Wednesday, May 14, 2014

ARC REVIEW - WITH THE BAND (Luminescent Juliet #3) by Jean Haus:


TITLE: With the Band
SERIES: Luminescent Juliet
SERIES PLACEMENT: #3
AUTHOR: Jean Haus
AGE GROUP: New Adult
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
RELEASE DATE: May 13th, 2014
PUBLISHED BY: Skyscape
FORMAT: eBook and Paperback
PAGES: Approx. 274 Print

COPY PROVIDED BY: Author
MY GOODREADS REVIEW LINK
RATING: 4

BOOK BLURB:
When they get an offer to join a national tour, the musicians of Luminescent Juliet finally find their ticket to fame. But for Sam, the band's dazzling but troubled bassist, making sure his past stays locked away feels more important than winning the spotlight.

Then Peyton, a budding music journalist, joins the tour, tasked with chronicling the band's every move. She and Sam have a history, one that has made them enemies. Neither wants to deal with old pain and misunderstanding, and they agree to keep the past in the past. This is more than fine with Peyton, after all, it'll only help reassure her picture-perfect boyfriend back on campus that following the band is all totally professional.

Yet being forced to look at Sam in a new way brings Peyton a different perspective on the past?and his magnetic baby-blues and rippling muscles are hard to ignore. When the tour kicks into high gear, the real truth about their shared past comes to light, and Peyton is rocked by forces as passionate and chaotic as the music she loves.


This book is intended for mature teen audiences due to strong language and some sexual content.

REVIEWERS NOTE: I received this ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.


4 “I’m With The Band” Stars!
A Past Gone Wrong But Life Is All About Second Chances! 

The Review: 
I fell in love with this series on the first book, In The Band and my love kept going strong all the way through the second book Ink My Heart and reading With the Band only cemented how great this author is and how fantastic this series is.

Story...
Luminescent Juliet is going on tour! Asked to fill a spot on a pre-existing tour, the hottie from book one, lead guitarist, band manager and occasional songwriter, Romeo, accepts the spot without hesitation, knowing that this is their shot at getting some much deserved band attention. Along with touring, he knows they’ll need someone with writing experience to propel them into the spotlight using social networking sites to help promote them, so he contacts Peyton to manage and relate their tour experience to their fans with pictures and blog posts. 

Peyton, a music journalist major from their campus, agrees to join them but she has history with their bass player, Sam, and it’s not exactly a pretty past. Six weeks cramped on a tour bus with someone who you think hates you is the least of Peyton's problems. What happens when old feelings resurface, anger is revisited and forgiveness seems unattainable.

Characters...
Peyton and Sam have a complicated past. Peyton once dated Sam’s fraternal twin brother, Seth, and Sam and Peyton were great friends during that time... until one night that changed everything.

Three and a half years later, Peyton is in college and studying to be a music journalist, as music is her passion and has this singular chance to gain experience in something she loves. I really liked Peyton. She was strong and brave and she stood up for herself. But she didn’t have the best self image. Being a few pounds overweight in her youth has left a permanent impression of herself in her own mind. She knows she’s in a better place now, but those old insecurities have left their mark. She was very relatable. 

Sam and his fraternal twin Seth, knew Peyton from their high school years. While Seth loved being the center of attention at parties and singing in their small garage band, Sam was content with being in the background playing bass and sitting in a corner, reading and being friends with his brothers girlfriend, who only seemed to have eyes for Seth. But Sam is all grown up now and behind that cocky exterior lurks a darkness that seems to be leading him down a very wrong path.

Right from the start Peyton and Sam’s relationship was intense and angsty. They have this chasm between them but in order to make the band’s tour successful, they have to find a way to work around their issues.

It was obvious Sam had feelings for Peyton, even early on. While on the tour bus, he tried to deny those feelings but they resurfaced and grew and together, he and Peyton forged a new kind of relationship. But Peyton has a boyfriend and Sam is keeping secrets. 

Things get sticky, quick!

The Tour...
Sam and Peyton had a lot to resolve and six long weeks trapped on a tour bus, in hotel rooms with a different city almost every night, to accomplish this. But just when you think things might get resolved and they might be heading towards friendship with the possibility of more, the past comes back to haunt them. Sam seems to be using drugs to cope and he’s heading in a bad direction, taking Peyton right along with him. It was interesting seeing her try to pull him from the brink when he clearly only wanted escape. 

I loved the slow build between these two. Of course, behind all the angst and sarcasm, there were heated looks, sexy comebacks and an underlying sexual tension. Their chemistry was undeniable. 

The Wrap Up: 
This book also touches on three very important topics. Drug use, self image and mental health issues. I thought the author did an incredible job with all of these. 

This was a wonderfully written book I know I’ll read time and again. But Oh. Emm. Gee...I can’t wait for playboy, Gabe’s story. It’s going to take a strong, independent, secure woman to break his man-whore, party habits but I’m confident Jean Haus, with her amazing storytelling talent will do just that. 

Some of My Favorite Quotes From the Book!
Quote Spotlight... 
... I watch the guys onstage while music at megawatt volume vibrates in my rib cage.It’s loud, it’s in my face, and I love it. This is my sunny day. Sleeping in. Chasing butterflies. Making snow angels. Riding a roller coaster. The live music is all awesome things rolled into one.

Quote Spotlight... 
“We’re hardly friends,you and me,” I snarl. 
.... 
“Friends?” he repeats, ignoring my anger. He leans down, and one of his hands releases my arm and begins sliding up to my shoulder. His heated gaze, more than his touch, pins me to the door. :we’re friends, Peyton. I care about you. You seem to care about me.” .... “... maybe you’re right. I don’t want to fuck my friends.”

Quote Spotlight... 
His eyes continue to travel over me slowly - too slowly. My arms itch to wrap around me body for cover because his deliberate gaze is starting to flutter in my stomach, butterfly wings gone crazy...I resist tugging my shirt down over the inch of skin showing above my belt and glare at him. 
“Nice shirt,” he says with a grin.
Buy the Book!
  
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