Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Review: Play by Kylie Scott

Play (Stage Dive, #2)
Play by Kylie Scott
(Stage Dive #2)
March 25, 2014
St. Martin's Griffin publisher
304 pages
Genre: Contemporary Romance 18+
(Contains: detailed sex, mature language)
Source: Personal purchase
 
Synopsis:
Mal Ericson, drummer for the world famous rock band Stage Dive, needs to clean up his image fast—at least for a little while. Having a good girl on his arm should do the job just fine. Mal doesn’t plan on this temporary fix becoming permanent, but he didn’t count on finding the one right girl. Anne Rollins never thought she’d ever meet the rock god who plastered her teenage bedroom walls—especially not under these circumstances. Anne has money problems. Big ones. But being paid to play the pretend girlfriend to a wild life-of-the-party drummer couldn’t end well. No matter how hot he is. Or could it?
My Review:
 
I absolutely loved this book! My only problem with it was that I didn't read it sooner. (You can read my reasons why here: my Lessons from Stage Dive.) I already loved David and Evelyn from Lick. When I finally took the dive and read Play, I was a big Mal and Anne fan as well.
 
The story itself is the perfect blend of humor and seriousness. Mal and Anne have a lot going on in their personal lives. But via an impromptu invitation to a party and Mal's spontaneity, their worlds collide and their lives start to intertwine. For two people who have been trying to deal with their problems on their own, this opens them up to vulnerabilities they aren't used to, and so much more. I loved watching the story develop, watching their lives engage, and seeing the magic of their connection. Beyond their romantic relationship, this story also beautifully showcases family, love, and loss. But not just family by blood; family by love, by friendship, by kindness, by commitment. I laughed throughout the book, but I also felt deep emotions and may have even shed a tear. I loved the entire book! 
 
Then there are the characters. I loved Mal. Mal made me laugh and smile, and I mean laugh out loud and often. But Mal wasn't always the funnyman and seeing his layers and the depths of his soul made him so complete. He had it all going on, and I am officially a Mal fan. I also loved how he engaged with Anne. I loved their interactions. Anne was great. Yes, she has a history of being a doormat, but watching her grow, develop, and trust was encouraging. She wasn't perfect. Neither of them were. But they brought out the very best in each other, and isn't that what a partnership should do? We also get the whole band and then some. I loved seeing them all together. The band is a family through and through.
 
I loved Play. I love the Stage Dive series. It has everything you want in a great romantic rocker series, and blends the humor and the drama beautifully with characters you'll love.
 
5 STARS
 
STAGE DIVE Series Links: 
Lick (Stage Dive, #1)
#1: LICK
 
Play (Stage Dive, #2)
#2 PLAY
 
Lead (Stage Dive, #3)
#3 LEAD
 
Deep (Stage Dive, #4)
#4 DEEP
 

No comments:

Post a Comment

I love comments, so please feel free to share your thoughts.