Readers who enjoy rockstar-themed romances will find this blending on music, sensual encounters, and nostalgia an entertaining way to while away a few hours. Keep reading to get a tantalizing taste of the recently-released Down the Shore by Tina Torrest, along with my impressions of it, and then add it to your bookshelf!
Her dating life is a lackluster parade of evasive jerks and her boss is an unrelenting nightmare of a human being. What else can a girl do but rent a beach house with her girlfriends and blow off a little steam every weekend? But hey, she’s from Jersey. Barhopping down the shore all season is sort of mandatory. All is going according to plan… until she meets Jack.
Jack Tanner is a contractor-turned-musician in a small-town cover band suddenly thrust into the limelight. He’s already had enough of the rock-and-roll lifestyle, and groupies have never been his thing. Then again… there’s a gorgeous brunette in the audience tonight, checking him out with the most incredible green eyes he’s ever seen.
She's looking for a fling.
He's looking for forever.
It’s gonna be one helluva summer.
Jack Tanner is a contractor-turned-musician in a small-town cover band suddenly thrust into the limelight. He’s already had enough of the rock-and-roll lifestyle, and groupies have never been his thing. Then again… there’s a gorgeous brunette in the audience tonight, checking him out with the most incredible green eyes he’s ever seen.
She's looking for a fling.
He's looking for forever.
It’s gonna be one helluva summer.
EXCERPT:
I test the waters, skimming a hand between us and sliding my palm against the front of his shorts.
He doesn’t push me away.
Instead, he groans against my mouth and drives his hips into my hand, gripping my ass closer to his body. It’s a fairly impressive piece of equipment he’s working with over there, and I am more than thrilled to have it writhing against my palm.
Just as I tuck my thumbs into the waistband of his shorts, he tears his mouth from mine in a frustrated grunt, his hands braced against my shoulders.
He can’t even meet my eyes as he says, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have, uh...”
Goddammit. This horseshit again? I can’t take it anymore.
“What the hell, Jack? Why don’t you want to have sex with me?”
I’m trying very hard not to let any hurt show. But hurt I am.
He runs a hand through his hair and growls, “It’s not that I don’t want to. Believe me, I want to very much.”
“So, what are you? Some sort of straight-edger or something?”
Jack chuckles to himself and answers, “No.”
“Closeted gay?”
“No.”
“A virgin?”
“No. Not at all. Trust me, in the old days, there was never anything virtuous about me. But I’m done being that guy.”
“Well, then you seriously misread this situation. Because I’m not done being that girl.”
He crosses his arms over his chest and stares me down. “You don’t really mean that.”
“You don’t know me well enough to make such an assessment.”
“I know you’ve had boyfriends. It’s not always party time for you.”
Huh. Looks as though someone has been doing his recon. I put my hands on my hips and give a huff. “So... what? You want to be my boyfriend?”
A sly grin cracks his face at that. He steps too close, and I catch a whiff of his smoky, shaving-cream scent as he lowers his head and nudges his lips against my ear. “Are you asking?”
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MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
Livia's a young girl who lives her life in a carefree way full of fun and friends. She's not into commitment but after seeing a hot new singer she might be changing her tune. Throughout the early stages of the story I was torn by my feelings for Livia. While I admired her strength and ability to tell it like it is, I also found her a bit abrasive and demanding. Her fears of commitment were due to past trust issues and I saw this permeating many aspects of her life and made for a rocky road to romance with Jack. I enjoyed her interactions with her friends that were believable and relatable and happy that her friend time was nicely balanced with her couple time.
Jack was a delicious hero who came from an ordinary background but was now heading for stardom. I loved that his impending fame hasn't changed him, in fact it has made him an even better person. From the start he's clearly more mature than Livia. He's tired of partying and meaningless relationships. He sees something in Livia that calls to him but it will be a difficult journey to get her to commit to what they could be together. Her attraction to him has her agreeing to their ten-date policy before going further which leads to palpable sexual tension but will deepen their relationship ultimately. Jack was the king of dirty talk which made their agreement even more fun to watch as the temptations increased. He's a drool-worthy guy who lit up every scene he was in!
The relationship was a sensual journey full of flirtiness but with a big hiccup towards the end that luckily was resolved quickly. This hiccup once again left me frustrated by Livia and her demanding nature but happy with the promise of where the conclusion takes us. With lead characters that are larger than life, particularly the heroine, I was happy that the secondary characters were just as engaging. Livia's friends especially intrigued me and hopefully the author will explore their lives further. This book was a bit draggy early on but the '90s references put a smile on my face and kept me turning the pages with remembrances of my own teen years. This time period was vividly depicted to further enhance the nostalgia and immerse readers even more and I applaud the author for these seamless inclusions. This was my first time reading Ms. Torrest but her breezy style will have me coming back for more.
My rating for this is a B.
*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
T. Torrest is a New Adult fiction writer from the U.S. She has written many books, but prays that only a handful of them will ever see the light of day. Her stories are geared toward readers of any age that know how to enjoy a good laugh and a dreamy romance.
Ms. Torrest was a child of the eighties, but has since traded in her Rubik's cube for a laptop and her Catholic school uniform for a comfy pair of yoga pants. She likes pina coladas and getting caught in the rain. She's not much into health food, but she does enjoy talking about herself in the third person.
A lifelong Jersey girl, she currently resides there with her husband and two sons.
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/TTorrest
WEBSITE: http://www.ttorrest.com
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/wix
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/
Ms. Torrest was a child of the eighties, but has since traded in her Rubik's cube for a laptop and her Catholic school uniform for a comfy pair of yoga pants. She likes pina coladas and getting caught in the rain. She's not much into health food, but she does enjoy talking about herself in the third person.
A lifelong Jersey girl, she currently resides there with her husband and two sons.
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/TTorrest
WEBSITE: http://www.ttorrest.com
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/wix
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/
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