I Want You To Want Me by Erika Kelly ~ Review & Giveaway

Source:  Received paperback from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

From the award-winning author of You Really Got Me comes the next romance in her red-hot Rock Star Romance series, about a rocker who lives for his music—and loves with all his heart.

Derek Valencia finally has the success he’s worked so hard for. His band is touring its debut album and great reviews are rolling in. But when pictures of him tossing naked groupies off a balcony go viral, it’s damage-control time. He’s assigned a “babysitter” whose sole job is to keep him out of trouble.

Violet Davis swore she’d never work in the music industry again, but being a minder for a rock star will earn her enough to pay off the mortgage on her wildflower farm. And for a girl brought up in the foster care system, owning her own home means more to her than anything.

Though at first the two bang heads, the rocker and the farm girl soon grow close and realize that they make sweet music together. But can a girl who craves the stability of life on a farm really make it work with a man whose life is spent on the road with his band?

 Available 7/7/15

Review...

I'm a sucker for rocker stories.  Always love it when a crazy rocker falls in love and doesn't want anyone but his girl.  Such a enjoyable troupe for me.

I loved Derek.  He's not the one needing a babysitter in this story.  He's a good guy who's father was also a musician.  His dad is a jerk that never gave him the time of day until he started touring and getting noticed in the press.  In fact, he was an abusive creep that pushed Derek away.  Derek bailed on him at age seventeen and never looked back.  Now he's touring and his dad thinks it's fun to poke at him through the press.  Not a fan of his dad.  But Derek, I love.  He wants to prove that's he's good and talented in his own right - nothing to do with his dad.  But one of his band mates has issues and that's where Violet comes in.

And Derek falls for Violet.  He's never been into the groupies.  He has understanding with women for their mutual benefit.  But when he meets Violet, that changes.  He's desperate to be with her and only her.   But she takes a lot of convincing.  And he needs to deal with his dad.

Violet is a hard one for me to like.  She's convinced herself that she can't love anyone.  She's the calm and cool one in the room but that's because she's got no emotions.  Not really true but she believes it anyway.  Her childhood was spend in foster care and she's been convinced that her lack of nurturing as a child has harmed her to the point that she can't feel like others can.  So this whole thing made it hard for me to connect with her.  I frequently wanted to smack some sense into her.  I saw her feelings and the way she let down her guard when Derek was around, became the real her.  It just took a lot to convince her.

The writing in this one is great.  I enjoyed reading it and the story had my emotions raging.  You can ask Jess - I was blowing up her phone with text message whenever I was screaming at the characters.  I really believe that when a writer can get my emotions that involved, they've succeeded in making it real to me.

This is the second in the series but it definitely stands alone.  I haven't read the first one but now I want to.  I enjoyed all the characters.  The tight family they are as a band is awesome.  I wonder what's up for Pete and his issues.  I really enjoyed Em and Johny - they are freaking adorable together.  Ben and Coop are fun too.  I'm hoping they all get their story.

The heat is high in this one.  The chemistry between Derek and Violet is strong and her resistance makes the sexual tension off the charts.  But then that ruptures into some very hot and sexy times.  

If you love those good rocker stories, then you should check this one out!

Giveaway...

The author is sponsoring a giveaway for an ARC of I Want You To Want Me.

International

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