Fate. Destiny. Karma… She’s mine.It all started with a broken heart.And a breakup party.Rock stars. Circus freaks. And a bachelorette party.Too. Much. Booze.An embarrassing tattoo.And a twist of fate.Her name was Danny.I thought she was The One.But then I lost her.And I never thought I’d see her again.Now… I’m a mess.I’ve had my heart broken—more than once.And my band’s broken up.I’ve sworn to … heart broken—more than once.
And my band’s broken up.
I’ve sworn to myself that I’ll never fall in love again.
Time to focus on new music and my new band.
As soon as I sober up from my latest breakup party…
But then there she is.
Standing in the rain, looking at me.
My dream girl.
My destiny…
Danny.
I missed my chance with her once.
Maybe this time… I’ll get it right.
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Ashley Finally Has His Story!!!
We’ve met Ashley in the Dirty series (which was outstanding in itself!!) and he sure has lived up to his name…Ashley Player. Now that his band has broken up and he’s has been on the losing end of many relationships that meant something to him he is again having his “break up” party. During the bender he runs into the girl that has earned herself a tattoo on his upper inner thigh…or so he thought.
Danica is the twin of the “tattoo girl” and Ashley swears there is something with this girl. It doesn’t stop him from pursing this beauty even if she isn’t the prior hookup. Danica is an interior designer who happens to not only be beautiful and talented she is also very kind. Ashley tells her upfront that he is never falling in love again and once she hears his track record that may not be a problem for Danica. Is she strong enough to accept Ashley for who he is?
As this relationship takes off Ashley is now pulling together a new band made up of stars in their own right. It’s nice to see that Ashley may actually be heading in the right direction. One rule he and bandmate and ex-girlfriend, Summer, made is that no one in the band gets together. Will this really ring true especially now that Matt has decided to join the band after pushing Ashley against a wall kissing him with everything he has? What about Danica?
I cannot wait to see what’s next in the Players’ series. Ms. Diamond’s books never miss a beat and are outstanding in the rock romance genre.
It was so great to read another book from Jaine, I loved her Dirty Series and judging by this first book the Player series is going to be just as good. Rockstar Ashley Player was a character in the Dirty series as a friend of the band Dirty. At the end of that series he had lost all the people he fell in love with and it seemed there was no HEA on the horizon for him.
But fate had other ideas for him. He had never forgotten a girl called Dani who he met at a ski resort in Alaska and in a night of drunkeness proposed to. She vanished after giving him a wrong number so he could never find her. Four years later while out partying with his friends he sees her outside a store and talks to her, but she vanishes again. He finally tracks her down and shows up at her office only to find that she is not the girl he met but her identical twin.
You have to feel sorry for the poor guy, he is so confused, he has been played by one sister and now he is wondering if the other sister will do the same. Danica on the other hand is totally entranced by Ashley and wants to know him better, but she is afraid that he really wants her more outgoing sister not her.
Jaine gives us a guy who is broken after being hurt so much. He has a hard time trusting anyone, but he knows deep down that Danica is different, and that she is not her sister, but he has to leave his past mistakes behind and Danica has to step out of her sister’s shadow. I’m not sure that this was meant to be a slow burn romance (haha!) but after the incident with the zipper there was no choice! They had to take the time to bare their souls and trust each other before taking the next step. What a build-up to the main event! Wow that was scorching hot!
I can’t wait for the next book in the new series because I need more about Ashley and Danica. Jaine is an amazing writer of rock romances. She writes about people who are really down to earth despite their fame, and I love that they are based in Vancouver so everywhere is familiar making the books even more entertaining for me.
If you love rock star romances get on board with the Dirty series and now the Player series. These stories give you such a great insight into the life of rockstars. Thanks Jaine for another amazing rock romance!
*Not purposeful spoilers but if you haven’t read any previous books by Jaine, there could be some unwanted surprises here.
The wait for this book was certainly worth every teasing moment leading up to it landing in my eager little hands! Joyful, you bet I was and yum, that cover- what a perfect choice for Ash, swoonworthy for sure! Jaine hits it waaayyy out of the park with her beautifully written story of that misunderstood hunk of hotness, Ashley Player, but would you expect anything less from her?
Anyone that has been following the Dirty series has been dying to see their good friend, opening band frontman, sexy, easy on the eyes, hard on the outside and hiding a sweet, romantic, loving side that will melt you into a puddle, on the inside. What about that mysterious tattoo???
He’s been hurt so many times and then left behind by the one person he loved more than anyone because sadly for Ash, that relationship was never meant to be anything more than friends. As faithful readers know, he finds love in whatever way it presents itself, but not everyone can be open minded when he is being true to himself.
Now, months after that devastating heartbreak with the two people he thought were his forever, Ash and crew are celebrating yet another breakup, this time, his band, Penny Pushers long in coming demise. He chances upon the woman of his dreams that fate brings into his life while on another drunken breakup tear. Wait, has he seen her before? Couldn’t be, or could it? He’s smitten, but not everything is as it seems, is it? There are some yet to be discovered wild twists in Ash’s future!
I just loved this book, it has it all, everything you could ever want in Ashley’s much deserved journey in finding the love of a lifetime. Danica-beautiful, sweet, lovable good girl, not Ash’s usual type, if you think about this past hookups. This unassuming, unsure, people pleasing woman stumbles her way into Ash’s reluctant heart and takes a chunk when he least expects it. Their beginning- at times, alittle awkward, slow burning due to a few setbacks including one of the most hilarious incidents I’ve ever read. Prepare yourself, so darn funny!
The more he tries to shock her with ‘this is the real me’ tales of his past playboy debauchery, the more he realizes, hey, this woman might just be my forever person!
With his old band behind him, thoughts turned to what is next professionally, because music is his life and that needs to continue for him to be happy and whole. A crazy idea from an ex drives the excitement of what can be the perfect superband, with new characters emerging for us to look to in future books. Will Ashley fianally get the happiness he soooo deserves? The ending was so sweet, but leaves me to wonder about a few things……..one of them being…well, not telling!
There is enough of Ashley’s backstory and personal history here to get you through without scratching your head about his past, but if you ever planned on finally reading Jaine’s amazing and wonderful Dirty series ‘one of these days’, the time is RIGHT NOW!!!
Add Hot Mess to your TBR and read the Dirty series 1st(at least Dirty Like Dylan). Ash’s story has been teased and parts of it told and woven in throughout but you would be missing a lot of what makes him so unique and really tick. He has has been a special favorite of mine all along, his story is complex, angsty and beautiful. I might have to read this one again, which I highly recommend and may I say, looking so forward to the next book in this new spinoff series.
I was happy to be given an early copy of this new release. I am writing my honest thoughts about it in this review.
If you’ve met Ashley Player in the Dirty series, then you’ve been waiting with bated breath for Ash to finally get his happily-ever-after! I know I have!
Ash has been through the wringer between the breakup of his band and multiple romantic breakups. He’s a mess—a Hot Mess. But so damn likeable and loveable and you just want him to find happiness in life and love. And at last he does!
Ash and Danica are magic. Pure magic. They’re smart, funny, snarky, and ridiculously talented. And holy hell, sexy AF. I loved them together. Loved that while Ash and Danica were more than just their sexy times in the bedroom—that they shared a deeper connection, something real. Something lasting. And I cannot wait for more from this Players series! Will we finally get DJ Summer’s story next? Fingers crossed!
Wow!!!! That was even better than I expected. Hot Mess is the first book in the Players series by the queen of rock stars, Jaine Diamond! I fell for Ashley Player the moment I met him in the Dirty series. I have been there for most of his break-ups only because one wasn’t a story! I remember emailing Jaine and letting her know I felt for him. I needed his story. And it was soooo worth the fucking wait!
In the last year Ash has been through some epic break-ups. Personally and professionally. He had his heartbroken and his band, The Penny Pushers were no more. He was done with love. Every one he ever loved left him. Yes, they were still friends but the love wasn’t there like it was. It’s friendship-love. He was done. He was all about the one-time fuck for now on. And that was when he saw her. His dream fuck. The one who got away or more like ghosted him four years ago. He wasn’t letting her go this time.
Danica didn’t see it coming. Ashley fucking Player was determined. And her new client. She had to keep it professional even if he was fucking hot and direct. A man who would rock her world. A man who could wreck her. For all other men. He said he didn’t want to fall in love again. That she was his dream fuck. Dream girl. That fate brought them together. She wasn’t so sure but he was her unicorn and she wanted a ride. She also wanted to know more about Ashley the man. Not just the rock star.
I can’t really get into the story without spoilers! I will say that I am so in love with Ashley Player. I felt for him throughout his break ups. I cried for him. It was so sad but he was still the man I fell for. The blunt man who was so sexually charged it was felt through my iPad. Not only that but he is passionate. About his friends. His music. His tattoos. He is full of it. And like I said, his story was worth the wait. I was hooked from the very beginning to the very end.
Overall…I Ashley Player! I also love Danica. She is so fucking nice but she is also a badass. She really is beautiful inside and out. Their chemistry is hot. Their banter is flirty. They just fit but will it be enough? I can’t wait for the next book in this series. These rock stars and their men or women are addictive!
P.S. You do not need to read the Dirty series but I highly recommend it.
Quotes:
“You’re amazing,” she gushed, as she gazed up at me.
“Tell me.”
“Rough,” she said. “And gentle. I want a mixture. You can be bossy, though. I trust you. I want to know how you want it.”
“I want it about ten different ways.”
“Show me,” she said.
“That’s what you want?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay… You asked for it.”
“I don’t know about you,” I whispered into his hair, “but this is the dirtiest shower I’ve ever had…”
“I try to keep an open mind when it comes to music. There’s very little music I hate. The only music I’ve ever heard and hated was a song without a soul.”
I mused on that for a moment. “A song without a soul… I like that. You’re very poetic.”
Hot Mess is a spin-off from the Dirty series. Ashley Player was the lead singer of the Penny Pushers until his band broke up. He has a rough year with the failing band and having his heart stomped on by those he fell in love with including his best friend. Ash is bi and has a tendency to fall the wrong the people. After every failed relationship he has a break-up party, which is how he met his dream girl four years girl after another failed relationship. He reconnects with her or who he thinks is her four years later. Danica is truly the nice, sweet, wholesome girl next door. I loved this book. There was visits from most of the Dirty family, hi-jinks, comedy, romance, mishaps, pure heart and more. Ash’s soul is laid bare and then some and it is one phenomenal ride. I can’t wait for more in this series. I volunteered to read this book.