Kit Devigny could have loved rock guitarist Noah St. John. Their friendship burned with the promise of intense passion and searing tenderness...until the night Noah deliberately shattered her heart.
Noah knows he destroyed something precious the night he chose to betray Kit, but he'd rather she hate him than learn his darkest secret. All he has left is his music. It's his saving grace, but it doesn't silence the voices that keep him up at night. Chasing oblivion through endless one-night-stands, he earns a few hours' sleep and his bad boy reputation.
When a media error sees Noah and Kit dubbed the new "it" couple, Kit discovers her chance at the role of a lifetime hinges on riding the media wave. Wanting--needing--to give Kit this, even if he can't give her everything, Noah agrees to play the adoring boyfriend. Only the illusion is suddenly too real, too painful, too beautiful . . . and it may be too late for the redemption of Noah St. John.
Rock Kiss Series:
Rock Addiction
Rock Courtship (Novella)
Rock Hard (Crossover with the Hard Play series)
Rock Redemption
Rock Wedding
Hard Play Series:
(Spin off from the Rock Kiss series featuring the Bishop brothers)
Cherish Hard
Rock Hard (Crossover with the Rock Kiss series)
Rebel Hard
Love Hard
Visit Nalini Singh's website for more information
Review:
I love the Rock Kiss series but I have to admit I was a little nervous going into Rock Redemption. I have a big hot button for cheating and it's not something I can usually forgive in romance stories. Now I know Noah didn't technically cheat on Kit because they weren't actually dating but he definitely broke her heart when she caught him with another woman and the fact that he did it on purpose because they were getting too close made it really difficult for me to like his character in the beginning. I trust Nalini Singh though and decided to push through my fears and I'm glad I did because Noah is actually a really sweet guy when you get past his deep seated issues.
Noah is a mess and he doesn't claim to be anything else, he survived something horrific as a child and it's left him damaged and broken. He uses sex as a way to push aside his memories but it's all quite mechanical and not something he really enjoys. Kit was one of his closest friends and he knew that she was falling in love with him but he didn't want to taint their relationship with sex so he deliberately set out to push her away and he destroyed their friendship in the process. I have to say I had a huge amount of respect for Kit because even though she loved him she walked away when he hurt her. She wasn't about to put up with his crap and knew that she deserved to be treated better. When she eventually lets him back into her life she does it slowly and carefully, she's wary of getting hurt again and I could completely understand where she was coming from. It's obvious the two of them have a brilliant connection but Noah was too messed up to be what she needed, especially in the beginning, and I liked the fact that the author doesn't immediately fix Noah just because he's found love.
Someone who is in such a bad place isn't going to come out of it easily and Rock Redemption isn't quite as light hearted and romantic as the earlier stories have been. It's gritty and real and it takes a long time for Kit and Noah to rebuild the broken trust and decide they have a shot at a future together so you should go into this expecting a slow burn romance built on a strong foundation of friendship. Kit is strong enough to stand up to Noah and she point blank tells him that no matter how much she loves him and no matter how horrible his past was it doesn't give him the right to use her as an emotional punching bag. I could have cheered at that point and I definitely think it was a strong and important message to send out to readers. Kit was more than willing to be there for Noah and help him through his issues but she wasn't prepared to be treated badly while she was doing it.
Noah has a lot of issues but if you look beneath the surface he's a great guy, he cares deeply about his friends and would do anything to help them and it's obvious that he's crazy about Kit. By the end of the book I was completely convinced that Noah had been able to turn his life around, I'm sure he'll still mess up but it won't be by cheating on Kit and I can't imagine him doing anything to hurt her again. Rock Redemption is a slow burner but that made it all that much sweeter when Noah and Kit finally reach a good place in their relationship. We also get the chance to catch up with the previous couples and we get some very interesting glimpses into the final band member Abe's head, I can't wait to read his book!
Source: Received from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
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