Franco Genovese is the drummer for world renowned American rock band, Rook. He’s got it all. A killer smile. Tattoos. Talent. Razor sharp wit and humor. And a heart as big, and generous, as they come.Life is good. Steady. Uncomplicated. Just the way he likes things.Until one night at an unassuming L.A. bar changes everything.Enter Gemma Hendricks.She’s a successful young architect from Northern … Northern England with an adorable smile, sarcasm for days, and an unparalleled trusting heart.The attraction is instant. So is their friendship.It’s also temporary because they’ll both be heading home, thousands of miles apart from each other, in a few days.Or is it?There’s something Gemma wants more than anything else.And when Franco propositions her to provide what she’s looking for, everything changes.Will it transform friendship into love, or will it be their ruin?
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Franco’s a picky guy, not in any hurry to settle down or fall in love, that’s until Gemma appears and blows everything apart. He’s thankful for blind dates going awry as he was able to salvage the night. She’s the first woman in a long time to wind him up.
Gemma’s in LA temporarily on a work visa from Britain. Franco is in LA recording an album with the band. For the next ten days this
naughty American boy gets hooked. Then there friendship takes an unexpected diversion and Franco grows anxious and guilty at the prospect of losing Gemma.
Narrator:
Jeremy York performs Franco from start to finish. He’s a decent male narrator far better than some, yet not the top of the line. Although, he wasn’t the voice I envisioned for a drummer of a band.
The sound quality was good.
Overall:
I was disappointed by the juvenile dialogue. I was even more disappointed by the constant need for nicknames. Twelve times Franco was referred to as the “naughty American boy”. Both of these factors are huge deterrents in a story especially when said book is about characters in a band. The dialogue between the guys was juvenile with too much ribbing. It was hard to take Gus and Franco seriously when they spoke.
After reading Gus it was difficult to switch gears from the emotional turmoil of that story to this loosely based rockstar genre. Franco’s character just didn’t hold the same caliber as Gus’s character. Quite honestly Franco never fit into his character role as a drummer.
I wish I could feel the connection between Franco and Gemma because the content of their relationship was quite unique and I wanted to understand the significance of the decision but it felt mechanical and clinical when it should’ve felt wondrous. Without question this was an unconventional attempt at bonding, with a unique twist. I always appreciate when authors write something unique. However, Franco’s character was just too good to be true. Everything about this guy went against the typical rockstar stereotype so it made it too unrealistic.
Eventhough Franco played the drums in a band this book is not about the lifestyle of a drummer. This is Gemma’s journey and how Franco changed her life and his.
While I appreciated the topic of Gemma’s situation or dilemma I still wasn’t hooked on the storyline or characters. The dialogue was lacking when compared to Bright Side. I couldn’t help wanting that same caliber of emotions and connection. It’s definitely a feel good story with a plethora of positive energy.
This can be read as a stand-alone despite being book 3 of the Bright Side series. Franco was a character briefly mentioned in the prior two books. Being Gus’s best friend and band mate is the only connection needed for reading Franco.
I loved the concept of the story but the delivery was a struggle. I desperately wanted to find that emotional connection.
Franco is the 3rd book in the Bright Side series and it’s so good. You really need to read all three because there is a lot of spoilers if you don’t.
I didn’t think anything could be better than Bright Side but Franco is so awesome. He’s not the big tough dude he’s made out to be. He’s more of a softie than Gus. We all love Gus and Scout but Franco deserved a story as well!
Franco meets Gemma out one night and they just click. They didn’t think it would be more than a few dates because she’s moving back home to England.
Gemma is one of the best characters she’s fierce and independent. One night with Franco changes everything they want to remain friends despite the distance. Will they remain friends or turn into more.
She’s the girl of his dreams but how can he ask her to move to LA? He’s the man of her dreams but how can they work?
Gemma wants something so much more than anything in the world and Franco decided he has to be the one to help her. Can they make her dream come true or will they loose everything trying?
This book was so good it’s a roller coaster of emotions but Kim’s words are just magical. This series was so amazing I had to finish it. I love how everyone is in this book as well it’s Franco’s story but the rest of the crew is there.
Some books you just can’t stop thinking about and this will be one of them. 5
I just jumped on the Bright Side wagon literally 2 weeks ago. I know, I can’t believe I waited so long. That was clearly my bad. Once I finished Gus’s book (which was my fav btw), I was super happy to see that Franco’s book was coming out. Score! Considering I recently just finished the last two books, this one seemed a little bit different than the last two. It was definitely shorter, so maybe things moved much faster, but everything felt so…meh. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the band and Gemma banter, Gemma is a great character and Franco is pretty awesome. I still love all things Gus and I thought the epilogue was great. I don’t know, I just have mixed feelings. It wasn’t horrible by any means, but it didn’t blow me away either.
Franco is my favorite character in the band Rook. He’s a great friend to Gus and he is so much more than his appearance. I loved reading a book about him.
I have to say that I didn’t quite look this book as much as Bright Side and Gus. As usual Kim Holden is a beautiful writer and she writes such heartfelt stories. I loved getting to know Franco and seeing the type of man that he is. He is a lot like Gus in a sense, but with his own charm. Franco is a hot tattooed bald headed sweetheart. In this book I felt like the reader gets glimpses into some parts of his life.
This book is centered around Franco and Gemma, a girl from Manchester he stumbled into. They start a sexual relationship. The story is really centered around them two only. You briefly see him recording their second album and some of their tour. This book takes place around the same time as Gus’s story. I wish I got to see how Franco was with his bandmates and his family. You only see him with his family once, when Gemma meets them and I heard nothing of his brother who does tattoos or of the other two band members. I wished for a little more of that. I did like Gemma, I just wasn’t in love with her the way I was with Kate and Scout. But man Franco and Gemma together are hot as hell.
I still really liked this book and I love Franco so much. I feel like I can relate to the type of person he is. He’s selfless and would do anything for those he cares about. When he meet Gemma he has no problem putting her wants and needs ahead of his own. They both do, and I loved how similar they are. Just definitely read this book.