What do you think?
Rate this book
Between Rock and a Hard Place
He’s a cop…
Heath “Hawk” McGowan is a young, single, cop and father. Jasmine Barrett is the rock star who has just discovered her best friend murdered in her own bed. Jasmine, or “Jazz”, as her fans call her, is not at all what Heath expects when he first meets her. Anticipating having to work with a prima donna, he is surprised to find her sweet and completely unassuming, in addition to being as sexy as her onstage persona.
She’s a rock star…
Having lost her parents and now her best friend, Jazz is not about to let someone new into her life. But when she discovers another body in the condominium’s garage, her terror drives her closer to Heath.
Together, they are BETWEEN ROCK AND A HARD PLACE!
After outlining a number of reasons why he shouldn’t become involved with her—the top reason being he is the lead investigator in the murder of her best friend—Heath finds that he can’t stop himself from falling in love. Will Heath be able to solve the murders before Jasmine becomes the next victim? Or will he save Jazz, while, at the same time, losing his heart to her?
More ROCKIN' ROMANCE
"Trapped Under Ice"
"Abandon All Hope"
"Rock Me, Gently"
"Midnight Melody"
______________________
Heath “Hawk” McGowan is a young, single, cop and father. Jasmine Barrett is the rock star who has just discovered her best friend murdered in her own bed. Jasmine, or “Jazz”, as her fans call her, is not at all what Heath expects when he first meets her. Anticipating having to work with a prima donna, he is surprised to find her sweet and completely unassuming, in addition to being as sexy as her onstage persona.
She’s a rock star…
Having lost her parents and now her best friend, Jazz is not about to let someone new into her life. But when she discovers another body in the condominium’s garage, her terror drives her closer to Heath.
Together, they are BETWEEN ROCK AND A HARD PLACE!
After outlining a number of reasons why he shouldn’t become involved with her—the top reason being he is the lead investigator in the murder of her best friend—Heath finds that he can’t stop himself from falling in love. Will Heath be able to solve the murders before Jasmine becomes the next victim? Or will he save Jazz, while, at the same time, losing his heart to her?
More ROCKIN' ROMANCE
"Trapped Under Ice"
"Abandon All Hope"
"Rock Me, Gently"
"Midnight Melody"
______________________
- GenresRomantic SuspenseRomance
311 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 29, 2013
12 people are currently reading
131 people want to read
About the author
M.J. Schiller
44 books183 followersI was born in Overland Park, KS, in the heart of Tornado Alley, and my life has been a bit twisted since. Actually, it’s not all that twisted, but I’ve always wanted to use that line. I grew up in St. Louis, MO, went to school at the University of Missouri-Columbia, and moved to Bloomington, IL, fresh out of college, after my husband got a job at State Farm’s corporate headquarters. I’ve worked as a high school/junior college teacher, personnel recruiter, office manager of a jewelry store, and, for the past ten years, as a lunch lady. I like to karaoke and attend rock concerts. I am actively involved at church and spend too much time on Facebook. I am the mother of a eighteen-year-old, and sixteen-year-old triplets, and have been married to my husband, Don, for over twenty-four years.
I have been a writer all my life. My first book, which was co-written with Mary Ellen Murphey in second grade, was titled The Black Cat, and was written on blue hotel stationary, hole-punched, and bound by white yarn. I believe it is currently out of circulation.
When I turned forty, I had an epiphany of sorts. I realized those bigwig publishing houses in New York were now probably run by people younger than me, so I shouldn’t be intimidated by them. At about the same time I was watching one of those award shows, and Jaclyn Smith got up to give a post-humorous award to Aaron Spelling. She credited him for encouraging her to go into acting, saying something brilliant like, “Reach for your dreams.” Nothing new. Almost even seems a little Jiminy Cricketish. But, for some reason, it struck me that night. When Aaron Spelling was thirteen, he was probably just like any other acned thirteen-year-old. But he worked to achieve his dreams, and became a household name. So, I began to write. Once I finished my first book, I wasn’t able to stop. I would rather write than do just about anything else. After all, you get to make people (characters) do what you want and design your own happy endings. What power! What a privilege.
I have been a writer all my life. My first book, which was co-written with Mary Ellen Murphey in second grade, was titled The Black Cat, and was written on blue hotel stationary, hole-punched, and bound by white yarn. I believe it is currently out of circulation.
When I turned forty, I had an epiphany of sorts. I realized those bigwig publishing houses in New York were now probably run by people younger than me, so I shouldn’t be intimidated by them. At about the same time I was watching one of those award shows, and Jaclyn Smith got up to give a post-humorous award to Aaron Spelling. She credited him for encouraging her to go into acting, saying something brilliant like, “Reach for your dreams.” Nothing new. Almost even seems a little Jiminy Cricketish. But, for some reason, it struck me that night. When Aaron Spelling was thirteen, he was probably just like any other acned thirteen-year-old. But he worked to achieve his dreams, and became a household name. So, I began to write. Once I finished my first book, I wasn’t able to stop. I would rather write than do just about anything else. After all, you get to make people (characters) do what you want and design your own happy endings. What power! What a privilege.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 2, 2018
Each book is a standalone story and Between Rock and a Hard Place by MJ Schiller will bring you not only a Rock Star and a Romance storyline but also a stalker, obsessive loved ones, and a serial killer. Detective Heath McGowan aka Hawk is a single father cop who is the best they have, and he has been called into the murder of singer Jasmine aka Jazz's best friend Patricia Norman aka Tricia. While it seems that Jazz was in the shower and her Uncle Brody on the phone in his bedroom down the hall Jazz's best friend was being murdered. I have to admit that this to me was a little suspect as I think if my friend were getting murdered down the hallway from me, they would be screaming pretty loudly. The killer is obviously someone obsessed with wanting Jazz and will kill anyone who gets in their way. Unlike other murder mysteries, I've read before I did pin the killer in this book quite quickly, in fact, it was a tad too quick for my liking as I like a bit more of anticipation and having the killer revealed blindsiding me. During the solving of the crime and other people dying, Hawk and Jazz start up a relationship which again to me felt a little unplausible as Police are not supposed to get romantically involved with current investigations. I have seen enough TV shows and read enough crime mysteries to note that. However, I did love the interaction between Jazz and Hawk's son Jack, and it would have to be Jack's character that stole the show for me. Overall Between Rock and a Hard Place was a good mix of Romance and Mystery; I have to admit to me it was slower than I expected and found a few too many plot holes for myself. In saying that I also expected more as I have read the other three books in this series and rated them 4 -5P's whereas Between Rock and a Hard Place only scores a 3.
February 10, 2019
Fabulous
This was a great story! It was actually a murder mystery with a rockstar in the lead role. This series is definitely not an actual rockstar series but is a series of stories with a rockstar as the main characters. Each has been a delight to read but I especially enjoyed this book for the mystery and the hea for a detective and his rock girl!
I like this series because it is different from the regular rockstar romances. Well done!
This was a great story! It was actually a murder mystery with a rockstar in the lead role. This series is definitely not an actual rockstar series but is a series of stories with a rockstar as the main characters. Each has been a delight to read but I especially enjoyed this book for the mystery and the hea for a detective and his rock girl!
I like this series because it is different from the regular rockstar romances. Well done!
January 16, 2016
After the high I had with Blackout, I eagerly jumped into BETWEEN ROCK AND A HARD PLACE. I was hoping I would have the same experience seeing that both books were written by the same author. Also the blurb indicated that it was a romantic suspense which helped to add to my excitement. Alas, I did not capture the feeling I was desiring for. This is not to say that I did not enjoy the story, but based on my prior experience with Ms. Schiller's work, it did not quite live up to my expectations.
BETWEEN ROCK AND A HARD PLACE is a combination of romance and suspense. I enjoyed reading about the romance, the suspense not so much. It tells the story of Heath, a homicide detective, and Jasmine, a rock star. Under normal circumstances, it is unlikely that these two would have crossed paths, however the brutal murder of Jasmine's best friend changed all that. From the minute they set eyes on each other, the attraction between them was apparent. Heath, however, was somewhat skeptical about getting involved with Jasmine, as doing so could mean an end to his career. However, he had difficulty staying away.
The romance was nicely developed and it had a somewhat realistic feel. I loved the fact that they took the time to get to know each other before becoming intimate. The sexual tension was jumping from the pages. Earlier I said I found the romance somewhat realistic, and this is because I thought it strange that for someone who is constantly in the public eye, Jasmine was able to keep her relationship with Heath a secret. How is it possible that Heath's son did not brag to his friends at school that his dad was friends with a famous rock star? These are questions that were never addressed.
As it relates to the suspense, I did not get the nail biting/edge of your seat feeling that one associates with this genre. First of all, it was not difficult to figure out who the killer was. By the third chapter I knew who it was. That took the fun out of the story for me. I like the whole guessing and trying to figure out who is the guilty party. There were no twists or unexpected surprises. It was way too predictable.
The characters were very well developed. I was able to understand their behaviour, even though I did not necessarily agree with it. I found Jasmine to be weak. Here we have a 24 year old rock star who allowed her uncle to control every aspect of her life. It's obvious she is not okay with it, however she is too weak to do anything about it. There were also other incidents within the story that highlighted how weak she really was. Heath is considered one of the best in his field. He was nicknamed Hawk, because his uncanny ability to see every detail when conducting investigations. However, it was my belief that his judgement became impaired due to his involvement with Jasmine. He failed to see what was staring him in the face the moment the investigation began.
The cover is beautiful, the premise was good and there were several aspects of the story I enjoyed, however, there were some things that I could not overlook. These issues prevented me from being blown over by this story. The themes, such as judging someone based on their profession and not feeling worthy of being loved, were evident. However, I felt that it could have been better delivered.
Overall, this was not a bad story, but it was not my favourite. -
Review originally posted at
BETWEEN ROCK AND A HARD PLACE is a combination of romance and suspense. I enjoyed reading about the romance, the suspense not so much. It tells the story of Heath, a homicide detective, and Jasmine, a rock star. Under normal circumstances, it is unlikely that these two would have crossed paths, however the brutal murder of Jasmine's best friend changed all that. From the minute they set eyes on each other, the attraction between them was apparent. Heath, however, was somewhat skeptical about getting involved with Jasmine, as doing so could mean an end to his career. However, he had difficulty staying away.
The romance was nicely developed and it had a somewhat realistic feel. I loved the fact that they took the time to get to know each other before becoming intimate. The sexual tension was jumping from the pages. Earlier I said I found the romance somewhat realistic, and this is because I thought it strange that for someone who is constantly in the public eye, Jasmine was able to keep her relationship with Heath a secret. How is it possible that Heath's son did not brag to his friends at school that his dad was friends with a famous rock star? These are questions that were never addressed.
As it relates to the suspense, I did not get the nail biting/edge of your seat feeling that one associates with this genre. First of all, it was not difficult to figure out who the killer was. By the third chapter I knew who it was. That took the fun out of the story for me. I like the whole guessing and trying to figure out who is the guilty party. There were no twists or unexpected surprises. It was way too predictable.
The characters were very well developed. I was able to understand their behaviour, even though I did not necessarily agree with it. I found Jasmine to be weak. Here we have a 24 year old rock star who allowed her uncle to control every aspect of her life. It's obvious she is not okay with it, however she is too weak to do anything about it. There were also other incidents within the story that highlighted how weak she really was. Heath is considered one of the best in his field. He was nicknamed Hawk, because his uncanny ability to see every detail when conducting investigations. However, it was my belief that his judgement became impaired due to his involvement with Jasmine. He failed to see what was staring him in the face the moment the investigation began.
The cover is beautiful, the premise was good and there were several aspects of the story I enjoyed, however, there were some things that I could not overlook. These issues prevented me from being blown over by this story. The themes, such as judging someone based on their profession and not feeling worthy of being loved, were evident. However, I felt that it could have been better delivered.
Overall, this was not a bad story, but it was not my favourite. -
Review originally posted at
March 7, 2014
5 BIG Stars!! Would give more if possible!
This is my favorite book by MJ so far! I read it in one evening because I could. Not. Put. It. Down. Oh Heath McGowan is a hot cop. Who doesn’t love a man in uniform?
Heath McGowan hot shot lead homicide detective on a case that involves Jasmine “Jazz” Barrett Rock Star. What he does not bargain for is being star struck and humbled by Jasmine. I absolutely loved the reverse role in this story. We have a “normal” guy and a female Rock Star. You don’t read too many books like this so for me it was a nice change of pace. The story is very focused on the mystery aspect, which was very well written. Of course the love story is outstanding too but with a homicide detective there is a mystery afoot.
Heath and Jasmine are drawn to each other almost instantly. Heath has “woman” issues and Jasmine has “man” issues but after some crazy angsty moments (that I wanted to slap someone) they put these issues behind them. The secondary characters really add a special touch to the story. I loved Heath’s brothers Luke and Kole. Jack (Heath’s son) is such a cutie.
We are taken on a rollercoaster ride of emotions in this one. The sex scenes in the book were very tastefully done. The sexual tension between the two characters is crazy good. At one point I shouted “will you just get it on already!” Good writing skills were hard at work here.
I am a big MJ Schiller fan and recommend this book as well as her others. If you like a great love story this book will not disappoint you.
Quotes:
He brought his lips down on hers, stealing away breath and heart.
This is my favorite book by MJ so far! I read it in one evening because I could. Not. Put. It. Down. Oh Heath McGowan is a hot cop. Who doesn’t love a man in uniform?
Heath McGowan hot shot lead homicide detective on a case that involves Jasmine “Jazz” Barrett Rock Star. What he does not bargain for is being star struck and humbled by Jasmine. I absolutely loved the reverse role in this story. We have a “normal” guy and a female Rock Star. You don’t read too many books like this so for me it was a nice change of pace. The story is very focused on the mystery aspect, which was very well written. Of course the love story is outstanding too but with a homicide detective there is a mystery afoot.
Heath and Jasmine are drawn to each other almost instantly. Heath has “woman” issues and Jasmine has “man” issues but after some crazy angsty moments (that I wanted to slap someone) they put these issues behind them. The secondary characters really add a special touch to the story. I loved Heath’s brothers Luke and Kole. Jack (Heath’s son) is such a cutie.
We are taken on a rollercoaster ride of emotions in this one. The sex scenes in the book were very tastefully done. The sexual tension between the two characters is crazy good. At one point I shouted “will you just get it on already!” Good writing skills were hard at work here.
I am a big MJ Schiller fan and recommend this book as well as her others. If you like a great love story this book will not disappoint you.
Quotes:
He brought his lips down on hers, stealing away breath and heart.
July 9, 2014
*I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review*
Unlike its series predecessors Between Rock and a Hard Place combines the romance and suspense from the first chapter. The love story is entwined within a murder case and it brings a new aspect to the cop/victim relationship.
“He loved the way she blushed and glanced away. Professionalism is over rated. To hell with it.”
Heath is a good cop, but Jazz stirs something in him that pushes his lines, making them blurry as hell. He wants to catch the killer and keep her safe, but he also wants to keep her.
“Every time I’m near you, I get this overwhelming urge to kiss you.”
Jazz isn’t the rock star image she portrays; she’s sweet and caring and has a past that sticks with her. For the first time in her life, being with Heath allows her the freedom of enjoying her life without being controlled, and she loves it. Being with him, his son, and his brothers is where she wants to be.
“That’s okay, it’s true, you do kiss me.” She stared straight ahead, as if concentrating, but then added, “But not enough.”
Between Rock and a Hard Place is a sweet romance that has you cheering for both Heath and Jazz, but at the same time it’s filled with graphic crime scenes and a psycho who needs to be caught, which leaves you on edge until he is.
My Favorite Laughable Moment: Heath and Dippin’ Dots.
“Dad, stick your thumb on the roof of your mouth. I’m telling you, it works.”
“I’m not doing that. I’ll look like an idiot.”
“Oh, ’cause that looks so much better,” she quipped and then dodged when he tried to grab her. “Is Mr. Big-Bad-Police-Officer being done in by the little Dippin’ Dots?”
Unlike its series predecessors Between Rock and a Hard Place combines the romance and suspense from the first chapter. The love story is entwined within a murder case and it brings a new aspect to the cop/victim relationship.
“He loved the way she blushed and glanced away. Professionalism is over rated. To hell with it.”
Heath is a good cop, but Jazz stirs something in him that pushes his lines, making them blurry as hell. He wants to catch the killer and keep her safe, but he also wants to keep her.
“Every time I’m near you, I get this overwhelming urge to kiss you.”
Jazz isn’t the rock star image she portrays; she’s sweet and caring and has a past that sticks with her. For the first time in her life, being with Heath allows her the freedom of enjoying her life without being controlled, and she loves it. Being with him, his son, and his brothers is where she wants to be.
“That’s okay, it’s true, you do kiss me.” She stared straight ahead, as if concentrating, but then added, “But not enough.”
Between Rock and a Hard Place is a sweet romance that has you cheering for both Heath and Jazz, but at the same time it’s filled with graphic crime scenes and a psycho who needs to be caught, which leaves you on edge until he is.
My Favorite Laughable Moment: Heath and Dippin’ Dots.
“Dad, stick your thumb on the roof of your mouth. I’m telling you, it works.”
“I’m not doing that. I’ll look like an idiot.”
“Oh, ’cause that looks so much better,” she quipped and then dodged when he tried to grab her. “Is Mr. Big-Bad-Police-Officer being done in by the little Dippin’ Dots?”
March 17, 2014
Reviewed by Julie
for Read Your Writes Book Reviews
I liked this book but I didn't love it. The main characters, Heath and Jasmine seemed a lot younger than their stated years and slightly immature.
Jasmine “Jazz”, a female rock star, has a lot of tragic murders happen around her. Her uncle is overbearing and treats her like she's a small child although she's 24. Jazz’s actions and reactions make her seem much younger than 24. Heath, the detective handling her case, falls for Jazz. She has instant feelings for him too. They try not to act on their attraction due to the murder case but they do anyway. Heath has a six-year-old son that is treated like he is three.
The one perk to this book is that it's based in St. Louis, where I live, so it was really neat to read references to places that I can truly picture in my head. Ultimately, Heath solves the case and he and Jazz get married and live happily ever after.
Source: Author
for Read Your Writes Book Reviews
I liked this book but I didn't love it. The main characters, Heath and Jasmine seemed a lot younger than their stated years and slightly immature.
Jasmine “Jazz”, a female rock star, has a lot of tragic murders happen around her. Her uncle is overbearing and treats her like she's a small child although she's 24. Jazz’s actions and reactions make her seem much younger than 24. Heath, the detective handling her case, falls for Jazz. She has instant feelings for him too. They try not to act on their attraction due to the murder case but they do anyway. Heath has a six-year-old son that is treated like he is three.
The one perk to this book is that it's based in St. Louis, where I live, so it was really neat to read references to places that I can truly picture in my head. Ultimately, Heath solves the case and he and Jazz get married and live happily ever after.
Source: Author
August 14, 2014
I fell in love with this series after reading Trapped Under Ice and I have not been disappointed! Sexy,hot ,and this time the rocker is a female! And we doesnot love a hot cop! Not this girl alpha males all the way! Drama,murder, sexy and rock n roll all wrapped into to this awesome book! Can't wait to read on !
August 11, 2016
Way to go, Schiller. The details in the murder case were splendid and the double-take plot twist? Never saw it coming. Loved it!
February 12, 2020
I enjoyed Jasmine and Heath's story. Devastating situations around Jasmine caused their paths to cross. The slow build between them was wonderful, and I loved the little moments they shared. There was a bit of suspense, as they try to solve the crimes, but not as nail-biting as some others I've read, but I still liked it. Definitely glad I checked it out, and may check out others by this author as well.
August 3, 2025
A story to keep you engrossed from the beginning til the very end. Will Heath and Jasmine very get together as they so want before the murder gets to them first? You’ll have to read it and see . Loads of twists to hold your interest. Great read
August 21, 2025
Bringing two people together
While figuring out who the killer is, it brought a rockstar and a law enforcement officer together. They discovered together they form a family.
While figuring out who the killer is, it brought a rockstar and a law enforcement officer together. They discovered together they form a family.
April 23, 2014
The author gave me a free copy in exchange for my HONEST review.
This book was so well written I really felt like I was there, all the characters were engaging and I fell in love with them all. This is my favorite book so far in the "Rocking Romance Collection" The plot had everything, suspense, romance the lot, It was a bit of a roller coaster of emotions. I actually found myself in a bit of a "book hangover" after finishing this book, I had to read the book again as I couldn't move on! :o) I really want to know more about Heath's brothers Kole and Luke, a follow on book for each of them would be amazing as Luke particularly was a key character.
I cant recommend this book enough, it is definitely worth a read!
This book was so well written I really felt like I was there, all the characters were engaging and I fell in love with them all. This is my favorite book so far in the "Rocking Romance Collection" The plot had everything, suspense, romance the lot, It was a bit of a roller coaster of emotions. I actually found myself in a bit of a "book hangover" after finishing this book, I had to read the book again as I couldn't move on! :o) I really want to know more about Heath's brothers Kole and Luke, a follow on book for each of them would be amazing as Luke particularly was a key character.
I cant recommend this book enough, it is definitely worth a read!
March 16, 2014
WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! WHAT A READ! I enjoyed this book. Its not one i would normally read, but I did and I admit i enjoyed it. Its a very well written story, a lot of thought and detail put in to it; esp the double take plot twist- i never saw that one coming! wow!! The book has great characters with a huge array of emotions that go up and down like a roller-coaster! The tension you could almost feel it, the frustration, the angst any emotion you could almost imagine that character, thats how well put together it is. I gave it 4 stars rather than 5 as its not my favourite book out of this writers collection, it definitely is my second favourite! READ IT!!
May 24, 2014
The author gave me a free copy in exchange for my HONEST review.
I liked this book but I didn't love it, I thought the overall plot of the book was good but I felt like I was missing something the main characters were nice to read and the twist in the plot I seen coming and I figured out who it was near the start of the book, But overall a good safe read I did read it in a night as the other books in the collection were great and I loved them but with this one was very different from the others I felt.
I liked this book but I didn't love it, I thought the overall plot of the book was good but I felt like I was missing something the main characters were nice to read and the twist in the plot I seen coming and I figured out who it was near the start of the book, But overall a good safe read I did read it in a night as the other books in the collection were great and I loved them but with this one was very different from the others I felt.
April 21, 2014
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I really liked Jazz's character and wanted Heath to find her best friend's killer. However, I thought there were some parts that were unbelievable. For instance, when Heath and Jazz are starting a relationship they are not exactly secretive, yet no paparazzi or newspapers pick up on this famous rock stars relationship.
However, once I accepted these facts, I enjoyed the story and mystery.
However, once I accepted these facts, I enjoyed the story and mystery.
January 21, 2014
Review to come!
July 5, 2014
This book was not a disappointment, just like Trapped Under Ice it was a very enjoyable love story.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews