Taylor Marsten looks like a guy.How was I supposed to know there was a woman hiding beneath her baseball hat and baggy clothes? I piss off the stubborn roadie one time, and she starts a prank war. Back and forth we go using public humiliation as a weapon. Our situation turns complicated when I find myself searching her out. I want to piss her off just to receive retaliation. I get off on her … on her attention.
Our prank war isn’t a war at all. It’s foreplay.
Ethan Crow is an idiot.
He insults the way I look, demands I fill his bed with willing groupies, and threatens to have me fired from the tour. He thinks because I’m only eighteen I’ll crumble under his rock star authority, but he ticked off the wrong roadie. What starts as a battle feels more like a dance, and with thousands of women within Ethan’s reach, he only reaches for me.
Are his feelings for me genuine, or has he managed to pull off the cruelest prank of them all?
more
5 Laugh Out Loud Stars – I could not put this book down!!! This has got to be my favorite book of this series. I absolutely love Salsubury’s writing and I love her characters in each of her books. They’re all so different, witty, crazy, funny, sexy, and absolutely wonderful! I loved seeing Ethan’s descent into head over heels love with Taylor. Taylor is an incredible character and I’m obsessed with the fact that she was a tomboy and not the typical society normal beauty. She’s strong and clever and can throw shade with the ETHAN CROW with the best of them.
This series is awesome but this is my far my FAVORITE book of this series!!!
One of my top reads so far this year! It was hilarious and hot but also sweet and emotional. I was actually disappointed when I got to the end because I didn’t want it to end! This entire series is going on the reread list.
Taylor had an unconventional childhood. She has grown up around men who treat her as one of the guys, but when Ethan finally “sees” her her whole life begins to change. Ethan is surrounded by happy couples and is beginning to feel like a third wheel with the band. A prank war with a spunky roadie has things changing for him as well. Taylor takes no crap from anyone and that includes Ethan. Will these two very different people be able to make a life together? Will Taylor be able to handle Ethan’s life in the spotlight? I really loved their story, and it makes me wish there was a fifth band member.
4.5
Oh the looks I got while reading the first part of this book!! I could not stop laughing. The pranks that Taylor and Ethan played on each other were the perfect kind of pranks that each of them couldn’t not retaliate. Just pure humor that I thoroughly enjoyed that made me have a smile on my face throughout the day when I wasn’t able to read.
Taylor grew up as a roadie, it’s all she ever knew. So when Ethan Crow, bass guitar rockstar, makes certain demands for her as a crew member, she doesn’t let him walk all over her… oh no. She stands her ground and I’d say one ups him. This is when the hilarious pranks start. They each take the pranks as good sports, outwardly, and come back just as strong with retaliation.
Even though Ethan is older and a little more experienced with the ways of the road, he is able to show Taylor what she is missing out on in a non pushy way. I love their love story and how they fall for each other. They do also overcome a lot throughout the entire book, especially the second half. That second half was hard for me to read – only because my heart ached for Taylor. I couldn’t even imagine. But Ethan, albeit sometimes immature, was very mature about the entire situation (in his own way). He doesn’t pressure, he watches for signs. He’s a good guy.
If you’re looking for a book where a crew member and rockstar fall in love and overcome some pretty major stuff, this is the book for you. And of course, if you enjoy lots of humor with the antics of the two main characters, with a little deeper emotion in a book, I say pick this up now. While this is part of a series, and we meet the other characters from previous books, I didn’t feel like I missed anything at all, so definitely can be read as a happily ever after stand-alone!
Warning: Make sure when you start the beginning of the book that you are in a place where it is not frowned upon to laugh hysterically out loud.
Do not eat or drink during reading as you may choke or shoot your drink out your nose.
This was the first book of this series I have read. It would have been fun to see the other characters’ stories but this was a great stand alone and I didn’t feel like I was jumping into the middle of a story.
Starting from Chapter 1 I was in tears from laughing so hard.
A perfect Enemies to Lovers Comedy that gradually progresses into a more serious and deeper love story. The humor was almost like foreplay, warming you into a much deeper emotional journey. I felt it was a smooth transition but keep in mind how this story starts is completely different than how the story ends in the type of book it becomes.
I think it was well put together and I really enjoyed it.
Ethan is a Bass Player for a very popular band while Taylor is a Roadie working behind the scenes for the tour.
I wasn’t a fan of Ethan at first, he seemed almost like a spoiled brat that is used to getting his way every time. This was a huge turn off for me. However this did make me enjoy the torment Taylor put him through even more because of his attitude.
The retaliation that Ethan and Taylor do to each other is addictive and their pranks are insane!
I like how the author doesn’t completely turn the personality around, I feel they gradually make Ethan worm into your heart but still holds on to that selfish trait with the intensity tamed down. I wouldn’t call him my book boyfriend but he seems good fit for Taylor.
A humorous to serious almost tragic love story gets you in all the feels.
This is a definite recommendation of mine.
I have so many emotions after reading this book. It started out as a light and extremely funny rom-com and turned into something more deeper once Ethan and Taylor started a relationship. I absolutely adored the first half, I was sitting quietly reading, either smirking or snorting out loud to cause my family to think I should be committed! The antics and banter between these two is superb. There is an age gap, and Ethan might be considered immature but I feel it is just he has had a life of privilege that he is a little selfish and demanding. And it works for this couple.
The second half of the book has a whole different vibe, there is still humor, but not as much. It goes a lot deeper than I was expecting and it might have triggers for some readers (near rape scene and strong violence – which I wasn’t a fan of. I get being protective of what is yours and whats right, but not take it to the excessive brutal behaviour I feel this world is asking for to stop.) I felt that Tommy and Ethan had a lot of growth with learning to be in a relationship and being in love for the first time for both. They each had to come to terms with self discovery and how to navigate being together in their chosen careers.
This is the fourth book in the series, but I have only read this one. I didn’t feel like I had missed anything, or felt left out as the previous couples were along for the ride on this journey too. It has actually made me want to add the first three books to my tbr. Will there be another…… I don’t know but a certain Dad might have a story all of his own to tell us, and I for one would love to read Elijah’s tale.
What starts out as a prank war turns into oh so much more! And watching Ethen and Taylor “Tommy” Marsten’s battle of wits is fun, sexy and smart!
Tommy’s lived life on the road with her dad, who’s worked as a roadie for her whole life. She’s seen way too much in her eighteen years, which gives her both insight into just how er . . . wild . . . the rock and roll lifestyle can be. And Ethan Crow has certainly taken advantage of his rocker status.
But Ethan sees Tommy –really sees her. Sees the woman beneath the baggy clothes and “take no s&#t” attitude and likes her. A lot. Ethan’s finally realizing there’s more to life after watching his fellow band mates fall in love. And he’s ready for more. Especially if the “more” involves Tommy.
I really enjoyed how Ethan and Tommy danced around each other. That they didn’t give in to the growing attraction that was palpable. That there wasn’t pressure for more except for their growing attraction and desire for each other. But something kept me from loving their relationship—don’t know if it was their age difference or the immaturity in some of their interactions. But I did love catching up with the rest of the band.
I’ve been following Jesse Lee and his band for the past few book and I was jumping up and down like a true groupie when Strike a Chord landed in my kindle. With an entertaining cast and a well written story, this hilarious, sweet and explosive rock star romance captured my hear and I totally enjoyed it.
Ethan and Taylor were two very different but somehow they formed a unique connection and I loved the special dynamics between them. Beginning with the awkward meet-cute, the pranks and bickering between these two were hilarious and comic. Each interaction and banter between them were filled with sparks and sizzle. It was so much fun watching them one-uping each other every time. The war between the two fueled their increasing attraction and the undeniable sexual tension between the pair.
Their relationship was not exactly a smooth ride. With Ethan’s playboy lifestyle history and Taylor’s young age, they were both inexperience in cultivating a relationship. The demands and spotlight of a rock star added strain and challenges to this blooming romance. It was both sweet and heart wrenching to see how hard Ethan fought for his love.
I absolutely enjoyed this fun and romantic rock star romance. It was satisfying to see all the band members of Jesse Lee’s band had found their happily ever after. If you are looking for a rock star romance that would give you all the feels, you don’t have to look anywhere further.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance complimentary copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Wow each book in this series in some ways tops the previous one. I haven’t laughed so hard with a book in a while. The prank wars between Ethan and Taylor were EPIC.
Once the “foreplay” was done then we got a heartwarming love story. The Love, Hate, Rock-n-Roll series far exceeded my expectations and I am a bit sad its the last book.
This series is one of my favourite rock-star book series EVER! I can’t believe this is the last book in this incredible line up. I have been hanging out for this book and it’s finally here and it is everything. I was completely enthralled from the first page. This author is incredible. Not only does she write in such a way that makes a book feel so real, but she also created this world and these characters that made me immensely happy.
Ethan cast a spell on me and I fell for him HARD. He made my heart ache for him. I just wanted to reach out and hug him tight. Taylor, AKA Tommy, is sweet. She is young and shy, but also so strong. I really loved both of these characters together. Their journey starts out with so much fun. I was laughing so hard at some of their antics. There were twists I did not see coming and and I cried! Oh dear gosh did I cry!
I am so sad that this is somewhat the end, i won’t say closed because you just never know. I need more, I miss them already. I am addicted to this author and I can’t wait to read more, I have a few on the backlist I can’t wait to read!
I love everything that JB has written and this one is no exception. Taylor and Ethan are my favorite couple to date from this series. The chemistry, the banter, the love, ALL THE FEELS! And JB has a way of pulling you into the world she has created and making you not want to leave. This book has everything you could want in it. Definitely recommend this book to anyone! 5 stars all the way!!
5 It’s On Stars!!!
I FREAKING LOVED this book SO MUCH!!! When I first started the book, I really thought it was going to be somewhat angsty just based on the prologue alone, but oh how wrong I was!! Ethan is a full on ROCK STAR and he’s used to getting his way and having his requests fulfilled by whomever he asks and let me tell you our girl Taylor isn’t having it!
Taylor is a girl that had to grow up fast and when I first met her, my heart hurt a little bit for her, but her being with her dad and part of a road crew for concerts has given her life lessons that have hardened her a little bit and definitely makes her stand up for herself at every opportunity and when she first encounters Ethan, lets just say, he was a entitled rock star demanding something of her that sets up the rest of the book for their tit-for-tat shenanigans. And Oh Boy…there are some great ones!! I found myself snort laughing a few times.
And even though there’s a sense of hardness to Ethan, we get to learn more about his story and turns out Taylor is the girl that makes the best part of him emerge! These two really come into themselves while on this tour and lots of firsts are experienced from true passion, friendships that are deeper than either expected to find, laugh out loud moments…. A conversation about fetishes comes to mind LOL, anger, jealousy, and a love that is so deep and abiding.
Ms. Salsbury has done a phenomenal job of bringing us on tour with the band and I really felt like I was backstage listening and working along with the crew. I loved how there’s an unexpected little twist to the book that really forced some feelings and actions to the surface too. There’s no shortage of time with the other bandmates and Elliot, Ben’s daughter adds her own “out of the mouths of babes” one-liners and scenes to this book that challenged Ethan in their own special way!
This is a definite must read book by one of my automatic one-click authors and if you’re like me, when you finish it you’ll be wanting to re-read the entire series again because I just can’t get enough of this group!!
How is it with each new book added to this new series, I fall more in love?! Ugh I feel emotional when I think about this story. The prologue had me fluctuating between welling up with tears or momma bear ticked off. So intense.
Yes this is rockstar romance at its finest but so much more. Taylor aka Tommy is a young feisty character who keeps me well entertained. I LOVE LOVE LOVE her. She is so funny and the evil tricks she plays on Ethan our rockstar hero is priceless. The one-liners she comes up with and how she zings him with her words has me laughing out loud many times. Taylor’s backstory is so unique. Being raised in the roadie world gives a new perspective and makes for such a different telling.
Ethan, Ethan, Ethan you also kept me laughing. You start out the typical somewhat douche rockstar with all the typical behavior known for in that life. As you fall in love with our heroine, I can’t help falling in love with you. Eek. Your growth as a love interest and human being is touching. Don’t get me wrong, your naughty side with Taylor makes for some steamy reading. Fanning myself. What is hauntingly beautiful, your protectiveness when this storyline goes appropriately dark. OMG I am a wreck thinking about it. Yikes I want to say more but I won’t. Biting my tongue.
By the end of this book I am a mess. Guess how I know a book is an over the top five star read? Let me tell you. I can’t shut up about it in my review. I also get highlighter happy as I read it. Haha. Most importantly, I struggle not giving away spoilers because I want to dissect the story, discussing all the details. HELP! I hope this book has a spoiler room.
Happy Reading Everyone! XOXO
Be prepared to crave cannolis during this read. I think I loved this book more than I love cannolis! Strike a Chord is the final installment of the Love, Hate, Rock-n-Roll series from JB Salsbury. Go out with a bang fits for the finality. Taylor aka Tommy and Ethan’s story will have you slow down your reading so the story doesn’t end. Well at least that was what I did. But what an ending!!
Tommy Marsten has grown up on the road and involved in the music industry with her dad. As a roadie for the band Jesse Lee, Tommy is always ready to get to work when the band ends. What she wasn’t ready for was the bass player Ethan Crow and his demand to find two blonde bombshells for him backstage. Too bad he didn’t supply a few more details in that request.
Ethan Crow is the bass player for Jesse Lee. He lives a life on the road full of sex and rock-n-roll and gets a lot of attention. He’s not used to people not falling all over him. Then he meets a roadie named Tommy. Not just any roadie, a female roadie who isn’t into fawning over Ethan. So when Ethan tells Tommy he wants some blondes for backstage, well, ask and ye shall receive. Too bad those blondes were not what he was looking for. Now, the pranks start and just get better and better. Oh do they get better. (I’d like to see the authors search history for this)
JB Salsbury has no trouble bring her characters to life. She gets the reader so into her characters that you feel like they are real. Wait, they’re not?! She starts them out slow and then begins to ramp up the chemistry to an intense level. Her stories will touch on every emotion in the reader. So, get ready to sit back, eat a cannoli, and fall in love with Ethan and Tommy. You may find yourself reading slower. Never enough thanks to JB for bringing her creative mind to our Kindles.
URGENT PSA: Your heart and soul need this book right now.
I mean, I suppose it could have been just my heart and soul that needed this book right now. But nah. We all need this romance perfection in our lives.
I didn’t think that J.B. Salsbury could top Ben Langley. I loved that book (and that hero) hard.
But y’all. Ethan Crow is something else. I am smitten. I am shook.
I AM SO IN LOVE .
I’m in love with everything. I laughed – belly laughed – so many times. From the decidedly not very romantic, but undeniably hilarious meet-cute, my heart snagged on the chemistry between Taylor and Ethan and I was hooked. Their banter was everything – the perfect amount of spark and sizzle. The perfect amount of push and pull. The perfect amount of build-up wherein their pranks served as an unexpected sort of foreplay that led to this explosion of sexy, sweet, scintillating romance. I could not have asked for more. I was all-in for every moment and my heart is SO freakin’ happy.
This book was everything i needed. Fun, romantic, emotional, sexy. The combination of feisty and fierce heroine with this bad-boy hero kept things lively and entertaining while still tugging my heartstrings and filling my tummy with butterflies. The romance was so satisfying. My heart never even saw Ethan Crowe coming – he was completely unexpected and completely perfect.
Have I mentioned that it was perfect?
I mean, I’m not sure if I’m making it clear how much I loved this book and how urgently I need you to read it. This whole series has been a complete delight and this was the perfect finale. Why are you still reading this? GO GET THIS BOOK!
This is the fourth book in the Love, Hate, Rock n Roll series, but this can be read as a stand alone, however I totally recommend reading the entire series. What a great way to end this series.
Ethan and Taylor were just perfect together.
Ethan is the bassist for the band and Taylor, aka Tommy is a roadie. When Ethan first meets her, he thinks she’s a boy and asks “him” to bring him a few groupies backstage, and this triggers a series of pranks that are absolutely hilarious. Slowly these two can not fight the attraction to each other.
This was such a great story. I just loved Ethan’s vulnerability, while at the same time he was such a force. Taylor was so sharp and didn’t take crap from anyone.
I loved watching their relationship grow and develop into something beautiful. I loved how they fought their way through every obstacle thrown at them.
I highly recommend this book, I devoured it in one sitting.
Strike a Chord is the perfect ending to this amazing rocker series by JB Salsbury.
Taylor/Tommy isn’t your typical romance heroine. She was raised by her roadie dad, while travelling with him. She’s all about baseball hats, baggy clothes, no make-up, cannoli, and works her ass off. She’s down to earth, witty, and has the best sense of humor.
Despite all her strengths, deep down she has insecurities and trust issues because of her mother. She’s afraid of putting herself out their and getting hurt.
Then there’s Ethan. He’s a cocky a-hole, who loves his rocker life. The performance, the fanfare, the groupies. Even though he seems put off by his friends who have all found significant others, I truly believe that he wanted that for himself and that’s why he had issues with his bandmates.
Then he got his sexy ass handed to him by the sassy tomboy, and little did he know how much they’d change each other’s life.
Basically, if I could define this story in one word, it would be…PERFECTION.
It is the perfect combination of everything I enjoy in a romance novel.
Humor – Check
Witty Banter – Check
Swoony Reformed Bad Boy – Check
Drama – Check
Sexy Times – Check
The Feels – Double Check
Yeah, so basically if you can’t tell by now… I simply adored this story. And would highly recommend you reading it.
I couldn’t put this down because I love a good romance with humor that can keep you smiling but also filled with anticipation. The back and forth between Ethan and Taylor just made my day. It might have started as a war but it quickly turns passionate. Their story will grab you and not let you go. One of my favorite couples now!
5 stars!
This book is so much fun! A manwhore rockstar falls for a tom-boyish roadie in a hilarious yet heartfelt romance with a feel of the forbidden about it. I loved these characters so hard, and I was cheering for them as they bickered and bantered their way to an amazing love story that completely captured my heart.
This is the fourth book in the Love, Hate, Rock-n-Roll series, so of course there is quite a bit of character crossover from the previous couples in the series, but you could read this as a standalone. I definitely recommend reading the whole series though, because they are all fantastic reads!
Ethan Crow is the bass player for rockstar, Jesse Lee. Gorgeous, cocky and talented, he loves his rocker lifestyle. He’s a bit immature for a 27-year-old, but in an endearing way, and as the only single member of the band left, he’s embracing his well-earned reputation with all the groupies he can handle.
Taylor ‘Tommy’ Marsten is 18 years old, older than her years, and throwing herself into her first job as a roadie after spending most of her life on the road with her roadie father. Side-by-side with the crew she grew up with, she’s working hard and loving her new life when her smartassery with a spoiled bass player throws her into a prank war with Ethan Crow.
Oh my God, I laughed so hard as Ethan and Taylor go at each other, with pranks that range from mildly humiliating to publically hilarious. They revel in embarrassing each other in ways that are absolutely genius, sparking a unique dynamic between them that is everything!
“If I’ve given you the impression that I’m fragile, let me make myself clear. I can take whatever you dish out.”
He licks his lips and my stomach tumbles as if I’m on a rollercoaster. “Fragile or not, I will break you.”
“I’d love to see you try.”
Their pranking and bickering is so freaking entertaining, and it takes an interesting twist when they find themselves hopelessly attracted to each other, but there is so much standing in their way! Firstly, Taylor is only 18 and completely inexperienced when it comes to men. Her gruff and protective father is also on the tour and watching her every step. When combined with Ethan’s reputation and his lack of interest in commitment of any kind, it looks like an impossible situation. But the more they get to know each other, their feelings for each other continue to grow, and there is no holding back all that they are feeling for each other.
“Twenty-seven years, I’ve gotten every single thing I’ve ever wanted. And now, I want you.”
It’s a fantastic set-up, and I loved watching Ethan and Taylor find their way to each other. It’s one of those books that has your heart pounding, just waiting for something to happen. The build-up is fantastic, and the chemistry absolutely sizzles as they inch closer and closer to crossing that line, and they don’t just cross it, they trample all over it!
“Tell me the truth. Tell me you’re not giving up on us just because things are complicated. Tell me you’ll fight for us. Tell me you’ll do whatever it fucking takes to keep me. Tell me you can’t see yourself with another man.” … “Tell me you’re mine.”
It’s honest, sweet and blissfully functional, and it’s hot as all hell. Ethan and Taylor are incredibly passionate, and all that sexy time reflects the intensity of the feelings that consume them both, and I freaking loved watching it happen!
“I’m falling in love with you.”
His body stills above me, as if he’s holding his breath.
… He props his weight on his elbows and kisses me—soft, sweet, and with so much feeling, my eyes heat with unshed tears. “Good.” He kisses me again. “Because I’ve already fallen in love with you.”
Oh, it’s so swony!
But falling in love is, ironically, the easy part. Dealing with their situation, Ethan’s past, and the realities of the celebrity lifestyle are hard, and Ethan and Taylor have more challenges to face. There are surprises to come, and that ending packs an emotional punch that had me in tears more than once. But wow, what story!
The rest of the band, and their girls, are a big part of the journey, and I loved catching up with them, and seeing them both tease and support Ethan and Taylor. They’re a great bunch with a fantastically fun dynamic, and I loved seeing them all together.
I love a book that can make me laugh and make me cry, and this book did exactly that. Ethan and Taylor’s story is so special, and I loved seeing them work for, and eventually get, their happy ending.
“I hope you’re ready, Taylor Marsten, because I’m going to be the best fucking boyfriend you’ve ever had.”
A fantastic read – 5 stars!
I have enjoyed this series so far. Members of a rock group that are like family to each other. Ethan is part of that group. He likes to party and likes fast women. That is until he meets a tomboy by the name of Taylor. At first she doesn’t take his crap and gives it to him. She lights him up and brings home to life.
In order to connect with a story I need to have a connection with the characters. I liked Taylor for who she is and what she becomes. But Ethan on the other hand, I had a slight dislike to his immature ways. The storyline did make up for it. This is a must read series.
It could be read as a standalone but for better enjoyment they should be read in order. Told in a dual POV with an HEA. I recommend this story.