Review: The Undercover Rock Star & Branded by Jenna Galicki (Bulletproof #1-#2)

 

Note: These ARCs were provided by the author via Give Me Books Promotions in exchange for an honest review.

I decided to make a joint review for The Undercover Rock Star and Branded, the first two books in the rock star romance series entitled Bulletproof since the latter is the direct sequel of the former. The Undercover Rock Star came off as more of a prequel novella, one that details of what happened when an overworked, heartbroken accountant named Cameron Douglas jets off on an impromptu island getaway and meets a stranger in the form of the long-haired and gorgeous Brandon Bullet. Cam has no clue that the man who's caught his eye--and who's equally taken by him as well--is none other than the lead singer of the hard rock band Bulletproof, but it's that lack of recognition that has Brandon wanting to keep the secret of his identity longer. In the follow-up, Branded, their paths cross again after months of leading separate lives, but while their feelings for each other may be real, Cam quickly realizes that he knows very little about the kind of life a rock star like Brandon actually has on a regular basis. What becomes increasingly clear is that there's nothing regular about the man Cam has so quickly fallen for.

I wish the two books had been combined as one and then made more concise. The novella was really short while the novel was longer than it had to be. There was a lot of unnecessary meandering around, and yes, that includes gratuitous sex. Skimming sex scenes is never a good thing. I get that the novella was short on length, so I gave it a pass of sorts when it came to the development of the story and the characters, but when it came to the novel, it felt as if Cam and Brandon were stuck on their quickie romance and how they were so gone for each other, damned everything and everyone else. I wanted them to evolve, to be pushed to look at themselves as individuals and as a couple as they decided on whether this relationship of theirs was worth the upheaval. Also, I get that Brandon was the rock star and that he was the one who couldn't really make as many changes as Cam, but with Cam making almost every single change in order for their relationship to become as committed as it was, it just felt one-sided. And maybe I missed it, but I was taken aback that the ENTIRE band was composed of gay members, which I think is a first and seemed a bit far-fetched. Oh well. I'm giving these first two books three out of five stars. ♥

Date Read: 11 June 2017

Learn more about Jenna Galicki.

Purchase The Undercover Rock Star on Amazon.

Purchase Branded on Amazon.

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