Review: Beautiful Crazy by Kasey Lane (Rock 'n' Ink #1)
Note: This ARC was provided by Sourcebooks Casablanca in exchange for an honest review.
“Please don’t break me,” she pleaded against his lips, hating the shake in her voice and the tremble of her lips.Mason pulled back to peer into her eyes, his expression serious. “Not sure either of us is getting out of this unbroken, darlin’.”
Le sigh. This book was beautiful and it was crazy, and it was every single bit of whatever goodness you could think of in between. Beautiful Crazy is the first novel in the Rock 'n' Ink series and the debut release of author Kasey Lane. It's a story about opposites who battle through common interests, respective differences, and pasts that are holding them back to find the kind of love that defies logic but just feels absolutely and totally right. It also happens to be the kind of beginning to a new book series that I love and look for: with a love story that's the primary focus of the novel, but with enough information about the prominent supporting characters that have you curious and end up with you fervidly wondering whose stories will be part of the series and who could be up next. Music, family, tattoos, friendship, and love--all meshed together in a work of fiction that had me giddy with delight.
Kevan Landry loves her older brother Bowen above all else. Since the death of their mother, he became her protector, ready and willing to do anything and everything for her. She could always count on him...until she couldn't any longer. Addiction has gotten the better of him, and with him now in rehab, it's one more thing that's weighing on her. The business that she owns, Jolt Marketing, is floundering, but she knows that if she's able to sign the up and coming band she's had her eye on, she'll be able to pay for Bowen's rehab costs as well as keep Jolt Marketing afloat. She decides to allow herself to be distracted for one night and it's a night that proves to be unforgettable, except the man she slept with left without a word. When she sees him again, she realizes he wants the same thing that she wants: Manix Curse, the heavy metal band that she's desperate to sign with her business.
Mason Dillon may be the CEO of Global Entertainment Marketing but he's been told that if he doesn't get his numbers up, he could very well say goodbye to a job that's been his life for years. Adding Manix Curse to GEM's roster of clients wouldn't just benefit his position but it could also help diversify their client base. When he figures out that he and the gorgeous woman he spent the night with are after the same band, Manix Curse, Mason wonders if she knew exactly who he was before they hooked up. It becomes clear, however, that neither one knew the other's identity or their purpose for being at the club. Another thing that Mason quickly becomes aware of is just how good at what she does Kevan Landry is. When they're forced to work side by side to prove which one is a better fit for the band, Mason's attention is torn between that and contemplating if Kevan is the perfect fit for him.
This was a tale about a battle of wills. The buttoned up, controlled marketing executive who has a reputation that speaks for itself and the creative, social media savvy upstart who could give him a run for his money. Kevan and Mason were a study in contradictions but like I mentioned earlier, they just made sense--crazy, beautiful sense. And these two had more similarities than they gave each other credit for. Their greatest pillars of support were their respective siblings--Bowen Landry and Jami Dillon--and they were tenacious when it came to their jobs. I liked how their differences were balanced out by their similarities, and how, when they gave each other a chance, they had a better understanding of one another than anyone else before them. But they both had pasts that messed with their heads, making it difficult for them to trust each other and to trust those growing feelings between them.
There was denying the palpable connection between Kevan and Mason, but because they were both after Manix Curse, the complexities of their love story were more layered than most. Mason is simple, handles things methodically, and keeps things compartmentalized, while Kevan is complicated, has an ingenious touch, and can be a tad disorderly. Goodness, how I adored these two together. They pushed each other's buttons in the best and worst ways possible, making this one hell of an entertaining and engaging read. But it wasn't just the romance that made me a fan. This was also a story about family and friendship and those two along with the romance aspect and how Mason and Kevan are willing to go to whatever lengths for all three are going to make me coming back for more of Rock 'n' Ink in 2017 and whatever else Kasey Lane has in store for us. Five-plus stars go to Beautiful Crazy. ♥
Date Read: 13 November 2016
Kevan Landry loves her older brother Bowen above all else. Since the death of their mother, he became her protector, ready and willing to do anything and everything for her. She could always count on him...until she couldn't any longer. Addiction has gotten the better of him, and with him now in rehab, it's one more thing that's weighing on her. The business that she owns, Jolt Marketing, is floundering, but she knows that if she's able to sign the up and coming band she's had her eye on, she'll be able to pay for Bowen's rehab costs as well as keep Jolt Marketing afloat. She decides to allow herself to be distracted for one night and it's a night that proves to be unforgettable, except the man she slept with left without a word. When she sees him again, she realizes he wants the same thing that she wants: Manix Curse, the heavy metal band that she's desperate to sign with her business.
Mason Dillon may be the CEO of Global Entertainment Marketing but he's been told that if he doesn't get his numbers up, he could very well say goodbye to a job that's been his life for years. Adding Manix Curse to GEM's roster of clients wouldn't just benefit his position but it could also help diversify their client base. When he figures out that he and the gorgeous woman he spent the night with are after the same band, Manix Curse, Mason wonders if she knew exactly who he was before they hooked up. It becomes clear, however, that neither one knew the other's identity or their purpose for being at the club. Another thing that Mason quickly becomes aware of is just how good at what she does Kevan Landry is. When they're forced to work side by side to prove which one is a better fit for the band, Mason's attention is torn between that and contemplating if Kevan is the perfect fit for him.
This was a tale about a battle of wills. The buttoned up, controlled marketing executive who has a reputation that speaks for itself and the creative, social media savvy upstart who could give him a run for his money. Kevan and Mason were a study in contradictions but like I mentioned earlier, they just made sense--crazy, beautiful sense. And these two had more similarities than they gave each other credit for. Their greatest pillars of support were their respective siblings--Bowen Landry and Jami Dillon--and they were tenacious when it came to their jobs. I liked how their differences were balanced out by their similarities, and how, when they gave each other a chance, they had a better understanding of one another than anyone else before them. But they both had pasts that messed with their heads, making it difficult for them to trust each other and to trust those growing feelings between them.
There was denying the palpable connection between Kevan and Mason, but because they were both after Manix Curse, the complexities of their love story were more layered than most. Mason is simple, handles things methodically, and keeps things compartmentalized, while Kevan is complicated, has an ingenious touch, and can be a tad disorderly. Goodness, how I adored these two together. They pushed each other's buttons in the best and worst ways possible, making this one hell of an entertaining and engaging read. But it wasn't just the romance that made me a fan. This was also a story about family and friendship and those two along with the romance aspect and how Mason and Kevan are willing to go to whatever lengths for all three are going to make me coming back for more of Rock 'n' Ink in 2017 and whatever else Kasey Lane has in store for us. Five-plus stars go to Beautiful Crazy. ♥
“I don’t know what this is, this thing between us. I know I’ve never, and I mean never, felt this strong a pull to anyone. You confound me. You’re beautiful and so insecure. You’re creative and intelligent and so inexperienced. You’re compassionate, and you’re cruel. You’re a sex bomb, and you’re a compliant, generous lover. You’re all these maddening contradictions that don’t make any sense, yet make perfect sense.” He sighed again. “And I can’t get enough of your special fucking brand of beautiful crazy.”
Date Read: 13 November 2016
Learn more about Kasey Lane.
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