The most famous rock star in the world has finally found the one, but secrets from his past threaten to ruin both their lives in this “heart-pounding romance” (Fresh Fiction). I’m not who you think I am.
Shane Hawthorne has it all. At least, that’s what the headlines say about me. I have millions of fans, awards, more money – and women – than I know what to do with. But what you don’t see is … more money – and women – than I know what to do with. But what you don’t see is the wreckage I’ve caused. The memories and pain I can’t escape, even when I pour them into music and spin them into gold.
I tried to forget. To lose myself in booze and groupies. It didn’t work. It hurt me and – worse – it hurt my band. That’s the last thing I want to do, so I’m cleaning up my act… starting with Delaney Fraser.
Gorgeous, smart, drama-free, and even nice – Delaney is the perfect “girlfriend.” When I’m with her I don’t have to pretend. It’s like she sees the real me. And I can see a future with her. But that’s dangerous. Because the truth is, Shane Hawthorne doesn’t actually exist. He’s a shield to hide who I really am. Fraud. Runaway. Addict. Murderer.
And it’s impossible to love a lie, right?
The Nothing but Trouble series:
Rock King
Rock Legend
Rock Rebel
more
4.5 stars
“Who am I? I don’t even know anymore. Fraud. Runaway. Addict. Murderer. Not so sexy now, am I?”
I love Rock Star Romance, that’s no secret. And yes most of those follow the same principle: troubled and broken, hot rock star soul falls in love with the mousy girl next door, oblivious to her beauty and effect on others (refreshing and irresistibly charming). Confession: Yes, Rock King is no different. BUT sometimes, if the story catches me: I just don’t care 🙂
“With or without a microphone, Shane Hawthorne was a walking advertisement for heartbreak on two legs.”
Rock King was my first book by Tara Leigh and I’ve read it in one day. I just couldn’t put it down. Again, I can confirm I totally see some of the critical points other reviewers have pointed out in their review. But I just don’t weigh them as much as they did. To me Rock King is a great rock star romance I would recommend everyone asking.
“You know, I think I like your suggestion. I’ll provide the wild ride, if you promise you’ll try to tame me.”
The chemistry between Shane and Delaney is undeniable strong, growing with each chapter and with each chapter those characters grew on me. I loved turning the pages, reading their thought, their interaction on so many levels. Both have the heart at the right place and love fiercely. Both have their troubled past which defines them big ways and together they learn to forgive, not each other but mostly themselves.
“By the end of the tour, I’d either love him or hate him. Because right now I knew only one thing for sure. Expecting to be indifferent to Shane Hawthorne was downright foolish, if not completely stupid.”
I can easily say that Shane and Delaney just made it to the top 10 of my favorite rock couples!
“Don’t be too impressed by the opening act, Delaney. The headliner’s just getting started.”
From my point of view, Tara has a great way with words. I loved all those analogies and I marked so many things in this book, I have a hard time deciding which ones to quote in this review.
“There was no armor strong enough to protect me from this man. His shameless charm, his stunning body. Mysexy bad-boy rock star. My sweet Good Samaritan. Head and heart of a lion, soul of a wounded boy”
Thank you Tara for giving us another hot rock star to swoon for!
“She’d ruined me all right. Ruined me for anyone else. Damn that girl—my girl—for making me love her. Because I did. Even more than I hated myself.”
I love books about rock stars, so I jumped at the opportunity to review this one. It has all the things I like, troubled pasts, broken characters, angst, a lot of guilt and remorse and a gaping hole in their heart that they crave to fill with love. Yummy!
Shane Hawthorne, has a big load of baggage, but since he’s a rock star, he has Travis, his agent, who makes life easy for him. Shane’s about to embark on a world tour with his group Nothing But Trouble, and he needs a girlfriend to keep the groupies away and keep him away from the booze and drugs. It sounds more like a babysitter, but for the public, she has to look and act like a girlfriend. And Travis is the guy who gets this done. Shane has a deep belief that he’s worthless and will never find a girl who will love him for him, so he makes do with a contract girlfriend. If the girl accepts to take it to bed, so much better.
Delaney is living in Los Angeles, but not because she’s looking for a job in Tinsel Town, but to escape and hide from her past. She’s waitressing when she meets Travis and he invites her to a party at his house. I knew then where this was going.
Delaney and Shane meet at the party but it’s not a great success. Delaney’s huge bucket of guilt doesn’t let her enjoy the moment and she leaves. And Shane sees in Delaney all that he wants.
Delaney accepts the job in spite of her misgivings because it feels a little like pimping. However, she needs the money for her nephew’s medical care and Travis promised to change her father from a maximum protection jail to a minimum protection. Since Delaney’s huge source of guilt comes from her father’s imprisonment, that’s the deal breaker for her.
What follows is their love story, a very bumpy road, because of their personal baggage. It’s riveting, dramatic, and compelling. Their baggage is very similar because both broken pasts stem from driving accidents. In Shane’s case, the accident resulted in the death of his best friend Caleb, whose family accepted him into their home when his father turned abusive. His songs, his success were all dedicated to Caleb’s memory. For Delaney, her tragedy was her mother’s death at the accident and her father’s imprisonment.
It was a riveting story to read and I liked Shane a lot. He felt he was a sham, a fake person, that no one knew the real him and if they did, they would run away and abandon him. He was a great person but he needed someone to bring that person to the front. Delaney did that; however, I felt that she was sometimes too harsh and hurtful to him. There are several scenes where he wears a hurt expression from her answers to him. I didn’t find her the lovable person that Shane portrays until the second part of the book where she loses her defensive stance and turns all in to their relation. Shane is taken through the wringer in the legal system and has to face his past, people from his past and his true persona. It was like a double whammy because both had issues to overcome and both were very strong issues. Great reading!
Whoa!
That’s really the only word I can think of to say that describes this book. After finishing it, I started to feel the dreaded book hangover. This book is full of emotional roller coaster rides. Just when you think everything is perfect, the author laughs and says nope!
Shane Hawthorne has a dark past that he keeps hidden from the public’s eyes. Delaney Fraser keeps quiet about her dark past too.
Shane is a nice guy but has one heck of a temper. He’s quick to react and ask questions later. Delaney is a sweet woman just trying to live her life. Shane is good to Delaney.
All I can say is to only read this book if you are emotionally stable to as it will be one heck of a ride for you.
Overall it was a fantastic book that was beautifully written. Well worth 5-stars.
Tara, bring on Landon and Piper. Their book is sure to be scandalous and delicious.
Amount of sex 3.5 / 5
How explicit is the sex scenes 3 / 5
Story 4.5 / 5
Overall: 4.5 / 5
Rock King is the first book in the Nothing but Trouble series by author Tara Leigh. I have read many rocker books, and they often retell the same story, over and over. I was very happy to see that Rock King had an original storyline, and I truly enjoyed it. It’s full of angst, drama, and several steamy sex scenes.
Rock King tells the story of Shane Hawthorn, who is the lead singer for the band Nothing but Trouble. The book does talk about the other band members, but the focus of the book in on Shane and Delaney. Not necessarily the band as a whole.
Shane is very successful, but he is keeping a pretty big secret from the world. Only a couple of the closest people around him know what has happened in the past. Shane finds that having a fake girlfriend helps to keep the past, in the past and the groupies away.
Delaney was just hired to be Shane’s girlfriend for the upcoming tour. She is also keeping a big secret from everyone. Shane doesn’t realize, but their pasts are very similar. Shane and Delany are complex characters, and they kept my attention throughout the whole book.
*Voluntarily Reviewed an Advanced Copy*
Rate: 4,5 / 5 stars
Who else loves Rock Star romances? I do, so so much. I always devour them and this one was no different. It got me from the very first page! Leigh’s words got me; her writing is amazing and I’m soooo looking forward to reading the next book, Rock Legend, coming next month on the 17th!
Her inspirations were the Bleeding Stars series by A. L. Jackson and the Beaumont series by Heidi McLaughlin, which I also loved so hard! So if you loved these series, you’re also gonna love this one because it was amazing!!
I don’t want to spoil anything for you, but I’ll give you a little intel. Shane Hawthorne is a famous rock star with a huge secret, the secret of who he really is. Delaney Fraser is a woman who is very lost after her life turned upside down 3 years ago. These two find each other very randomly, but they both know from the very first glance, that their lives won’t be the same after that one moment in time when they meet.
These two have similar pasts, they went through the same thing and they are both living with the guilt. They are both still hurting over losing someone they loved dearly, and are heavy with guilt over the part they played in it. While Delaney helps Shane open up and helps him work through the guilt and the things/people he left behind, she chooses to not tell him about her past due to fear of losing him… but that might end up happening anyway.
Rock King is a beautiful angsty love story about learning to forgive yourself and doing the right thing even after you’ve messed up. It is brilliantly written. Leigh’s characters will for sure steal a piece of your heart with their fake relationship that transformed into once-in-a-life-time love.
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Kris –
Tara Leigh is a new-to-me author and I’m a huge sucker for rock star books. I felt Rock King had all the ingredients of an awesome rock star romance! It had the deceit and the baggage that makes the characters interesting! You want to know more about who they were or why they became how they are now. It had some great steamy scenes between the two main characters and also the “I shouldn’t love him but of course I do, I should let her go but of course I can’t” that makes these books fun to read. The only thing I really had issue with was a bit too much of flowery prose and extended scenery descriptions that added nothing to the storyline, just more words to skim through. That could be my issue though, lately I seem to have less time to really sit and enjoy a long-winded story. All in all, I enjoyed the story of the rock king known as Shane Hawthorne and his hired hand, love interest turned real, Delaney. So I’d be on board for book #2.
Ruthie –
This is the first book in a new series, and does a great job of building a world in which we can see all the trappings of a rock star world, but also get to know some of the people away from the lights and the chaos.
The set up in this book is fabulous – one tortured soul who has fought a number of demons, but keeps one close to his chest, paired with a seemingly innocent woman, who has a demon even bigger hidden away. As we have the benefit of knowing each side of the story, the tension and the passion builds up very effectively. The inevitable coming together of these two people clearly fated to be together is both explosive, but also caring. Shane recognises very quickly that Delaney may just be the one who has more influence and impact on his life than he may ever imagine. I think that we get the sense of him being a mature and much more in control individual than he has been in the past. He has recognised his weaknesses and failings and worked hard to tame them. My sense was that he is not someone with an addictive personality, so used drugs and drinks for a purpose, which when removed was not an issue. The very fact that he could drink and genuinely remain in control made that point too. I am not sure that Landon, the drummer is in that position, something which I imagine will be explored in his book.
We really get to know less about Delaney, as she is younger, more innocent and has just one massive secret which has changed her world. In her attempt to quell that guilt and pain, she has had to put her life on hold. Shane bursts in and disturbs all that, and she finds that she can be more again.
This is a really good book of the genre, and I would recommend it to you.
Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Rock King (Nothing but Trouble #1) by Tara Leigh to read and review.
I AM IN LOVE!! Tara Leigh is a brand new to me author and I am so glad that I read this book!
I am a sucker for a good rock star romance and I am not sad I read this one! The characters are amazing and the story flows so well. This is a huge five star read for me!
Shane Hawthorne likes his life to be a certain way but when has life ever been like that. He seems to have a strong personality when you think of his profession. Delaney Fraser just may have her life turn around but only time will tell. She seems timid especially when it comes to Shane. This is when you’ll wonder if each is what the other needs. He picks up on what makes her different/special.
Did you ever have a crush on a rock star? Did you ever fantasize about a life together? What things would be like if you had a relationship? How would you behave if you had the chance to spend some time with that person? But on the other hand, did you ever wonder about that one girl who didn’t have a crush? What about the one girl that didn’t like your crush? One who’s confused about said rock star? As you can see I had lots of questions so we’ll have to see what happens to that one girl.
We have a secondary character, Travis, which has me wondering about his story. He seems to help the story move along. He’s the one that put these two at the same point in time. But what will happen during that time is what had me turning the page. It also had me looking forward to see where our author is going to take this series especially since I felt as if the ending left me up in the air.
I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
In this one I like you get more than what meets the eye. You get what is behind the cover and all that goes with it. You get the raw and the reeling the kind that will pull you from your safe zone and feel it all the way to the toes. Shane gives you all that and does not pull any punches. Then you have Delaney whom goes right with one and gives hope to the blind. This author even spices it a bit with suspense that will give you a taste for more while reading this one. By the time you are done with this one you will be salivating for the next one.
Music has always been there for him until she came into his life. It was supposed to be a simple contract but Delaney Fraser is far from simple. Shane Hawthorne never had trouble with women before and loved that Tara Leigh made him work for this woman. The chemistry is all there but there is much more of Shane his fans don’t know. Two people from different lifestyles yet so much in common. Tara Leigh has one hot series with this band not all are bad but mysterious in their sexy ways. Nothing but Trouble series by Tara Leigh is one you dont want to miss.
“I received an eBook copy from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own.”
Rock King by Tara Leigh is the first book in the Nothing but Trouble series. Like every new author I read, I went in with an open mind, but after the first few chapter, I was hooked than my mind was blown!! I have read quite a few Rocker Romances; some storylines were a little cliché and repetitive. But I liked that Rock King was different.
Shane Hawthorne needs a girlfriend to go on tours with him, to keep himself in control and not be a typical rockstar (drugs, alcohol, and women). Delaney Fraser is a waitress who to keep to herself. Her world is being turned upside down now, she’s being asked to be a contract girlfriend to the lead singer of Nothing but Trouble. Shane and Delaney are from opposite side of the tracks but they have something in common – tragic pasts. Can she just be the tour girlfriend for six months? Or will they give into sexual chemistry?
Shane and Delaney’s relationship had emotional twists and sexiness with a side of banter. They almost never gave up on each other and they both learned from one another to be stronger.
I read at night mostly and for two days I didn’t get much sleep. Tara’s writing kept me glued to my kindle wanting more and not wanting this book to end. Amazing start to this series can’t wait for Landon and Piper’s story in Rock Legend.
If you love Rocker Romances, this is a series you need to read!!!
Shane is a mirage. He knows how to shine, but he’s better at knowing how to self destruct. Underneath the bright lights, he can be what the people wants. An untouchable, larger than life rock star. Behind closed doors he falls apart. He breaks hearts, ruin friendships and tortures himself with the demons of his past. He wants to be saved, but is not willing to rescue himself. Delaney is the epitome of what his heart desires, but not necessarily what his heart needs. She’s a showstopper in more ways than even he knows. Her secrets are less obvious but still exist. Tara Leigh has become a favorite author of mine. She’s not afraid to show the dark side of fame, wealth and love. The side we all know to exist, but refuse to see. Rock King is an on the edge romance that is toxic, tempting and touching. Delaney and Shane are caught in a masquerade of their own making, Can they survive the big reveal?
I absolutely love this series it’s my new favorite rockstar book. This was about Shane and his demons he is fighting and he chooses Delaney to be his fake girlfriend but they have a such an amazing chemistry that it doesn’t take long for them to realize their relationship is no longer a show but real. So I loved all the characters except towards the end I wanted to shake Delaney and yell “just tell him already” because she has a big Secret too but she doesn’t tell him even after he unloads his secrets on her other than that this is a phenomenal read and I will be doing some re-reading.
HOLY CRAP BALLS!!!
This book was AWESOME!
I stumbled upon a post on fb that people were talking about this author. I’d not read anything from her before.
Wow this book has it all. Heat. Possession. Music. Love. Sweetness. Fun. Heartbreak. Addiction. Forgiveness.
I loved it.
Shame Hawthorne. Rock legend. A little crazy in crowds. Running from a past he can’t forget.
Delaney Fraser. Grief ruled sad sweet girl. Barely getting by waitressing.
The connect in a planned way by Shane’s Manager. Although what happens next wasn’t so planned.
I highly recommend this book. Loved it!
Tara Leigh
Undeniable connection. Unspeakable truths. Unbreakable love.
This was my first book by this author and it was heartfelt and completely drew me in. I loved the complex layers of the characters and the storyline intrigued me. From the very first page, I was wanting more to the point of staying up until 1 in the morning reading this heart-stopping book.
Both characters had a tragic past so similar I just prayed they would be able to heal each other. To want each other enough to love each other forever. To stay. There were also your not-so-typical road blocks that gave me that angsty goodness. While both Shane and Delaney felt a little lost and unlovable, there was a pull that even they couldn’t deny.
I thought this book was very well written and I am now completely hooked on this author! I cannot wait to read Rock Legend!
Rock King is book #1 in the Nothing But Trouble series. Tara Leigh is an author who is new to me.
Shane Hawthorne is the lead singer of the world famous band ‘Nothing But Trouble’. He is everything a famous rocker tends to be: confident, cocky and gorgeous. But inside Shane holds a secret. One he used booze, sex & drugs to cope with. Shane is no longer an addict, but he relies on companionship, hired companionship. A woman who can preoccupy him and soften his image. Someone to be his “fake” girlfriend, go to his shows, get seen in public, and keep the groupies at bay while he is on tour. It is usually a starlet, model or someone with their own motives for photo-ops. But having a fake girlfriend has worn thin for him.
“My short-term, faux relationships might be superficial, but they were monogamous, and most importantly-disease- and drama-free.”
Shane’s agent/lawyer Travis discovers Delaney waitressing at a restaurant and knows that she will fit the bill. She is exactly Shane’s type. Coincidentally, Travis’s assistant, Piper, and Delaney are from the same town back East and know each other.
Delaney Fraser is living life, sort of. She too has a secret. One that has kept her from moving on in life. For the past three years she has lived a quiet life filled with regret and guilt. She is lonely and struggles with her demons and guilt.
“All my life I’d been a good girl. Coloring between the lines, following the rules. Until one night I slipped up.”
The story is about second chances and forgiveness. The pace of the story was slow but it picked up at around 50% in. There was a buildup emotionally between Shane and Delaney. Shane and Delaney share a sizzling connection. They try to stay away from each other but end up intimate rather quickly. Delaney understands Shane’s grief and helps him through it because she is living the same grief. Although the story was slow and we had to wait forever to find out their secrets, I found myself unable to put it down.
“The connection between us….it was volatile. Hazardous.”
“I was powerless to resist it.”
I am intrigued to see what will happen in book #2 of the series Rock Legend focusing on Shane’s band mate Landon! He is wild so I’m sure it will be interesting……
3.75 stars
There is no doubt Shane Hawthorne is a Rock God and Delaney Fraser is his Queen. They both have an epic secret, from their past, that they are both keeping. They come together as an arrangement, a means to end for both of them. Tara Leigh wove this story, and these characters together so perfectly. This is just one of those books that leaves you with all these feelings when you finish it. I wish I could give Rock King more than 5 stars!!!
Great setup, engaging storyline and interesting characters
I hadn’t read this author before but with this being the first book of a new series, it seemed like a great place to start, especially when rockstars, bad boys and fake girlfriends/boyfriends are all among my favorite storylines.
I liked the way the author setup the characters of Shane and Delaney by giving them something in common that allowed them to understand each other on a deeper level in addition to the physical chemistry that sparked between them. I was on the edge of my seat waiting for the shoe–well, make that shoes as there are several secrets waiting to come out–to drop as their individual backgrounds were revealed. I also groaned a time or two as opportunities to come clean were missed and I have to admit that part of the story did drag a little for me as it happens to be a personal dislike.
As for secondary characters, the author surprised me a bit with Piper (in a good way), so yeah, I’m properly hooked all right and can’t wait to get her full story along with Landon’s, lol. I would have liked to get a little more information on the other band members but hopefully their characters will start to fill out more in the next book.
A great setting, engaging storyline and interesting characters kept me reading and I’ve already scheduled reading time for the next book in the series. 4.5 stars
B2B Kelly
This story tackles substance abuse head-on. Shane may seem to have it all but he’s hiding behind a facade. Women, drugs and partying are his coping mechanisms. He does everything in excess in hopes of burying his turbulent past until he meets Delaney who strips his front layer by layer.
Delaney was merely surviving when opportunity knocked on her door. Keeping her head low, she managed to lead a barely-there existence until she meets Shane at a party. Despite her apprehension but fuelled by her attraction, she agrees to act as his girlfriend; a cover Shane needed.
Their healing process is painful but necessary and this is very well-described throughout. Some parts are brutally honest. Delaney’s vulnerability is relatable and makes her more human. Finding solace in each other, each takes steps towards the road to recovery in his or her own way. Shane is chameleon-like, he has lived so long with his faux front, it takes a lot of effort for him to trust, to re-learn the process of loving others and himself. Loved these two characters.
Solid story and I can’t wait to read about Piper and Landon.
*ARC provided by publisher/author via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
~WRITING – PLOT – PACE~
So color me surprised because I really enjoyed this book A LOT. I’ll be honest, I usually avoid rock star books like the plague. They all tend to have the same cliché plots complete with OTT other women drama, groupies, and/or cheating. Thankfully, this one was a bit different. I was also impressed by how well written it was. The pace was fairly good. I think maybe it was a tad too long as some parts dragged a bit but not enough for me to lose interest in the story. The plot was quite engaging as well. Last, it was all wrapped up in an OK ending. I think Delaney should have made Shane grovel A LOT more than she did (or at all) because he pulled a righteous a$$hole move at the end that cost him some points in my eyes.
~HERO~
SHANE…I liked him a lot. I liked that he was slightly different from the usual cliché rock star hero. Oh, he was still an uber manwhore in his past and I could have done with a little less bringing up of that fact throughout the book. But when he hired a fake girlfriend, he was monogamous while they were together. He was just a really sympathetic character. His past was tragic, and I just wanted to give the guy a hug. He pretty much fell for Delaney from the minute he meets her. That said like I mentioned above he lost some love in my eyes with the incredibly douchey move he pulled at the end.
~HEROINE~
DELANEY…I liked her character a lot as well. Although I do wish she would have had more than one bad sexual experience before Shane. I am really tired of the uber whore being paired with an (almost) virgin. Delaney also has a tragic past that will break your heart. But she was a strong heroine who stood by Shane’s side through everything.
~SECONDARY CHARACTERS~
There were quite a few secondary characters in this one. From Shane’s manager Travis, and his brother Gavin (who I hope gets a book of his own) to Piper a friend of Delaney’s that works for Travis. And of course Shane’s bandmates (mostly Landon). In fact, next up is Piper and Landon’s book and as much as I enjoyed this one I have no interest in reading their book AT ALL. Landon’s character is pretty much your standard nasty uber manwhore. He grossed me out in this book and the brief look we get at his book (he just finishes up having had sex with two women) at the end of this one sealed the deal for me. I was kind of hoping this author would buck the trend when it comes to rock star books, but alas it seems like maybe this book was just a fluke…sigh.
~HEAT LEVEL~
Medium. This one had some smokin’ sex scenes, and the frequency felt organic to the story. Both were tested, and the heroine is on the pill so they don’t use condoms.
~ANGST LEVEL~
Medium. Most of the angst in this one comes from this couple’s relationship. Their pasts. The secrets they are keeping. The contract. Stuff like that. There isn’t any groupie or OW drama or OM drama.
~IN THE END~
Like I said earlier, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. Getting me to read, let alone LIKE a book featuring a rock star is tricky at best. But this author did a good job of avoiding the typical clichés found in this trope. She had two well written and intriguing individuals (along with a well developed plot) whose issues carried the book without adding in a lot of the typical outside drama. So kudos to her for that. Now I only wish she had continued along that line with Landon and Piper’s book. C’est la vie. Yours truly is giving this one two solid thumbs up.