't like him that much. For multiple reasons. I did think Violet's story compelling and sweet. The grand gesture at the end was BLAHECH. Mommy and daddy issues galore. A heroine who asks after sex if 'she's different' A hero's whose internal monologue that tells us that yes she is.
I obviously enjoyed it enough. Parts of it were sexy even though the way she writes sex is weird "Honey soaked channel" anyone? Part of the journey felt compelling and real too--but in the end, it didn't give me warmth, and I just don't know if I can revisit this again (not to mention it takes a very special book/author to make me want be alongside an addict's journey)
So that's that.
July 13, 2015
Derek Valencia is only worried about getting his band to the top and being a success. The fears of the little boy he used to be still lurk in his mind and all he can remember is never being good enough for his dad. He is desperate to show his dad that he can be a successful musician. But when Violet Davis enters the picture, his priorities start to take a change. Violet was hired as a minder for the band, someone to come in and make sure they don't party to hard and ruin their careers before they even start. Growing up in foster care she never had anyone truly care for her and she never figured out how to show people her emotions. She wants to change for Derek, and he's the perfect person to help her live her life to the fullest.
This was a sweet story of two people trying to be better for each other and helping each other along the way. I liked Derek and how committed he was to his career and his bandmates. He didn't just want to be the best, he wanted each bandmate to to grow to their fullest potential. He was a really intense character but it made for an intriguing story.
Violet was an interesting character. When she was a little girl in foster care she overheard someone say that she would never be able to care for someone since her emotions are so locked up. After hearing that, she never believed anything different and always thought of herself as damaged. I liked reading about how she became more confidant in herself and her own feelings toward the end and thought she was a really strong character.
I did have some issues with the story which led to a lower rating. Overall, I felt like there was just too much drama for me to fully enjoy it. The beginning dealt with a lot of Pete's drug issues and then after they were "resolved" we only heard about him once or twice more. It seemed like after that whole issue was dealt with it became a different book. It just seemed to take a turn and so many other things happened that were different than the original issues.
It was a good story and only my own issues that made me give it a lower rating. I still recommend this book to anyone who likes some hottie musicians. We also got to see more of Emmie and Slater so anyone who liked their book will love to catch up with them.
January 3, 2016
“Love doesn’t just evaporate.”
You Really Got Me was without doubt, one of our favourite rock star books this year. The romance between Slater Vaughan, Derek’s best mate, and Emmie Valencia, Derek’s sister completely and utterly stole our hearts! The relationship between the three was so sweet, we devoured that book and so you can imagine how eager we were to get our grabby hands on this one! We couldn’t wait to me meet the woman who would steal Derek’s heart and give him the type of love he witnessed and admired between Slater and Emmie.
“I love being with you. I could stay awake all night just to be with the Violet I get under the covers.”
Derek is pretty hard on himself as an artist. He’s spent most of his life feeling overshadowed by his father, the great virtuoso Eddie Valencia, a well-respected musician in his day who seems to take great delight in putting down his son at every opportunity he can muster and dismissing his son’s obvious talent vocally through the media. Derek can’t seem to win a trick with this guy!
In this instalment we meet Derek and the band at a time when they are finally getting the recognition and accolades they deserve. They’re exceptionally talented and have vowed not to become victims of the dreaded sex, drugs and rock and roll cliché that has destroyed so many before them.
When some members of the band begin to party a little too hard, its suspected drugs are involved and Emmie suggests her friend Violet tour with the band as a minder to shadow them, get to the bottom of the problem, cease the bad behaviour and nip the drug taking in the bud.
Violet appeared tough on the outside, but was vulnerable on the inside. After had lived her life in and out of the foster care system, Violet is convinced she lacks the ability to feel and love like most people, due to being deprived of affection as a child.
“You make me feel special. You make me feel. And I didn’t even know I could.”
The chemistry between Violet and Derek is immediate and there is no doubting the passion between them is sizzling. Sadly though, the emotion of their connection didn’t quite travel from the pages to our hearts with this one and we’re so utterly sad about that because we really wanted to love their story as much as we did Emmie and Slater. Instead we found ourselves becoming frustrated with the constant drama that eschewed between them.
It really does break our hearts to say that and for that reason we didn’t enjoy this book as much as its predecessor. The relationship between Violet and Derek felt forced at times and the back and forth so repetitive it became tedious instead of emotionally gripping. There were some shining moments throughout but there were a few misses too.
You told me you don’t know how to love, but you’re wrong. You think there’s some chapter in the book of life that you missed out on, but that’s bullshit. Loving is just what we do. Just because you didn’t have it growing up, doesn’t mean you’re destined to a life without.”
The amount of ‘real life’ introduced to the story was a turn off for us both. In You Really Got Me, Erika Kelly crafted and created a beautiful and believable fantasy rock world. She had our pulses racing and every moment felt as though we were there, in the audience, awe struck watching the band. Sadly here the fantasy world was replaced with reality which took us completely out of the moment. There was band name dropping left, right and centre and the character of Jason Becker so obviously Justin Bieber felt as though we were reading snippets from a magazine rather than a fictional novel. However this is a personal thing and some readers will love this aspect of the story.
All was not lost though because we were once again completely swept away with the banter and camaraderie between the band members, a theme this author really does do well. These guys really are a family and the love and affection they share is mesmerising.
The highlight of this story was the considerable time we got to spend with Slater and Emmie again. They made this book for us. Their passion, their intense and consuming love for one another, despite this story not being primarily about them, stole our hearts at every turn and Slater’s heart to hearts with Derek made us MELT!
“Violet doesn’t give a rat’s ass about a Ferrari or a fancy law firm. She doesn’t want to summer in some gated mansion in East Hampton. Stability doesn’t mean the guy who can buy her shit……. Stability means the one guy who loves the shit out of her. It means knowing you’ve got the one person in the world who knows your crap, calls you on it, and still wakes up with you the next morning, every fuckin’ morning, until the day you die.”
So whilst this didn’t pack the emotional punch we had anticipated there was still much we enjoyed and we’re definitely looking forward to seeing where this series takes us next!
**ARC Copy provided, with thanks, by Berkley/Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review.**
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December 26, 2015
“Love doesn’t just evaporate.”
You Really Got Me was without doubt, one of our favourite rock star books this year. The romance between Slater Vaughan, Derek’s best mate, and Emmie Valencia, Derek’s sister completely and utterly stole our hearts! The relationship between the three was so sweet, we devoured that book and so you can imagine how eager we were to get our grabby hands on this one! We couldn’t wait to me meet the woman who would steal Derek’s heart and give him the type of love he witnessed and admired between Slater and Emmie.
“I love being with you. I could stay awake all night just to be with the Violet I get under the covers.”
Derek is pretty hard on himself as an artist. He’s spent most of his life feeling overshadowed by his father, the great virtuoso Eddie Valencia, a well-respected musician in his day who seems to take great delight in putting down his son at every opportunity he can muster and dismissing his son’s obvious talent vocally through the media. Derek can’t seem to win a trick with this guy!
In this instalment we meet Derek and the band at a time when they are finally getting the recognition and accolades they deserve. They’re exceptionally talented and have vowed not to become victims of the dreaded sex, drugs and rock and roll cliché that has destroyed so many before them.
When some members of the band begin to party a little too hard, its suspected drugs are involved and Emmie suggests her friend Violet tour with the band as a minder to shadow them, get to the bottom of the problem, cease the bad behaviour and nip the drug taking in the bud.
Violet appeared tough on the outside, but was vulnerable on the inside. After had lived her life in and out of the foster care system, Violet is convinced she lacks the ability to feel and love like most people, due to being deprived of affection as a child.
“You make me feel special. You make me feel. And I didn’t even know I could.”
The chemistry between Violet and Derek is immediate and there is no doubting the passion between them is sizzling. Sadly though, the emotion of their connection didn’t quite travel from the pages to our hearts with this one and we’re so utterly sad about that because we really wanted to love their story as much as we did Emmie and Slater. Instead we found ourselves becoming frustrated with the constant drama that eschewed between them.
It really does break our hearts to say that and for that reason we didn’t enjoy this book as much as its predecessor. The relationship between Violet and Derek felt forced at times and the back and forth so repetitive it became tedious instead of emotionally gripping. There were some shining moments throughout but there were a few misses too.
You told me you don’t know how to love, but you’re wrong. You think there’s some chapter in the book of life that you missed out on, but that’s bullshit. Loving is just what we do. Just because you didn’t have it growing up, doesn’t mean you’re destined to a life without.”
The amount of ‘real life’ introduced to the story was a turn off for us both. In You Really Got Me, Erika Kelly crafted and created a beautiful and believable fantasy rock world. She had our pulses racing and every moment felt as though we were there, in the audience, awe struck watching the band. Sadly here the fantasy world was replaced with reality which took us completely out of the moment. There was band name dropping left, right and centre and the character of Jason Becker so obviously Justin Bieber felt as though we were reading snippets from a magazine rather than a fictional novel. However this is a personal thing and some readers will love this aspect of the story.
All was not lost though because we were once again completely swept away with the banter and camaraderie between the band members, a theme this author really does do well. These guys really are a family and the love and affection they share is mesmerising.
The highlight of this story was the considerable time we got to spend with Slater and Emmie again. They made this book for us. Their passion, their intense and consuming love for one another, despite this story not being primarily about them, stole our hearts at every turn and Slater’s heart to hearts with Derek made us MELT!
“Violet doesn’t give a rat’s ass about a Ferrari or a fancy law firm. She doesn’t want to summer in some gated mansion in East Hampton. Stability doesn’t mean the guy who can buy her shit……. Stability means the one guy who loves the shit out of her. It means knowing you’ve got the one person in the world who knows your crap, calls you on it, and still wakes up with you the next morning, every fuckin’ morning, until the day you die.”
So whilst this didn’t pack the emotional punch we had anticipated there was still much we enjoyed and we’re definitely looking forward to seeing where this series takes us next!
**ARC Copy provided, with thanks, by Berkley/Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review.**
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February 14, 2022
3.5 ⭐️’s
“At the end of the day, at the end of his life, the only thing that mattered was his heart. Who he’d loved, who’d loved him. The only thing that mattered was the woman who’d walked through life by his side.”
“I didn’t even know what I was missing until I found you. You make me feel all the things I never thought I could feel.”
- Who is the Hero? Derek Valencia, Age: 28, Occupation: bass player for Blue Fire
~ Derek is a bit insecure about his guitar talents thanks to his jealous dad. His dad is a famous, well-respected jazz musician who has always been a jerk to his son. And now that Derek is finally hitting the big time, his dad takes every opportunity to use the public spotlight to belittle Derek and discount his talent. His dad is a real a$$hole and all Derek wants is someone to finally acknowledge his talent.
~ “The whole thing about having Irwin as his A& R guy means he’s made it. Something our dad told him would never happen. Losing Irwin’s interest just confirms everything Dad ever said about him. But making the Ledger List? It would be proof that he’s got true talent. On his own, outside of the band. It would make him believe in himself.”
~ “The bass gives the track its groove and rhythm. Derek is the rhythm of Blue Fire. He’s the heart and soul of it. Slater’s the voice, the lyricist, the face, but Derek’s the heart.”
- Who is the Heroine? Violet Davis, Age: 25, Occupation: Minder, but wants to sell natural products from her farm
~ Violet was raised in and out of foster homes since the age of six. She’s never really had a family and has convinced herself she lacks any ability to actually feel and fall in love because of the lack of affection she received as a child.
She has found herself in the role of a “minder”
~ “One of the women I met there hooked me up with my first nanny job. And then that woman’s husband liked how I handled the kids, not to mention his crazy wife, so he hired me to mind one of his workers who had a substance abuse problem.” She smiled. “And a business was born.”
However, her true desire is to live on her precious farm and sell her products.
~ “Those wildflowers I planted for Jed? I’m trying to find ways to use them in products so I can live on the farm full-time.
~ They’d gotten a firm handle on the wildflower tea products and were ready to launch the soap. She’d planned on developing stationery and honey next. Oh, and potpourri. She’d have to remember that one. Easy, simple to package.”
Plot overview:
~ Derek’s band is starting to hit the big time and the sex and drugs is getting out of control for some of the members. The music company hires Violet (a minder) to help get the band back on track.
~ “What exactly are you going to do for the guys?”
Good question. “Keep the drugs and alcohol away, create alternatives for partying, and offer a healthy lifestyle that will make all of you more creative, more productive, and a closer community.”
** The following are my thoughts about this book: **
* * I had to look it up as I’ve never heard of Violet’s profession. Minder: A minder is the person assigned to guide or escort a visitor, or to provide protection to somebody, or to otherwise assist or take care of something
* * I had a good first impression Violet. She knew how to take control of situations and her first real test with Derek’s dad was awesome.
* * sorry - but I understood where Pete was coming from. Going bowling to expel some energy after you rocked a concert was stupid.
* * the beginning was well paced and I really had a hard time putting the book down. I kept worrying about how it would all turn out with Pete and the drugs and if the band could sort it all out without ruining their career. I was fully engaged. By the 60% point I thought the story cycled through the elements and if it would have finished there I would have rated it a solid 4 stars.
But it continued on 🙁. I thought the last half of the book dragged and brought unnecessary drama. As with the previous book, I thought this was just too long. Therefore, I dropped my rating down to 3.5..
* * Slater and Emmie (the couple from book one) get married in this book. 👏
~ “You’re the love of my life. I give you my hand, my heart, my loyalty, my trust, and I hold your happiness higher than my own. I am yours, and you are mine.”
* * I would have liked to see Derek actually come out on top with a confrontation with his dad. His dad really needed to be put in his place and knocked down a peg or two.
* * the epilogue left me with lots of warm fuzzies.
**Overview:**
- Content Warning: stereotypical rockstar life - sex and drugs, bad relationship with parents
- Setting: mostly on tour and on Long Island
- Do you need to read previous books in series?: it would be helpful to understand the backstory of the characters because the story is all about the members of the band, their rise to fame and the people in their lives.
- POV: Dual POV
- Tropes: rockstar
- Hero likeable? yes. I really liked Derek in the first half of the book. A little less toward the end.
- heroine likeable? yes. I liked her in the beginning. She seemed like she had a backbone and confidence in her skills. The more she fell for Derek, the more insecure she got because she thought she was incapable of love so she didn’t trust her feelings. She felt weaker in the last half of the book.
- h virgin? No
- First time they kiss: 37%
- First time they sleep together: 51%
- Safe sex? Yes. Condoms were used
- First time they say I Love You Derek at 66%. Violet finally says it in the last chapter of the book.
- steamy? Yes. Descriptive bedroom scenes
- Chemistry? I thought Derek and Violet had chemistry
- OW/OM drama? a little bit.
- H/h cheat? No
- Time apart? a few months
- Did I skip pages? No
- Big secrets? No
- Did I cry? No
- Did I laugh? No
- Did I swoon🥰? Not a ton. I liked Derek, but outside of the “Marry Me” song, I didn’t have many swoony moments
- Cliffhanger? No
- HEA? Yes
- Epilogue? Four months later
- Recommend? I liked this one better than Book One, but similar to the first one I thought this was just too long. The next book is about the replacement keyboardist who was part of this book for like one second, so I’m not invested in him at all. I’m not blown away by this series, so will probably skip the other books. Plus, unless I missed it, I don’t see where Ben (one of the band members) has his own book. Ben and Tiana were introduced in book One and although Ben has been a douche since he’s been on tour, he still should have a book. Why give the new guy a book instead of one of the founding members of the band? I don’t know - this kind of irritates me.
Quotes:
When he was with Violet, he didn’t feel lonely. He felt whole. Alive. Happy.
“You overwhelm me.”
“That’s probably a good thing.” She laughed. “That’s never a good thing.”
“Stability means the one guy who loves the shit out of her. It means knowing you’ve got the one person in the world who knows your crap, calls you on it, and still wakes up with you the next morning, every fuckin’ morning, until the day you die.”
“The only person who needs to think you’re talented is you. No matter how many times your records go platinum, it’ll never be enough. Until you believe in yourself, you’ll always need more.”
“Slater was right. Finding the one who made things real made all the chaos fall away.”
“At the end of the day, at the end of his life, the only thing that mattered was his heart. Who he’d loved, who’d loved him. The only thing that mattered was the woman who’d walked through life by his side.”
“I didn’t even know what I was missing until I found you. You make me feel all the things I never thought I could feel.”
- Who is the Hero? Derek Valencia, Age: 28, Occupation: bass player for Blue Fire
~ Derek is a bit insecure about his guitar talents thanks to his jealous dad. His dad is a famous, well-respected jazz musician who has always been a jerk to his son. And now that Derek is finally hitting the big time, his dad takes every opportunity to use the public spotlight to belittle Derek and discount his talent. His dad is a real a$$hole and all Derek wants is someone to finally acknowledge his talent.
~ “The whole thing about having Irwin as his A& R guy means he’s made it. Something our dad told him would never happen. Losing Irwin’s interest just confirms everything Dad ever said about him. But making the Ledger List? It would be proof that he’s got true talent. On his own, outside of the band. It would make him believe in himself.”
~ “The bass gives the track its groove and rhythm. Derek is the rhythm of Blue Fire. He’s the heart and soul of it. Slater’s the voice, the lyricist, the face, but Derek’s the heart.”
- Who is the Heroine? Violet Davis, Age: 25, Occupation: Minder, but wants to sell natural products from her farm
~ Violet was raised in and out of foster homes since the age of six. She’s never really had a family and has convinced herself she lacks any ability to actually feel and fall in love because of the lack of affection she received as a child.
She has found herself in the role of a “minder”
~ “One of the women I met there hooked me up with my first nanny job. And then that woman’s husband liked how I handled the kids, not to mention his crazy wife, so he hired me to mind one of his workers who had a substance abuse problem.” She smiled. “And a business was born.”
However, her true desire is to live on her precious farm and sell her products.
~ “Those wildflowers I planted for Jed? I’m trying to find ways to use them in products so I can live on the farm full-time.
~ They’d gotten a firm handle on the wildflower tea products and were ready to launch the soap. She’d planned on developing stationery and honey next. Oh, and potpourri. She’d have to remember that one. Easy, simple to package.”
Plot overview:
~ Derek’s band is starting to hit the big time and the sex and drugs is getting out of control for some of the members. The music company hires Violet (a minder) to help get the band back on track.
~ “What exactly are you going to do for the guys?”
Good question. “Keep the drugs and alcohol away, create alternatives for partying, and offer a healthy lifestyle that will make all of you more creative, more productive, and a closer community.”
** The following are my thoughts about this book: **
* * I had to look it up as I’ve never heard of Violet’s profession. Minder: A minder is the person assigned to guide or escort a visitor, or to provide protection to somebody, or to otherwise assist or take care of something
* * I had a good first impression Violet. She knew how to take control of situations and her first real test with Derek’s dad was awesome.
* * sorry - but I understood where Pete was coming from. Going bowling to expel some energy after you rocked a concert was stupid.
* * the beginning was well paced and I really had a hard time putting the book down. I kept worrying about how it would all turn out with Pete and the drugs and if the band could sort it all out without ruining their career. I was fully engaged. By the 60% point I thought the story cycled through the elements and if it would have finished there I would have rated it a solid 4 stars.
But it continued on 🙁. I thought the last half of the book dragged and brought unnecessary drama. As with the previous book, I thought this was just too long. Therefore, I dropped my rating down to 3.5..
* * Slater and Emmie (the couple from book one) get married in this book. 👏
~ “You’re the love of my life. I give you my hand, my heart, my loyalty, my trust, and I hold your happiness higher than my own. I am yours, and you are mine.”
* * I would have liked to see Derek actually come out on top with a confrontation with his dad. His dad really needed to be put in his place and knocked down a peg or two.
* * the epilogue left me with lots of warm fuzzies.
**Overview:**
- Content Warning: stereotypical rockstar life - sex and drugs, bad relationship with parents
- Setting: mostly on tour and on Long Island
- Do you need to read previous books in series?: it would be helpful to understand the backstory of the characters because the story is all about the members of the band, their rise to fame and the people in their lives.
- POV: Dual POV
- Tropes: rockstar
- Hero likeable? yes. I really liked Derek in the first half of the book. A little less toward the end.
- heroine likeable? yes. I liked her in the beginning. She seemed like she had a backbone and confidence in her skills. The more she fell for Derek, the more insecure she got because she thought she was incapable of love so she didn’t trust her feelings. She felt weaker in the last half of the book.
- h virgin? No
- First time they kiss: 37%
- First time they sleep together: 51%
- Safe sex? Yes. Condoms were used
- First time they say I Love You Derek at 66%. Violet finally says it in the last chapter of the book.
- steamy? Yes. Descriptive bedroom scenes
- Chemistry? I thought Derek and Violet had chemistry
- OW/OM drama? a little bit.
- H/h cheat? No
- Time apart? a few months
- Did I skip pages? No
- Big secrets? No
- Did I cry? No
- Did I laugh? No
- Did I swoon🥰? Not a ton. I liked Derek, but outside of the “Marry Me” song, I didn’t have many swoony moments
- Cliffhanger? No
- HEA? Yes
- Epilogue? Four months later
- Recommend? I liked this one better than Book One, but similar to the first one I thought this was just too long. The next book is about the replacement keyboardist who was part of this book for like one second, so I’m not invested in him at all. I’m not blown away by this series, so will probably skip the other books. Plus, unless I missed it, I don’t see where Ben (one of the band members) has his own book. Ben and Tiana were introduced in book One and although Ben has been a douche since he’s been on tour, he still should have a book. Why give the new guy a book instead of one of the founding members of the band? I don’t know - this kind of irritates me.
Quotes:
When he was with Violet, he didn’t feel lonely. He felt whole. Alive. Happy.
“You overwhelm me.”
“That’s probably a good thing.” She laughed. “That’s never a good thing.”
“Stability means the one guy who loves the shit out of her. It means knowing you’ve got the one person in the world who knows your crap, calls you on it, and still wakes up with you the next morning, every fuckin’ morning, until the day you die.”
“The only person who needs to think you’re talented is you. No matter how many times your records go platinum, it’ll never be enough. Until you believe in yourself, you’ll always need more.”
“Slater was right. Finding the one who made things real made all the chaos fall away.”
July 7, 2015
Slick's review posted at Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
There was a lot to like about Erika Kelly's I Want You To Want Me the second book in her Rock Star Romance series. I liked the heroine quite a bit despite her abandonment hang-ups and her issues with commitment, I loved the hero who despite his strange and detached childhood knows he wants love in his life, and the secondary characters added a whole lot of color, some drama and at times some humor and while there was no doubt these two had a tough time of figuring out how to live and love together; it was interesting watching them figure it out, but what was missing from this book is the charm that was so prevalent in the first book making this one a little less enjoyable.
As his band Blue Fire is poised to really take off and make a name for themselves bassist and self appointed band leader Derek Valencia sees that despite the pact they all made to make the band a priority once on tour things are getting progressively out of hand and he is running out of ideas how to handle it all. On top of that his famous Jazz musician father is spouting off in the media about his and the band's exploits and basically trashing them at every turn.
Violet Davis is known as a fixer, someone who can come in and help a high profile client clean up their act and move on with their life. Yet Violet herself has issues stemming from a lifetime of abandonment and never really learning to count on anyone but herself. When her friend Emmie asks her to come and help her brother Derek's band for more money than she's ever earned at once Violet agrees against her better judgment and soon finds herself in the middle of a tour with five guys who are less than thrilled to have her along.
From the get go this was a very tumultuous relationship as both Derek and Violet are battling some serious issues. I appreciated how easily Violet cued in on how Derek was affected by his interactions with his father and worked to make him see that it was jealousy that drove him. It was easy to admire the way Derek accepted a friendship only with Violet for a very long time and the way he was able to slowly penetrate the tough shell she'd built around herself. There was no doubt these two were good for one another and there were some moments that were blissfully sweet, yet it bothered me how neither one of them could seem to fully open up to the other, their communication skills were less than stellar and the immature behavior out of both of them when they needed each other the most honestly made me wonder if they'd make it in the long run.
I'll be flat out honest and say that I could have done with a lot more time with the band on sabbatical at the farm in upstate New York than the life on the road which I found somewhat tedious and repetitive and reminiscent of the first book. That being said while I didn't quite feel the love as much between Violet and Derek as I did between Emmie and Slater there was enough good in this book to keep me entertained and to leave me wondering what's going to happen next in this vivacious series.
Review copy provided for an honest review.
There was a lot to like about Erika Kelly's I Want You To Want Me the second book in her Rock Star Romance series. I liked the heroine quite a bit despite her abandonment hang-ups and her issues with commitment, I loved the hero who despite his strange and detached childhood knows he wants love in his life, and the secondary characters added a whole lot of color, some drama and at times some humor and while there was no doubt these two had a tough time of figuring out how to live and love together; it was interesting watching them figure it out, but what was missing from this book is the charm that was so prevalent in the first book making this one a little less enjoyable.
As his band Blue Fire is poised to really take off and make a name for themselves bassist and self appointed band leader Derek Valencia sees that despite the pact they all made to make the band a priority once on tour things are getting progressively out of hand and he is running out of ideas how to handle it all. On top of that his famous Jazz musician father is spouting off in the media about his and the band's exploits and basically trashing them at every turn.
Violet Davis is known as a fixer, someone who can come in and help a high profile client clean up their act and move on with their life. Yet Violet herself has issues stemming from a lifetime of abandonment and never really learning to count on anyone but herself. When her friend Emmie asks her to come and help her brother Derek's band for more money than she's ever earned at once Violet agrees against her better judgment and soon finds herself in the middle of a tour with five guys who are less than thrilled to have her along.
From the get go this was a very tumultuous relationship as both Derek and Violet are battling some serious issues. I appreciated how easily Violet cued in on how Derek was affected by his interactions with his father and worked to make him see that it was jealousy that drove him. It was easy to admire the way Derek accepted a friendship only with Violet for a very long time and the way he was able to slowly penetrate the tough shell she'd built around herself. There was no doubt these two were good for one another and there were some moments that were blissfully sweet, yet it bothered me how neither one of them could seem to fully open up to the other, their communication skills were less than stellar and the immature behavior out of both of them when they needed each other the most honestly made me wonder if they'd make it in the long run.
I'll be flat out honest and say that I could have done with a lot more time with the band on sabbatical at the farm in upstate New York than the life on the road which I found somewhat tedious and repetitive and reminiscent of the first book. That being said while I didn't quite feel the love as much between Violet and Derek as I did between Emmie and Slater there was enough good in this book to keep me entertained and to leave me wondering what's going to happen next in this vivacious series.
Review copy provided for an honest review.
March 16, 2017
I like a great deal about this book but I dislike about the same amount.
I love how competent the heroine is and the very real portral of how foster care system shapes her. I think it is intersting how her job as a minder grew out of her emotionial intelligence gained in the system.
The hero's self esteem struggles are also interesting. I like the close look at addiction and denial in the other characters as well as group dynamics.
Who doesn't love a wildflower farm?
What I did not like is how long it took the hero and heroine to evolve. They really needed to at least say out loud how they thought this thing between them might or might not work and then try. Given who they are they would stumble but this would be a much better book if they just adulted a little in terms of communication.
We get horrible drama instead which makes both of them undatable.
And the other band members are such wankers. Which is fine but there is all this talk of how close and what a family they are.
We have some good moments of recognition of wankerness but I needed way more.
There is too much red haze lust in here which gets in the way of plot for me.
So.... Calix looks like a great character and is up next but I am not sure I can take all the side stuff and more lack of TALKING.
I love how competent the heroine is and the very real portral of how foster care system shapes her. I think it is intersting how her job as a minder grew out of her emotionial intelligence gained in the system.
The hero's self esteem struggles are also interesting. I like the close look at addiction and denial in the other characters as well as group dynamics.
Who doesn't love a wildflower farm?
What I did not like is how long it took the hero and heroine to evolve. They really needed to at least say out loud how they thought this thing between them might or might not work and then try. Given who they are they would stumble but this would be a much better book if they just adulted a little in terms of communication.
We get horrible drama instead which makes both of them undatable.
And the other band members are such wankers. Which is fine but there is all this talk of how close and what a family they are.
We have some good moments of recognition of wankerness but I needed way more.
There is too much red haze lust in here which gets in the way of plot for me.
So.... Calix looks like a great character and is up next but I am not sure I can take all the side stuff and more lack of TALKING.
July 8, 2015
✦Spotlight, Review & Giveaway: I Want You To Want Me (A Rock Star Romance, Book 2) by Erika Kelly http://wp.me/p3d0RZ-2HN
Publication Date: July 7, 2015
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Cori
Rated 5 Stars
REVIEW:
I adored this book! I loved Derek even more than I loved Slater and I really loved Slater in the first book. Derek and Violet were perfect for each other. I devoured their story. I Want You To Want Me was the perfect mix of emotional, fun and hot romance. It's a rock star romance with a HEA ending. This is the second book in Erika Kelly's Rock Star Romance Series, but each book can be read as a standalone. They each feature a band mate. I recommend both books. They're beautiful love stories that will stick with you long after you close the books. Erika Kelly is an author to watch and I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next.
*Review copy provided by Penguin in exchange for an honest review.
Publication Date: July 7, 2015
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Cori
Rated 5 Stars
REVIEW:
I adored this book! I loved Derek even more than I loved Slater and I really loved Slater in the first book. Derek and Violet were perfect for each other. I devoured their story. I Want You To Want Me was the perfect mix of emotional, fun and hot romance. It's a rock star romance with a HEA ending. This is the second book in Erika Kelly's Rock Star Romance Series, but each book can be read as a standalone. They each feature a band mate. I recommend both books. They're beautiful love stories that will stick with you long after you close the books. Erika Kelly is an author to watch and I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next.
*Review copy provided by Penguin in exchange for an honest review.
July 16, 2015
This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance
Summary
Derek Valencia has worked hard to get away from his past and make a success for himself. Derek and his band are on their tour, and things are looking great for him. But lately the boys on the band have been getting more rowdy and when the press gets a hold of a crazy party, Derek knows that things are going to need to change, but he has no idea on the how, until Violet Davis comes onto the scene. Violet works as a minder for the music business, so that she can get enough money earned to pay for the mortgage on her wildflower farm, a farm that she would do anything to keep. When her friend Emmie calls her up and asks her to help the members of the band get away from partying too much, Violet can't resist the money that is offered for it. But the man she will have to win her over will have to be the leader "Derek" who at first is outraged, but he realizes that Violet can be of some use, when he sees how bad off his boys are. Violet has never opened herself up to love or a relationship until Derek, her past keeps her closed off, but Derek is bold and determined to win her over no matter her resistance.
The Hero
Derek Valencia was mocked and ridiculed by his father all of his growing up years, only his sister loved him unconditionally. But despite his father's disapproval Derek was determined to learn as much as he could about music and formed a band in middle school and has loved it ever since. But Derek has never fully believed in himself until now, he wants it all, to show that he can be a success despite his father's negative influence. Derek is a hero I fell for from the first book. You see how much he loves the band and his music, and will do anything to be successful. I loved his energy and how colorful his personality came through. He isn't afraid to go after what he wants, or to make it happen. What I enjoyed most about his character was the way that he faces life. You see how he deals with the problems with his father, but doesn't let him get him down.
The Heroine
I Want You To Want Me is a fantastic story that won my heart and boy has Erika Kelly done it again. She has caught me up in a romance that I couldn't put down. I picked this one right up after reading the first book, because I had to read Derek's story. I fell for him in the first book, because you see that he is the heart of the band, and I wanted to know what drives him and more about his past especially concerning his father, which we get a bit of a teaser about in the first book. But in this one we learn how horrid his father really is, I mean his father is just awful at times, and tends to try to bring Derek down and sabotage him quite too much, but you see how Derek is strong enough to battle the tide and not let it affect him too much, and in this story we see how much he NEEDS to actually prove himself, not just to his father or those in charge of their album or press, but also to prove that he is talented and can be a success. Now Violet is so good for Derek in many ways. She lets him see who he truly is, but keeps him humble at the same time. And she is one tough lady, I loved her from the beginning. Because she gets how bad the situation is and doesn't let anything faze her from getting the job done. You have to admire that. Their relationship is rocky many times, even after they admit that they love each other, that is not the end. Both Derek and Violet have personal issues they need to face before they can be with each other fully. Many moments it was heart breaking how these two hurt each other without meaning to, and how they struggle to form a balance in the bond they have together, but we also see how much they are meant to be together, and despite everything they still fight for one another. I adored everything about this book, but it definitely brought a tear to my eye and a lump in my throat, because I got so caught up in the story I couldn't help that my heart just ached for these two to find a common ground and be happy together and just love one another...it does happen but it takes time for each of them to realize what they have and go after it.
The Cover
Can I say sexy and hot and there isn't even a shirt off or anything!! I like the theme of the covers sexy and relaxed, and I love the arms and those tats. Normally I get picky about tattoos on covers, but whoever did this cover knew what they were doing.
Overall View
I Want You To Want Me is a stunning story that left me breathless from beginning to end. I just couldn't get enough. This story has is all passion, strong characters, humor, engaging writing and a story to die for. This is the perfect romance, with rocky terrain but so satisfying you want to read it again. MAGNIFICENT!!
You're everything. Strong, beautiful, smart, kind. You're fucking perfect.
You Really Got Me (1) Slater and Emmie
I Want You To Want Me (2) Derek and Violet
Take Me Home Tonight (3)
Summary
Derek Valencia has worked hard to get away from his past and make a success for himself. Derek and his band are on their tour, and things are looking great for him. But lately the boys on the band have been getting more rowdy and when the press gets a hold of a crazy party, Derek knows that things are going to need to change, but he has no idea on the how, until Violet Davis comes onto the scene. Violet works as a minder for the music business, so that she can get enough money earned to pay for the mortgage on her wildflower farm, a farm that she would do anything to keep. When her friend Emmie calls her up and asks her to help the members of the band get away from partying too much, Violet can't resist the money that is offered for it. But the man she will have to win her over will have to be the leader "Derek" who at first is outraged, but he realizes that Violet can be of some use, when he sees how bad off his boys are. Violet has never opened herself up to love or a relationship until Derek, her past keeps her closed off, but Derek is bold and determined to win her over no matter her resistance.
The Hero
Derek Valencia was mocked and ridiculed by his father all of his growing up years, only his sister loved him unconditionally. But despite his father's disapproval Derek was determined to learn as much as he could about music and formed a band in middle school and has loved it ever since. But Derek has never fully believed in himself until now, he wants it all, to show that he can be a success despite his father's negative influence. Derek is a hero I fell for from the first book. You see how much he loves the band and his music, and will do anything to be successful. I loved his energy and how colorful his personality came through. He isn't afraid to go after what he wants, or to make it happen. What I enjoyed most about his character was the way that he faces life. You see how he deals with the problems with his father, but doesn't let him get him down.
The Heroine
Violet has never had a real family or a real home until now. Violet grew up in foster care, and had to learn how to grow up quickly, and became self-reliant at a young age. But then she became close to an old man who was like a grandfather to her and left her his farm of flowers. Violet has created her own business and works as a minder, aiding rock stars in focusing themselves away from the drugs and live a healthier lifestyle that leaves them focused on their careers. She is hesitant to work with Derek and his band, because she will have to deal with the whole band and not just one on one which is what she is used to. But she needs the money for her farm, which the only home she has ever known and she will fight for it. Violet is a heroine that is strong and has faced some really tough choices and come out on top. She is successful and knows people, and boy is she smart as a whip. You see how within just a few hours she gets a handle on the situation and knows exactly what needs to be done.
I Want You To Want Me is a fantastic story that won my heart and boy has Erika Kelly done it again. She has caught me up in a romance that I couldn't put down. I picked this one right up after reading the first book, because I had to read Derek's story. I fell for him in the first book, because you see that he is the heart of the band, and I wanted to know what drives him and more about his past especially concerning his father, which we get a bit of a teaser about in the first book. But in this one we learn how horrid his father really is, I mean his father is just awful at times, and tends to try to bring Derek down and sabotage him quite too much, but you see how Derek is strong enough to battle the tide and not let it affect him too much, and in this story we see how much he NEEDS to actually prove himself, not just to his father or those in charge of their album or press, but also to prove that he is talented and can be a success. Now Violet is so good for Derek in many ways. She lets him see who he truly is, but keeps him humble at the same time. And she is one tough lady, I loved her from the beginning. Because she gets how bad the situation is and doesn't let anything faze her from getting the job done. You have to admire that. Their relationship is rocky many times, even after they admit that they love each other, that is not the end. Both Derek and Violet have personal issues they need to face before they can be with each other fully. Many moments it was heart breaking how these two hurt each other without meaning to, and how they struggle to form a balance in the bond they have together, but we also see how much they are meant to be together, and despite everything they still fight for one another. I adored everything about this book, but it definitely brought a tear to my eye and a lump in my throat, because I got so caught up in the story I couldn't help that my heart just ached for these two to find a common ground and be happy together and just love one another...it does happen but it takes time for each of them to realize what they have and go after it.
The Cover
Can I say sexy and hot and there isn't even a shirt off or anything!! I like the theme of the covers sexy and relaxed, and I love the arms and those tats. Normally I get picky about tattoos on covers, but whoever did this cover knew what they were doing.
Overall View
I Want You To Want Me is a stunning story that left me breathless from beginning to end. I just couldn't get enough. This story has is all passion, strong characters, humor, engaging writing and a story to die for. This is the perfect romance, with rocky terrain but so satisfying you want to read it again. MAGNIFICENT!!
You're everything. Strong, beautiful, smart, kind. You're fucking perfect.
You Really Got Me (1) Slater and Emmie
I Want You To Want Me (2) Derek and Violet
Take Me Home Tonight (3)
July 3, 2015
Aw that was a great read. Loved the characters and set up and even though I wanted to shake them now and again I totally got these two and their issues.
Full review to come.
Full review to come.
April 26, 2022
really enjoying this series
I’ve read quite a few rock star series, but there is something about this one that grabs me and won’t let go until I’m done. It’s the kind that stays on my mind even when I’m not reading it. It’s the human qualities of the characters, regardless of their rock star notoriety, the conflicts and strengths. Or maybe I’m just a giant sap 😍, lol.
I’ve read quite a few rock star series, but there is something about this one that grabs me and won’t let go until I’m done. It’s the kind that stays on my mind even when I’m not reading it. It’s the human qualities of the characters, regardless of their rock star notoriety, the conflicts and strengths. Or maybe I’m just a giant sap 😍, lol.
December 16, 2015
I love the Internet. Seriously, I love it for so many reasons. But definitely at the top of my list for reasons why I adore the Internet is that I get recommendations for books I would otherwise have passed over. I would never have given I Want You To Want Me by Erika Kelly a second glance, but Renee loved it, and so when I saw it at Barnes and Noble I picked it up. Giving I Want You to Want Me a chance was such a good thing because I really loved this book and I want to read more in the series.
I Want You to Want Me is about Derek, a member from new and upcoming band Blue Fire. The band is on tour, and some of the members of the band are getting a little wild and generating some bad press. So Violet is brought in. She is sort of like a sober companion, but a step above. She’s there to help out the band members to find better ways to relieve the energy and stress from the grueling touring schedule.
I was a bit apprehensive for about the first 50 pages of the book. I wasn’t sure if I could get behind Derek, because he seemed a bit like a womanizer. But whoa, was I wrong. I totally fell for Derek. He is a pretty nice guy, and he wants more than anything for his band to succeed and for people to think he is a great musician. And although he initially isn’t happy about this babysitter, it’s more because he feels like he should be able to take care of his band mates, than him just wanting to party. And once he accepts that Violet really does know what’s best, he backs her up 100% and I loved that.
Violet is totally awesome! I love how calm and competent she is, and how she doesn’t let anyone from the band push her around. She doesn’t yell at them or shame them; she just talks to them and tries to get them to understand that this is in their best interest. Violet is dealing with some personal stuff, though, and what she ultimately wants to do is return to her wildflower farm on Long Island and live there. But first she needs to earn enough money to pay it off. Hence this whole sober companion job.
Violet and Derek have so much chemistry. It’s clear from the first time they meet, and I was rooting for them right away. But things are complicated, because Violet refuses to sleep with Derek because he is a client. And Derek is frustrated that she won’t sleep with him because it’s clear that she really likes him. Derek definitely makes some poor choices, and I was annoyed with him at times. But deep down, he cares about Violet so much, and he’s not sure how to handle the situation.
I Want You To Want Me is a fantastic contemporary romance. It’s not light and airy, but it’s not heavy and dark either. It’s the perfect balance. I cannot wait to read more from this series.This review was originally posted on Quinn's Book Nook
I Want You to Want Me is about Derek, a member from new and upcoming band Blue Fire. The band is on tour, and some of the members of the band are getting a little wild and generating some bad press. So Violet is brought in. She is sort of like a sober companion, but a step above. She’s there to help out the band members to find better ways to relieve the energy and stress from the grueling touring schedule.
I was a bit apprehensive for about the first 50 pages of the book. I wasn’t sure if I could get behind Derek, because he seemed a bit like a womanizer. But whoa, was I wrong. I totally fell for Derek. He is a pretty nice guy, and he wants more than anything for his band to succeed and for people to think he is a great musician. And although he initially isn’t happy about this babysitter, it’s more because he feels like he should be able to take care of his band mates, than him just wanting to party. And once he accepts that Violet really does know what’s best, he backs her up 100% and I loved that.
Violet is totally awesome! I love how calm and competent she is, and how she doesn’t let anyone from the band push her around. She doesn’t yell at them or shame them; she just talks to them and tries to get them to understand that this is in their best interest. Violet is dealing with some personal stuff, though, and what she ultimately wants to do is return to her wildflower farm on Long Island and live there. But first she needs to earn enough money to pay it off. Hence this whole sober companion job.
Violet and Derek have so much chemistry. It’s clear from the first time they meet, and I was rooting for them right away. But things are complicated, because Violet refuses to sleep with Derek because he is a client. And Derek is frustrated that she won’t sleep with him because it’s clear that she really likes him. Derek definitely makes some poor choices, and I was annoyed with him at times. But deep down, he cares about Violet so much, and he’s not sure how to handle the situation.
I Want You To Want Me is a fantastic contemporary romance. It’s not light and airy, but it’s not heavy and dark either. It’s the perfect balance. I cannot wait to read more from this series.This review was originally posted on Quinn's Book Nook
July 3, 2015
3.5 / 5 Fangs
One thing that stood out to me about this book was how sweet Derek was. Derek wasn't the typical rocker. He wasn't a man who would party and do drugs. Derek was a genuine guy who always wanted what was best for his band. I really admired Derek's character in that sense. He was also extremely swoon worthy, which made me happy.
I liked the main character, Violet. She was a very kind person who never let other people crush her spirits. Violet was very tough, and I enjoyed that about her character. She took a long time to open up to Derek, and I appreciated that. I thought that helped the romance develop at a natural pace. However, sometimes her fears irritated me because she would keep secrets from Derek. I understood that she was scared, but at that point, she should have been able to trust Derek. I felt like a lot of the unnecessary drama could have been cut out if Violet would have had better communication skills. I just wanted to slap some sense into Violet.
One of the things I didn't like in the book was how Violet came to work for Derek's band. It just seemed so unrealistic that it was hard for me to accept it. Due to that, it took me a little while to get into this book. Also, at some points in the book, I felt like the story dragged a little bit. However, I still enjoyed the book. What I enjoyed the most in the book was the romance. I thought the romance was very cute and steamy at the same time. Erika definitely knew how to make me swoon!
I read this book as a stand-alone, and I do think it could be easily read as a stand-alone. The previous book was referenced, but it was easy to understand what was happening. I did not have a hard time just jumping right into this book. I am looking forward to seeing what the next book has in store!
I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a sweet and fun romance with some hunky rockers.
3.5 / 5 Fangs
*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review*
One thing that stood out to me about this book was how sweet Derek was. Derek wasn't the typical rocker. He wasn't a man who would party and do drugs. Derek was a genuine guy who always wanted what was best for his band. I really admired Derek's character in that sense. He was also extremely swoon worthy, which made me happy.
I liked the main character, Violet. She was a very kind person who never let other people crush her spirits. Violet was very tough, and I enjoyed that about her character. She took a long time to open up to Derek, and I appreciated that. I thought that helped the romance develop at a natural pace. However, sometimes her fears irritated me because she would keep secrets from Derek. I understood that she was scared, but at that point, she should have been able to trust Derek. I felt like a lot of the unnecessary drama could have been cut out if Violet would have had better communication skills. I just wanted to slap some sense into Violet.
One of the things I didn't like in the book was how Violet came to work for Derek's band. It just seemed so unrealistic that it was hard for me to accept it. Due to that, it took me a little while to get into this book. Also, at some points in the book, I felt like the story dragged a little bit. However, I still enjoyed the book. What I enjoyed the most in the book was the romance. I thought the romance was very cute and steamy at the same time. Erika definitely knew how to make me swoon!
I read this book as a stand-alone, and I do think it could be easily read as a stand-alone. The previous book was referenced, but it was easy to understand what was happening. I did not have a hard time just jumping right into this book. I am looking forward to seeing what the next book has in store!
I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a sweet and fun romance with some hunky rockers.
3.5 / 5 Fangs
*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review*
August 27, 2015
This was so incredible! A wonderful, detailed story with fantastic characters. It was just awesome. It’s my second book by this author and once again, I am blown away!
I was pulled in from the very beginning and I ignored everything while I read and immersed myself in this book. Violet and Derek had this great animosity towards each other, it helped create a ton of sexual tension and chemistry! Violet had a lot of past issues and they created this fun, sexy, yet turbulent ride between the two. I liked her so much and even though she had her issues, I found her to be a strong woman. I loved her feistiness! Derek had his own things going on and I loved how it all evolved and connected. They had their ups and downs, there were times I wanted to strangle them both but those moments just seemed so real, pulling me into the story even more.
This was just such a solid story, very well developed. Captivating, entertaining, and really hot! There was also a lot of tension, it was emotional, and heartbreaking at times. I loved this all consuming need Derek and Violet had for one another and all the complications they encountered, it made for a heck of a story.
Not only are Derek and Violet fantastic, but the band members are equally awesome. There are some serious things going on and it was really great how it all intersected and played out. All the guys have really distinct personalities and passions, they can be both super fun and really intense. I thought it all had a really great balance.
I really can't say enough good things. I was just a well if emotion while reading, so caught up in everything. Excellent read from start to finish but that last 20%, I was a mess. I was just so into it, I was consumed. Excellent ending.
I loved the first book You Really Got Me, it was a 5 star read for me. But this one, this one was better. Truly Fantastic. Erika Kelly has an engaging writing style that really pulls you into the world of these characters. A must read!
Complimentary copy received for honest review.
I was pulled in from the very beginning and I ignored everything while I read and immersed myself in this book. Violet and Derek had this great animosity towards each other, it helped create a ton of sexual tension and chemistry! Violet had a lot of past issues and they created this fun, sexy, yet turbulent ride between the two. I liked her so much and even though she had her issues, I found her to be a strong woman. I loved her feistiness! Derek had his own things going on and I loved how it all evolved and connected. They had their ups and downs, there were times I wanted to strangle them both but those moments just seemed so real, pulling me into the story even more.
This was just such a solid story, very well developed. Captivating, entertaining, and really hot! There was also a lot of tension, it was emotional, and heartbreaking at times. I loved this all consuming need Derek and Violet had for one another and all the complications they encountered, it made for a heck of a story.
Not only are Derek and Violet fantastic, but the band members are equally awesome. There are some serious things going on and it was really great how it all intersected and played out. All the guys have really distinct personalities and passions, they can be both super fun and really intense. I thought it all had a really great balance.
I really can't say enough good things. I was just a well if emotion while reading, so caught up in everything. Excellent read from start to finish but that last 20%, I was a mess. I was just so into it, I was consumed. Excellent ending.
I loved the first book You Really Got Me, it was a 5 star read for me. But this one, this one was better. Truly Fantastic. Erika Kelly has an engaging writing style that really pulls you into the world of these characters. A must read!
Complimentary copy received for honest review.
March 26, 2016
If you already read 'You really got me' ( Book One of the Rock Star Romance Series ) You MUST read 'I Want You to Want me. You really gotta meet Derek Valencia, because he is swoon worthy!
In this story 'Blue Fire' is doing good as a rock band. They are famous, but things are getting out of control with a few members and Derek ( Bass player and leader of the band ) is trying to do damage control. Enter Violet Davis. She's good at what she does. She's an expert doing damage control. So when Emmie calls her and tells her she needs her help, she goes. Even though she's not a fan of working with rock bands. It should be an easy job, right? Well not that much. Derek and Violet has some BIG issues and working together is going to be like mission impossible.
I will admit the relationship between Derek and Violet wasn't as lovely and sweet like Slater and Emmie's. I didn't feel that they were exactly soulmates, but they are good together.
It's an easy, light and loving story.
Read July 22, 2015
In this story 'Blue Fire' is doing good as a rock band. They are famous, but things are getting out of control with a few members and Derek ( Bass player and leader of the band ) is trying to do damage control. Enter Violet Davis. She's good at what she does. She's an expert doing damage control. So when Emmie calls her and tells her she needs her help, she goes. Even though she's not a fan of working with rock bands. It should be an easy job, right? Well not that much. Derek and Violet has some BIG issues and working together is going to be like mission impossible.
I will admit the relationship between Derek and Violet wasn't as lovely and sweet like Slater and Emmie's. I didn't feel that they were exactly soulmates, but they are good together.
It's an easy, light and loving story.
Read July 22, 2015
January 29, 2016
5 stars.
I think I just met my first serious BBF.
34%
He lowered his face into her neck, breathed her in. “You want to know why I sleep in your bed?”
She held her breath, waiting.
“All day long, you’re vigilant. You’re the consummate professional, calm, in command. But at night? You soften in my arms.” He swayed with her, still holding her from behind. “You relax into me, and I love it. I love being with you. I could stay awake all night just to be with the Violet I get under the covers. Now, I want Violet on the dance floor.” His hands pressed into her stomach, and he kissed the corner of her mouth. “Dance with me.”
FUCKING. SWOON.
Better than the first in series, which I also liked. These books are angsty. But the writing and character development is superior for this genre.
And it's so refreshing to have it in 3rd Person POV.
Auto Buy Author.
I think I just met my first serious BBF.
34%
He lowered his face into her neck, breathed her in. “You want to know why I sleep in your bed?”
She held her breath, waiting.
“All day long, you’re vigilant. You’re the consummate professional, calm, in command. But at night? You soften in my arms.” He swayed with her, still holding her from behind. “You relax into me, and I love it. I love being with you. I could stay awake all night just to be with the Violet I get under the covers. Now, I want Violet on the dance floor.” His hands pressed into her stomach, and he kissed the corner of her mouth. “Dance with me.”
FUCKING. SWOON.
Better than the first in series, which I also liked. These books are angsty. But the writing and character development is superior for this genre.
And it's so refreshing to have it in 3rd Person POV.
Auto Buy Author.
June 26, 2015
I really enjoyed the first book in this series. It was chock-full of the music, the lifestyle, and a tough-fought feelsy romance. I was eager to see if this would be a repeat experience for me as the focus shifted to another member of the band and was the heroine's brother from the last book. Yes, this book definitely went there again though the situation changed and the characters' backgrounds were different. However, a lot was the same. I wasn't sure if I had it in me for another turmoil-filled romance, but the author's storytelling and ability to engage me helped power me through the angsty stuff. I really wanted this pair to break through the bonds their pasts had formed around them and get free and happy.
So yes, this is the second book in the series and it is a continuation story of sorts. There are different players in the limelight and the heroine is new as is most of the plot, but everyone else and their situations carry over from the last book. I was happy see the first couple, Jonny and Emmy, get some significant page time and their story continue on in the background.
Violet Davis thinks she's the ice queen and isn't capable of feelings or connecting with people because she grew up in foster care and some worker back when she was six predicted this for her. She does take satisfaction in fixing people so she has a unique career. She's a people minder when it comes to being hired to help people clean up their lives of substance abuse and help set them on solid footing. She generally helps high-profile people so her presence has to be kept discreet so she assumes roles to be in those people's lives. Now, her friend Em wants her to come work her magic on her brother's rock band. The guys are on their first big tour and getting heavily into the temptations of the rock god scene. They can't afford to self-destruct their big chance. Violet is leery of working with musicians, but can't say no to a friend. Distance is the key even though for the first time in her life she is tempted to cross the professional line and break her own rules. Derek is everything dangerous and wrong, but he makes her feel, lordy, does he make her feel.
Derek Valencia is the bass player for Blue Fire and the default leader of his band. There is a lot riding on them successfully making it through this tour, but aside from Slater, the other three are out of control and then there is his dad, the famous Eddie Valencia publicly putting down Derek and predicting failure. What he does not need is a babysitter, but if that will keep them on their tour and under contract then he will go with it. Violet is nothing like the usual women in his life and her very difference is what gets his attention, but it is her caring that starts him having feelings and wanting something more. Too bad Violet doesn't seem to want him as much as he wants her. He is determined and he will stick with her until she gives in, but how long can he leave his heart open and just how many rejections can he take?
Alright, so yes, this one had some tough moments. The story is one of personal growth and triumph as well as a romance. Derek's dad has put him down all his life no matter how hard Derek tried just to get the man to love him and be proud of him. This left scars so that even though he's talented and people say so, he doesn't believe it. And worse, the only female he trusts with his heart is what he feels for his sister. He chooses to be with women who know the score. Violet crashes into his world and changes everything.
Now Violet has her own scarring that leaves her with relationship problems. She truly believes that she is incapable of feelings like love both receiving it and giving it. She overheard one remark by a caseworker to someone else when she was a kid and took it as gospel truth- makes a good point that we all need to watch what we say about kids that they can take to heart. She focuses on being really good at her job and her dream of her wildflower farm that will be her home if she can earn the money to buy it. It's like her lodestone and the most important thing in her life. Violet's way of pushing people away is to freeze them out. She was too freaked by her own issues to be ready to reciprocate what Derek was offering. So these two had bad timing and growing pains, big time. It was tough to read and trust me I had the urge to shake a couple of people until they came to their senses.
The romance was tempestuous because of their issues. There was this point in the middle of the book when all was easy, light, fun and loving. I took it for the breather it was because they had a lot unresolved still at that point. Whew! Derek is a hottie and he was totally zeroed in on Violet. He thawed out her ice and made her come a live. This guy was so impressive as he worked to conquer his feelings of inadequacy about his dad and stayed strong through the tough facade that Violet gave him. Yes, he stumbled a few times, but more times than not he was one impressive man and musician. I got Violet, I really did, but she drove me nuts the way she worked so hard to destroy her own chance at happiness. I guess its the tough-fought ones that make that romantic ending feel like a treasure.
In summary, it wrung me out, but left me wanting more. It was passionate, heartwrenching, tender, and euphoric, and a definite must-read for rocker romance lovers.
My thanks to Penguin Group for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
So yes, this is the second book in the series and it is a continuation story of sorts. There are different players in the limelight and the heroine is new as is most of the plot, but everyone else and their situations carry over from the last book. I was happy see the first couple, Jonny and Emmy, get some significant page time and their story continue on in the background.
Violet Davis thinks she's the ice queen and isn't capable of feelings or connecting with people because she grew up in foster care and some worker back when she was six predicted this for her. She does take satisfaction in fixing people so she has a unique career. She's a people minder when it comes to being hired to help people clean up their lives of substance abuse and help set them on solid footing. She generally helps high-profile people so her presence has to be kept discreet so she assumes roles to be in those people's lives. Now, her friend Em wants her to come work her magic on her brother's rock band. The guys are on their first big tour and getting heavily into the temptations of the rock god scene. They can't afford to self-destruct their big chance. Violet is leery of working with musicians, but can't say no to a friend. Distance is the key even though for the first time in her life she is tempted to cross the professional line and break her own rules. Derek is everything dangerous and wrong, but he makes her feel, lordy, does he make her feel.
Derek Valencia is the bass player for Blue Fire and the default leader of his band. There is a lot riding on them successfully making it through this tour, but aside from Slater, the other three are out of control and then there is his dad, the famous Eddie Valencia publicly putting down Derek and predicting failure. What he does not need is a babysitter, but if that will keep them on their tour and under contract then he will go with it. Violet is nothing like the usual women in his life and her very difference is what gets his attention, but it is her caring that starts him having feelings and wanting something more. Too bad Violet doesn't seem to want him as much as he wants her. He is determined and he will stick with her until she gives in, but how long can he leave his heart open and just how many rejections can he take?
Alright, so yes, this one had some tough moments. The story is one of personal growth and triumph as well as a romance. Derek's dad has put him down all his life no matter how hard Derek tried just to get the man to love him and be proud of him. This left scars so that even though he's talented and people say so, he doesn't believe it. And worse, the only female he trusts with his heart is what he feels for his sister. He chooses to be with women who know the score. Violet crashes into his world and changes everything.
Now Violet has her own scarring that leaves her with relationship problems. She truly believes that she is incapable of feelings like love both receiving it and giving it. She overheard one remark by a caseworker to someone else when she was a kid and took it as gospel truth- makes a good point that we all need to watch what we say about kids that they can take to heart. She focuses on being really good at her job and her dream of her wildflower farm that will be her home if she can earn the money to buy it. It's like her lodestone and the most important thing in her life. Violet's way of pushing people away is to freeze them out. She was too freaked by her own issues to be ready to reciprocate what Derek was offering. So these two had bad timing and growing pains, big time. It was tough to read and trust me I had the urge to shake a couple of people until they came to their senses.
The romance was tempestuous because of their issues. There was this point in the middle of the book when all was easy, light, fun and loving. I took it for the breather it was because they had a lot unresolved still at that point. Whew! Derek is a hottie and he was totally zeroed in on Violet. He thawed out her ice and made her come a live. This guy was so impressive as he worked to conquer his feelings of inadequacy about his dad and stayed strong through the tough facade that Violet gave him. Yes, he stumbled a few times, but more times than not he was one impressive man and musician. I got Violet, I really did, but she drove me nuts the way she worked so hard to destroy her own chance at happiness. I guess its the tough-fought ones that make that romantic ending feel like a treasure.
In summary, it wrung me out, but left me wanting more. It was passionate, heartwrenching, tender, and euphoric, and a definite must-read for rocker romance lovers.
My thanks to Penguin Group for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 22, 2015
If you already read 'You really got me' ( Book One of the Rock Star Romance Series ) You MUST read 'I Want You to Want me. You really gotta meet Derek Valencia, because he is swoon worthy!
In this story 'Blue Fire' is doing good as a rock band. They are famous, but things are getting out of control with a few members and Derek ( Bass player and leader of the band ) is trying to do damage control. Enter Violet Davis. She's good at what she does. She's an expert doing damage control. So when Emmie calls her and tells her she needs her help, she goes. Even though she's not a fan of working with rock bands. It should be an easy job, right? Well not that much. Derek and Violet has some BIG issues and working together is going to be like mission impossible.
I will admit the relationship between Derek and Violet wasn't as lovely and sweet like Slater and Emmie's. I didn't feel that they were exactly soulmates, but they are good together.
It's an easy, light and loving story.
In this story 'Blue Fire' is doing good as a rock band. They are famous, but things are getting out of control with a few members and Derek ( Bass player and leader of the band ) is trying to do damage control. Enter Violet Davis. She's good at what she does. She's an expert doing damage control. So when Emmie calls her and tells her she needs her help, she goes. Even though she's not a fan of working with rock bands. It should be an easy job, right? Well not that much. Derek and Violet has some BIG issues and working together is going to be like mission impossible.
I will admit the relationship between Derek and Violet wasn't as lovely and sweet like Slater and Emmie's. I didn't feel that they were exactly soulmates, but they are good together.
It's an easy, light and loving story.
April 22, 2016
I feel bad, I unceasingly give low rating the books or marked DNF them. I don't know why it is so hard to find a well written, with a solid plot book in CR .
I obstinately searched and found some books that sounded promising. I had not big expectations any of them, just wanted to read some quick, light stories. So I gave a chance some of them. One of them was
I obstinately searched and found some books that sounded promising. I had not big expectations any of them, just wanted to read some quick, light stories. So I gave a chance some of them. One of them was
July 15, 2021
Derek is the bassist for Blue Fire and has a famous jazz musician father who has never approved of Derek. His father even goes to the point of putting Derek down any chance he gets.
Violet was brought up in the foster care systems so she’s known living the hard way. Now she has a chance to work for her best friend “babysitting” or being a “minder” for the up-and-coming rock stars who aren’t handling their rise very well. She’s going to get them back in shape physically and mentally with keeping their newly found rock star lives in check.
Violet has a hard time trusting so her and Derek bump heads at first but their banter and chemistry win me over.
Violet was brought up in the foster care systems so she’s known living the hard way. Now she has a chance to work for her best friend “babysitting” or being a “minder” for the up-and-coming rock stars who aren’t handling their rise very well. She’s going to get them back in shape physically and mentally with keeping their newly found rock star lives in check.
Violet has a hard time trusting so her and Derek bump heads at first but their banter and chemistry win me over.
July 8, 2015
4 Stars
It started off slow, and hit a few bumps along the way, but in the end I really enjoyed this.
It started off slow, and hit a few bumps along the way, but in the end I really enjoyed this.
July 11, 2015
It dragged at times, but I really liked Derek and Violet. Curious to see who next book is about.
July 22, 2017
Derek Valencia works hard to make his band rise to the next level...always. When paparazzi spin an incident his band is at risk of becoming a cautionary tale. Enter Violet Davis. She is a fixer of sorts. She comes in poses as what the client needs, helps them right their live then moves on.
Drugs, alcohol, and groupies are at risk of ruining the band so Violet takes the job. Not for the band but for herself. The pay will help her by her wildflower farm. To have a home, something she never has had since she was 6 yrs old.
Butting heads at the start, Derek soon realizes his bands needs her help. Soon after that he realizes he needs her. She is everything he never knew he wanted. Smart, sexy, sweet, caring, a fighter. Only thing is she a flower hidden behind walls. Abandonment issues, self doubts, fear of what she was told as a child all have made her keep others at arms length.
He must bust through her defenses. But will so many obstacles placed in their way will they be strong enough. His jealous famous musician father, his past exploits, her fears, their jobs.
Loving the band, loving the stories, loving the author.
Drugs, alcohol, and groupies are at risk of ruining the band so Violet takes the job. Not for the band but for herself. The pay will help her by her wildflower farm. To have a home, something she never has had since she was 6 yrs old.
Butting heads at the start, Derek soon realizes his bands needs her help. Soon after that he realizes he needs her. She is everything he never knew he wanted. Smart, sexy, sweet, caring, a fighter. Only thing is she a flower hidden behind walls. Abandonment issues, self doubts, fear of what she was told as a child all have made her keep others at arms length.
He must bust through her defenses. But will so many obstacles placed in their way will they be strong enough. His jealous famous musician father, his past exploits, her fears, their jobs.
Loving the band, loving the stories, loving the author.
July 15, 2021
My heart broke for both of these beautiful people.
Derek had a very professional mother and a father he desperately wanted to please and be a part of his world. He never felt the emotional connection toward anyone but his sister and his band brothers. He even set up his personal life as a contract so they both got what they needed and nothing more.
Violet never felt the love and comfort of family and the stability of a home. She even conduct her professional life as a step in to help others then moves on. Her constant is her beautiful farm which is trying to buy. Violet does have Francesca and Mimi to support her and help her with her farm products.
Violet goes to work for Derek's band and he is very reluctant for her help because he is used to controlling all that is around him, however he starts to relinquish his control to let her try and help his band brothers get their partying behavior under control.
While doing her job she becomes attached to Derek and he in turns begins to feel more for her. Can they get over their issues before they lose each other?
Derek had a very professional mother and a father he desperately wanted to please and be a part of his world. He never felt the emotional connection toward anyone but his sister and his band brothers. He even set up his personal life as a contract so they both got what they needed and nothing more.
Violet never felt the love and comfort of family and the stability of a home. She even conduct her professional life as a step in to help others then moves on. Her constant is her beautiful farm which is trying to buy. Violet does have Francesca and Mimi to support her and help her with her farm products.
Violet goes to work for Derek's band and he is very reluctant for her help because he is used to controlling all that is around him, however he starts to relinquish his control to let her try and help his band brothers get their partying behavior under control.
While doing her job she becomes attached to Derek and he in turns begins to feel more for her. Can they get over their issues before they lose each other?
July 16, 2021
The chemistry between Violet and Derek is sizzling in this story and I love how the story about the band progresses from the first book and we see the struggles with their new fame. The emotions are high but the heat is just as on fire!
July 8, 2015
ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 7, 2015
Derek Valencia finally has the success he’s worked so hard for. His band is touring its debut album and great reviews are rolling in. But when pictures of him tossing naked groupies off a balcony go viral, it’s damage-control time. He’s assigned a “babysitter” whose sole job is to keep him out of trouble.
Violet Davis swore she’d never work in the music industry again, but being a minder for a rock star will earn her enough to pay off the mortgage on her wildflower farm. And for a girl brought up in the foster care system, owning her own home means more to her than anything.
Though at first the two bang heads, the rocker and the farm girl soon grow close and realize that they make sweet music together. But can a girl who craves the stability of life on a farm really make it work with a man whose life is spent on the road with his band?
••••••••••••••••••••••
REVIEW: I WANT YOU TO WANT ME is the second installment in Erika Kelly’s adult, contemporary Rock Star Romance series focusing on the rock band, now known as, Blue Fire. This is Blue Fire bassist Derek Valencia, and professional ‘minder’ Violet Davis’s storyline. I WANT YOU TO WANT ME can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous storyline is revealed where necessary. Derek Valencia is Emmie’s brother-Emmie is the heroine from book one YOU REALLY GOT ME.
Told from third person perspective I WANT YOU TO WANT ME focuses on Violet Davis as she is hired to ‘mind’ the members of the band of Blue Fire. Verging on stardom, the band begins to implode as the musicians begin to succumb to the excesses of fame including sex, drugs and alcohol. Violet is a minder- a professional baby sitter-of sorts-who must get the band on the straight and narrow before they become headline news in the gossip papers and paparazzi rags. What ensues is a building relationship between Derek and Valencia, one that began acrimoniously, and filled with spite and mistrust.
Derek is the twenty eight year old son of a famous jazz musician, whose own star is beginning to fall, and with it comes betrayal and heartbreak as the father tries to ride on his son’s burgeoning success. As a minder, Violet is practiced in the art of intervention, and her responsibility finds our heroine having to run interference not only between the members of the band and the media, but between a father and son whose history is filled with pain and neglect. While Violet tries to save one member of the band, Derek finds himself falling in love with a woman whose own past is filled with abandonment and regret.
The relationship between Violet and Derek is slow to build as Violet continues to push Derek away. Her own personal history is dark and heartbreaking, and with it comes the inability to trust. But Violet also sees herself as an employee of the band, and in this, she isn’t willing to risk her job for a temporary affair with one of rock’s ‘sex gods’ as the media has come to call him. There is an expiry date on Violet’s current assignment and with it an expiry date on her relationship with Derek Valencia. The $ex scenes are intimate and provocative. The attraction and need for one another is tangible but the constant misunderstandings, and push and pull of the relationship is a bit heavy. Violet’s lack of trust is fueled by the actions of the man with whom she is falling in love; and the belief that she is just another number in his long list of women and conquests.
The secondary characters include the members of the band: Cooper, Ben and Peter, as well as Slater Vaughn and Emmie from book one YOU REALLY GOT ME. Violet’s co-workers and friends at the wildflower farm-Francesca, and her daughter Mimi –Francesca has caught the eye of the band’s A&R manager Irwin Ledger. We are introduced to a new member of the band-Calix Bourbon-whose vocal pipes may give Slater a run for his money. The requisite evil comes in the form of Ray Montalbano, and Derek’s ex ‘Gen’ who still considers herself in the picture. There is another man vying for Violet’s affections-Randall Oppenheimer-who continues to drive a wedge between Derek and V.
The world building follows the band’s rise to stardom and the imminent fall from grace for one member of the band. We watch as drug, alcohol and sex fuel the after parties and egos; and how a turbulent past feeds the insecurities of two people who have fallen in love.
I WANT YOU TO WANT ME is an engaging, dramatic and sensual story of romance and love. There are moments of intense passion and heartbreaking misunderstandings; the premise is emotional but the constant back and forth between Derek and Violet is an irritation to the overall enjoyment of the story. The characters are colorful, energetic (meet Ben and Cooper) and not without some controversy; the romance is intimate and hopeful. Erika Kelly pulls the reader into an impassioned story of building love where our leading couple must overcome their insecurities and jealousies in order for their relationship to work.
Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley
www.thereadingcafe.com
Derek Valencia finally has the success he’s worked so hard for. His band is touring its debut album and great reviews are rolling in. But when pictures of him tossing naked groupies off a balcony go viral, it’s damage-control time. He’s assigned a “babysitter” whose sole job is to keep him out of trouble.
Violet Davis swore she’d never work in the music industry again, but being a minder for a rock star will earn her enough to pay off the mortgage on her wildflower farm. And for a girl brought up in the foster care system, owning her own home means more to her than anything.
Though at first the two bang heads, the rocker and the farm girl soon grow close and realize that they make sweet music together. But can a girl who craves the stability of life on a farm really make it work with a man whose life is spent on the road with his band?
••••••••••••••••••••••
REVIEW: I WANT YOU TO WANT ME is the second installment in Erika Kelly’s adult, contemporary Rock Star Romance series focusing on the rock band, now known as, Blue Fire. This is Blue Fire bassist Derek Valencia, and professional ‘minder’ Violet Davis’s storyline. I WANT YOU TO WANT ME can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous storyline is revealed where necessary. Derek Valencia is Emmie’s brother-Emmie is the heroine from book one YOU REALLY GOT ME.
Told from third person perspective I WANT YOU TO WANT ME focuses on Violet Davis as she is hired to ‘mind’ the members of the band of Blue Fire. Verging on stardom, the band begins to implode as the musicians begin to succumb to the excesses of fame including sex, drugs and alcohol. Violet is a minder- a professional baby sitter-of sorts-who must get the band on the straight and narrow before they become headline news in the gossip papers and paparazzi rags. What ensues is a building relationship between Derek and Valencia, one that began acrimoniously, and filled with spite and mistrust.
Derek is the twenty eight year old son of a famous jazz musician, whose own star is beginning to fall, and with it comes betrayal and heartbreak as the father tries to ride on his son’s burgeoning success. As a minder, Violet is practiced in the art of intervention, and her responsibility finds our heroine having to run interference not only between the members of the band and the media, but between a father and son whose history is filled with pain and neglect. While Violet tries to save one member of the band, Derek finds himself falling in love with a woman whose own past is filled with abandonment and regret.
The relationship between Violet and Derek is slow to build as Violet continues to push Derek away. Her own personal history is dark and heartbreaking, and with it comes the inability to trust. But Violet also sees herself as an employee of the band, and in this, she isn’t willing to risk her job for a temporary affair with one of rock’s ‘sex gods’ as the media has come to call him. There is an expiry date on Violet’s current assignment and with it an expiry date on her relationship with Derek Valencia. The $ex scenes are intimate and provocative. The attraction and need for one another is tangible but the constant misunderstandings, and push and pull of the relationship is a bit heavy. Violet’s lack of trust is fueled by the actions of the man with whom she is falling in love; and the belief that she is just another number in his long list of women and conquests.
The secondary characters include the members of the band: Cooper, Ben and Peter, as well as Slater Vaughn and Emmie from book one YOU REALLY GOT ME. Violet’s co-workers and friends at the wildflower farm-Francesca, and her daughter Mimi –Francesca has caught the eye of the band’s A&R manager Irwin Ledger. We are introduced to a new member of the band-Calix Bourbon-whose vocal pipes may give Slater a run for his money. The requisite evil comes in the form of Ray Montalbano, and Derek’s ex ‘Gen’ who still considers herself in the picture. There is another man vying for Violet’s affections-Randall Oppenheimer-who continues to drive a wedge between Derek and V.
The world building follows the band’s rise to stardom and the imminent fall from grace for one member of the band. We watch as drug, alcohol and sex fuel the after parties and egos; and how a turbulent past feeds the insecurities of two people who have fallen in love.
I WANT YOU TO WANT ME is an engaging, dramatic and sensual story of romance and love. There are moments of intense passion and heartbreaking misunderstandings; the premise is emotional but the constant back and forth between Derek and Violet is an irritation to the overall enjoyment of the story. The characters are colorful, energetic (meet Ben and Cooper) and not without some controversy; the romance is intimate and hopeful. Erika Kelly pulls the reader into an impassioned story of building love where our leading couple must overcome their insecurities and jealousies in order for their relationship to work.
Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley
www.thereadingcafe.com
October 20, 2015
Originally posted on Adria's Romance Reviews
* A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for the purpose of an honest review.
I had a love/hate relationship with I Want You to Want Me. The story was a solid one, pretty realistic in my opinion. Rock band gets out of control and needs someone to rein them in. Some poor shmuck is stuck with what is essentially a babysitting job. Problems, hijinks and a near death experience ensue before the band realizes that they’re headed down a destructive path. Erika Kelly didn’t sugar coat what was going down on that tour bus and on the road. These guys were little boys who had too much freedom and too many people kissing their collective butts so they desperately needed a reality check before they crashed and burned.
I appreciated the dive into the dark and gritty side of Derek’s life. Had that aspect been glossed over or just briefly mentioned I doubt I Want You To Want Me would have had the emotional impact it needed to make it a strong story about redemption and avoiding the pitfalls of fame. All that disruptive and destructive behavior really gave the book a sense of realism.
So, the story line I loved but what I hated were the attitudes of the two main characters, Derek and Violet. I felt like I was reading a New Adult romance with all the dramatics and over the top angst from both characters *checks books classification* Nope, it’s an adult romance. Go figure. There was too much back and forth whining and “Woe is me” type scenes between them that I wanted to reach in and slap the crud out of both of them.
And Derek? Dude had a seriously vindictive side towards the Violet in some scenes and that was not cool with me. He was supposed to be an adult man who by his own thoughts and declarations felt he had to be the responsible one in a group of out of control rockers. He was the “father figure” to them yet with the Violet he was a petulant child prone to tantrums. Then there was Violet and her somewhat door mat acceptance of Derek’s behavior. She didn’t need a man who reacted with an “Do you even know who I am? I can have any woman I want and I’ll show you” type attitude every time they hit a snag in their relationship. Sheesh, it was like a soap opera with them. They had a strong attraction to one another but it’s like they didn’t know what to do with it.
The band’s problems as a group and how they had to work to fix them was what kept me reading but I could have done without all the drama from Derek and Violet’s personal relationship.
Final Verdict: I didn’t fully connect to Derek and Violet as a couple but I do want to see if the band does manage to get their crap together and be the rock group that they want to be.
* A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for the purpose of an honest review.
I had a love/hate relationship with I Want You to Want Me. The story was a solid one, pretty realistic in my opinion. Rock band gets out of control and needs someone to rein them in. Some poor shmuck is stuck with what is essentially a babysitting job. Problems, hijinks and a near death experience ensue before the band realizes that they’re headed down a destructive path. Erika Kelly didn’t sugar coat what was going down on that tour bus and on the road. These guys were little boys who had too much freedom and too many people kissing their collective butts so they desperately needed a reality check before they crashed and burned.
I appreciated the dive into the dark and gritty side of Derek’s life. Had that aspect been glossed over or just briefly mentioned I doubt I Want You To Want Me would have had the emotional impact it needed to make it a strong story about redemption and avoiding the pitfalls of fame. All that disruptive and destructive behavior really gave the book a sense of realism.
So, the story line I loved but what I hated were the attitudes of the two main characters, Derek and Violet. I felt like I was reading a New Adult romance with all the dramatics and over the top angst from both characters *checks books classification* Nope, it’s an adult romance. Go figure. There was too much back and forth whining and “Woe is me” type scenes between them that I wanted to reach in and slap the crud out of both of them.
And Derek? Dude had a seriously vindictive side towards the Violet in some scenes and that was not cool with me. He was supposed to be an adult man who by his own thoughts and declarations felt he had to be the responsible one in a group of out of control rockers. He was the “father figure” to them yet with the Violet he was a petulant child prone to tantrums. Then there was Violet and her somewhat door mat acceptance of Derek’s behavior. She didn’t need a man who reacted with an “Do you even know who I am? I can have any woman I want and I’ll show you” type attitude every time they hit a snag in their relationship. Sheesh, it was like a soap opera with them. They had a strong attraction to one another but it’s like they didn’t know what to do with it.
The band’s problems as a group and how they had to work to fix them was what kept me reading but I could have done without all the drama from Derek and Violet’s personal relationship.
Final Verdict: I didn’t fully connect to Derek and Violet as a couple but I do want to see if the band does manage to get their crap together and be the rock group that they want to be.
June 23, 2015
Violet is a "minder". Basically, her careers based off of coming in ultimately baby-sit out of control rich people. People who may have drug addiction, alcohol problems, sex addiction, or pretty much anything that they need help correcting to get their life and their career back on track. She pops up, posses as a girlfriend or someone really close to them, watches over them, slowly gets them on a healthier life path, and in the end turns that person's life around. Then, she moves on to the next person in need. However, she draws the line at musicians. Their lifestyles and attitude are too much for her and she'd prefer to work with other clients instead. However, when a friend calls her up begging her to help her brother's band, Violet decides to help her friend out while making a butt-load of money in the process. However, she doesn't plan to fall in love with the bassist... and the bassist definitely didn't plan on falling for his band's babysitter.
Unlike some musician romances I've read, this one did not involve a leading man who likes to party and sleep around. Instead, Derek prefers to hang out in his room with the band's manager/his sex buddy while the rest of the guys party. He took it upon himself to look after his band-mates and make sure they get good publicity - or at least he tries to. Obviously, things get out of hand which is why Violet is called in. Derek never disrespected her or belittled her like so many of the leading men I've read.
Violet never had a stable upbringing. Her mother left her with her grandmother when she was a baby. Heck, she was never given a name on her birth certificate. When she was four her grandmother passed away which put her in the foster system. She's never had security or a family. So, the fact that Derek is bringing feelings out in her that she's never felt before and she starts opening up to him, scares her. She knows where his career is taking him and the kind of life a rockstar has. Instead of trusting in him, she lets her fears get in the way and that kind of irritated me. I mean, a lot of the drama could have been cut out if there was such thing as communication and understanding between the two. I really enjoyed the story except for those explosive parts that seemed a little silly.
I will say that this works as a stand-alone. Sure there are references to the previous book but it wasn't anything that left me unable to follow along. I mean, it is Violet's first time meeting the band, so we get introduced to everyone. I had some problems with the crazy drama that happens towards the end but it was an enjoyable read all the same. It had romance, rockstars, a farm girl, and steamy scenes. I look forward to seeing who is featured in the next book.
Favorite quote...
"I never had a type before, but that's because I've never met anyone like you."
Unlike some musician romances I've read, this one did not involve a leading man who likes to party and sleep around. Instead, Derek prefers to hang out in his room with the band's manager/his sex buddy while the rest of the guys party. He took it upon himself to look after his band-mates and make sure they get good publicity - or at least he tries to. Obviously, things get out of hand which is why Violet is called in. Derek never disrespected her or belittled her like so many of the leading men I've read.
Violet never had a stable upbringing. Her mother left her with her grandmother when she was a baby. Heck, she was never given a name on her birth certificate. When she was four her grandmother passed away which put her in the foster system. She's never had security or a family. So, the fact that Derek is bringing feelings out in her that she's never felt before and she starts opening up to him, scares her. She knows where his career is taking him and the kind of life a rockstar has. Instead of trusting in him, she lets her fears get in the way and that kind of irritated me. I mean, a lot of the drama could have been cut out if there was such thing as communication and understanding between the two. I really enjoyed the story except for those explosive parts that seemed a little silly.
I will say that this works as a stand-alone. Sure there are references to the previous book but it wasn't anything that left me unable to follow along. I mean, it is Violet's first time meeting the band, so we get introduced to everyone. I had some problems with the crazy drama that happens towards the end but it was an enjoyable read all the same. It had romance, rockstars, a farm girl, and steamy scenes. I look forward to seeing who is featured in the next book.
Favorite quote...
"I never had a type before, but that's because I've never met anyone like you."
September 2, 2019
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.
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