A young man once on the cusp of musical stardom saw things change in the blink of an eye when fate intervened to give a life while taking another in this story of broken dreams and starting over. Keep reading to get a tempting taste of Rising West by Alyson Santos, along with my impressions of this intense and uplifting romance, then add it to your bookshelf. In honor of this first installment in the Turner Artist Rocker series make sure to visit the link below for the chance to win a $25 Amazon GC along with a signed print copy of this book too!
Turner Artist Management Urgent Action Item:
✔ Find a new frontman for Burn Card.
When one of your top artists loses their lead singer to a solo career, you jump on the problem. When it also involves a devastating breakup with the band’s queen bee, you drop everything and run.
So I did—run. To the east, where I found a young single father so mesmerizing, his talent almost makes you forget he comes at a price. Enormous potential steeped in personal tragedy, what’s an agency to do?
See, I’m just the manager. The story that follows actually belongs to my client Liberty Blake and the enigmatic heartthrob whose world is about to be blown apart.
Because now that the industry wolves have the scent, everyone’s desperate to know:
Who is MASON WEST??
EXCERPT:
I can’t stop the grin that slides over my lips as I slap the pen back to the table in front of her. Protecting it with my hand, I lean forward with a severe expression. “If I give this back, can I trust you not to attack me with it again?”
Her lips twitch as she fights back a smile. Her eyes lock on mine. “No promises, West.”
“Then I’m not releasing it.”
She raises a brow in challenge and reaches for my hand. I bite my cheek to keep from laughing as she tries to lift my hand, first with one of hers, then with both. When she focuses her undivided attention on yanking my wrist, I can’t hold back anymore. Her death grip is adorable.
“This is a really important pen, huh,” I say casually as she strains with everything she has against my arm.
“The importantest,” she grunts, now jerking with her entire bodyweight. “How the hell are you so strong?”
“If it’s so important, maybe you should stop throwing it at people.”
“It wasn’t my fault.”
“No? How do you figure?”
“You made me do it.”
“Really.” I lean back in a nonchalant stance as she struggles against me, just to piss her off more.
“Yeah. If you weren’t being such a dick, I wouldn’t have had to throw it.”
I’m not sure about the effectiveness of whatever her current tactic is supposed to be, but it involves squatting her cute ass in my direction, so I’m all for it.
“How was I being a dick? Because I wanted you to sing?”
“Yes!”
“I see. So because I think you have a killer voice, you threw a pen at me.”
She freezes mid-lunge and stares up at me.
“You think I have a killer voice?”
“Duh.”
“But…” She straightens, closing the gap until she’s the one gazing down at me now. “I mean…” Her fingers remain on my wrist, and suddenly I feel the pressure of her touch everywhere else as well. Shit.
By the way her gaze drifts from my eyes to my lips, she senses it too. Her grip loosens on my wrist just enough to drag it up my arm where it rests on my bicep. I suck in a breath, praying my brain is strong enough to stop my ravenous muscles from doing something stupid.
“Mason...”
Her other hand reaches for my lips. Two steps closer and she’s almost flush between my legs. Holy hell, I’m suddenly the weakest man on the planet. My only defense is stasis. Don’t move, because once my body gets the signal to react...
Her hand cups my cheek; her eyes search deep. I grip the edge of the chair as my blood pumps with the fury of every pen that’s ever been thrown at a boy by a girl, and freaking hell I’m not strong enough to sit still—
“Um, Ms. Liberty, you’re a-pposed to use your words, not your hands.”
We stiffen and glance over to find Brooklyn studying our strange position with clear indignation. The spoon hangs from her mouth as she cocks a hand on her hip, her expression telling us she’s positive adults are super weird and quite possibly poorly-behaved as well.
I clear my throat and straighten in my chair, finally releasing the pen that started it all. Liberty is fighting to keep a straight face as she scoops it off the table and returns to her seat like nothing happened. Just two coworkers working. No big deal.
“She’s right. I’m sorry, Mason,” she says, her voice trembling from the effort of sincerity.
Brooklyn nods in approval before settling her stare on me. “Your turn, Daddy.”
I clear my throat, clench a fist to hold steady. “I’m sorry as well.”
“And?”
She darts her critical gaze between the two of us.
“And… what?” I ask. Wrong question, judging by the laser that shoots back at me.
“Annnnd…now you sing the friendship song!” She throws up her hands in disbelief at our stupidity. “You know… ‘you say sorry, I say sorry, friends we are again.’” She even directs our symphony with an impatient wave for each beat. It takes us three times through before she’s satisfied with our performance and returns to her show after another huff of frustration.
“Do you think ‘The Friendship Song’ is copyrighted?” Liberty asks, glancing up from her notebook.
I smirk and reposition the guitar in my lap. “I hope not. We could totally sample that for the bridge.”
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MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
When it comes to rockstar romances I can never get enough! Set in the rockstar world I was therefore riveted to this book, this unexpected gem of a story of self-worth and second chances that quickly sets itself apart from the typical rockstar romance. Instead of sex, drugs, and rock and roll, readers get a heartbreaking yet uplifting story featuring a single dad balancing his dreams alongside trying to do his best for his daughter. Adding to his journey is the female rockstar whose bandmate, who was also her boyfriend before dumping her and their band, has left her heartbroken and leery of putting her heart on the line again...especially when it comes to another musician hoping for a second chance in more ways then one.
Mason West was once on the cusp of fame when fate changed his path irrevocably, making him a widow and a single father struggling to make ends meet and to keep his daughter safe and happy. While his band went on without him, he took on long and hard work hours which put music on the backburner. Being a full time dad means his life is no longer his own, his music dreams stifled but not completely dead as there’s still a flicker of hopes and dreams that keeps him going. That hope becomes a reality though when the manager of popular band Burn Card asks him to audition to become their new lead singer. It’s a moment to cheer for but for Mason it brings all his insecurities to the forefront. For far too long he’s buried his wants and it’s a painful sight to see him struggle to embrace this second chance. Even after he makes a spot for himself with Burn Card it’s still a constant struggle for him to feel worthy of all the good things coming his way while he still tries to be all his daughter needs him to be...along with trying to embrace a new love even as guilt over a past love weighs on him. His journey is one that pulled at my heartstrings, putting a smile on my face while bringing an occasional tear to my eye. Through all his ups and downs I fell wholeheartedly in love with Mason. He’s a delicious and perfectly imperfect hero with a big heart that was fully on display, particularly when it came to his daughter Brooklyn. They were a burst of sunshine together, sweet and playful, and it was nice to see amidst the many moments that saw him struggle with where he is in his life. He clearly struggled with his dampened dreams and the author never shied away from depicting his battle with depression. When he ached, I ached, which is why I cheered Liberty coming into his life. Finally there was someone who shared his love of music, and who loved him unconditionally, and it made for a powerful pairing.
Liberty Blake’s band was on the road to fame when she was left blindsided as her boyfriend (and the band’s lead singer) decided to go solo. She was left at a loss, heartbroken and angry. The prospect of finding a replacement doesn’t thrill her but the moment she meets Mason her world explodes. She may have thought he was going to be your typical rockstar but she soon discovers he’s so much more. As they grow closer, bonding over their music and lyrics, readers discover more about them as individuals while watching their interactions turn more sensual. She gives Mason the encouragement and validation of his talent that’s been lacking in his life and you could see him grow more self-assured through her eyes. With each turn of the page Liberty shows herself to be an immensely appealing heroine and I liked her all the more for her interactions with Mason. Their pairing quickly captivated me in a romance that was empowering to both of them and fueled their immensely satisfying HEA.
After turning the final page readers will find themselves wanting to start all over again as Mason West is a multi-layered hero who I’m still thinking about. He was a man who was just going through the motions of living, weighed down by his past and setting HIS dreams aside to do what he thinks is best for Brooklyn. He’s a devoted dad, a sexy and talented musician, and someone you want to hug repeatedly. Liberty’s a strong-willed heroine who helps him realize him dreams and in turn it enriches her own talent. They make each other better, stronger both in their hearts and souls, and it makes them an unforgettable couple. I also enjoyed getting glimpses of the rest of Burn Card and look forward to where Ms. Santos will take us next. Fans of rockstar romances, realistic and intense emotions, and a drool-worthy hero will definitely want to grab this book as its characters and powerful storytelling are still in my thoughts.
My rating for this is an A.
*I got this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
AUTHOR INFO:
I’m a writer, musician, and cat lover. Not always in that order.
I write what needs to come out, whether it’s pain, tears, or laughter. I write people and relationships, about the beauty and horror of what we do to ourselves and each other. I write Love. Vengeance. Compassion. Cruelty. Trust. Betrayal. Forgiveness. Darkness, and the incredible way humans destroy and heal each other.
**********GIVEAWAY**********
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