Because of You by Tara Sivec Review and Blog Tour

Because of You by T.E. Sivec is the second in her Playing With Fire Series, the first being A Beautiful Lie {review} where we first get to meet Brady. But honestly, to me, that was where the crossover ended. While it isn’t necessary to read A Beautiful Lie first, it does add to the experience of knowing Brady before he was broken. Tara sent me Because of You in it’s earliest form, and it wasn’t even formatted correctly (it had paragraph breaks every 2.5 lines) and I still zipped right through it and couldn’t put it down. In fact, I enjoyed it so much, I was happy to read it again when she released it in the final format.

The story takes place about a year after the end of A Beautiful Lie, and was told in alternating first person. I really loved this change in the writing style for this series; I connected with the characters immediately and was sucked right in. I also felt a little personal pull towards the book, because I have a son who is a musician who plays classic and psychedelic rock. Layla Page Carlysle was named for Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page, and I named my kids for Beatles. Now if I had a girl, this would totally be her name. (Sorry….I digress.)

Layla is a 24 year old famous pop princess who has been receiving some creepy-ass threats. Her best friend since childhood, Finn, is also her bodyguard, and her mother (evil she-bitch from hell) is her manager.

Brady left the SEAL program after losing his friends in the Dominican. He then joined the police, and left the force due to tragedy as well. Blaming himself for both, Brady drowns himself in booze. But his sister Gwen and her little daughter show up, on the run from her abusive husband, and Brady needs to get his shit together for them. He opens a struggling P.I. business with his sister as office manager.

He reluctantly takes a job as security for Layla. Layla is a hugely famous pop star, and Gwen is a huge fan. But Brady has the immediate opinion that she is a spoiled bitch “Britney wannabe that had probably never even heard of Led Zeppelin”

Layla and her father, the owner of Hummingbird records were very close. He taught her how to play guitar and instilled in her all that was good.

“You can go anywhere you want to go, be anything you want to be. Play because you love it and for no other reason. The day you stop loving it is the day it becomes a job. Making music should never be a job.”

But he died, and she was left with her evil mother who exploited every drop of Layla’s talent for money, and held contracts over her head, not allowing her to sing any of the music she loved. But she took it all, without complaint.

The first time Layla and Brady meet, despite their determination to hate each other, sparks fly.

“Jesus, what is wrong with me? She’s just a woman. An insanely hot woman whose legs I can just imagine wrapped around my waist while her blue eyes stare up at me as I pound into her” ~Brady’s thoughts when he meets her.

“I almost sniffed his fucking shirt. I actually looked him up and down like he was a piece of meat, which he obviously noticed. Son of a bitch!” ~Layla’s thoughts

Brady gets wind of the fact that all is not as rosy as it looks in the media, and begins to see the ‘real’ Layla.

“You don’t want to know why. You just want to fix what’s broken. You can’t fix me, Brady. What you see is what you get.”

But as the threats ramp-up, Brady has to protect Layla from ever-threatening danger. And they are together 24/7 with Brady being her ‘bodyguard’ (damn, I wish he’d guard my body like that!)

“I’ve wanted to bury myself inside of you since the first moment you and your attitude walked into the room.”

“And you being this close to me twenty-four seven when all I can think about is licking your stomach is NOT good. Not good at all.”

Though I thought I knew what was going on, I never really knew for sure, there were so many twists and turns, the story keeps you guessing until all of the loose ends are tied up in a neat bow.

I know I’m done for when it comes to this woman. She’s gotten under my skin, and I’m not sure if I’ll ever be ready to remove her. I can’t walk away and I sure as shit can’t ignore whatever this is between us.

Likes:

• Loved the first person alternating POV, not once did I get confused as to whose voice it was.
• I loved Brady! He was so real, a totally sensitive alpha with lots of chinks in his armor.
• Gwen is awesome, and I can’t wait for more of her story!
• There was more of the Tara humor in this, but still not enough.
• It sucked me in and never let go.
• I loved Brady’s dirty mind.
• I loved the twist on the Rock Star book, where SHE is the Rock Star, and HE is just a poor bodyguard.
• Layla’s mother. She was so evil, I loved to hate her.
• The classic rock references.
• The song lyrics.
• The mystery had loads of twists and turns that always kept you from fully figuring it out.
• Hot sexy sexing…and the truck scene…mmmmmmmm…
• Awesome epilogue.

Dislikes:

• Condoms please!!!
• Layla was 24 years old and in the business a long time. She should have tried to get herself out of a bad situation instead of just blindly going along. Her mom didn’t have enough of a threat to keep her there.

Rating: This is honestly about a 4.75 read to me. But Tara is my favorite whorebag, so she totally gets a 5. And honestly, the first chapter preview of Gwen and Austin’s book was so good that that was worth the extra 1/4 star too. 4.25 heat.

Rarely do I finish a book and want to turn around and read it again right away. But I did with Because of You. This deliciously addictive, hot, sexy and emotional read kept me up all night wondering what was really going on.  I breezed through it so hungrily that I needed to go back and take it a little slower the second time. And I enjoyed it just as much. T.E. Sivec hit it out of the park with this dual first person POV installment of the Playing with Fire Series, and I can’t wait for the next one!

“I’m not the one you made you stronger. You always had it inside of you. It was always because of you.”

Purchase A Beautiful Lie (Playing with Fire Book 1)

Amazon || BN.com || IBooks

Purchase Because of You (Playing With Fire Book 2)

Amazon | BN.com | iBooks

• Book #3 – Austin’s story – tentatively named “Goodbye To You”.  Release date TBA (probably Fall)
• Book #4 – Cole’s story – Not yet titled.  Release date TBA

Stay tuned for some other projects Tara will be releasing in the meantime!

T.E. Sivec is the pen name for Tara Sivec. Under T.E. Sivec, she delves into a more serious genre that is her absolute favorite to read ­ romantic suspense. She loves reading a book and feeling her heart speed up with anticipation and wanted to be able to give that feeling to her fans.
T.E. lives in Ohio with her husband and two children, living the dream of being a full­time writer.

Amazon | Goodreads | Website | Facebook | Twitter

Do you want to meet Tara? Check out www.wickedbookevents.com!

 

****SPOILER ALERT: THERE MAY BE SOME SPOILERS IN THIS INTERVIEW****

Welcome Brady and Layla to Ana’s Attic! I have a few questions for you….

Can you each tell me your favorite all-time album?

Layla: Oh my God, that’s impossible!  Music is my life, it’s so hard to pick just one.  I’m going to have to go with Eric Clapton Unplugged.

Brady: Anything by Layla.  With the exception of the pop princess shit.  Sorry baby, no offense.

Describe each other in 3 words:

Layla: Sexy, romantic, supportive

Brady: Hot as fuck, talented, sexy

Layla: Awwww!  But hot as fuck and sexy are the same things

Brady: Because you’re just that gorgeous, it needs to be mentioned twice.

Layla: That doesn’t count then.  One cancels the other out.

Brady: I love you, but you’re being a pain in my ass right now.

Layla: Shut up and pick something else.

Brady: Fine, Hot as fuck, talented and NITPICKY.

Layla, what do you think is Brady’s favorite thing about you?

Oh geeze, I don’t know.  How about my charming personality?

Brady, what is it really?

Well, I was going to say her great ass, but let’s go with charming personality so I don’t have to sleep on the couch tonight.

Brady, what do you think Layla’s favorite thing is about you?

Right now, probably nothing.

Layla, what is it really?

Even when he pisses me off, I still love everything about him.  Mostly, I love the way he loves me.  I know, it’s totally cheesy, but I don’t care.  No one has ever loved me like he does.  It makes me feel alive, and like I can do anything.

Name a cocktail or shot after each other.

Layla: Sexy Beast Bomb

Brady: Luscious Layla Lemon Drop

Brady, what is the sexiest thing you ever saw Layla wear?

Jesus, everything she wears is sexy.  But honestly, last week she threw on one of my t-shirts to make breakfast and when I walked into the kitchen and saw her, let’s just say breakfast was ruined that morning.

Layla: As was the kitchen table.

Brady: That reminds me, we need to shop for a new kitchen table today.

Layla, what is the hottest thing Brady has ever done?

Stand up to my mother.  I never had the courage to, but he never had that problem.  He still doesn’t.  She’s tried to get in contact with me a few times and he immediately handles it and tells her to give me space.  It’s hot when a man has no qualms about defending your honor.

Name your biggest pet peeves about each other.

Layla: He leaves the toilet seat up.

Brady: She leaves the toilet seat down.

What is your favorite position?

Layla: All of them

Brady: Ditto

Layla, what is your favorite cover song to sing?

Automatic Loveletter’s Make-up Smeared Eyes

Brady, can you sing? If yes, will you ever sing with Layla?

Oh hell no!  I can sing a mean AC/DC Back in Black in the shower, but that’s about it.

Layla: He is totally lying!  He has a GREAT singing voice.  I’ve gotten him to harmonize with me a couple of times when I was writing songs and it was amazing.  I’m going to get him on an album one of these days, mark my words.

If you had kids together, what would you name them?

Layla: We’re definitely nowhere near ready for kids, but as a woman, of course I’ve though about names for our kids.  Whether it’s a boy or a girl, their middle name will be Joe, after my dad.

Brady: Josephine Layla Marshall or Joseph Brady Marshall.

Layla: Oh my God, you didn’t even hesitate with those names.  You’ve thought of baby names for our kids?

Brady: Of course I have.  I love you, baby.  I wasn’t lying when I promised you forever.  And I want everything that entails.  White picket fence, kids, PTA meetings, whatever it takes, as long as it’s with you.

Layla: We may need to cut this interview short.  Sorry to be so blunt, but this man needs to be naked right now and that’s for my eyes only.

Where do you guys see yourselves in 3 years?

Brady: Married, with one or two kids.

Layla: You.  Naked.  Now.

One more and I’ll let you…uummmm…get to it. Name one random confession or fact about yourselves.

Layla: I kind of miss performing on stage.

Brady: I kind of really do love Layla’s pop princess music and listen to it on my iPod when I’m working out.

Layla: HA!  I knew it!

Well, thanks guys for being here! Uuummm Layla? Brady? (shit, they are gone!)

 

Up for grabs is a swag pack, which will include a signed paperback copy of Because of You as well as a tote bag and lots of other fun goodies! 🙂 Click the link below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

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