Rudimentary Distortion

Rhythm and Tempo #1

by Mila Crawford

We were the kids of addicts, discarded and forgotten about by the people who were supposed to love us the most. But together we found family and created our own solace. I never thought I would be alone because I had them. Until one night changed everything.

The world knows them as Satan and Blaze. The masked lead singer and drummer of international rock sensation Gutless Void.

I know them as Lars Morgan and Cain Foster. The two boys I loved who broke my heart.

Genres: Dark Romance, M M F, BDSM, Why Choose, Novella, Romance, Second Chance

180 pages, Paperback

Published February 6, 2024

Reviews

[Lethe ☠️]

This was like reading an extremely rushed Sleep Token fanfiction.

It had the potential to be a good story, but there was 0 character or plot development.

[Gia Davis]

Another Mila Crawford book that I was left JAW ON THE FLOOR for.

Her books always keep me on my toes and are literally a joy to read (even her darkest works).

I don’t always find authors where I think they can give detailed character development and wild, dark romance and smut in a 150 page novella. But Mila ALWAYS serves.

And honestly, who can say no to MMF dark rockstar romance?? NOT ME!

[High Lady of Delulu]

I don't even know what to say about this book except, fuck that's hot.

Rudimentary Distortion is everything I expected and maybe I had an advantage for not (yet?) being a fan of the band this is supposedly based on.

I loved the relationship dynamics, the way they were broken and all their individual needs played into and drove the plot. For being such a short book (with this amount of smut) I feel like the author did an amazing job at crafting, nuancing and contrasting each character, their desires and wounds.

The writing is good and I love a book that doesn't feel the need to resolve every minor sub plot but focuses on the driving relationships.

If you consider reading Rudimentary Distortion, I HIGHLY recommend the audiobook!

[Justine]

[ AUDIOBOOK REVIEW ]

A second chance MMF rockstar novella filled with tension so thick it could be cut with a knife and panty-melting spice…sign me the eff up. Rudimentary Distortion by the incomparable Mila Crawford tells the tale of children from broken homes forming their own family bonds, only for tragedy to tear them apart. Years pass and they’re brought crashing back into each other’s lives— their neglected past now center stage. Prepare yourself for the fire.

I can always depend on Mila to deliver the filthiest filth (we need this as a sticker), but hearing her work given voice by some incredibly talented narrators hits a whole new level. Holy hotness, Batman…this audiobook is scorching! The chemistry and heartache between the characters comes to life in the most alluring ways, and the spicy scenes…*fans face*.

Samantha Brentmoor breathes genuine love and pain into Billie, portraying a woman healing from a betrayal. J.F. Harding completely nailed a broken man haunted by the ghosts of his past. And Gregory Salinas, the strong glue of the trio, may have had me kneeling a time or two— couldn’t help myself. The duet narration was impeccable, and also the glimpses into the past were done well, allowing me to easily differentiate between the two time periods.

Easily consumed in one sitting, Rudimentary Distortion is a remarkable production that deserves a spot in your library. Whether you’re a seasoned Crawford reader or just about to get your first taste of her work, I definitely recommend giving this one a read/listen. I thoroughly enjoyed my journey through the glorious depravity.

[Natalie Brown]

---------- 🎼🎸 Audio Review 🎸🎼 ----------

Well, holy hotness, this was a whole heap of spice piled onto more spice with a chilli garnish, and I am here for every delicious second of it.

This was a duet narration that brought Billie Lars and Cain to life perfectly. These narrators were bang in the mark, and the results were flawless.

This book has everything my little dark romance loving heart could ever desire.

It's a quick second chance novella that will make your heart so sad at times but will definitely leave you more than hot under the collar 😉.

As always, check the TW before embarking on this spicy filled journey, then sit back and enjoy the ride.

[Jess]

ALC REVIEW - this was spicy and delicious with a duet narration that made me absolutely weak in the knees and my brain all melty. It’s a rock star, second change MMF dark romance complete with serious past trauma (check triggers), masked singers and a lot of inferno level spicy k!nk.

I attempted to do a digital read tandem with the audiobook and found that there were a few differences but the changes were obviously made for an easily digestible listening experience that was hot as all hell.

[Awilda Mercedes]

Billie, Lars, Cain, and Trevor had the toughest childhoods, with addict parents and a whole lot of struggle. They found solace in Nar-Anon meetings, where they bonded and became a tight-knit family. But life took a cruel turn when one of them passed away. As fate would have it, Billie ended up falling in love with three men, each in their own unique way. Sadly, the one who felt like family is no more, and the other two don't seem interested in her...or so she thinks!
Fast forward a few years, and Billie is a hotshot music reporter, living her dream. But, as they say, the past always comes back to haunt us. Suddenly, everything she thought she had left behind comes crashing back into her life, leaving her feeling shaken. This heartwarming and spicy tale is proof that life has its ups and downs, but it's all about finding the right balance!

Things to know
Primal, Spit Play, Cum Play, Cream-pie clean up, DP, Marking, CNC, Exhibitionism, Angel wings, Red Wings, Somno, Breathe play, Suicide (friend in the past), knife play, blood play, Drug addiction (Parents), use of Cannabis and THC, CA (in the past), Neglect, self harm, MMF, praise and degradation, 2nd chance romance, masked men,

[Darlene I read WAY to many books]

3.5 ⭐️
This one hit more in the feels, and it did break my heart.. Lars Cain and Billie lost one of their friends, and from that moment, Lars and Cain pushed away Billie, breaking all their hearts with their cruel words. Now, years past, and all three made a name for themselves. Some still hold the baggage from the past, and it had Billie meeting her men. And we'll it was a rocky start.

The tension between the 3 was off the charts, I felt so bad for Billie she tried to act like she didn't know them and well that didn't work out since the guys were angry she ignored them lol. Which didn't sit well with the guys 😆😆😆 but it was funny.

They had their ups and downs in the past pov and present povs. My heart did break more for Lars and the pressure he put on himself and why he did what he did.

Even if this was an MMF, I felt like the guys had more of a connection than they had with Billie, and its understandable since they were together for 10 years. So it was hard to connect sometimes with the group.

Low angst, no ow/om drama, no cheating, drama, sexy times, no virgins or manwhores

Recommend-yes
Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat level-🌶🌶🌶.5

Prologue
Instlove
MM MMF MF
Seperation (10 years)
Push away from H
Degradation
Primal
Spit Play
C*m Play
Cream-pie clean up
Praise
DP
Anal play
CNC
Exhibitionism/public play
Angel wings
Red Wings
Somnophilia
Breathe play
Suicide (friend in the past)
Knife play
Blood play
Drug addiction (Parents)
Use of Cannabis and THC
CA (in the past)
No condom
Neglect
Hea
Epilogue

[sunny ≽^• ˕ • ྀི≼]

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

ARC READ

“ "Look at you, Tinkerbell, all grown up with a filthy mouth. When did my good girl turn bad?"

"When you threw me out like trash."“

MILA DID IT AGAIN!!!!!!!!!! When i first saw the promo of this book i knew i had to be an arc reader. Milas books are always a wild ride and this one is NO different

Cain, Lars and Billie have a connection that nothing can tear them apart from. This book made me cry first with trevor then at their bond. This is a second chance romance novella that i would kill to have another book for 😭🖤 This trio will forever be one of my favorites, they had to fight like hell and grow in their own ways in order to return to each other again

Trigger warnings :
❤️‍🔥 suicide (no main character)
❤️‍🔥 knife play
❤️‍🔥 blood play
❤️‍🔥 somnophilla
❤️‍🔥 degradation
❤️‍🔥 praise
❤️‍🔥 past ca
❤️‍🔥 neglect
❤️‍🔥 use of cannabis & thc
❤️‍🔥 drug addiction
❤️‍🔥 split/ c*m/ breathe play
❤️‍🔥 primal
❤️‍🔥 cream pie cleanup
❤️‍🔥 cnc
❤️‍🔥 dp
❤️‍🔥 marking
❤️‍🔥 exhibitionism
❤️‍🔥 mask

[Sarah]

*audiobook

Who are these people?

Lmaooo this author wrote the story like it's an episode of a soap opera that's been airing for years and we don't need character introductions...😭

Thankfully this was short, but unfortunately uneventful and I didn't attach to anybody lol

[Jessica]

2,5 ⭐
The audiobook was great and this book were quite short, but unfortunately it wasn't something special. I was way more into the Cain/Lars dynamic than Cain/Lars/Billie. And there were no plot to be seen here, just pure filthy smut, which isn't a bad thing, but I was expecting more.

[Pages & rituals]

3.5⭐

Tropes:
• Second chance romance
• Rock star romance
• MFM
• Novella
• Heavy degradation/kinks
• Very spicy 🌶️

I honestly didn’t expect a novella to make me this invested in the characters and their chemistry, but wow. This was messy, emotional, filthy, and somehow sweet at the same time.

The flashbacks were probably one of my favorite parts because they added so much depth to the relationship and made the second chance aspect hit harder. You could genuinely feel the history between them, and it made every interaction feel heavier in the best way possible.

And the chemistry??? INSANE. Mila Crawford somehow managed to create this level of tension and connection in such a short book that I was literally giggling, blushing, and waiting for every single scene between them. The dirty talk was absolutely wild, the degradation and kinks were definitely THERE, and honestly… it worked for me.

It was fast-paced, super smutty, easy to binge, and exactly the kind of chaotic little novella I wanted.

[gena_bookish_reviews]

I.. I need to go pray or something. 🫠

is there anything better than reading a fully grown man, fuelled by trauma, alcoholism and mommy issues relentlessly denying a woman bcos he can't handle how she makes him feel??

yes there is.

reading TWO grown men deny said woman for years, only to completely lose it when she suddenly reappears in their lives because of work.

But first.. the way Lars kept taking it from Cain like a good boy.. y'all 🥵 This is an MMF rockstar romance and everyone is horny af. Like i loved this twist bc Lars and Cain are bandmates, while Billie is the reporter assigned to interview them.

This is a smutty little story so don't expect anything too deep or serious. Its a spicy novella, so just have fun with it. 😉

What to expect

🎤 Spicy novella
🎤 MMF
🎤 Rockstar romance
🎤 Second chance romance
🎤 Childhood friends
🎤 Best friends to lovers
🎤 Grief and trauma
🎤 Dom/sub dynamics
🎤 Degradation & humiliation
🎤 DP

[Tay]

4⭐️

Okayyyy so I see why they were made for each other.


Lars is grumpy …. Cain is more sunshine with a side of darkness that’s hot af and dominate and then there’s Billie that’s a mix of both of them and they fit together perfectly


And family being the safe word because she sees all 3 of them as her family and I felt that was so cute and this hook was SMUTTY AND HOT AND KINKY LIKE OKAYYYY!!!!


MMF SO HOT THO

[Lena Kravets]

It could have potential, but the story was rushed, I didn't connected with the character's. S£x was good but sadly without a good character build and plot this book fall short. Everything was rushed and it felt like an episode of a series and not a book.

[V]

★★★★☆

emo rock gods fucking their childhood love turned renowned reporter yeah COUNT ME IN 🎸

[thebookishpumpkinpatch]

Mila writes it, I read it.

Or in this case listened 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️
Duet narration by Samantha Brentmoor, JF Harding and Gregory Salinas.

10/10 smut and narration. No notes.

[tanya c]

a mmf rockstar romance, count me in. mila crawford has done it again w an amazing book! this story is filled w heartbreak & so much pain. but the spice in this book, had to take a min to contain myself🔥

cain, lars, billie & trevor’s story is one to remember❗️

[Bea]

*ALC*
5-⭐️ 5-🌶️

This was such a good book, but baaaaby
I listened to the audiobook and it made the story even better!

The emotions the anguish, it’s portrayed beautifully.

The filthy depraved things leave you blushing and questioning your sanity. Y’all I’m so fucking for real rn this was a wild ride and deep.

I can’t get over how much emotion the narrators managed, this is fast, spicy, and depraved!

Mila killed it with the audio book and I’m so excited to see what’s next!

[Nerdy.Scientist.Reads || NERDY]

4/5⭐️ 5/5🌶️ 5/5🎧
Milaaaaa!!! Omg the way I was up in Mila’s DMs screeching from the filth in the audiobook 🤣🥵👏🏼
She didn’t lie when she said, “There’s smut, and then there’s Mila Crawford smut.” Unholy hellz, was it pure fucknastiness. It was a quickie that hit every sweet spot. You have masked men, MMF, ALL THE FLUIDS, all the positions. And the degradation 🤌🤌😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨
This is a masked rockstar second chance…smutmance..? Yeah, that’s what we’re going with.

“𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚝’𝚜 𝚒𝚝, 𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚢 𝚋𝚘𝚢. 𝚃𝚎𝚕𝚕 𝚖𝚎 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚐𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚒𝚝 𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚖𝚢 𝚙𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚝𝚒𝚌 𝚑𝚘𝚕𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚏𝚞𝚌𝚔.”

"𝙺𝚎𝚎𝚙 𝚜𝚞𝚌𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝚏𝚞𝚌𝚔 𝚋𝚘𝚢. 𝚂𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝙳𝚊𝚍𝚍𝚢 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚊 𝚠𝚑𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚌𝚞𝚖.

Go listen now! Because these three narrators brought the depraved debauchery to the next level. It’s narrated in duet by Samantha Brentmoor, Gregory Salinas, and JF Harding.

[Ashley⛓️]

UPDATE 7/2 ALC: reread on audiobook and it was absolutely incredible. The narrators did an amazing job bringing these characters to life that I love so much.


I loved every part of this story. The hurt and trauma bond these characters had with each other had my heart in a vise. My sweet baby boy Lars 😭 and while there was lots of hurt/comfort and trauma, there was also holy fucking spiceeeeee. Daddy Cain 🥵 holy shit. Mila writes the best spice and holy fucking SNOWBALLING. The cum play in this book was some of the best I’ve ever read. And one of my fav snowball scenes EVER.

I love this series so much!!

[Paloma FC (in my reading era)]

3.5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐💫
5 / 5 🌶️
The whole book is smut 🔥 and kinky spice 🌶 practically cover to cover 😏.

Lars (MMC) + Kane (MMC) and Billie (FMC)

This is a short novella that I wasn't mentally prepared for due to its off the charts level of spice & kink. I have read many spicy books with plenty of different types of kinks (i.e. The Dare), but this one was soooo over the top that it made me roll my eyes and almost cringe at times... Also, sweat.

Overall, it's about 3 consenting adults doing lots (yes, LOTS!) of spicy, smutty🌶 🔥 🥵 things, pushing boundaries, dirty talking, etc. Check TW before you start.

Happy reading! 📚

[Julie]

A little too much for me!

I am not a prude but, I found myself cringing throughout this book on several occasions. I always say to each his own when it comes to sex but, there was are so many disturbing elements to this story my enjoyment level steadily declined with each page I read. I appreciate the author's attempt to expose the reader to a different lifestyle but, I think I will pass on other books by this writer.

[Mary Hicks]

Wild

This is a really bunched up batch of porn with a sad story wrapped around it. I doubt not recommend this book. It is just a bit much, don't get me wrong I don't mind a good smut book but this was not it.

[Nahal TC]

The Story Had Potential, the Spice Lost Me
Narrated by J. F. Harding, Samantha Brentmoor & Gregory Salinas

STORY
Rudimentary Distortion was suggested to me and was my first read by Mila Crawford. I went into it expecting a quick, dark and spicy read—and it was definitely all of those things. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t for me.

The background and plot the story is built around are extremely dark and sad, which in itself wasn’t my issue at all. I can handle dark themes when they work within the story. In fact, I found the premise quite intriguing. But once the spice kicked in, the book completely lost me.

CHARACTERS
All three characters are troubled in their own way and carry the scars of very sad childhoods. That shared history and trauma is what bonded them for years, and I actually found all three of them interesting and intriguing. There was definitely enough there that I wanted to know more about them and their complicated relationship.

WRITING
The book is very short and fast-paced, and I actually think this could have made an excellent full-length why-choose story. The characters, their shared past and the darker background had enough potential to build something much deeper around their relationship. I would have loved more focus on that side of the story.

SPICE
And this is unfortunately where the book lost me completely. There is a LOT of spice, and it is intense. The amount and intensity of the degradation and the overall hardcore style were absolutely not my cup of tea. I did check the trigger warnings beforehand, but I still wasn’t prepared for just how intense some of it would be.

More importantly, for me the sheer amount and intensity of the spice started to take away from the actual story. I was genuinely intrigued by these three characters, their shared history and everything they had been through, and I would have much rather seen more of that explored instead.

NARRATION
The audiobook is performed in duet by J. F. Harding, Samantha Brentmoor and Gregory Salinas, and the narration was excellent. With that narrator lineup, I expected nothing less. Unfortunately, not even the fantastic performances could be the saving grace for me here.

FINAL THOUGHTS
I guess I’ll leave it at that. There was actually a lot here that intrigued me, especially the three troubled characters, their shared history and the potential of their relationship. This could have been an excellent full-length why-choose read for me if the spice hadn’t been quite so hardcore.

In the end, the spice was simply too far outside my personal preferences and, more importantly, it overshadowed the actual story I wanted to know more about. Despite having checked the trigger warnings beforehand, I just wasn’t prepared for the intensity of it, so I DNF’d.

BREAKDOWN

Story: ⭐⭐⭐
Characters / Character Development: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Writing: ⭐⭐⭐
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Narration: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

DNF at 90% !!!

[Darkdirtysmut]

This Novella is a quick read and is packed full of heartache, healing, and tons of spice.

After bonding over childhood trauma, tragedy struck when they were 18 and it tore the three of them apart, sending one off alone broken hearted and left two with a piece of them missing.

A decade has passed and Billie has made a name for herself as a top journalist in the musician world and has landed an exclusive touring interview with a popular band whose mysterious musicians and stage presence has attracted fans far and wide. No one knows who the members of the band are because of the masks they wear.

Lars and Cain remain bonded after the day they sent a piece of their hearts packing that day at the docks. They've relied on each other and have been unable to move past that day and when the one they sent away is brought back into their midst, all their best laid plans are thrown our the window before the first interview has been conducted.

Check trigger and content warnings. There's off page incidents that could be triggering and the intensity between the characters is definitely a five out of five and could be disturbing for some. This story takes you on a journey of heartache to happily ever after and everything in between.

[Faerietalesafterdark]

Okay this MMF rockstar novella was HOT! 🥵 let me just say from the start, if snowballing isn't one of your k!nks, I don't think this novella is for you! God damn the exchange of cüm was impressive, but I'm not complaining 😏
At all...

I love a good 2nd chance lovestory, and the author did a great job unravelling the past along the current stortline. In the beginnig I thought it was a bit too much back and forth, but it extually worked pretty good, both for the characters and the plot!

The love between Cain, Lars and Billie was beautiful, but I have to say that the love between Cain and Lars was a whole other level. The way they sticked together after Billie was out of the picture, and how Cain took care of Lars after so much loss and trauma, it just had me 🥹🥹🥹🥹

Please, read it!
But check out the contentlist if you don't want any k!nky surprises 😏

[Neapolitan670 📚🖤]

Ten years left in the past and a surprise job ends up with our FMC facing her past once again, in the form of the two guys who ‘threw her away’.

During their time apart the guys have made a success of themselves in a band, their music formed from a lost love and heartbreak. They kept each other sane throughout the 10 years, loving one another, sharing their love of music, sharing their passion between themselves. Until the day arrives when she comes to do an interview of the band after she has built her own career. Will she forgive them? Will their flame be re-kindled? Can they forget the one thing that pulled them apart?

This is a quick spicy novella, it’s well written and fast paced. Featuring MM romance, MfM romance, s^ic!de, self harm, long lost lovers as a starter 🎸

[✨☠️Raging Goth 📚✨]

The plot kinda fell short & left more to be desired but the smut was fucking phenomenal! Absolutely loved all the kinks in this book & loved all 3 characters, plus i enjoyed their dynamic/relationship. The dominance, dirty talk, spitting/cum play, & degradation was chef’s kiss! Also the fact that the author included regular check-ins for consent/safe words throughout the book is amazing & ethical, which is something I believe more authors should include in their books instead of just having that “talk” one time at the beginning & then it’s never mentioned again in the book. I think the author did a great job at portraying the power/control/care dynamics of a dom & sub relationship. (Obviously do not use this book for education, please read books written by professionals in the kink community if you are interested in some of the kinks in this book.)

[Poupi Mali]

Well. That escalated quickly.
I liked the multicast narration by Samantha Brentmoor, Gregory Salinas and J.F. Harding.

Now the story is something else.
I went blind on this book. So I didn’t know what to expect and I wasn’t expecting that much.

If you’re here, you’re here for the smũt. Because there is not much more. It’s fast paced, the characters have heavy pasts (TW: child abuse, drugs use, suicide) and they have all dark kinks.
So brace yourself, this will be a lot to take (literally and figuratively).

Tropes:
Menage
Rockstars
Journalist
Gas Masks
Second chance
Enemies to lovers
Found Family