First of all, it should be noted that this book can be read as a standalone. I mean, I read Down to You first, so I was vaguely aware of the circumstances of the bus crash that killed a few band members and injured Miles, but there was plenty of detail given in this book to let me understand the plot and background. This could be your first read by this author and you wouldn’t be missing out on anything important. (Although Down to You was delightful, so I don’t know why you wouldn’t want to read that one, too.)
Miles is my favorite kind of romance hero. He’s gruff and grumbly—a real grumpy bastard. I ADORE a grumpy hero, especially one like Miles who very quickly proves himself to be a sweet, caring, attentive guy who is merely hiding his internal pain and damage behind a grumpy facade. He’s nothing but supportive of Gelsey, and after a jerkish first meeting, he treats her with kindness and respect (in his own gruff, grumbly, grumpy bastard way). I don’t want to make it seem like Miles made it easy for Gelsey to love him. There’s some angst. He’s a dude with issues and scars—physical and emotional—that run deep. It wasn’t at all easy for him to open up and let Gelsey in. He screwed up a couple of times. But overall, he was extremely likeable and I was really rooting for him to overcome all of his emotional baggage. (And he did—nicely, I might add) And the one thing that usually pisses me off about rockstar romances is the rockstar’s manwhorish ways. Miles was not a manwhore. He had a friends-with-benefits type of arrangement early on in the story, but he called it off when it became apparent that it might be getting close to actual feelings on her part. The whole thing didn’t annoy me at all. Gelsey is a great heroine, too. She’s sunshine-y, but not overly so. She comes across as genuine, caring, and sweet. She’s also an extremely hard worker who’s had to overcome some physical issues to keep dancing—so I really admire her strength (physical and emotional). It should also be said that there are some sensitive topics included in the story. Most notably, depression and suicide. So, if those things are triggers for you, you might want to skip this one, or read with extreme caution. But I felt like everything was handled in a realistic, appropriate, and sensitive way. And I’m just going to be shallow for a moment and comment on the pretty, pretty cover. So, long-story-short, this is another winner from Jayne Frost. I’ll be running off to download a bunch more of her books now. I encourage you to do the same. Does this book contribute to or help crush the romance stigma? No rehab needed. This one’s clean and sober. Other reading suggestions
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