Melt into the steam of this concert tour romance that readers are calling “smoldering,” “captivating,” and “better than Fifty Shades of Grey.”Kate is a globe-trotting tour manager who can’t be tied down.Danny is a Dominant rock star and tattoo artist who needs her help to explore his true kinks.Kate just got her big break, running an international tour for a rising band. Her job is everything to … tour for a rising band. Her job is everything to her…at least until she meets the band’s enigmatic bass player.
After they collide in one unforgettably erotic night on a hotel balcony, he comes to her with a proposition. As a former BDSM club performer, Danny’s spent so long fulfilling other people’s fantasies that now he wants to reclaim his own—and he says she’s the only one who can help.
Getting caught in bed with her rock star boss could cost her career, and yet there’s something about Danny’s quiet intensity that she can’t resist. He steals her heart, hard. But the end of the tour is approaching, and their jobs are headed two different directions.
To be together one of them will have to stop touring, but the only thing they crave as much as each other is music.
One-click this steamy and heart-wrenching romance today!
Book 2 of the NTRWA award-winning series
**This book can be read and understood as a standalone, but does contain spoilers for earlier books in the series.**
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With relentless chemistry and snappy writing, it’s impossible not to become a die-hard groupie for Danny and Kate and The Red Letters. The dramatic highs and lows of the backstage rock world are ruthlessly vivid. I devoured this book until the last page.
“The road, the music…it’s where I belong. It fits my body and my brain and all my flaws.”
Yeah, it was the guitar on the cover that caught my attention and convinced me to give it a try. I’m seriously addicted to rockstar romance and book covers with guitars on them. You should see my bookshelves. While this is a series, I read Playing the Pauses as a standalone. It was my introduction to Michelle Hazen’s writing and I’m glad to have stumbled upon her work.
While I was sometimes frustrated with Kate because I wanted her to quit being so hard-headed, I also connected with her character. I share many of her OCD tendencies and understand her need to fix everything and take care of everyone, except herself. I also appreciate that she’s aware of herself, admitting that, “I am the kind of person who needs to be needed…” When she lucks into a job as a replacement tour manager for the up-and-coming band, Red Letters, she’s determined to prove herself. It’s just the opportunity she needs to move up in the industry. Unfortunately, her predecessor left a mess for her to clean up and she has to lay it out for the band members and hope they will support her plan to dig them out of the mess they didn’t even know they were in. What she doesn’t expect is to fall for them… all of them.
She’s never worked with a band that is so close to each other. They are a true family that loves and supports each other and they make her feel like she’s one of them. She longs to let herself be pulled in, but her self-protective instincts keep reminding her that this is a temporary gig and she’ll be moving on to another band soon.
All that talking to herself doesn’t seem to be working. She knows it’s a bad idea to hook up with Danny, the dark, mysterious, beautifully inked bass player that seems to be able to read her mind. He seems to know exactly what she wants and needs without her saying a word. Which is a good thing because she can’t bring herself to share that part of herself. But that doesn’t stop her from craving it, and him.
The chemistry between Danny & Kate is intense. The author did a great job of making me feel their passion for each other. I was fully onboard the #Kanny fusion and mentally encouraged them to take a chance on a future together. Kate worried that, “I want into his life and I know I can’t do that without giving up my own.” Surely they can find a way to overcome the many obstacles standing in their way, right?
I really dug the plentiful music industry details in this story. I enjoyed meeting the other band members and got drawn into their lives, wanting to know more. I purchased the first two books in this series and I plan to go back and read them. And I’ll most definitely be keeping my eye out for the release of Jax’s story. The line forms here…
Playing The Pauses by Michelle Hazen
Sex, Love and Rock & Roll #2
Intriguing, enticing and entertaining – three friends are on tour with their band, road crew and new tour manager. Kate Madsen is brought in at the last minute when the schedule manager needs medical care and is a firecracker with organizational skills the group desperately needs.
Little did the band know that they were given a blessing in Kate who whipped things into shape and made things flow.
Little did Kate know that she would meet a man that would challenge her in more ways than one – a man that might be more than just the bass guitarist for the band.
Little did Danny O’Neill know that Kate would be the woman who would help him rediscover parts of himself and also be the woman he will want to spend his life with.
This is a great story of camaraderie on the road and of friendships closer than family. It is a story of becoming honest with oneself and being willing to be honest with others. It is a romantic story with elements of BDSM that are in keeping with the story being told.
What did I like:
* Danny – what a strong, warm, giving man he is with talents not only on his bass guitar and ability to ink tattoos but in the bedroom, too.
* Kate – he strength of will, organizational skills, willingness to help others and sort out their problems are only the tip of the iceberg for a woman with some conflicts to sort through.
* The way Danny & Kate’s story unfolds
* The trust between Danny & Kate
* The love and friendship between Jera, Jax and Danny
* The feel of what it might be like to live in a tour bus
* Pretty much everything 😉
What I didn’t like?
* That it took Kate so long to get her issues sorted out…
I am hopeful that there will be another book for Jax and am curious how his story will unfold.
Thank you to NetGalley and Barclay Publicity for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
4.5 stars
I do love a good rocker romance and BDSM themed stories are a favorite too, so when I saw the blurb for this book I had to give it a try! Playing the Pauses was a wonderfully unique story from others I have read in either of the tropes thanks to the author’s way of blending both worlds.
Kate loves being a tour manager, but as a young woman just breaking into the business she has to work to get every job assignment. She loves the sound of The Red Letters and sees big things in their future, so she jumps at the chance to work with them despite the fact their former tour manager left her a heck of a mess to clean up. Their first meeting in the airport goes about as well as it could, but she didn’t expect their bassist Danny to turn out to be her personal form of kryptonite. She has always melted for musicians, particularly one with talented fingers, but when that gorgeous and talented man is also a Dom… well, she is in all sorts of trouble!
Kate swore off Doms two years ago and she has held strong on that ban for good reason. She embraces submitting behind closed doors, but when it comes to real life, the men in her past just couldn’t seem to stop trying to control her or make decisions for her there either. She is damn good at her job and she will not give that up for any man, but Danny is going to seriously test her resolve.
Danny can’t deny his tendencies, but he has taken a step back from that world in order to try to find himself again. The band is starting to find success and the need for control hasn’t disappeared from his life, but behind closed doors he feels a bit lost when it comes to embracing his own kinks rather than just fulfilling the needs of the subs he has been with. After one smokin’ hot encounter with Kate, he knows they both feel the connection but he bolts when the intensity leaves them both a little unsettled and fears encroach on the moment.
Kate stands to lose everything she has worked so hard to build if she gets involved with Danny. If word gets out, she will be labeled as anything from a groupie to an untalented opportunist who slept her way into her job. But when Danny lays out his proposal to explore his true interests, she just can’t bring herself to say no despite the risks. He ignites a craving in her that she has long tried to deny, but the man himself is just as irresistible with his silent strength and instinctive ability to read her like a book.
I loved that the story focused on the exploration of the relationship between Kate and Danny as well as Kate and the rest of the band who have formed their own family over the years. The concerts and travel were certainly a big part of their life, but the focus wasn’t always on their time on stage and the groupies didn’t factor into Kate and Danny’s relationship in any way. I thought the author did a wonderful job with character development, and she cranked up the angst level in the second half of the book as the looming tour end meant difficult decisions to be made. Does finding love mean that Kate has to give up her hopes and dreams, or can they find a way to compromise?
I loved Jera and Jax, Danny’s two other bandmates, and I am really looking forward to diving into Jera’s story soon while waiting on Jax’s story to come along. If you love either rock star romances or stories that delve into the BDSM world, I definitely recommend Playing the Pauses! It is light enough on the BDSM element that those who don’t want to be fully immersed into that world will be able to enjoy the story, and it is a standalone romance that focuses on emotional depth and family while being set in the world of rock stars.
WOW!!! JUST WOW!!!
A soul deep connection and unbreakable bond. This was such an awesome read with surprises and deep need to see “what’s next”. I love the way the characters and their personalities came to life with such a pull that keeps your focus, heart and mind in play. With every scene, it became so much more real. Wow! Michelle totally blew me away. If you’re looking for deep intellect as well as hot and steamy? You’ve found it.
Playing the Pauses was a perfect follow up to A Cruel Kind of Beautiful. A bit of time has passed and now the Red Letters are on the fast train to stardom. Already touring and recording their own music, they are on their way to becoming one of the biggest names in the music scene.
When Kate joins on as Tour Manager, she expects it to go just as every other tour before and arrives with her own preconceived notions about what to expect from Jax, Jera and Danny; however, she quickly learns that this trio is far from any band she’s worked with before and she ends up being drawn to each and every one of their personalities and can resist crossing her line of professionalism and forming friendships with Jera and Jax.
But Danny is a different story. In Playing the Pauses I got to see a whole different side of Danny. I thought I had a grasp on who he was, but I was SO wrong. There was so much more to Danny beneath the surface and Kate, seeing a kindred spirit in Danny, took it upon herself to peel those layers away and get to the core of what made Danny who he was. She took their time together and an opportunity to help him work through the deep rooted need to care for others and never caring for himself. He became a ‘people pleaser’ and, aside from his love of music and tattooing, completely lost sight of what makes him happy – in and out of bed. Katy opened him up to exploring that while allowing him to keep true to who it was. She was familiar with his kink and was willing to do what she could to help him find his way. And together, they were beautiful and sexy and it added so many layers of heat to the story.
just adore the Red Letters band members. Their personalities are so different, yet they share such an incredible friendship that is only strengthened by their love and passion of music. With Jera’s story, it had a bit of comedy…I mean her personality is so playful and laid back, I couldn’t help but giggle often. Danny’s story is a bit more serious and a lot more sexy. I have a feeling that Jax’s book is going to be loaded with emotion. There’s a lot going on with him behind the scenes and I know once I get to know those details, his story is going to break my heart and put it back together again. I can’t wait!
Playing The Pauses by Michelle Hazen blew me away…completely!
4.5 stars!!
Playing The Pauses by Michelle Hazen is a story about a musician, a quiet swoony bass player named Danny to be exact, and a tour manager named Kate.
Danny is lost sexually and looking for a way to find himself again. He’s a dominant who knows how to use a riding crop. Along the lines of his life, he hasn’t always had the best experiences sexually so overtime he’s withdrawn and hid that side of him. But the moment he sets his sights on his new tour manager, the feral beast that lives deep inside is desperate for a new awakening.
Playing The Pauses is told in Kate’s point of view, which I though was very interesting. Usually when it comes to a rockstar romance novel the POV is either from both love interest sides or it’s usually told from the musicians point of view. I however, really liked this approach!
Kate is a tour manager. She’s been through it all and has seen it all. Until she meets Danny. She sees something in him that no one else sees and after a one night fling with the man himself, she’s correct with her conclusion. This man is hiding his dominance and she’ll do whatever it takes to help him find himself again. Even if it means giving up her heart in the process.
I was really intrigued by this novel, it’s not everyday you come across a gem in a heavily populated romance world. This novel is just that! Danny’s vibe is different from your normal domineering hero in novels. This man is quiet and introverted. He’s a go with the flow type man. Except when it comes to protecting his loved ones, then this man is as fierce as they come.
I loved Danny and Kate’s story. Their chemistry was overwhelming in only the best of ways. I have to admit, I was fanning my face with my notebook a couple of times. Danny with some rope and a riding crop. What could be sexier than that! Christian Grey, eat your heart out!
Not only are the sexy scenes on point, but the emotional level is also right up there. I felt the emotions bone deep. Honestly, starting this novel, I wasn’t sure I was going to like it all that much.until a few chapters in and that is why I rated it a 4.5 star rating. It took me a little while to get into this novel and get a true feel for the characters, but when everything fell into place it was all over and I was addicted!
Overall, Playing The Pauses by Michelle Hazen was a great read and I look forward to seeing what this author has up her sleeve next! Definitely check this book out!
Michelle Hazen is a new author to me so I was a bit hesitant about reading this book as it’s book 2 in her Sex, Love, and Rock & Roll Series, I shouldn’t have worried I really enjoyed this book and this authors style of writing, in fact I will be one clicking book 1 in this series as well as looking at her other books. If you love Rockers I urge you to one click Playing the Pauses.
Kate is a globe trotting tour manager never staying too long in one place, she loves her job and has never found a reason to settle in one place until she meets Danny O’Neil a Dominant rock star and tattoo artist. Kate is hired at the last minute to go on tour with the Red Letter Band and right from the start sparks fly between her and Danny. Kate’s job is the world to her and crossing that line and sleeping with a band member has always been a big no until Danny but what will happen at the end of the tour, will hearts be broken ……….
I loved how this author gave us a real look into behind the scenes of a rock band on tour, I loved the characters and I loved seeing how the relationships grew between the band as things started happening between Danny and Kate. This book is more than a story it’s a journey about two people learning about themselves as well as learning to love, it’s written beautifully and I’m looking forward to more in this series as well as going back to read the previous book. Great read.
They say opposites attract. Danny and Kate put that theory to the test. Playing the Pauses speaks to the idiosyncrasies that makes us human, while pushing the boundaries of what love really is. Nobody writes taboo quite like Michelle Hazen. Kate and Danny challenge each other, but they expose insecurities and heal deep seated scars with a lovers touch and a heart’s kind words. It pays to be naughty when your playing for keeps. Out of ugly moments come precious gifts wrapped in everlasting love.
4 Star Review of Playing The Pauses (Sex, Love & Rock and Roll #2) by Michelle Hazen
This was a new author to me and as you can see this is book 2 in the series. I had no trouble following this story so this can easily be read as a stand alone without any issues; although I will go and check out book 1 as well.
This book follows the members of the Red Letter Band and this is Danny O’Neil’s story. When Kate joins as the tour manager, sparks fly and Danny is intrigued by her particularly because so many people want a piece of him and yet Kate wants to give not take from him.
The big question is can Kate afford to be caught in her boss’s bed? After all she has worked hard to get her big break; will she risk it all for what could be a fling?
Kate cannot resist Danny and his proposition as their chemistry sizzles, but what will happen when the tour ends?
I enjoyed Danny and Kate’s story and was interested to see the behind the scenes issues that go hand in hand with a band on tour.
It was also interesting to see the relationship development between all the band members,
This is a story of love, of finding oneself and doing what is right not only for others but for yourself. Well written and with quite a few roller coaster moments this book will hold your interest.