Author: Michelle A. Valentine
Release Date: June 23, 2015
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Genre: Contemporary Romance
After his mother dies, rock star Ace White—lead singer of the red-hot band Wicked White—is done with the celebrity game. The phony people, the meaningless one-night stands: he doesn’t want any of it anymore. Quitting in the middle of a sold-out tour, Ace sets out to find some place—any place—where he can be alone.
Aspiring singer Iris Easton’s life has never been easy. First, her mother walked out on her when she was a kid. Now she’s buried in debt, weeks after losing her beloved grandmother. When a mysterious and sexy new guy moves in next door, Iris can’t help but be drawn to his soulful gaze. She can tell there’s something from his past haunting him—something he’s not telling her.
Just as Ace starts falling for Iris, the media go on a worldwide hunt to find the missing rocker. Will true love conquer all, or will the truth be the very thing that tears the couple apart?
“Iris…that was amazing. You’ve got so much talent,” I praise.
Her green eyes light up with excitement like a child’s do on Christmas morning. “You really think so? You’re not just saying that?”
“No. I never bullshit about music. You’ve definitely got the chops for Broadway, it’s just…” I hesitate, not wanting to hurt her feelings, but I know that in order for her to get better, she has to be told what she’s doing wrong.
She lays her hand on my forearm. “Please, tell me. I can take it. Promise.”
I stand beside her, so close that my chest nearly touches her shoulder. I’m itching to touch her, but I won’t do it without permission. “May I touch you?”
She draws in a ragged breath and then nods. “Yes.”
I curl the fingers of my right hand around her right shoulder and pull back a little so that her posture is perpendicular to the floor. At this angle, I can’t help but notice her heaving chest and how her perky tits move in sync with each breath she takes.
I slide my left hand against her toned stomach and my pinkie grazes the warm patch of skin that’s exposed between her T-shirt and the waistband of her jeans.
Our contact is fucking electric, and my own breathing picks up speed as I attempt to fight back the arousal I feel for her boiling beneath my surface.
“Everything about you is magnetic,” I whisper in her ear, and she shivers at the words. “Don’t be afraid to open your eyes and watch your audience enjoy you. Be confident and project. Let go.”
I let go of her shoulder, and move to face her before pressing the repeat button on the machine. As the intro of the song plays, I say, “Do it again, but this time I want you to look at me.”
This time when she opens her mouth to sing, when she begins to tip her head down, I slide my index finger under her chin and angle her head so that she’s forced to peer into my eyes.
Her words are just barely above a whisper, so I slip my hand back on her abdomen and say, “Project--from here. Sing it like you mean it.”
It’s like lightening strikes this beautiful woman in my arms as she sings to me without fear. The words of the song come out effortlessly, and her voice could rival any of the greatest female vocalists of all time.
She’s that damn stunning.
I nod approvingly and smile. “Yes!”
With that little bit of encouragement, she shocks me even more when she pushes herself to hit notes that are above and beyond what she reached the first time.
Only on the last lyric does she close her eyes while she holds the note there until the music stops. She releases a contented sigh as soon as the music ends, and when her beautiful eyes meet mine again, they swirl with emotion.
Completely blown away, I fumble with the words to tell her just how impressed I am. “Iris, that was--”
Without warning, she throws her arms around my neck and crushes her lips against mine. I know kissing her back is wrong, but I’ll be damned if I don’t want her so badly at this point that I can’t stop myself from giving in. I’ve been so good with restraining myself when it comes to Iris, because protecting her from the chaos that I’ll bring her is what’s always been on the forefront of my mind.
Her fingers thrust into my hair, and I reach down and curl my hands around her thighs before hoisting her into the air. Instinctively she wraps her legs around my waist, and I thread one of my hands into her tousled curls while the other is busy cupping that perfect ass of hers.
“I’ve wanted you since you walked into my trailer,” she breathes against my lips.
A thrill shoots through me at her admission of how long she’s wanted me. “You’ve been driving me out of my mind from the moment I first saw you.”
“Then take me.”
The
death of the woman who brought him up as her own son acts as a
catalyst for Ace White, lead singer of Wicked White to escape from
the living hell that it his life. He's tired of been exploited by
his manager and record company; not having any artistic license to
perform the kind of music he believes whilst performing with
musicians he can't relate too. He's had enough! So walking off
stage and disappearing under the radar seems like a good idea. Only,
he wasn't expecting to find any distractions in the trailer park in a
backwater town in Ohio that becomes his new temporary home.
Iris
Easton is back in Ohio after her Gran died and left her to run the
trailer park where she was raised. She's left behind the bright
lights of New York where she works as a waitress until she achieves
her dream to tread the boards on Broadway. She's up to her eyeballs
in debt so when an enigmatic man who shows up looking for a temporary
home she happy to rent out a vacant trailer,
not knowing that he'll indirectly help her reach her dream too.
I
adore Ace as a hero. I love a man who is clever and intelligence
oozes from his pores. He's far from perfect but his character flaws
only add to to his overall appeal as we get to know more about him.
It is refreshing that he isn't portrayed as a stereotypical rock
star, even though he's indulged like a typical rocker. He has more
depth even if he judgement is completely
off.
Overall
this was an enjoyable and solid read that has me invested in wanting
to continue with this series, as I'm interested to see where the author is going to go with the plot line. Both protagonists are likable and
their chemistry palpable. However, Wicked White lacked that certain
je ne sais quoi which would add sparkle and make this a higher
rated book for me. None the less, a perfect read for passing the time at the beach or by the pool.
3½
Stars
***ARC
generously supplied courtesy of Montlake Romance via NetGalley***
Michelle A. Valentine is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Rock the Heart. Wicked White is the first novel in her Wicked White romance series. She attended college as a drafting and design major, but her love of people soon persuaded her to join the nursing field. It wasn’t until after the birth of her son that she began her love affair with romance novels, and she hasn’t looked back since. When she’s not writing, she feeds her music addiction, dabbles in party planning, and expresses herself by working with arts and crafts. She currently lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, son, and two beloved dogs.
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