New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh continues her Rock Kiss series with a hot, sweet, emotional contemporary romance about love and forgiveness…
ROCK WEDDING IS NOW AVAILABLE!
OUR REVIEW:
Shel: I'm gonna be honest here and tell you that this book is way more emotional than I expected. It's not that the other books in this series aren't emotional but I guess I remember them as sexy and fun and only emotional, at times. Court: Girl, but remember all of the hints we got along the way? But, if you haven't read the other books in this series, because it is not required (though recommended) I tell you that we've been waiting for this installment for a long time... Shel: I'm telling you this for two reasons:
Shel: 1) I think anyone who is interested in reading this book and has recently suffered the loss of a baby might feel either very comforted by sharing your loss with a fictional character or you may be too vulnerable and I think that's something to consider. Court: Good point. I do like how Nalini Singh handles this particular thing, so hopefully it can be used as a way to help. But, having been unable to read books for their content after a different kind of loss...I understand.
Shel: 2) I like the emotional punch this novel is packing. I wasn't necessarily prepared for it but I like it, a lot. Court: I was incredibly surprised by how emotional I felt by how Abe was during their marriage. That was hard. I like how not perfect they are, and that it was brutally honest...and hard to read, but I also wanted to kick his butt!
Shel: I love how steadfast Abe is and how he takes all of the verbal and emotional hits that Sarah dishes out. He is unflinching in his honesty and how he feels about her. I also appreciate how Sarah is very guarded and protective of herself--and how she realizes any contact with Abe is a slippery slope ..that she can't seem to quit and eventually doesn't. She keeps setting these kind of mental conditional clauses that will allow her (or him) to get out of the relationship and I think that's just such a real thing that we do. We guard our hearts from hurts by telling ourselves that if this or that happens, we'll exit the relationship; or we tell ourselves that this is just a temporary thing in an attempt to enjoy what's happening and buy some time before it's over. I guess what I'm saying is that considering how hurtful Abe had been to Sarah in the past, I completely understood her coping mechanisms and know that many of us would have done the exact same thing she did. As for Abe, his obvious love and patience with Sarah, along with his desire to not give in to his demons, completely won me over--and after reading about what a douche he'd been to her, it's pretty amazing that he did, but he TOTALLY did.
Court: Abe's journey was raw, hard to read, I'm positive it is hard to live with as a witness to substance abuse and addiction...and even harder to overcome for those addicted. I really enjoyed this novel for how it handled some things, and left some things to our imagination and not so hard for Abe to be redeemable. He toed the line, for sure, of no return but the journey to seeing if he will or won't cross it was one that I really enjoyed and will remember. I also really enjoyed the way that the other band members joined us in this book. Weddings, weddings and more weddings!
Shel: This final book in the series had the perfect balance of emotion, angst, and sweetness and then you add in multiple looks at the characters from the previous books and it's a fantastic last book. (Also, take a look at the author's note at the end of the book and you'll see lots of goodies and good news. ) Court: Ditto, this series was our first foray into Nalini Singh's work and world, and we are not disappointed (though we are that the series ended!) and cannot wait to see what comes next!!!
Blurb
New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh continues her Rock Kiss series with a hot, sweet, emotional contemporary romance about love and forgiveness…
After a lifetime of longing for a real family, Sarah Smith thought she’d finally found her home with rock star Abe Bellamy, even if she knew Abe didn’t love her the way she loved him. But their brief relationship, filled with tragedy and heartache, nearly destroyed her. Alone, emotions in turmoil, and already shaky self-esteem shattered, Sarah struggles to pick up the pieces in the wake of their divorce.
Abe knows he’s to blame for the end of his marriage. Caught in a web of painful memories, he pushed away the best thing in his life – the sexy, smart woman he adores – breaking them both in the process. Then fate throws him a second chance to get things right, to prove to Sarah that she means everything to him. Abe desperately wants that second chance at love…even if he knows he doesn’t deserve it.
But can he convince Sarah – now strong and independent without him – to risk her wounded heart one more time?
Excerpt from ROCK WEDDING by
Nalini Singh
Plowing his gloved fists into the punching bag in front of him on the morning of the fourth day, Abe blocked out the other sounds in the gym and attempted to lose himself in the rhythm of the mindless action. It worked for about a minute before his mind filled with Sarah again. Her shy smile when he gave her a compliment. The way she’d sit curled up under his arm and read to him on lazy summer days.
Hard on the heels of that memory came one of him throwing her books in the pool in a drug-fueled rage. She’d been sobbing as she tried to save them.
“Fucking bastard,” Abe muttered, talking to his past self. He punched the bag so hard that it threatened to swing back right into his face. He didn’t care. He deserved to have his face beaten in.
Ripping off his gloves afterward, he showered, then went straight to a bookshop.
It was too little too late, but now that he’d remembered his asshole behavior, he couldn’t just leave it. Ball cap pulled low, he wandered the aisles… then realized most people here didn’t care who he was; they were more interested in the volumes that lined the shelves. He spent an hour inside the murmuring quiet of the store, searching for the titles he remembered seeing on their bedside table. She’d definitely read him Jane Austen.
He couldn’t remember which one though, so he bought the entire set.
And there was this one romance novel she loved and had read over and over again. He’d teased her it would fall apart in her hands one day. She’d just smiled and read him a paragraph that she’d told him was part of her favorite scene. What the hell had it been? Yes, that was it. In the end, it turned out the store didn’t have that book in stock, so he bought her a bunch of new releases featuring people with dogs or puppies on the covers. He definitely remembered seeing covers like that in their home
After spotting it in a display, he added in a nonfiction book about a woman who’d set up her own company while nearly flat broke and who was now a millionaire. At the counter, he paid extra to have the books wrapped up and packaged.
He’d called his car service earlier; the driver shot him a funny look when he put the package in the passenger seat and gave him Sarah’s address. “I’m a courier now?” the stocky middle-aged man asked, having worked long enough for Schoolboy Choir that he was a friend. They’d all missed his calm demeanor and total trustworthiness when he broke his leg recently and had been out for a while.
“Best in the business,” Abe responded.
The other man snorted. “I’ll get it to her now.”
Blowing out a breath after the gleaming black town car pulled away, Abe went to where he’d parked his SUV and got in. He didn’t want to go home to his empty house, but he didn’t want to barge in on his friends either. David and Thea, Noah and Kit, they needed time alone. As for Molly and Fox, while the newlyweds were back home after a short wedding trip, having postponed their honeymoon until later in the year, Abe wasn’t about to bust up their love nest.
Gabriel and Charlotte probably wouldn’t have minded the company since they’d been doing the sightseeing thing, but the other couple had flown back to New Zealand twenty-four hours earlier—after inviting all of them to their own wedding.
His phone buzzed right then.
Picking it up, he saw a message from Fox. Molly and I are at that Thai place with the noodles you like. We saved you a seat if you want to join us for lunch.
Damn, he loved his bandmates. On my way, he messaged back.
Starting the engine, he tried not to obsess over if Sarah would call him after receiving his long overdue gift. Hell, he’d be content with her throwing the books at his head. All he wanted was for her to talk to him, to let him show her he wasn’t that guy anymore, the one who’d destroyed them both.
Haven’t read this series yet?
Start the Rock Kiss Series NOW!
Rock Addiction (Book One) Rock Kiss Series
Rock Courtship (Book 1.5) A Rock Kiss Novel:
Author Information
Nalini Singh is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Psy-Changeling, Guild Hunter, and Rock Kiss series. She lives and works in beautiful New Zealand, and is passionate about writing.
If you’d like to explore her other books, you can find lots of excerpts and free short stories on her website. Slave to Sensation is the first book in the Psy-Changeling series, while Angels’ Blood is the first book in the Guild Hunter series. The Rock Kiss books are all stand alone and can be read in any order.
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