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SYNOPSIS:

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE:  |4+| La-Tessa Montgomery

REVIEW:  What happens when mild mannered, good girl Callie meets the Bryan, the original bad boy of rock? In ROCK STAR, Callie’s small town and her world are turn on their head. Callie and Bryan both get passion and companionship on a level that they didn’t know existed.

Musician Bryan Spencer is forced to retreat to Alabama in order to get a much needed break from the reality that is his life. Not only is Bryan a very famous and successful musician, he is also reeling from the death of his best friend and founding band mate. With his grief driving him to scary new heights of danger, his manager forces him to take a leave. The last thing he expects to do is run into the most beautiful woman he has ever seen, but he does just that when he wanders into Callie Lawson’s bookstore. The two are instantly smitten and Bryan pursues her with all that he is with an old school courtship. The moment they both give in to their love, the Hollywood spotlight shines its brightest light on them. In the wake of a major scandal, the two much hold on and trust in their love in order to survive it.

Wow! I was hooked from the very first sentence to the last period. Once I begin reading, I found it very hard to stop. Ms. Halcomb uses a very compelling prose that drew me into Bryan and Callie’s world. At first glance, Bryan and Callie seem to fit very typical molds: Bryan, the talented but very broody artist, and Callie, the entrepreneur that only has time for business. As time goes on, however, their true natures unfold. While neither is perfect, they are truly perfect for each other and the author does a nice job of conveying this point. In spite of their faults - Bryan has a temper and Callie is too concerned about outside opinions - they do mature during the trials of their courtship.

ROCK STAR is also enhanced by a wonderful cast of secondary characters that are well balanced and add to, not distract from, the main story line. The secondary cast infuses a little drama and comedy in the story when needed, but never take over. I couldn’t help but laugh at “The Talk” Callie’s father gives Bryan the day he meets him. One important thing to note is that the dialog is compelling and believable, without overdoing the southern colloquialism. The story flows well with a balanced portion of romance, humor, and passion.

Mrs. Holcomb does a wonderful and realistic job addressing the topic of interracial dating and the particular obstacles such couples face. One downfall was that I had to pull out the dictionary a few times to understand some the words she used, but overall this talented author does a good job of getting her characters to express themselves. ROCK STAR has everything I look for in a great romance: a wonderful story with depth, memorable characters, and let’s not forget the undeniable chemistry and passion between the leads. Mrs. Holcomb scores a hit with her debut novel and I eagerly anticipate her next release.
 

reviewer@romanceincolor.com |20th July 2007