Review forthcoming. ( )

3.5 stars ( )

"Oh how the mighty fall" came to my mind when I was reading this story. Rock stars are a special breed of people, and the leaders of the band are quite often the ones who determine what's what. Heath, the leader of rock band Splinter 7, definitely thinks he is the one in charge, and when Brett, a replacement guitarist, doesn’t fall into line, he gets irritated. The problem is that Brett has a plan, or rather, a point to make, and it takes Heath quite a while to understand what that might be.

What I really liked about this story was not just the slowly building heat between the two main characters; a heat that comes to an explosive resolution at the end. What I thought was really well done is the fact that Heath seems to be the stereotypical rock star at first glance – and yet, from the very beginning, he shows signs of potential to be more sensitive than he likes to have people think he is. It takes him a while to get there, and I was grinding my teeth in frustration as he slowly worked it out, but when he gets there, he jumps into the unknown without hesitation.

Brett is something else! He knows what he wants (and it isn’t a pseudo-act on stage) and holds out for it. He has his reasons – and they're good ones – but it's still hard for him to see Roarke jump into everyone's arms. Brett wants so much more and he uses the only strategy that will work: he plays hard to get. I loved the scenes where his turning away angers Roarke to the point he's almost ready to force himself on Brett for the stage kiss he seems to think is his due.

If you like stories about rock stars, if you enjoy reading about men who don’t behave as their stereotype "dictates", and if you're looking for a well-written read that is as hot as it is touching, you will probably enjoy this free short story.
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I am continuing my read-a-thon of [author: L.C. Chase]'s books and this free read literally rocked! Surprisingly romantic too. Highly recommended. ( )

3.5 stars ( )