SOLO, a new standalone from New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author, Deborah BladonLibby Duncan is on the cusp of having her dream come true. She has landed a role in a Broadway musical and all of the hard work, dedication and devotion to her craft are finally paying off. It's not the starring role she's hoped for, but she knows that it's a step in the right direction and if she can keep her focus where it needs to be, she'll finally get the solo she deserves. If that happens, the entire path of her career will change and her remarkable talent will finally be noticed. Everything is on track until Libby's path crosses with Alec Hughes. He's the investor backing the musical. He holds all the cards to Libby's career in his hand and he wants only one thing to help her get her moment in the spotlight. He wants her. As they grow closer, Libby is forced to choose between standing out from the crowd and following her heart. She wants Alec, but his past is dictating their future. On opening night, everything changes. Libby's world is shattered and Alec must make a choice. Does he lay himself bare and show Libby who he truly is or does he walk away so she can pursue the life she's always wanted?
Deborah Bladon had never read a romance hero she didn't like. Her love for romance novels began when she was old enough to board the bus, library card in hand to check out the newest Harlequin paperbacks. She was a Canadian by heart, and by passport, but you could often spot her in New York City sipping a latte and looking for inspiration for her next story. Manhattan was definitely her second home.
She cherished her family and believed that each day was a gift for writing, for reading, and for loving.
You can't expect character development or a realistic romance build-up or even a proper plot-line out of a 163 pages long standalone.
I should have known better.
Alec Hughes is a very successful and filthy rich businessman that likes investing in Broadway musicals and, well, occasionally sleeping with a selected actress from them till the opening nights. He is a very bold jerk and a man-whore with no shame at all.
Libby Duncan is a bright young actress trying to build herself a career in Broadway all while working a second job to afford living in NY without the help of her parents. She is an innocent and sweet soul.
When Alec first sees Libby in the elevator that will take them to the auditions for his play, he knows who his new target will be this time. But Libby is reluctant to be the plaything of this condescending and arrogant asshole.
Seeing that this one will be a challenge for him, Alec offers to boost up Libby's career in exchange for "spending time" with him.
But Libby is having none of that! Even if she feels all tingly and sh*t around Alec, she has dignity and pride. She doesn't need or want this man and he is definitely bad news. Right?
Alec was perfect at first, he was brutally honest and the epitome of self-confidence. Then all of a sudden...HE WAS LAME!
I seriously didn't see what was so special about Libby that made Alec fall in love with her. And also SO FREAKIN' FAST at that!
I hate to say this, but this may be one of the most superficial romantic stories I've ever read.
I am currently liking the Ruin series, and I thought Deborah Bladon was back at her glory days, but apparently I was wrong. Something is still missing in her books and I can only hope that she shrugs off whatever is still weighing on her. Because I love her and her work so much, it bothers me to be giving 3 stars to almost all of her recent books.
P.S: I love how we always see characters from previous series in her books! I've missed Jax/Ivy and Hunter/Sadie, it was nice seeing them again :)
And now I understand why I'm not with a billionaire. My worst half wooed me with a couple of cider and blacks (it was 1990) and an all expenses paid day trip to Alton Towers. Had he attempted to woo me by asking - first time we met - if I'd ever fucked a co worker before attempting to grind his hard wood into my belly then things would have turned out very differently for him. Trust me on that. Call me fussy if you like, but that's how I roll.
So yeah, I need to feel wooed when I read, but this guy...nope. Prize tit. He was a dirty talker I grant you, but on its own minus the romance bit it's just a bit, well sleazy.
It was a relatively short read so I pushed through in the hope it improved and it did get better towards the end. I can't help but think it would've been a better read for me if there was more build up and if the characters spent more time together when one of them wasn't naked or on their knees or both. The epilogue hinted at a few things that would've been interesting to read about, but just skimmed over.
Standalone, complete story with lots of smut and dirty talk but not really my thing, sadly. Ah well.
This was a short book with little character building....The moment he meets her in an elevator he asks her if "she's fucking anyone in the play" then rubs his erection against her.....I'm Screaming Sexual Harassment. At least until after you say "Hello, What's your Name?"
The first 30% plus he's all "I want to fuck you" and she's all "No, I wont be that girl".....Well guess what??? She becomes that girl. The story actually gets good at about 80% then Bam, its over with an Epilogue and everything. I think this book had potential but it just wasn't for me.
This was a nice read! I liked the hero a lot, most of the times I liked the heroine too, but other times I couldn't understand her stupid questions: like what was he going to give her in exchange of sex, she was so insistent about that, that I thought she was REALLY interested in what he was able to offer but after all that insistence, she felt offended when she finally got the answer she was looking for...that confused me! Because if you're not interested in the 'reward' (that she rejected but than she wanted) and just want to have sex for pleasure, why insisting for so long on that??? Also I found stupid her asking what did he gave in exchange of sex to all the women he has had sex with...Question totally out of place! The story plot was nice. I didn't like all the sugar of the chap 41...but the epilog was Ok.
This could easily be a DNF after the first chapter and here's why: boy meets girl in an elevator, boy immediately asks girl if she's "fucking anyone" in the chorus of her musical (this is how he says "hello"), he then presses against her until she can feel his erection, tells her he's an investor in her show, setting it up perfectly so that he can proposition her for sex in exchange for goods and services. Charming. Later, we learn that he also took photos of her before she got in the elevator, and he looks over these, commenting on her perfect body. I mean, his mother raised him right.
I'm sure you're now wondering if this is a book about a creepy stalker who accosts and sexually harasses women and goes to jail. Nope! Of course not. Because he's hot. If this were a schlubby older guy in need of a shower, all of these actions would put him behind bars. But he's hot, so the heroine finds herself irresistibly attracted to the man who asked her about her sex life in front of her colleagues before shoving his hard-on into her stomach.
This book made me really angry. I finished it because I'm an idiot and I was bored and it was a quick read. Spoiler alert (except not really if you've ever read a book before):
I'm beginning to see what people were saying about the New Adult Genre. It is most certainly a minefield and navigating the mass numbers of the books and finding the great ones is NOT an easy task...And Solo is most certainly a mine.
This was 141 pages so I don't even know if I want to consider it a "novel." More like a short story. A short porn story.
Solo follows Libby Duncan who is the daughter of a business mogul who has decided to follow her dreams and make her own way in NYC on Broadway. Then there's Alec who is also a business mogul who invests in Broadway plays and makes a game of selecting a girl from each show and making them his little play thing. And with this investment he has his eyes set on Libby.
First off, Alec is a dick and I was put off by him from the very beginning. There's a difference between a man being confident and letting a female know he's interested in her...and a cocky asshole who thinks every women he lays eyes on is just supposed to fall to their knees and satisfy him. Alec is the latter.
The first time he meets Libby, is in an elevator and he's all up in her space, rubbing up on her in front of people and I'm just like, "who is this guy! and what is his problem?" It wasn't sexy and it most certainly didn't endear him to me in any way. He automatically assumes that she's just going to bend to his will and do whatever he wants her to do. He automatically assumes that because he's essentially her boss, that she's going to be his little play thing and in exchange he's going to grant her favors. As if their interactions with one another is a business transaction and the payment on her side is her body. It was all just really disgusting, and when he actually had the nerve to be appalled and shocked that she didn't do as he wanted her to, I was disgusted even further. I'm sorry but that kind of man isn't attractive to me.
Libby for the most part has a pretty good head on her shoulders and doesn't want to get involved with him because he's her boss, but she is attracted to him...why? I have no clue, and she wants to find a way to make something work between them.
This is a really short story so I wasn't expecting that much character development and story building but it wasn't too bad. I was actually able to follow what was going on pretty well and I wasn't completely disinterested in what was going on between the characters.
The author did try to give the story a little depth by adding a little bit of mystery to Alec. He has a secret and a traumatic past. But again...141 pages isn't really enough to impact the reader. Especially when most of the pages are filled with Alec being a pig and Libby debating whether or not she should give in. When I did find out, along with Libby, what his secret was...I wasn't that sympathetic because I barely cared about Alec.
By the end of the story I was no longer disgusted by him because Deborah did make him stop saying and doing chauvinistic things, but I wouldn't go as far as to say I liked him.
This little story was just "OK" for me. I honestly can't even tell you what made me buy it, and had I known it was only 141 pages before hand, I most certainly wouldn't have bought it.
Hooray for another favorite book by Deborah Bladon! I'm very grateful I received a copy of this story from the author for an honest review. I'm also very grateful this was a full book and not broken up into separate novellas for a series. Since I've loved everything this woman writes, that would have driven me crazy waiting every few weeks for the next installment. Plus, I've grown very weary and VERY tired of almost every author going to this style, so I'm relieved for the change!
The author can write an alpha hero like nobody's business. This one was no exception and since we saw him at the end of the Vain series (book 3?), Alec Hughes was an extra special does of assholyness. Due to that, it made it extra special and created a connection for me to see his walls broken down, humbled, and become human. I think Libby might be one of my favorite heroines by the author. She was simple, gracious, lots of heart and vulnerability, but never weak and a pushover.
At first I felt like my only complaint was how the ending seemed to sneak up on me or felt abrupt. We were suddenly at the end. It almost felt like we missed a chapter of a little more after we reached the climax with Alec's mystery and the direction Libby's career was taking her. As much as I would have liked to see a little more after they resolved their issues, I also can't see dragging that out with any more conflict or where it could have gone. I think I just wanted more of them and seeing them happy together. Selfish, but the more I thought about it I think it came to a very satisfying end.
I may be in the minority on this, but I also liked that it intertwined with some of her past books and followed the same "outline." Guy is a major jerk, girl can't resist him, guy is broken down and gets in touch with his feelings, something is completely misunderstood, and then they live HEA. I'm a sucker for this and the author does it so well and varies the characters and angst that it makes it well worth the journey. I came a little late to Ms. Bladon's writings and have never come back around to read Jax/Ivy and Hunter's stories. One of them seems to always be featured in some way in these books (both in this book). In no way do you need to read those stories to better understand this one or even the others. This is definitely a standalone (and told by alternating points of view - yea!). It just makes me excited to go back and read those books!
I highly recommend this story as I also recommend all of her books!
Wow. Deborah Bladon has done it AGAIN. I don't know how she does this, but I always fall in love with her characters. Not only the male ones-duh- but her heroines as well. I mean, she always creates female characters that I can relate to, that I can sympathise with. Libby is no exeption. I absolutely love her dedication to her craft. She has an amazing moral compass and even though she is passionately drawn to our male lead-Alec- she doesn't alter course. I love that she is making her own way, not relying on anyone's help and I just love her big heart.
Alec Hughes...Well, all I can say is... SWOON. I've had a lot moments like this one...
At first he may come out as cocky, arrogant and a real womanizer, but later on...Well, without giving away any spoilers, I can say that he too has a big heart. I love him and he might be one of my favorite book boyfriends. The book had a lot of emotional moments,quite a few hot ones, but it also had a lot laugh out-loud ones too. Overall, SOLO is one hell of a ride and I believe one of Mrs. Bladon's best work. The writing is flawless like always and the storyline quite refreshing.
4.5 stars. This one was a surprise. I didn't know much about "Solo" but it certainly turned out to be a great book. The first half and second half are almost two different books. First half is witty and entertaining as the big bad Broadway producer stalks his latest lovely, innocent chorus girl. In the second half real life intercedes as the two struggle, her with a career and him with a secret life. A great book and I definitely want to read more by Ms. Bladon.
I must admit that i didn' t know haw much stars to give,i liked but not loved,it was good but in the same time not great...etc.
It start really good and i was thinking maybe this will be winner for me but then Libby start to be annyoing heroine and the the first 70 pages was about "i want you but in same time don't want you "
Alec is 30 years successful and rich businessman.he is man whore ,he see women he likes,seduce them, and then left them,occesianly he invest in Brodways musicals Alec see Libby and imadiatly flirt with her,he want her so he make she to get role in musical(he is investor so his word is last).Maybe i'm wrong but in the beggining Alec have so many similars with Andrew from Reasonable Doubt series.Alec was good hero(i will liked him more if he was more alpha male).
Libby is 24 years old,heir to Duncan hotels but her passion is dance and acting so after fight with her parents she move in New york to pursue her dream.I wanted to like her and in the beginning i liked her but after half the book she start to irritated me(with her want you-don t want you).
Overall it nice read,not page turner,have same HOT and steamy scene between Alec and Libby and i think from all the book i liked the most the ending(epilogue was so sweet).It has same unrealistic things like but was OK for me.
I am absolutely in love with Alec. First off, I think I fell in love with his name before I fell in love with him. When first meeting Alec, he seems like the type that Libby should stay far away from. But in true Deborah Bladon form you can never stay away from the man you know will likely end up breaking your heart. The one thing I wish I wish there was more of in this book is a growth for Libby. I felt like we only scratched the surface with her and never got to the depth of her as a character. I would've liked to know how her passion for acting starting being that it's such a stark contrast from the hospitality management degree she holds. I also would've love to read about her relationship with her brother and mother. I felt like those were two characters that I was waiting to hear from during the entire book but never happened. On the other hand, I'm glad that we were able to see the growth of Alec. And his big secret that he revealed was well worth the wait. I wasn't expecting that to be the secret. It was really touching to see how Alec was at the end. The reason why he functioned the way he did before Libby is completely understandable once you get to the end of the book. I give Deborah five stars on her first ever full length novel. I can't wait for her to finish the Ruin series and start a new project.
80% of this book is all about Alec chasing after his latest sexual encounter. Chase them, have sex with them, drop them off at home and move on is his usual playbook. And it starts off that way too with Libby...he meets her on an elevator and the first thing out of his mouth is not "Hi!" but rather he asked her if she is having sex with anyone in the chorus of the company for the Broadway Musical he is financing and she is a part of.
I found the cover of this book not in sync with what was in my head and that bothered me....being a reader who really enjoyed covers who fuel the fantasy of the book in my head. I ended up skimmed through most of the book and they only mildly got interesting in the last part of the book where he started to really turn up the intensity. Sex was well described but there was not enough character development or angst to really get into it. It is really the short length of the novel/novella which hurts it but I was not all that into this.
3.5 Stars! I must say this was subtle for the types of books I've grown accustom to from Deborah. It is her first standalone novel and am glad she made that decision with this book as her known style are serials, however Alec and Libby's story didn't deserve to be drawn out. This was a quick, mellow read. It was lovely to catch up with characters from pervious books (Ivy, Jax, Hunter). I welcome more standalones from Deborah.
This is my favorite Deborah Bladon book so far! It grabbed me from the first sentence! I loved it because it was intense, a quick read, and of course so steamy! Deborah Bladon is one of the best when it comes to writing about characters with a filthy mouth. I laughed out loud at some of Alec's sayings and his thoughts. My heart broke when his past was finally revealed. I'm looking forward to the next story written by Deborah as she never disappoints.
This love story is of Alec and Libby. Libby meets Alec in an elevator on her way up to practice for broadway. Alex and his bold words made her wet and it was on since then. I liked this short love story. The storyline was unique, good sex scene, and the characters were good also. I think this was a good read.
Four amazing stars. I like this type of romance. Alec wanted Libby and he did whatever to make that happen. Libby was his shining star. She made him have a heart to love. Love how characters from other books tie into each other. This is a thumbs up ladies!
Wow soooooo amazing and beautiful!! Alec’s story broke my heart and then mended. I am so in awe of Deb’s ability to bring her characters to life and make me feel everything her characters do.
Alec & Libby are my new favorites they are amazing together and their relationship is #thegoal for all.
I just bought this book a couple hours ago. It was my second by D. Bladon. I enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed Risk. I just wish she wouldn't rush the ending.
Great Love Story! Simple and sweet! Great way to take your mind off everything. Love how the the books are tied together even though they are a stand-alone.
I bought Solo on a whim when it was 99 cents. And I have to say that I am glad I did because I have never read any other books written by Deborah Bladon.
Right off the bat, the very first page, I had to cringe when Alec approached Libby in the elevator. That was the first of many times. Guys just don't talk like that. I understand why he was so abrasive, rude, and had a huge ego (once I got towards the end of the book), but it still didn't make it okay. Alec is hilarious; I mean he is absolutely freaking hilarious with his thoughts and his relationship with his male assistant. I could have listened to the two of them all day. However, there was so much content that could have been added to this book to make it FANTASTIC! The relationship between Libby and Alec was so rushed, and I think we (the readers) could have benefited from knowing more about Libby's relationship with her family as well as Alec's relationship with his family and other relatives (don't want to spoil it here).
In my opinion, this is a great beach read because it requires zero thinking, and it's a quick read. On the bright side, I have a found a new author to read!
Deborah Bladon is without a doubt my favourite author. I love the world she's created and she's definitely one of the author's that have inspired me to write. This one is yet another example of what a great indie author can do with a lot of hard work and dedication. Solo was a tad on the short side but I can live with that when my senses and imagination was set alive with words and thoughts. Bladon, the Queen of Cliff Hangers and Twisting Plotlines and this book is further evidence to her awesomeness.
To say it was a tad short might be an understatement but as I said it wasn't the end of the world. Alec Hughes is a business man and an absolute slut. He likes to offer his patronage to Broadway musicals, seemingly just so he can sleep with the actresses of his choice. Libby is sweet and innocent and when they first meet, she catches his eye. Libby doesn't want to risk her dreams for a couple of nights with Alec though. So Alec offers a sweetener: "to help Libby's career in exchange for... Mistake...
I liked Alec. We'd met him briefly before in Vain. He was a jerk. As for Libby she was sweet and kind with tons of dignity and self respect. The book is quick paced and emotional.
I was totally turned off by Alec’s crude attempts to lure Libby into a sexual relationship because he’s the latest in a long line of male characters who treat women like a commodity they can wham, bam, and move on ma’am. This is my fifth read by this author and her male lead characters are all the same disgusting crude jerks who only want one thing. Libby is the first female protagonist I liked and admired because she knows her own worth and she won’t settle for less than she deserves. I loved watching Alec squirm because Libby refuses to have her reputation and her career ruined and he’s my favorite hero because of his awakening emotions and his tumultuous backstory. I did do my share of eye rolling and laughing at his outrageous behavior early in the book but in the end this is my favorite romance by this author so far.
I can honestly say that with each book I read of Deborah's I'm sucked in more and more!!
This book peaked my interest with the blurb and sucked me in with the first chapter. I fell in love with Libby, the woman with a little girls name. She's bound to take broadway by storm and she doesn't need complications.
Alec is one big complication wrapped up in a sexy bow. He's known for his conquests and what he does for their careers. Something shifts the moment he sees Libby, there's something different with what he feels. His past is there and now may collide with his future.
I loved how wrapped up in each character I got, wanting to know more and seeing how their lives go. I found myself making assumptions about both main characters that were off and I love a book that does that!
Good characters and plot but the chemistry between Libby and Alec was difficult for me to feel. I could see that there was something between them, but Alec initially pursued Libby like he would any girl he was trying to pick up. When his epiphany came, I had trouble seeing the transformation. Libby was very likable, definitely worthwhile pursuing, but it wasn't apparent how talented she was or could be in the performing arts so I wish there was more of that to observe. Alec was developing as a character but some of his progression to me seemed like large leaps rather than natural change until some of his vulnerabilities were exposed, and by then, the book was nearly over. Overall, it was entertaining but I think there were some major elements lacking.
I received this as an ARC I have to say that what I love the most about Deborah Bladon writing style is how all her books have previous characters from other books. In this one she brought the characters from Obsessed and Exposed. I completely feel in love with Libby and Alec's story from beginning to end. I was really captivated and could not put this book down. I have to say I finished the whole book in about 4 hours I just couldn't put it down. Would definitely recommend anyone else to read it.
I received an ARC for this book. I just wanted to say that I loved LOVED this book! Each book by Deborah Bladon gets better with each one released. I loved meeting Alec and Libby! I enjoyed not having a cliffhanger every 80-100 pages. I didnt expect the twist also known as the hidden secret. My other thing is that I would have loved to have had more to there ending in the epilogue. I hope we meet them again in Deborah's other stories. I will rate this book overall a 4.5 stars but will be marking it at 5 stars.