Readers will find themselves quickly consumed by this romance between a jaded rock star and the man sworn to protect her that I'm introducing you to today. Keep reading to get a tempting glimpse of Jaded Hearts by Harper Sloan, along with my impressions of it, then add this first installment in the Loaded Replay series to your bookshelf!
Signing with Brighthouse Records was supposed to be everything we ever wanted—our better life. Our chance at everything we never had but always wanted. All our dreams would finally come true and we were on top of the world. It was our chance at the happiness we never had in life.
Our every desire was at our fingertips and the power of that feeling was all consuming. But then it took every dream we thought would come true and it slapped us in the face with the cold hard reality.
Dreams were just that…something that floated on the cusp of untouchable, taunting you with every graze of your fingertips before slipping even further away.
Happiness…that feeling is a joke.
In the end it became painfully obvious that each of us would always have each other, but we would forever be alone.
Our every desire was at our fingertips and the power of that feeling was all consuming. But then it took every dream we thought would come true and it slapped us in the face with the cold hard reality.
Dreams were just that…something that floated on the cusp of untouchable, taunting you with every graze of your fingertips before slipping even further away.
Happiness…that feeling is a joke.
In the end it became painfully obvious that each of us would always have each other, but we would forever be alone.
EXCERPT:
Goddamn, that smile is dangerous.
Who am I kidding? He is dangerous.
I do my best to ignore him, but it’s impossible. The steady brush of his arm against where mine is resting on our shared armrest constantly reminds me how much my body wants his touch. The scent of his delicious cologne hits my senses, making me want to climb in his lap and rub my face over his chest to get a potent lungful of it.
I can’t even remember the last time I was this horny, which is pathetically sad, since it was probably around the same time I actually got laid. Years. I think. Close to three. Maybe that’s why I’m a hot mess lately. I turn my head to study the side of his face and wonder if I can use this situation to my advantage. I mean, after all, we are in a ‘relationship’ now.
He turns and gives me a questioning arch of his dark brows, but I brush it off in favor of playing Disney Emoji Blitz on my phone.
By the time we had hit cruising altitude, I could hear the other men around me snoring away but not Chance. He’s fiddling with his phone, completely ignorant of the fact I’m about to start humping his leg.
“Excuse me,” I breathily say, unbuckling my belt and standing to move around him. I stand there, my head bent slightly because of the overhead, and wait. He doesn’t move, though. Instead, he drops his phone to his lap and gives me his complete attention; his eyes even dance a little like he’s finding this whole damn thing funny. “Excuse me,” I repeat, no longer breathy, and seconds away from coming.
No, that’s a lie. I’m still breathy and very much seconds away from soaking my panties even more than they already are.
His large hands grab my hips, and he guides me down on his lap with no resistance from my treacherous body.
“Not what I meant,” I say through clenched teeth, trying to sound harsh and offended, but I just sound dazed and turned on. I wiggle in his hold, trying to get free, but he’s too strong for me.
He leans up in his seat, his chest hitting my back and buries his face in my neck. I’m sure anyone who saw us would see a loving couple who just can’t keep their hands to themselves. He’s playing a dangerous game, though, because the second the solid, hard length of him presses against my backside, I forget this is supposed to be a game and squirm a little more. His teeth nip at my shoulder at the same time his groan hits my ears.
“Stop moving, Wren,” he demands, tightening his fingers on my hips.
“You’re the one who put me on your lap.” I curl my fingers over the empty seat in front of me and squeeze my eyes shut when I feel him growing harder under me.
“Yeah, because the flight attendant who just walked by had her phone out and pointed right at us. She’s doing a shit job of making it look like she’s doing something with her paperwork.” His hand comes off my hip, and he cups my jaw, turning my head to the side just when I was about to look up at where I last saw the attendant, forcing me to shift until all it would take is me throwing one leg over his body to be face-to-face. “Do not look at her,” he stresses; the sudden movement of twisting my body makes me bounce slightly in his lap, rubbing my legging-clad ass against his erection. His eyes drop to my mouth where I pull my bottom lip between my teeth and groan.
“Give me a reason not to look,” I dare him.
“You don’t want to go down that road, Wren. I’ll protect you from the world, but you need to protect yourself from me."
“No one is asking you to."
Not even knowing if we’re still being watched, I twist my torso the rest of the way, pulling my legs up until they’re bent at his stomach between us. Now that I’m facing him completely, I bring my hands up to curl them both around his shoulders before dragging them up to wrap around the corded muscles at the sides of his neck. His nostrils flare, but he doesn’t stop me. I give him the chance, but it never comes. Dropping my head, I press my lips to his. I explore his lips with small pecks and little licks of my tongue, learning his mouth before pressing more firmly. He sucks in a breath when I open my mouth and slowly drag the tip of my tongue over his bottom lip.
And then his control snaps.
His hands—still at my hips—lift me effortlessly until my legs are no longer folded between us, but now digging into the hard armrests with my knees pushing into his thighs, my back hitting the seat in front of me. His mouth opens, and his tongue meets mine, no hesitation whatsoever, as he deepens the kiss.
Our breathing echoes around us, making it sound like everyone on this plane could hear us, but I know it’s just because our faces are so close. I let out a moan, one that he swallows, that turns into a whine when he pulls back.
“That can’t happen again,” he softly scolds, just as breathless as I am.
What the hell? I might not have been into this whole fake-boyfriend-slash-bodyguard thing before, but I’ll be damned if I’m not going to take advantage of the situation. Especially now that I know how alive he makes me feel. Three years since I had pleasure from anything other than my own hand, and if that kiss is anything to go by, what Chance could make me feel is ten times more powerful than anything I’ve ever felt in my whole life.
I’m not passing that up.
Nope.
No fucking way.
“We’ll see about that.”
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MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
Fans of rock star romances will find this a satisfying series starter that pulls you into the sensual and exhilarating world of rock music through the engaging band, Loaded Replay. They're a colorful and larger-than-life foursome whose pasts are shrouded in secrecy but clearly full of pain and heartache that had them clinging to each other the moment they all met. Their struggles and dedication to their craft have brought them to the top of the charts and given them fame, money, and all the adoration they can stand. For the men in the band that fame is still something to enjoy, but for lead singer Wrenlee it's all starting to lose its luster. She's tired of being seen as a commodity, as a bad ass with an angelic voice wrapped up with a glamorous bow. She's tired of men who see her only as a means to an end and she longs to find a man who sees past the public persona. Since she hasn't yet found a White Knight to bring her a HEA she'll settle for the tarnished knight who understands her like no other in this story of insta-love with a bit of suspense courtesy of a danger that comes out of nowhere.
Wrenlee's a strong-willed woman who likes pushing people's buttons and doesn't abide those who seek to gain fame by using their band. She's sexy and snarky yet protective of her bandmates who are more like siblings as they share a common background. While her interactions with them are playful and mocking, with undertones of flirtiness, it's her interactions with the man chosen to guard her body from a crazed fan that leaves her flustered. From their first combustible meeting they find a connection based on heartfelt honesty, being left bruised from a past love's betrayal, and unrelenting sexual tension. The more time they spend together, the more the outside world interferes and puts their band's future in doubt. As her relationship with Chance progresses their sexual encounters get hotter which has them leading the media on a chase for the truth about them in hopes of keeping their feelings for each other private in protection of their relationship. When a fan obsessed over her closeness with her bandmate Jamison threatens her life once again, sacrifices must be made that have her questioning her future with Chance.
Chance is a very observant former Marine weighed down by guilt over something that was not his fault. It's left him very serious-minded when it comes to doing his job with his integrity put to the test when he first meets Wrenlee. He's drawn to the dichotomy she represents, and to her music, along with the exhilarating feelings she inspires in him. Though he judges himself for his past actions she helps him deal with his guilt which solidifies their instant connection with their mutual pain binding them together. Chance is a sexy beast talented in dirty talk which leads to intensely erotic sexual encounters. Their interludes are scorching yet playful and were intensified by the backdrop of the sensual world of music they inhabit which had me rooting for them amongst all the chaos.
The bandmates of Loaded Replay are an intriguing bunch of jokers, players, and rebellious characters. They're a tight-knit group though with a connection forged in childhood that leads to a protective nature as adults towards each other. Weston and Wrenlee are twins who only had each other to count on as children as their parents hated them for the fame they thought should belong to them. They love each other unconditionally and support one another through all their choices. Of the two, Weston's quieter and more cautious as he takes the threats against her far more seriously than she does. Luke and Jamison enjoy their playboy lives and the eroticism of sharing women. They both like to have fun and joke but it's Jamison who tends to go over-the-top when it comes to his innuendos. He's highly sexualized and quick to get naked when the moment needs levity. There are hints about each of their love lifes sprinkled throughout this narrative that has me excited for the installments yet to come as all three of these men are sexy, endearing, and fodder for all my nightly dreams. This was a quick read that vividly depicted the rock star world with all its sycophants, obligations, and overly enthusiastic fandom. The energy and exhilaration of being onstage is tempered with the claustrophobia and sense of living a life not your own to make you feel a part of this world. The only weak spot for me involved the crazed stalker who was the catalyst for introducing Chance to Wrenlee. This aspect was barely touched on at the start, ignored through the middle, and came back out-of-the-blue at the very end to cause a roadblock to HEA. The villain too was one chosen randomly as readers barely caught a glimpse of them in the story which made this part of the story fall flat. On a whole though this was a decadently delightful read with immensely appealing characters who dragged me into their world and have me counting down the days until I can re-join Loaded Replay on the road!
Wrenlee's a strong-willed woman who likes pushing people's buttons and doesn't abide those who seek to gain fame by using their band. She's sexy and snarky yet protective of her bandmates who are more like siblings as they share a common background. While her interactions with them are playful and mocking, with undertones of flirtiness, it's her interactions with the man chosen to guard her body from a crazed fan that leaves her flustered. From their first combustible meeting they find a connection based on heartfelt honesty, being left bruised from a past love's betrayal, and unrelenting sexual tension. The more time they spend together, the more the outside world interferes and puts their band's future in doubt. As her relationship with Chance progresses their sexual encounters get hotter which has them leading the media on a chase for the truth about them in hopes of keeping their feelings for each other private in protection of their relationship. When a fan obsessed over her closeness with her bandmate Jamison threatens her life once again, sacrifices must be made that have her questioning her future with Chance.
Chance is a very observant former Marine weighed down by guilt over something that was not his fault. It's left him very serious-minded when it comes to doing his job with his integrity put to the test when he first meets Wrenlee. He's drawn to the dichotomy she represents, and to her music, along with the exhilarating feelings she inspires in him. Though he judges himself for his past actions she helps him deal with his guilt which solidifies their instant connection with their mutual pain binding them together. Chance is a sexy beast talented in dirty talk which leads to intensely erotic sexual encounters. Their interludes are scorching yet playful and were intensified by the backdrop of the sensual world of music they inhabit which had me rooting for them amongst all the chaos.
The bandmates of Loaded Replay are an intriguing bunch of jokers, players, and rebellious characters. They're a tight-knit group though with a connection forged in childhood that leads to a protective nature as adults towards each other. Weston and Wrenlee are twins who only had each other to count on as children as their parents hated them for the fame they thought should belong to them. They love each other unconditionally and support one another through all their choices. Of the two, Weston's quieter and more cautious as he takes the threats against her far more seriously than she does. Luke and Jamison enjoy their playboy lives and the eroticism of sharing women. They both like to have fun and joke but it's Jamison who tends to go over-the-top when it comes to his innuendos. He's highly sexualized and quick to get naked when the moment needs levity. There are hints about each of their love lifes sprinkled throughout this narrative that has me excited for the installments yet to come as all three of these men are sexy, endearing, and fodder for all my nightly dreams. This was a quick read that vividly depicted the rock star world with all its sycophants, obligations, and overly enthusiastic fandom. The energy and exhilaration of being onstage is tempered with the claustrophobia and sense of living a life not your own to make you feel a part of this world. The only weak spot for me involved the crazed stalker who was the catalyst for introducing Chance to Wrenlee. This aspect was barely touched on at the start, ignored through the middle, and came back out-of-the-blue at the very end to cause a roadblock to HEA. The villain too was one chosen randomly as readers barely caught a glimpse of them in the story which made this part of the story fall flat. On a whole though this was a decadently delightful read with immensely appealing characters who dragged me into their world and have me counting down the days until I can re-join Loaded Replay on the road!
My rating for this is a B+
*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
AUTHOR INFO:
Harper is a NEW YORK TIMES, WALL STREET JOURNAL and USA TODAY bestselling author residing in Georgia with her husband and three daughters. She has a borderline unhealthy obsession with books, hibachi, tattoos and Game of Thrones. When she isn't writing you can almost always find her with a book in hand.
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