by Nalini Singh
Book 3, Rock Kiss series
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Kit Devigny could have loved rock guitarist Noah St. John. Their friendship burned with the promise of intense passion and searing tenderness…until the night Noah deliberately shattered her heart.
Noah knows he destroyed something precious the night he chose to betray Kit, but he’d rather she hate him than learn his darkest secret. All he has left is his music. It’s his saving grace, but it doesn’t silence the voices that keep him up at night. Chasing oblivion through endless one-night-stands, he earns a few hours’ sleep and his bad boy reputation.
When a media error sees Noah and Kit dubbed the new “it” couple, Kit discovers her chance at the role of a lifetime hinges on riding the media wave. Wanting—needing—to give Kit this, even if he can’t give her everything, Noah agrees to play the adoring boyfriend. Only the illusion is suddenly too real, too painful, too beautiful…and it may be too late for the redemption of Noah St. John.
I have to admit this was a difficult review to write. Difficult because the book is disappointing. I can tell how much love and care Nalini Singh puts into her characters. There is a loving touch to the story. However, my biggest problem is that there is entirely too much repetition of the same theme. Noah feels unworthy and is terrified to move his relationship with Kit to the next level. Therefore, he intentionally hurts her to push Kit away. From Kit's perspective, she suffers devastating disappointment from Noah and she rightly cuts him off. But he comes back into her life and creates all kinds of havoc, again.
Yes, Noah comes off as selfish and spiteful, but we learn that he has also been through devastating trauma- it's the kind of abuse that would be a tear to anyone's eyes. Because of this, he suffers from a form of PTSD. The problem is that Noah's character does not mature and development for most of the book. He doesn't get help and he doesn't want to talk about it. He doesn't experience change or emotional growth, therefore his character's behavior is repetitive. He has endless excuses as to why he should not be with Kit and yet, he draws her to him like a moth to a flame. Poor Kit, it is like watching a train wreck happen. I hate sounding like a judg-y girlfriend, but I just wanted to shake Kit and say, "Come on. Don't let him back into your life!"
I also have a problem with books in which the one partner tries to solve a mental health issue with information from the internet. From her research Kit comes up with a plan that seems to help Noah, and there is a beautiful moment in the story. However, I think this is a dangerous path without professional guidance. Mental illness is not an easy fix for most people and it would have made me more comfortable if Kit has an actual conversation with a counselor.
IN A NUTSHELL:
After loving Rock Hard, I was hoping for another solid read. Unfortunately, this one fell short for me. However, the disappointment is not enough to stop me from wanting to read the next book in the series. I will look forward to the next new edition.
Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not paid for this review.
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