Lead By Kylie Scott

I was never bored; I was kept entertained, given depth and full character profiles, but I still left this novel feeling lost and incomplete. I was interested, love the flow and the steady progression, but as is usual with this series, the end was abrupt. The meaningful fight comes way too late and then it is resolved faster than it took to develop.

Jimmy and Lena are a feisty pair and I love them as a couple. They brought a nice change, where they let it all out, then work on it, as oppose to pulling teeth to find the problems, then fixing it. Even if he bought his way out the dog house a few times.

Though unrequited, for a period of time, there was never a doubt as to what these characters wanted and how they felt. They were uniquely, awkward but they understand and compliment each other.

Lena is sarcastic, witty and a word I've never used before in a review, brave. She never backs down and when you expect her to run, hide and cry, she puts on her strongest face and puts you in your place. She is even in your face demanding her own demise, as long as it's on her terms.

Jimmy is not what I expected but then again, I read 'Play' and 'Lick' eons ago! There are layers to this man and his thoughts, reasoning and perspective was one to assess. I only wish that we could have gotten it straight from him to really understand how his mind works.

Surprisingly, the music aspect of the novel was low. Other than a Maroon 5 nod in the end, it didn't give much musical moments. It was more comedic and filled with dating advice.

For those who are all about the sex, be forewarned, while it is there, it too is tame. There isn't much steamy or passionate scenes and even then they found things to laugh about.

Riddled with grammatical errors, this novel threw me off a few times as I corrected these errors to understand a conversation. I, for one, don't like to be unaware of the words I use and read, so if I don't know it, I goggle it! We seemed to get a little European and Australian slangs as we went and all that did was brought to my attention that we didn't really have much American culture in this novel. Still, that's fine with me. It didn't deter me from the novel, it just removed the American authenticity.

It was good that the rest of Stage Dive also got to highlight where they currently sat in the relationships we were privy to before but there was also a few unanswered questions and unaccounted characters in the end.

If your looking for something fun, quick and flirty then this is the book for you. It has it's moments when it tugs at you but it's not emotional or overly filled with love. It's mostly clueless fun with a spunky heroine and a clueless lead singer.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21401910-lead

Play By Kylie Scott

If you want crazy, impulsive anything, then this is the series for you! Either these guys are really impulsive or they know what they want and waste no time getting it. They do everything back ways, so I was surprise and actually wanting Anne to end this novel barefoot and pregnant.

I've done fake it till you make it romances before, but this one didn't carry that vibe. I believe Mal, they are destined to be together, minus his crazy reasoning. They make  more sense as a couple than they do apart. If they never kept on mentioning how long they were together, I truly wouldn't remember.

The main problem for me, was the drama level. There wasn't an unforgettable, knock you off your feet moment, it kept it safe and free flowing. On the plus side, I haven't read a full length novel in one day, in a long time, so I can safely say it held my attention. It doesn't read like a full length novel and the time line extremely short to cover the issues buried and brought to light.

Both characters have solid backgrounds and issues that could make story lines that leave an impact. However, the moment we start to pressure these issues and events of the past and present, it just as quickly turns into friendly banter. It's fine, if your building character and personality, otherwise it just seems like an incomplete conversation :(

Anne is an interesting mix of possibilities. She is caring, loyal and responsible to a 'T'. She analyzes before she jumps, she reminds me of myself in that aspect. I can second guess myself all day long! We only get one vulnerable side to her and I would have loved more, because even that story seems incomplete with quite a few holes to fill.

Malcolm is just as I remember him from 'Lick'. He is full of humour and can turn a party up in no time! I love his moments behind the kit and find him to be one of the sexiest drummers, in the world of book boyfriends and rock star romances. His drunken conversations are to hilarious and wish we got more. Kudos to him also, for not being your cliche dark past rocker. He's a good guy, raised in a good home, who is having a complete 360 done to his personal life.

Even with all this good base and content, the story line and most events came off unrealistic. The best friends angle is more understated than I expected, it's not a love triangle, so don't start reading it just for that. To be honest, he wasn't even needed in this novel. This couple is solid!

I enjoyed this novel more at the end. I do however hate how we were just queued up for the next in the series and then dropped. I wasn't even sure if I was finished, I was skipping pages trying to see if I am missing a chapter. It was very abrupt and left me with lingering questions and scenes that I would have liked to witness first hand.

Mal is honest and Annie is discreet. They balance each other well and make for interesting interactions. For a rock and roll romance though, I find this novel lacking in the music department. There are concerts and even practicing sessions, but no one knows what they are singing, apart from the girlfriends, wife and baby sitters. I feel as though this series on a whole, focuses more on the instruments than what they produce.

It's a music based novel, so I feel as though some people like myself, read these novels to learn about new music and put a memorable scenery to others. We were forwarded to a band at the end, which I checked out, but they aren't Stage Dive. They need a song or something to make them stand out among the other rock star romance novels.

Even being safe and coloring in the lines, I enjoyed 'Play'. There is a story lurking and the moments you get close enough will draw you in, if only for a time. Mal gives you enough laughs though to not think about it in the moment. I wouldn't abandon this series just yet, but I am hoping to experience an installment that's not afraid to tackle the struggles head on. No pain, no gain!

- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19080006-play