Book Tour for Kiss Me Goodnight by Michele Zurlo (Review & GIVEAWAY)

As a fan of the NA genre I love discovering new authors writing the books I'm currently obsessed with.  Today I'm introducing you to just such a book with Kiss Me Goodnight by Michele Zurlo.  Keep reading to get a tantalizing taste of this book full of emotional baggage along with Ms. Zurlo's feelings regarding the popularity of rock star romances.  You can also get my impressions of this book and learn even more about this release courtesy of the other blogs hosting this tour.  Make sure to fill out the form below for the chance to win an autographed print copy of this book along with a $20 Amazon GC for US readers too!

Music provides a highly emotional experience for the vast majority of people. Hearing it can make us feel things—we relive special moments or wallow in despair through voices and melodies. The cadence or tone of a lead singer’s voice often holds the key to the connection we feel to the band and their music.

As listeners, we transfer this feeling to the person who wields that singular voice. The same thing happens when romance readers connect with a hero or heroine, and then that story (like a song) takes on a special, personal significance. Rock stars are natural heroes. They’re sexy by definition and through the connection we feel to them.

Dylan Day, the hero of Kiss Me Goodnight and Kiss Me by Moonlight (June 2014 release), fits that bill in so many ways. He’s handsome and sexy. Lacey immediately likes his looks, and she loves his voice. He’s also a songwriter, a man who can express his feelings in verse. How many people wish they had someone who could do that for them? The lyrics in Kiss Me Goodnight are something that every beta reader and editor have commented on the most—they love how emotional and hard-hitting they are, and how they provide forward momentum for the story. Here’s a verse from the band’s title song:

I'll lock all the doors

And turn out the lights;

Curl up in my arms, darling,

And kiss me goodnight.

Though Dylan’s songs do reflect his feelings for Lacey—and his frustration with their bumpy relationship—they don’t help him win her over. In fact, one song in particular does quite the opposite, creating problems that carry into the second book (which is the conclusion of their story.) I hope you enjoy the lyrics as much as you enjoy Lacey and Dylan’s story!

I’m Lacey Hallem, and I have a few secrets. These aren’t them: I wash my hands a lot and lie when I’m stressed. Also, I have horrible taste in men. That’s how I knew Dylan was trouble the first time I saw him…

Life can be challenging for Lacey, especially when things don’t come in sets of six, but she’s smart and funny and able to keep her demons at bay—most of the time. She might have sensed trouble when she set eyes on Dylan, a delectable musician in a vintage T-shirt, but that doesn’t stop her from thinking about him, or spending more and more time in his company.
Enter Thomas. Wealthy, handsome, and completely adoring of Lacey (flaws and all), he’s everything a man should be. So why can’t she convince her heart to fall in love?

EXCERPT:

Within minutes, Mr. Hotness appeared on the other side of my table, blocking my view of the road. I was struck by his teal eyes. I hadn’t expected them. The color seemed too bold to be true on the surface, but when I looked more closely, I saw flecks of blue and green. His midnight hair, longish, falling over his forehead and curling at the ends, made their color stand out even more.
He smiled—a friendly one, not a wanna-fuck one. “Are these seats taken?”
I wouldn’t have minded seeing the wanna-fuck one, though he was clearly with his son, and blatant flirting, even if he was divorced, would be crass. I didn’t see a Mrs. Hotness or a ring anywhere, but men this yummy didn’t stay single for long. And again, the fact that I found him attractive spoke volumes. I might be seeing his face tonight in place of Davey’s. Sorry, Davey. Oh—maybe Mr. Hotness and Davey together, both of them focused completely on me. That fantasy bore further exploration.
I shook my head. The thought of those lips wrapped around pink parts of me banged around in there, but eventually clattered away. I did not give him an inviting smile, though I was tempted. He oozed sexy badness, and whoever says they don’t have a weakness for that has a serious case of the pants-on-fire syndrome.

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

In this first book in Ms. Zurlo's Kiss Me series it's a rocky journey to HEA for a lively heroine weighted down with emotional baggage and the quiet yet caring rock star in the making.  The heroine, Lacey, is like none I've seen before and I at turns admired her as well as being frustrated by her.  Dylan was just what I expected and though we didn't get to dig as deeply into his psyche I was still drawn to his reserved yet supportive self.

Lacey's been through a lot in her life that would've crushed most women.  After a bloody and horrific event left her silent for years it took a lot to become a functioning person again.  She's not fully recovered by any means though as she falls back on OCDish tendencies when under stress....and she's a compulsive liar during stressful moments as well.  The lies roll off her easily and were part of why I was left frustrated by her.  She's good at justifying these lies, and for the most part they're harmless, but it led to issues in all her relationships.  I was actually surprised she had ANY friends and it just made me realize how loyal they were to her.  Lacey's romantic relationships haven't gone well either as she has the tendency to be with married men.  She's finally come to realize that she deserves better, she deserves to be number one in a man's heart.  Just when she decides that, two men come into her life to throw her love life into chaos as she must choose which man's world is a better fit and where she'll be most complete in a journey full of twists and turns.  Lacey accepts her faults wholeheartedly, she makes no excuses and doesn't use her past as a crutch.  I admired her for her fortitude and for not settling for less.  She's a unique and memorable heroine but one I'm glad isn't a friend of mine as she's very trying.

Dylan's still recovering from the loss of his wife when he has a life-altering encounter with Lacey that leaves him enamored of her and slowly but surely forming a relationship with her.  In this friends to something more relationship though he's not quite clear on what he wants, which left things up in the air for them and opened the door for another man to get between them.  He never pushes Lacey but is always there for her in his caring and compassionate way, treating her more as someone to cure than to sleep with.  Once the loss hits him of what he let slip through his fingers he makes some grand gestures, through his music, to give her no doubts as to how he feels about her.  Dylan is sexy and charming and I loved witnessing the journey from local band to being on the cusp of celebrity.  He's caring and supportive and deserved achieving his dreams after being relegated to second place throughout his marriage which left me rooting for him.

With its unconventional heroine who left this reader conflicted at times, Ms. Zurlo has crafted a compelling read.  With its first person narrative we get great insight into Lacey which showed an unrepentant heroine whose antics at times left me smiling.  Dylan was an immensely likable character but nothing groundbreaking.  He was steady and strong and just what Lacey needed.  Their initial meeting was full of sexual tension that never let up and culminated in some very steamy interludes late in the story that made for a sexy and playful relationship.  The secondary characters are equally likable, especially the other man in Lacey's life (Thomas), with lots of stories of their own yet to be told.  Though this book has a completely satisfying ending it looks as if there's more to come and I know that I'll be back for the next installment.

My rating for this is a B-

*I received this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR INFO:

I’m Michele Zurlo, author of over 20 romance novels. During the day, I teach English, and in the evenings, romantic tales flow from my fingertips.
I’m not half as interesting as my characters. My childhood dreams tended to stretch no further than the next book in my to-be-read pile, and I aspired to be a librarian so I could read all day. I’m pretty impulsive when it comes to big decisions, especially when it’s something I’ve never done before. Writing is just one in a long line of impulsive decisions that turned out to showcase my great instincts. 

WEBSITE:  www.michelezurloauthor.com
TWITTER:  @MZurloAuthor
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE:  http://www.amazon.com/Michele-Zurlo/e/B003EG3IOC/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1393005919&sr=8-1
BN AUTHOR PAGE:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/michele-zurlo

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