Made in Jersey #1.5
By:
Tessa Bailey
Publisher:
Evil Eye Concepts
Published:
March 8, 2016
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Goodreads
Source:
eARC from publisher in exchange for a honest review
Book Summary:
God help the woman I take home tonight.
Band manager James Brandon never expected to find the elusive satisfaction he’d been chasing, let alone stumble upon it in some sleezy Hollywood meat market. Yet the girl’s quiet pride spoke to him from across the bar, louder than a shout. Troubled, hungry and homeless, she’d placed her trust in him. But after losing the grip on his dark desires that one fateful night, James has spent the last four years atoning for letting her down.
This time I’ll finally crack him.
Rock band drummer Lita Regina has had enough of James’s guilt. She wants the explosive man she met that night in Hollywood. The man who held nothing back and took no prisoners—save Lita. And she’ll stop at nothing to revive him. Even if it means throwing herself into peril at every turn, just to get a reaction from her stoic manager. But when Lita takes her quest one step too far, James disappears from her life, thinking his absence will keep her safe.
Now it’s up to Lita to bring James back…and ignite an inferno of passion in the process.
Reader Advisory: ROUGH RHYTHM contains fantasies of nonconsensual sex, acted upon by consenting characters. Readers with sensitivity to portrayals of nonconsensual sex should be advised.
Lindy's Thoughts:
I have been waiting anxiously for James and Lita's story ever sense I got to witness their blazing hot chemistry in, Crashed Out. Their story did not disappoint! It was sexy, sensually erotic, and romantic.
James helped Lita get off of the streets, and make her dreams of becoming a successful drummer in a band come true. They shared a scorchingly hot one night stand, that left James feeling guilty, because he thought he was too rough with Lita in bed. After one taste of James, Lita wanted more.
For four years, Lita has been doing everything that she can to get James' attention. She knows that he wants her as much as she wants him, but still he stubbornly resists. James has done everything in his power to protect and take care of Lita, and he feels that the number one person that he needs to protect her from is himself.
He has dark sexual desires, that he considers twisted, and too violent. In part, his own insecurities stem from growing up in the household of an abusive father. James worries that he has inherited his father's darkness. Will Lita finally be able to convince him that they belong together, and that he is just what she needs?
Rough Rhythm was a fast-paced, sexually charged, aphrodisiac of a read! I loved every moment of James and Lita's story. Tessa Bailey writes some of the sexiest alpha males, and James will not disappoint you romance lovers!
I think the novella was the perfect length, and Ms. Bailey was able to develop the story plot and characters perfectly within the length of the story. I was pleasantly surprised when she added depth to James' character by discussing his insecurities, where they stemmed from, and made them one of the focal points of the story. I also enjoyed how Rough Rhythm was told from both James and Lita's dual perspectives, and how we got a few glimpses into the first time they met.
My Rating:
Mikki's Review:
Rough Rhythm has been such a surprising and unputdownable reading journey. Tessa Bailey has been taking risks in her last few novels and let me tell you that stepping out of my comfort zone has never been more exciting! Her sexy imagination and her captivating writing style always deliver an unforgettable reading escape. If you have not read anything by this author, I highly suggest that you add her to your TBR list. You will not be disappointed!
Lita and Jare are introduced in Crashed Out, which is the first installment of the Made in Jersey series. Rough Rhythm can be read as a standalone. It has a totally different vibe from Crashed Out or any other novel that Tessa Bailey has written. This story has a protective hero with a dark side and a feisty heroine that knows exactly what she wants. James is the band manager of Old News, which is the rockband Lita plays in. It's not every day that you read about a kickass drummer like Lita. She's a fierce heroine and her number one goal is to make James realize that they belong together. To make him understand that their hearts beat to a unique melody written only for them.
There is a twelve-year age difference between Lita and James. I personally don't think that age matters when it comes to the person you love. Lita is very mature for her age because of everything that has happened in her life. She's a fighter and she will do whatever it takes to break down each wall that James is so fiercely putting up. James is worried that his dark desires will push Lita away. You can feel that his love for Lita runs deep, but he's afraid to lose control around her.
Tessa Bailey wrote a perfect love story for these two unique characters. I have to admit that I'm usually crushing on Tessa Bailey's alpha males, but in this series the ladies are totally stealing the spotlight! Don't even get me started on the sheet scorching scenes in this book!!!! Lita and James are FIRE together! When they are in the same room, it's an explosion of sexiness. *Fans Self* Please make sure you read the Reader Advisory before starting this book. Fans of Tessa Bailey will discover a new side to her writing style and new fans will be begging for more!
Lita and Jare are introduced in Crashed Out, which is the first installment of the Made in Jersey series. Rough Rhythm can be read as a standalone. It has a totally different vibe from Crashed Out or any other novel that Tessa Bailey has written. This story has a protective hero with a dark side and a feisty heroine that knows exactly what she wants. James is the band manager of Old News, which is the rockband Lita plays in. It's not every day that you read about a kickass drummer like Lita. She's a fierce heroine and her number one goal is to make James realize that they belong together. To make him understand that their hearts beat to a unique melody written only for them.
There is a twelve-year age difference between Lita and James. I personally don't think that age matters when it comes to the person you love. Lita is very mature for her age because of everything that has happened in her life. She's a fighter and she will do whatever it takes to break down each wall that James is so fiercely putting up. James is worried that his dark desires will push Lita away. You can feel that his love for Lita runs deep, but he's afraid to lose control around her.
Tessa Bailey wrote a perfect love story for these two unique characters. I have to admit that I'm usually crushing on Tessa Bailey's alpha males, but in this series the ladies are totally stealing the spotlight! Don't even get me started on the sheet scorching scenes in this book!!!! Lita and James are FIRE together! When they are in the same room, it's an explosion of sexiness. *Fans Self* Please make sure you read the Reader Advisory before starting this book. Fans of Tessa Bailey will discover a new side to her writing style and new fans will be begging for more!
My Rating:
I give, Rough Rhythm, by Tessa Bailey, 4.5 dark fantasies, intense, erotically charged, page-turning stars!
Book Teasers:
Book Excerpt:
“Oh, goddamn you.” Lita plucked the card from his fingers and hurled it back into the hallway with a muffled scream. “Four years leads to this, huh? You’re just going to dump me in this fucking…”—she waved her hands to encompass the hotel—“…rock star purgatory and bail? If you’re doing this to teach me a lesson, I will never forgive you, James.”
“I’m not.” He cleared the cobwebs from his throat. “That’s not what this is.”
Without looking at Lita, he knew she’d be chewing her bottom lip, leaving teeth marks that would take until nighttime to fade. “I guess we really meant a lot to you if it’s this easy. No notice. Just…peace out, suckers.”
James swallowed the urge to shake her. “I think you know this is the furthest thing from easy.”
“No. I don’t know anything,” she shouted, before several silent beats passed. “Except that you’re a coward. You can’t even look me in the eye.”
He surged forward, pushing her back against the doorjamb. Going to break. Too much. I shouldn’t have come up here. He’d made the mistake of looking down into green eyes swimming with moisture, calling her bluff. “Does the thought of you hurting yourself to get my attention make me a coward? Yes? So be it, Lita.” His fingernails dug into the flesh of his palms. “If something happened to you, I wouldn’t make it to the next sunrise.”
Lita’s body deflated, head falling back. “You can’t say something like that and leave,” she said, lips hardly moving. “It’s cruel.”
“I’m a cruel man.”
“No.” Lita moved into the elegant room, booted feet dragging. A miniature hurricane in a gilded cage. He’d chosen the room himself, another sign of his madness, his need to control her surroundings. Have knowledge of everything she touched. His neck grew hot when she turned, sliding a gaze down his front.
Turning and leaving was imperative at that moment, but he couldn’t resist hearing what she would say next. Delaying the good-bye.
“Remember what you called me the first night we met?” She sat down on the edge of the bed.
“Before you leave, call me that one more time.”
“No.”
“I’m not.” He cleared the cobwebs from his throat. “That’s not what this is.”
Without looking at Lita, he knew she’d be chewing her bottom lip, leaving teeth marks that would take until nighttime to fade. “I guess we really meant a lot to you if it’s this easy. No notice. Just…peace out, suckers.”
James swallowed the urge to shake her. “I think you know this is the furthest thing from easy.”
“No. I don’t know anything,” she shouted, before several silent beats passed. “Except that you’re a coward. You can’t even look me in the eye.”
He surged forward, pushing her back against the doorjamb. Going to break. Too much. I shouldn’t have come up here. He’d made the mistake of looking down into green eyes swimming with moisture, calling her bluff. “Does the thought of you hurting yourself to get my attention make me a coward? Yes? So be it, Lita.” His fingernails dug into the flesh of his palms. “If something happened to you, I wouldn’t make it to the next sunrise.”
Lita’s body deflated, head falling back. “You can’t say something like that and leave,” she said, lips hardly moving. “It’s cruel.”
“I’m a cruel man.”
“No.” Lita moved into the elegant room, booted feet dragging. A miniature hurricane in a gilded cage. He’d chosen the room himself, another sign of his madness, his need to control her surroundings. Have knowledge of everything she touched. His neck grew hot when she turned, sliding a gaze down his front.
Turning and leaving was imperative at that moment, but he couldn’t resist hearing what she would say next. Delaying the good-bye.
“Remember what you called me the first night we met?” She sat down on the edge of the bed.
“Before you leave, call me that one more time.”
“No.”
About Tessa Bailey:
Tessa Bailey is originally from Carlsbad, California. The day after high school graduation, she packed her yearbook, ripped jeans and laptop, driving cross-country to New York City in under four days.
Her most valuable life experiences were learned thereafter while waitressing at K-Dees, a Manhattan pub owned by her uncle. Inside those four walls, she met her husband, best friend and discovered the magic of classic rock, managing to put herself through Kingsborough Community College and the English program at Pace University at the same time. Several stunted attempts to enter the work force as a journalist followed, but romance writing continued to demand her attention.
She now lives in Long Island, New York with her husband of eight years and four-year-old daughter. Although she is severely sleep-deprived, she is incredibly happy to be living her dream of writing about people falling in love.
Her most valuable life experiences were learned thereafter while waitressing at K-Dees, a Manhattan pub owned by her uncle. Inside those four walls, she met her husband, best friend and discovered the magic of classic rock, managing to put herself through Kingsborough Community College and the English program at Pace University at the same time. Several stunted attempts to enter the work force as a journalist followed, but romance writing continued to demand her attention.
She now lives in Long Island, New York with her husband of eight years and four-year-old daughter. Although she is severely sleep-deprived, she is incredibly happy to be living her dream of writing about people falling in love.
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