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Review

I never knew how much I missed the Stage Dive crew until I read Strong. This series is definitely one of my favorites and Strong was a great reminder of how much I loved them all. And it made me want to do a re-read, ASAP! Of course, I loved this book but my only gripes were that it was way too short for my liking and I wanted more romance between Sam and Martha. It wasn’t quite enough for me to be completely hooked into their story. AND, Martha … well if you’re familiar with this series, she doesn’t rank high with many. So it took some time to come around to her.

Sammmmm, I’ve always loved the Stage Dive bodyguard and was eager to get his story. He’s a man that knows exactly what he wants and time did nothing to hinder that. And his eyes were set on Martha. I loved how he just sees everything, which probably makes him a great bodyguard, but he constantly has a great read on Martha. It was pretty obvious that they probably had a bit of unrequited love for each other and just decided to wait ten years to do something about it.

Strong turned out to be a quick and sweet read. I loved watching Sam barrel towards Martha and doing what he can to make her, his. Even with my hang-ups about Martha, she redeemed herself in the end. Even though this was a novella, I’d still be elated if Kylie Scott decided to just add more and make it a full-length novel 😉

[rating stars=”four-stars”]

Excerpt

“Ooh, busted,” said Lizzy. “The bodyguard caught you looking.”

“Shut it.” I inched my chin up a bit, trying not to frown because frowning gave you lines. “Sam and I have known each other for years and nothing has ever happened. You’re completely wrong about this.”

“Am I?”

“Yes, there’s nothing between us.”

“So that’s why you were staring at him?”

I chose not to answer that. “And you know he prefers to be called executive protection officer instead of bodyguard.”

At this, Lizzy burst out giggling, a malicious glee in her eyes. No wonder I liked my sister-in-law these days.

Ben shot us both an irritated glance. We both ignored it.

Of course, I’d known Sam would probably be here. Rock stars going out in public could be a delicate thing. People had a tendency to get overexcited. And while one person wanting an autograph wasn’t a problem, twenty or thirty of them suddenly swarming definitely could be. Having once been part of the entourage, I’d seen it happen to Ben and his fellow Stage Dive band members enough times to be wary. And you couldn’t get by with ordinary security. Rock stars needed protection from their over-zealous fans, but on the other hand they didn’t want the fans roughed up or hurt in any way. It required a delicate balance: control, experience, and a whole gamut of scary physical skills. Hence Sam.

Still, Portland seemed generally less crazy than the good old days back in LA. All of the guys seemed calmer and more settled away from the constant craziness of the party scene. Not to mention the effect of all of the wives/partners and various offspring. The biggest rock band in the world had officially been domesticated.

It was kind of cute. Or sad. I don’t know.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to stir you,” she lied. “What do you think of your brother’s new musical bromance?”

On the small stage set up in the corner of the room, a young man wailed his heart out while playing an acoustic guitar. Much angst about a girl who only called him after midnight. Trust a rockster to turn a simple booty call into a heartbreaking ballad. The song was damn good though. He had talent. If only I hadn’t had my fill of the type when I was younger. The kid looked to be in his early to mid-twenties. Lanky with lots of tattoos. Your typical rock ’n roll Prince Charming. Gag. These days my type ran more toward…actually, what I needed or wanted in a male was a total mystery.

And my gaze did not stray back to Sam. That did not happen.