Rock Rebel is now live!
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Blurb
He’s a rock star with a secret, she’s a pop princess with a painful past – can their forbidden romance survive, or will their lies destroy them both?
I’ve earned my bad reputation.
A few years ago, I was New York City’s hottest classical music prodigy. But I wanted something else, something more. So I chased my real dream, and now… I’m rock royalty. Dax Hughes, lead guitarist of Nothing but Trouble. But to my family and former Juilliard classmates, I’m an outcast. A misfit. A rebel.
They’re not entirely wrong. I don’t give a damn what other people think, and I’m all for breaking the rules… except when it comes to our new opening act, Verity Moore.
Rock gods don’t tour with pop princesses.
It’s not personal. Actually, under that fallen diva reputation, Verity’s incredibly talented. And her fiery redheaded personality is… intriguing. But I’m convinced the skeletons in Verity’s closet are as scandalous as my own, and when we’re not sparring, she has a way of drawing out all those secrets I’m determined to keep hidden.
Yeah. Verity Moore is definitely off-limits . . .
But since when do I give a damn about the rules.
Review
4.5 stars
Oh wow! Another beautiful, emotional romance from Tara Leigh! A rockstar romance between two broken and misunderstood characters who find something amazing together. I was sucked right in and loved the rollercoaster ride of Dax and Verity’s story.
Dax is the quiet, more reserved member of rock band Nothing But Trouble – lead guitarist, musical prodigy and secret songwriter. He grew up in the world of classical music and up until a few years ago he was performing on stage with his family, until he gave it all up for a love which crashed and left him devastated when his girl proved she was more committed to a career in the industry than she was to him. But he picked himself up and found happiness and brotherhood with his bandmates, and he hasn’t looked back since.
Verity Moore is known as a “disgraced former pop star”. Forced into stardom by her fame-hungry mother, she was cast in a TV-show about a young singer which saw her reach epic levels of celebrity. But the sacrifices to get there have left her emotionally scarred and damaged. She left the show and struggled to find herself all in the eye of the gossip-hungry public who gloried in her downfall. Now 24, she has pulled her life back together and she is fighting for the future that she wants, as a singer. She has just landed herself a new agent, one that she shares with Nothing But Trouble, and she has landed a gig as their opening act on their upcoming tour.
Sparks fly from Dax and Verity’s first meeting, but he is initially clueless as to who she is. And once he finds out, he backs off, wanting nothing to do with anybody in the business after being burned so badly. Verity is also hesitant to start anything with Dax, not wanting anybody to believe that she is on the tour simply because she’s sleeping with one of the band members. It’s a tricky situation, complicated by Dax and Verity’s incredible pull to each other, and the chemistry and intensity is sizzling from the very beginning.
This man could swallow me whole. Consume me. Own me.
And I might just let him.
As much as they try to fight it, Dax and Verity’s attraction is irresistible. And as they get to know each other, they realise that there is so much more to the other than they originally thought, and they begin to genuinely feel something for each other, and OMG, their angsty longing is just delicious!
“I haven’t wanted anything but music in a long time.” A deep groan wrenched from me as I roughed fingers through my hair. “Never planned on wanting another woman – not any one in particular. But I want you, Verity. So fucking badly.”
They have ups and downs and there is a fair bit of back and forth as they fight the battle between the heads and their hearts (and their libidos), and I was glued to my kindle as it all unfolded. It’s sweet, emotional, dramatic and frustrating, but it’s so romantic and, hell yes, it’s sexy as they fall deeper and deeper for each other, unable to resist, and their passionate intensity practically leaps off the page!
Dax’s hands were everywhere. Mine were wrapped around his neck, my fingers threading into his scalp and holding on for dear life as he took my body on the ride of its life.
“Tell me, what exactly are your intentions?”
He dropped a gentle kiss on the tip of my nose, his hips moving again, his cock sliding back into place. “That’s simple, baby. I’m makin’ you mine.”
Of course there are dramas, they still have a lot from their pasts that they have to deal with, and there are some fantastic twists and turns to their story. I loved the way that Leigh brought relevance and reality to her story by tying in the #metoo movement, and I thought Verity’s story was a fantastic exploration of how easily a hopeful actor can be taken advantage of in such tragically devastating ways, and the emotional impact of that abuse. And the strength she shows to pick herself up and move on is really inspiring. I just loved her as a character, and Dax stole my heart as the broken man finding love again. They are absolutely beautiful together, and I was completely invested in them as a couple. I loved the way they opened up to each other, and the friend/lover/musical partner vibe that they shared.
“Tell me something true,” …
“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be than right here with you, tonight.”
The timeframe of this book overlaps with the previous book in the series Rock Legend, and it contains spoilers for that one so I wouldn’t recommend reading this as a standalone. But I have loved each of the books in this series, so you wouldn’t want to miss out on those anyway!
I loved this book. It’s a beautifully emotional love story that stole my heart, and I can’t wait for final band member, Jet, to meet his match in the next book.
4.5 stars.
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Nothing But Trouble
Rock King (#1) (Shane & Delaney)
Review
Buy: Kindle Ebook | Paperback
Rock Legend (#2) (Landon & Piper)
Review
Buy: Kindle Ebook | Paperback
Rock Rebel (#3) (Dax & Verity)
Review
Buy: Kindle Ebook | Paperback
To be annouced (#4) (Jet & Quinn)
Coming soon!
Giveaway
Rock Rebel is live! To celebrate, Tara Leigh giving away 3 signed paperbacks—the Nothing But Trouble series
ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE
The Escapist Book Blog is not responsible for this giveaway
About the Author
Tara Leigh is a multi-published author of steamy contemporary romance. A former banker on Wall Street, she graduated from Washington University and holds an MBA from Columbia Business School, but she much prefers spending her days with fictional boyfriends than analyzing financial spreadsheets. Tara currently lives in Fairfield County, Connecticut with her husband, children, and fur-baby, Pixie. She is represented by Jessica Alvarez, of Bookends Literary Agency.
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