Speed bumps are there for a reason. Especially after barreling through the genesis of a relationship. But when rock drummer, Jake, and his career-driven girlfriend, Louana, blow through stop signs and red lights, sirens flare. The two learn one thing: If they want their love to last, Slower is the only way to go.
Slower
By deanabirch
I absolutely adored the first book in this duology. Jake and Louana are such a fun couple. I was so excited to see what adventures they ran into next… and Ms. Birch did not disappoint. I loved this read because there wasn’t a thing about it I could predict. It isn’t your typical romance. I found myself pleasantly surprised as each new portion of the plot unfolded before my eyes. And at the end, I was absolutely happy as a clam. Definitely read Faster before reading this, but don’t dare miss out on the full experience. This is a must-read duo!!
This week’s read is a special one, as it’s the first time I’ll be covering a second book for an author I’ve already done a review for. In fact, it’s extra, doubly special because said author, and said book, just happen to be my very first book review on this blog! Faster, by Deana Birch, the first book in this rockstar romance duology, was a phenomenal read… and Slower, the conclusion to the series, didn’t disappoint.
Faster finds our romantic leads, Jake and Louana, falling in love. And as the title suggests, they do so in a magnificent whirlwind. Which means, in Slower, they realize it’s clearly time to, well, slow things down. Especially if they want to keep the love they have alive.
I must say, one of my favorite little nuggets Ms. Birch included in this series is the fact that the titles aren’t just clever hints at the relationship arc each book portrays. They’re also song titles written by our suave and sexy drummer lead, Jake Riley. Two big thumbs up for the epic level of sharp-witted awesome.
I don’t want to give too many spoilers, as this book takes quite a few unexpected twists and turns that I want you, as readers, to experience for yourselves. Makes them all the more jaw-dropping and “Wait, but, what?!” However, I will say this: You will never see a man work harder to win back the love of his life.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys contemporary romance, especially of the rockstar variety!
Jake and Louana met and fell in love in Faster. Now we see them working through problems and learning to take things slower to keep their relationship together. This was a great read concluding the couple’s story.
4 Stars
Review by Elizabeth
Late Night Reviewer
Up All Night w/ Books Blog
Holy angsty heck! When we met Jake and Louana in Faster, we thought they would get their happy ever after then, but noooope. In Slower, we finally get that happy ever after we were looking for but, we all know happy ever afters come with a price.
As I stated in my first sentence, holy angsty heck! Angst is not my forte, it never really has been, but Slower just dragged me in and would not let me go. With Jake being who he is, a rockstar, it does not make it easy for either of them to be in a relationship. They both have careers that have taken off and it is like they are living separate lives, to me anyway. I loved the fact that Deana wrote this couple with real-life hurdles and not your typical we meet, fall in love and live happily ever after. If you want sunshine and roses, Slower is not for you.
I definitely recommend reading both Faster and Slower by Deana Birch. She is such a talented writer and it shows in her books.
SLOWER continues the story of FASTER, where we meet rock star Jake, and music biz woman Louana. Now that they’re together, life starts throwing curveballs at sexy sweetheart Jake, and sassy smart Louana. Exes, family, bandmates, clients… all combine to cause them, and their relationship, major amounts of stress.
What I love about SLOWER is that it shows the parts after this couple’s happily ever after and Jake and Louana working on real-life issues. Life isn’t a fairy tale, and Ms. Birch does a wonderful job of exploring the emotions that new couples face, not only the sex and love stuff (which she portrays perfectly, of course), but also the jealousies, insecurities, and uncertainties, too. Sometimes I kind of wanted to yell at these two, but no matter what they encountered, their challenges always circled back to their foundation-a foundation built on love.
Can’t wait for the next book by Ms. Birch!