As a child, I trusted no one.Then I found my best friends.They gave me a family and saved me from a life of abuse that still has me messed up.Then one of those best friends captured my heart.Lincoln, tough yet tender, a walking contradiction.He loves me too—flaws and all. He’s the most patient man on the earth and understands my PTSD. What he doesn’t understand is why our being intimate makes me … understand is why our being intimate makes me feel “dirty”.
He’s not one of the men who abused me, and he’d never hurt me. I know this. I believe it.
Still, the “dirty” creeps in even though I know what we do together is anything but.
He’s here now and he’s going to stay.
It’s time for me to talk to someone professionally.
I need to shed my unhealthy past in order to have a healthy future with the man I love.
If I don’t, I just might lose the best thing that’s ever happened to me—and there’s not enough therapy in the world to get me through that.
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** I love this Rockstar family **
How great it was to catch up with La Famiglia again! For them all, it is family first and family is everything.
I have previously re-read every book in this series, but it has been a while, so the grey matter needed a little jog to remember every family member. When you’re this far into the series, there are no introductions, so do yourself a favour and start from the beginning. Yep, there are a few books, so pace yourself and you won’t be sorry.
This time, it is Ethan and Lincoln’s story, and I have to admit to not reading a lot of M/M. I adored the love and emotions between them and this has to be one of the more deeply written relationships that I’ve read and Ms Mercier knocked it out of the park, it was that good. I could go on all day about how beautiful their relationship was, and the typical way that the entire family had not only their backs, but each others.
Refrain is beautifully rounded out because we also get a chance to catch up with other family members in all their idiosyncrasies and foibles. To see grown men quake hilariously in the presence of a small person is just one of the witty ways that Anne Mercier brings together all sides of family life and occasions. Good and bad.
And then there is the bad.
Always, always a guaranteed great read from this author so it’s an easy 5 Stars from me!
I’m going to start by saying that I’ve absolutely loved this entire series. The author has a way of taking a serious situation, and making you see that life still goes on, by having characters that never fail to see the bright side, that make you laugh, even through the tears! That being said, Refrain is on a whole new level. As much as I loved #Jucy and #Sage, Linc and Ethan are my new favorites! They are a power couple, strong enough to deal with any kind of adversity, together! This book takes place at about the same time as Xander 2. There are a lot of ties between the two couples, and it seems fitting that they should find their HEA at the same time!
Ethan is….troubled. He had a horrific childhood, that still haunts him. Life hasn’t been easy for him, but he has made his own family, through his friends, his band, and those that have been accepted into their circle. Linc is totally bad A**! Supportive, and loving, he is everything that Ethan needs to put the past behind him.
This book is full of everything we expect from BFD. There is plenty of heat, lots of twists and turns, and lets not forget Nana Russo’s mojo! Be prepared, some of those twists and turns will leave you in tears, so have the tissues ready! I can’t wait to see what happens next!
Wow another fantastic 5 star read in this series. It just keeps getting better and better. I read it all in one sitting and I’ve had every type of emotion you can think of. I will definitely be recommending it and i can’t wait to see what happens next.
Omg this book, there are no words.
This book was a long time coming and has a lot of people judging/making assumptions before reading.
Stop, just stop.
Personally I’m a non M/M reader but having read every single book by this author, I knew she would give Ethan and Linc the justice they deserve, no matter what hole they prefer. She (the author) did not disappoint!
Love is love, time to embrace that.
So much happens in this book, you’ll laugh & cry, can’t say much else without ruining anything so do yourself a favor and one click asap.
This book in my eyes is why this series will be top of the Rockstar genre.
Would give more stars if I could!
I’ve been waiting (along with many others) for the latest entry to Anne Mercier’s Rockstar lineup and let me just say…. I. Am. Not. Disappointed. This will contain no spoilers, but it’s stated up front (and you can tell by the cover), that this is an M/M romance. It’s not for everyone and I’m sure this was a difficult subject to write. It is the author’s first foray into this genre. That being said, if you read enough, you know the characters decide how their story will be written.
A lot of loose ends are tied up in this book, so you do need to read the rest of the books first for this to make any sense at all. Once again, the author delves into topics that many don’t like to discuss, but for many, they find these books cathartic.
And while she’s tying up these loose ends, she’s adding some new ones. The author’s note at the beginning warns that this book is not all happiness. As I was reading, I kept waiting for the shoe to fall. For that one thing to happen. And when it did, it was not at all what I was expecting.
Bravo Anne!!! I cannot wait to for the last two main books and one last Xander novella in this amazing series. Anne Mercier got me hooked on Avenged Sevenfold and independent authors and I thank her for that.
There was so much going on in this one. So many issues that were brought to light. LGBTQ, PTSD, hate crimes. I loved these guys.