A twist of fate proves wildly explosive in New York Times bestselling author CD Reiss’s smart and sexy Hollywood romance about the cost of running from your past to get to your dreams.
Cutting all ties, Kayla Montgomery drives cross-country to Los Angeles. New start. New life. And an unexpected new job: assistant to Justin Beckett.
The Justin Beckett.
The boy band rebel with the cocky attitude … Beckett.
The boy band rebel with the cocky attitude and dreamy bed head who casts a spell over his fans and tests the patience of his handlers.
Now at the peak of Mount Adulthood, he has to build a clean-cut, movie star image. It’s in his contract. No partying. No attitude. No groupies.
To tie it together, he needs a normal girl.
Suddenly, Kayla’s swept up in Justin’s glamorous world, and his arms. But the most dizzying thing is Justin himself. Sweet, generous, reliable, and as eager to shed his past as Kayla is hers.
About that…
Those ties she thought she’d cut? They’ve followed her across the country with her secrets in tow, and they’re about to test Kayla’s courage, Justin’s loyalty, and a love that wasn’t part of the deal.
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So normally when I read, I highlight a lot of various quotes or things that I like that happen in a book. But when I read this one, I was so involved with it, I hardly highlighted anything! Kayla arrives in Los Angeles and she gets an unexpected phone call. But since she doesn’t have anything else to do, she decides to help out the older lady that calls her. Little did she know how life changing that wrong number would be! Kayla is trying to get her life back in order. She definitely wasn’t expecting Justin in her life. And she wasn’t someone Justin would have been attracted to in the past, but there was something about her. The pull and the chemistry between them was palpable through the pages! Their story was interesting and unique. I haven’t read a book like this and that’s what I loved about it! I was lost in the world of actors and costumes! Be sure not to let this book pass you by.
3.5 Stars
“You already own me,” I said. “So you might as well just take me.”
Lead Me Back follows the story of Kayla and Justin. When we first meet up with Kayla, she’s moved out to LA for a fresh start. Kayla even went as far as to change her cell phone number. She had no idea that changing her number would turn her whole world upside down. You see, her new number used to belong to The Justin Beckett. Justin is a former musician, turned actor. He’s had a lot of bad press and is looking to reinvent his image. Fate throws Justin and Kayla together in the most unexpected way. Soon Kayla finds herself swept up in Justin’s glamours world. Will Kayla get the fresh start that she’s looking for or will her past catch up with her? There’s only one way to find out…
I thought this book was an ok read. I was hooked on Justin and Kayla’s story from the very beginning. I really liked how the two of them were brought together and how they stayed a part of each other’s life. Justin needed Kayla’s help to deliver messages that she might receive on her phone, so he offers her a job to help her get her feet off of the ground. I liked the banter between the two of them. Kayla was a no nonsense type girl and wasn’t afraid to tell Justin no. I really appreciated the way the author dealt with Kayla’s past. She made her very real and easy to relate to. And while Justin was cocky and annoying at times, he was really a good guy. Together I thought these two made a nice couple. They had some great banter and interactions. They had a good friendly foundation and a slow burn type of romance. The two of them definitely steamed up the pages together. That being said, I did wish that there was a little more romance and chemistry between Justin and Kayla. Don’t get me wrong, I liked them together, I just wanted more feels and to feel more of a connection to them.
Overall, Lead Me Back was a quick and easy read. I was able to finish it in just a single sitting. Even though I wanted a little more from Justin and Kayla in the romance department, I still enjoyed getting swept up in their story.
Nice romance, low drama and chemistry. You definitely will get that with Justin and Kayla. CD Reiss still made me want to follow the story of a young ex-boy bander and the fashion designer woman who falls for him.
The concept of a Rockstar falling for an “ordinary” woman is a trope that is has been done a lot. This is kind of a new take on the Rockstar Trope. You have douchey ex-boy bander Justin, trying to make it as an actor and solo artist and throw in Kayla that is trying to forget her past in NY and make a name for herself in California and you get a fun and engaging romance.
Justin and Kayla’s story told in dual POV starts with her getting Justin’s old phone number when she moves to California and needs a clean break from her life in NYC. The meet cute for these two is all because of Justin’s stubborn Grandmother and her need for flowers. Justin’s Grandma is a hoot! The idea of ending up with not only a celebrities former cell phone number but the havoc it causing for these two is such a great concept for a romance story!
Justin comes off as entitled but it fits him and his character. You quickly learn there is more to him then his celebrity persona. He is sweet and always looking out for everyone he cares about. Kayla is not afraid to go toe to toe with Justin. Justin is so caught up in everyone falling at his feet and giving in to all his whims, he isn’t sure what to do with tough, hard as nails Kayla. Kayla is not swayed by his charms and has no problem in putting Justin in his place. Underneath her tough exterior is a heart of gold.
I liked these two characters and their banter. They have fun and entertaining Chemistry between the two of them. The drama for the two of them has taken place before they meet so this is both of them finding love and dealing with past baggage. Their story is more about fixing the wrongs of the past and letting go of the baggage to find joy and love in the now.
I had not previously read a book by CD Reiss. I had read reviews of previous books expecting a stronger Alpha Male and intense love story, that was not this book. This was a very light contemporary, bright lights, big city, HEA read. I did struggle to engage with the characters a bit and it took me a few chapters to really enjoy the story. I would give this a 3.75/5 star read. I liked it.
Another great book by Miss Reiss! I enjoyed Justin and Kayla very much! they were very engaging, sexy and incredible together! a must read!
It was very easy to guess where some of the inspiration for the “hero” comes from. Not gonna lie, I’m the opposite of fan for the dudebro douche that inspires a good chunk of the main character but some how CD Reiss worked some magic. I may never be a fan but this Justin has my attention.
Justin, of the Sunset Boys fame, is about as douchebag as douchebag gets. I say that lovingly. CD Reiss has given us a perfectly unlovable dudebro that I wouldn’t willingly spend time with and made him #goals for all dudebro douchcanoes out there. Lol! All it took was a runaway, a Grandma, and Ned the Bed. Actually. Those just put it in motion, it’s the tempered New York girl with a chip on her shoulder and a dream in her heart that wakes our boy up.
Kayla starts off running but she learns to stand her ground, figure out who’s important, and fight for herself. Lead Me Back to what’s important…
Oh and being in LA, it was entertaining to see the heroine starstruck by some familair CD Reiss characters.
4.5 Stars!
Kayla Montgomery is a fashion designer who leaves behind her life in New York and moves to Los Angeles for a fresh start and a simpler life. As she drives across the country she encounters a few unexpected detours and crosses paths with fallen bad boy superstar Justin Beckett. She soon finds herself tangled in his web and her welcome to LA doesn’t go quite as planned. Suddenly she’s his assistant, and she finds herself roped into someone else’s drama. He’s a complicated beautiful man, but she can’t get distracted from her goals. Although she enjoys his attention, her focus has to stay on following her dreams. As she gets to know Justin better, she realizes there’s more to him than meets the eye. Will she be able to resist him charms, or will she get swept up in his world and give in to the the magnetic pull between them?
Justin Beckett is a musician who found fame at a young age, and is often labeled as impulsive and immature. Lately the future is uncertain and he feels like everything is spiraling out of control. He needs to reform his bad boy ways, and improve his brand. He’s ready to focus on work, and wants to get into acting. It’s time for an image makeover where people will talk more about his talents than his escapades. Then he meets Kayla, and she challenges him, and makes him feel vulnerable. She’s not starstruck, and doesn’t play games. Can he shed his reputation and past to finally have something real and lasting?
Lead Me Back by CD Reiss is a fun, sexy Hollywood romance full of chemistry and fantastic banter. I really loved this story and these characters. Justin’s a gorgeous misunderstood rock star turned movie star that will steal your heart, and Kayla is a tough, confident woman that knows her worth. Together they are pure magic!
Lead Me Back is a standalone contemporary romance. Long-time fans of author C.D. Reiss will appreciate the casual nods to characters from prior standalone novels set in Hollywood, and new readers will have no trouble jumping right into Kayla and Justin’s story. Lead Me Back is filled with second chances, friendship, and smart banter.
The opening scene absolutely hooked me. Having lived in both New York and California, Ms. Reiss nails the descriptions of both towns. Kayla travels across the continent to run away from her troubles in New York, and when she foolishly takes a call from an unknown number, her life is turned upside down again—but this time by a sweet old lady named Louise. I loved Louise! She is one of those scene-stealing secondary characters. Louise’s grandson is none other than the boy band heartthrob, Justin Beckett. Just like Kayla, Justin is haunted by his past. Another standout secondary character is Kayla’s estranged father.
The slow-burn romance is perfectly paced. I didn’t always feel the chemistry between Kayla and Justin, but I really enjoyed their banter. As the story progressed, the inevitability of their relationship developed organically, so that by the end, their partnership was a balance of support, respect and passion.
I haven’t always been a fan of CD Reiss, but as of late she has me rethinking my opinions. Lead Me Back brings the humor and the heart. Kayla and Justin will have readers believing in the unexpected. She’s running to a fresh start. He’s trying to change his bad boy ways. When their paths collide sparks fly, hearts break and forever could be within reach. Falling softly is a tumble into chaos that I never wanted to see end.
I really enjoyed this romantic, Hollywood boy band story. It was an easy-going read that held my attention from start to finish. The characters were wonderfully written and very relatable; the writing was perfect and the story flowed beautifully.
This is an interesting story which, to be honest, was fairly uneventful in the angst stakes, but what made this book so good for me was the way C.D. Reiss wrote her characters, Their personalities, the chemistry, and the fun I had with their constant spats between Justin and Kayla made it a very entertaining read.
Justin is an arrogant entitled pop star who is at the top of his game, and basically has the world at his feet. His bad boy image has at last caught up with him and his so-called “perfect” life isn’t all it seems. He has some big problems he needs to sort out in his life, and although every instinct in me said I shouldn’t have liked Justin, I just couldn’t help myself. There is so much more to this bad boy pop star than we first see.
Kayla was the most entertaining young lady, she is spunky, spontaneous and funny and speaks her mind, I loved the way she treated Justin as though he was just another person she met along the way. Of course, she is nervous when she first starts to work for him and even a little starstruck, but she doesn’t let it show and she takes no crap from him, secretly this is why Justin finds himself drawn to her because Kayla grounds him.
Both of these characters work so well together even though they come from entirely different backgrounds and had numerous obstacles thrown in their path, and with their own sets of personal baggage from the past that they are still carrying around, everything in this story just clicked for me. Secondary characters were very strong, especially Justin’s Grandma who was an absolute hoot to read.
This book was well worth the read and one that I thoroughly recommend.
4.5 stars
I absolutely fell in love with this book. The story was one that I knew I was going to enjoy from the first chapter. This is a story that isn’t plain sailing. Although the connection between the lead characters is very prominent from the first meeting. They denied it to themselves for a long time. Until they couldn’t.
Justin and Kayla both have demons that they are running from. And a lot of those demons are other people’s problems, lies, and actions that create what occurs throughout this story. Justin is the typical bad boy, one that it’s easy to blame for everything. But Kayla takes a lot of heat for something that’s disgusting that was done to her. They both are great and heartwarming characters under the armor that they both wear.
Although this is a beautiful romance, it has really bad undercurrents, drugs, booze, scandal, and sexual assault/harassment. All of which are there but aren’t described in detail but they need to be there in respect of the story.
This book is a huge recommendation from me. I have read a few of this authors’ books and I absolutely love her style of writing and she always brings a beautiful love story that makes your heart happy in the end.
Reviewer: Donna
Kayla is an aspiring fashion designer. She left California and moved to LA after a situation at her former job has her fleeing in search of a fresh start. When she gets to LA, she gets a call from a wrong number from someone named Louise. She finds herself in a situation where she unexpectedly meets Justin, a former rock star. She can’t believe it. She knows exactly who he is and why he fell from glory.
Justin was the lead singer in a boy band. After a very public fall from grace and the break up of his band, he is now acting and trying to clean up his image. When he sees Kayla at his grandmother’s house, he thinks she some groupie who has somehow snuck her way into her house to get to him. He is extremely rude & kicks her out. When he finds out that she was telling the truth, he tries to make amends by offering to hire her to take his calls.
Kayla’s character was likable. She is down on her luck but strong and sassy. She doesn’t take any bull off of Justin. Justin is having a bad run of luck himself but wants to clean up his image. He was a good guy underneath the rockstar/actor image. He just couldn’t seem to catch a break. The banter between the two of them was funny and entertaining. I just don’t know that I felt the connection between them.
The plot had a few twists that were interesting and intriguing. There were interesting characters. I especially liked Louise. I liked the connection and backstory with Justin and his bandmates. I just felt like the story was a little rushed and was missing something. Christine is a brilliant writer but this one didn’t hit the mark for me.
****ARC received in exchange for an honest review.****
A love story that makes you smile. A hero and heroine that go toe to toe with quick and fun banter and a redemption quality in the story that gives them each a second chance.
Justin Beckett is the bad boy rockstar, turned actor, who has to walk the line because of his past with his former band members. Kayla Montgomery is a garment designer from New York who has run from her past to LA because of an incident that has ruined her reputation. These two meet by a total bizarre and random coincident but there is something about each other that forms a spark. I must say that Louise, Justin’s grandmother, is the sweetest and cutest secondary character that shines throughout the story.
I loved the premise of the story. I loved the slow burn of the story and how the incidents of the past for both Justin and Kayla hoover throughout the story until they must be addressed and confronted. I will say that parts of the story were a little disjointed for me but the beginning and the end were strong and swoon worthy. This is a lovely contemporary romance that takes your mind off the craziness of the world because who doesn’t love a rockstar who redeems himself and a garment designer who succeeds on her own that fall in love and live happily ever after
Superb! CD Reiss always manages to write books which draw me in, keep me turning those pages with a sense of delight, and leaves me wanting to resubmerge myself in her cleverly crafted, articulate books. Lead Me Back provided me with a new favourite man in Justin, and another wonderful, feisty, strong/vulnerable woman in Kayla. CD Reiss’ characters are a wonderful combination of creative, logical, honest, passionate, objective and articulate and become so much more than cardboard cutouts; they become alive in my imagination in a way which is a massive gift to a reader.
As always, I have highlighted so many passages which bring me that thrill associated with seeing a mastery of and deep appreciation of, language. I could fill this review with them, but here is one which I found so clever, simple and evocative: this is Justin in a beautifully loving moment with Kayla: “when I opened my eyes, I saw the moon steady in the flowing roll of the night sky.” Just gorgeous.
Lead Me Back brought visits with/mentions of beloved characters (eg, Darren, happy and settled ) who I am always delighted to check in on, and added to the growing list of people I wish were real:Evelyn, Eddie, Brenda.
Tell me I am going to read a book by CD Reiss and you have a very happy Alicia, and this book has left me with a bucket of happy. Thank you
Straight from the first chapter with the droll humor and offbeat character situations, I knew this book would be quirky and unusual. The first chapter felt fresh and interesting- and a bit jarring, in a good way. We open with our main character, Kayla, mysteriously fleeing NYC for LA. Her first task? A new phone- which someone ends up being someone else’s number. One bizarre call later, she finds herself running an errand for a stranger’s granny, putting her in the crosshairs of the THE Justin Beckett, disgraced boyband Hollywood star who is trying to rehab his image STAT. Justin needs to get messages from this phone, so he offers (and then somewhat tricks Kayla into taking a role on his latest project so she can (secretly) keep him in contact with the mystery person this phone connects him to. Hmm. Interesting indeed. And thus begins our rockstar/Hollywood romance, as both characters spend more times together and the shadowed mysteries they both seem to hold close start to come to light.
Unfortunately, the character chemistry just didn’t land for me, and I think our leads needed a little bit more character depth and more evolution. A lot of this was Justin- he’s painted as Justin Biebery, lovable douchey. He does have some depth, and he’s funny and sweet later on, but I could never shake his earlier characterization, and i’m not sure I saw enough development to believe he wasn’t that guy. I liked Kayla overall- she’s sassy and self-assured, but then she’d do something that surprised me and felt inconsistent with who I thought she was (like the opening chapter). Together, I just didn’t buy their connection- emotionally or even physically. The passion was missing for me, the intricacies of an intimate and personal relationship weren’t as strong. I actually felt like Justin had stronger character chemistry with his grandma (whole stole the book and is FANTASTIC), which just speaks to there being something missing, for me, with Kayla and Justin overall.
The writing was sharp and very witty. While I appreciated the unexpected and slightly bizarre action in the narrative, some of it felt contrived that made it hard for me to connect to the story, and that paired with the mystery of both of their pasts just felt like we had a lot going on plot wise that further detracted from the main romance. The parts of their history that were kept secret for much of their story also distanced me from the characters and made me care less about them when they were “unearthed”- even though these were serious things that impacted both characters.
I love CD Reiss, and I loved what she was trying to do here- just wasn’t my favorite work of hers, but I know others will love it.
New York City and Hollywood cross paths, one grew up and worked in the fashion industry while the other was in a boy band, turned actor. What happens when their paths cross by receiving a call to the right/wrong number?
Christine Reiss has a way with words, her voice is clear, concise, and competent writer that has been in the business of creating scripts and stories and her knowledge of Hollywood brings about authenticity in her novels.
4.25 stars-LEAD ME BACK by CD Reiss is a stand alone, contemporary, adult, erotic, romance storyline focusing on clothing designer Kayla Montgomery, and one-time teen heartthrob turned actor Justin Beckett.
Told from dual first person points of view (Kayla and Justin) LEAD ME BACK follows the building romance and relationship between twenty five year old one-time teen heartthrob/ musician turned actor Justin Beckett, and clothing designer Kayla Montgomery. Justin Beckett was once on top of the world with his boy band turned pop artists but everything quickly spiralled out of control when alcohol, drugs and rumoured infidelity destroyed what was left of the friendships and love. Now on a strict schedule with no outside contact from his former mates, Justin needs to succeed in the world of acting, or say good bye to what’s left of his career.
Kayla Montgomery needs a new start after her life imploded back in New York. A new phone number found our heroine with the former number of rock star Justin Beckett, a number that would pull Kayla into the world of our storyline hero. Working on Justin’s latest movie in the costume department brought Kayla up close and personal with a man who was about to push all of her buttons but demons from the past were about to resurface for both Kayla and Justin pushing Kayla out of Justin’s life when issues of trust threaten their already tenuous situation.
The relationship between Justin and Kayla begins acrimoniously when Kayla begins receiving all sorts of phone calls for our storyline hero, phone calls from one-time bandmates and friends who would rather Justin jumped off the face of the earth. Kayla has come to LA for a fresh start, and dating Justin Beckett was about to implode when the paparazzi and Justin’s manager begin to stalk our story line heroine. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
We are introduced to Justin’s bandmates who are all struggling with what was and what will never be: Shane, Gordon and Chad; Justin’s PR manager Ken Braque; Kayla’s sister Talia, and their father Raymond;and several members of the movie crew including Evelyn, Eddie, and Francine. Here’s hoping the author has plans for more story lines focusing on the members of the band.
LEAD ME BACK is a story of betrayal and vengeance; miscommunication and misunderstanding; secrets, lies, romance and love. The character driven premise is fast paced, captivating, heart breaking and poignant; the characters are colorful, animated, playful and lost; the romance is emotional and provocative. LEAD ME BACK is an impassioned story of two people who found one another when no one else was willing to give them a chance
I love when C.D. Reiss writes Hollywood stories. The glitz and glamour, the scandals and gossip. It’s so fun to read about. This time around we meet a young up and coming designer who is running from her past who through a twist of fate ends up in the middle of Justin Beckett’s world. The hot young boy band-er who is building quite a reputation for attracting trouble.
Kayla had just the right amount of tough exterior with a gooey soft center. She took no crap off of Justin, who is almost too much to handle. He’s gotten himself into a ton of trouble recently, breaking up his band, going solo and breaking into movies. His handlers are trying to keep him under control, but Justin does what Justin wants. Even though he comes across as douchey and arrogant, underneath that rebel exterior, his heart is truly in the right place and he’s struggling hard to figure out how to make amends and make everyone happy.
I loved the dynamic between Kayla and Justin, how she never cut him any slack and how he showed her his true self. As usual, C.D. brings us a story full of lyrical prose and she tells a story that is very relevant right now in our society. Not gonna lie, I am not a Justin Beiber fan. Never have been, never will be. But the Justin in this story grew on me and I loved him and Kayla together.
This was a fun story to read, even with the heavy undertones of certain topics. I loved several of the secondary characters, particularly Kayla’s dad and a couple of her coworkers. I wouldn’t mind seeing more of this cast of characters in future books!
Another Amazing Story from CD Reiss! Elizabeth @ Carolina Chic’s Read
Kayla Montgomery is down in her luck at the moment. Having left New York City for Los Angeles she is must start over. Thinking her past is behind her this tender hearted girl becomes an unintentional assistant to a star; Justin Beckett.
The series of events and attraction to this man lead her a life she could love and her heart wants him for her own. Kayla’s past is coming back to haunt her and she must choose to hide from it or use it to make things right.
I loved this book! It was written beautifully and kept me hooked the entire way through it.
5 Stars
I’ve read quite a few books from this author, and really enjoyed them all, each on of them full of suspense, character depth and great storyline, so when I got the chance to read this new release I jumped at the chance. I love a good Rockstar story, but this one just fell completely flat for me, in fact I didn’t even finish it, which is rare for me. Started off okay, Justin is a rockstar who has been involved in an “incident” and has fallen from grace in the public eye, but he’s trying to get back his “brand” by entering the acting scene. Kayla is just moving to the LA area from New York under suspicious reasons, changes her phone number so she can start fresh and ends up with a number that used to belong to a person whose grandmother (Louise) calls her not realizing her grandson has changed his number. Confused yet? I honestly stuck with this story longer than I should, I kept waiting for it to get better but it sadly didn’t. Three stars is being extremely generous, but the premise of the book was okay. Just got tired of the non chemistry between these two characters. Didn’t care for his handlers at all, and her dads situation didn’t make sense at all. Overall, not worth the read,
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC copy of this book.
She’s trying to run from her past. She wants to be free to create without the cloud hanging over her.
He was the lead singer in the band he and his friends created, but that was then. Now hes an actor and solo performer with a bad reputation.
They both need a second chance at life. A do over, and a squeaky clean image to be the best that they can be in a cut throat world.
I enjoyed this book from start to finish. It was a good solid read with a guarenteed happy ending.
For me personally Louise stole the show. She was batty and hilarious with her cringe worthy comments. She had me chuckling away like a loon at points.
Justin her grandson is the bad boy trying to be good. His personality didnt appeal to me very much, but I understood why he was arrogant and had the god amongst mere mortals kind of attitude.
Kayla is highly spirited and not shy with her words. I felt for her and what she went through as I think any female would, but her tough exterior, though called for made her hard to love.
Together they could be one of two things either a car crash waiting to happen, or something so perfect nothing compared. There would be no middle ground and I think that’s what kept me interested.
I wanted to see what would happen and I hoped Louise would keep popping up to keep me amused along the way.
If I had loved all the characters, and connected a little better with them this would of been a five star review, but because that didnt happen I’m giving this four stars.