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Review
3.5 stars
A second-chance rockstar romance with drama and feels, this is an emotional love story with a gorgeously swoony hero, and I really enjoyed this read.
This is the second book featuring the band members of Delirious Jones, after The Rocker’s Muse. There is a lot of character crossover, but you could read this as a standalone – but don’t miss the first book, because it’s awesome!
Atticus is the drummer for Delirious Jones, and though he may live a rockstar life, he secretly mourns for the love of his life – his ex-wife Nicole, with whom he is still very much in love. So when Nicole contacts him out of the blue and asks him to stay with her to take care of her beloved dying grandmother, he jumps at the chance. The twist is that Grandma Mimi doesn’t know they divorced. Atticus and Nicole were an important part of her life, and they didn’t believe she could handle the truth of their separation, so while they’re back in their old home town caring for her, they’re living under the same roof and pretending they’re still married. Fun times!
(I have to admit, it’s a pretty week reason for them coming together, but I’m a second-chance junkie, and I was here for it. Plus, it shows how desperate Atticus is to spend any time he can with Nicole, and I do love a desperately-in-love hero.)
From the moment they are back together, the chemistry between Atticus and Nicole is sizzling. Though they have both been with other people while they’re divorced (a trigger warning for some, I think it’s realistic), you can tell they still love each other deeply, yet something tore them apart and has kept them that way. The truth of what happened between them is revealed slowly throughout the story and it takes quite a while to get to the truth of their past. But in the meantime, we’re treated to meaningful touches and longing looks, and the two former lovers slowly opening up to each other. Though the feelings are there, it feels like a slow burn, and when the sexual tension inevitably proves to be irresistible, the floodgates are opened, and everything changes.
“Even if we’re not physically together, I’m yours. That’s never changed. I’ll always be yours, Nicole. Whether you like it or not.”
But coming together again is just the beginning of their journey, as they still have to unpack the drama of their past, and it’s plenty dramatic! It’s all unveiled as a twist in the story that I certainly never saw coming (weird that they managed to spend all of that time together without mentioning the elephant in the room), but thankfully they’ve declared their love and are committed to giving their relationship a second chance, and I enjoyed watching them work through it all and find their way forward.
I enjoyed this book. Atticus is a man so very deeply in love, and I love that he doesn’t hold anything back from Nicole. He was all in for a reunion from the moment they were reunited, and I loved how open he was with her about everything. These two definitely have some big issues to overcome, but they do it honestly and functionally, and I loved seeing them find their way back to each other.
The boys from Delirious Jones are a big part of the series, and I enjoyed seeing Tristan and Emily from the first book, again. There could have easily been a book for the third member of the band, hilarious manwhore, Ronin, but Ward has announced this will be the final book in this series. Instead, Ronin gets a storyline that is shoved in at the end to give him his own happy ending. I was happy to see him find love and a happy ending, but I would have loved to experience it as a full book.
I enjoyed this book. I liked Atticus and Nicole, and I thought their emotional reunion was beautifully written.
3.5 stars.
I listened to this as an audiobook, narrated by Sebastian York and Angelina Rocca, and it’s a good one to listen to.
Delirious Jones Rockstar Romance
The Rocker’s Muse (#1) (Tristan & Emily)
Review
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The Drummer’s Heart (#2) (Atticus & Nicole)
Review
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About the Author
Penelope Ward is a New York Times, USA Today and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary romance.
She grew up in Boston with five older brothers and spent most of her twenties as a television news anchor. Penelope resides in Rhode Island with her husband, son, and beautiful daughter with autism.
With over two million books sold, she is a 21-time New York Times bestseller and the author of over thirty novels. Her books have been translated into over a dozen languages and can be found in bookstores around the world.
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