Release Blitz & Review::: Ready to Love by Franca Storm
Title: Ready To Love
Series: Damaged Hearts
Author: Franca Storm
Genre: New Adult/College Rocker Romance
Release Date: August 10, 2015
Blurb
She is the one woman who is always off limits…
College rocker and infamous playboy, John Kingston, has screwed his way through most of the women on campus. But there’s one woman he will never touch: his best friend and band mate, Nicki. For four years, he’s been her protector and her confidant.
When arrogant frat guy, Axel, attempts to make a claim on her, John suffers a painful wakeup call, quickly realizing that his feelings for Nicki are not purely platonic. Recognizing that Axel’s intentions are anything but innocent, John’s possessiveness spirals out of control, sparking a dangerous feud.
Nicola Lewis can’t bear to be touched. Haunted by an awful past that she has been unable to escape, she has kept her distance from the opposite sex. And she’s been just fine living her life that way: safe and uncomplicated with no chance of getting hurt again.
Until an unexpected kiss changes everything…
But John and Nicki must decide whether the burgeoning desire between them is worth the risk. Is this a case of love conquers all, or a huge mistake that could destroy everything?
4 out of 5 hearts
John and Nicki had me cheering for them from the first page. John is the renowned playboy lead singer of a college rock band. Nicki is his best friend, back up singer in the band, not only a virgin but also very naive when it comes to guys, and totally off-limits for John sexually. Guess how long that lasts?!
They have an odd relationship because in the first two chapters we see them share things that seem romantic, but are supposed to be platonic. We see John in bed with another woman - one he doesn’t even know the name of. We see Nicki flirting with and then fighting off another guy. And then Nicki and John end up in bed together as he comforts her after she has a nightmare.
John is cocky and self-centered, but once he lets down the walls, he becomes one of the sweetest most romantic book boyfriends I’ve read about in awhile.
The story isn’t just romance though. There’s family dynamics. There’s college situations. There’s band drama. And of course, there’s history that has to be dealt with. I enjoyed the way that Ms. Storm wrote the book with alternating points of view as well as just enough background here and there to make us want to keep reading to learn more about this story and these amazing characters.
One of my favorite quotes in the book is when John is realizing that he isn’t as in control as he thinks he is:
Since my teenage years, I’ve never backed down on anything. It’s always been my way or nothing. I’ve always got what I wanted, when I wanted it. Taken what I wanted, had people doing what I wanted. I’ve been the leader in every situation -- in the band, with women, back when I went to the gym regularly and no one could beat me.
But with this situation with Nicki and Axel, it’s like all that’s been stripped away; like my power is gone.
I love this because it gives us a quick glimpse at what John is feeling and helps set the stage for the rest of the novel and the development of John & Nicki’s relationship.
I definitely recommend this book if you enjoy hot, alpha rockstars with tattoos and brooding personalities. And also if you enjoy a book with strong characters and people you can’t help falling in love with!
Links to Buy
Excerpt
As I lay back on the bed, propping the pillows up behind me so that I’m half lying, half sitting, I suddenly feel insanely nervous. Shit. I cross my legs, feeling uncomfortable not wearing any underwear beneath the skimpy slip of a nightdress. I try to strike what I think is a sexy pose, but everything feels so awkward. I’ve seen women do it in the movies—how do they pull it off so easily?
I can’t do this.
I slide off the bed, intending to make my way into the bathroom to grab my bathrobe when the door opens. Oh no! Too late!
“Got your text. So, you’ve got me alone. So, what’s—oh shit!” John’s voice comes from the door.
I cringe. Shit. “Hi,” I squeak over my shoulder.
He shuts the door behind him and chuckles. “Are you gonna turn around or talk to me with your back to me all night?”
“I…uh…I need my robe.”
“No,” he says huskily.
I force myself to turn around. The moment I do, his eyes dart to mine suddenly. I grin inwardly, knowing that they were staring at my ass just a second earlier. I can see the coiled tension in his body, the stiff set of his jaw and I know he’s struggling to keep his gaze on my eyes and not elsewhere. If I was any other girl, he wouldn’t bother. It makes me feel bad, like I’m teasing him or something.
“You can look,” I tell him.
But he still doesn’t. In fact, he slaps his hand over his eyes. “Shit, Nicki. I…uh…why are you wearing…that?”
“Can you remove your hand and look at me?”
He shakes his head.
“Fine.” I take a deep breath and perch on the edge of the bed. “Nothing happened after our kiss the other day. No nightmares. Nothing.”
“Really?” he asks, intrigued.
“Yeah.”
“And?” he presses.
“I don’t know if it was a mistake to you, or what. If you’ve been avoiding me, or whether I’ve subconsciously been avoiding you or something. I wanted to clear it up tonight.”
“There’s something else,” he accuses.
Dammit, he knows me too well. “I…uh…will you…touch me?”
His hand falls away and his gaze snaps to mine. “What?”
I climb onto the bed and ease myself back against the pillows, hoping I don’t actually look as awkward as I feel.
He shakes his head. “Nicki…”
“It was a mistake, wasn’t it?” I ask, suddenly embarrassed as hell. I pull the covers up to shield myself. “Oh crap,” I mumble. “Can you leave and give me a second to get dressed and then we’ll talk this out?”
“No,” he says. Before I know it, he’s climbing onto the other side of the bed. “That’s not what I meant. I just wanted you to know that you don’t have to do this.”
“I want to,” I say, pushing the covers aside.
This time, his eyes are all over me. “Nicki, once you give me the green light, I’m not sure I’m gonna be able to stop.”
Oh my God. I swallow hard and tell him, “I want you to touch me.”
I can’t do this.
I slide off the bed, intending to make my way into the bathroom to grab my bathrobe when the door opens. Oh no! Too late!
“Got your text. So, you’ve got me alone. So, what’s—oh shit!” John’s voice comes from the door.
I cringe. Shit. “Hi,” I squeak over my shoulder.
He shuts the door behind him and chuckles. “Are you gonna turn around or talk to me with your back to me all night?”
“I…uh…I need my robe.”
“No,” he says huskily.
I force myself to turn around. The moment I do, his eyes dart to mine suddenly. I grin inwardly, knowing that they were staring at my ass just a second earlier. I can see the coiled tension in his body, the stiff set of his jaw and I know he’s struggling to keep his gaze on my eyes and not elsewhere. If I was any other girl, he wouldn’t bother. It makes me feel bad, like I’m teasing him or something.
“You can look,” I tell him.
But he still doesn’t. In fact, he slaps his hand over his eyes. “Shit, Nicki. I…uh…why are you wearing…that?”
“Can you remove your hand and look at me?”
He shakes his head.
“Fine.” I take a deep breath and perch on the edge of the bed. “Nothing happened after our kiss the other day. No nightmares. Nothing.”
“Really?” he asks, intrigued.
“Yeah.”
“And?” he presses.
“I don’t know if it was a mistake to you, or what. If you’ve been avoiding me, or whether I’ve subconsciously been avoiding you or something. I wanted to clear it up tonight.”
“There’s something else,” he accuses.
Dammit, he knows me too well. “I…uh…will you…touch me?”
His hand falls away and his gaze snaps to mine. “What?”
I climb onto the bed and ease myself back against the pillows, hoping I don’t actually look as awkward as I feel.
He shakes his head. “Nicki…”
“It was a mistake, wasn’t it?” I ask, suddenly embarrassed as hell. I pull the covers up to shield myself. “Oh crap,” I mumble. “Can you leave and give me a second to get dressed and then we’ll talk this out?”
“No,” he says. Before I know it, he’s climbing onto the other side of the bed. “That’s not what I meant. I just wanted you to know that you don’t have to do this.”
“I want to,” I say, pushing the covers aside.
This time, his eyes are all over me. “Nicki, once you give me the green light, I’m not sure I’m gonna be able to stop.”
Oh my God. I swallow hard and tell him, “I want you to touch me.”
Author Bio
Franca was born in Surrey, England and currently lives in Niagara Falls, Canada with her husband and their labrador, Rocky.
She is a long-time lover of erotica and romance novels, especially those with sexy-as-sin alpha males. She decided to try her hand at writing her own and writing romance is now her obsession and the perfect way to put her dirty mind to good use!
Her writing spans many different sub-genres of romance: contemporary, biker romance, paranormal romance, new adult, romantic erotica and romance suspense. She’s got a ton of stories to tell and many more works up her sleeve.
She loves hearing from her readers, so please feel free to stop by and visit her at the links below:
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