Tinsel River

by Stephanie Ruth

A slow-burn Christmas romance for a Kiwi singer-songwriter, and the sound engineer she left in the dust when she hit the big time.

Pieta, Kiwi singer-songwriter and media darling, returns home from L.A. with an uncertain path ahead, her once healthy ego floundering. Having lost her agent and been dropped by her label, she’s smack-bang in the middle of an intellectual rights dispute.

Could anything else go wrong?

Income on lockdown, the songstress slinks into Ōtepoti with plans to pick up where she left off before her U.S. contract, horrified to realise every one of her solo-career choices seems to have been the wrong one. She burnt a lot of bridges when she left three years ago, her original sound engineer, Davis Stone, a smoking-hot wreck among them.

Not only did their one-night-stand muddy the waters of their working relationship, it made her defection to a U.S. label way too personal.



Davis has more than enough going on with fire damage to his house, his dad moving into care, and a ton of Christmas work piling up in the studio… But he also happens to be the best ear in the business, exactly who his ex-crush needs to help cut her comeback EP.



Trouble hits the instant the two musos try to work together again. Can Davis learn to handle being in the same studio with Pieta when his feelings have never subsided?



When it comes down to it, can Pieta?



Editor and agents choice in the RWNZ Great Beginnings competition, TINSEL RIVER is the second novella in Stephanie Ruth’s Otago Waters series, set in the beautiful South Island of Aotearoa, New Zealand. Intended for readers who enjoy their romance on the steamy side, and promising a happily ever after.



Reader discretion advised, this novel deals with the subject of dementia within the family, and a historical birthing-related death. It also contains on-page sexual content, and alcohol consumption.

170 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 17, 2024

About the author

Award winning New Zealand contemporary romance novelist and short story writer, Stephanie Ruth lives in the South Island, Te Waipounamu, with her husband, three children, and an ever expanding array of animals. If it doesn't have a happy ending in some form or other, Stephanie's not writing it.

You can find her on Facebook @stephanieruth.nz, Instagram and TikTok @stephanie_ruth_writes_nz, or on her website www.stephanie-ruth.com

Reviews

[Enni · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED THIS SO MUCH!!!

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like the Otago series but I have to admit, this time I didn't like Pieta. She's a self centered diva. At first anyway, but she grew on me. The more we got to know her, the more I liked her. The romance between Pieta and Davis is the same way, the more I got to know their backstory, the more I liked them as a couple. It's a bittersweet romance because Davis is also navigating his dad's early onset Alzheimer's and it's heartbreaking. At the same time, Pietra is battling to save her music career and is only in town for a few months so they both know their relationship has an expiration date. This book is shorter than most in the series but it was nice to pop back into New Zealand for a little while.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Silke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tinsel River is a novella-length romance set during Christmas time and so it is full of heart and emotions associated with the season - forgiving, the importance of cherishing family and friends, taking a leap of faith and giving second chances. Have your tissues ready because you will definitely need them by the time the epilogue comes around! The 1st book I've read by this author, it transported me straight back to the beautiful South Island of New Zealand and while it is connected to her Otagao Waters series, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Davis and Pieta's romance as a standalone - though now I definitely want to read Mako, the book that first introduced them.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Fleur · Rating 4 out of 5]

I totally got how Davis felt when Pi turns up and appears to act as if they only had a professional history so learning about her troubles and finally being venerable with his was a relief. This is definitely a slow burn but works perfectly in allowing you to not only get to know Pi and Davis but also their friends and family allowing you some good laughs but also moments of vulnerability and to grab moments of happiness.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sarah Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it.

I love this author's writing style. It is refreshing and real, and I am always drawn into, and invested in, her characters and their stories. Pieta and Davis were a gorgeous pair. From a very fraught and unpleasant reconnection, to starting afresh, to friends and more, their journey was bumpy, heartfelt and beautiful and I enjoyed every moment of it.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lauren Meuer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this Christmas novella, it is just the right length to get you in the mood for the holidays. I also felt through the writing just very connected with the characters and loved the setting! I highly recommend!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[TELA666 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pieta & Davis
I loved seeing a different side to a musician book than the standard set up. It did take me a while to warm up to Pieta as she did do Davis dirty when she left. I love the interconnections between the series and seeing different views of things that happen.

[Mari Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG this reminds me of why I love reading about musicians! We need more romances like this!