Listen to Me by Kristen Proby | Book Review

Listen to Me by Kristen Proby 

Fusion #1
First Published: 2016

Kindle
Adult, Contemporary

Rating:
Re-Readability:

Seduction is quickly becoming the hottest new restaurant in Portland, and Addison Wade is proud to claim 1/5 of the credit. She’s determined to make it a success and can’t think of a better way to bring in new customers than live music. But when former rock star Jake Keller swaggers through the doors to apply for the weekend gig, she knows she’s in trouble. Addie instantly recognizes him—his posters were plastered all over her bedroom walls in high school—he’s all bad boy...exactly her type and exactly what she doesn’t need.
Jake Keller walked away from the limelight five years ago and yearns to return to what’s always driven him: the music. If he gets to work for a smart-mouthed, funny-as-hell bombshell, all the better. But talking Addie into giving him the job is far easier than persuading her that he wants more than a romp in her bed. Just when she begins to drop her walls, Jake’s past finally catches up with him.
Will Addie be torn apart once again or will Jake be able to convince her to drown out her doubts and listen to her heart?

This book was a surprise hit for me. I got it on a whim because it was on sale and I liked the cover, and figured it would be a nice romance to immerse myself with (I love the theme of everyday person falling in love with someone who lives in the limelight) 

But I didn't really think I would like it as much as I did. Maybe it's wrong of me to be like this, but I always approach books I don't know much about with a grain of salt, and I knew absolutely nothing about Listen to Me.

Listen to Me's first win is by having a crew of women who are smart, sassy, funny and successful. There is something so damn bad-ass about women who know what they want and make it happen, and Addie is just one of those people.

Listen to Me's second win is having a rock star that is not a douchebag. You'd think those would be plentiful in the romantic genre, but they so often fall into piggish, jerky assholes that for some unfathomable reason get the freakin' girl, and I can't understand or stand it. Not Jake Keller, though. He has a healthy sense of self esteem, of course, but he was such a sweetheart! More rock stars should take his lead in literature... and possibly in RL.

Listen to Me's third win (yes, this book has many good things about it) is the banter and the relationship these two develop. I love banter. It's my bread and butter, and theirs was golden and so fun to watch, and they made a cute couple that stood on equal terms.

But Listen to Me's biggest win is the friendships it depicts. Whether it was Addie's friends, Jake's or an intermix of the both, all the relationships were strong, healthy and supportive. This is such a fantastic example of how friendships should be, and it was emphasized through the top notch dialogues between them and the love and care that shined through every word. Truly heartwarming!

The one thing I didn't like? It was a freaking kiss on the cheek. For god's sake, get over yourself!

Under the Spotlight by Angie Stanton | Book Review

Under the Spotlight by Angie Stanton
The Jamieson Collection #3
First Published: 2015
Kindle
Young Adult, Romance
Rating:

Perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen and Jenny Han, this third book in the Jamieson Brothers trilogy will have readers wanting to fall in love with a rock star.
After an embarrassing stint on a reality TV music competition years ago, Riley Parks vowed never to sing again. Now she's working at the prestigious Sound Sync recording studio, and life is looking up. But then Garrett Jamieson, the oldest brother in the famous Jamieson brothers band, crashes into her world.
Garrett has hit rock bottom, and after calling in a few favors, he ends up working at the Sound Sync studio to learn the ropes of record producing. And he can't believe his luck when he discovers that Riley is an amazing singer. But Garrett is forced to use every trick in his arsenal to persuade Riley to record.
Sparks fly as Garrett finally meets his match. But in the heat of the moment, one stolen kiss changes everything.

Under the Spotlight is probably my favorite of this trilogy. I've been waiting for this story for over a year, always curious to see how Stanton will tackle Garrett falling in love.

Who's Garrett? Don't tell me you don't know who Effin' Garrett Jamieson is. From the band? Those boys that rocked the hearts of girls everywhere until they broke said heart by breaking up? Yes, those Jamiesons. Garrett is the oldest of the bunch... and a massive jerk. He was a jerk in Rock and a Hard Place, he was a jerk in Snapshot and he's a jerk here.

And in all honesty? I absolutely loved that. I loved the Stanton wasn't afraid to keep Garrett the character she made him in books 1 & 2 instead of backtracking and trying to change him so he'll be more likable, like some authors do.

Instead, she let us see, by keeping him a consistent jerk, that he was completely unaware of what a douche he is. That, in turn, helped make him kind of lovable. Because you could tell this controlling, crossing-the-boundaries attitude was his personality and he wasn't trying to be a jerk. And once pointed in the right direction, he was willing (after a while), to make some changes. Granted, Riley has her work set out for her, but Garrett is not un-redeemable by a long shot.

Speaking of Riley, I liked her. I liked her attitude and her spunk, I liked that she wasn't willing to let life beat her down, I liked that once she made her mind about something it was set. I liked that she didn't take Garrett's bullshit and called him out on it. Most of all, I liked that she took care of her family... though I wish she threw her good-for-nothing-mom to the curve.

They made a good couple because of how they balanced each other. Garrett pushed Riley for better, believed in her where she didn't believe in herself, and Riley took Garrett down a notch, correcting his behavior and helping him see being a control freak is not cute at all.

My only complaint is that I felt the angst, such as it was, was unnecessary.

As for things I wished we got to see? At the top of my list is interactions between Garrett and Riley's siblings. I think that could've been fantastic, and maybe we could see a fatherly side to Garrett with the younger children. I think it would've been something good for Garrett and the Parks.