Kissing Vicious by Brooklyn Ann (Hearts of Metal #1)
Contemporary Romance
August 20, 2015
Boroughs Publishing

Reviewed by Helyce

THE ROADIE

At 15, aspiring guitarist Kinley Black wished she were a boy. At 16, after hearing Quinn Mayne sing, she wanted him to make her a woman. Now, at 22, her dreams have come true. Quinn’s band Viciöus needs someone to lug their amps around the country, to strive and sweat with the guys. She just has to act like one of them.

AND THE ROCK GOD

Quinn had to admit the new chick could pull her weight, but that didn’t mean his road manager made the right choice. Taking a hottie on a heavy metal music tour was like dangling meat in front of a pack of feral hounds—and Quinn could be part dog himself. But more surprising than her beautiful body are Kinley’s sweet licks, so that no man could help but demand a jam session. Quinn will soon do anything to possess her, and to put Kinley in the spotlight where she belongs. And to keep her safe and sound from the wolves.

I really enjoyed this book.  It’s one of those that hit all my happy buttons and allowed me to live out a fantasy through the words of the author.  I immediately remembered being in middle school and waiting for the mailman to deliver the next issue of Tiger Beat magazine so I could pull out whatever poster was included, hoping it was someone I liked so I could tape it to the walls of my bedroom. I could relate to having a rock star crush but in this book, we see the fantasy come true.

Kinley Black has scored bigtime when she’s given the opportunity to interview lead singer Quinn Mayne after a concert of her most favorite metal band, Vicious, for her blog. But a run in with a very handsy security guard has her needing to defend herself.  When it’s all said and done, Kinley has a job as a roadie for the band.  As the only female, she’s determined to pull her weight, and she wins over the rest of the crew really quickly when they realize that she is not afraid of hard work and she really knows what she’s doing.

Because Kinley has a secret….this roadie stuff is nothing new to her.  She’s done it before.

Quinn isn’t sure that hiring Kinley is a good idea.  He’s worried that she’ll reveal things he doesn’t want revealed on her blog and he’s worried that what happened with the security guard will put the band in a bad light.  He’s also really worried about the fact that he can’t get Kinley out of his mind.

I easily read this book in an afternoon.  I was pulled in and liked Kinley immediately.  I loved the interaction she had with everyone and how in spite of being a total fan girl who totally had a huge crush on the lead singer, she was able to function and not make a total fool of herself.  I liked how the author chose to “expose” her so that Quinn could see her talents and while predictable, I enjoyed seeing Kinley reap the benefits of those talents.

I liked how Quinn struggled to keep himself in check and not cross the employer/employee line.  And he does try, but luckily for Kinley, he fails. I liked this author’s voice and the pacing for this story was just right. While things happen pretty quickly, I didn’t get that rushed or instalove feel. I found that Quinn didn’t wear his “rock star-ness” 24/7 and that made him even more likeable.  The camaraderie of the band showed them to be a close knit group and they band together easily in times of stress and conflict.

Secondary characters round out a very unique cast of characters.  I enjoyed the tease of a possible romantic liaison for Kinley’s blog partner, Kat. While predictable and just a bit fluffy, I enjoyed this story and really look forward to more from this author.

Rating: B+

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