Rock King – Tara Leigh – Book Review

In this novel by Tara Leigh we meet Rock King, Shane, and normal girl with secrets, Delaney. Let’s watch them struggle through their issues and fall in love.

ROCK KING by Tara Leigh

Publication Date: February 20, 2018
Publisher:  Forever
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Rockstar Romance
Length: 320 Pages
Purchase: Amazon 
Story Rating: 5/ 5
Romance Rating: 4/5

Hey everyone! This ebook was kindly provided by the author/publisher via Netgalley prior to release in exchange for my honest review.

Description: 

I’m not who you think I am.

Shane Hawthorne has it all. At least, that’s what the headlines say about me. I have millions of fans, awards, more money – and women – than I know what to do with. But what you don’t see is the wreckage I’ve caused. The memories and pain I can’t escape, even when I pour them into music and spin them into gold.

I tried to forget. To lose myself in booze and groupies. It didn’t work. It hurt me and – worse – it hurt my band. That’s the last thing I want to do, so I’m cleaning up my act… starting with Delaney Fraser.

Gorgeous, smart, drama-free, and even nice – Delaney is the perfect “girlfriend.” When I’m with her I don’t have to pretend. It’s like she sees the real me. And I can see a future with her. But that’s dangerous. Because the truth is, Shane Hawthorne doesn’t actually exist. He’s a shield to hide who I really am. Fraud. Runaway. Addict. Murderer.

And it’s impossible to love a lie, right?

Review:

To be honest, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to read another rock star romance. The last couple I’ve read have been good but not amazing and I like books to blow me away. Then I read the description, “Fraud. Runaway. Addict. Murderer.” and I had to know more. I love rock stars and I love dirty little secrets. I couldn’t resist.

From the beginning we know both Shane and Delaney have secrets that define them. They believe these secrets make them both unlovable and undeserving of love. Through this book we watch them work through their issues and trust each other for better or for worse. And sometimes, the result falls into the for worse category.

One thing I appreciated about this book is that Shane wasn’t overly alpha. He was used to getting his way, but he didn’t force his way into Delaney’s life or body. In fact, he even stopped when he worried she wasn’t into it, which made me like him a lot.

With that said, Delaney was still his hired pretend girlfriend in the beginning. Although the feelings they developed for each other were real, it took time to move past the contract.

This book dealt with shame, secrets and regret. Tara Leigh did a wonderful job of making sure the reader knew of the characters secrets. I understood why Delaney and Shane made the decisions they did and I was invested in their story waiting for the moments when they trusted each other and learned they weren’t unlovable.

I appreciated the honest glimpse Ms. Leigh gave us into Shane’s past with addiction. And the vulnerability in admitting his fake girlfriends also need to act as sobriety companions and a buffer between him and the rest of the world. The characters had to fight for their happily ever after and I’m so glad I could experience this roller coaster with them.

There is a lot of tension and angst in this book but it all resolved in the end and I wanted nothing but the best for Shane and Delaney. The characters were relatable and well developed and the plot was easy to follow. I would recommend this book for anyone interested in a refreshing twist of the rock star trope.

Tara Leigh is an author I hadn’t read in the past so I wasn’t sure what the expect. But she impressed me. The story was engaging and well written. I fell in love with Shane and Delaney which is pretty much the biggest thing I look for in a book. I’m sure I’ll be reading more from her in the future.

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