Drummer Ryder Chord has been living half a life since he was sixteen when a brutal tragedy strikes his family and he and his best friend hit the road. Ryder, desperate to forget, throws himself into touring life and writing music. When Lexi joins the band, Ryder’s life becomes almost tolerable. Until one day when the rest of the band isn’t there and Ryder and Lexi have to share a hotel room: with … with only one bed.
Rule number one of band-dom: You never sleep with anyone in the band.
Rule number one of bro code: You never sleep with anyone’s sister. You definitely never sleep with your best friend’s little sister.
Rule number it’s so obvious it’s a count even a drummer can keep: You Never. Ever. Sleep with your best friend’s little sister when she’s in the band…and he is too.
** “A moving, funny, white-hot sexy romp that fans of Lauren Blakely, Nora Roberts, and Janet Evanovich will love.” – Smart Woman’s Steamy Romance Reviews.
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M.J. Roberts opens her Chord Brothers series with Rock Hard, which follows Drummer Ryder Chord and his bandmate and best friend’s younger sister Lexi.
Ryder is a complex character who has suffered a devastating tragedy which still haunts him. He’s an impassioned artist living the rock band life and up until recently had put his bandmate and best friend’s little sister in the friend zone. Until it’s impossible for him to ignore his attraction to her. Especially when Lexi has longed to be with him for a long time.
Although it’s told from both points of view, the emphasis is on Ryder, who is closed off and has to work through his issues along with the additional band drama created by him and Lexi being together.
The secondary characters, although immature at times, are vital in the story’s development as the reader also gets a taste of band life: the concerts, their love for music, life on the road.
Ryder Chord knows the rule, you never sleep with one of your bandmates, but the person that made that rule has never met a woman like Lexi. She is a temptation he cannot ignore, one that comes with complicated written all over her. Not only is she his band mate, but also the little sister of his best friend and fellow bandmate. And if that isn’t reason enough to stay away he doesn’t know what is… but even with that warning label attached, he doesn’t stay away. And now he is paying the price!
Rock Hard introduces us to bandmates Lexi and Ryder, and takes us on their journey to finding that forever kind of love. But theirs’s isn’t an easy fall, as they have a lot of complications and rules standing in their way that they have to conquer first. It’s a forbidden romance brimming with feels, secrets, passion, and a bit of angst to torture the heart.
I love rock star romances and I’ve got to say that Rock Hard definitely checked all the boxes for me, it’s well penned words kept me thoroughly entertained the whole way through! Highly recommend!
I requested an advanced copy of this title from the publisher, and I am voluntarily leaving my honest and unbiased opinion.
Rock Hard came recommended to me since I love just about all things romance. It’s not my typical read, I usually stick to my fantasy genre and romance within it, but this was an interesting book.
I didn’t quite know what to expect with a rock and roll type book and was pleasantly surprised by some aspects of the story. Most movies and books portray a lot of drugs and violence, and I was glad that those were absent from this book.
Ryder, the main character for all that he is a rock star with a messed up past, is actually very much a sweetheart and a good guy. His bandmates and the sub-characters for the book are equally likable.
The chemistry between the two main characters Ryder and Lexi is undeniable. But I also enjoyed the relationship and friendships of the band as a whole. The constant jokes and the camaraderie they show each other was what really drew me in.
The part that I enjoyed most, surprisingly, was the parts about the music. I loved the songs constantly being mentioned throughout and how they played into the story. I loved when the music would take over certain scenes and how it sort of enveloped everything.
I know this book will entertain readers who adore music and love the rock and roll lifestyle.
3.5 stars
This blurb sounded simply delicious, and I love exploring new-to-me authors. I find the the rockstar trope is really hit or miss- in part, because at times the story feels told- but MJ Roberts brought some nuance here that I appreciated. This really feels more like a best friend’s sister story- that just so happens to take place in an epic rock band.
Ryder is the drummer god of band Hard Chord- and he’s your classic artistic musician type. He lives for the music, for the artistry, and lately, he’s living for his bandmate Lexi, a complication not only because Lexi is his best friend’s little sister but ALSO because his best friend Jace is ALSO in the band. And Lexi has always had an interest in Ryder- pining away silently until she has the courage to go after the man she’s grown up swooning over. UH OH- sounds dramatic and messy. These two find their way to each other on a tour break, unable to resist their attraction, but can their relationship last beyond the safety of their private week of passion? Or will their bubble burst?
Ryder has a lot of dimension, his story is more about him being a suffering artist or a man-whole rock god who needs to reform his ways. Rather, we have a complicated man suffering years after a devastating tragedy, at times still drowning in his own ghosts. He definitely gets the bulk of the story focus, which was a new experience for me (I normally relate to and connect with the heroines more- but they are often the narrative focus or the primary voice). We certainly get some of Lexi- particularly as it relates to the imminent drama of her and Ryder’s dalliance becoming public and drama with her brother. And, while we do have quite a bit of story relative to the familial drama and Ryder’s past, we still have plenty of the rockstar trope plot points. Life on the road, performing, band issues, and the whole making it in the big cutthroat world of music. But, it didn’t feel as trite to me as some other rockstar stories- perhaps because the characters’ challenges aren’t solely pinned on the fact that they are in a band and living the rockstar life.
I enjoyed a lot of this, though I must admit it took me longer than normal to get really invested in the characters and connect with them- odd for me because it wasn’t like they didn’t have depth. Perhaps it’s because Ryder’s voice is the more dominant (most of the POVs are his)- and the author makes some creative choices in terms of her writing style and in helping us see his inner artist (the music side of him)- which sometimes distanced me from him, since his brain works so differently. He’s an intense character who feels so deeply, is tortured and broken, so the empathy was there. The story also felt a bit too long for me- perhaps a bit more story or specificity than I felt I needed.
But the characters so make the story shine- and the secondary characters also added a lot of fun and charm. I’d be curious to check out their stories. All in all, a solid introduction to this author.
Ryder has Jase’s bass strapped to his back and carrying his drums in his ready-to-break trap case with Lexi behind him carrying Jase’s amp when they find themselves locked out of the tour bus in the cold rain. Hit Man left his version of the ‘sock on the door’ for them. Unbelievable! The gig ended five minutes ago and not only is it cold, but they aren’t in the best area of town.
Lexi and he decided to find a hotel room for the night instead of waiting for Hit Man to finish with his groupies. Yes, there seems to be more than one. Seems like every conference is in Detroit right now, but they finally find a room. With one bed. He is triple screwed. You never sleep with a member of your band. You never cross the bro code and sleep with a band member’s sister and you DEFINITELY stay away from your best friend’s little sister.
Lexi fell in love with Ryder when she was seven and he was fourteen when he lifted her up to get her scared kitten out of a tree. She was heartbroken when her brother took him away two years later to play in a band. By the time she joined the band at eighteen, she had already been friend-zoned. Until Detroit. When she fell even further under his spell and for a guy who doesn’t even know she exists.
I loved this book and it being written by someone with an inside track to the reality of traveling with a band makes the characters even more believable. This book is well written and the characters are fully developed.
I love the characters in this book and although this is Ryder and Lexi’s story there is a full cast in this book. We have Hit Man who is a player to top all players. We have Jase who has stood by Ryder through his worse days. We have Zeet Fleet, another band, and close friends and we can’t leave out Ryder’s brothers.
I absolutely love Ryder with his internal jukebox, clock, and recall. No wonder he gets very little sleep, his brain never shuts down. I died laughing about the Valentine’s Day wedding and boy did I cry for Riley.
I’ve read many Rock and Roll novels, but MJ Roberts gathers her inspiration…uhmm…dirty stories…. from actually traveling with her famous drummer husband and has seen it all.
I highly recommend this book and am looking forward to reading the rest of this series and MJ Roberts’s complete library.