Nalini Singh
Publisher: TKA
Date: 9th September 2014
Format: e-ARC
Genre: Contemporary romance
ContemporarySource: TKA Distribution via NetGalley
A bad boy wrapped in a sexy, muscled, grown-up package might be worth a little risk…
Molly Webster has always followed the rules. After an ugly scandal tore apart her childhood and made her the focus of the media’s harsh spotlight, she vowed to live an ordinary life. No fame. No impropriety. No pain. Then she meets Zachary Fox, a tattooed bad boy rocker with a voice like whiskey and sin, and a touch that could become an addiction.
A one-night stand with the hottest rock star on the planet, that’s all it was meant to be… Fox promises scorching heat and dangerous pleasure, coaxing Molly to extend their one-night stand into a one-month fling. After that, he’ll be gone forever, his life never again intersecting with her own. Sex and sin and sensual indulgence, all with an expiration date. No ties, no regrets. Too late, Molly realizes it isn’t only her body that’s become addicted to Fox, but her heart…
Rock Addiction by Nalini Singh is the first in a new series - a change of pace into the contemporary genre. I have only read her paranormal and urban fantasy books, and am so addicted to them. I jumped at the chance to read this book. I have to say I am very much on the fence or more aptly split on this one. I have just noticed that the Romantic Times labelled this one a Scorcher and I'd agree!! Authors write obviously for an audience - I think I don't fit there sadly. Sadly, because I did care about the characters and do want to know about their stories.
There was much that I liked about the book. Molly was a quiet librarian, scarred by her rise to 'fame' in her teens when her father got himself into a compromising situation with a young girl. Molly now above all wants to avoid media interest. I liked her quite a bit, at times I wanted her to show more strength but in many ways she does show she is made of strong material. Through the story she grows as a person and is able to overcome her fears, fears that would make her totally the wrong person for Fox.
Fox too has been scarred by his past, yet he has already risen above it, and with Molly he discovers something that has always been missing in his life. He likes to portray a 'hard rocker' image, but in actual fact he is caring, loyal and wise. David, Abe and Noah his band mates know this side of him. I also enjoyed being introduced to these last three, they all are going to take their turn in the limelight.
This book is well written - I'd expect that from Nalini Singh, I loved the two settings - New Zealand and USA. The exploration of the harm some people can do to make money from the publishing of inappropriate material wrongfully gained added to this book. I also liked the counter balance of the power of the fan world for good.
However what has me decided that this series isn't for me is the HEAT of this book, it is up there on the barometer. If you like hot and sexy, then this book is for you. This book had way too many sex scenes for my liking. It felt like 50% 'in the bedroom' and 50% everything else. I am sure that is an exaggeration - but just saying that's how it felt to me. It's why my personal rating for this book is down. I can understand how others who love this kind of book will rate it higher.
NEW YORK TIMES AND USA Today bestselling author of the Psy-Changeling and Guild Hunter series Nalini Singh usually writes about hot shapeshifters and dangerous angels. This time around, she decided to write about a hot and wickedly tempting rock star. If you’re seeing a theme here, you’re not wrong.
Nalini 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 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. Once Rock Addiction is out, swing by the site to check out the special behind-the-scenes page, complete with photos of many of the locations used in the book.
I can understand, that kind of thing is very personal ... I enjoyed your review and I do like hot and sexy but I think the heat in the psy-changeling series is more my thing. How do you think it compares to the heat in Detained?
ReplyDeleteSheree this is a good question, that I have asked myself and just can't quite answer to my satisfaction. Detained was hot - but I am not even sure that I mentioned that in my review! I just love the Psy/Changling and find them hot but not to the point of erotic literature. I think this one - Rock Addiction borders on being erotic, but then I don't think I have read a book labelled erotic! Today many writers have their books a little hotter than I like, but their writing is so dang good that I just read them! Ainslie Paton being one! Nalini Singh another. So muddled I am. Anyway that's where I am at present. Someone who writes with about the level I am comfortable with is Kristan Higgins.
DeleteI'm intrigued by the New Zealand/USA setting, though I'm not so into the extra steamy romances these days.
ReplyDeleteDiane I am so with you on the extra steamy! Of course Nalini S does the NZ really well because she lives here but travels a lot, so I liked what she did with the two settings.
Delete