This book left me with a smile on my face. I absolutely loved it. From page one I was sucked into the drama of Jake and Tru and I couldn’t stop reading. I was obsessed. I was thinking about it while at work, wishing it was excruciatingly slow so that I could read.

Jake Wethers is a guy with issues. After dealing with the death of a close friend he goes off the rails and into rehab. He is screwed up and he makes for a great read. He’s a recovering addict, party boy, playboy but he loves Tru above all else and that shows.

I loved the relationship between Tru and Jake. They had been childhood best friends and lost touch after Jake’s family moved away. They reconnect in the beginning of the book and find out that both had had crushes on the other when they were teenagers. The connection was instant and the history between the two really shined through.

Music played a huge part in this book. Both Jake and Tru grew up on music at the hand of her father. Music was instrumental to them. It defined their lives. Since I also grew up that way, I could relate to that. There was a particular passage that brought tears to my eyes just for its meaning alone:

“If you, Jake Wethers, had to pick one song as your title song to describe yourself, what would it be – and it can’t be one of your own,” I quickly add.
“Hurt,” he answers without hesitation.
It makes me hurt inside he picked that song.
“Why?”
He lets out a light sigh. “Some people said Reznor was writing a lyrical suicide note, others said he was writing about finding a reason to live. I think it’s both…it just depends on which side you’re looking at it from.”
“And which side are you looking at it from?”
He stares at me from a long moment. My heart is hammering in my chest.
“Now? …a reason to live.”
My insides start to tremble.
“Reznor’s version or Johnny Cash’s?” I ask quietly, trying to conceal the pain from my voice.
“Johnny Cash.”
“Why?”
He closes his eyes briefly. And in this moment I just want to magic up all the power in the world to soothe his pains away.
“Because I have a few things in common with him,” he answers, opening his eyes.
“Like?”
“The drugs…the women…hanging out for the girl of my dreams.”
I take a sharp breath in. tears instantly prick the backs of my eyes.
He touches my face, his thumb smoothing over my lips. “You’re my June, Tru.”

That same passage comes back at the end of the book when Jake switches the song from Cash’s version to Reznor’s. It left me blinking back tears. Here are links to both versions so you get an idea of the differences:
Johnny Cash's "Hurt"
Trent Reznor's "Hurt"

Just listening to the differences in the songs is enough to make me tear up for Jake. The end was perfect for this couple and this book. Music was what reconnected them in the beginning of the book, so it was perfectly fitting that music would mend the rift between them. When nothing else would show Tru exactly what Jake was feeling, Reznor’s song got through to her.

Another song that Jake sings in the book is Wicked Game by Chris Isaak. A really great version that is perfect for Jake is by Three Days Grace.

This book has definitely earned a place on my “favorites” shelf and I will absolutely be re-reading it. And since the author recently announced that there will be a sequel, I'll be anxiously waiting for it.

Spoiler

And if you’re interested in band photos:

Spoiler

Jake:

Denny:

Tom:

Smith:

Stuart (technically not a member of the band but he's Jake's right hand man):

Jake and Tru:

Loved Tru and Jake! Can't wait to see what happens next!

I need more

Trudy e Jake si fanno amare da subito ma per il resto la storia ha delle falle sulle quali non posso sorvolare.
Le scelte che Tru prende da quando incontra di nuovo Jake in poi sono poco veritiere e rendono poco convincente tutta la storia.
Per non parlare degli ultimi capitoli dove lei non vuole tornare con lui ma all'ultimo concerto cambia idea appena vede l'anello.

I enjoy rock star themed books, and Tru and Jake's story had highs and lows.

Review to come

Smokin' hot and sweet!
The mighty storm was a really pleasant read.

Quick summary:
Tru is a music journalist, has a nice pretty boyfriend and her life is all unicorns and rainbows. But one day she's asked to interview his long-lost bestfriend (and first love) Jake Wethers. He's a legendary rock star that hasn't forget their past and will do everything to get her back in his life. Permanently.

Sooooo... where to begin? It was amazing. Simply amazing.
The characters were funny, believable and the dynamics perfect.

Jake is so sweet and it was good to see the man behind the rockstar along with the stage-animal musician. I believe it scientifically impossible not to fall for him. And not just because he's hot and tatooed and has a troubled past. But because he's so sweet with Tru. Sure, he has his flaws too and can be a prime jerk sometimes. That misanderstanding at the end of the book broke me heart in shrapnel but no cliffhangers here. Fortunately. The happy ending is guaranteed and it's a very sweet happy ending. I'm just kind of disappointed the author wrapped it up in the last ten or so pages.

Tru, actually, was a little annoying, especially when she juggled between the two boys while knowing exactly which choice she wanted to make. Anyway, I loved it. Completely. Utterly. Undeniably. Terminally.

Looking forward to reading Wethering the Storm...

Goodreads really needs to do half and quarter stars!!! I give this book 3.75 stars! Jake Whethers might be hot but he acts like a three year old throwing a tantrum! Takes his hottness away for me. I don't like when the woman has to be a "mom" to her man!!! Tru needed to put this guy in a red room of pain for a good 6 hours!!!

- Ratings: -
Characters: 4/5
Spice: 2/5
Story: 3/5
Pacing: 5/5

Overall: 4.0/5 - Kind of conflicted with this one. The characters were addicting and I was absolutely rooting for them. Tru aggravated me because I think I could relate to her a little too much. Her cowardice and fear vs. her empathy but lack of confidence was a storm (har har) I felt all to familiar with. It was exposing and I found when she made terrible decisions, it was hard to read through. Despite all her shortcomings and the unhealthy beginnings of their rekindled relationship, I wanted her and Jake to overcome it all. His repeated patterns of addiction were painful to watch but the hopeless romantic in me wanted him to redeem himself and regain her trust. The ending to this book is just...ughhhhhh. It's not a solution. No matter how much I wish it was for their sakes, it was a terrible situation and I was mentally screaming the entire time. I'm so conflicted if I want to read the next book because this was not closure but it's been a rollercoaster of drama and emotions. I've read other books by this author and fell in love with her. This book was another I can honestly say I didn't want to put down but damn it was torture.

I really really wanted to love this book because the premise is really very cute. Who can resist a bad boy rock star, after all? Throw in the fact that they were childhood friends who were in love and lost touch... lovely. However, while I enjoyed the story, it just wasn't 5 stars for me.

I liked Trudy and I liked Jake. As a Puerto Rican myself, I was a bit put off with her attempts at Spanish (half the time, she was using terms that are used in Spain, but if she learned Spanish from her Puerto Rican mother, she'd never be using them), but that doesn't matter too much. I liked that she wasn't afraid of being girly, but she is also into rock music and wanted to be a serious journalist. She's self-sufficient and self-assured for the most part. Jake is absolutely adorable, if a bit on the unrealistic side (but hey, it's a fantasy, so that's fine).

Regarding her relationship with Will, another reviewer noted that it seemed like a manufactured plot device and I have to agree. It seemed forced and way too easily discarded when the time came to cheat on him with a guy who she really barely knows at this point.

One good thing I was glad for was that the author didn't drag out the Will/Trudy/Jake triangle for TOO long, as opposed to in "Thoughtless", for example, where the entire book was a frustrating circle of back and forth between two men. However, while the book started out promising, the latter third just went too fast in my opinion. I won't give away any spoilers, but Tru's turn in attitude almost gave me whiplash towards the end. I couldn't follow her train of thought and her decisions just seemed unrealistic to me. The "HEA" was just... sudden. I know the book continues, but as far as first books go, it was kind of weak.

My other beef is that this book is in serious need of proof reading. More so than other independently published books I have read recently. I can overlook a few typos and mistakes, but in this case, to me, they detracted from the reading experience and sometimes even tripped me up and forced me to re-read some sentences. The narrative also suffered from the occasional over description and even felt a bit disjointed at times. It could have just used some more editing before publishing.

That said, I did enjoy the overall story and found the characters likable. I wouldn't put this at the top of my recommendation list, but it was a fun way to pass the day. I'll certainly check out the next one to see where the author takes it.