Hush Gets Loud

Summer of Hush

by R.L. Merrill

In the year 2018, a band of messy men hit the road on the last cross-country Warped Tour with the intention of making their mark and celebrating the end of an era with their fans. Metalcore darlings Hush had a tumultuous summer, but they came out of the experience stronger than ever with a bright future ahead. Their colleagues in Backdrop Silhouette, however, were not so lucky. Their tour ended three weeks early when the band fractured in Cincinnati, Ohio. Some of the musicians fell in love, some of them had their hearts broken, and secrets were revealed that changed everything. The novels Summer of Hush, Brains and Brawn, and You Can Do Magic detailed the events of that tour.

Seven years later, the men are in much better places in their lives, but some are still waiting for their happily ever afters.
-Krish and Silas escape for a weekend in Seattle full of metal, music history, and—if all goes according to plan—matrimony?
-Los visits LA for the band’s performance at a benefit show for the LA Fire victims, but his plans are derailed when a family visit lands him in the back of a police car… driven by a polyglot cop who seems to be unaffected by Los’s charms. Will Los make it to the venue on time… maybe with a plus one?
-Jordan travels to San Diego to help his parents settle his grandmother’s estate and gets a phone call he’s been waiting seven years to receive. Being patient with the only woman he’s ever loved may have finally paid off, and he’s so ready.
-Jake’s built a life with the man he loves in Nashville, but after all this time, he’s given up hope of being anything other than Burke’s “business partner.” When Burke invites Jake’s family for an un-Thanksgiving celebration, little does Jake know that Burke’s about to shake up his whole world.
-On New Year's Eve—or as the band has dubbed it, Hushmas Eve— the band and their closest friends share an evening full of revelations and bombshell announcements. When the clock strikes midnight, nothing will be the same for the band and their chosen family.

So, buckle up and get ready… Hush is about to get loud.
Includes the
Krish’s Metalliweekend
Los’s Long Day in LA
Jordan Barrett and the Witch’s Refrain
A Barrett-Dickens UnThanksgiving
A Merry Hushmas Eve

For readers 18+ due to hijinks, tomfoolery, and some good, good lovin.’

267 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 31, 2025

About the author

Whether she’s writing contemporary romance featuring quirky, queer, and relatable characters or diving deep into the supernatural to give readers a shiver, R.L. Merrill loves creating compelling stories that will stay with readers long after closing the book. Ro writes inclusive romance for the Happily Ever After collective, contributes paranormal hilarity to Robyn Peterman’s Magic and Mayhem Universe, and pens horror-inspired tales and music reviews for HorrorAddicts.net. A mom, wife, daughter, and former educator, you can find her rocking out in her Bronco with Great Dane pup Velma, being terrorized by feline twins Dracula and Frankenstein, or headbanging at a rock show near her home in the San Francisco Bay Area! Stay Tuned for more…

Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate to receive a beta copy of hush gets loud and guys I'm already having withdrawals from the Barrett family!
y'all it's a must read with heavy metal to boot and will get you in all the feels! ❤️💪

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happily Ever Hush

As the opening narrative says, this is a collection of stories set in the world of metal band Hush by author R.L. Merrill. You can read the collection without reading the previous books – but you’ll end up wanting to go back and read them. Even if you’ve read them before, like me!

Almost all of the main characters are members of the metal band, Hush (of Summer of Hush and Brains and Brawn), with a few others who interact with the band in some way (You Can Do Magic and You Can Save Me). Merrill carries us through events in the lives of individual band members in one autumn. One couple gets married, one band member finds his soul mate, and so on. My favorite is the wedding proposal in Winslow, Arizona, witnessed by millions of fans on a livestream!

I noticed that not all the band members have gotten their HEA yet; and, with the coming moves planned on Hushmas I’m guessing Merrill isn’t done with the guys yet. I hope. I can hardly wait. Now, excuse me while I go re-read You Can Do Magic….

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

[Deb Kel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This felt like a warm, celebratory return to the world of Hush and the people who’ve grown alongside the band. Set seven years on, the collection works as both a catch-up and a series of satisfying glimpses into where life has taken everyone, blending humour, romance and emotional pay-off in equal measure.

I really enjoyed how each story spotlighted different characters and relationship milestones, from long-awaited commitments to unexpected new beginnings, while still feeling connected as part of a larger whole. The tone is affectionate and familiar, and there’s a strong sense of chosen family running through every chapter. By the time Hushmas Eve rolls around, it genuinely feels like being back with old friends.

A fun, heartfelt read in the series, this is a rewarding way to celebrate how far these characters have come—and a lovely reminder of why the Hush universe is so easy to come back to.

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

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Gang's All Here ! . . .

The author tells us that this collection of stories is set in the world of metal band "Hush" taking place seven years after the action in the previous stories many of us have already enjoyed (set in 2018): Summer of Hush, Brains and Brawn, You Can Do Magic, and You Can Save Me. Most of the main characters come from the first two books and others that have had various interactions with the band come from the last two books, which catches us up with the lives of our favorite characters. (Clever and fun way to handle this!) The author's writing style keeps it real and enjoyable for the reader as we love seeing how our favorites are doing. Love and marriage will feature strongly, so don't miss this one! The author makes us feel like one of the family, and I truly did enjoy seeing everyone again!

[Johanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 3 of the Summer of Hush series.

'In the year 2018, a band of messy men hit the road on the last cross-country Warped Tour with the intention of making their mark and celebrating the end of an era with their fans.'

The characters were all well written and developed and appealing and downright likeable. Plots were intriguing and well paced. World building was excellent and solidly drawn. All in all a great addition to the series. Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.

Grab a copy, kick back and enjoy!.

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

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this! I loved seeing these beloved characters again, seeing how things worked out for them, sharing it their happy times, and come on, we get Hushmas! This was perfect, like visiting old friends whom we haven’t seen in a long time, it was so beautifully perfect! And ties all the books together beautifully. I can’t tell which book is my favorite, maybe the one written by RL Merrill? Is like asking you which one of your children is your favorite! It was nice to see all the books come together in such a delightful way. I highly recommend reading them all!.

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

[Saskia Veldhuis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really enjoyable set of shorter stories, giving sequels for the main characters of the first books, and HEAs for others. I almost never read mf romance, but as these specific stories were for people I was invested in, and I can trust this author, I did read most of those episodes l, especially for Los. I was there for the sequels for the previous Hush MCs, and they were special. Burke and Jake were a good addition.
Thanks for the advance copy via Booksprout, I am happy to leave a voluntary review.