Just an Illusion: Side A

I’m going to start off by saying I am going to give all of the Just an Illusion books the same review because I can’t review them individually without giving away spoilers and you need to experience them for yourself. I read these books long ago the first time through before I realized how important reviews are for authors. Knowing what I know now the second read through was even more incredible than the first and I was able to appreciate them even more.

This is one series that will always stay with me. It hits you on a soul deep level and and while it is heartbreaking at times and I sobbed so hard I couldn’t read through the tears it’s one of the most beautiful love stories I’ve ever read. The timeless love through heartbreak and pain is something I don’t know another author will ever be able to duplicate.

This series absolutely deserves 5 stars and more! This is one series I recommend often and hope everyone decides to read because it will stay with me always. It even helped me look at some things in my own life in a totally new light, and helps to reinforce that everyone need to live today as if there is no tomorrow. Life is too short to live with regret. Take that leap and do what makes you happy!

Such a rollercoaster of emotions.

Mel and Belle have the friendship that women wish they had with one another. I adored the banter and understanding that those two developed over their emotional upbringing and trials.

When Amelia “Mel” meets up with the Rock band BAD through her friend Belle, you are suddenly hit, from two angles, and you don’t know which way is up. Grasping for any information along the journey, you find yourself not even able to predict outcomes. No detail is too small, no look should be over looked. Read between the lines and experience a book like none other. (I loved that about this book!!)

Sawyer and Noah have a history that is not to be repeated. Being in the Rock Star scene you probably understand already. And throughout the book I’m finding myself a bit lost in feelings. And in such a good way.

Noah and Mel have an undeniable love. It is pure and romantic. Honestly, I don’t think a man could be better than Noah. He is practically perfect.
But when the past meet present is when your heart begins to race.

Kelly did a phenomenal job with this book. And take some friendly advice, have Side B waiting in the wings before you finish. You’re going to need it!!

5 Romantic, Dramatic, Suspenseful and Dreamy Stars from me.

Overall Grade:

D. Kelly’s Just an Illusion Side A follows the story of Amelia. As the daughter of rock royalty, Amelia has lived the rockstar life, and she’s not interested in living it again. One night, Amelia “Mel” joins her best friend, Belle, a music reporter/blogger at a concert for Bad and Dangerous (BAD). There, she is instantly drawn to the twin brothers who lead the band, Sawyer and Noah. However, Sawyer is the “bad boy” of rock. His reputation of bedding women, using drugs (in the past), and his grittiness both entice and deter Amelia. Noah, the “good” twin, calls to her careful side. She’s attracted to him, but she also feels safe with him. When the band meets both Amelia and Belle, they connect with Amelia immediately and ask her to follow them on their farewell acoustic tour to write their story. Amelia is a writer whose recent book is a blockbuster. With her background, they want to give her unfettered access to them as a way to document the band’s life and relationships. Even though Amelia was hoping to never return to the rock life given her past experiences with it, she decides to take advantage of the offer. In doing so, this places her in the path of both Sawyer and Noah. Should she choose the bad boy of rock or his brother? Even more, will Amelia heal from the wounds of her past, opening her up to love?

If I had to write one word to describe D. Kelly’s Just An Illusion Side A and its subsequent titles, it would be detailed. D. Kelly develops her characters, Amelia, Sawyer, Noah, Wyatt, Darren, and Belle well. We are treated to every moment of their journey, albeit through the point of view of Amelia. Obviously, we are treated to every aspect of Amelia’s thoughts and feelings, so she is developed the most. However, we are provided quite a bit of story about the others. These people are a family, and their nurturing and caring natures are some of the best parts of the book. We see quickly in this first book of the trilogy how they support each other through their traumas.

Amelia is a pretty broken heroine. Her past has left her bereft, struggling to move on from it. Therefore, her journey is the most significant in this first book. Sawyer likes to play the villain to a certain extent, and their chemistry is palpable. When Amelia makes her choice of brothers, there are feelings about this choice. It isn’t easily accepted from a reader’s standpoint, and I found myself hurting for the brother who isn’t chosen. That’s what Kelly does well in this book. You can imagine the brother’s hurt. This book begins the start of Amelia’s journey to acceptance about her past. Just An Illusion Side A also ends with a nice cliffhanger that draws you into the second book of the trilogy, keeping you addicted to Amelia’s story. I did feel that the story was fairly dense, though. It took me a bit to move through the story because Kelly creates so many scenarios with her characters. However, it’s entertaining at its best.

I flipping loved it!! It is told from Amelia’s POV and her interactions with the members of Bastards and Dangerous. It is written in a way that you get to know each member of the band in addition to her developing relationship with Noah (who is perfection, btw). It will have you feeling every emotion clear up to the very big cliffhanger. Make sure you have Side B queued up cuz you’re going to need it right away.

There are books that you read and like, there are books that you read and love ~ and then there are books that stay with you long after you finish them. Just An Illusion (Side A, Side B, and EP) is one of those books that stay. This story is so much more than a rock romance, or I should say its also a rock romance. Just An Illusion explores how we see the world based on our experiences and how those perceptions are not always what are actually there. It also takes on fate and why things happen and if there is always a reason for them.

Amelia Greyson is a writer whose first book made it to the bestseller list. When her best friend, Belle a blogger with a rock magazine, gets an exclusive interview with the hottest band, Bastards and Dangerous (BAD) Amelia tags along. It is just fate that not only do sparks ignite for band member Noah but the band is looking for someone to write their biography. Amelia agrees to tour with them for a year to learn all about them but is determined to remain professional with no personal entanglements but fate has other ideas.

D. Kelly’s Amelia is a woman who is jaded and walled off but still has a tiny flicker of hope buried beneath years of built-up frost. Through new experiences, she finds that love comes in many forms, that it is patient and kind, something she didn’t believe before Noah. Noah is a man with every material thing the world has to offer at his fingertips but is looking for those less tangible; connections, passion, the future his mind craves. Noah could have easily been an obnoxious rocker, instead, D. Kelly made him a man of great depth of emotion and understanding. The third of the leads is Noah’s twin, Sawyer. Sawyer is the personification of the tortured artist. Childhood trauma and life mistakes have made trust an issue for him, making Sawyer closed off. All three of these characters, as well as the important secondary characters of Darren, Wyatt, and Belle, are wonderfully written. So much so that you can easily imagine them jumping off the page and coming to life.

The first of the trilogy, Side A is the getting to know them all part though it does have its heartbreaking and warm moments. As Amelia and Noah become a couple and Amelia comes to terms with her past, there is no lack of humor, tears, and revelations. Side A will grab you from page one and reading continuously to the very end. D. Kelly’s writing is fluid and balanced, her pacing on point, the character interactions versus inner monologues perfectly proportioned.

Altogether, these are fantastic books that I highly recommend. Get them all in one shot, sit down and devour them, it is so worth the ride.

WHAT A START TO A SERIES! After a childhood in the public eye, Amelia has established herself as an adult in her own right and in secrecy. But when her best friend Belle gets the opportunity of a lifetime for her career, Amelia ends up stumbling on her offer of a lifetime as well all through the band BAD (Bastards and Dangerous). While Belle will write monthly recaps of the band’s final tour, Amelia is tasked with writing a tell-all biography book for the band which requires living and touring with them throughout their tour. Hesitant to go back to her roots, Amelia takes the chance and embarks on the tour. While she has instant attraction with Sawyer, she ends up taking the safe route and falling for his twin brother Noah. As Noah breaks down her walls, she continues to fall more in love with him, yet always keeping Sawyer in the back of her mind. But when Noah’s past comes back to threaten their relationship and their lives, will they withstand it? I went into this series with absolutely no expectations and ended up so deep into it that I couldn’t stop reading! The writing from this author really sucks you in and the flashbacks to past and present are well defined and not confusing at all. I also love that while this book is meant to establish the trilogy storyline, it doesn’t focus much on that but rather the overall story and concept. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Wow, such a good book! Just an Illusion – Side A is the story of a writer, Amelia, who is asked to travel with the rock band, Bastards and Dangerous or BAD, while they are on tour for a year, so that she can write a novel about their farewell acoustic performance tour. Amelia is almost immediately attracted to both of the brothers, Sawyer and Noah, who are fraternal twins, and the frontmen of the band. This makes for a very complicated situation for Amelia, especially since she’s living in such close quarters on a tour bus with the guys for a year.

This story is very complex, with Amelia revealing her secret past to the band, and then the rest of the world finding out through the tabloids. Also, Amelia’s best friend, Belle, just happens to be a huge fan of BAD, and is the blog post writer for Slammed magazine, which has exclusive rights to share stories about this BAD tour. Amelia also finds out that Noah and Sawyer have had some issues in their past that could have a direct effect on her. And then as we get to the end of the book and we are left with a big cliffhanger, … WHAT??? Now we have to wait for Just an Illusion – Side B?!?

Dee Kelly did a great job of getting the reader’s attention at the beginning of the book by introducing it two years into the future, but not giving us too many clues. The reader then gets to read Amelia’s story as she’s writing it and while she’s reliving her year of touring with the band. The characters and relationships in this book are complicated, realistic, and very well written. I really enjoyed reading this book and I cannot wait until Just an Illusion – Side B comes out in the near future!!!

love the whole series of books

This book and the writing drew me in from page one. The friendship between Mel and Belle-yep, rhyming and all- had me in stitches. Throw in some hot as sin rock stars and you know sparks are going to fly and maybe some tempers too. What is it about rock star books that make me say gimme, gimme, gimme? It’s the attitude. I can’t lie. I love it. All the members have different ones, but at the end of the day, they know how to carry themselves and the men of BAD did not disappoint. I know most who read this book were routing for the obvious good guy. Me, I was routing for the other one. The supporting characters added that extra flare that makes a story great. Love or hate the extras, they had me gripping my kindle, frantically swiping like a maniac, needing to know what would happen. Book two CANNOT get here fast enough. I hope there are many in this series because these characters are fantastic. You feel like you could be part of their group. Excellent writing. Excellent characters. Excellent job drawing me in and making me forget the world around me. Easy five star recommendation.

Between the blurb and then the first few chapters I swore that I had the plot figured out…but BOY! Was I wrong. I was very surprised to discover that this was not your typical rocker book. Even though I know nothing about the second book, as of now it is not the usual triangle either. Noah and Amelia have such a beautiful relationship and I’m glad to have found a female character that I can cheer for. Not only am I invested in Noah & Mel’s storyline but I’m also invested in all of the band members, their women and their families. I am very much looking forward to the rest of this series.