Rock Wedding

Rock Kiss #4

by Nalini Singh

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh continues her Rock Kiss series with a hot, sweet, emotional contemporary romance about love and forgiveness…

After a lifetime of longing for a real family, Sarah Smith thought she’d finally found her home with rock star Abe Bellamy, even if she knew Abe didn’t love her the way she loved him. But their brief relationship, filled with tragedy and heartache, nearly destroyed her. Alone, emotions in turmoil, and already shaky self-esteem shattered, Sarah struggles to pick up the pieces in the wake of their divorce.

Abe knows he’s to blame for the end of his marriage. Caught in a web of painful memories, he pushed away the best thing in his life – the sexy, smart woman he adores – breaking them both in the process. Then fate throws him a second chance to get things right, to prove to Sarah that she means everything to him. Abe desperately wants that second chance at love...even if he knows he doesn’t deserve it.

But can he convince Sarah – now strong and independent without him – to risk her wounded heart one more time?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Music, Second Chance, Adult, Audiobook

382 pages, Paperback

First published July 19, 2016

About the author

I've been writing as long as I can remember and all of my stories always held a thread of romance (even when I was writing about a prince who could shoot lasers out of his eyes). I love creating unique characters, love giving them happy endings and I even love the voices in my head. There's no other job I would rather be doing. In September 2002, when I got the call that Silhouette Desire wanted to buy my first book, Desert Warrior, it was a dream come true. I hope to continue living the dream until I keel over of old age on my keyboard.


I was born in Fiji and raised in New Zealand. I also spent three years living and working in Japan, during which time I took the chance to travel around Asia. I’m back in New Zealand now, but I’m always plotting new trips. If you’d like to see some of my travel snapshots, have a look at the Travel Diary page (updated every month).

So far, I've worked as a lawyer, a librarian, a candy factory general hand, a bank temp and an English teacher and not necessarily in that order. Some might call that inconsistency but I call it grist for the writer's mill.

Reviews

[KristenReviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Solid Stars

What a wonderful ending to an enjoyable series.

To be honest, I was surprised how much I truly enjoyed this book. I was a little concerned that I wouldn't fully connect with this particular love story considering how ambivalent I have been toward Abe's character throughout the series. I shouldn't have worried. There is a reason Nalini Singh is my favorite author. She just knows how to write my type of romance.

This story not only offered a heartbreaking but sweet second chance at romance storyline between Abe and his ex-wife Sarah, but it also gave page time to the other couples in the series. That aspect of the plot had an extended epilogue type feel, which I loved, especially in regard to Noah and Kit. I needed to experience and KNOW them happy and in love...this book gave me that.

Rock Wedding was a sweet, at times heartbreaking, but definitely gratifying ending to a captivating series. I can't wait to get my hands on the upcoming spin-off series featuring Gabriel's brothers...OH MY!

ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

It would be easier to blame Abe for it all.

I’m not sure what’s changed with me lately. Beforehand I needed my hero to be Mary Poppins in hero form – Practically Perfect In Every Way. But who are we kidding here? Blokes are not perfect. Then again, chicks aren't perfect either. If everyone was perfect and perfectly matched it would be a bloody boring old world. What we can do is try and find a perfect for me "type" of guy or gal, even in our romance reads. At times I don't mind the bad boys eg. bikers, mafia men, assassins, manwhores and criminals and in that space of time, I can even forgive them for bad deeds. I don’t always forgive them when they push my comfort levels that wee bit too far. The one thing that seems to be the deciding factor on whether I can forgive a hero is if they show remorse and acknowledge they did the wrong thing. In Rock Wedding it doesn’t take long in meeting and getting to know Abe that it’s obvious he knows he’s done wrong, regrets it enormously and will do everything in his power to put things right.

Rock Wedding is not an easy story to read. There are sections that will be sensitive to some readers as the heroine has previously had issues with pregnancies. I admit, I cried a few times while reading their tragic tale. It was a struggle to read Sarah’s heartbreak and what she has lived through. The fact that she has come out the other side strong, self-sufficient and more confident (not full of confidence but definitely more than what she started with) shows how remarkable she is. I wanted to hug her so many times and give her the support she was lacking but desperately needed. I will say this…while a lot of things that happened to her were not her fault, it wasn’t necessarily the people around hers fault either. Sarah hides her past and is scared to show the real her because she thinks they will think less of her. The people who grew to like and love her weren’t really given the full Sarah.

Now, Abe is no angel. We’re getting the clean cut version of him now and only the bad stuff in bits and pieces. Abe is a recovering addict. He knew that when he was in a drug-fuelled frenzy his words were like daggers. Abe knew that his violent rages never hurt another person physically, but being witness to it hurts loved ones just as much. He’s on the right path now but it will always be a struggle for him. The person he hurt the most, suffered because of her love for him. Abe knows he doesn’t deserve Sarah’s forgiveness but he wants to make clear to her now that he regrets his mistakes and her misguided belief that he never loved her.

So, in the big scheme of things I couldn’t really blame either of them fully. Oh, Abe really peeved me off at times and I wanted to hate him. I knew the reasons why he spiralled into darkness and while I don’t condone his behaviour, I understood it. I think Abe’s biggest fault was in being a coward. Even though I understand why it didn’t make it any easier to swallow his pushing Sarah away. When it comes to Sarah her biggest fault was in being young and inexperienced. She’d lived through some horrendous situations and when Abe showed her kindness and affection she thought she’d found a family. I think both of them were at fault but Abe’s words broke their love and it took years for them to put the pieces back together.

Rock Wedding is a second chance love story that left me with a happy buzz. This was a steamy read that definitely showed the connection between Sarah and Abe. It wasn’t easy and I struggled a little with the pain Sarah had lived through. The descriptions were thorough enough to understand what has previously happened but not graphic that I felt uncomfortable. I enjoyed catching up with the other characters, especially when Charlotte and Gabriel came for a visit from New Zealand. I managed to smile a few times, but I will admit there were probably more tears than smiles.

Nalini Singh has done an excellent job of telling the story of the heartbreak and devastation when you’ve lost someone who is important to you. Death is never easy and how you deal with it is your own battle. These two took all the knocks but managed to come out the other side with smiles on their faces.

To purchase Rock Wedding from Amazon - http://amzn.to/29K0iVE




I’m an Aussie chick who loves to read and review romance, drink coffee, be a Style Setter and stalk David Gandy. To see more of my reviews, fashion, food and pervathons -

[Dali · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently read that sometimes things need to go a little bit wrong before the go right. Things certainly went badly for Abe and Sarah but sometimes happily endings deserve a second chance. I adored their heartfelt story about forgiveness and love.

After growing up neglected by her mother and then left on the streets, Sarah Smith dreamed of a family of her own. When fate forever entwined her with rock star Abe Bellamy’s life she thought she thought she would be the happiest woman on earth even if her unconditional love towards Abe wasn’t equally returned. But his unchecked demons not only destroyed their relationship they nearly ruined her. But underneath all the self-doubt lives a smart and strong woman who can stand on her own.

Nothing seems to be able to help Abe’s downwards spiral into an abyss of despair, anger and grief. Not his fame and fortune, not his friends and family, not even the only woman he’s ever loved… until he loses her. Even if he’s unworthy of it, he’s been given a second chance. Can he win back his wife, the now strong and confident entrepreneur she’s become without him?

“She had to keep her distance if she was to have any chance of protecting he battered heart. Because this Abe? The one who sent her glowers and books and who dropped by to make sure she was all right? He was more dangerous than the man who’d broker her to pieces.”

Nalini Singh’s skilled expressive writing, complex characters and interesting plots have made me a fan for years. I know her stories will bring out all the feels, from the downright ugly to the sexy and truly swoony, sigh worthy moments that make a book everything you wanted it to be and more. Rock Wedding totally delivered.

“The electricity between them, the vivid, visceral connection that made it feel as if he’d been made for her, she for him.”

Abe and Sarah’s story is certainly an emotional rollercoaster. They’ve both had difficult pasts, but Abe because of his deep sorrow coupled with addictions kept Sarah at arm’s length and eventually under the influence treated her so badly that he forced her to leave him. After getting sober he recognizes he’s completely to blame.

“I’m a coward Sarah… so terrified of having my heart torn out of my chest that I tried to push you away, deny my love… But you’re it for me Sarah. The only woman I will ever love.”

I didn’t know much about Abe from the previous books and had my doubts about him in the beginning of this one. There’s just no way around it, he behaved dreadfully. Once clarity set in, I liked that he acknowledged his ugly, shameful actions, that he was sorry for it, and didn’t excuse it. He knows that he might have lost his shot at happiness but he’s willing to do anything and everything to get Sarah back or at the very least see her be happy.

Sarah reach back to undo her zipper. “Let me.” He wanted to adore her, seduce her, addict her.

Talk about having my doubts about characters and then doing a 180 and completely cheering for them. In the beginning, I honestly thought I wouldn’t like Sarah. She loved him deeply, that much was apparent, but she had such low self-esteem and settled for the scraps of affection Abe showed her. I really like heroines to be just as strong as their partners in a way that they give equally to a relationship. But then she reached her limit and after she divorced him she found herself, her strength and became this independent and assured person I couldn’t help but like.

Although Rock Wedding is an incredibly precise title for this book (wink, wink, I won’t spoil the surprise but oh boy do we get a treat regarding this) I think Rock Courtship would have been an equally good one. Too bad that was taken David and Thea’s story. But still, we get to a point where Abe’s love for Sarah is abundantly clear and is even and we are treated to his sweet, patient, heartfelt and swoony persuasion
Of her. These two made me teary eyed with their heartache, and brought huge smiles and sighs.

Even though Rock Wedding is Abe and Sarah’s story, it’s also the conclusion to the series and as such, all the gang from Schoolboy Choir makes an appearance supporting each other as they all begin their lives as a big rock family with their respective other halves.

A small note on the rock aspect of the story. For those of you who love their rock romances to have a musical backdrop, even though the characters’ lives are affected by their rock star status, there isn’t a lot of music related scenes.

This is not the end though, Singh all but gave us the title to her next contemporary story which will feature Gabriel’s brothers. I can’t wait to see where she takes us with this new spin-off series.

Rock Wedding is book #4 in the Rock Kiss series by Nalini Singh. It is a spicy sweet and hot romance about second chances and love, rock style. It can be read as a standalone with interconnecting characters from the rest of the series, although given the latter, I would suggest reading all books to better enjoy and understand this last installment in the series. Told from both points of view that has a happy ending.

* I was given an ARC of this book courtesy of the author via NetGalley. The excerpts are from that copy. *

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[Giorgia Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

Hmm, I liked this enough. It had some truly sad parts but I liked the concept of the story.

My complaint is that I didn't feel like it dealt with the issues it talked about, in any sort of depth, and there were way too many issues.

I mean, we have a recovering drug and alcohol addict. (the H - he was an addict throughout his whole marriage which made him mean and abusive - not in a physical way)

We also have a marriage that ended in shambles and that was never really a true marriage (at least not for the H).

We have a miscarriage. (that happened at the beginning of their marriage - and was only mentioned)

We also have the loss of a child. (the h had a child with another man during the 2 year separation from her ex-husband - before they got back together)

We have the h's boyfriend turn abusive (he punched her when she tried breaking up with him)

Then we have an unexpected pregnancy. (after 2 years apart they see each other again and they have sex, and then bam. again, a surprise baby)

We also have a very sad background for the heroine (her mom was murdered by her bf when she was 15 and she ended up on the street from that age)

It was all too much which means it was all glossed over, because you can't possibly explore all that in a 300 pages book.

[XxTainaxX Curvy and Nerdy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars. Abe made many mistakes during his brief marriage to Sarah. The Abe he was during that period of time is very difficult to read about, accept, and even reconcile with the Abe we got to know through the stories for the rest of the Schoolboy Choir band. It was not easy to move past the initial part of their story together and I anticipate that many will find that to be the defining factor for how they view the book overall. While I personally didn't find his reasoning to justify the actions, I am happy that he finally sees the error of his ways. Sarah doesn't get left behind either. She is flawed and insecure but I still found her relatable and became emotionally vested during her suffering. Abe and Sarah together have great sexual chemistry but I don't know if that extends beyond the physical. The sensual scenes are seriously scorching hot but outside the bedroom lies a lot of emotional hurt, mistrust, and insecurity. They do work through some of their issues but I think long term, they would need a stronger support system. The writing, as always, was excellent. The pacing on point. The plot was not easy to cover but the author did a good job addressing some difficult issues. Safety: H cheats with OW before divorce is final. h starts a relationship soon after ending with H. No sharing. No condoms. There is abuse both physical and emotional. This aspect might be difficult to handle for some readers. No rape.

ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Second Chance Stars

I've sat on my thoughts regarding this book for three days and I'm still not sure exactly what I'd like to say. On the one hand, it's a Nalini Singh book so you know you're in for some goodness. On the other, I'm a picky bitch and I had my issues while reading Rock Wedding. Here we go.

A woman who knew she wasn’t loved could never quite settle in.

Sarah and Abe are well known to Rock Kiss series readers, but this was my first time meeting them. Luckily their relationship back story is laid out from the beginning so I never felt like I was missing out. Abe, badass keyboard player, met and married Sarah during a time of personal tragedy. After two years of being kept at an emotional distance and one particularly harsh confrontation with Abe, Sarah's had enough and leaves the marriage.

Fast forward two years and the two are back in each others orbit. Almost immediately Abe realizes he wants his wife back. Is it too little, too late?

Emotionally this book completely worked for me. Normally when a man looses his woman due to his own extreme assholeness, I'm the one rooting for his demise. Or at least a swift kick to the balls, but whatever. Abe made it impossible not to root for him and an eventual happy ending.



This is my first Nalini Singh Contemporary Romance. As a fan of her PNR stuff, I already knew the woman can write. What I wasn't sure of was how that writing would translate to the world of a famous rock band. Unfortunately for me it wasn't as successful as I'd hoped. As good as the writing is, there's a formality to it that doesn't ring true for young musicians. These characters are in their late twenties or so and I just wasn't feeling it.

I realize I'm late to the party and missed out on the rest of the band's epic love stories, but a hefty portion of this book involves scenes of the men congratulating each other on their awesome women. And in turn, the women waxing poetic over their relationships with the best men ever. Or talking about deep rooted bonds. Or something. I knew early on this book would also serve as a kind of epilogue for the rest of the series, but I feel like Sarah and Abe's individual story suffered a little because of it.

Did I love Rock Wedding? No, but I'm still interested in checking out the rest of the series. Abe and Sarah had what sounds like a colorful beginning and experiencing that would be worth the reading time.

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

[Dee Montoya · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Rockstar Stars****

(ARC kindly provided by author in exchange for an honest review)

Music, pain, romance, and second chances. This book will allure all of your senses. Be ready to feel like the star of your own Rockstar dreams as you read this enticing novel.



Abe Bellany is a Rockstar in all senses of the word. Music is all he's ever known, but unfortunately, pain is also something he permanently carries in his heart. Abe and Sarah were once married. What started as a whirlwind romance ended up as a nightmare, as Abe couldn't contain his demons any longer, and they destroyed everything between him and Sarah.

Sarah Smith comes from a hard life. Her childhood was very difficult and she's always felt alone in the world; until Abe. But Sarah's insecurities also got the best of her. She never felt worthy of love like the one he gave her, so she walked away from Abe, even though her heart told her not to.

Years have gone by, and Sarah has been able to against all odds, build herself back up again. She has a new thriving business, her own home, and even a new relationship. But despite all the time, distance and even the anger, Sarah's heart still belongs to Abe, and little does she know that he's coming back to claim what's his.

Abe has worked really hard to clean up his act. He has made a lot of mistakes, but his biggest regret was letting go of the love of his life. But he is determined to get her back when he finally finds Sarah, he realizes that long gone is the insecure woman he once knew, and this time around he will have his work cut out for him as he tries to win her broken heart back.

As much as I blamed Abe for the breakup of his marriage, I later realized that there's always two sides to every story. And both of these characters had a lot of baggage they needed to deal with. What I loved the most was that regardless of all the pain and all the wounds, their love was fierce, and every time either of them felt like giving up, they could always go back to it and continue the fight for happiness.

Rock Wedding was my first book by this author, I really enjoyed the camaraderie between all the guys in the band and their wives too. I honestly fell in love with every, single character in this novel, and Rockstar books being a favorite of mine, makes me want to go back and read all the previous novels in this series.

Sex, Love, and Rock and Roll; this book was romantic, hot and heartwarming. Pick it up today, and enjoy a beautiful Rock Wedding, or a few. *wink

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 'redeeming' stars

The Rock Kiss series ended with a bang, or more specifically, with a few wedding bells, joy and happy tears for everyone. I find it a tad too perfect for all the couples to be hitched in this one book, but to hell with it, this is romance after all.



Going in, I'm desperate to know what is the caused of Abe and Sarah's divorce and how will they reunite. I'm a sucker for second chances, in this case even more because they were married once. For those who are worried about the reason for their divorce, is actually pretty mellow, nothing spectacular happened. In fact, I find the reason a tad too easy.

Abe was an asshole of an epic proportion during their marriage, especially when he was high and drunk. I'm sure he has his good moment, or else, Sarah wouldn't have love him so much. But during one of his epic blowout, Sarah had enough of his issue and left him.



Fast forward to present times, Sarah just broke up with her boyfriend who we saw in the previous book where he got violent with her. With Abe and the band coming to her rescue, her ex-husband is back into her life.

The main highlight of the book is Abe's road to win back his ex-wife and his road to redemption. I mean, he said some pretty awful stuff to her, which some might find it unforgivable. But throughout the journey in this book, Abe more than redeem himself. He even make me fall head over heels in love with him.

Their relationship had already bypass the getting to know you and dating stages, so I find it really refreshing to read about a couple who already in love and know each other so well. Abe is giving his 100% effort and commitment to prove to Sarah that he is a change man and a man who deserve a second chance with her. I'm in a swoon-fest throughout the book. The best part is, he didn't even need to do the epic grovel, he let his action speaks louder than words. But of course, his confessing is heartfelt too.

By the end of the book, I think Abe just became my official book husband. I'm so proud of you, Abe.



As for Sarah, she used to be so naive and innocent and a total doormat. But the current Sarah is a change woman. Despite her awful past, that she never did share with Abe before, she manage to turn her life around after the divorce and became a much more admirable woman who is able to hold her head up high. I like the fact that she isn't too stubborn to accept Abe back into her life despite not fully trusting him yet.

Being the final book of the series, we get to catch up with all the previous couples. As always, I enjoyed the camaraderie between the guys and their ladies. The fact that everyone is getting married is just perfection. The hopeless romantic in me totally don't mind attending four weddings in a span of one book.

[Bubu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Warning: Spoilers ahead!

2.5 Stars

This is clearly a situation of 'It's me, not you' that left me rather with a 'hmph' feeling.

After having read and absolutely adored Rock Hard, I left books one and three out, including the novella, because a) they sounded too much like NA and b) I'm not much of a fan of Rock/Music stars stories. Anyway, the blurb of Rock Wedding sounded interesting enough for me to give this one a go. I'm a sucker for second chance romances.

Although Rock Wedding can be read as a stand alone, I guess one of the reasons why this was a 'It's me, not you' book was because I couldn't connect to the numerous secondary characters from the previous books who take quite a bit of page time. All their various backgrounds and connections with each other are explained fully enough; still I thought it took away a lot of the interaction between Sarah and Abe. I just wanted to see more of Sarah and Abe alone, and not Sarah and Abe and four more couples.

Which brings me to the next point. Sarah had been married to Abe for two years, until his drug and alcohol induced destructive personality left her no choice but to leave and eventually divorce him. During the divorce proceedings, both find comfort with others; Abe with the endless groupies, and Sarah with a man who was clearly a rebound to her. Fast forward 2-3 years (I guess), and Abe is now a recovering addict, sober for almost a year whilst Sarah has broken up with that other man who turned out to be another abuser. Now that Abe is sober he wants to win Sarah back.

And this where I had my problems with the MCs. The first two chapters give a glimpse of how badly Abe treated Sarah during their marriage. When the story picks up in the present time, everything is focused on redemption and forgiveness. As it should be in a second chance romance, you'd say and I'd agree. But apart from the obvious and justified trust issues Sarah has with Abe, there was no real conflict. Abe was brilliant in his pursuit of Sarah, being the dream man Sarah had always hoped for during their marriage.

Now, I've slammed similar books that described emotionally abusive relationships, and I don't know how I would have taken it if Nalini Singh had shown us more of that time. Instead Singh chose to tell; Sarah and Abe both recalling the drama and hurt they'd experienced. Sarah, from what I could gather, used to be very much a doormat and it was nice to see that she had grown out of it. The Sarah in Rock Wedding is vulnerable and yet still strong. Abe, finally having come to his senses and stone cold sober, supports Sarah every step of the way in their new, fragile relationship whilst making amends to Sarah, trying to show her that he truly is the man she can count on.

Abe is fighting his demons throughout the book and I guess what I would have liked to see was how their relationship would hold up when faced with those demons. However, everything seemed a little bit too easy, a little bit too perfect, and a little bit too much suspend my disbelief. I simply didn't believe in their relationship. It didn't help that they had sex very early on. Considering how emotionally abusive Abe had been, how much emphasis had been laid on Sarah's love for Abe during their marriage and how much she had been hurt, I would have thought that Sarah would act more cautiously than she did.

Again, It was me, not the book, I think. I can see why others loved it, found it heartbreaking and super romantic. I, on the other side, was rather underwhelmed.

[Geri Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a sweet and fitting ending to this series.

Full review to come...

ARC provided by Nalini Singh in exchange for an honest review.

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sarah loved Abe fiercely, and when he told her to leave and that he didn't love her it nearly broke her. But she picked herself back up and learned to move on without him. Years later their paths cross again and Abe makes it known that he wants Sarah back in his life. He's clean now and knows he screwed up big time with Sarah, but he's willing to do anything to show her that he's the one for her.



Rock Wedding was a heartbreaking story, but i couldn't get enough of it once I started. The journey Sarah had to go through before she could finally get her Happily Ever After was one that would break most of us. But she stayed strong throughout the book and I loved that about her.

Abe and Sarah's story was very intriguing and I found it impossible to put down once I got through Part One. Abe was swoon-worthy, and he totally made up for making me hate his guts in the beginning. I loved their story for the ending of this series, and it was the perfect way to bring closure for this group of characters.

[Camila (previously the opinionated Catruler)]

Nalini Singh is giving us an Abe and Sarah full-length novel instead of just a novella.

[Valentine]

Endless groupies.
Let me tell you again: ENDLESS GROUPIES.
He loves his wife sooooooo much that he has to stick his disgusting dick in ENDLESS GROUPIES.
Fuck you very much Nalini Singh, I will never read one of your book.
THIS GARBAGE BELONGS IN A SEWER.

[Malene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rock Wedding takes one of my favorite tropes. Marriage in trouble. Sarah has had enough of Abe’s drinking and him doing drugs. Throughout their marriage this has been an ongoing problem and when Abe strikes her with his cruel words Sarah has had enough.
Two years since the divorce and Abe’s finally sober and clean he wants the only good and right thing in his life back. Sarah. It’s not easy cause Sarah has learned her lesson and has her battle scars to prove it. She’s still attracted to Abe and one thing leads to another and Sarah ends up pregnant.
I enjoyed Abe’s road back to Sarah and him fighting to earn back her trust. They were great together but what took away some of my enjoyment of the story was his mates from his band Schoolboy Choir. Their story suffered because of that. I know they’re best friends but I felt they got too much time in the story. I would have liked more time with Sarah and Abe, of them as a couple rediscovering their love and each other. Maybe I should’ve read the other books before this one. That’s my fault.
I adored Abe’s mother Diane and Abe’s past with the death of his sister were layers I enjoyed being peeled off throughout the story. His mother and her relationship with Sarah was heartwarming too.
Yes, I had some issues with Rock Wedding but overall I enjoyed it.

[Floripiquita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cuarto libro de Rock Kiss, una serie que va de menos a más, aunque esta última entrega tampoco pasará a la posteridad. En The Rock Wedding, la autora narra la historia de Abe (integrante de la banda) y Sarah, quizá la más adulta y realista de las que componen esta serie. A pesar de ser un poco lento al principio y bastante predecible, me gustó verles reconectar como pareja, superar su doloroso pasado y construir un nuevo tipo de relación, llena de honestidad y... muchos libros. Lo que ya no me convenció tanto fue el exceso de detalle de las bodas del resto de los integrantes de la banda. Entretenido y poco más.

[Lacey (laceybooklovers) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted at Booklovers For Life

This booook!!! I had crazy high expectations for Rock Wedding because first, it’s Nalini Singh, and second, it’s a second chance romance! And thank god NS didn’t let me down – I absolutely LOVED. IT. Abe and Sarah’s heart-wrenching story of love, forgiveness, and redemption swept me away and stole my heart. This is one of the best second chance romances I’ve ever read, and it’s definitely my new favorite of the series. If you love the second chance romance trope, READ THIS BOOK. There’s so much angsty goodness and amazing grovel from the hero. This can be read entirely as a standalone, too, so even if you haven’t read the series, you need to get your hands on Rock Wedding!!!

As keyboardist for Schoolboy Choir, Abe Bellamy is one of the hottest rock stars in the world. He should be at the top of his game, but losing his wife and the love of his life because of his own stupidity will bring a guy down. He’s got no one to blame but himself for hurting Sarah back when they were married and he was struggling with his addiction. But now, months sober, he’s ready for the fight of his life to earn forgiveness and win back the only woman he has ever loved.

High, he’d brutally hurt her. Sober, he could destroy her.
Because love? The kind of love she’d had for Abe? It never really died.

Sarah Smith once gave everything she was to her husband, and he destroyed her for it. She’s been able to move on, but not without scars and pain. This woman is one of the toughest heroines I’ve ever read – she’s been through so much loss and hurt, I’m amazed she was able to pick herself up and move on, especially from Abe. And now that Abe wants back in her life, she wants nothing to do with him, and rightly so. I LOVED that she doesn’t give in to him easily, love- and heart-wise. She’s not a pushover, and Abe has so much to prove before he’ll ever get to touch her heart again.

“I’m not letting you go.” It was a whispered promise. “Not this time.”

I have to say, Nalini Singh absolutely nailed the redemption and forgiveness aspect of this second chance romance. My heart honestly couldn’t stop aching throughout the book, both for Abe and Sarah. They have so much hurt and pain to overcome, but never does Abe stop fighting for Sarah, and neither does Sarah stop loving Abe. There’s hope for happiness again for the two of them and a very well-deserved HEA.

“But I was stone-cold sober the night I met you and I’m stone-cold sober now—and no woman, no woman, does to me what you do. I fucking love you. Always have, always will.”

To say this book is an emotional roller coaster would be an understatement. Nalini Singh truly blew me away with Rock Wedding and the way she incorporated so much emotion and heart to the story. I couldn’t stop reading this book – it’s a second chance romance at its finest. If you’re a fan of this series, you’re in for a fantastic, emotional ride that is this final Rock Kiss book. I’m sad that this is the end of the series, though I’m thankful we’re getting a spinoff with Gabriel’s rugby-playing brothers. I can’t wait to read more of NS’s contemporary novels!

Thanks to the publisher for generously providing me an ARC to review.

Quotes are taken from the ARC and are subject to change in the final version.

Amazon Ebook: http://amzn.to/29pCkAA

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[rj]

So disappointing from an author who has written some of my all time favorite books.

[A Klue · Rating 3 out of 5]

My rating: 4 stars for redemption of hero, but knocked down to 3 due to Abe's past treatment of Sarah and her "tragic loss/OM drama."

Rocky start doesn’t even begin to sum up the beginning of this main couple’s relationship/first marriage, folks. Abe Bellamy was in no way shape or form ready to take a wife while dealing with his complete despair and alcohol/drug abuse in an attempt to numb his anger/grief over the death of his eight year old sister, Tessie. He ended up meeting/marrying beautiful, kind, sweet Sarah Smith, who is broken in her own way, and briefly holds onto her like a lifeline, until sinking back into his abyss of despair/self-destructive ways.

**spoilers possible**

Sarah seems determined to be there for him, loves him unconditionally, puts up with being ignored/always left behind while he goes on tour, only gets brief moments of happiness with him during short lived periods of sobriety, until the unthinkable happens. Abe comes home, while under the influence, and verbally lashes out at her in such a demeaning, hurtful, heartbreaking way she walks away thinking he never really loved her. After all, she can’t hold onto something that was never there to begin with, his love. She files for divorce.

Two years later she finds herself alone again after suffering another tragic loss and the end of a relationship with Jeremy Vance, an older man who befriended her right after leaving Abe. I must say it felt kind of strange for Abe to hold her in his arms comforting her from something that linked her to Jeremey, whom she never really loved.

These two were reunited when Abe sees Jeremy physically hurt Sarah. He’s determinedly back in the picture and resolves to win her back. Fortunately, he’s been clean and sober for some time. After going to rehab shortly after spiraling out of control after their divorce, he soon realized what a precious gift he lost when Sarah left.

A little too soon for my taste, about 13% into it, they share a kiss and soon an intimate moment, which leads to a major bonding that now has them once again back in each other’s lives. The rest of the story is surprisingly drama free and focuses mainly on Sarah letting herself trust Abe again. There are lots of rock band friends and family moments, including 3 weddings, and talk of honest feelings and full reveals regarding secrets they kept from each other. Turns out Sarah had a shockingly hard knox kind of childhood, which makes you feel even more sorry for how Abe treated her.

You pretty much get a front row seat to this hero singing a major tune of redemption. It will be up to you if you want to listen to it or not. Here’s to hoping my review makes that decision a little easier. My rating: 4 stars for redemption/knocked down to 3 for hero's past behavior and Sarah's "other drama/tragic loss" involving Jeremy.

**major spoiler alert possible***

Romance Safety Gang: Some won’t be able to forgive the hero for his briefly described neglect of the heroine during the marriage and his brief but very painful, hurtful remarks right before she left him. Some may choose to attribute it to him not being mentally sound/well before he got married due to his grief/substance abuse. Either way, by 13%, the story focuses on him being a determined-to-win-his girl-back type of guy. Abe does claim he was faithful to her until they officially separated. She slept with Jeremey after seeing a tabloid pic of Abe during that same time. No OTT graphic details are given of OW/OM. Here's the big one that may kill this one for you...Look away if you don't want to know....Sarah then willingly decides to have a baby with Jeremy but doesn't marry him.

Title: Rock Wedding, Series: Rock Kiss (Book 4), Author: Nalini Singh, Pages: 345, stand-alone but meant to be read as part of a series, implied OW drama after separation/divorce but no graphic details/only tabloid pics, heroine has a relationship with OM after separation/divorce, miscarriage/infant death, unexpected pregnancy, a one-time abusive boyfriend incident.

(This review is based on NetGalley ARC issued in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion. No compensation was made to the reviewer, nor is there any affiliation between the reviewer and/or author/publisher.)

[Linda (un)Conventional Bookworms · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on (un)Conventional Bookviews
Rock Wedding is a toe-curlingly wonderful second-chance-at-love romance, and I loved everything about it!



In the prior Rock Kiss books, Sarah and Abe were mentioned together, and it was obvious the end of their marriage happened because of Abe. In Rock Wedding, we finally got their full story, mostly told from Sarah's perspective, and she totally and utterly broke my heart! She's such a beautiful soul that has been through a lot of hard times and heartache, and she thought that with Abe, things would be different. And they were - for a while. Until Abe's own demons became so ever-present he couldn't keep them all on the inside of his heart anymore, and started spewing them out on Sarah - the one person who would do anything for him, and who truly loved him for himself.

Second chances are one of my favorite romance tropes, and Singh made it perfect in Rock Wedding. The way Sarah was oh so wary of Abe spoke to me in all the ways, especially because in her heart, she knew she still loved him. But she thought she couldn't afford to try to have a relationship with him again, because him breaking her heart a second time would kill her. Abe showed her how much he had changed, though, both with his words and his actions, and my heart was singing for them to get back together! Abra forever!

Another thing I really loved in Rock Wedding was that the other band-members and their significant others were a big part of the story as well. And we were invited to celebrate more than one wedding, which was awesome because those other couples were my favorites as well. Seeing how they have all evolved since Rock Addiction was both sweet and good, the interactions both between the guys and the girls showing some strong bonds of loyalty and friendship. There is quite a bit of sadness, too in this story, though, and I definitely cried more than once. Quiet, silent tears that made my heart ache a little bit, truth be told.

Singh has promised her fans some short stories on her web-site, and I feel like I'm quite addicted to this series, even if I didn't love the very first book. Written in third person point of view, past tense, and mostly from Sarah's perspective, the story is nicely paced, and Rock Wedding was a quick read. It can be read as a stand-alone, but I really do think you'd enjoy it more if you read the series in order.



The outside world might look at him and think he'd given in to despair, but Sarah knew the truth. Her husband was full of rage. He held it within, his screaming at fate silent, but his anger, it never died.

Putting down the book in her hand, she took another look at all of them, then got up and put the books neatly onto the "to be read" section of the bookshelf in her living room.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Sarah met Abe she thought she had been swept of her feet by Prince Charming, all she ever wanted was to be part of a family, to have someone to love and who loved her in return. She never felt worthy of his attention and she never felt that he loved her as much as she loved him but she was sure that her love would be enough to see them through anything. That all changed after her miscarriage when Abe wasn't there for her when she needed him desperately, in fact he pushed her away in his grief and said some terrible hurtful things that left her heart completely shattered. Since then Sarah has built up a successful business but she went from a disastrous relationship with Abe to an even worse one with someone else and now she's in trouble.

It was Abe's friends who helped her when she's at her lowest point and now her growing friendship Molly and the other band member's girlfriends put her back in contact with Abe again too. Abe has spent years struggling with grief since the death of his sister and he know he lost the best thing that ever happened to him when he pushed Sarah away in a drug and drink fueled rage. He desperately wants to make amends and prove that he can be the man she always wanted, the man she deserves, but Sarah has had her heart broken already and it's going to take a lot for her to open back up to him again.

There were times when Rock Wedding wasn't an easy read, Sarah and Abe have both been through a lot of heartbreak and they're both still grieving for people they've loved and lost but it just shows how amazing Nalini Singh's writing is that you're right there with them both sharing their pain. I love a good second chance romance but only when it's done right and this book hit the spot perfectly, the couple both made mistakes in their relationship, although Abe's drug use was certainly the biggest cause of their problems, but they've come through the other side stronger than ever. I was a little worried that it would be hard to believe Abe has overcome his addictions but we've seen him sober for a long time now and the way he was able to open up to Sarah about things that he'd always bottled up in the past proves how much he has changed.

If there was ever a couple that deserved to find happiness it has to be these two and it was so beautiful seeing them finally get a chance to put things behind them and move on with their lives. I also loved seeing how all the other couples are doing, there are some really sweet and funny moments between the whole gang that left me with a huge smile on my face. This series has been such a fantastic one and I'm sure it'll be one I reread in the future but in the meantime I'm excited to get to know the rest of Gabe's brothers when Nalini starts publishing the spin off series!

Source: Received from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

[Talltree]

Dnf. h's sobstory too much for me. Plus triggers.

[Lover of Romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance
Summary
Sarah Smith loved Abe Bellamy, with her whole heart even though she knew that he didn't return her love. For two years, she struggled and supported and loved him through his rough times, and took advantage of the good times they had together. Until one night, Abe lashes out at her in the worst way and it breaks the camel's back for Sarah. She can't live in a marriage with a man that doesn't love and just sees her as a sex partner and nothing else. Now its been two years, and Sarah is recovering from a second divorce with a man that manipulated and used her and still grieving the loss of her baby son. Abe has changed and he want's Sarah more than anything else. He loves her and he never treated her the way she deserved. Abe is on the road of recovery and healing and is going to fight for his wife again....no matter how much he has to grovel or how long it takes to win her back in his life for good.
The Hero
Abe Bellamy, grew up in a loving home with parents that showed him the importance of family. He had a very close relationship with his younger sister, who died at a young age of cancer and for most of his life he has yet to come to terms with her death. He has resorted to drinking and drugs and throwing away the most important people in his life especially his beautiful and sweet wife Sarah. Abe with the help of his friends and a serious wake up call...has turned his life around and has been sober and drug free for close to a year. Which is a huge milestone. Now Abe is one of those characters that just break your heart. He is very "bad boy" and in the beginning he treats Sarah horribly. But as you see his hidden depths, you understand why he lashes out. He won me over pretty quickly and after seeing him struggle through the series it was so fabulous to see him get his happy ending he deserved.
The Heroine
Sarah Smith never knew what it was like to be part of a solid family, she had to leave her past behind and start anew. Sarah is smart and funny, and fell in love pretty quickly with Abe and even though she started as a rock "groupie" she felt a powerful chemistry with Abe. Sarah is loyal and true, and stands by those she loves for the most. She has supported Abe through every downfall and battle and never complained about what Abe did to her through the years. But now she is free, to live. She has created a successful business for herself and is quite independent. She is going through her own battles of grief and loneliness. My heart just broke for Sarah, and probably one of the best heroines I have seen so far this year. What I truly liked about her is how steadfast she is. She has this vibrant inner strength you just gravitate towards. She has backbone and we see how she comes into herself in this book.
Plot and Story Line
In The Rock Wedding, we finally get Abe and Sarah's long awaited story!! Man these two really put me through the ringer...BIG TIME but boy did I love every moment along the way. Now it starts off, with the Anniversary of Abe's sister's death. This is usually the roughest day of the year for Abe. Abe is high on drugs, and lashes out in the most cruel way to Sarah. Wow...I almost burst into tears....because Sarah bears it so well. She leaves him that night and demands a divorce. For a while its not a easy road for either of these two. They both have to learn certain truths about themselves, and overcome certain traits in order to come together like they were meant to. We see a hero that starts to heal in the best and healthiest way possible. Abe realizes how much damage he has caused and turns his life around completely. He is so devoted to Sarah though. Once he fights for her---boy he really does it well too. Sarah is a fighter and she isn't just going to take him back easily, she has self doubts and doesn't believe Abe can ever love her. So Abe has to prove himself until it sinks in for Sarah.

She had to keep her distance if she was to have any chance of protecting he battered heart. Because this Abe? The one who sent her glowers and books and who dropped by to make sure she was all right? He was more dangerous than the man who’d broker her to pieces.

I just adored seeing these two reconnect with each other, and build a new type of relationship---full of honesty, laughter and passion. We see the depths of human nature and imperfect characters grow and change for the better!! I love how human they felt, and as a reader you connect with them on a personal level because Singh writes them with realism and not fantasy.  It was so fun to see the previous couples of the series and some fun moments with this group!!! Definitely a story to win over any romance reader!!!
The Cover
Gorgeous!!! I just love this one especially with the piano and the Pink lettering!! Just a perfect touch and really relates with the book so well.
Overall View
Rock Wedding is an emotionally charged romance that will bring a tear to your eye and a smile to your face!!! It has passion, a road of healing and love!! WONDERFUL!!!

But I was stone-cold sober the night I met you and I’m stone-cold sober now—and no woman, no woman, does to me what you do. I fucking love you. Always have, always will.

Click On Cover For Buy Link
[foogallery id="20018"]

[Alina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have not read the other books of the series but I have read Charlotte and Gabriels book plenty of times so I am aware of the secondary characters.
I love the second chance romance but it is technically not safe since he cheated on her when he was high but he does not remember it. She was in a relationship post-separation, pre-divorce but it did not end well for her. The hero stopped sleeping with people as soon as he got sober.
I love her strength, she went through a miscarriage and a stillborn and she survived and tried to live her life.
He pursued her heavily and she did not easily give in which I LOVED.

[Francesca the Fierce (Under the Covers Book Blog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Here we are, the Rock Kiss ride comes to an end. We know about Abe’s ex wife Sarah and saw in the previous book how her relationship with a boyfriend had reached a bad place, so it was natural for Abe to use this opportunity to get a second chance with the only woman he’s ever loved. Normally, that’s one of my favorite type of stories to read. But this one didn’t hit the mark quite as good as I was hoping for.

ROCK WEDDING starts off with showing us the bad side of Abe. Under the influence of drugs, mourning the loss of his little sister and not able to cope with life in general. How he treated his young wife, a then weak-minded Sarah, was arguably unforgivable. And then, at one point, Sarah had enough of it. She left him and moved on with her life.

As far as heroines go, I have a lot of respect for her and how she prevailed after that defeat. She made something of herself in spite of her failed marriage and her lack of confidence at the time. Sarah’s character shows a lot of growth and I was definitely rooting for her to get an HEA.

Abe was much harder for me to warm up to. And isn’t that a shame!? He’s got the tortured hero part down, but it took me a while to get over his past actions towards the heroine and I definitely can’t say I fell in love with him truly at any point. I know he’s a changed man now, he’s deeply sorry for his mistakes and all that. But I still wasn’t buying that they should be together for quite a bit of this book. I probably had a harder time forgiving him for how he acted in the past than the heroine did.

Together though, Abe and Sarah do have a lot of chemistry AND a lot of history. So seeing them finally get an HEA was sweet and rewarding. Ms. Singh put these two characters through the ringer, that’s for sure. There’s a lot of loss and heartbreak in their lives that they’ve had to overcome.

As the title suggests, there are some weddings in this book ;) This book does wrap the series up pretty well (even if it did seem as if everything had a nice easy bow in the end) and we get to see all the previous couples. Always nice! But my favorite part about the end? The knowledge of more to come from Ms. Singh in contemporaries! I can’t wait for the spin off. I can’t wait!

As you probably know, I’m a huge fan of Nalini Singh and I’ve enjoyed this series quite a bit. But ROCK WEDDING left me a bit conflicted because, while I enjoyed it ok and it’s a very sweet and at times heartbreaking story, it also seemed to drag and for once in a long time I didn’t quite connect with the couple. And I can’t put my finger on why. Was it the characters? Was it the conflict? Was it the hero’s actions? I couldn’t really tell you, but I found myself a bit disinterested sometimes and that rarely happens with a book by this author.

[Bindi Boo]

DN-freaking- F
Yup. i said it. I did not finish a Nalini Singh book. She's one of my favourite authors and i was looking forward to this one. The blurb sounded enticing but looks like I'll just stick to her paranormal reads. Did not feel this one AT ALL. Main characters were superficial, all over the place with their feelings and the pace was too fast (especially that first bit telling us what actually happened)
Better luck next time I guess.

[JenReadsRomance · Rating 4 out of 5]

whew. all those FEEEEEEEEELINGS.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

***ARC Provided by the Publisher and NetGalley***

3.5 Stars

Romance, as a genre, has a certain set of guidelines...rules if you must. In order for the romance to work, it needs to have certain elements. A hero you like, and fall a little in love with, a heroine you want to see happy, chemistry, passion, great sex (and lots of it doesn't hurt) and a happily ever after ending.

As the genre evolves, these rules are broken, twisted, and bent. And, when the story is great, when they are not broken too badly, you get an edgier romance.

In the case of Abe and Sarah, the sum up is that they were married, he was an addict, he was awful to her, she left him, and he wants her back. This should work, and in a lot of ways, it did. Abe was clearly sorry, he obviously was deeply in love with Sarah, he was sorry for the things in their past, without making excuses that he was drunk or high.

All of this should have meant that this really worked for me. Unfortunately, I think who Abe was in the past was too much for me to forget about and really, fully, invest in their story. I think it is possible to go too far, to make the reason the characters split up into a reason that they should probably stay apart. While I was able to connect with the story, with their passion, I was never fully able to get over the way he behaved toward her when they were married. Yes, it is explained, he is changed, others remark on the change, and he has reasons now to stay sober that he didn't before, but all of that fell a little short of convincing me that it was a good idea to take him back.

This is my first novel by Nalini Singh. I was impressed with the writing, the dialog and the pacing. And, I am guessing I am one of a small minority who didn't absolutely love this book...all the elements were there, but for me, it just fell a little off the mark. But, I do recommend it.

***This and other reviews also featured on http://www.imasweetandsassybookwhore.com***

[Carolyn Reilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rock Wedding is the last instalment in the Rock Kiss Series. It can be read as a stand-alone though.
Abe and Sarah’s story is about second chances and very emotional. They have both suffered great losses in the past and have also suffered from each other’s actions. I was rooting for them and they really deserved their happily ever after.
I liked that Sarah made Abe work real hard for a second chance with her after he treated her so badly during their brief marriage.
It was also nice to catch up with the other couples. Great conclusion to the series!

* I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Izy · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is a second chance romance about two people who loved each other very much but broke apart.... 

Sometimes you love so much that you get sucked in by everything about them and you don't care about anything other than being with that person that's how Sarah Smith felt when she first married Abe. Then slowly like anything shiny their relationship started rusting. With Sarah doing so much to try and make Abe give up the drugs. At the same time trying not to let the man he was becoming let her feelings/heart get hurt. It left her in a fragile state.  

Abraham 'Abe' Bellamy on the other hand after losing his baby sister had been in slowly heading towards a rock bottom, his marriage to Sarah helped for some time but the allure of drugs and alcohol was just too much. He was an ass towards his wife especially near their end of their marriage and divorce. When he finally wakes up, gets help and is getting better...it's a little too late in terms of his relationship with his wife.

The book starts off the with the end of Sarah and Abe's marriage and it is heart breaking seeing someone so in love feeling lonely and trying so hard to make it work. Then it's a couple of years later when the book picks up again. 

Sarah is very different now to the person she was when she married Abe. She had been young and very insecure not only about herself, her self worth but also about her relationship with Abe and his family. She had so much love to give and she was lonely. Now she has her own business, she's more confident and even though she is dealing with grief she is a lot more comfortable being herself then she was before. 

Abe too is in a better place now, he's clean and sober for one. He's also isn't ready to let go of the woman he loves even though she would rather not have anything to do with him. I liked that Abe was upfront about the fact that he messed up and he was the one who was the cause of their divorce. The only woman he had loved was Sarah and he knew that it wouldn't be easy to convince Sarah to give them a second shot. So he starts wooing back Sarah.



Sarah is reluctant to start a relationship with the guy who broke her heart, but she is still very vulnerable when it comes to Abe. The Abe she sees now is the one that she got to see during those brief moments in their marriage when they were happy. There was pull and push going on with Sarah trying not to give in and Abe trying to pull her back to him. 

Sarah and Abe had a great connection and chemistry which as Sarah said was never the problem in their marriage it was other things. Both the characters have suffered pretty badly while Sarah dealt with her abandonment issues by trying to be the perfect wife, Abe with the death of sister did it by doing drugs. Their separation leads them to being better versions of themselves who are however still in love with each other. They both go through quite a lot of development, get to learn/love each other again and find out some aspects of each other that were hidden when they were married. 

This book deals with quite a few issues like addiction, recovery, pain and loss of losing a child/a sister but it also shows love, forgiveness and a happy ever after. I think the author did a good job at dealing with the issues and with Abe without making me hate him and feel like Sarah deserved someone better. I understood where they were both coming from and both their feelings were dealt with equal consideration. It made me as it always does with Nalini Singh a range of emotions, from heartache for Sarah at the start to happiness/feeling giddy for them when they got their HEA. 



We also get cameo's from other couples from the series and get to see some weddings (David & Thea's, Noah & Kit's). I'll be eagerly waiting to read about Gabriel and Charlotte's wedding!! Also GOOD NEWS Gabriel's brothers will be getting their own stories which makes me happy because that means more of Gabriel and Charlotte 😁😁.

Ultimately the book is about two people who had gone through some pretty tough times together & alone and at the end they found their way back to each other. I really liked it, it was sweet, lovely and it suited the couple. It left me with a smile.

[Mysza · Rating 4 out of 5]

**** 4,5 stars ****