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Strong by Kylie Scott Book Review and Excerpt

09/27/2018

Strong (Stage Dive 4.5) by Kylie Scott

Contemporary Romance. Can stand alone.

It was so much fun visiting with the boys from Stage Dive again! Especially Mal, my all-time favorite book boyfriend. I totally bought Play in audio after reading Strong because I needed more Mal and it’s been years since I enjoyed his antics.

I read Lick by Kylie Scott over 5 years ago. And while I still remember the main couple of the book, I don’t usually remember side characters, even ones that caused trouble. I vaguely remember Martha from Deep, trying to cause problems for her brother, but only because I was reminded by a friend who was concerned about reading Strong because of her hatred toward the heroine. For me and my crappy memory, I went in with no preconceived notions at all.

 

The 1001 Nights books are supposed to be standalone books that are bonuses for fans but introduce new readers to a series as well. The few I have read stand alone for the most part, but you know you are missing something, and I felt that here in Strong. I didn’t remember all that Martha had to atone for and it was brought up often. That being said, I still loved the standalone romance part, and the visit with the entire band family.

“When the girl of your dreams is kind of a nightmare.”

Martha is Ben the bass player’s sister and David the guitar player’s ex. Though I didn’t really remember her, I never totally warmed up to her in Strong, so if I had remembered her and hated her like so many do, I may have had a harder time warming up than I did. But as it was, for me, she was OK, I didn’t dislike her, I just found her kind of prickly.

“You do enjoy a good tantrum from time to time. But I rather enjoy your sharp edges. Keeps me on my toes.”

Sam, the Stage Dive bodyguard, has been interested in Martha for years, and she has been attracted to him as well. Now that she is back in town taking care of her brother’s child and atoning for her past behavior, Sam ramps up his flirt, and Martha is into the older man who is totally the opposite of her regular type.

“He made me wish I knew anatomy better. So I could put a name to all of the bumps and bulges in his shoulders and arms.” 

But she wouldn’t admit her desire, not even to herself.

“My heart did not speed up due to anything done by him. Clearly, I hadn’t totally caught my breath from when we’d walked in half an hour ago or something.”

Sam was such an awesome teddy bear of a man, but he never came across as weak.

“Considering I’ve been waiting for you for almost a decade, I think I’ve got a pretty good understanding of what goes on in that gorgeous head of yours.”

I loved how into her he was and how he wasn’t afraid to show it.

But Martha was reluctant to give in for more than just sex.

“Things were happening too fast. All I’d wanted was to crawl all over him and use him as my very own personal sex toy.”

Can Sam win over even the most reluctant for love?

Likes:

  • Visiting with all the Stage Dive gang.
  • Mal…..sigh. Still my #1 book boyfriend.
  • Inspired me to buy Play on audio to reread.
  • Martha found her redemption.
  • Adam the new guy reminded me so much of my son it was like Kylie wrote my kid into a book. I so hope that we get his book!
  • I loved Sam, he was a tough teddy bear.
  • HOT!

Dislikes:

  • I never totally warmed up to Martha.
  • I felt like I didn’t remember either character enough and kind of wished I reread the series first.

The Down & Dirty:

Strong by Kylie Scott was a wonderful visit with one of my favorite book bands. Just visiting with Mal a little would have been worth it, but Kylie Scott delivered a story of redemption and love. I didn’t totally warm up to Martha, but I liked her with the big softy, Sam. I do wish I remembered a few more details from the original series, but had no problem following and enjoying the main story arc for Strong, and perhaps remembering the details would have pulled me even further from liking Martha. If you are a fan of the Stage Dive Series, I think this was a great little visit with them, and hopefully an introduction to a new Rock Star romance.

Rating: 4 Stars, 4.5 Heat

Purchase Strong by Kylie Scott (1001 Dark Nights)

“I don’t believe this,” I bitched. “My Valentino boots are actually sticking to the floor. That’s how gross this place is.”Lizzy just smiled. “Told you to dress casual.”

“I am.”

The smile widened.

“Jeans and a tee is casual.”

“A tee? It’s velvet, Martha.” She held a bottle of beer up to her lips, taking a sip. “I said we were going to a dive bar. You have only yourself to blame for the fashion faux pas.”

“But velvet is in!”

“Would you two quit talking? I’m trying to listen,” said my brother, Ben. The big hairy idiot was slouched back in his chair, bopping his head in time to the music.

Lizzy shuffled closer all conspiratorial-like. “I know why you’re all dressed up.”

I said nothing. There was nothing to be said.

Next her gaze went to the man standing at the end of the bar across from us. No, no, I would not turn my head. I would not fall prey to her bullshit. After all, I’d managed to successfully avoid him for the forty-eight or so hours since my not so triumphant surprise return to the West Coast. Even with us both being in the same house. A very big sprawling house, but still.

On the other hand, it should probably be mentioned that he looked awfully good tonight in jeans and a white T-shirt with a leather jacket. Samuel Rhodes, otherwise known as Sam. Not a pretty man with his harsh features and bull-like neck, but something about him appealed to me. As always, his head was shaved and his body was built and my idiot fingers itched to explore.

Okay. So I guess at some point I must have turned my head. And shit, he caught me looking.

The corner of his lips rose just a little, just enough to mess with me, before he returned to doing his job by casually surveying the packed room. My heart did not speed up due to anything done by him. Clearly, I hadn’t totally caught my breath from when we’d walked in half an hour ago or something. That was all. Interesting to note, he did none of the checking me out typical of a heterosexual male who might have been into me. In fact, he didn’t really give me any signals at all. Ever.

Kylie is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author. She was voted Australian Romance Writer of the year, 2013 & 2014, by the Australian Romance Writer’s Association and her books have been translated into eleven different languages. She is a long time fan of romance, rock music, and B-grade horror films. Based in Queensland, Australia with her two children and husband, she reads, writes and never dithers around on the internet. You can learn more about Kylie from http://www.kylie-scott.com/

Amazon | Facebook | Facebook Fan Group | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

 

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Ana’s Attic Book and Audiobook Blog was established in 2012.

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Ana's Attic Book Blog
“Note to self: When you’re lucky enough to sit “Note to self: When you’re lucky enough to sit next to a very attractive woman on a long bus ride, maybe don’t bring up your mother so much, and probably don’t give an extremely detailed overview of why you’re a bad date.”

The first two books in this series by @carabastone were at the top of my 2021 Favorite list. Seatmate will be on the list for 2022. This made-for-audio book is best experienced with headphones. I really felt like I was eavesdropping on a real conversation, and it just made Seatmate by Cara Bastone another 5 star favorite.

🎧Listen: https://amzn.to/3PzGOXY (included in #audibleplus )
💻My review: https://anasattic.com/seatmate-by-cara-bastone/
—
—
#audiobookreview #carabastone #audiblebooks #audibleoriginal #madeforaudio #5stars #audibleromance #audible #zacharywebber #audiobooks #amandaronconi
Much Ado About You by Samantha Young is a booklove Much Ado About You by Samantha Young is a booklover’s fantasy romance. It was light, a little cheesy and predictable, but I still enjoyed listening to every word. Samantha did a fabulous job of transporting us to this little English town and falling for the townspeople and the bookstore. If you’re looking for a light and easy read that will keep you smiling, I think this would be a good one.
—
💻My review: https://anasattic.com/much-ado-about-you-samantha-young/
📚Read it: https://amzn.to/3MFIayp
🎧Listen: https://amzn.to/3G9KlYP
—
#bookreview #audiobookreview #audibleromance #samanthayoung #romancereads #romancenovels #booklover #booksbooksbooks #audiblebooks #bookish #bookstagram #bookblogger
“You may think you’re dark,” I told him. “ “You may think you’re dark,” I told him. “And I’m finding you are. Dark like this.” I indicated the room with a sweep of my flute. “Edged in gossamer and crystal. Lit with fire. A beautiful cocoon where I feel safe, truly safe, for the first time in my life.”

Though it took me a long time to finally try, The Fantasyland Series by Kristen Ashley is one of my all-time favorite series. So I can’t tell you how excited I was to hear that Kit wrote another book in the series! I think Gossamer in the Darkness by @kristenashleybooks is enough to pull in the last holdouts who think they don’t want to read fantasy.

💻My review: https://anasattic.com/gossamer-in-the-darkness/
📚Read it: https://amzn.to/3LREzx2
🎧Listen: https://amzn.to/3FivudP

—
#bookreview #kristenashley #romancereads #fantasyromance #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #romancenovels #1001darknights #favoriteauthor #booklover #romancenovels  #bookish #favoritebooks #booksilove
Meghan Quinn has always been a top 5 author for me Meghan Quinn has always been a top 5 author for me. But The Reunion was about 3 siblings fighting with each other while finding love. There were SIX narrators. I enjoyed the stories but the switching was a bit too much for me. 
See My Review: https://anasattic.com/the-reunion-by-meghan-quinn/
-
Prequel: THE ONE NIGHT:
📚Read it: https://amzn.to/3KfJN4e
🎧Listen: https://amzn.to/3KkD1u1
-
THE REUNION:
📚Read it: https://amzn.to/35AoMmf
🎧Listen: https://amzn.to/3IQ29bL
—
#kindleunlimited #favoriteauthor #romanticcomedy #romancereads  #audiobookreview #bookreview #audible #audiobook #bookcoverlove
When I was 37, my 7 year old begged me daily for a When I was 37, my 7 year old begged me daily for a little brother (or sister). We obliged, but because of my age and I had lupus, the pregnancy was high-risk. At 17 weeks I had an amniocentesis. 2 weeks later we got the devastating news that our baby, the sibling my son was begging for, had some major genetic abnormalities, plus heart problems. If she survived the birth she would need multiple surgeries & would likely never leave the hospital. 

We made the most devastating decision to end the pregnancy. The baby we made FOR my son would just crush him. It would take me away from him. He would watch her suffer and be in pain. And how would we pay for it all?

Four months after, I became pregnant again with my wonderful son who is now 16.  Despite 8 years difference, he and his brother are best friends. They have both had a great life with a mom who was fully present for both of them.

I thank Roe v Wade every day that I was able to make that CHOICE. It was the most devastating, horrible decision we ever had to make. But it was the RIGHT CHOICE, both for that baby & my family. Plus, my son wouldn’t be here today if I hadn’t made that CHOICE. These decisions are NEVER easy. They are deeply personal and usually horrific. 

Until the government can pay to keep all these babies fed, clothed and homed. Until they can pay for medical bills and the parents to leave work, until they can provide for the needs of the babies women are forced to have, they need to stay out of our bodies. I’m scared for the future of all of our rights.

@pocketsized_pageturner will donate $1 to @brigidalliance (provides travel assistance to those seeking abortions), $1 to @wrrapreprojustice (volunteer organization rasing money to help low income individuals access abortions and emergency contraceptives), and $`1 to @nationalabortionfederation (helping those in the US and Canada gain access to abortions through financial and travel assistance with a multilingual hotline) for every pink stack posted by May 31 with the #stackforreproductiverights. ⁣
⁣
#bookstack #bookstacks #pinkstack #bookstackforacause #pinkbooks #bookstackchallenge #prochoice
I love reading about older couples! Flirting with I love reading about older couples! Flirting with Fifty by Jane Porter could have been a little more exciting, but I still enjoyed the read, and can recommend this to any women looking for older couples in their romances.

💻My ARC review: https://anasattic.com/flirting-with-fifty/
📚Pre-order Book: https://amzn.to/3wxqxeN
🎧Pre-order audiobook: https://amzn.to/3yGbosZ

#Bookreview #Janeporter #arcreview #netgalley #preorder #oldercouple #midliferomance #midlifereads #romancereads #maybookreleases
“It’s called hot flashes, Dean. Don’t judge “It’s called hot flashes, Dean. Don’t judge me.” 
“Oh, I’ll give you hot flashes.”

Nobody else but Tara Sivec can make me literally laugh out loud and bawl my eyes out at the same time. I look for books with older couples, so I’ve read a good number of them, but this portrayal actually felt the most real of any to me.
With This Flirt by @authortarasivec is my first 5++ star book of 2022!

Kindle: https://amzn.to/389abiH
My Review: https://anasattic.com/with-this-fling-tara-sivec/

#bookstagram #bookreview #tarasivec #5stars #romanticcomedy #romancereads #arcreview  #favoriteauthor #oldercouple #midlifelove #bookquote #bookstagrammer #romancebookstagram #laughoutloud #bookrecommendations
When the author of your all-time favorite series r When the author of your all-time favorite series releases the first book from the male POV, you run to read it and hope it doesn’t ruin it for you. I’m happy to say @jfrostauthor just made me love Cat and Bones more. 

If you are a fan of Cat and Bones, or you just want to start a new series, I 100% recommend The Other Half of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost.

💻My review: https://anasattic.com/the-other-half-of-the-grave/
📚Read it: https://amzn.to/3LfLOys
🎧Listen: https://amzn.to/3kc3qiF
—
#paranormalromance #pnr #romancereads #newrelease #arcreview #bookreview #favoriteseries #catandbones #vampires #jeanienefrost #nighthuntress #booklover #kindle #audible #5stars
The last day of @passion.con made me sad! I wish w The last day of @passion.con made me sad! I wish we had another day, but we got to see seals!  I can’t wait for next year. 
-
#passioncon #passionista #passionistaparadise @toscamusk @passionflix @melaniezanetti #bookboyfriends
Saturday night fun at @passion.con - they did our Saturday night fun at @passion.con - they did our hair and makeup and we had a fabulous night! @toscamusk, the whole @passionflix team plus all the actors and authors were amazing! I can’t wait to come back next year. 
—
#passionflix #passioncon #passionflixoriginal #formaldresses #fancyfun #besttime
Some photos from Saturday at @passion.con we had a Some photos from Saturday at @passion.con we had a blast doing a scavenger hunt, had a fabulous breakfast and lunch, plus author and actor panels, and we got our hair and makeup done for the evening festivities. #passioncon #passionflix @passionflix @kristenproby @thereallaurelinpaige @authoremmachase @oliviaapplegate @jodi_ellen_malpas @melagreenh
Live at the @passion.con @passionflix lead actor p Live at the @passion.con @passionflix lead actor panel.

#passionflix #bookstomovies #romancenovels #romancemovies #romancelandia #girlsweekend
Day One of @passion.con was AMAZING!!! @passionfli Day One of @passion.con was AMAZING!!! @passionflix is really making this all inclusive weekend so special! Some of these photos include @chrislmckenna from The Will, @toscamusk @mayemusk @melagreenh and @ashleydulaney from Seduction and Snacks, @kbromberg the cast of Driven, and my custom PJs for the pajama party 🤪
#passioncon #passionflix
It was SO GREAT going back to Kristen Ashley’s F It was SO GREAT going back to Kristen Ashley’s Fantasyland world again! I tried to read as slow as possible because I just didn’t want to leave. Though the whole Fantasyland series is best read in order, Gossamer in the Darkness easily stands alone. You don’t have to like fantasy or regency to love this, you just have to love romance. I am so happy to have this as a new addition to one of my favorite series, and now I may have to go and listen to the entire series again.

💻My review: https://anasattic.com/gossamer-in-the-darkness/
📚Read it: https://amzn.to/3LREzx2
🎧Listen: https://amzn.to/3FivudP

—
@kristenashleybooks 
#bookreview #kristenashley #romancereads #fantasyromance #romancenovels #bookquote #1001darknights #favoriteauthor #booklover #romancereader #bookstagram #bookish #favoritebooks
“Sometimes, things need to break to be put toget “Sometimes, things need to break to be put together right.”

@catherinecowlesauthor has a way of blending steamy romance, angst, suspense, family, found family, friendship, kids, and a whodunnit into something completely unique and special. Falling Embers may be my favorite yet.

—>Check out my review: https://anasattic.com/falling-embers/
📚Read it: https://amzn.to/3vsTB53
🎧Listen: https://amzn.to/3JMXB5P (Joe Arden and Vanessa Edwin were fabulous!)
—
#bookreview #audiobookreview #catherinecowles #bookstagram #audiobookstagram #audible #audiblebooks #newrelease #romanticsuspense #romancereads #bookrecommendations #recommendedreading #Kindle #audibleromance #booklover #bookish #favoritebooks
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