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Rock Solid #2
Fall
Keep Rage together at all costs...
Powerhouse PA Dimity Graham is off her game. Her career is everything to her and she never lets anything personal mess that up. So how can she explain getting busy between the sheets with Rage's nice-guy drummer Seth Curran? She's supposed to be keeping this band out of trouble, not getting into it.
But before she can put everything back where it belongs, Seth needs her help.
Faking a relationship seemed like a good idea that night, right before they fell into bed together. But standing on New Zealand soil, facing the people he disappointed to pursue his dream, Seth doubts he and Dimity will convince anyone they're hot and crazy for each other. To his surprise, Dimity is working her magic on everyone and they're all convinced this is the real deal. The problem is, he's almost convinced, too.
Powerhouse PA Dimity Graham is off her game. Her career is everything to her and she never lets anything personal mess that up. So how can she explain getting busy between the sheets with Rage's nice-guy drummer Seth Curran? She's supposed to be keeping this band out of trouble, not getting into it.
But before she can put everything back where it belongs, Seth needs her help.
Faking a relationship seemed like a good idea that night, right before they fell into bed together. But standing on New Zealand soil, facing the people he disappointed to pursue his dream, Seth doubts he and Dimity will convince anyone they're hot and crazy for each other. To his surprise, Dimity is working her magic on everyone and they're all convinced this is the real deal. The problem is, he's almost convinced, too.
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First published November 15, 2016
30 people are currently reading
465 people want to read
About the author
Karina Bliss
49 books238 followersNew Zealander Karina Bliss has written a biography for a rock star, swapped identities with her twin, raised three orphaned children with her ex husband, worn a cow costume to a Bachelor and Spinster ball, considered marriage for the sake of a baby, and been mayor of a small town.
Oh wait, that’s her characters.
Outside her imagination, she’s always been a professional writer, first as a travel journalist and then as a romance author. Her deeply held convictions include: love conquers all; yoga pants are daywear; and what a woman really wants is a man who cleans. Unfortunately, she does not live with one, (nor indeed has raised one). Please buy her books so she can pay for one.
She has also swum with sharks. They were very small. Babies, really. But still count.
Career highlights have included being the first Australasian to win a Golden Heart from the Romance Writers of America. Her debut, Mr Imperfect, won a Romantic Book of the Year Award in Australia, and her first self-published title, RISE, a rock star romance also finaled.
Other books in the Rock Solid series are FALL, PLAY and (coming soon), RESURRECTION.
Find out more and sign up to her newsletter at www.karinabliss.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarinaBlissA...
Twitter @BlissKarina
Email: karina@karinabliss.com
Oh wait, that’s her characters.
Outside her imagination, she’s always been a professional writer, first as a travel journalist and then as a romance author. Her deeply held convictions include: love conquers all; yoga pants are daywear; and what a woman really wants is a man who cleans. Unfortunately, she does not live with one, (nor indeed has raised one). Please buy her books so she can pay for one.
She has also swum with sharks. They were very small. Babies, really. But still count.
Career highlights have included being the first Australasian to win a Golden Heart from the Romance Writers of America. Her debut, Mr Imperfect, won a Romantic Book of the Year Award in Australia, and her first self-published title, RISE, a rock star romance also finaled.
Other books in the Rock Solid series are FALL, PLAY and (coming soon), RESURRECTION.
Find out more and sign up to her newsletter at www.karinabliss.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarinaBlissA...
Twitter @BlissKarina
Email: karina@karinabliss.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
December 4, 2016
4 ★'s
We've been teased with glimpses of something going on between Dimity and Seth for the past two books. I couldn't wait to find out what was going on!
It starts off innocently enough, he goes out with her as her wingman but they both soon realize they really want to have sex with each other. Seth, however, is a nice guy and he really pays attention to Dimity and she just can't handle all the warm fuzzies so she sends him back to the friend zone. And Seth's okay with that for a while especially when Dimity comes up with a plan to pretend to be his girlfriend so Seth can get back his ex.
They head to New Zealand to see Seth's family and to find out what's going on with Zander and if his voice is okay. Things get rocky fast between Dimity and Zander and she ends up staying at Seth's house. Their plan is working so at least that's one thing.
Slowly, they find themselves always gravitating to the other and they definitely form a strong bond. Dimity won't let herself think about it too much because let's face it, it scares the hell out of her.
Not only that but Dimity's deep in the rabbit hole trying to make things right with Zander and the band. Luckily, she does have an epiphany and keeps things from going belly up.
She's still gotta deal with Seth. Seth, the nice guy, who finally realizes how he really feels and does what he thinks is best for her and they both are miserable. Thankfully, Zander comes the rescue.
There's a lot more drama going on...a lot with Seth's family and the rest of Rage. I really enjoyed getting more of Moss...he's an interesting character and hopefully his book is next. There's no word at this time.
The book ends well but it ends with a HUGE pet peeve of mine...UGH! I always hate when there's not enough "couple" time at the end and this one is no exception...big FAIL unfortunately. *SMDH*
We've been teased with glimpses of something going on between Dimity and Seth for the past two books. I couldn't wait to find out what was going on!
It starts off innocently enough, he goes out with her as her wingman but they both soon realize they really want to have sex with each other. Seth, however, is a nice guy and he really pays attention to Dimity and she just can't handle all the warm fuzzies so she sends him back to the friend zone. And Seth's okay with that for a while especially when Dimity comes up with a plan to pretend to be his girlfriend so Seth can get back his ex.
They head to New Zealand to see Seth's family and to find out what's going on with Zander and if his voice is okay. Things get rocky fast between Dimity and Zander and she ends up staying at Seth's house. Their plan is working so at least that's one thing.
Slowly, they find themselves always gravitating to the other and they definitely form a strong bond. Dimity won't let herself think about it too much because let's face it, it scares the hell out of her.
Not only that but Dimity's deep in the rabbit hole trying to make things right with Zander and the band. Luckily, she does have an epiphany and keeps things from going belly up.
She's still gotta deal with Seth. Seth, the nice guy, who finally realizes how he really feels and does what he thinks is best for her and they both are miserable. Thankfully, Zander comes the rescue.
There's a lot more drama going on...a lot with Seth's family and the rest of Rage. I really enjoyed getting more of Moss...he's an interesting character and hopefully his book is next. There's no word at this time.
The book ends well but it ends with a HUGE pet peeve of mine...UGH! I always hate when there's not enough "couple" time at the end and this one is no exception...big FAIL unfortunately. *SMDH*
November 16, 2016
4.5 stars
It had been almost 2 years since I read Book 1 Rise, luckily my memory of the series is still relatively fresh, thanks to Zander's unique characteristic. He is definitely one of those hero that falls under the unforgettable category. I hope Karina can write faster for the next book in the series, 20 months is a tad too long.
In Fall, we have Mr. Nice Guy, Rage's drummer, Seth Curran. He had been moping around ever since being dumped by his childhood sweetheart and with her recent news of engagement, he decided to drown his sorrow in booze and some sex. In addition with his fall out with his dad who never approve of his career choice, Seth is not a happy camper, despite his goody guy demeanor.
Dimity Graham is a ball buster and Rage's PA. She had a close relationship with Zander and will go all out to help revive his career and reputation. Due to her independent upbringing and an absentee parents, Rage is Dimity love child and all she had. When Zander decided on a drastic career move, Dimity was at a lost and unable to deal with the upheaval of her professional routine.
Seth is an honest, upfront guy, what you see is what you get. It looks like he was mooning over his ex-girlfriend in the beginning, and I for one dislike reading such plot about hero pining after someone else. But fear not, this story isn't even remotely angsty. Once Seth got his closure, it was a non-issue and I was able to invest into his and Dimity relationship development.
Dimity is like a mother hen, trying to take care everything and everyone in order to feel useful. When she find out about Seth's problem, she decided to help him win back his girl. Honestly, it sounds like a recipe for disaster, but it mostly turn into comic relief and she didn't do much beside acting as his new girlfriend.
I would say Dimity is a flawed character. She seems like a tough chick and a total man-eater. She hates feeling mushy over anything and the last thing she needs is to develop feelings for Seth after their unfortunate one night stand. Usually I find such heroine hard to relate to and will often frustrate me to no end, but getting an insight into Dimity's POV, you knew that she is a walking contradiction and a total mess. Add on with her Zander-related stress and coming up with all sort of plan to manipulate the people around her, you might even want to hate her a little. But I get where she is coming from. If you decided to give a chance to redeem herself, she might surprised you. I can definitely see how her character grow throughout the page.
Although Seth and Dimity sounds like your usual pair of opposite attract individual and their relationship isn't fill with big drama, it was fun and heartfelt, especially while we are waiting for Dimity to come to her senses. The only complaint I had was I miss seeing the lovey dovey side of them after they become official. For the most part in this book, they are just scratching an itch and refuse to commit. I hope Karina will give me more of them in future books. However, what makes this book work so well for me is the incorporation of all the supporting characters and side plot. I always love reading books about big family and friends.
I know this is suppose to be a rockstar series, but please note that in this installment there isn't any actual rock n roll concert or music development going on. The Rage is still dealing with the aftermath of Zander's condition in the previous book.
In order to enjoy this book, I would recommend reader to read Book 1 because the previous hero, Zander is still a prominent character in this book. Dimity and Seth's romance only took up about 50% of the plot, while 30% is about Zander's crisis and 20% on Seth's family issue. As someone who love Zander and Elizabeth, I'm glad I got an opportunity to catch up with this two lovebirds.
It had been almost 2 years since I read Book 1 Rise, luckily my memory of the series is still relatively fresh, thanks to Zander's unique characteristic. He is definitely one of those hero that falls under the unforgettable category. I hope Karina can write faster for the next book in the series, 20 months is a tad too long.
In Fall, we have Mr. Nice Guy, Rage's drummer, Seth Curran. He had been moping around ever since being dumped by his childhood sweetheart and with her recent news of engagement, he decided to drown his sorrow in booze and some sex. In addition with his fall out with his dad who never approve of his career choice, Seth is not a happy camper, despite his goody guy demeanor.
Dimity Graham is a ball buster and Rage's PA. She had a close relationship with Zander and will go all out to help revive his career and reputation. Due to her independent upbringing and an absentee parents, Rage is Dimity love child and all she had. When Zander decided on a drastic career move, Dimity was at a lost and unable to deal with the upheaval of her professional routine.
Seth is an honest, upfront guy, what you see is what you get. It looks like he was mooning over his ex-girlfriend in the beginning, and I for one dislike reading such plot about hero pining after someone else. But fear not, this story isn't even remotely angsty. Once Seth got his closure, it was a non-issue and I was able to invest into his and Dimity relationship development.
Dimity is like a mother hen, trying to take care everything and everyone in order to feel useful. When she find out about Seth's problem, she decided to help him win back his girl. Honestly, it sounds like a recipe for disaster, but it mostly turn into comic relief and she didn't do much beside acting as his new girlfriend.
I would say Dimity is a flawed character. She seems like a tough chick and a total man-eater. She hates feeling mushy over anything and the last thing she needs is to develop feelings for Seth after their unfortunate one night stand. Usually I find such heroine hard to relate to and will often frustrate me to no end, but getting an insight into Dimity's POV, you knew that she is a walking contradiction and a total mess. Add on with her Zander-related stress and coming up with all sort of plan to manipulate the people around her, you might even want to hate her a little. But I get where she is coming from. If you decided to give a chance to redeem herself, she might surprised you. I can definitely see how her character grow throughout the page.
Although Seth and Dimity sounds like your usual pair of opposite attract individual and their relationship isn't fill with big drama, it was fun and heartfelt, especially while we are waiting for Dimity to come to her senses. The only complaint I had was I miss seeing the lovey dovey side of them after they become official. For the most part in this book, they are just scratching an itch and refuse to commit. I hope Karina will give me more of them in future books. However, what makes this book work so well for me is the incorporation of all the supporting characters and side plot. I always love reading books about big family and friends.
I know this is suppose to be a rockstar series, but please note that in this installment there isn't any actual rock n roll concert or music development going on. The Rage is still dealing with the aftermath of Zander's condition in the previous book.
In order to enjoy this book, I would recommend reader to read Book 1 because the previous hero, Zander is still a prominent character in this book. Dimity and Seth's romance only took up about 50% of the plot, while 30% is about Zander's crisis and 20% on Seth's family issue. As someone who love Zander and Elizabeth, I'm glad I got an opportunity to catch up with this two lovebirds.
November 25, 2016
If somebody told me I would not only read a romance that featured a rock-star as the main character but give it a 5-star rating, I would think they were out of their minds. But that’s exactly what happened with Rise-the first book in the series. And the author continues her fine work with this next installment.
In somewhat role reversal, the heroine, Dimity, is a force to be reckoned with. She’s blunt, in your face, controlled, tough, lousy at expressing sympathy- painful emotions made her uncomfortable if she couldn’t provide a fix, and she wasn’t one for empty platitudes. These traits (more associated with a male character) are soften with her background story of parents’ abandonment and manipulations.
Their romance plays out in the middle of real life, family, friends and side stories, making it richer and more satisfying for me.
This friends-to-lovers story is one of the fine examples on how to do it right.
Ever since reading What the Librarian Did I became a fan of the author and she doesn’t disappoint. Her writing is solid; her plots are engaging. She creates flawed but lovable protagonists and put them in a carefully and believably constructed setting. I’m looking forward to her next work.
In somewhat role reversal, the heroine, Dimity, is a force to be reckoned with. She’s blunt, in your face, controlled, tough, lousy at expressing sympathy- painful emotions made her uncomfortable if she couldn’t provide a fix, and she wasn’t one for empty platitudes. These traits (more associated with a male character) are soften with her background story of parents’ abandonment and manipulations.
At eleven years old, Dimity had chosen to support her mother because - as she’d regretfully told her father over Aegean salmon and a lollipop tree for two at Bloomingdale’s -someone had to. A diplomat with a keen sense of self-preservation, he’d accepted her decision with relief and abandoned her to Helena’s (mother) ravaging dependency.
Her POV also allows readers to see somewhat different woman than the one she chose to present to the world. She is complex and contradictory, implacably kind and blisteringly honest. Very few people understand her. One of them is the hero, Seth, who despite being an ultimate beta-hero (not my favorite type) became my dream man.Everyone liked Seth. He could transition from playing pool with roadies to discussing economics with financiers-he even loved kids. Dimity had even seen him kiss a dog once. There was no creature, walking or crawling, he couldn’t make a connection with.
Nice does not mean bland however, and Sean's devotion to his music is just one indicator of his complexity. He’s the nice guy, with a wild, pagan side which only occasionally gets released, he’s not intimidated by Dimity in the slightest. Their relationship transition from pretend-flirting on his part and scathing put-downs on hers to caring and loving is done gradually with snappy dialogue, sparkling humor, and well-paced sex.Their romance plays out in the middle of real life, family, friends and side stories, making it richer and more satisfying for me.
This friends-to-lovers story is one of the fine examples on how to do it right.
Ever since reading What the Librarian Did I became a fan of the author and she doesn’t disappoint. Her writing is solid; her plots are engaging. She creates flawed but lovable protagonists and put them in a carefully and believably constructed setting. I’m looking forward to her next work.
December 1, 2016
4.5 Stars!
(ARC provided by author)
We first met Dimity Graham in Rise as Rage's rock star front man Zander Freeman's PA. Dimity's career is everything to her. She grew up with a lousy childhood, and has built a life where she is in control. She doesn't need or lean on anyone, but her Rage family is extremely important to her. She's gorgeous, vibrant, fierce, fearless, and doesn't like to show emotion. Being vulnerable is for suckers, & she doesn't let anyone close enough to hurt her. She lives in her boss's mansion in LA & is watching over the band in Zander's absence. Rage's future is uncertain & in limbo since Zander had surgery, and they are waiting to see if his singing voice is repaired. In the meantime Dimity tries to keep the band out of trouble & works her usual magic.
Dimity feels a bit off her game with her best friend Zander gone. She agrees to head to New Zealand with Rage's hot kiwi drummer Seth Curran. Seth is the poster child for a nice guy & has a heart of gold. He recently had his heart broken & is hurting. Dimity comes up with a plan to be his fake girlfriend & pretend to be in a relationship to win his ex back when they go to New Zealand. Her plan backfires when her & Seth have too much to drink one night and sleep together. Things are suddenly more complicated & she's having trouble trying to ignore the intense physical attraction whenever he's near.
Soon all the pretending starts to feel too real for Dimity. Seth is crazy about her, & quickly falling for her. Dimity doesn't know what to do with this unwelcome tenderness she's experiencing. She's having unfamiliar feelings & it scares her to death. She isn't used to putting her trust in anyone. She was raised without security & is terrified of getting her heart broken.
-Does she sense my heart aches whenever she enters the room.
-Her sweetness invaded him, pumping through his blood like a drug.
-This woman was gifted in so many ways- he wouldn't let her give up on the softer emotions.
Seth is determined to be with Dimity. Soon Dimity realizes maybe he's worth the risk. I loved this story so much & adored Seth! He was major swoon worthy & absolutely delicious. He is now my favorite rocker in this series. I hope we get a book for Moss next!
(ARC provided by author)
We first met Dimity Graham in Rise as Rage's rock star front man Zander Freeman's PA. Dimity's career is everything to her. She grew up with a lousy childhood, and has built a life where she is in control. She doesn't need or lean on anyone, but her Rage family is extremely important to her. She's gorgeous, vibrant, fierce, fearless, and doesn't like to show emotion. Being vulnerable is for suckers, & she doesn't let anyone close enough to hurt her. She lives in her boss's mansion in LA & is watching over the band in Zander's absence. Rage's future is uncertain & in limbo since Zander had surgery, and they are waiting to see if his singing voice is repaired. In the meantime Dimity tries to keep the band out of trouble & works her usual magic.
Dimity feels a bit off her game with her best friend Zander gone. She agrees to head to New Zealand with Rage's hot kiwi drummer Seth Curran. Seth is the poster child for a nice guy & has a heart of gold. He recently had his heart broken & is hurting. Dimity comes up with a plan to be his fake girlfriend & pretend to be in a relationship to win his ex back when they go to New Zealand. Her plan backfires when her & Seth have too much to drink one night and sleep together. Things are suddenly more complicated & she's having trouble trying to ignore the intense physical attraction whenever he's near.
Soon all the pretending starts to feel too real for Dimity. Seth is crazy about her, & quickly falling for her. Dimity doesn't know what to do with this unwelcome tenderness she's experiencing. She's having unfamiliar feelings & it scares her to death. She isn't used to putting her trust in anyone. She was raised without security & is terrified of getting her heart broken.
-Does she sense my heart aches whenever she enters the room.
-Her sweetness invaded him, pumping through his blood like a drug.
-This woman was gifted in so many ways- he wouldn't let her give up on the softer emotions.
Seth is determined to be with Dimity. Soon Dimity realizes maybe he's worth the risk. I loved this story so much & adored Seth! He was major swoon worthy & absolutely delicious. He is now my favorite rocker in this series. I hope we get a book for Moss next!
November 19, 2025
Seth Curran, Rockstar/drummer for the band Rage, is heartbroken over his ex’s engagement.
Dimity has been with Zander, Rage’s lead singer form the start of Zander’s reappearance in the rock world. You could say that Rage's reemergence is all Dimity’s baby and pretty much her entire life. So, Dimity is devastated by Zander’s voice issues, brokenhearted as well.
Both down, Dimity and Seth get together for one amazing night. Dimity is a little weirded out by their connection and she puts Seth safely back in the friend’s zone. To keep their friendship strong Dimity and Seth decide to play at being a couple during Seth's trip back to New Zealand. New Zealand, the home of Seth’s ex and also his family and estranged father.
There is lots of band drama, family drama but especially chemistry drama. There is amazing chemistry between Dimity and Seth but the relationship thing scares the heck out of both. Fortunately, Zander and his wise, shoot from the hip and ask questions later, ways comes to save the day.
Fall is a fun story with the perfect blend of romance, drama, heartfelt feelings and realistic characters.
Book Bonus, we get some more Elizabeth and Zander time!
I received a copy of Fall from Karina Bliss in exchange for a honest and voluntary review.
Dimity has been with Zander, Rage’s lead singer form the start of Zander’s reappearance in the rock world. You could say that Rage's reemergence is all Dimity’s baby and pretty much her entire life. So, Dimity is devastated by Zander’s voice issues, brokenhearted as well.
Both down, Dimity and Seth get together for one amazing night. Dimity is a little weirded out by their connection and she puts Seth safely back in the friend’s zone. To keep their friendship strong Dimity and Seth decide to play at being a couple during Seth's trip back to New Zealand. New Zealand, the home of Seth’s ex and also his family and estranged father.
There is lots of band drama, family drama but especially chemistry drama. There is amazing chemistry between Dimity and Seth but the relationship thing scares the heck out of both. Fortunately, Zander and his wise, shoot from the hip and ask questions later, ways comes to save the day.
Fall is a fun story with the perfect blend of romance, drama, heartfelt feelings and realistic characters.
Book Bonus, we get some more Elizabeth and Zander time!
I received a copy of Fall from Karina Bliss in exchange for a honest and voluntary review.
June 24, 2017
**This review is posted on Way Too Hot Books blog.**
Fall is the second book in the Rock Solid series, however it has different main characters than the first book. Nevertheless, I highly recommend Rise as well, simply because it really is such a great novel! Rise was about the rock god Zander, and Fall is about his PA Dimity and band’s drummer, Seth.
On the surface, Dimity and Seth couldn’t be more different. She’s the ice-queen, he’s the nice guy.
This is Dimity:
She shook her head, unable to answer him, unable to imagine anyone loving her enough to make the offer. She wasn’t the kind of woman who inspired forever. It was hard enough living with herself sometimes.
And this is Seth:
Everyone loved Seth. He could transition from playing pool with roadies to discussing economics with financiers – he even loved kids. Dimity had even seen him kiss a dog once.
But their differences are precisely the reason why the fit together so well. Dimity was an amazing protagonist, she’s complex, seemingly cold, focus-driven, ambitious, and sharp-tongued – overall a strong woman and we need more characters like Dimity in contemporary romance novels. Dimity hides her vulnerabilities behind her tough exterior and Seth is the only one who sees the fragile woman underneath. On the other hand – Seth. Oh Seth. Where do I sign up for to get a Seth of my own? He’s the nice guy, with a wild, pagan side which only occasionally gets released, he’s not intimidated by Dimity in the slightest. He teases her mercilessly, he simply gets her.
The book has friends-to-lovers theme, plus they’re faking a relationship in order to help Seth get his ex back. Yet, the book is not all about relationships drama, which I appreciated, other topics are explored (e.g. Seth’s complicated relationship with his father) and other characters get to share the spotlight as well. For example, Zander has an important role in the novel. He’s Dimity’s boss, but he’s also so much more, he’s her mentor, her constant in life. He too was once, like Dimity is now, married to his career, and now that’s he is moving on in his life, pursuing other interests, Dimity feels lost, doesn’t know to whom to look up to anymore. She’s thrown off her game. Therefore, Dimity’s relationship with herself if also given attention, she realizes which things matter most in life.
The reason why I love Karina Bliss’s books so much is because of her writing. It’s what distinguishes her from other authors of this genre. She structures her novels well, pays attention to the words she chooses, sentences flow perfectly together. After reading just one chapter, you can tell – this woman can write! And it’s a pure pleasure reading when someone writes this good. Her characters are relatable – even though they’re rock stars! You get the heartache, yet they don’t take themselves too seriously. You get sweet, and you get sexy. I immensely enjoyed Seth and Dimity’s story and I can’t wait to see what Karina Bliss prepares us next!
*ARC copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.**
Fall is the second book in the Rock Solid series, however it has different main characters than the first book. Nevertheless, I highly recommend Rise as well, simply because it really is such a great novel! Rise was about the rock god Zander, and Fall is about his PA Dimity and band’s drummer, Seth.
On the surface, Dimity and Seth couldn’t be more different. She’s the ice-queen, he’s the nice guy.
This is Dimity:
She shook her head, unable to answer him, unable to imagine anyone loving her enough to make the offer. She wasn’t the kind of woman who inspired forever. It was hard enough living with herself sometimes.
And this is Seth:
Everyone loved Seth. He could transition from playing pool with roadies to discussing economics with financiers – he even loved kids. Dimity had even seen him kiss a dog once.
But their differences are precisely the reason why the fit together so well. Dimity was an amazing protagonist, she’s complex, seemingly cold, focus-driven, ambitious, and sharp-tongued – overall a strong woman and we need more characters like Dimity in contemporary romance novels. Dimity hides her vulnerabilities behind her tough exterior and Seth is the only one who sees the fragile woman underneath. On the other hand – Seth. Oh Seth. Where do I sign up for to get a Seth of my own? He’s the nice guy, with a wild, pagan side which only occasionally gets released, he’s not intimidated by Dimity in the slightest. He teases her mercilessly, he simply gets her.
The book has friends-to-lovers theme, plus they’re faking a relationship in order to help Seth get his ex back. Yet, the book is not all about relationships drama, which I appreciated, other topics are explored (e.g. Seth’s complicated relationship with his father) and other characters get to share the spotlight as well. For example, Zander has an important role in the novel. He’s Dimity’s boss, but he’s also so much more, he’s her mentor, her constant in life. He too was once, like Dimity is now, married to his career, and now that’s he is moving on in his life, pursuing other interests, Dimity feels lost, doesn’t know to whom to look up to anymore. She’s thrown off her game. Therefore, Dimity’s relationship with herself if also given attention, she realizes which things matter most in life.
The reason why I love Karina Bliss’s books so much is because of her writing. It’s what distinguishes her from other authors of this genre. She structures her novels well, pays attention to the words she chooses, sentences flow perfectly together. After reading just one chapter, you can tell – this woman can write! And it’s a pure pleasure reading when someone writes this good. Her characters are relatable – even though they’re rock stars! You get the heartache, yet they don’t take themselves too seriously. You get sweet, and you get sexy. I immensely enjoyed Seth and Dimity’s story and I can’t wait to see what Karina Bliss prepares us next!
*ARC copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.**
November 16, 2016
Though listed as the second book, there is a novella between the first instalment in the Rock Solid series and this one. This is the first I’ve read, and I thought I managed fine starting here.
Fall is good because it does the thing that’s most important to me in contemporary romance: it makes the people seem realistic. Despite the fame and fortune the characters have found in the rock music industry, they behave like people who might actually exist, and have quirks and interests and distinct personalities. They have families, and friends, and histories. And sometimes they screw up or drink too much or have casual sex.
These are also characters who speak like real people – and this is the hardest thing to find in the books in this subgenre!
Both hero and heroine were very distinctive. I can’t say the “fake relationship” is a trope I usually go for – and yet here it worked well and didn’t feel like a “trope” at all. There was a lot more going on and there was a decent motivation to fake the relationship in the first place. It was a backstory with substance to it, and so the relationship (that turned real pretty fast) was only part of a large whole.
Now, if there is any theme that invites misogyny, it’s the rock star theme. I think it was handled well here. Because everyone was an individual it was a lot harder to stereotype the female characters, and without that stereotyping it’s hard to be sexist. What a novel concept to have more than one female character with a few dimensions to her!
There were so many little things that made characters stand out from each other. For example, the hero who doesn’t know how to punch properly(!), and who knows what he wants out of life (which includes a family). The heroine who takes pride in her appearance and appreciates quality brands without the people who mattered treating her like a slutty bimbo.
I also really appreciated the way differences in language and culture between the US and New Zealand were worked through the story without being obvious or resorting to clichés.
It seemed that too many contemporary romances I’ve tried recently felt stilted and Brady Bunch-like, and nothing about them was resonating with me. There was something really appealing about a book where the people both live a glamorous life and also go through the day-to-day family and friendship stuff we can all identify with.
Now, to head back and read the other books!
Review copy provided by the author.
Fall is good because it does the thing that’s most important to me in contemporary romance: it makes the people seem realistic. Despite the fame and fortune the characters have found in the rock music industry, they behave like people who might actually exist, and have quirks and interests and distinct personalities. They have families, and friends, and histories. And sometimes they screw up or drink too much or have casual sex.
These are also characters who speak like real people – and this is the hardest thing to find in the books in this subgenre!
Both hero and heroine were very distinctive. I can’t say the “fake relationship” is a trope I usually go for – and yet here it worked well and didn’t feel like a “trope” at all. There was a lot more going on and there was a decent motivation to fake the relationship in the first place. It was a backstory with substance to it, and so the relationship (that turned real pretty fast) was only part of a large whole.
Now, if there is any theme that invites misogyny, it’s the rock star theme. I think it was handled well here. Because everyone was an individual it was a lot harder to stereotype the female characters, and without that stereotyping it’s hard to be sexist. What a novel concept to have more than one female character with a few dimensions to her!
There were so many little things that made characters stand out from each other. For example, the hero who doesn’t know how to punch properly(!), and who knows what he wants out of life (which includes a family). The heroine who takes pride in her appearance and appreciates quality brands without the people who mattered treating her like a slutty bimbo.
I also really appreciated the way differences in language and culture between the US and New Zealand were worked through the story without being obvious or resorting to clichés.
It seemed that too many contemporary romances I’ve tried recently felt stilted and Brady Bunch-like, and nothing about them was resonating with me. There was something really appealing about a book where the people both live a glamorous life and also go through the day-to-day family and friendship stuff we can all identify with.
Now, to head back and read the other books!
Review copy provided by the author.
March 2, 2017
There will be numerous spoilers in this review - don't read, if you don't want to stumble across those.
I've read the entire series, loved What the Librarian Did, absolutely adored Rise and liked Play, and was geared up to read a great finale which would bring Seth and Dimity together, and resolve Zander's and Rage's future in an appropriate manner.
But actually all this book ends up being is a trite contemporary romance which ends in Zander turning into a mushy, idiotic overly romantic Prince Charming, who gives it all up for Elizabeth, including killing any chance at a proper revival of Rage. Forget the setup in "What the Librarian Did", forget that he still has a payback to achieve towards his brother, forget all the great writing in "Rise" showing an almost realistic rock musician. In the end what we get is just an idiot in love. A complete fairy tale, and a character not true to how he was developed.
I'm absolutely, fucking angry. And I mean it, I loathe the fact that I actually spent time on the series, spent money on the books other than "Rise" and that I had hope to get some quality romance here, instead of the typical, stupid mush in which the women change the "bad boys" into totally unrealistic Prince Charmings. What a bunch of milquetoast bullshit. As if killing off what the band represented in the name of wives was anything even mildly romantic or sane.
The end of "Fall" was that lost on me, that I skimread to the obligatory HEA because I wasn't invested in it anymore. I couldn't care less about the outcome, and I actually would have applauded Dimity and Seth staying apart. Rage is what I feel, insofar the band's name was apt, but in a manner the author most likely hadn't planned at all.
I've read the entire series, loved What the Librarian Did, absolutely adored Rise and liked Play, and was geared up to read a great finale which would bring Seth and Dimity together, and resolve Zander's and Rage's future in an appropriate manner.
But actually all this book ends up being is a trite contemporary romance which ends in Zander turning into a mushy, idiotic overly romantic Prince Charming, who gives it all up for Elizabeth, including killing any chance at a proper revival of Rage. Forget the setup in "What the Librarian Did", forget that he still has a payback to achieve towards his brother, forget all the great writing in "Rise" showing an almost realistic rock musician. In the end what we get is just an idiot in love. A complete fairy tale, and a character not true to how he was developed.
I'm absolutely, fucking angry. And I mean it, I loathe the fact that I actually spent time on the series, spent money on the books other than "Rise" and that I had hope to get some quality romance here, instead of the typical, stupid mush in which the women change the "bad boys" into totally unrealistic Prince Charmings. What a bunch of milquetoast bullshit. As if killing off what the band represented in the name of wives was anything even mildly romantic or sane.
The end of "Fall" was that lost on me, that I skimread to the obligatory HEA because I wasn't invested in it anymore. I couldn't care less about the outcome, and I actually would have applauded Dimity and Seth staying apart. Rage is what I feel, insofar the band's name was apt, but in a manner the author most likely hadn't planned at all.
November 17, 2016
Perfectly sweet, perfectly sexy and perfectly addictive. Can't wait for the next installments in the series.
November 17, 2016
I really wanted to love this one. Rise was such a great read and Dimity was such a great character. This one didn't click for me. It didn't feel like they spent enough time together. And there was so much gnashing of teeth over feelings, but it felt like being told, not shown, by the characters themselves.
And I kind of agree with Dimity that Zander is not going to take retirement well. I don't see him lasting long going fishing, especially after Elizabeth's book is out and the guys in the band are back on the road.
And I kind of agree with Dimity that Zander is not going to take retirement well. I don't see him lasting long going fishing, especially after Elizabeth's book is out and the guys in the band are back on the road.
August 12, 2020
When a nice guy rock star gets dumped by his paralympic girlfriend he mopes, but when she announces that she's engaged to be married only a few months later Seth is devastated. A lot of alcohol and joking later, Seth and the band's PA Dimity end up in bed. But what started out as a one-night stand, never to be repeated and never, ever to be mentioned again, becomes a little more complicated when Dimity offers to pose as Seth's girlfriend to see if he can win his ex back.
Dimity has been managing her life, and her mother's ever since her diplomat father left them. Since then her mother has been a leech, taking all Dimity's money and relying on her 100% to fix everything. Now her mother has finally given up trying to get her father back and is marrying another man, Dimity is free at last and what better way to celebrate than by having a few drinks and picking up a stranger in a bar? But when Seth gets the bad news from back home she knows she has to be his wingman.
I wanted to read Seth and Dimity's romance when I read the first book in this series, Rise, the juxtaposition of the ruthless, scheming PA and the good guy rocker was just too fun to miss. And boy was I right!
Dimity has been managing her life, and her mother's ever since her diplomat father left them. Since then her mother has been a leech, taking all Dimity's money and relying on her 100% to fix everything. Now her mother has finally given up trying to get her father back and is marrying another man, Dimity is free at last and what better way to celebrate than by having a few drinks and picking up a stranger in a bar? But when Seth gets the bad news from back home she knows she has to be his wingman.
I wanted to read Seth and Dimity's romance when I read the first book in this series, Rise, the juxtaposition of the ruthless, scheming PA and the good guy rocker was just too fun to miss. And boy was I right!
November 22, 2016
I loved this so much! I'm always a fan of Karina Bliss's work, but I have to say I was a little braced against Dimity from earlier books, and wow, did she turn out to be a fantastic main character. And Seth, yum! Two wonderful characters, and I love their dialogue. (And the dialogue with the secondary characters, too.) Karina has such a gift for being both witty and emotional, making us laugh and pulling at our heartstrings at the same time. Highly recommend!
January 22, 2017
I do really enjoy this series! Thank you to Karina for the ARC of this!
November 13, 2016
It’s time for Seth to drum his way into Dimity’s affections!
After two previous instalments in the Rock Solid series, one of which is a novella, we’re back with Seth Curran, Rage’s drummer, and Dimity Graham, Zander’s PA’s, story.
Following on from the lip-synching fiasco and Zander’s vocal surgery, Rage is currently on sabbatical but Dimity, the most determined woman you could ever meet, is working hard to get the band back on track, as quickly as possible. With a need to ensure the rumours hinting at the end of Zander’s career and Rage having possibly performed its swansong running rife, Dimity is keen to ensure that Zander is fit and ready to step back onto the stage.
Zander is currently
Dimity is currently staying at one of Zander’s mansions with his bodyguard Luther, and Rage’s drummer, Seth. Knowing that the fallout of Zander’s vocal problems is catching up with him, and with Zander facing an additional battle prove that his health issues were not a pre-existing condition, Zander is facing financial ruin and this is exactly the reason why Dimity sees it as imperative that Rage start their next album and get out on tour again, fast.
Seth is quietly hopeful that Zander’s singing voice will recover and whilst worrying about him, and the band’s future, Seth knows deep down that Zander’s suggestion of having a Plan B must be considered. But that’s not the only problem Seth is facing. Having recently split from his long-term girlfriend, and hearing that she’s engaged to another man, Seth, a deep feeling and sensitive man, is struggling to come to terms that his relationship is over. Dimity sees Seth’s sadness and inner turmoil and decides to treat Seth as only she can, with a blunt and direct approach.
After a misunderstanding with Luther, and his possible feelings towards her, Dimity and Seth head off to get drunk with Dimity determined to find herself a one-night stand. With Seth as her wingman though all bets are off and soon the pair are drinking heavily whilst critiquing the Dimity’s options. It’s at this point that we first witness a more caring side to Dimity as she finds Moss, Rage’s guitarist, at the bar and sets about trying to ease some of Seth’s pain.
With Seth due to return home, and not looking forward to seeing his ex, Dimity comes up with a less than cunning plan to save Seth from further embarrassment. Dimity suggests that she becomes Seth’s fake girlfriend but this quickly becomes even more complicated when the pair fall into bed together. Seth is smitten with Dimity. He loves her fierceness and her work ethic. She’s the most hardworking and determined person he knows and at the same time, she is lost and in need of his help. With Dimity at his side, Seth soon sees through her icy exterior and quickly falls for the sweet woman behind her professional facade.
With both Seth and Dimity heading to New Zealand, the story at this point split into two parts as Seth tries to build bridges with his father, who is still sore that he left the family business behind to seek his fortune as a rock star and Dimity’s attempts to save Rage from damnation.
Dimity arrives at Zander and Elizabeth’s home only to find any possible future for Rage in jeopardy and not liking the news, sets about to save Rage and to protect her friend, Zander, at all costs. It was at this point I found my love for Dimity waning. She became almost a petulant child in her determination to change Zander’s mind and even managed to flounce off the island where Zander and Elizabeth live, heading instead to Seth’s home.
Seth is curious to know what brought about Dimity’s sudden reappearance but knowing he won’t get any answers from Dimity he finds himself playing the long game. What Dimity finds at Seth’s home though is a welcome distraction and space to think and whilst she does come to some sensible conclusions where Zander and Rage is concerned, some of her plans are also cruel and impossible to comprehend.
With the darkness of Rage’s future put to one side, the story between Seth and Dimity is sweet and almost tender. With Seth still struggling to come to terms with his father’s behaviour, and his ex now having moved on from their life together with relative ease, Seth turns to Dimity for support and Dimity is only too happy to try to put this strong but delicate man back together.
The connection between Seth and Dimity was perfectly penned and easily outshone the person she becomes around Zander and Elizabeth. Despite her attempts to derail their relationship, Dimity soon sees the error of her ways and instead of scheming and plotting, she lets her heart lead her mind into safer waters. With Seth at her side, Dimity quickly starts to realise that she can find happiness without a paycheck and the pair look to a future together but will that future be in the circle of Rage?
This was another outstanding book from Karina Bliss who has a real talent for writing rock based stories. Whilst not a story based on tour and involving drugs and debauchery, this book instead tells goes some way to show life from the other side of the bright lights of being on stage and on tour. That said, when Seth and Dimity come together there is an explosiveness in and out of the bedroom!
I can’t wait to see where this series heads to next. With Moss teasing us from the wings, we can only hope to read his story soon.
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November 19, 2018
Bliss didn’t go where I expected - which I loved. At important crossroads in the story she frequently did something fun and new.
I just didn’t love Dimity. She stayed true to character throughout the book - her character was just a bit...frazzled. It felt like I was getting repeated tiny electric shocks.
I just didn’t love Dimity. She stayed true to character throughout the book - her character was just a bit...frazzled. It felt like I was getting repeated tiny electric shocks.
November 18, 2016
I bought Karina Bliss's Rise on an impulse (okay, fine, it was a weakness for rock star romances), and had a lot of fun reading it. So when she offered me an ARC of the sequel, FALL, I was very quick to say yes please!
It’s perhaps inaccurate to bill FALL as a rock star romance – Seth does rock out a couple of times (and I may have swooned alongside Dimity), but the overall story focuses more on the aftermath of events that happened in RISE. As a result, it’s less rock star, more intimate, and all about Seth and Dimity’s developing romance. There’s sizzling chemistry, a lot of denial, some pursuing, and yes, a HEA that made me smile.
Snappy dialogue and sparkling humour made the time whizz past for me (I won’t spoil it for you, but there was a LotR analogy that made me splutter with laughter). But it’s not just all light frothy romance – at its heart, FALL is about family, both the family you’re born into and the family that you create for yourself, and this added substance to the romance.
Dimity’s that rare breed in a romance novel – she’s a thoroughly alpha female, though Seth is no pushover either. I loved that Seth was confident enough to let Dimity be herself, and that Dimity wasn’t magically transformed into a new person at the end of the book. Bliss makes the most of alternating POVs here, and I had so much fun seeing Seth and Dimity through each other’s eyes. I also appreciated the well-rounded secondary characters in the book – Seth’s family play a solid supporting role, as do the other members of the band (yes, total sequel bait, but I’ll bite).
I have to say one thing did pull me out of the story at times: Seth’s nickname for Dimity was Honey B (after she was not-so-kindly compared to a honey badger). This is purely me (and rather poor timing), but there is a contestant called Honey G on this year’s UK X Factor, and well, having my mind link the two of them is not a good thing!
Unfortunate nicknames aside, FALL was a winner for me, and I’m really looking forward to the next installment in this series – or whatever Bliss writes next.
********
A version originally published on my blog: https://bookdaze.wordpress.com/2016/1...
It’s perhaps inaccurate to bill FALL as a rock star romance – Seth does rock out a couple of times (and I may have swooned alongside Dimity), but the overall story focuses more on the aftermath of events that happened in RISE. As a result, it’s less rock star, more intimate, and all about Seth and Dimity’s developing romance. There’s sizzling chemistry, a lot of denial, some pursuing, and yes, a HEA that made me smile.
Snappy dialogue and sparkling humour made the time whizz past for me (I won’t spoil it for you, but there was a LotR analogy that made me splutter with laughter). But it’s not just all light frothy romance – at its heart, FALL is about family, both the family you’re born into and the family that you create for yourself, and this added substance to the romance.
Dimity’s that rare breed in a romance novel – she’s a thoroughly alpha female, though Seth is no pushover either. I loved that Seth was confident enough to let Dimity be herself, and that Dimity wasn’t magically transformed into a new person at the end of the book. Bliss makes the most of alternating POVs here, and I had so much fun seeing Seth and Dimity through each other’s eyes. I also appreciated the well-rounded secondary characters in the book – Seth’s family play a solid supporting role, as do the other members of the band (yes, total sequel bait, but I’ll bite).
I have to say one thing did pull me out of the story at times: Seth’s nickname for Dimity was Honey B (after she was not-so-kindly compared to a honey badger). This is purely me (and rather poor timing), but there is a contestant called Honey G on this year’s UK X Factor, and well, having my mind link the two of them is not a good thing!
Unfortunate nicknames aside, FALL was a winner for me, and I’m really looking forward to the next installment in this series – or whatever Bliss writes next.
********
A version originally published on my blog: https://bookdaze.wordpress.com/2016/1...
November 26, 2016
Not as great as the first book, but Sth and Dimity are so cute together :))
November 13, 2016
4.5 out of 5 Stars
If you are reading this series, you know the rock band Rage is in a mess. Zee just had surgery on his vocal chords, the public is upset once they found out Zee was lip-syncing during his two performances because his voice had failed him, and the insurance carrier for his interrupted music tour did not want to pay stating the injury to his vocal chords was a pre-existing condition.
Dimity is on her way to New Zealand to visit Zee and straighten this mess out. She is fighting, and hoping, Zee will be able to sing again and the band will continue to tour. Little does she know that Zee has had an epiphany and his dreams of a future may not coincide with hers.
Drunken sex with Seth, the drummer of Rage, was a climactic end of a lone road for both of them. How do you handle staying independent, emotionless, and in charge of this band when your feelings are growing beyond these boundaries? Being close to Seth in this friends with benefits arrangement may be placing at risk all that Dimity has fought for.
Definitely recommended to all those readers like myself who love a hot rock 'n roll romance with plenty of intricacies. Note that Seth is actually a great guy and not naturally a bad boy. But when he is close to Dimity, let's just say his bad boy side flourishes.
I received an ARC from the author. I have voluntarily decided to review this book because it has merit.
If you are reading this series, you know the rock band Rage is in a mess. Zee just had surgery on his vocal chords, the public is upset once they found out Zee was lip-syncing during his two performances because his voice had failed him, and the insurance carrier for his interrupted music tour did not want to pay stating the injury to his vocal chords was a pre-existing condition.
Dimity is on her way to New Zealand to visit Zee and straighten this mess out. She is fighting, and hoping, Zee will be able to sing again and the band will continue to tour. Little does she know that Zee has had an epiphany and his dreams of a future may not coincide with hers.
Drunken sex with Seth, the drummer of Rage, was a climactic end of a lone road for both of them. How do you handle staying independent, emotionless, and in charge of this band when your feelings are growing beyond these boundaries? Being close to Seth in this friends with benefits arrangement may be placing at risk all that Dimity has fought for.
Definitely recommended to all those readers like myself who love a hot rock 'n roll romance with plenty of intricacies. Note that Seth is actually a great guy and not naturally a bad boy. But when he is close to Dimity, let's just say his bad boy side flourishes.
I received an ARC from the author. I have voluntarily decided to review this book because it has merit.
November 16, 2016
First let me say that I love this author because she packs a lot of feeling and real life into her stories.
In this series she treats us to some unusual heroes. First came the Rock God bad boy extraordinaire, Zander, and his serious Pulitzer prize winning author heroine. Different, right?!
Now comes good guy drummer Seth and type A ball-buster PA Dimity. I loved this pairing, though I had my doubts as to how the author could bring them to life. She did a great job of humanizing them without losing their individuality. Their romance plays out in the middle of real life, family, friends and side stories, making it richer and more satisfying for me.
The only quibble I have is that the abrupt ending. My consolation is that, like Zander and Elizabeth's tale, we'll see more of Seth and his Honey Badger as the series continues. Can't wait for the next one!
In this series she treats us to some unusual heroes. First came the Rock God bad boy extraordinaire, Zander, and his serious Pulitzer prize winning author heroine. Different, right?!
Now comes good guy drummer Seth and type A ball-buster PA Dimity. I loved this pairing, though I had my doubts as to how the author could bring them to life. She did a great job of humanizing them without losing their individuality. Their romance plays out in the middle of real life, family, friends and side stories, making it richer and more satisfying for me.
The only quibble I have is that the abrupt ending. My consolation is that, like Zander and Elizabeth's tale, we'll see more of Seth and his Honey Badger as the series continues. Can't wait for the next one!
November 20, 2016
I thought this was well written but I didn't enjoy it as much as its predecessor. It was enjoyable to catch up with previous characters as part of the story but, in what felt like a short book, it detracted from the main romance. I don't think the relationship developed enough between initial connection to LOVE.
November 21, 2016
This started out well but, as I see it, Dimity and Seth hadn't spent enough time together to have fallen in love by the end. Their chemistry was nothing like Zander and Elizabeth's in the previous book. However, the writing was fresh enough to keep me hooked for the most part. Will definitely be reading Moss's book.
November 29, 2016
Reviewed at Dear Author: http://dearauthor.com/book-reviews/ov...
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March 8, 2017
Me encanta esta autora, su forma naturalista de presentar las relaciones humanas y en especial las sentimentales sin tirar de angustia innecesaria y sin adornar ni excusar a sus personajes sino mostrándolos con sus contradicciones.
Por ponerle una pega diría que hace demasiado buenazo a Seth (igual que hizo con Elizabeth en Rise) pero conozco a personas así con lo que no me parece un recurso estilístico barato.
Me ha gustado estar en la cabeza de la manipuladora, borde y tremenda Dimity, a pesar de todos sus defectos me gusta la gente que dice lo que piensa y actúa en consecuencia, ignorando a los inconsecuentes.
Por ponerle una pega diría que hace demasiado buenazo a Seth (igual que hizo con Elizabeth en Rise) pero conozco a personas así con lo que no me parece un recurso estilístico barato.
Me ha gustado estar en la cabeza de la manipuladora, borde y tremenda Dimity, a pesar de todos sus defectos me gusta la gente que dice lo que piensa y actúa en consecuencia, ignorando a los inconsecuentes.
November 16, 2016
I'm giving this a B- at All About Romance. Read my full review here: Fall (Rock Solid, #2)
Fall is a light and entertaining read. It didn’t rock my world (ahem), or leave my heart aching when it was done, and I honestly haven’t spent a lot of time thinking about it now that I’m finished. But. Sometimes I want and need those things from a romance novel. I was invested in the story while I was reading it, but ready to move on when it was done. Low on angst, Fall is the story of two friends who fall in love despite their best attempts not to. Two additional storylines run parallel to the romance, but provide just the right amount of additional drama to add a bit of depth to this novel. I haven’t read the previous book, Rise, (or the novella, Play), and I think they might have helped to put this story in context, but I enjoyed it anyway and Fall works as a standalone.
Dimity Graham is PA for the band Rage. Her job is her life, and the band her version of a family. Relentless, determined, and fiercely protective of those she loves, she’s just biding time until lead singer, Zander Freedman, recovers from vocal surgery and Rage can reunite and perform together again. She confident the band can recover from bad publicity after a botched attempt by Zander to lip sync the national anthem (in the previous novel, Rise), and the forced hiatus following his surgery. In fact, when the novel opens, Dimity is celebrating. Her selfish mother has finally remarried and is no longer her responsibility. Determined to get laid to celebrate her freedom, she’s heading out to a club when she runs into Rage’s nice-guy drummer Seth Curran.
Seth, who joined Rage after a nationwide audition/contest for new band members, is depressed. His former (long-distance) girlfriend got engaged to someone else, and the news breaks his heart. When Dimity turns up and shares her plans for the night, he offers to help her scout out potential hook-ups and heads to the club with her. Listening to what happened with Mel (Seth’s ex), Dimity is angry. Seth did everything he could to prove his love and fidelity to Mel, but she still cut him loose. And based on her texts and updates, it seems like Mel is keeping Seth just close enough to keep him from moving on. A tipsy Dimity convinces a slightly drunk Seth to pretend they’re a couple during an upcoming trip to New Zealand to meet-up with Zander. The fake relationship can kill two birds with one stone: Mel will be jealous of Seth’s new relationship, and it might bring them back together again (only in a romance novel!).
At the bar and somewhat worse for wear, faking a relationship seems like a good idea. But back at Dimity’s house discussing the plan over a few more drinks, their increasingly flirtatious conversation quickly escalates. They end up having sex and it’s both a good and bad development – good, because it might help them pull off their fake relationship once they’re around Mel; bad, because it was a lot more pleasurable and intense than either expected (through morning after PoVs we realize they’re both slightly freaking out). Though both Seth and Dimity pretend everything is normal, we know (and they know) it isn’t. Before sex, they genuinely liked each other. After sex, they still like each other, but the sentiment is complicated by this new attraction to one another. To his surprise, Seth realizes Dimity isn’t quite as tough as she appears. Her ‘fake dating’ plan unexpectedly reveals....
Read the rest of my Fall (Rock Solid, #2) review here
Fall is a light and entertaining read. It didn’t rock my world (ahem), or leave my heart aching when it was done, and I honestly haven’t spent a lot of time thinking about it now that I’m finished. But. Sometimes I want and need those things from a romance novel. I was invested in the story while I was reading it, but ready to move on when it was done. Low on angst, Fall is the story of two friends who fall in love despite their best attempts not to. Two additional storylines run parallel to the romance, but provide just the right amount of additional drama to add a bit of depth to this novel. I haven’t read the previous book, Rise, (or the novella, Play), and I think they might have helped to put this story in context, but I enjoyed it anyway and Fall works as a standalone.
Dimity Graham is PA for the band Rage. Her job is her life, and the band her version of a family. Relentless, determined, and fiercely protective of those she loves, she’s just biding time until lead singer, Zander Freedman, recovers from vocal surgery and Rage can reunite and perform together again. She confident the band can recover from bad publicity after a botched attempt by Zander to lip sync the national anthem (in the previous novel, Rise), and the forced hiatus following his surgery. In fact, when the novel opens, Dimity is celebrating. Her selfish mother has finally remarried and is no longer her responsibility. Determined to get laid to celebrate her freedom, she’s heading out to a club when she runs into Rage’s nice-guy drummer Seth Curran.
Seth, who joined Rage after a nationwide audition/contest for new band members, is depressed. His former (long-distance) girlfriend got engaged to someone else, and the news breaks his heart. When Dimity turns up and shares her plans for the night, he offers to help her scout out potential hook-ups and heads to the club with her. Listening to what happened with Mel (Seth’s ex), Dimity is angry. Seth did everything he could to prove his love and fidelity to Mel, but she still cut him loose. And based on her texts and updates, it seems like Mel is keeping Seth just close enough to keep him from moving on. A tipsy Dimity convinces a slightly drunk Seth to pretend they’re a couple during an upcoming trip to New Zealand to meet-up with Zander. The fake relationship can kill two birds with one stone: Mel will be jealous of Seth’s new relationship, and it might bring them back together again (only in a romance novel!).
At the bar and somewhat worse for wear, faking a relationship seems like a good idea. But back at Dimity’s house discussing the plan over a few more drinks, their increasingly flirtatious conversation quickly escalates. They end up having sex and it’s both a good and bad development – good, because it might help them pull off their fake relationship once they’re around Mel; bad, because it was a lot more pleasurable and intense than either expected (through morning after PoVs we realize they’re both slightly freaking out). Though both Seth and Dimity pretend everything is normal, we know (and they know) it isn’t. Before sex, they genuinely liked each other. After sex, they still like each other, but the sentiment is complicated by this new attraction to one another. To his surprise, Seth realizes Dimity isn’t quite as tough as she appears. Her ‘fake dating’ plan unexpectedly reveals....
Read the rest of my Fall (Rock Solid, #2) review here
November 9, 2017
Whenever I read a Karina Bliss book my dictionary function on my Kindle gets one heck of a workout. She uses words like digestifs, recidivist, evinced and diaphanous and I feel like I'm learning SAT words again. I just love it! Karina Bliss also gives such depth and complexity to her characters, that you feel as if you're seeing parts of their souls - that's how intense her books feel for me. Dimity Graham is Rage's frontman's PA. She is a jack of all trades and master of ALL. In Rise, the story ends off with Zander Freeman recovering from vocal chord surgery. The band's future is dependent on the his recovery, and Dimity will do whatever it takes to keep the band together. They're her family even though she was "a complex, contradictory woman, casually cruel, implacably kind, blisteringly honest, and the queen of denial." Well waiting for the verdict, she has one wild night with the band's drummer, Seth Curran. He is the 'nice guy' of the band. Female fans love him and he is one of those unicorns in the showbiz industry as he doesn't succumb to people, especially Dimity's, desire to change him. He stays true to who is he but things go south when his former girlfriend announces she is engaged. He isn't his usual self and needs a distraction. Dimity inadvertently provides one, and they have one drunken wild night where they formulate a plan to pretend to be dating, so that when they go to New Zealand, Seth's ex and family can see that he has moved on.
I loved Seth's liking of Dimity to a honey badger. Through his friendship with her he got to know her and gave her the nickname. She was definitely "fierce, carnivorous and had a deep ominous growl who dropped stink bombs - her truth bombs." The two of them together seem like an unlikely match. They were very different. But through their concocted plan, the band's future and Dimity's need to interfere and fix everything, they come to deal with their individual issues while helping each other. The chemistry between them was flammable and intense.
One gripe of mine was the quick ending. I wanted more groveling. More drama. I was confused with the "strategy" used by Seth, and felt that the rush to end left out a lot of stuff. Still a good book that I enjoyed reading. I will definitely read the other books in the series because I'm curious to see what happens to the rest of the band members.
I loved Seth's liking of Dimity to a honey badger. Through his friendship with her he got to know her and gave her the nickname. She was definitely "fierce, carnivorous and had a deep ominous growl who dropped stink bombs - her truth bombs." The two of them together seem like an unlikely match. They were very different. But through their concocted plan, the band's future and Dimity's need to interfere and fix everything, they come to deal with their individual issues while helping each other. The chemistry between them was flammable and intense.
One gripe of mine was the quick ending. I wanted more groveling. More drama. I was confused with the "strategy" used by Seth, and felt that the rush to end left out a lot of stuff. Still a good book that I enjoyed reading. I will definitely read the other books in the series because I'm curious to see what happens to the rest of the band members.
November 28, 2016
Another winner from Karina Bliss. I really enjoyed “Rise,” the first book in this series, and I liked “Fall” just as much. I’m a huge fan of complicated, difficult characters, and the heroine, Dimity, is no exception. She’s head-strong and obstinate and bold and terrified and I love seeing people so adamantly stuck in their ways find something worth changing for. I particularly enjoyed the irony of seeing someone so brave be frightened by someone as kind as the band’s “good guy” drummer, Seth. In some ways I thought Seth was too perfect, but at the same time, those qualities were exactly what alarmed Dimity most, so it was kind of funny to see such a nice hero be perceived as a threat.
Bliss has a warm, intelligent writing voice that immediately draws readers in, and I found the banter funny and believable, the love story well-paced and convincing. I agree with the people who say they wish they’d seen the hero and heroine spend more time together. I think less time spent with Seth’s family and a bit more time with the couple would have made this a five-star read for me. That said, I enjoyed Dimity’s non-romantic plotline, and I appreciate Bliss’s effort to show how the characters were able to exist and grow without each other, making them better and stronger individuals when they finally got their well-deserved HEA.
Bliss has a warm, intelligent writing voice that immediately draws readers in, and I found the banter funny and believable, the love story well-paced and convincing. I agree with the people who say they wish they’d seen the hero and heroine spend more time together. I think less time spent with Seth’s family and a bit more time with the couple would have made this a five-star read for me. That said, I enjoyed Dimity’s non-romantic plotline, and I appreciate Bliss’s effort to show how the characters were able to exist and grow without each other, making them better and stronger individuals when they finally got their well-deserved HEA.
November 15, 2016
When I was first offered an ARC of Fall by my friend, Karina Bliss, she asked me to let her know what I thought of Dimity.
Amazon has this interesting process for leaving a review: the reader is given choices on whether they think the book has violence-No (though Dimity is tempted more than once), the mood- Hopeful (if she can just get Zee to listen), and how do you judge the characters, one-dimensional, developed, or complex.
I have read many, many books and done hundreds of reviews and I have never checked complex- until now.
Dimity is like a rough diamond. She’s hard, strong, and has so many facets to her character even she gets confused. I loved her!
She wants the very best for the band she manages like a mother hen and is determined to change their fearless leader’s mind when he decides to give up his career for the sake of a new start with the love of his life. Dimity is sure Zander is making a grave mistake that will affect not only himself, but the entire band, including the sexy drummer with issues of his own, and she’s determined to change his mind.
One of my favorite elements of this story is her fear of children, and how that sort of
Amazon has this interesting process for leaving a review: the reader is given choices on whether they think the book has violence-No (though Dimity is tempted more than once), the mood- Hopeful (if she can just get Zee to listen), and how do you judge the characters, one-dimensional, developed, or complex.
I have read many, many books and done hundreds of reviews and I have never checked complex- until now.
Dimity is like a rough diamond. She’s hard, strong, and has so many facets to her character even she gets confused. I loved her!
She wants the very best for the band she manages like a mother hen and is determined to change their fearless leader’s mind when he decides to give up his career for the sake of a new start with the love of his life. Dimity is sure Zander is making a grave mistake that will affect not only himself, but the entire band, including the sexy drummer with issues of his own, and she’s determined to change his mind.
One of my favorite elements of this story is her fear of children, and how that sort of
November 20, 2016
I'm a little annoyed right now because this book had so much potential! I actually really liked these characters, Seth was a sweetheart and Dimity was this smart, classy, self-assured woman that was a little damaged. My heart went out to her. My issue was that I needed more interaction to truly believe they fell in love. I suppose if you want to take into account that they were good friends for years (or months?) before the time when the book actually takes place, perhaps you'd be satisfied and accept that this new romantic relationship was built on that and that's enough for you, and that's fine, but I wasn't there and I'm not satisfied.
A lot of time was spent with characters getting psychoanalyzed and not enough actual talking and action. They would just know what the other person was feeling because they were that gifted at reading people. There was also a little too much time spent on Zander and Elizabeth, characters from the previous book in the series. This could have been an awesome book and I'm a little bummed that it was just on ok read.
November 24, 2016
I received this ARC book free in exchange for a voluntary honest review. Wonderful story, Deminity and Seth work together and are currently sorting out their lives together as they try to find a new path in life when a friend throws them both a curveball. Both are forever changed by their family's influence and situations that occurred in their younger years. Though as friends neither believed that they would first find heat then possible love but the trials have not yet started as their friendship and their love is to be tried against some overwhelming family issues.
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