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Heart of Fame #1

Love's Rhythm

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"His music moves the world. Can his love move her heart?"

Nick Blackthorne knows all about words of love. They're the reason he's the world's biggest rock star. The irony? He turned his back on love a long time ago, lured away by the trappings of fame.

An invitation to a friend's wedding is a stark reminder of how meaningless his life has become. When he enters that church, there's only one woman he wants on his arm - the one he walked out on a lifetime ago. But first he has to find her, even if all she accepts from him is an apology.

Kindergarten teacher Lauren Robbins once had what every woman on the planet desires. Nick. Their passion was explosive, their romance the stuff of songs and it took fifteen years to get over him. Then out of the blue Nick turns up at her door, and all those years denying her ache for him are shattered with a single, smoldering kiss.

But molten passion can't hide the secret she's kept for all these years. Because it's not just "her" heart on the line anymore and not just her life that'll be rocked by the revelation.

Warning: Remember your first crush on a rock star? Now add smoldering sex, a raw and undeniable passion, soul-shattering orgasms. And secrets.

184 pages, ebook

First published April 17, 2012

215 people are currently reading
5115 people want to read

About the author

Lexxie Couper

135 books1,141 followers
Lexxie’s not a deviant. She just has a deviant’s imagination and a desire to entertain readers with her words. Add the two together and you get darkly erotic romances with a twist of horror, sci-fi and the paranormal.

When she’s not submerged in the worlds she creates, Lexxie’s life revolves around her family, a husband who thinks she’s insane, a indoor cat who likes to stalk shadows, two yabbies hell-bent on destroying their tank and her daughters, who both utterly captured her heart and changed her life forever.

Having no idea how old she really is, Lexxie decided to go with 27 and has been that age for quite some time now. It's the best of both worlds - old enough to act mature, young enough to be silly.

And silly she can be. Just ask her husband who frequently has to endure her bursting into song whenever the mood strikes her, feeling him up in public (one of her favorite pastimes), or rolling around in the sand with their dog - a large mutt of dubious origins who causes almost as much havoc around the neighborhood as Lexxie herself. Or squealing her way down the slide at the local park with her daughter!

Lexxie lives by two simple rules - measure your success not by how much money you have, but by how often you laugh, and always try everything at least once. As a consequence, she's laughed her way through many an eyebrow raising adventure.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 385 reviews
Profile Image for Rachael*Caribbean*girl*bibliophile.
2,255 reviews516 followers
June 3, 2019
My first read by this author, spoilers and excessive obscenities ahead










At the beginning of this I felt like I was missing something as Nic received the wedding invite if a couple who he claimed saved his life. As that wedding invite lead to him going off in search of the love of his life who he left behind I paused my reading to look for previous books in this series. Turns out Nick had lost his muse and he found it after fucking with a couple......wait what? He actually had sex with the couple who's invite he received.......who the fuck tries to track down an ex they once loved to go to a wedding of a couple they once had sex with??????.........anywho moving on.......

So Nick frantically rushes out and tracks down his first girlfriend and love of his life Lauren. Why'd they break up? Because Nick wanted to be a rockstar more than anything and even though he's fucked countless, numerous, women over the fifteen fucking years since he left Lauren, that doesn't matter because he still loves her.......Anywho so Nick finds Lauren she accidentally brains him , he's knocked out she takes him to her best friend's house and within the blink of an eye...... I mean I blinked and this fucking woman is naked on her friend's bed with this fuckwit! I mean come on!!!! Where's her pride? Did she lose it in her hot wet quivering pussy????? I'm ashamed of you Lauren!!!!!! Anywho so the phone rings and it's her son which thankfully shocks the senseless Lauren back to her senses and she puts the horny rocker in his place and leaves. So Nick through some deducing figures out Lauren had his son and goes to get drunk.... because idk he's Nick the rock god??? Next day he goes to find Lauren and in the blink of an eye......yup you guessed it..... they're fucking.....for real this time! And then this simple bitch.......in the heat of the moment........when they can't find a condom.......she says"I'm on the pill"......... Are you fucking kidding me??????! This guy left you behind ,you brainless fucking idiot,and fucked oodles of fucking women, which you knew, because it was all over the papers, yet it never occurred to you his filthy dick may be chock full of diseases???? I'm fucking ashamed of you LAUREN!!!After the act though she's scared Mr. Groupie fucker may have given her an STD 🤦


The best part was Josh's reaction to learning Nick was his dad, I teared up at his words........but then couple pages later he's over it 🤦. This book seriously needed to be expanded and slowed down. Everything was glossed over and these people moved on like 15 years hadn't passed at all.

Anywho I skimmed ,through the haze of rage ,to the end.

Dear author cream gushing from a pussy isn't sexy, it actually sounds like a trip to the gynecologist might be necessary.... sincerely...... utterly grossed out!

And there you have it......some of the many reasons why I hate second chance romances........... Not a good reason for the separation, sex with OP in between and yet I'm to believe that the love still endured so strong that they're back at it two minutes after meeting..........yeah that's fucked up!

I hated Nick so Lauren keeping his child from him didnt bother me and to an extent I agreed with her. He walked away and didn't want anything to do with her so fuck him......but really in the interest of the child that's wasn't cool.

Lots and lots of issues with this one, I may try more in this series though .



1.5* because aside from the cream 🤦😫 there were some hot moments between dumbfuck Lauren and fuckwit Nick.



********Eta
After reading 4 books by this author I give up! When her couples get together they are so wonderfully loyal and sweet to each other but the road to the actual relationship is just too damn messy! In every book!!!!!! Ugh!
Profile Image for Stacia (the 2010 club).
1,045 reviews4,101 followers
May 14, 2012
"Until this afternoon, Lauren had said all of about ten words about you."
Nick's heart did a rapid little thud at the idea of Lauren talking about him. "What were those ten words?"
"I went out with Nick Blackthorne once. Stupidest thing I've ever done."
Dull disappointment dropped into his gut. "That's twelve words."




Adult review for erotic content.
Review 1 (reviewing as a romance book)

Big thumbs up in this department. When a famous rock star come to town to rekindle an old romance with the only woman he's ever loved, sparks fly immediately off the bat. I loved that the story burned hot right at the start and the background information came later as we got to know more about the couple.

Not gonna lie. Nick was quite the (using technical terms here folks) hottie. He was attractive, smart (he figured out something early on that most book heroes would have been too stupid to notice until at least 75% in), and sentimental. Plus, he's ready to throw away his womanizing days and settle down. I'm glad I didn't read the prequel book to this one first because Nick was still acting wild in that one. When I do read it, I think I'm going to imagine him as someone else so my image of him being the newly reformed bad boy will stay in my head.

His fly was zipped, the top of the treble cleft tattooed on his lower abdomen peeking from above the low-slung waistline of his jeans. His thick black hair hung around his face, awry from her hands, brushing eyes that studied her with an unreadable intensity.

He looked like a sexual god.
He looked like a rock star.


But he's not all sex on a stick...

He didn't want to be a walking cliche. He didn't. He wanted to be-
His phone vibrated in his pocket, a second before The Wiggles started singing, "Hot Potato."

His stare found its way to Lauren's face, to her soft lips, her clear blue eyes. For the first time he noticed fine lines at their edges, lines that told him of a life lived without him. They looked beautiful on her.

(he thought) Fix it now. Give her everything you should have the last fifteen years. Make her remember what it was like. Make her cry your name. Make her plead for more. Make her love you again.


Yet, their first meeting in after so many years went more like this :

Nick Blackthorne was here in Murriandah, and she'd rendered him unconscious with the very satchel he'd given to her fifteen years ago.

My final thoughts on this as a romance book : Love. I especially love how the "single mom" aspect was handled. Since it's a personal subject for me, I find this plot point as one that either works or it doesn't. In the case of this book, it worked.

Review 2 (reviewing as an erotica book)

The sex was h-o-t. No complaints in that department. The scene where Nick held Lauren up a door and went down on her - picture me in a little melted puddle.

The terminology was n-o-t. Many complaints in this department. I've often wondered how I'd do writing erotica. Sometimes I get this crazy idea that I could rock it out. Most likely, I'd fail miserably. The biggest thing I wish writers would learn to work around is outdated and cringe-worthy terminology. Squealing, suckling, stabbing tongues, rods of steel, sheaths, weeping sex, spurting seed, etc. etc. It's not hot. It's not sexy. There's got to be a way to write a sex scene without resorting to such strange terms. This isn't an isolated incident, so I'm not specifically picking on this author. I just noticed several of my least favorite terms in Love's Rhythm. Were these terms enough to distract me from the sex? Nope. Nick and Lauren were smoking hot. I was happy.

One last bad, bad term : Like a junkie wanted a hit. If I never see a reference to love and drug use again, it will be too soon.

Was this book worth the read? If you like sweet romance and hot sex? Abso-freakin-lutely.


Profile Image for Geri Reads.
1,232 reviews2,136 followers
July 29, 2016
SPOILER ALERT!!

I'm going directly to the point here: The heroine killed the whole story for me. I get that she wanted to protect your son but she could have at least told Nick about his son. Instead, she went out of his way to hide him from his father for 15 years!!! 15 years, people!! And her reasons were so shallow. Nick is a rock star and she knew when they started going out that that was what he wanted to be. Heck, they grew up together! His ambition was no secret to her. So when he started to get successful, the relationship went south and she blamed it all on Nick. Yeah, I'm pretty sure she was partly to be blamed too!

Another thing I absolutely hated about the girl was that she never knew the meaning of compromise. Never! She wanted Nick to quit his career! Ha! There was no middle road with her. It's either her or his career. :( I hated her! Gah!
Profile Image for Cheesecake.
2,800 reviews509 followers
January 11, 2020
I read this years ago and I guess my tastes have changed.
I did like that there's no examples of his groupie days in the story. Just brief mentions of there being a lot of them... but between the copious numbers and the 16 years wasted.
Well this book doesn't make me feel good about their HEA. I mean the guy shows up after 16 years of no communication whatsoever... not knowing if she's married or a mother... and just expects them to get back together.?
Why?
Why now?
He's had his fun and now he's ready to take her back? ...cause that's the way it sounds.
Like some feckless ass is tired of fame and wants to retire without a fuss.

And a word to the author... why the F*ck didn't you have Lauren at least have a relationship or two? Not be some pathetic martyr with a dried up vajayjay?

Anyways, it was a fun read. He does grovel and admit he was a prick with some lovely remorse... But overall the romance was not particularly satisfying.
I mean, when i was 36 the last thing I wanted was to be picked up like a favourite old shoe that had been forgotten in the corner gathering dust.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Sheryl C. Nash.
2,019 reviews432 followers
April 26, 2012
FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC... BLOODY EFFING BRILLIANT!!! OMG...

Firstly how could i not love a story based in my adopted country; Australia? Added to the fact that when we first meet Nick, he's in Melbourne, walking Collins Street... HELLO... walk that street almost every other day...(yet to meet a Nick Blackthorne though...darn it).

Such a POWERFUL story about second chances and redemption, Love's Rhythm, had me sighing, giggling, laughing, crying... a whole gamut of emotions that i did not expect to feel. I thought i was going to really enjoy this story; how could you not? Hot, sexy musician looking for a shot at redemption with his one true love? What i did not expect was this story to suck me in so wholly that i had to devour it all in one go. Not many stories can do this to me, but i walked away feeling that the power of love combined with the power of music is a mighty, mighty thing and its never too late for a second chance or second shot at what you want most in this world... maybe i'm a sap, but i'm alternating between laughing and crying as i write this review...SIGH..

LOVED, LOVED, LOVED IT!!! A true 5 star read! And i'm just throwing this in for you Ms. Couper cause i can; Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi :)

And Nick... sigh... dude, i live in Melbourne, seriously look me up sometime, okay?
Profile Image for MBR.
1,381 reviews365 followers
April 17, 2012
Love’s Rhythm by Lexxie Couper is loosely tied to the story Tropical Sin Lexxie Couper that was published as part of The Bandicoot Cove anthology. Since I am not someone who enjoys menage stories, I refrained from reading Tropical Sin and I believe that Love’s Rhythm stands perfectly well as a standalone though Nick’s character might make a deeper impact on you (if at all that’s possible) if you read Tropical Sin first.

Nick Blackthorne is the stuff dreams and I mean erotic as well as sappy love dreams are made out of. Almost 37 years old, Nick is the ultimate rockstar who has had more than his fair share of fame and fortune. Sinfully good looking with a rich voice to die for and the lyrics of his songs which practically speaks to the soul of his fans, Nick is a man who seems to have everything going for him.

34 year old Lauren Robbins is a small town school teacher and the mother of 15 year old Josh who is the centre of her very existence. Lauren might keep her secrets closely guarded but at night she dreams of the man whose haunting music to which falls asleep to every night, the man who tore apart her world when he chose fame and fortune instead of giving them both the chance they deserved.

Nick’s restless musing and the memories invoked by the lyrics of the very first song of his that had broken records has Nick turning up in his hometown of Murriundah, wanting nothing more than to apologize to the one woman whom he should have done right by. From the first kiss itself that scorches and turns turns the tables around shoving all of Nick’s noble and good intentions aside, Nick becomes a man determined to show the love of his life that they both deserve a second chance and that this time he is committed to staying.

Love’s Rhythm was such a perfectly fantastic read that the first night I picked up the story I couldn’t put the book down. It was only the thoughts of falling asleep while at work the next day that made me reluctantly put the book down and sleep. Even through the rest of the busy work week that followed, I found myself thinking about Nick and those kisses of his that just reaches deep inside of you and tugs at your baser emotions. There wasn’t a single part of me that didn’t crave for Nick’s kisses and I could have seriously gone on reading about his kisses alone, because yes, they were that good.

Lexxie Couper is an author whose snarky humor always gets to me. I love and revel in a story that can make me smile, and an author who can write scenes of passion that can rock the very foundations of my existence is an author who earns my utmost respect. And with just having read two of her books, I can safely say that Lexxie is an author who has got what it takes and her Australian heroes just about makes me want to hop on the next plane and make my way to the land down under.

Nick makes for purr-fect hero material. His intensity, the way his focus never wavers from the goal in sight and the way he could just make me melt on the very spot won me over from the very start. I loved that Nick feels emotions deep into his very soul, that he lets his emotions play a huge role in the music that comes from the depths of his very being. And when he realizes that Lauren is the spark that ignites his very soul, there is no stopping him from laying it all out for the rest of the world to see and that in my eyes makes him one of the greatest heroes ever!

Lauren is scared, and rightfully so when she had been shattered the last time Nick had walked out on their life together. It had broken her apart and had taken her a long time to feel a semblance of normalcy in her life and when Nick turns up again and stirs everything up includng her voracious appetite for the man in question, needless to say Lauren is scared out of her wits in fear that all her secrets are about to come out in the open and that there would be no stopping them. Deep in her heart, Nick is the man Lauren yearns for and she knows that there would be none other who can complete her in the way Nick does. And I loved Lauren for being wise enough to accept that fact.

If a scorching hot read enough to melt your panties off with enough emotion to suckerpunch you when you need it and that unique dose of humor that can make you chuckle out loud is what the doctor ordered for the day; grab yourself a copy of Lexxie’s latest and indulge. You definitely cannot go wrong.

Like the lyrics of a beautiful song that resonates through you, Love’s Rhythm is a story that would blow you away because with Nick Blackthorne smoldering up the pages, Lexxie Couper demands no less!

Rating=4.75/5

Original review posted on MBR's Realm of Romance

Quotes included below!
Profile Image for Jenny - TotallybookedBlog.
1,908 reviews2,054 followers
April 27, 2012
I made the mistake of saying to someone in the first 10% of this book "not sure if I'm going to get into this". How wrong was I! I stayed up 'til 1am finishing it. I couldn't put it down.

I loved it!

Nick....what can I say. I am going to steal these lines from Stacia's review (hope you don't mind - these lines were burned in my brain too!)

His fly was zipped, the top of the treble cleft tattooed on his lower abdomen peeking from above the low-slung waistline of his jeans. His thick black hair hung around his face, awry from her hands, brushing eyes that studied her with an unreadable intensity.

He looked like a sexual god.
He looked like a rock star.

But he's not all sex on a stick...

He didn't want to be a walking cliche. He didn't. He wanted to be-
His phone vibrated in his pocket, a second before The Wiggles started singing, "Hot Potato."


I have to say, it I didn't love Nick before that scene, I definitely did afterwards.

For a hot, swaggering, cocky rock star to have the Wiggles as a ringtone just sealed it for me.

The whole reunion between Lauren and Nick was handled really well and I can't add to what everyone else has said so I'll just say that I'm glad I persevered and read this wonderful (and yes...hot!) book.


Profile Image for Simply Love Book Reviews.
7,046 reviews870 followers
April 6, 2012
Posted on Guilty Pleasures

4.5 Stars

I know I sound like a broken record when it comes to Lexxie Couper, but sorry I have to say it again......LOVED this book.

We met rock star Nick Blackthorne in Tropical Sin and he is still dealing with things that have happen to him over the last two years. And dealing with the changes in himself as a person and an artist. Nick is at a crossroads and thinking about where his life is going and where he came from.

Nick has received an invite to the wedding of friends McKenzie and Aidan (Tropical Sin was their story). The Plus One on the invite makes Nick think about going after the one he left 15 years ago. His first love that he has never stopped loving.

Lauren Robbins is a kindergarden teacher in the small town she grew up in and loves it. Lauren is shocked when Nick shows up at her school. She has not seen Nick since he walked out the door of their apartment 15 years ago for the life of a rock star. Lauren has never gotten over Nick no matter how hard she tried. Lauren also has a secret and must deal with the ramifications not only with Nick but with someone else close to her.

This was a wonderful emtional story about love lost and found again and dealing with the consequences of past choices. Lexxie pulls you in with Nick and Lauren's story and you do not want it to end. I fell even more in love with Nick with Love's Rhythm. The stuggles that Lauren and Nick go through are so well written that you feel everything they do. I laughed with them and I cried with them and I rooted for Nick and Lauren with all my heart. Of course this story is HOT! The passion between Nick and Lauren jumps off the pages. Lexxie Couper has done it again.

Happy Reading!!
Profile Image for María Alejandra.
1,232 reviews52 followers
June 15, 2021
No, no, no... Me encantan las historias de segundas oportunidades y de rockeros, pero esta ha sido un "fail". Todo pasa demasiado rápido y que asco leer un spoiler de las razones detrás de la búsqueda de Lauren por parte de Nick después de 15 años. Ella no tiene ni un poquito de autoestima, vamos que una historia de este tipo puede tener todos los clichés que se esperan, pero aquí falta un poquito de profundidad, de historia, de sentido común.
Profile Image for Leea.
569 reviews70 followers
May 9, 2012
God, he missed doing the dishes. How surreal was that? He missed talking to Lauren about her day as he wiped the suds off their freshly washed plates.

Love’s Rhythm is sweet, short and filled with breathless moments of love. I was going to say passion and that’s also true but unlike some contemporary romance/erotica that lack layered characters or plot, Love’s Rhythm found its… rhythm. I couldn’t help myself. 4 solid stars.

Okay, seriously, I liked this book more than I thought I would. You couldn’t help but fall for Nick and his reformed bad boy ways. Because any man that goes back to the women he truly loves and hasn’t for one moment stopped dreaming about is just hot. Then there is Lauren, a sweet Kindergarten teacher with a teenage son. She honest, loves her son but hasn’t ever gotten over Nick.

He swallowed, suddenly completely unsure what to do next. His stare found its way to Lauren’s face, to her soft lips, her clean blue eyes. For the first time he noticed fine lines at their edges, lines that told him of a life lived without him. They looked beautiful on her. Beautiful and secretive and compelling.

I loved how Nick saw, Lauren. How the years between them were not a burden but a mystery he just had to know. His understanding of the life she build with him gone and the fact that Nick didn’t want to upturn that only added more value to the story.

Her name played over his senses, soft and gentle like her, teasing him just like she had all the way though high school
Profile Image for Katie Ashley.
Author 66 books9,010 followers
October 7, 2012
This would be 3.5 to 4 stars for me. I thought it was too short and went straight from, "Hey, I haven't seen you in 15yrs, you broke my heart, to let's bang!" a little too fast.

I loved Nick's character, and Josh was adorable. I was a little angry at Lauren for keeping her secret for so long...I can understand why she was bitter and angry at Nick for leaving her, but jeez, I would have at least hit him with some child support!

And yikes, I read the blurb for the prequel to this...Nick seems to have made a giant leap in morality!
Profile Image for Melody Cox.
1,502 reviews180 followers
April 8, 2017
This could have been a really great rock star romance but it wasn't, in my opinion. There was just something about Lauren, the heroine, that I did not care for. Shame on her for keeping her secret. She just about wrecked three lives.

My biggest disappointments were the typical overuse of the F-bomb and many instances of using God's name in vain. That is a big turn off for me.

In all honesty I could not recommend this book. Oh, yes I love rock star books and have read some that were excellent bad language and all but not this one.
Profile Image for Simply Love Book Reviews.
7,046 reviews870 followers
May 26, 2017
4.5 stars



*Love’s Rhythm is a re-release from Lexxie Couper and Entangled Publishing; it has been modified slightly from the original story.

From the minute Nick Blackthorne walked on the page in Tropical Sin, I was intrigued and as bits and pieces of his story unfolded I knew one thing, I HAD to know everything about his life. In Love’s Rhythm we get a good look at his life prior to superstardom, but we also get to see a man humbled by the woman and life he left behind. While there is no denying this book is sexy and at times comical, it is also extremely emotional as two people who loved each other fiercely before, realize that without one another they are only living a half life.

Getting a wedding invitation from two people who touched his life in ways he never imagined throws rock star Nick Blackthorne for a loop, but also makes him see with unabashed clarity that the only person he wants to share that special day with is Lauren Robbins, the woman he left years ago when his fame was rising higher than he ever imagined.

Immediately readers see that despite fifteen years apart the chemistry and lust between these two hasn’t wavered, but the hurt still remains as well as a secret that turns both their lives upside down. There is no doubt both Nick and Lauren made some big mistakes when they split up and while giving into their lust was easy, finding a way back into each other’s hearts proves to be harder. I understood Lauren’s reluctance and I admired Nick’s perseverance, but most of all I appreciated that neither one could deny they were happier together than apart.

The music, the fans, the groupies and the touring are no match when Nick realizes home is where his heart is and that his family means more to him than anything else.

While I have enjoyed everything Ms. Couper has written, The Heart of Fame series remains my favorite and I will forever be a Nick Blackthorne fan because any man who gives up fame to be with the ones he loves is truly a hero.

Review copy provided for a voluntary review.
Profile Image for ~ Becs ~.
672 reviews2,164 followers
June 5, 2012
Wow. This was just a fluffy bit of sugary goodness. I think it’s marketed as contemporary romance but it borders on erotic romance as there is a whole lotta lovin going on!

Nick and Lauren were a couple very much in love. He was on the verge of rock greatness and Lauren didn’t want the life that went with it. Nick chose the music and walked away. Now 15 years later, Nick has never found anyone to come close to Lauren and decides he wants her back and goes home to discover she’s been keeping a secret from him.

I had a hard time wondering why Nick had left it so long to go back to Lauren when he’d never stopped loving her and also I couldn’t really understand why Lauren had kept her big secret from Nick. It was unfair to everyone involved. In the end, I decided this was just a plot device to get the characters exactly where we need them for this story.

It should have bothered me but it just didn’t. Nick is revelation for a rock star, a real home boy and you can’t help but warm to him. Lauren is a bit of a cold fish but lights up with passion – cue lots of pretty hot sex scenes.

I thought the cover was pretty relevant - the adored Rock God seemingly beset by loneliness.

So, no hidden depths, just a straight forward frothy romance but deeply satisfying.

4 stars contemporary sexy romance.

Profile Image for Ann.
2,108 reviews50 followers
March 14, 2013
4.5 Stars. Loved it, loved it, sweet, HOT, sexy story. Whoa, that Nick!!! Just the kissing scenes had me all hot and bothered. So much better than Muscle for Hire which I started first before I backed into Love’s Rhythm. Pretty sure I’ll be re-reading this one.
Profile Image for Heather in FL.
2,063 reviews
April 20, 2012
What a sweet story of reunited love. I also loved the tie-in with other books... mention of the couple from Tropical Sin and then Nick's manager is from Suck and Blow. I think I loved that while Nick wanted to bust in and just take Lauren back, but once he realizes how reticent she is and learns of her son, he backs off. Just a little bit. Barely. :-) And then once he realizes Lauren's secret and she thinks she has to give him up again for him to be happy, he surprises her. I loved the ending, what Nick set up. I thought it was probably the only way he'd get her back so quickly. I can't imagine that it took him fifteen years to realize she was what he needed all along... that he gave up their perfect relationship for fame. At the same time, that decision ultimately led them to the people they became and they were still drawn to each other. Very sweet story. Love my HEAs!
Profile Image for Amy Burch.
400 reviews44 followers
April 9, 2015
3.5 Didn't Quite Find The Rhythm For Me Stars!

Super cute, super sweet, super fast story about a second chance at first love, hidden secrets and finding redemption.

I really did enjoy this book, it was a very fast paced book and I really loved Nick, however I found Lauren for the most part to be wishy-washy and frustrating. Initially I felt a lot of empathy for her and understood her actions, to a point. But her dramatics in the present just grated on my nerves.

That being said, overall, it was a good, quick and enjoyable read.
Profile Image for ♥ The Book Snob ♥.
51 reviews144 followers
October 15, 2012
Actually, I liked the concept of this book.

How, even though he was a bastard(:P not the accurate slang, but I'm not a bad-mouthy), Nick's heart cried for one, and one only. Lauren.

Sweet story, if you exclude the way-too-steamy parts(my POV).

♥ XOXO ♥
Profile Image for Mallory.
1,699 reviews133 followers
December 6, 2013
1 star

I just can't. This book made me squirm in a bad way. Not at all my idea of a romance. Especially given the excerpt of a novella about Nick in the back of the book... that happens mere months before he reunites with the "love of his life" Eyeroll. Just blech.
Profile Image for D.G..
1,439 reviews334 followers
April 25, 2021
I have a love-hate relationship with secret baby plots. Really like them when they're well done but when they aren't, they make me so mad. For this plot to work, there must be a good reason for the heroine to keep a child from their father, otherwise, there's no way that the reader (or the hero) can forgive the heroine. KEEPING A CHILD FROM THEIR FATHER FOR NO GOOD REASON IS A REALLY BIG DEAL.

It's clear here that Lauren kept the truth out of spite. She doesn't come out and say it - in fact, when Nick asks her multiple times "why", her answer is to keep her mouth shut. But what other reason could there be for her to deprive a son from his father when said father is successful, talented, creative, funny, charming and a good person. Simply put, she wanted to punish him for choosing his career instead of her.

I also didn't like how everybody made it seem as if their original breakup was his decision. She wanted to give up his career for her, he said no, she left. SHE also chose a different life instead of him. They BOTH chose something else. It wasn't all on him.

I also didn't like when Nick learns the truth, he doesn't foresee how the press will react and doesn't create a plan. In fact, HIS PEOPLE should have thought of this ASAP. There was no reason for them to get caught with their pants down. Worse, almost everybody gets over Lauren's deception really fast. This is the kind of shit that sends people to therapy!! In fact, it's mentioned several times how Nick found out he was adopted and that seemed to have shaken his world. Imagine how he would feel learning that he's lost 15 YEARS of the life of his son!!

Not sure yet if I'll read the next in the series. I have a thing for bodyguard plots, so maybe I will.

Profile Image for Anne OK.
4,100 reviews553 followers
February 20, 2013
Short, spicy, and sweet, with a bit of angst thrown in for good measure – but slightly over-priced ticket for the novella length of this one!

I actually did find the story captivating and entertaining. The premise is built around the second chances and redemption love trope. After 15 years of separation, our famous rock star, Nick Blackthorne decides he’s left behind the only woman who ever meant anything to him so he walks out of a recording session and heads her way. I found this to be a little unbelievable myself – but what the hey, this is romanceland! Nick’s tender and touching lyrics for songs written to Laura added a few extra ahhhh moments to the romance, as well. The real shocker to me was just how gullible and easily Lauren was when it came to falling right back into Nick’s arms and forgiving him. And, of course, there’s the big “secret” that Lauren has kept all these years, which turned out to be my very favorite part of this story. Some really fabulous secondary characters carry this part exceptionally well.

Most of my negativity towards this one centers around the fact that I found the sex to be an overdose of repetitious page filler. It was well written and came across sensuously but less could have been so much more meaningful. Add in some real character development and interacting dialogue between Nick and Lauren on the hard issues at hand and this one could be a full 5-Star.

Another could have/should have because there was a strong solid foundation for a much more believable and enjoyable read and I do like a bad boy rock-n-roller.
Profile Image for Yona Racheva.
1,267 reviews251 followers
August 16, 2012
The story was nice, but it just didn't kept my interest, maybe it it because I've already read book with this kind of storyline, but I don't know. I liked it, but i didn't love it. I just wanted to finish it quickly in order to be done with it. But the book wasn't bad.

Nick walked out from the girl he loved for groupies and concerts. But some things get wrong in his life and he wants to see her again. All of the old fires start again and he finds out that he has a son. And things get complicated from this point. But if I was in Lauren's place I wouldn't have told him that he has a son either. He choose sex over family and it took him 15 years to realize that he wasn't right. The only one who doesn't deserve all of this is Josh.
And I can't say that I liked the end. I don't think it is so easy to forgive, but I've never felt so attracted to someone. And I can't imagine to love someone for 20 years the way you loved them the first day. I'm not even sure if a love like this even exists.
Profile Image for Jennifer (TexasDiva74).
86 reviews28 followers
April 30, 2019
Really, really good book

I wasn't sure what to expect, as this was the first book I'd read by Lexxie Couper. It may have been a shorter book than I prefer to read, but it was one with a story line that kept my attention. I read the whole thing in one sitting.

I liked the interaction between the characters as they became reacquainted. And when they became "reacquainted" between the sheets, they became REACQUAINTED! Whew! Those were some seriously scorching love scenes.

The only thing that bugged me was Lauren's reaction to conflict. When she could, she just ran away from it. But, when she was forced to face it, she just stood there teary-eyed and just stammered before developing a serious martyr complex.

All in all, this was a good read, and I would recommend it to those who love a story about two people with amazing chemistry that has stood the test of time.
Profile Image for Kelly 'Perusing Princesses blog'.
487 reviews59 followers
November 7, 2012

Regardless of my 3.5 stars, I did enjoy this short novel. So why the mediocre rating? Well, it was the pace. Oh baby, it was just so erratic. I appreciate that it's a shorter novel and so things need to get moving but it was just too rapid, therefore completely unbelievable. However, Nick Blackthorne is one Hot Rock Star, and this book definately scratched an itch. The storyline was enjoyable and I really loved Josh, that cheeky little chappy gave me a laugh or two, as did his friend Rhys.

This is the perfect 'guilty pleasure' that I recommend you read before bedtime. No doubt it will have you smiling in your sleep!

3.5 Stars.



Profile Image for ✿ℎazℯℓ - thℯ ℛock Cℎick ℱairy✿.
1,259 reviews188 followers
April 20, 2012
Short, hot, sexy and emotional read.

The story's good. It's always nice to read about two people getting back together. Maybe this one's a little bit too fast for my taste but it's still good. I hated Lauren for a while but I understood her point of view. Nick was very famous and she didn't wanna get dragged through all of that again (along with their 15 year old son). In the end, I'd say Nick made the right decision.

The ending scene was really really good! I love it!
Profile Image for Holly.
441 reviews341 followers
May 7, 2012
This was a sweet short story about a Rockstar and his lost love. Nick Blackthorne is the worlds biggest rockstar and the fame and groupies just aren't working for him anymore. Nick starts to realize that he may have let go of the one real thing in his life fifteen years ago, so he heads out to find her. Finding Lauren Robbins takes him back to his hometown and the girl he still loves, along with a bit of a surprise! Now he just has to convince her to risk her heart on him again.
Profile Image for Summer.
381 reviews103 followers
April 24, 2012
I really enjoyed this book. It was funny how in the beginning of the book I kept thinking this story would be great if..., then that if actually happens. I really enjoy this type of plot in a story. I only wish there had been a prologue at the end where they attend the wedding. Now I am going to have to buy the book Tropical Sin and read more about Nick.
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