Review - Lead by Kylie Scott

Title: Lead (Stage Dive book 3)
Author: Kylie Scott
Age Group: New Adult
Release Date: 29th July 2014
Publishers: St. Martin's Griffin
Rating: 5 stars
Available from: Amazon AU
Source: Publisher on Netgalley

As the lead singer of Stage Dive, Jimmy is used to getting whatever he wants, whenever he wants it, whether it's booze, drugs, or women. However, when a PR disaster serves as a wake-up call about his life and lands him in rehab, he finds himself with Lena, a new assistant to keep him out of trouble. 　 

Lena's not willing to take any crap from the sexy rocker and is determined to keep their relationship completely professional, despite their sizzling chemistry. But when Jimmy pushes her too far and Lena leaves, he realizes that he may just have lost the best thing that ever happened to him.

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Lead is such a fantastic read. Each book in Kylie Scott's Stage Dive series just gets better and better. What I loved about Lead was how the romance was drawn out; Lena and Jimmy seem to fight over everything, they don't even seem to like each other all that much. Nothing was rushed and I felt so much more anticipation while reading. Their chemistry is combustible when they finally decide to do something about it.

Being able to learn so much about Jimmy and Lena first was great. Lena is witty and sarcastic, always countering his bad moods with humour. She's able to see past the cocky facade Jimmy has, to the vulnerable man inside. I loved that Lena was a bigger girl, she felt more real. Especially when she talks about her body image and that she loves pie a little too much. I love how she's never afraid to speak her mind.

As the story progresses we learn more and more about Jimmy and why he is the way he is. It's easy to see why Lena falls in love with him. Of course, he also gives you plenty of reason to want to smack him upside the head. I think Jimmy has to be my favourite of the Stage Dive boys. He's got a hard shell, but once you get past it you find he's  sweet and sensitive. The fact that he's basically sex on legs doesn't hurt either. He certainly knows how to use his hands and mouth. 

Lead does not disappoint. Kylie brings her trademark humour to the pages, along with a healthy dose of emotion and steam. I'm really looking forward to seeing how she's going to top this one. I can't wait for Ben's story in Deep. Bring on 2015!

Before He Was Gone by Becky Wicks - Excerpt

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU'VE BEEN DESERTED?

When her rock star boyfriend breaks things off out of the blue, Alyssa applies to hit reality TV show Deserted and to her shock she gets through. Abandoned on a remote island with a bunch of strangers and none of the luxuries she’s become accustomed to, it’s not long before an undeniable attraction to the mysterious Joshua starts complicating things even further.

Joshua's different to everyone she's ever known - a traveller, a man with no plan, a world away from the celebrity life she's left behind. As a series of challenges test their wits and weaknesses, things start heating up in paradise, but in a game designed to break people down, it soon becomes clear that Joshua is hiding a painful secret - one he won’t risk anyone finding out. 

Struggling to know where she belongs, Alyssa will have to choose - a life she once loved that wants her back, or a brand new reality that heartbreakingly may just have its limits.

Goodreads | Netgalley 

Excerpt 

  

I watch Joshua pick up the spear again. The lion roars at me from his arm as he pulls the fish off the end and walks to the shore to wash them off. My eyes trace the lines of his shoulder muscles. I flashback to last night… and this morning. We couldn’t get beyond PG-13 before the cameras arrived, circling the rocks in the water again like sharks. 

I wasn’t exactly applying logic to my actions last night, though. Kissing him took me to another planet entirely. What if the entire U.S just saw me crushing this sand couch and now they’re watching me standing here, acting like I have no clue what happened?

Journey glowers at me. Joshua doesn’t turn around. Owning up would be the right thing to do in any regular situation, yes, but everyone knows the second a couple hook up on Deserted, the others turn against you. You’re viewed as a threat. I need to think. I need to talk to him, but he’s turned around now and he’s still not looking at anyone. Maybe we shouldn’t have stayed out so late, but the more we talk the more we have to say. We’d only been asleep a couple of hours before he was waking me up and taking me spearfishing.

Between dives this morning, Joshua told me about a guy he worked with once, out in Arizona, who lived in the desert because he was afraid of some watery abyss:

‘You know, eighty percent of all life on this planet is under the ocean,’ he said, his flecked eyes boring into me under the sun. ‘The world’s biggest waterfall, the biggest mountain range...’

‘Yup. And there’s more historical stuff down there - more planes and boats and secrets than in all the museums in all the world,’ I said, remembering my facts from school. ‘We know more about space than the sea,’ and he grinned. I could tell he was struggling not to kiss me and I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t kind of thrilling, being desired yet unattainable at the same time.

‘True. But this guy was terrified, seriously terrified that some alien force is going to come out of the ocean someday. I helped him build a bunker, so he’d be safe.’

‘I kind of want to meet this guy,’ I told him.

‘No you don’t, he’s crazy.’

‘Why were you there?’ I asked him.

‘I had nowhere else to be,’ he said.

I feel my pulse race again. Shan’s right, Joshua’s a dark horse for sure. For all he says to me now when we’re alone, there’s so much he’s not saying in front of them and it’s pissing people off. But there’s something that’s hurting him; I can’t get it out of my head. Joshua told us how Mike was defensive ‘cause of his fears, but I’m guessing at times he’s exactly the same. Whatever made him speak up against Stephanie’s beliefs stems from something he’s struggling with, alone.

I look on as he strokes the excess sand off the fish with his fingers carefully, stares out to the horizon. Maybe I’ll never know what’s haunting Joshua. What if he does get voted out next? The thought sends a bolt of dread through my core but I force my head back on straight, tear my eyes away from his body. I have to stay sharp. I’m not here for a guy. I’m here for a million dollars.

I’m a writer, originally from the UK. Since graduating Lincoln University with a degree in Media Production I’ve lived and worked in London, New York, Dubai, Sydney and Bali, and at the moment I’m alternating between the UK and the US, trying to figure out where I belong.

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Cover reveal - Conspiracy Girl by Sarah Alderson

I'm really excited for the cover reveal of Sarah's next book Conspiracy Girl! What do you think? Don't forget to add it to your TBR!

Expected publication date: February 15th 2015

Goodreads

Amazon

Everybody knows about the Cooper Killings – the Bel Air home invasion that rocked the nation.
There was only one survivor - a sixteen year-old girl.
And though the killers were caught they walked free.

Now eighteen, Nic Preston - the girl who survived - is trying hard to rebuild her life. She’s security conscious to the point of paranoia and her only friend is a French Mastiff bulldog, but she’s making progress. She’s started college in New York and has even begun dating.

But then one night her apartment is broken into and the life Nic’s worked so hard to create is shattered in an instant. 

Finn Carter - hacker, rule breaker, player – is the last person Nic ever wants to see again. He’s the reason her mother’s killers walked free from court. But as the people hunting her close in, Nic has to accept that her best and possibly only chance of staying alive is by keeping close to Finn and learning to trust the person she’s sworn to hate.

Fleeing across a snowbound New England, frantically trying to uncover the motive behind the murders, Nic and Finn come to realize the conspiracy is bigger than they could ever have suspected. But the closer they get to the truth and the closer they get to each other, the greater the danger becomes.

To survive she has to stay close to him.
To keep her safe he has to keep his distance.

EXCERPT

What’s in all the boxes?’ I ask, choosing to ignore the comment.

Finn finishes chewing his mouthful of chicken. ‘You ask a lot of questions,’ he remarks.

‘You don’t answer many.’

‘It’s stuff for Martha Stewart,’ he says, tilting his chin in the direction of the boxes stacked by the door.

‘I’m sorry?’

‘A lot of companies ask her to endorse their products.’

I wait for him to finish his explanation but it appears he’s done explaining.

‘And?’ I push. ‘What are you to Martha Stewart? Is she some kind of relation?’

He laughs. ‘No. I just -’ he clears his throat and tosses another chunk of chicken to Goz. ‘I thought I would do her a favour. You know, help her upcycle.’

‘What are you talking about?’ I ask, staring blankly at him.

‘She gets sent an obscene about of stuff. Pasta makers and cupcake trays and Magimixes from the future. All from companies who want her to promote and endorse their stuff. So I figured, rather than have it all go to waste, because there’s no way she’s going to ever use it all, I would have it diverted to me instead. And what I don’t want I give to the Goodwill.’

I set my knife and fork down. ‘You’re not joking are you?’ I ask.