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Sultry Southern Nights #1
Playing With Fire
Romeo Marshall is over six feet of cool, smooth, hot, southern seductiveness--just like the music at his popular Raleigh club, The Playground Jazz and Blues Bar. With his beloved mother gone and no father he's ever known, the business is Romeo's everything. It's a place where anything can happen--and the evening one gorgeous young woman and one intriguing old musician walk into the bar--and into Romeo's life--it does.
There's something about high-powered, down-to-the earth Taryn Williams that captures Romeo's attention like no other woman has. Yet unanswered questions from his past seem to hold him back from real commitment. For Romeo to move forward in love, he'll have to learn some devastating truths--and James "Piano Man" Burdett is there to teach him. And with Taryn's help, Romeo just may accept that like music, life sometimes needs to be improvised. . .
There's something about high-powered, down-to-the earth Taryn Williams that captures Romeo's attention like no other woman has. Yet unanswered questions from his past seem to hold him back from real commitment. For Romeo to move forward in love, he'll have to learn some devastating truths--and James "Piano Man" Burdett is there to teach him. And with Taryn's help, Romeo just may accept that like music, life sometimes needs to be improvised. . .
321 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 24, 2015
22 people are currently reading
107 people want to read
About the author
Deborah Fletcher Mello
130 books202 followersFor Deborah Fletcher Mello, writing is as necessary as breathing and she firmly believes that if she could not write she would cease to exist. Her first novel, TAKE ME TO HEART, earned her a 2004 Romance Slam Jam nomination for Best New Author. In 2005 she received Book of the Year and Favorite Heroine nominations for her novel THE RIGHT SIDE OF LOVE. In 2008, Deborah won the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice award for Best Series Romance for her ninth novel, TAME A WILD STALLION.
A true renaissance woman, Deborah's many career paths have included working as a retail buyer and size model for a national women's clothing chain, a finance manager for a well-known beverage organization, a sales manager for an infamous candy company, a telecommunications administrator and corporate trainer for a hotel-owning company, an art gallery director for a world-renowned artist, and an administrative consultant for multiple organizations throughout the United States. Deborah is also a licensed real estate broker and general building contractor.
Born and raised in Connecticut, Deborah maintains base camp in North Carolina but considers home to be wherever the moment moves her.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
February 16, 2015
Full review: 3.5 stars by www.romanceandsmut.com
Playing With Fire is a strange sort of romance novel. I say that because it’s definitely a story that straddles a few genres. Since there is romance running through it’s entirety and since Deborah Fletcher Mello is an already recognized writer of romance books, this novel somehow was designated as a romance, though there is so much else that is interesting and enriching that is going on with this book.
Ms. Mello begins Playing With Fire in the same vein as any run of the mill romance novel - by introducing us to her hero. Romeo Marshall is a tall, college educated hottie running his own throwback Speakeasy-themed bar/lounge/nightclub. While Romeo has had a lot of female attention, as evidenced from the constant touching, kissing and outright propositioning he is exposed to nightly at his club, we also learn that he has never quite found the right woman to hold said attention. Enter Taryn Williams, friend of a past conquest who comes into the bar one night with her girlfriends. Through a series of not very unusual events, Taryn and Romeo eventually start dating and with wonderful results: they fall seriously and deeply in love.
Before you hit the third chapter, it starts to become evident that Ms. Mello aims to delve deeper into the broader themes of love and redemption than is expected of standard romances. Instead, the more dominant themes are ones of father-son love and connection and the underlying importance of an African-American man’s responsibilities to himself, his woman, his children, his community and his God. There is an abundant wealth of material here in backstory alone that Ms. Mello aims to touch on throughout the tale and present day effects of Romeo’s absentee father.
Piano Man has come back to see his son and be near to him without revealing his paternal relationship. He wanders into Romeo’s bar one day and takes up space in his life as the resident piano player. Piano Man wants to confirm what he has heard about his son and to see him in the flesh as there are some hints that his own days may be short. It is interesting that he never defends his behavior in leaving town (though he didn’t know Romeo’s mother was pregnant) and simply offers up his acceptance of himself as a musician who had a burning need to play (which meant he followed the music from town to town). It is, in fact, hard to be angry with an old man like Piano Man, and Mello knows this, using his age and physical frailties to soften our opposition to his choices and the damage they caused. Mello gives him such humanity that she helps us to stop our inner criticism of him and to listen and hear his reasoning and regrets.
This book tries to touch on many of the social issues and ills of contemporary African-Americans and the wider world in general; alcoholism, abuse, anger issues, absentee fathers etc. Most of the issues are given a fair balance through dialogue between the old and the young and those who have experienced it first hand. There is even a brief exploration of interracial relationships: why black women turn to white men and black men turn to white women. Again, although both sides of the argument are given, Romeo makes it very clear that he wants a strong, beautiful black woman like his mama, while his father says it doesn’t matter as long as the woman supports her man. This kind of armchair psychologizing is somewhat overreaching because such issues are a heavy load for any book to handle, let alone one romance book to bear.
The sex in the book is good, though not great, and the sexual build-up is about as pedantic as you can get as you see it coming from a mile away. What is good about the sex however, is that it is connective and it is used to bind the character’s hearts further together. The message of this book, although there is quite a lot of casual sex in the air, is that nothing is better than a strong man and a strong woman working together through life’s adversities and pleasures. In addition, there are a few beautifully written scenes between the Piano Man and Aleta, a contemporary of Romeo’s now deceased mother. As an older couple making love they are sweet, funny and well past their headboard knocking prime, but the tenderness and simplicity of how they communicate their love and pleasure in one another is divinely written by Ms. Mello, and is a definite highlight of this book. If you read the book for this section alone, it will be worthwhile.
This really is a story about an absentee father making his peace and the abandoned son finding his true self and facing his demons. By joining AA, submitting himself to outside help and the love of his good woman, Taryn (who is a pillar of strength and self-worth), Romeo does an about face from the bender he goes on when all truths are finally revealed. The many social issues will keep you engaged to the extent that the apparent lack of focus on the romance and smut between Romeo and Taryn can be excused. Perhaps this is part of the escapism sought by some in their reading material - that not only will their men be heavily muscled and hot in the bedroom, but that they can also take responsibility for their actions and do right by their women and children.
Playing With Fire will please lovers of Jazz, Soul, R&B and the Blues as both men are involved deeply with music. Songs and their artists are liberally sprinkled throughout the text. Music is used to unite, soothe, express sorrow, regret, love and the myriad of emotions we humans experience. Ms. Melo also has a gorgeous vocabulary used to describe the many delicious hues of skin we encounter in the story. Cocoa-kissed complexions and dark chocolate draped muscles make for enjoyable, moist and artistic reading. Bold statements like “She was a round, busty woman, warm and soft like freshly mixed biscuit dough ready for kneading.” will keep you chuckling, and hopefully distract from some of the campy North Carolina accents used (“I’se got something I wanna show you!”).
This book earns a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Check out more reviews and find books by topics, themes and tropes
Playing With Fire is a strange sort of romance novel. I say that because it’s definitely a story that straddles a few genres. Since there is romance running through it’s entirety and since Deborah Fletcher Mello is an already recognized writer of romance books, this novel somehow was designated as a romance, though there is so much else that is interesting and enriching that is going on with this book.
Ms. Mello begins Playing With Fire in the same vein as any run of the mill romance novel - by introducing us to her hero. Romeo Marshall is a tall, college educated hottie running his own throwback Speakeasy-themed bar/lounge/nightclub. While Romeo has had a lot of female attention, as evidenced from the constant touching, kissing and outright propositioning he is exposed to nightly at his club, we also learn that he has never quite found the right woman to hold said attention. Enter Taryn Williams, friend of a past conquest who comes into the bar one night with her girlfriends. Through a series of not very unusual events, Taryn and Romeo eventually start dating and with wonderful results: they fall seriously and deeply in love.
Before you hit the third chapter, it starts to become evident that Ms. Mello aims to delve deeper into the broader themes of love and redemption than is expected of standard romances. Instead, the more dominant themes are ones of father-son love and connection and the underlying importance of an African-American man’s responsibilities to himself, his woman, his children, his community and his God. There is an abundant wealth of material here in backstory alone that Ms. Mello aims to touch on throughout the tale and present day effects of Romeo’s absentee father.
Piano Man has come back to see his son and be near to him without revealing his paternal relationship. He wanders into Romeo’s bar one day and takes up space in his life as the resident piano player. Piano Man wants to confirm what he has heard about his son and to see him in the flesh as there are some hints that his own days may be short. It is interesting that he never defends his behavior in leaving town (though he didn’t know Romeo’s mother was pregnant) and simply offers up his acceptance of himself as a musician who had a burning need to play (which meant he followed the music from town to town). It is, in fact, hard to be angry with an old man like Piano Man, and Mello knows this, using his age and physical frailties to soften our opposition to his choices and the damage they caused. Mello gives him such humanity that she helps us to stop our inner criticism of him and to listen and hear his reasoning and regrets.
This book tries to touch on many of the social issues and ills of contemporary African-Americans and the wider world in general; alcoholism, abuse, anger issues, absentee fathers etc. Most of the issues are given a fair balance through dialogue between the old and the young and those who have experienced it first hand. There is even a brief exploration of interracial relationships: why black women turn to white men and black men turn to white women. Again, although both sides of the argument are given, Romeo makes it very clear that he wants a strong, beautiful black woman like his mama, while his father says it doesn’t matter as long as the woman supports her man. This kind of armchair psychologizing is somewhat overreaching because such issues are a heavy load for any book to handle, let alone one romance book to bear.
The sex in the book is good, though not great, and the sexual build-up is about as pedantic as you can get as you see it coming from a mile away. What is good about the sex however, is that it is connective and it is used to bind the character’s hearts further together. The message of this book, although there is quite a lot of casual sex in the air, is that nothing is better than a strong man and a strong woman working together through life’s adversities and pleasures. In addition, there are a few beautifully written scenes between the Piano Man and Aleta, a contemporary of Romeo’s now deceased mother. As an older couple making love they are sweet, funny and well past their headboard knocking prime, but the tenderness and simplicity of how they communicate their love and pleasure in one another is divinely written by Ms. Mello, and is a definite highlight of this book. If you read the book for this section alone, it will be worthwhile.
This really is a story about an absentee father making his peace and the abandoned son finding his true self and facing his demons. By joining AA, submitting himself to outside help and the love of his good woman, Taryn (who is a pillar of strength and self-worth), Romeo does an about face from the bender he goes on when all truths are finally revealed. The many social issues will keep you engaged to the extent that the apparent lack of focus on the romance and smut between Romeo and Taryn can be excused. Perhaps this is part of the escapism sought by some in their reading material - that not only will their men be heavily muscled and hot in the bedroom, but that they can also take responsibility for their actions and do right by their women and children.
Playing With Fire will please lovers of Jazz, Soul, R&B and the Blues as both men are involved deeply with music. Songs and their artists are liberally sprinkled throughout the text. Music is used to unite, soothe, express sorrow, regret, love and the myriad of emotions we humans experience. Ms. Melo also has a gorgeous vocabulary used to describe the many delicious hues of skin we encounter in the story. Cocoa-kissed complexions and dark chocolate draped muscles make for enjoyable, moist and artistic reading. Bold statements like “She was a round, busty woman, warm and soft like freshly mixed biscuit dough ready for kneading.” will keep you chuckling, and hopefully distract from some of the campy North Carolina accents used (“I’se got something I wanna show you!”).
This book earns a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Check out more reviews and find books by topics, themes and tropes
July 26, 2019
**Copy Provided by Netgalley and Kensington Books for an honest review**
I wanted to like this book more than i did, however i don't know if it is just being English, but i really struggled with the speech from the South. It just sounded weird when reading it and i ended up speed reading the book. I also have no idea where the title matches up with the book.
I liked the story line, however the big reveal was something that i had already guessed, and Romeo seemed like a very likeable character.
There were too many points of view trying to round out the story, it would have been better in my opinion if it had been just two points of view max.
It was an ok read, it just did nothing for me until the end where we got more action and even then the timeline suddenly sped up.
I wanted to like this book more than i did, however i don't know if it is just being English, but i really struggled with the speech from the South. It just sounded weird when reading it and i ended up speed reading the book. I also have no idea where the title matches up with the book.
I liked the story line, however the big reveal was something that i had already guessed, and Romeo seemed like a very likeable character.
There were too many points of view trying to round out the story, it would have been better in my opinion if it had been just two points of view max.
It was an ok read, it just did nothing for me until the end where we got more action and even then the timeline suddenly sped up.
July 18, 2018
The big reveal may have been too easy to discover, but the story was endearing enough so that nothing was ruined. Parts of this story really WRECKED me, but that's a good thing.
January 31, 2015
Title: Playing With Fire
Author: Deborah Fletcher Mello
Publisher: Dafina
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: 5
Review
"Playing With Fire" by Deborah Fletcher Mello
Book Description....
"Romeo Marshall is over six feet of cool, smooth, hot, southern seductiveness--just like the music at his popular Raleigh club, The Playground Jazz and Blues Bar. With his beloved mother gone and no father he's ever known, the business is Romeo's everything. It's a place where anything can happen--and the evening one gorgeous young woman and one intriguing old musician walk into the bar--and into Romeo's life--it does.
There's something about high-powered, down-to-the earth Taryn Williams that captures Romeo's attention like no other woman has. Yet unanswered questions from his past seem to hold him back from real commitment. For Romeo to move forward in love, he'll have to learn some devastating truths--and James "Piano Man" Burdett is there to teach him. And with Taryn's help, Romeo just may accept that like music, life sometimes needs to be improvised. . ."
What I liked about this novel...
"Playing With Fire" was one very interesting story featuring Romeo Marshall who had it all, but really did he? Romeo had grown up not knowing his father. What will come of Romeo when he meets 'Piano Man' and finds the secret that had been held from him by his mother? What changes did this cause in his life? Will the love of Romeo, Taryn be able to help him through this tough time or will it be his friend Malcolm that will be able to help guide him back on the straight and narrow path? To get the answers to these questions and so much more you will have to pick up "Playing With Fire" to see how well this author brings it all out to the reader. I found this story to be a very interesting and a captivating read as this author is able to give the reader a well written story of what true love and forgiveness really is. The characters are all simply off the chart good, well developed, defined, well portrayed and believable all helping to give us a well rounded story that will grab your attention and keep up till the end. Would I recommend? YES!
Author: Deborah Fletcher Mello
Publisher: Dafina
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: 5
Review
"Playing With Fire" by Deborah Fletcher Mello
Book Description....
"Romeo Marshall is over six feet of cool, smooth, hot, southern seductiveness--just like the music at his popular Raleigh club, The Playground Jazz and Blues Bar. With his beloved mother gone and no father he's ever known, the business is Romeo's everything. It's a place where anything can happen--and the evening one gorgeous young woman and one intriguing old musician walk into the bar--and into Romeo's life--it does.
There's something about high-powered, down-to-the earth Taryn Williams that captures Romeo's attention like no other woman has. Yet unanswered questions from his past seem to hold him back from real commitment. For Romeo to move forward in love, he'll have to learn some devastating truths--and James "Piano Man" Burdett is there to teach him. And with Taryn's help, Romeo just may accept that like music, life sometimes needs to be improvised. . ."
What I liked about this novel...
"Playing With Fire" was one very interesting story featuring Romeo Marshall who had it all, but really did he? Romeo had grown up not knowing his father. What will come of Romeo when he meets 'Piano Man' and finds the secret that had been held from him by his mother? What changes did this cause in his life? Will the love of Romeo, Taryn be able to help him through this tough time or will it be his friend Malcolm that will be able to help guide him back on the straight and narrow path? To get the answers to these questions and so much more you will have to pick up "Playing With Fire" to see how well this author brings it all out to the reader. I found this story to be a very interesting and a captivating read as this author is able to give the reader a well written story of what true love and forgiveness really is. The characters are all simply off the chart good, well developed, defined, well portrayed and believable all helping to give us a well rounded story that will grab your attention and keep up till the end. Would I recommend? YES!
January 27, 2015
First, I want to start off by saying that I love this cover. If I hadn't read from this author before, I would have automatically picked this book up, based on the cover alone. But I have read from this author, and I know I can always count on Deborah Fletcher Mello to provide readers will a great story, where her characters have heart and soul.
I loved Romeo and Taryn together and just like any couple, these two went through some struggles. Everyone isn't perfect and some people have a battle within themselves that they must fight. I was rooting for Romeo and Taryn throughout the book and really thought the ending was perfect.
If you're looking for a well-written book, which includes characters with real emotions and a gripping story line, then look no further because Playing With Fire is a must read!
I loved Romeo and Taryn together and just like any couple, these two went through some struggles. Everyone isn't perfect and some people have a battle within themselves that they must fight. I was rooting for Romeo and Taryn throughout the book and really thought the ending was perfect.
If you're looking for a well-written book, which includes characters with real emotions and a gripping story line, then look no further because Playing With Fire is a must read!
September 5, 2015
copy courtesy of Netgalley
Stand alone with HEA
Clean romance
I was on the fence about this book. There were things I really liked about it. I enjoyed the musical history and the characters like Piano Man and Odeta. The old guys in the bar(Jenkins and crew) were fun. some of the characters reminded me of some people I know. I didn't really connect with the romance between Romeo and Taryn. The story didn't really flow for me.There were a couple of things going on that made the romance secondary. It was an ok read for me.
Stand alone with HEA
Clean romance
I was on the fence about this book. There were things I really liked about it. I enjoyed the musical history and the characters like Piano Man and Odeta. The old guys in the bar(Jenkins and crew) were fun. some of the characters reminded me of some people I know. I didn't really connect with the romance between Romeo and Taryn. The story didn't really flow for me.There were a couple of things going on that made the romance secondary. It was an ok read for me.
April 13, 2015
Searching for answers to his pass Romeo never expected to meet someone like Taryn. Taryn is everything he has ever looked for. But is he worthy of her. This story is a sultry and complex read. It draws you in and keeps you intrigued. Received an ARC of Playing with Fire by Deborah Fletcher Mello for my honest viewpoint.
February 16, 2015
"It's not easy. I live one day at a time. But love can be powerful motivator for change. I stopped drinking because not only do I love my wan and the future I know we can have together, but I also love myself as well."
Full review to be posted during the week of release.
Full review to be posted during the week of release.
October 17, 2015
Smooth, mellow, grown folks love, like Hennessy Pure White.
November 16, 2015
My first read by this author and I Loved it.. A real love story all around.
September 27, 2021
Love is a Powerful Emotion
This story had all the bells and whistles about love, trust, friendship, family, secrets. It was emotional and heartfelt. Romeo and Ty worked through issues that impacted their relationship and how it affected everyone close to them. Looking forward to Malcolm’s book to see how everyone is doing.
This story had all the bells and whistles about love, trust, friendship, family, secrets. It was emotional and heartfelt. Romeo and Ty worked through issues that impacted their relationship and how it affected everyone close to them. Looking forward to Malcolm’s book to see how everyone is doing.
gave-up
March 19, 2022Ugh this makes me sad. I really tried, got halfway through, but this is not for me. All of the romance happens off page - one almost first date and suddenly they’re together and madly in love? And what we do so is soooo slow. But I can’t force myself through another book. On to the next.
June 2, 2017
Not a romance novel. This story was more Romeo and his father. Sad the way they finally met. A very good ending. Nonetheless, a very enjoyable read.
June 30, 2017
Good book
A good read, cannot wait to start book 2
Nothing else to say about the book except that
I enjoyed it.
A good read, cannot wait to start book 2
Nothing else to say about the book except that
I enjoyed it.
Read
April 17, 2015February 22, 2015 By Deborah A. Fortner
CONCEPT
The concept of this story was man finding out the truth about his past while trying to build a relationship with the woman who captures his heart.
STORY
Romeo Marshall is the owner of the Playground Jazz and Blues Bar. One night a stranger walks in and Romeo discovers the stranger is a musician and gives him a job playing the piano at the bar. Unbeknownst to Romeo, the musician is very familiar with Romeo and his past. Taryn Williams is the woman holding Romeo’s attention and he wants to pursue a relationship with her. This couple embark on a journey to discovery and could either destroy Romeo or make him a better man.
CHARACTERS
In reading this story it was a challenge to understand the characters in the book. Romeo came across as a well put together guy who could have any woman but he had issues, that I don’t feel were clearly stated in the book. Readers will find that Romeo apparently has a drinking problem that is triggered when he uncovers the identity of James Burdett (piano man). The story really does not focus on Romeo and Taryn’s relationship but the relationship of James and Romeo’s mother and best friend. Romeo and Taryn’s relationship took a turn after Romeo finds out the truth. However, readers will get a brief summary on Romeo’s recovery and determination to make his relationship with Taryn work.
DIALOGUE
The dialogue was fine however there was not a smooth transition to the next scenes that may leave the reader confused with the flow of the story.
STRUCTURE
The structure of this story was not as smooth as other storylines from Ms. Fletcher. The story focused more on Piano Man, with his memories and regrets. The story really did not delve deeply into Taryn and Romeo’s budding relationship as that Romeo needed to learn of his past. There were areas in the story that were not clearly stated and could leave readers confused on the focus.
OVERALL
I struggled to finish Playing with Fire as that there were passages where it was not a smooth transition to the next scene. The author stated Romeo had a drinking problem but it was never really clearly identified, in other words no scene was solely devoted to a drinking binge. I did not see where this story focused on Romeo and Taryn but did shed light on James (Piano Man) Burdett’s relationship with Romeo’s mom. I felt it took too long for Romeo to discover the truth and the spiral turn he took could have been more clearly developed. I generally love Ms. Fletcher-Mello’s books and just was not excited with this one. Overall, Playing with Fire was an okay read.
CONCEPT
The concept of this story was man finding out the truth about his past while trying to build a relationship with the woman who captures his heart.
STORY
Romeo Marshall is the owner of the Playground Jazz and Blues Bar. One night a stranger walks in and Romeo discovers the stranger is a musician and gives him a job playing the piano at the bar. Unbeknownst to Romeo, the musician is very familiar with Romeo and his past. Taryn Williams is the woman holding Romeo’s attention and he wants to pursue a relationship with her. This couple embark on a journey to discovery and could either destroy Romeo or make him a better man.
CHARACTERS
In reading this story it was a challenge to understand the characters in the book. Romeo came across as a well put together guy who could have any woman but he had issues, that I don’t feel were clearly stated in the book. Readers will find that Romeo apparently has a drinking problem that is triggered when he uncovers the identity of James Burdett (piano man). The story really does not focus on Romeo and Taryn’s relationship but the relationship of James and Romeo’s mother and best friend. Romeo and Taryn’s relationship took a turn after Romeo finds out the truth. However, readers will get a brief summary on Romeo’s recovery and determination to make his relationship with Taryn work.
DIALOGUE
The dialogue was fine however there was not a smooth transition to the next scenes that may leave the reader confused with the flow of the story.
STRUCTURE
The structure of this story was not as smooth as other storylines from Ms. Fletcher. The story focused more on Piano Man, with his memories and regrets. The story really did not delve deeply into Taryn and Romeo’s budding relationship as that Romeo needed to learn of his past. There were areas in the story that were not clearly stated and could leave readers confused on the focus.
OVERALL
I struggled to finish Playing with Fire as that there were passages where it was not a smooth transition to the next scene. The author stated Romeo had a drinking problem but it was never really clearly identified, in other words no scene was solely devoted to a drinking binge. I did not see where this story focused on Romeo and Taryn but did shed light on James (Piano Man) Burdett’s relationship with Romeo’s mom. I felt it took too long for Romeo to discover the truth and the spiral turn he took could have been more clearly developed. I generally love Ms. Fletcher-Mello’s books and just was not excited with this one. Overall, Playing with Fire was an okay read.
April 3, 2016
Good read
I like this book a lot, but not as much as I liked the second book in the series. I loved the relationship between Romeo and his girlfriend, Taryn. The book did an excellent job chronicling Romeo's struggles with not having a father in his life and his struggles with alcoholism. I also loved the subplot that featured Piano Man.
The only reason I did not give the book 5 stars is that as much as I liked the way the book explored Romeo's struggles with dealing with his absent father, there could have been a little less focus on that and a little more focus on the romance between Taryn and Romeo. Also, Romeo was supposed to be a dog that reformed his dogish ways with the love of a good woman: we never got to see his transformation!
Also, there were serious problems with the editing. The book would switch between characters or time periods without changing chapters or at least skipping a few lines or having some section separators so you would know there was a change in the time frame or between characters. The transitions were very abrupt and at times hard to follow. Other than that, great book.
I like this book a lot, but not as much as I liked the second book in the series. I loved the relationship between Romeo and his girlfriend, Taryn. The book did an excellent job chronicling Romeo's struggles with not having a father in his life and his struggles with alcoholism. I also loved the subplot that featured Piano Man.
The only reason I did not give the book 5 stars is that as much as I liked the way the book explored Romeo's struggles with dealing with his absent father, there could have been a little less focus on that and a little more focus on the romance between Taryn and Romeo. Also, Romeo was supposed to be a dog that reformed his dogish ways with the love of a good woman: we never got to see his transformation!
Also, there were serious problems with the editing. The book would switch between characters or time periods without changing chapters or at least skipping a few lines or having some section separators so you would know there was a change in the time frame or between characters. The transitions were very abrupt and at times hard to follow. Other than that, great book.
January 8, 2016
There was such promise in the premise of this story. Girl meets guy; they flip each other's well constructed worlds completely off balance, and a secret is revealed that can either tear them apart, or bring them closer together. Seems like good read, or at the very least, a nice distraction. But....to me this wasn't a "romance" or even a novel about a relationship. I think think that's why I walked away a bit dissapointed. It was a story about a son, his fractured relationship with his long lost father, and how it's affecting his life. That would have been fine, but I just wasn't as engaged as the other readers were. I learned practically nothing about the heroine and spent too much time in the father's world. I appreciate the writer giving us a more sophisticated story about relationships, but at the end of the day, I just wanted a love story. :)
June 11, 2016
That Romeo Marshall has a story to tell and demons to wrestle with. I love how this storyline eased the biological father of Romeo into the storyline and eased him in to admitting who he was on his terms. Watching Romeo deal with his demons takes a strong woman. Taryn is just the one not only to catch his eyes but win his heart. That Odetta from another storyline is a woman after my own heart. Aleta could be everyone's best friend. Malcom is the number one sponsor and best friend of the villiage. Loved, loved this story line. It was a long story to get the message across but it was so worth it.
January 28, 2018
Wow! Soul-stirring story! Love the heart and soul of this reminder of the devastating effects when a man forsakes his family for his dream/career. My heart broke for Romeo. Although he has a successful business and loving-supportive friends, he would have given anything to know and have his father in his life. Nevertheless, James Burdett didn't escape unscathed either. He paid a heavy price as well.
March 28, 2015
Not bad
This really was a good book once I got into it. I truly enjoyed Romeo and Taryn's story. It sad that Romeo's mom kept his father's love a secret for so long. But as always, love prevailed. Looking forward to the next book in this series.
This really was a good book once I got into it. I truly enjoyed Romeo and Taryn's story. It sad that Romeo's mom kept his father's love a secret for so long. But as always, love prevailed. Looking forward to the next book in this series.
June 23, 2015
I love the fact that the strength of the love you have with your soulmate can help you deal with any obstacles thrown your way. It shows that forgiveness and second chances are also possible, you just have to be open to all the universe has in store for you and your life.
July 8, 2015
This book is more than a romance between Romeo Marshall and Taryn Williams. Most of the action takes place at The Playground Jazz & Blues Bar, owned by Romeo. It's about life choices and how they impact others lives.
It csn drsg in some parts, but it's a good book.
It csn drsg in some parts, but it's a good book.
October 29, 2015
This was a great story that had me at go. Romeo and Taryn had a relationship that was filed with realistic ups and downs. I loved that one could relate to them. Also Romeo and Piano Man was touching and I cried when the truth was revealed. This is another great book by a great author.
October 30, 2015
A Well written story with real characters who have to learn to forgive in order to move their lives to the next level. Romero Marshall was a man with child hood dreams because of his experience as a child. Enter Piano man into his life at the right time. Their struggles were real.
November 18, 2015
A very good novel. Loved the secrets that were revealed. Glad Piano Man and Romeo connected and Romeo and Taryn found happiness.
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