Ballad by Anne Mercier

ballad pic

 

Title: Ballad

Series: Rockstar book #5

Author: Anne Mercier

 

Ben

She walked on the bus and my heart stopped beating. When she looked my way with that sassy smile, it came back to life. Looking at her, getting to know her, I know she’s the one for me—but she’s so young. Her life is just starting and I’ve already done my fair share of living. I want her to be mine but is it right for me to ask her to settle down before she’s really had a chance to live?

Nicole
He keeps watching me. I can’t help but look back. He’s gorgeous: tall, messy dark hair, and those intensely blue eyes captivating me. My life hasn’t been easy by any means. Because of that I’ve had to grow up much faster than normal women do. I think that’s why our age difference doesn’t bother me at all. I wish it didn’t bother him because this attraction isn’t going away anytime soon and, in truth, I don’t want it to. He could very possibly be my happily-ever-after and no matter how much he tries, I’m not going to let him talk me out of it until we give this a fighting chance.

 

Thoughts:

Knowing I was going into this book without reading the others in the series I wanted to at least read the book descriptions and see what was up with the series… I read over and over again that the series should be read in order… but alas I was committed to read the arc in a certain time frame and I LOVED the description of Ballad so I jumped in anyway!  Let me just say I was NOT disappointed! A little confused at times but that was my fault… I made lots of notes on my Kindle and as I go back I know that the answers will be revealed… and believe me – I WILL be going back and reading this whole series!

2 things excited me right from the start! Well 3 things, 3 things excited me: the description! And OH how I love a good family tree pictured in a book!! And finally, a PLAYLIST! YES, please!!!!  Hinder, The Police, Tim McGraw, Jason DeRulo, Seether(!! I know the drummer from Seether, he’s a personal friend). I created an itunes playlist and have played it over and over again!

The book kicks off with a gut wrenching prologue and dives right into the story. From the start it’s obvious that Ben wants Nicole but is holding back and Nicole is done waiting around for him to make a move. The scenes with Lucien are steamy and sexy but I love that through the book this does not cause any awkwardness. Once all the walls come down for Ben he’s all in and his devotion to Nicole and their relationship has me crying happy and anguished tears for about the last 20% of the book!

And HELLO cliffhanger! (cliffy for the series… our H/h get their HEA) Do all the books end this way??!! I see on Goodreads that the expected publication for Lullaby says 12/15 and I will definitely grab it to find out where this story goes for the Jesse and Lucy and Cage and Sera and Kennedy and….  I could go on and on!!

Anne Mercier has created a family worth reading in this Rockstar series, some by blood but most of them not – this fact makes them no less committed to each other.

“You don’t have to do this alone anymore,” I (Ben) whisper. “You’ve got me and you’ve got the entire gang here to support you – whatever you need. Anything you need, Nicole. Anything,” I reassure her.

She nods. “Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me. It’s part of loving someone and part of being family.”

 

I think this disclaimer on Amplify (Rockstar book #3) defines this series for me – “DISCLAIMER: If you’re unable to suspend disbelief and escape to the Rockstar Land of Fiction, then this book probably isn’t for you.” I will expand this to say then this series probably isn’t for you. This is HOT and sexy romantic fiction with a neat twist of mafia thrown in and if you let yourself dive in, you can lose yourself for a few hours and read a great (fictional) story. (I added this last paragraph because some of the negative reviews were hacking me off… it’s fiction people not real life. I love my husband but our love story is pretty boring… I wouldn’t want to read it! LOL)

 

Grade A

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1 Comment

  1. bookfreak1031

    On behalf of Anne Mercier, thank you so much for sharing!!!

    Reply

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