The Rockstar Returns by Kayley Loring & Connor Crais is live!
The second standalone in the Beacon Harbor series, this is a fantastically fun frenemies-to-lovers story that had me laughing out loud and falling in love with these characters and their crazy love story.
Amazon
Blurb
Rockstar Starter Guide:
1. Get guitar. Get good.
2. Find that girl who drives you out of your damn mind.
3. Make sure that girl refuses to be with you so you’ll have endless material for songs.
4. Get tricked by your brother and her best friend into getting stuck with her in a remote cabin on a stormy night—with only one bed.
5. Decide if it’s better to keep playing your game or risk losing her forever.
Vera Kruger has dyed her hair every color of the rainbow and she’s turned two very important parts of me blue for as long as I’ve known her.
She’s so deep under my skin that she’s a part of me, just like the small town we grew up in. No matter where I go on tour, she’s the one I wish I could come home to. Even if it’s to argue with her about absolutely anything.
When I return to Beacon Harbor for the holidays, I’m not a screwup anymore. I could give her every single thing she won’t admit she needs. Vera thinks we’re too messed up to work together—we just need to get each other out of our systems.
The truth is she is my system.
Now the girl who’s always been hard on me is going to have a hard time getting rid of me.
And I will fight with her every infuriating step of the way until she figures out I’m never going to leave her.
Review
4.5 stars!
The second standalone in the Beacon Harbor series, this is a fantastically fun frenemies-to-lovers story that had me laughing out loud and falling in love with these characters and their crazy love story.
Damien and Vera are the brother and best friend of Grady and Claire, the couple from the first book of the series, The Billionaire Is Back. There’s a lot of Grady and Claire in this book, but you could easily read this one as a standalone (just don’t miss the first book because it’s a sensational read).
Anyway… Damien and Vera had feelings for each other in high school and shared one steamy encounter at graduation. Damien thought they were on the verge of becoming more, but Vera was completely closed off to connection with anybody outside of her best friend, and kept him strictly friend-zoned. For years they have danced around each other, completely crazy for each other but not actually together, and channelling all of that sexual tension into an argumentative, flirtatious and banter-filled love/hate relationship which is wildly entertaining.
Vera has experienced devastating loss in her life, and it’s left her scarred. She’s terrified to open herself up anybody else and experience that loss all over again and she flat out refuses to get involved with anybody. Meanwhile, Damien poured his broken heart into music and is making a name for himself, and on the cusp of stardom. When they both return to their small home town for the holidays, they find themselves all up in each other’s space again. And with family and friends doing their best to push them together, the close proximity sparks are flying, and it’s such a fun ride.
God, I love these two together. They don’t hide their attraction, they’re right out there with it, and it forms the basis for most of their bickering. They are constantly at each other and it’s funny and stupid and immature, and I could not get enough!
“Will you get over yourself?”
I pick up my coffee cup. “I am over myself, Kruger. You get over myself.”
She narrows her eyes at me. Her nostrils flare. It’s hot.
I laughed out loud at the antics, but underneath it all there is sizzling chemistry. They can’t stay away from each other for long, and all of that build-up leads to wildly hot sexy time (oh, so hot!). But while Damien is all in, Vera still holds back. She’s so confused and so scared, and while it does lead to funny moments, my heart hurt for both of them.
“It’s so much easier for you to be mad at me, huh?” It’s barely a question.
“It’s like breathing,” I whisper. Except I can’t even breathe right now, I want him so badly.
As frustrating as it is, Damien accepts Vera for who she is – even with her issues and hang ups. He’s patient and understanding, and beautifully demonstrative with his feelings, and I loved watching him trying so hard to win her heart once and for all.
“I know you’re scared. You think I’m not fucking terrified of how much I want you? … Nobody does this to me but you. Understand? I want you. I want you.”
And even though they’re working through some pretty hard issues, there’s still this sense of easy playfulness between them that is so entertaining.
“It’s so fucking annoying how hot your tits look in that sweater.”
She hooks her thumbs into the belt loops of my jeans. “Your butt is being an asshole in these jeans. Your ass is being passive-aggressive.”
“Well, I’m gonna get aggressive-aggressive with yours later.”
This is a fun read that still manages to bring the feels as these two figure out what they want and find their way forward. It’s sexy and romantic, with lots of funny, laugh-out-loud moments, and I love that such a light-hearted read had so much emotion, and managed to do it without becoming too angsty or frustrating. The pacing felt just right, and the romance is gorgeous as these two finally get their happy ending.
“I’ve got you, babe … I’m not letting you go. You’re stuck with me.”
Loring and Crais prove again that they are a fantastic writing duo. Their voices are so aligned, it’s difficult to tell who wrote what, and I love their storytelling so much.
This is a really fun read, and I’m looking forward to more from the series.
4.5 stars.
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the authors for an honest review.
Beacon Harbor
The Billionaire is Back (#1) (Grady & Claire)
Review
Buy: Amazon
The Rockstar Returns (#2) (Damien & Vera)
Review
Buy: Amazon
About Kayley Loring
Amazon Top 25 and USA Today bestselling author Kayley Loring had a fifteen-year career as a screenwriter in Los Angeles (under a different name) before moving to the Pacific Northwest to pen steamy romantic comedy novels. Now she’s breathing cleaner air, writing dirtier words, and staring at her computer screen until her eyeballs dry out instead of getting facials and going to the hair salon. Read or listen to Kayley’s books when you want to laugh, warm your heart, and enjoy top-notch banter, strong heroines who need to be chased, lovable characters you’d want to know in real life, and swoon over perfectly imperfect book boyfriends.
Learn more at www.kayleyloring.com
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Listen to Kayley talk to the wildly talented narrators who narrate her audiobooks and her wildly talented author friends on the Multiple Eargasms with Kayley Loring podcast!
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About Connor Crais
Connor Crais is a classically trained actor living in the Midwest with his wife and three kids. He has been both a stage and television actor, and before plunging into the romance genre, he had been narrating commercials, audiobooks, and explainers for well over a decade from his home studio. From alphas to bosses to cocky sports stars (a particular favorite), he loves sparring with beautiful, sassy heroines (and their talented narrators) but also loves winning them over and reaching that happily ever after. He is excited to now create those stories as an author.
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