Rock Redemption

Rock Kiss #3

by Nalini Singh, Justine O. Keef (Narrator)

Listening length: 11 hours, 47 minutes

Kit Devigny could have loved rock guitarist Noah St. John. Their friendship burned with the promise of intense passion and searing tenderness…until the night Noah deliberately shattered her heart.

Noah knows he destroyed something precious the night he chose to betray Kit, but he’d rather she hate him than learn his darkest secret. All he has left is his music. It’s his saving grace, but it doesn’t silence the voices that keep him up at night. Chasing oblivion through endless one-night-stands, he earns a few hours’ sleep and his bad boy reputation.

When a media error sees Noah and Kit dubbed the new “it” couple, Kit discovers her chance at the role of a lifetime hinges on riding the media wave. Wanting—needing—to give Kit this, even if he can’t give her everything, Noah agrees to play the adoring boyfriend. Only the illusion is suddenly too real, too painful, too beautiful…and it may be too late for the redemption of Noah St. John.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Music, Friends To Lovers, Adult, Audiobook

11 pages, Audiobook

First published October 6, 2015

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 3 out of 5]

3–Maybe 3 1/2–Stars



I'm not sure how I feel about this one. I didn't dislike it, but I can't say I enjoy it either. It's not what I expected, that's for sure. I expected a lot of angst and heartache–sure–because that only makes sense with this couple. However, the lack of romance really surprised and disappointed me considering what I love most about this author is the way she writes romance.

Basically, the story is the rebuilding of the hero and heroine's friendship, the romance aspect doesn't take place until around 85%. To say this book is a slow-burn is an understatement!!! That said, the storyline felt authentic and the characterization was superb. I just missed the romance.

This book's ending left me wanting more–a novella or something. I want to experience this deserving couple's romance. I want Noah to be given the opportunity to be the hero he wasn't able to be in this book but was alluded to in the epilogue.

Nalini Singh is my favorite author. She's an incredibly talented storyteller who has brought me tremendous enjoyment with her unforgettable characters and stories through the years. I do believe had I known what to expect going into this book, I might have enjoyed it more.

I'm a romantic at heart and I guess it just boils down to the fact that I missed the type of romance that only Nalini Singh can deliver.

Note: The hero NEVER cheats on the heroine, so don't let that concern discourage you from reading this book.

ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review

[XxTainaxX Curvy and Nerdy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh Nalini, how could you dangle the reformed bad boy and then not redeem him until almost the very end? For a hero, Noah spent a generous potion of the book having sex with people other than the heroine. In fact it's not until close to the end when anything physical happens between the MCs. No matter how you slice it, this did not jive with me. Yes, he suffered a trauma. Yes, we all cope differently. But Noah's "self medication" of women was seriously jacked up. Especially after he recognized he had feelings for Kit. He kept hurting her and hurting her and she kept taking it. The glimpses into non-sexual Noah were actually pretty sweet and gave me hope but when the big moments came and went, I felt it was too little, too late. I kept reading hoping something amazing would happen to restore my faith but I never got that moment. Safety: OW OW OW. Lots of sex with OW. Kit dates one OM to try to get over her unrequited love. An awkward kiss but no other physical intimacy occurs with h and OM. Neither are Vs. Condoms at first, then not. There is abuse/rape. Description could be a trigger. Plenty of pushing away.

[Geri Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars!

There's no question that Nalini Singh is one of my go-to authors in this genre. Her voice, the way she writes her characters aligns very well with my own personal reading taste. She doesn't shy away from writing dark and gritty characters and difficult subject matter and the best thing is that she doesn't sacrifice the romance aspects of the story.

That said, this book has got to be the most un-romantic Nalini Singh book I've read. That sounds bad but there's a reason why and while I understood why it's not the most romantic book in the series, I still wish there was a bit more romance than what was actually in the book.

Kit Divegny is an actress who is a close friend of the band. She’s self-assured, beautiful, and in love with Noah. Noah St. John is the lead guitarist of Schoolboy Choir. Out of the four members, he’s probably the most mysterious and the most broken. And when I say broken, I mean he’s really broken: stunted emotional and sexual growth, inexorable guilt, and crippling emotional issues.

And that to me is the crux of my conflicting feelings for this book. I liked how complex the characters are. Kit isn’t just a pretty face who’s pining for the bad boy for some inexplicable reason. The way she was raised, her relationship with her parents, her drive to succeed -- it all made sense character-wise. Same with Noah. He’s such a difficult and complex character that I’m still perplexed as to what I feel about him. He’s maddening and frustrating but at the same time, I feel for him and like Kit, I wanted to fix whatever is wrong with him.

I spent 80% of this book feeling frustrated and sorry for Noah, and for Kit. Their road to happiness is fraught with obstacles. The bulk of this book is just Kit and Noah trying to rebuild their friendship after Noah deliberately ruined it. For those who’ve heard about Noah cheating, let me just say that he didn’t cheat. He did hurt Kit’s feelings. He’s trying to win back her friendship, trying desperately not to let his attraction to Kit get the better of him. His reasons were understandable but it still frustrated the heck out of me.

So yes, you can say that this book is definitely friends-to-lovers, with heavy emphasis on friends. Their romance didn’t start until around 80% or so, which is crazy. It wasn’t until Noah started opening up did their romance became a viable thing. But I did love their friendship. I loved how Noah supported Kit in her career. He had reservations about giving Kit his support and protection. And it’s not just Kit. Noah is a very loyal friend to Fox, David, Abe and Kit. It’s part of the reason why I can’t hate his character because he’s really a great friend. And once, Noah opened up and Kit was finally willing to trust him again, boom! Sexy times! Romance!

But I wanted more. I wanted more Noah and Kit at a place in their lives where Noah can show her and give her more. Don’t get me wrong. Noah definitely has potential to be one of Ms. Singh’s swooniest hero. But he’s not really there yet. The epilogue gave me hope that Ms. Singh will give us more Noah and Kit -- this time with a lot more romance and sexy times. As it is, Rock Redemption is a good read. It’s not the most romantic but it’s definitely a complex and heart-wrenching read.

____________


I have been waiting for quite a while for Noah and Kit's story, so I'm so excited it's finally here!! I love me some angsty second-chance love stories and Ms. Singh already confirmed that it'll be *cough*ANGSTY*cough*.



ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Sybil aka Lala · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 42%
DNFing the fuck out of this. DNFing it so hard it wouldn’t know it’s mother from a duck. Eye of the tiger bitches!


At the 40% mark NOTHING has happened yet.

Nothing aside from two people building a friendship through monotonous conversations. And if I wanted to read a book about friendship I’d read fucking Winnie the Pooh!



When you have a book with great elements like friends to lovers, an h with a stalker, an H with heavy issues, a premise where the MCs are forced to be together and the potential for angst it should make for great reading.



I know nothing about any of that however, what I do know about it though is the following:

Kit caught Noah screwing another woman one night and that’s the big reason they ended a friendship. Before they even so much as kissed. It was just an inexcusable breach of her fragile trust. Christ.

Noah did it on purpose because he didn’t want to subject Kit to his issues. He pushed her away on purpose. Then decided he couldn’t live without her and begged for her friendship, begged her not to give up on him.
Kit comes from a rich family. She sometimes suffered through parental neglect, and sometimes not. She’s beautiful and a famous actress with the world at her feet. She’s constantly complaining about something or other. While I don’t want to diminish anyone’s feelings who has suffered neglect I had a hard fucking time sympathising with her issues and her constant sadness when she has everything she’s ever wanted.



Noah is a wholly unlikeable character who spends his days telling Kit how much he needs her and his nights dipping his dick in any warm and willing hole.



The two together were just painful to read. Their inner monologues are a constant stream of obsessing about the other and regaling how every word or touch or movement the other makes is just too painful and too torturous to deal with. There was zero chemistry here, only a collection of conversations about shit I did not give a single fuck about. Pages of descriptions on Kit’s diet, clothing, what an incredible actress she is, Noah’s favorite pair of goddamned scuffed boots.



The situations they find themselves in, their reasoning and the decisions they made are over-dramatic bullshit and STUPID tools I think are just used as plot devices to move the snorefest along!



So what about all the good stuff? What are Noah’s issues? Where is the fucking stalker? What’s it like when they finally touch each other?



Because again, at 40% NONE of that has been mentioned yet.



What I think would have made this book better is if we got a few snippets into Noah’s supposed horrible nightmares to build some tension. If Noah and Kit had more moments (or any) sexy moments, some touching, almost kisses, staring at lips, anything to give some chemistry. If the stalker were an actual feature during the first half.

Sorry but I refuse to torture myself for almost half a book of bored depression just to find the answers about characters I hated.



(ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review)

[Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Imperfect Rockstar needs redemption…

***3.5 Stars***

How do I describe my feelings about a book that had me overwhelmed with feelings of dislike for a main character that faced, lived and persevered through a traumatic experience…without sounding like a cow? I spent 80% of Rock Redemption hating the unemotional manwhore, to then spend 20% hoping someone would just love him enough to fix him. I struggled to take a step back and see these characters were more than a rockstar who found it too easy to get laid and a movie star on the cusp of greatness, willing to do almost anything to succeed in her career.

We start this story on the way, way, way wrong foot with Noah doing the old – best to hurt you now, so I don’t hurt you more in the future – trick. It’s yucky and did not show him in a great light…but…Kit, who is the walkerinerer wasn’t actually in a relationship with Noah at the time. Kit comes to realise that what she thought was a budding relationship, was nothing more to Noah than a friend. It’s yucky but it’s not cheating, so I persevered. We then see the couple down the track and their careers are flying. Unfortunately, Kit and Noah don’t appear happy or content with their lives. Noah is still acting the rockstar manwhore and Kit is working her butt off to make it big in her career. Kit is having a wee bit of a problem with a stalker and has to hire round the clock bodyguards. Noah has missed the friendship he had with Kit and struggles knowing that there is a madman out there wanting her, and maybe willing to hurt her.

Most of this story revolves around Noah and Kit trying to rebuild their friendship. Kit is hesitant considering she had very strong feelings for Noah and he didn’t feel the same way. What she comes to realise is that Noah is fighting demons. Noah feels undeserving of Kit’s love and friendship, he pushes her away thinking he is protecting her…from him. Kit has come to realise that her feelings for Noah are not easy to turn off and when she sees him struggling, decides to help him overcome his problems.

We get to catch up with the guys from Schoolboy Choir and see how the relationships are going between Fox and Molly and David and Thea. Abe is struggling to get over his divorce from Sarah and she comes back into their lives with her own issues.

This is a… s l o w b u r n…romance and I mean s…l….o…w. We get more of an understanding of how and why Noah is the way he is, but we unfortunately have to see him in “action” (more the acquiring than the act) to get the full impact of how low he will go. Once this couple decide to take their relationship to the next level, it’s not just a matter of falling into bed with each other as they both have issues to overcome. Kit has had a lot to face and overcome being in a relationship with Noah and trust seems to be their biggest obstacle.

Overall I struggled with Rock Redemption. I didn’t want to see that much of Noah’s issues playing out. Harsh I know, but it’s hard to love a Hero who purposely inflicts pain on someone he supposedly cares for. Kit just came across as a sucker for punishment and made decisions in her life based on what would make or break her career. Well written and easy to read, leaving me unhappy with this instalment, but willing to try more in the future.

Expected release date October 6, 2015.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[London]

To me staging a set up so the heroine catches you fucking a groupie is cheating when you both had feelings for each other. Especially when you've spent the entire day out having fun with the heroine only to go back and end up having a threesome. Disgusting. Another author bites the dust. I expected more from this author.

[Mariℓina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I was absolutely blown away by this story. This is my first Nalini Singh book and i know that is weird because she is a very well known author with countless books and fans, so from this point on i consider my self a big fan too.


I loved everything about this book. The story, the heart-wrenching secrets, the painful and organic drama, even the subtly hinted mystery of the stalker. Every piece messes in such a way that sweeps the reader undeniably off his/her feet.


The pain will tag on your heart and won't let go until the very last page. The amazing plotline grabs you right away and that overwhelming feeling never subsides. Every character is so distinctive and unique, well thought out and absolutely delicious, faults and all.


Noah is a hero with a magnetic pull, a powerful character and with a past that haunts him every single hour of the day. Kit is a warm woman, very conscious and not at all spoiled in spite of her upbringing. They are a match made in heaven but they both live in hell away from each other.


In their beautiful journey, they will conquer old demons, they will laugh, they will try to overcome every problematic aspect of their relationship, they will succeed in becoming friends again and ultimately they will admit on their feelings.


I fell so deeply in love with this book right away and by the end of it all i was ecstatic. Every page i turned threw me deeper and deeper into this brilliantly thought-out world and made me love almost every single character. I had an amazing time and i will definitely read the rest of the stories. It goes without saying, that i recommend this with all of my heart.




THOUGHTS ABOUT THE BOOK

- From the very first page i was a goner.
- #NOKATS are awesome..
- Dual POV.
- I liked all the details that made each character unique and vigorous.
- Tiny idiosyncrasies made my day -like Kit loving to sleep in the cold or Noah's love for the stars.
- He was never been kissed!! AWWWWW!
- That secret, was more than i could handle.
- Their time in the garden. It really suited them.

- I loved all the other characters.
- There is a set up for the next book which will feature Abe and Sarah.


ARC provided via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review. Thank you!

[Jilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I'm going to throw my hat in the ring, when it comes to the polarized viewpoints on this book, I might as well go all in.


That's right, there's no middle ground here!

Look, the guy never actually cheated on the girl at all. They were friends, she wanted more, and then she walked in on him with another woman. Later, they were friends, he TOLD her flat out that he only wanted friendship, and he later had sex with groupies. Never did he sleep with another girl while in an actual relationship with our heroine. He never cheated on her.


#SorryNotSorry

Am I excusing that the guy was a manwhore who used groupies as his drug-of-choice? No. But, as he told the girls he slept with - they knew what they were getting into. These girls wanted to screw a rock star. They used him for his looks and fame, he used them for meaningless sex. Seems pretty equal.


um, you go ahead. I'll meet you there...

Okay, now that my unpopular opinion is out of the way...

This book is mostly about a friendship between Noah and Kit. She is in love with him, but he is completely broken and messed up from childhood abuse and tells her that he only wants her as a friend. Personally, I wouldn't continue a friendship that just ripped me up inside, but Kit is much kinder and more forgiving than I am. She put up with way too much shit, in my opinion.


Yeah, if there is no spoon, I'll skip it...

On the other hand, Noah really needed someone like her in his life. He is such a screw-up, and is so completely messed-up that he is about as lovable as an ill-tempered skunk.


okay, that works too... way to run an analogy into the ground, Jilly!

The thing that I loved about this book was that these two characters were so complex and so vulnerable that it brings out the feels much more than a simple insta-love romance does. These two had to fight some giant demons to finally come together. And, the road to redemption is rocky, but beautiful. I loved how much I cared about them, and I was rooting for them to finally make that step into a real relationship. By the time they actually got together it was like a giant sigh of relief.


yeah, it feels THAT good...

The only thing I would have wanted differently was to have more time with them actually together. I wanted to see their romantic relationship play out a little more. Oh, and for Noah to get counseling. That boy has some serious demons.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Redemption is forgiveness or absolution from past sins or errors and protection from damnation and disgrace, eternal or temporary, generally through sacrifice.

“I’ll never be someone who deserves you… but I need you.” It was so fucking hard to say that, to admit vulnerability and lay himself open to her rejection.
Kit was the only woman who could make him bleed, make him beg. “Be my friend, Kit. Please.”

This was not an easy book to read. NOT AT ALL. Honestly, the only reason I decided to read this book is because Nalini Singh is my all time favourite author. Had this book been written by any other author, I wouldn’t even have considered it. Just by looking at the title and the blurb you know that this is not going to be a happy book.

Kit Devigny could have loved rock guitarist Noah St. John. Their friendship burned with the promise of intense passion and searing tenderness…until the night Noah deliberately shattered her heart.

This book opens with a really awful scene. You could feel Kit’s anticipation in seeing Noah, and her hope of finally moving their friendship to something more, something beautiful and lasting. And the utter devastation she felt at finding him with another woman. It was absolutely heartbreaking.

He adored her, and because he did, he would never touch her. The instant he did, he’d ruin her, ruin everything. He didn’t want their relationship tainted by sex—if they even had any kind of a relationship.

My heart broke for Kit. She loved Noah so completely, that it was so very difficult for her not to care for him. Especially once she realised just how destructive his demons are.

I can’t save him, she reminded the heart that still ached for him. Not if he won’t help save himself

Kit really was an amazing woman. Her big heart, and her capacity to keep caring for Noah, even though he did not deserve it, continually amazed me through the book. The kind of love she was capable of is so very rare and precious that I wanted to smack Noah sideways for not seeing this, not realising what he was throwing away. This love did not make her a doormat in any form, but Noah was her weakness, and at points I hated him for taking advantage of that. For not seeing how much he was hurting her by being as wonderful as he could be, and also by being the one person who continuously hurts her.

She shoved at his chest, though she was feeling all warm and hopeless inside. Warm because he was being the Noah she loved, the Noah who did look out for her, the one who’d never hurt her. Hopeless because this Noah was just as real as the Noah who’d so cruelly crushed her heart.

Now… Noah. Twenty percent into this book, I wanted his dick to fall off. Nalini did such a great job in portraying Noah at his lowest, that I just couldn’t see how she would be able to redeem him in my eyes. Yes it’s true that technically Noah never cheated on Kit, as they were only friends, but he knew she wanted more, and he betrayed her deliberately, in the most horrific way. However, there was something so broken in his need for Kit’s friendship, in his inability to reveal his true feelings.

“Just be my friend.” Laugh again with him, remind him that life wasn’t only nightmares and pain, make him feel as if he could be a better man if he tried hard enough. “Don’t give up on me. Please don’t.”

As the story continues, and Kit and Noah tries to save their friendship because Noah doesn’t think himself worthy enough of more with Kit, you learn more about Noah, and his true feelings for Kit. He really does care for her in his own fucked-up way, and at some point I began feeling sorry for him, and hoping that somehow, someway, this broken man would give himself a chance to heal, to be more. Because he was so much more than what he thinks his past has made him. You could see it in the way he supported Kit in her career, and how he cared for his friends. This was a man with a big heart, caring and loving. But so consumed by his demons, that he couldn’t see the light. And he adored Kit so much, that his pain at thinking he needs to be normal in order to be with her, broke my heart, even while I was thinking him a selfish bastard for only thinking of his needs, his pain.

Sliding his hand into her hair, he tugged her against him, held her stiff, angry body close. And didn’t want to let her go. Not today. Not tomorrow. Never. “Be with me,” he whispered, knowing it was the most selfish thing he’d ever asked of anyone in his entire life. “Be with me.”
Kit froze against him, a flesh and blood statue.
“I can’t be what you need,” he whispered against the side of her head. “But be with me anyway.”

When finally Noah reveals his demons to Kit, so much made sense about his countless one-night stands, and his actions in pushing Kit away.

“I don’t like sex,” he said, the words blunt and hard. “I fuck women because it makes me feel like a man, and for a short time afterward, I can forget that I had my manhood taken from me.”

Everyone reacts different when it comes to abuse, and the very people who was supposed to help Noah when he was a child, betrayed him, and he had to live and survive his demons alone. I loved seeing him finally come to realise that his past did not make him less, and that Kit would love him no matter what.

I know some readers might complain because the romance only happens at the end, but for me this was the only way for Noah to redeem himself with Kit. For him sex meant nothing, but his friendship with Kit meant EVERYTHING. And he had to work to repair the damage he did to that friendship before showing that he wanted more. Before realising he could have more with her.

This is not a romantic love story. Don’t expect it to be sweet or pretty. It’s gritty, it’s devastating and gutting to read, but beautiful nonetheless because the HEA was not easily obtained. It was dragged through mud and rain, but came out shiny and bright at the end. Redemption IS a beautiful thing.
I loved the characters in the book and reading about the portrayal of celebrities lives, and the suspense created by the stalker. I even loved and appreciated Kit and Noah’s relationship by the end.

I don’t think this book is for all romance lovers, it really was hard to forgive and learn to love Noah, but Nalini Singh has shown again why she is the queen of romance. She made me hope for a happy ending for a broken, hopeless hero, who I did not think I would come to love, but did.

[Dali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happy book birthday
Amazon -> http://amzn.to/1EPnHCN

It’s raw, gritty and full of angst but it’s also heart achingly sweet, full of hope and swoony with an incredibly caring and forgiving heroine and the almost hopelessly broken rock star she can’t not love. My heart beat faster every time these two where in each other’s orbits and I found myself constantly cheering for them to find their happy redemption.

“Not even a lot. I’m messed up on a level nothing will ever fix... I’ll never be someone who deserves you… but I need you.”

Kathleen “Kit” Devigny isn’t so sure that it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. Because even if they had never even kissed, she fell in love with rock star Noah St. John and after two years the pain and humiliation he caused her still feels as fresh as the night he orchestrated to break her heart and ruin their friendship.

“I don’t expect you to forgive me, but please don’t shut me out… I can’t breathe knowing you hate me.”

Noah’s childhood trauma haunts him day and night and not even a revolving door of one-night-stands is enough to chase the demons away for more than a couple of hours. His ugliness and nightmares are things he refuses to share with anyone, much less the one woman that means everything to him. Rather than revealing his secret and have her see him as less than and pity he chose to push her away.

After crushing their precious friendship, the media circus has given Noah an opportunity to redeem himself in a small measure and help Kit get the role of a lifetime. When they’re christened as NoKatt and couple of the year, Noah volunteers to pretend to be her loving boyfriend. Will it be acting on either part when the connection between them is painfully intense, hazardously real, but promisingly beautiful none the less? Can he regain what he so carelessly crushed? Can Kit accept him even knowing he can’t give her everything?

“He didn’t deserve her, would never deserve her, but for this short window of time, he could pretend and live an impossible dream.”

It’s difficult to write a review for a book like this where I love everything about it. The writing, the emotion, the characters and plot which had me flipping pages but at the same time savoring each word. I’ll start with the incredible heroine.

I just adored Kit. Everything about her screamed beautiful person from the inside out. She was a completely down to earth woman, never letting her parents’ fame and fortune bloat her ego. She didn’t even use it to help her career. Besides that, she’s a caring, compassionate and forgiving person who despite all the hurt she’d suffered at the hands of Noah, she still didn’t give up on him because for her, nothing was more important than friends and family.

It was admirable that while giving him a second chance she respected herself by not allowing him to treat her as a doormat. She was patient and cautious in helping him piece back together his tormented soul. Even though I wanted them to get to a blissfully happy faster, it made sense for them to go slowly and carefully.

“Day or night, rain or shine, I’ll be there for you... Just be my friend.” Laugh again with him, remind him that life wasn’t only nightmares and pain, make him feel as if he could be a better man if he tried hard enough. “Don’t give up on me.”

My heart completely broke for Noah. From his self-loathing, the guilt he carried knowing he had mistreated the rare and beautiful friendship between him and Kit, to how much he suffered because he truly loved her but wouldn’t allow himself to have her because he was convinced he was undeserving and would taint her with his ugliness. But what made me love this complex man was his resolution to devote himself to her, even if he could only give part of himself to her.

“Be with me… I can’t be what you need,” he whispered against the side of her head. “But be with me anyway.”

I loved all the sweet moments between them, all their great banter and then the “romantic bulsh!t”. It was also great having the gang back, and I especially liked how they closed ranks to help each other.

This is one of the most painfully sweet love stories I’ve ever read. Even though it was predictable and I pretty much suspected what horrors were troubling Noah, the beauty was in the journey. All those painful, heartbreaking moments intertwined with incredibly sweet tenderness made me turn page after page wanting and hoping for this couple to find their happy ever after, loving how a shattered life could find redemption.

This book is book #3 in the Rock Kiss series by Nalini Singh who writes in an almost lyrical cadence that makes me want to read every single word and keeps me coming back for more after every book. It is told from both points of view. Is has interconnecting characters from the previous books but can be read as a standalone. It does not have a cliffhanger and does have a happy ending.

Amazon -> http://amzn.to/1EPnHCN

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

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[Floripiquita · Rating 3 out of 5]

La historia de Noah, guitarrista de rock, y Kit, una actriz a punto de triunfar a lo grande, es complicada por culpa del horrible pasado del primero y se embrolla aún más si cabe debido al acosador de Kit. No ha estado mal, pero en algunos momentos ha sido algo aburrida, el desenlace es muy abrupto y al romance entre ellos, a pesar de desprender mucha química, le ha faltado desarrollo y profundidad.

[1-Click Addict Support Group · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story…ah, this story. I have been waiting for Kit and Noah’s story since Rock Addiction and yet, despite my strong, overwhelming desire to read it, I let Rock Redemption sit on my Kindle for days before I dared open it. I knew going in that it would be harder, more angst-filled than the other Rock Kiss books—than Nalini Singh’s other books, so many of which I have read and loved—and I was a little bit terrified that my heart wouldn’t survive it. It did…but it was a close call at times.

Noah St. John may be a world famous rock star, but that doesn’t make him any less broken. He’ll never be the type of man that deserves a woman like Kit Devigny, his beautiful, talented and kind best friend—the woman he intentionally destroyed.

Kit’s heart knows that Noah could have been the one, until his selfish act ruined everything before it truly began. But now Noah is back in her life, and Kit—and her heart—aren’t sure they can handle it. Especially not when the tabloids turn their fledgling new friendship into so much more.

With Kit’s career on the line, will a fake relationship give Noah the chance to redeem himself to the only woman he’s ever cared about, or simply destroy Kit’s already fragile heart?

This book is most easily described as a roller coaster. Of epic proportions. I was high and low, I was happy and sad, I felt a deep, physical ache in my chest as Noah and Kit attempted to navigate this minefield of a relationship, I practically swooned as Noah attempted to prove himself worth the fight. I don’t particularly love angst but I do love Ms. Singh, and her words, her gentle but strong way of making Noah’s prickly, sometimes selfish behavior acceptable, made this book an off-the-charts success for me.

Noah is a bastard. Selfish, blind and sometimes, it could be argued, just plain cruel. He makes no bones about how he needs Kit, seemingly never considering how that need affects and damages her. And still, I couldn’t blame him, I couldn’t hate him. I could feel his desperation, his anguish, his shame in and at himself. It hurt my heart.

Kit, however, is the opposite. She’s kind, wide-open and loving. Some may say she’s allowing Noah to victimize her, but I prefer to see it as a strong, bright soul caring for someone she loves, deeply. I adored this woman—as I do so many of Ms. Singh’s female characters. Even in danger of having her heart and soul crushed (and, potentially, more), Kit still never gives up. She’s a fighter. How can you not love that?

Rock Redemption felt different from the start. From the makes-your-stomach-drop prologue—which, for those of us that have read book one in this series, is no surprise—to the soaring ending, it had all the hallmarks of this author’s work, but with a darker mood; a shattering undertone that made you want to wreak havoc on whomever it was that broke Noah almost beyond repair. It wasn’t difficult to see the direction that this book was headed in—there are only so many life-changing events that can tear apart a young boy—and yet, Rock Redemption never once felt stale or played-out. It was heart-breaking, cringe-worthy, and filled to the brim with borderline deplorable behavior, but still so addictive, that putting it down was never an option.

I can’t wait for the continuation of this series. Abe's story gets more of a set-up here, after having been hinted at in previous Rock Kiss books; it’s shaping up to be another angst-ridden, potentially heart-breaking must read for me. And now I have successfully—and lovingly—survived Kit and Noah, I may just have the heart to read it the moment it hits my Kindle… ~ Beth, 5 stars

~~~

When love heals…

Kit Devigny and Noah St. John could have been the darlings of the media world. Too bad it was a lie. Betrayed, Kit is still reeling from the deliberate pain Noah inflicted but also realizes that not having him in her life is even more painful. Damned if she does, damned if she doesn’t, she has to find a way to make things right between them, even if friendship is the most they will ever have.

They both have demons but Noah’s are never far from the surface and ride him to the brink. Pulling back from that edge, and realizing what he needs to do to repair the friendship he had destroyed, he is willing to put everything on the line...

This author, whether writing paranormal or rock star romance, knows people. How they think, how they feel, and what motivates them, bad or good, to be whom they are. This group of rock stars and their loves are no exception with this third instalment focusing on a damaged man and his need to do better, to be better, for the woman who has touched him like no other.

Opening himself up to Kit is so painful to Noah you can almost feel the reluctance and despair in the telling. He is so lost—in the past, in the pain and in the shame he feels every minute of existence. His music being his solace, and his band his family, Kit is truly the one who makes his world. Kit feels that pain and knows how truly low Noah has been. She fears what could happen if she’s not somehow a part of his life and her compassion to give him another chance truly shows the true meaning of love. Of sacrifice for another.

Famous people who are not famous in their hearts, I love the down-to-earth-ness of all the Boys and the women in their life. An emotional story from start to finish, with twists and revelations galore, Noah and Kit have permanently etched their way into my heart and I can’t wait to make room for Abe and Sarah! ~ Diane, 5 stars

[rj]

Manwhore hero plus what he did to Kit is unforgivable in my eyes and I still get mad thinking about it.

[Aisling Zena · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Sometime · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been doing a re-read of this series and saw that I skipped this one last time around. After reading all the spoilers, I decided to move it from my "nope not for me" shelf and give it a try. I decided to read this book not as a romance, but as an interesting look into the lives of 2 people and how they overcome abuse. It worked (mostly).

I don't really have a review, just a few items that stand out. It gets a little ranty, so I'll put on a spoiler tag so you can skip if you don't want to read it:



*Let's just put it out there that the H survived some horrible abuse as a 6 year old child. He was sexually abused by a grown man, a family friend over one summer. This man showed him a knife and told him he would kill his family if he told. All of this made him feel as if his masculinity has been taken from him so he acts out and has as much sex as he can to make him feel like a man. It also helps block out the demons. But he hates sex, it always makes him feel disgusted with himself. He has NEVER kissed a woman, and he doesn't let them touch him. There are plenty of reviews that list all the spoilers about what a huge manwhore the H is. The H even steps out and screws several women even after the h and H have decided to be friends again. The only thing that helps is that he is VERY clear that he will never have sex with the h. If I had read this as a romance, I would've been angry the whole book. The famous basketball player Wilt Chamberlain famously claimed to have slept with 20,000 women and I wouldn't put this H far behind.

*There is NO CHEATING in this book. Reviewers go on and on about how the H cheated on the h. They were only friends, had never discussed anything romantic, but the h could tell things were starting to turn that way. But because they had no romantic connection, the H sleeping with multitudes of OW while they were friends does not make him a cheater, it makes her naïve with her head in the clouds about what was really going on.

*The betrayal is what hurts the h the most. They were good friends, confided in each other. She was starting to love him and wondered if maybe there might be something more. The H got scared about his feelings for the h and because he is so messed up, he purposely arranged for the h to catch him having sex with a groupie. He knew it would be just the thing to push her away and designed the encounter for maximum pain. She stayed away for 2 and a half years.

*I was not satisfied that the H really grasped how much he hurt the h. He was so stuck in his own head, in his own pain, that he even said he was glad he did it to save the h from his own dirtiness. This poor h sobs and cries as she realizes that her dream of him is never going to happen. I could really feel her pain. But even as the H knew he had hurt her, I don't think he appreciated how deeply he hurt her and that his betrayal was a worse pain than the selfish pain he was trying to save her from by pushing her away. It was really his own pain he was trying to save. He was a selfish idiot.

*I wish the H could have gotten some sort of counseling. His parents never got him help and he has refused to talk about it to anyone. Fox knows because he confessed what happened when they were 7 but has never spoken of it again. He won't get help because he doesn't want any of this to leak to the press. I'm sure he could find a Dr. who would make house calls and promise not to write anything down. If he pays in cash, he doesn't even need to have his insurance code put on a bill. His reasons are stupid. And the fact that the h decides to read about abuse survivors online and do her best to help him just isn't enough.

*I still get so annoyed with these manwhore tropes. It's so unrealistic! After years and years of acting out sexually to cover his pain, he has no illegitimate kids and is 100% STI free. I call BS! Condoms are 98% effective but with the numbers this guy is putting out, there is no way he hasn't fallen into that 2% more than a few times. Ugh, so annoying.

OK, enough of that. I did enjoy this book enough to give it 3 stars. It was entertaining and I did like the emotion the h works through as she sees the H for who he really is. And as she gets to know him better, she sees things that he has been hiding and understands things better. There are still a lot of things that these H/h can share that he has never done with any OW. (Kiss, touch, laugh, sleep side by side, shower together) for starters. I felt like they had a good future (as long as he gets some counseling eventually) and that he would stay faithful.

[Sabrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars



Kit Devigny met Noah St. John when they were both starting out in Las Angeles, trying to make it big. She became friends with him and the rest of his band, but Noah was the one closest to Kit. They were inseparable but when they both got into the spotlight they kept the fact that they were really close a secret from the public. Neither wanted the paparazzi to label them as something more than friends and cause drama. But Kit did want them to be more than friends and always saw her relationship with Noah as something special. But all of that hope for something more came crashing to a halt the night Noah deliberately hurt her feelings to make it clear they could never be more.

Now, two years after Kit's heartbreak, Noah breaks down and calls her for help after a night of binge drinking and self-destruction. Kit, still in love with him, rushes to go to help Noah. She never expected to find a broken man when she got there, though, and knows that even if it will be hard for her, she has to be in Noah's life and continue to help him.



This is a really hard review to write because I just don't know how exactly I feel about Noah and Kit. I enjoyed their story but at the same time I was having a lot of issues with it. Noah and Kit struggled a bit to get back into their friendship and it was a long journey to becoming something more. And by long, I mean the whole book. I was getting really bored and disinterested when nothing was happening other than the two being friends. I enjoyed their friendship and I loved seeing how they built the trust back up, but I just needed more. The longer the book went on and they still weren't together, the more frustrated I became.



There was something more than romance missing from this story and I can't exactly figure out what. I just know that I kept wanting more from it and was disappointed at the meh way it left me feeling. Even with something missing, the overall story was good and I didn't have a problem with the characters; I actually really liked Noah. He was a little damaged and didn't know how to do intimacy but when he almost lost Kit he made an effort to try, and I really liked that.

Kit was a good heroine, which says a lot because usually I hate all heroines. It surprised me that I liked her, because of her behavior in previous books, where I wanted to bitch slap her. I loved that she tries to protect Noah and would do anything for him, even kill her own emotions. Being only friends with Noah while wanting him hurt her deeply, yet she wouldn't give up on him. I liked how strong she was about that situation and didn't just run away.



The stalker issue was a little confusing to me because I just didn't see the point. It would be mentioned randomly, but for the most part Kit's stalker got pushed into the background. Kit was being stalked for a really long time yet didn't seem too worried about it and I guess that just made it a little unrealistic to me. She hired security and moved but we never got to see any emotion over the fact her life was being violated. So, again, I just didn't see the point.



Bottom line, I didn't hate the story but I also didn't love it. I did have my issues, yet they didn't stop me from liking Noah and wanting to be the one protecting him. Not my favorite book in the series but still recommended.

P.S: Noah does not cheat on Kit and there is no descriptive sex with other women; it's only mentioned.

ARC kindly provided via TRSOR Promotions in exchange for an honest review.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 - "It meant everything." Stars!

Nalini Singh is an author who I have heard a lot about, seen many of my reading friends be excited about, and one that I have never read anything by, previous to starting Rock Redemption. Book three in the Rock Kiss series, this is basically a friends who fall out, working back to being friends, before eventually (and I mean eventually) admitting they have much stronger feelings for each other and taking the step of moving onto being lovers.

This book wasn't a struggle too read, in fact I moved through it quite swiftly, and the author certainly has an easy to engage in style, but I would be lying if I said there was much about Noah and Kit's story that offered up anything new or unique from any of the other hundreds of messed up rock star books that are out there, or the ones I have read personally.

"Just be my friend... Don't give up on me. Please don't."

It is a given that Noah's actions at the beginning of the book were exceedingly douchey, but it was a struggle to feel any real emotional connection between the pair of them as they tried to work past his actions and rebuild their friendship for most of the book. For want of a better word it all seemed very dry, and the instances where they do share parts of themselves with the other lacked any real emotional depth for me, and at points it almost felt like I was reading a plot outline rather than a fleshed out book. But I made it to the end, and without any real loss of attention, so the author must have some sort of magic skill in keeping you engaged. But it certainly didn't meet the expectations that I had going into it.

Broken or not, he was hers and she wouldn't give up on him.

This isn't a bad book, I just think that I expected something a little deeper and more meaningful from an author of Nalini Singh's stature. If you are looking for a sex-fest, this is certainly not going to be a title you are going to get a lot from, this is pretty much in the Friend-Zone until around the last 25% mark. I am not someone who needs sex in their books as long as the story is good, but I'll be honest and say I think I would have been more invested in them as a couple if they had taken that step a little earlier in the story.

I would read more from the author after finishing Rock Redemption there was something about the writing that kept me interested until the end, I think I would maybe try some of the author's work from another genre though.

ARC Generously provided via TRSOR Promotions in exchange for the above honest review.

[A Klue · Rating 2 out of 5]

UPDATE: Since posting this review, some fellow reviewers have graciously stepped forward and told me the other books in this series was much better than this one. That leads me to believe it was just this particular hero character did not sit well with me. Ms. Singh is a very talented author, and I do hope to read the other books in this series.
---------------
My fellow romance book-loving friends, don’t waste your time on this one. Not unless you want to witness a beautiful, successful actress heroine become spineless then waste her HEA on an unworthy, unlikeable hero. Sure, he was emotionally scarred from something that happened when he was six years old. Yes, you feel sorry for him and want him to find healing. Unfortunately, he did make the choice of never getting professional help. Even though his best friend, Fox, tried to convince him to. Instead, he chose to be a jerk and use women without any regard for them. Including the heroine, whom he deliberately hurt …repeatedly. She would get angry but always forgave him. When is it ever acceptable for the hero to spend the day having fun with the heroine, then spend most of the night with two women (at the same time.) Correct answer: Never.

Save yourself from the whiplash effect of the back and forth dialog/actions on both sides. Throw in the unlikely stalker’s identity, and I think you will be thanking me for suggesting you walk away from this one. Read the other books in the series instead.

Title: Rock Redemption, Series: Rock Kiss (Book 3), Author: Nalini Singh, stand-alone, cheating, references to child sex abuse, HEA

(This review is based on NetGalley ARC e-book received in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.)

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

I'm feeling a bit torn with my rating. Actually not too impressed during the first 50% of the book, but later I find myself waking up at 5.30am to finish the book before I need to head to work. I think Noah St. John slowly squirmed his way into my heart.

As I'm new to this series, I find myself feeling a bit lost during the initial chapters. I don't understand the dynamic and relationship status between Noah and Kit. It just seems too ambiguous and I wonder how long had passed since his glorious fucked up.

The first half of the book was a bit slow. Noah is a miserable and trying to get back to Kit's good grace. Kit was all depressed about her unrequited love for Noah. All Noah wants is friendship with her, but she is finding hard to settle for anything less.

But the most interesting part of the story that keep me turning the pages is the big secret that Noah is hiding. I'm just dying to know why he rather be a friend to the only woman he actually care about. It must be something big and spectacularly fucked up. Anyway, when it was finally revealed is not really such a shocking revelation. But the sadist in me do enjoy seeing Noah being all miserable with his secrets and trying to take care of his girl, while keeping her at arm length.

Meanwhile, Kit, the rising starlet is having a stalker issue. That pose to be constant underlying danger in the story. Initially I find Kit to be too weak a heroine because she is plainly miserable from the hurt with Noah. But once that phase was passed, I start to see the strength and the goodness in her. I admire the way she can forgive Noah and give him a second chance. And the way she tried to understand him and help with his problem also earn her extra brownie points from me.

Noah is another tortured, scarred and complicated hero that make my heart goes mushy. Is great that he had such a solid friendship with the Fox and the rest of the band. But the best part is he had a girl that is willing to look past his imperfection and accept him for who he is. I wish I actually got to read the lyrics for his 'Sparrow' song.

The most memorable line in the story for me is the part when Noah was talking about his plane,

"I like to think she's seen the world and now she's showing it to me."

On a side note, I want to mention that this book didn't have a lot of sex, which is surprising to me. And I totally don't mind that it took so long for them to actually get to the dirty bits.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes we fall into a vicious circle that we can't break because love is madness and you're damned if you do and damned if you don't. Kit and Noah have this kind of love because they can't live without one another but can't actually live with each other because Noah pushes Kit away until he can't take her not being with him and calls for her. The two have a push and pull kind of live that really tugs at your heart. A gritty, heart breaking, and hopeful 4 stars is what I give to Rock Redemption.

Noah has sex with any female just to have sex. He literally humps and dumps over and over again. His feelings for Kit run deeper than anything he's experienced in his life and so he refuses to mess it up by sleeping with her but ends up hurting her over and over again because he tries to show her how unworthy he is of her. To make matters worse, Noah can't let Kit leave him. He begs, pleads, and pulls at her love for him. He always reminds her that he can't breathe without her.

Noah has a really dark past that led him to have the current drug and alcohol addictions and sleeping issues. He had a seemingly perfect childhood and lives every guy's dream being a massive rock star but he's beyond damaged. Kit brings Noah peace but not enough for his demons to be exercised. Throughout the story Kit has to fight tooth and nail to get him to open up to her and allow her in.

Kit worked really hard to become an actress but her love for Noah grew over time. She loved Noah for all his faults and all his greatness. She wanted to give up but every single time she thought she could she was pulled back to him. After pushing until Noah caved, Kit learns what is truly keeping them from having a happy ending. Kit is admirable because she's fiercely loyal, loving, understanding, and clever.

The read kept me engaged throughout it because it was a bit of an emotional roller coaster. My biggest issue with the novel was the rushed ending. I hate when endings feel rushed because I want to feel at peace when the novel ends. The loose ends all came tied in the end but I could feel how rushed it was which is why the novel lost an entire star.

[Elle aka Leftie aka Shoebelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

*ARC received from author via blog tour*

Oy! Angst, angst, angst!

2.5 ★

Ummm, not really sure what just happened here… I feel like the angst here was maxed out to the bling, which is not necessarily good. If you’re a chocolate lover like me, it’s like eating a very rich chocolate bar that you can only have a square or 2 at a time. At least that’s how I felt.

This is now Noah and Kit’s story. They’re good friends with a strong connection, until they weren’t, then they were again. They’re both in the limelight and that strong connection they have translated well in pictures so it was decided to best capitalize on it.

Noah was as closed off as a tight-lid jar bursting with liquid except with Fox. He’s damaged but there was attempt to fix things, well, somewhat, esp when it came to Kit. He really is a sweet guy, esp when it came to Kit. Kit, fortunately, has the patience of a saint and has enough sensibilities to deal with Noah. Their friendship is admirable, and their connection is something quite to be jealous about, I thought.

Some readers may be put off by Noah’s action in the very beginning, I was just confused. Was that really necessary to take it that far? I was thinking there were less d0uche-y actions to convey the same message. That’s just me though. Also, I thought Noah’s personal issue was kinda' overplayed, so as painful as it was, he lost some of my sympathy and add to that, the focus on re-building their friendship, it took a lot of pages for what I thought could have been utilized to focus on their relationship as a couple.

Angst aside, there’s enough action to spike up the mood a bit, courtesy of Kit’s personal dilemma. It was nice to see the rest of the band and their women. So really, I think I still enjoyed it enough but I know I could’ve enjoyed it more. Next up is Abe’s story. Of course, I still would want to read that. After all, I want to see them all get their HEA.

[AH · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved, loved, loved this!

And to think, only a few years ago I had never even heard of Nalini Singh. I had not read the Psy Changeling series and I hadn't started her Guild Hunter series. Then I joined Goodreads and my to-read list grew exponentially. All these fantastic books to read and so little time!

I discovered Nalini Singh and loved her books - I am still working through them and each one is a treat.

Rock Redemption is the 3rd book in the Rock Kiss series. I think that this is definitely my favorite Nalini Singh series because I really enjoyed the author's writing style. Ms. Singh is a fantastic storyteller and she made me fall in love with the lead couple. In fact, I was rooting for Noah and Kit - those two definitely belonged together. Noah and Kit were the perfect Hollywood couple - Noah a gorgeous rock star and Kit an up and coming actress.

What made this book so perfect was the character development. Both Noah and Kit are so complex, each coming to the relationship with their own problems, each trying to overcome their self-esteem issues as well as a more darker issue. The romance builds up slowly, in small baby steps. In the meantime, Kit is being followed by a crazy stalker.

The cast of characters from the earlier books make an appearance and it is nice seeing the camaraderie between all of them as they adjust to their lives in a relationship.

Rock Redemption was an enjoyable read - I literally could not put it down. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and TKA Distribution for a review copy of this book.

[Maksida · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know what to say. The book was well written and fast paced just what I like. But, yes there is a BUT. I don't like giving spoilers but I have to say that I expected more heat between the MC. I mean their chemistry was ok but come on they didn't kiss until somewhere around 80% on my Kindle. Plus I think that H was just so selfish it's not funny. I liked the h, I think she went through a lot because of H and I don't think he deserved her in the end. Towards the end I was actually hoping that she would leave him and find some other guy who will really love her. I must say that the book was good in the way that it makes you think about stuff. I agree that what happened to H was horrible but he should have done something about it way before than wait 20 years. I also think it's very unrealistic for someone to suffer that long without seeking help. I liked previous 3 books in the series and I would recommend all of them but I'm not sure about this one. I will still read Nalini's next book, hope it's much better than this one!
The ARC provided by NetGalley!

[Mindy Lou's Book Review · Rating 3 out of 5]

David and Kit's story is not my favorite of the series. The writing was still compelling and I knew going in that he was the type of Hero that I wouldn't like. I still had to have their story. I needed to know how David was going to get past his demons.

I admit I was also curious about his demons. I had guessed and it was pretty accurate. It's heartbreaking and I can't even imagine. Knowing what he was dealing with still doesn't help me get past the way he continued to hurt Kit.

I ached for both characters and I'm glad that I got see them finally work through all that bad. Compared to the rest of the series, this couldn't have been more different. Depending on the reader, some may think this has cheating. I will say Kit, herself said he didn't cheat on her, but her devastation was still very real and you felt it as a reader.

[Izzie d · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's well written but it's such a miserable book.
And a bit wash, rinse, repeat.
Even if the so called Hero did trick her into thinking he was with a groupie, in the prologue, he slept around before and after so I didn't see the difference.
He was a huge man-whore and although he had huge issues, it was just ew.

[Mysza · Rating 2 out of 5]

** 2,5 stars **

Nothing happened in this book.

[Esther · Rating 4 out of 5]

Netgalley for an honest review.


This one is a hard one for me to rate. I'll start by saying it's an emotionally charged and angst filled read. I loved it but also had a hard time with Noah. I wanted to give it a five star but the actions of Noah made it difficult (this is more a personal issue with me). But I'm putting aside me personal quirks and rating it a four star.

I love this author and her writing is beautiful and so engaging that I'm immersed in the story from the get go.

We have Noah who is part of the Schoolboy Choir band. He's pretty much a man whore. He's sleeps with whomever whenever and never ever does relationships. He has his best friend Kit who has always and forever will be in a different category. But Noah realizes at one point in their relationship that Kit's feeling as well as his were changing and he decided he couldn't go there with her. So he did something that broke her heart (had her walk in on him in bed with another women).

Kit our heroine continued to live her life after the devastating heartbreak. But you could feel her continued hurt and struggle to get over Noah. Your heart just breaks for her.

The romance begins with Kit rescuing Noah and the scene isn't pretty. The story then continues of how they are intertwined together and forced to act as a couple due situation that occurs. These two then really begin to open up, more Kit in the beginning. I loved how Kit fought for Noah and her love was unconditional (she drew some healthy lines in the sand and confronted Noah at certain points too). My heart broke for Noah. What a devastating and horrible experience for a six year old boy to go through by another adult. Made me want to punch someone.

As a stated in the beginning of my review,this was a difficult one to review for me because of my issues with Noah and OW. If that isn't something that bothers you it's a five star book. The writing is excellent, emotions raw and heartfelt. The characters are well developed, great pacing and the story draws you in from the first page.

[Ivy Deluca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full review posted at http://afterdarkbooklovers.com/2015/1...


The Good, The Bad and Everything In Between

Nalini Singh is a talented writer : When I saw this book come up for review, I jumped on the chance since Ms. Singh has crafted a couple of favorite urban fantasies of mine (the Psy-Changeling and the Guild Hunter series), so I was eager to see what she would do with a straight contemporary. While not what I was expecting necessarily, it is a testament to her writing talent that she took a romance with several things that normally drive me insane (and well, it sort of did) and crafted an engrossing, angsty tale with a hopeful ending.

In the third book of the Rock Kiss series, Noah and Kit have a friendship that at one point, could have been more, before Noah self destructs in a “cruel to be kind” way to Kit. During a particularly dark night for Noah, he reaches out to Kit, which starts them back on the path to romance, while dealing with his emotional distance and Kit’s danger from a stalker.

The ‘verse Ms. Singh has created for Schoolboy Choir and the women who love them is grounded in strong, believable friendships, diverse ethnic backgrounds (always a plus) and an interesting glimpse behind the scenes of a tortured rock band. And tortured they are. The angst….lordy.

Angst to the nth degree : Did I say angsty? Holy frijoles, it was ANGSTY, all caps style. Kit’s emotional starts from jump and doesn’t let up for the majority of the story. I pretty much pictured her sitting there like this for most of it.



Loving a man as damaged as Noah isn’t easy, and while yes, I basically thought Kit had shyte taste in men, there were enough glimpses that I could understand why she couldn’t let go, even if logic dictated that she cut her losses and run.

Noah, the holy hot mess : This is Noah for approximately 95% of the book:



He could and did drive me a little bit nuts but I still felt badly for him, which shocked me. What he did to deter Kit’s feelings for him made me see red. And that’s the first chapter! I wanted to stomp his ‘nads for deliberate cruelty but I also needed to know why. It was that desire and the glimpses of his self-hate that kept me reading. Noah and Kit’s friendship is bittersweet and I was surprised I got sucked in, because most of the time when stuff like this happens in a romance novel, I would have called it a day and DNF’d it. Which leads me to...

Pacing was an issue : The romance is a a super slow burn. It will make sense in context, but it was a delicate balance, keeping the reader invested in Kit and Noah, while dangling the carrot of knowing what his emotional trauma is. Had the reveal happened sooner though, perhaps I could really believe that he was dealing with that kind of damage enough to have a relationship with Kit. As it is, the story felt a little lopsided (mostly angst, a little healing and then boom HEA). Add to this that the story is told third person past tense for some important passages, and the secondary stalker plot getting only cursory treatment as little snippets recapped for the reader, and I was left wanting a bit more balance to my romance.

Standalone, but not really : While there are plenty of passages to help the reader catch up with earlier books, I still think it probably would have helped to have read them in order. There is alot that is mentioned as having happened in the past between Kit and Noah that I wish I could have seen unfold, as opposed to told about it after the fact. On the bright side, there are tidbits for the next book featuring Abe and his ex Sarah that make me curious as to what derailed their relationship. The angst train will roll on with those two, I bet.


[3 stars]
Ultimately, I did like it. Yes, it’s super angsty, at times frustrating and far from a “safe” read, but it’s interesting. Ms. Singh has created a diverse little rock n’ roll world that I’m interested in visiting again...once I catch up with the earlier books.

**ARC provided by author for review**

[Lacey (laceybooklovers) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Also posted at Booklovers For Life

I struggled a bit with Rock Redemption. I had high hopes for Noah and Kit’s story, after getting to know a little about them in the previous Rock Kiss books, but their story played out differently than I expected. I adore Nalini Singh and love her writing, but I have to admit that the actual romance in this book disappointed me. Not to say I didn’t like the book, because I enjoyed it overall, but I just wanted more.

He adored her, and because he did, he would never touch her. The instant he did, he’d ruin her, ruin everything. He didn’t want their relationship tainted by sex–if they even had any kind of a relationship.

Rock star Noah St. John and actress Kit Devigny were close friends, and almost became something more, until Noah did something awful and broke Kit’s trust and heart. Because of his painful past, Noah doesn’t believe he’s capable of being in love, so he hurts Kit to keep her at arms length and away from himself and the demons of his past. I wouldn’t say that what he did was unforgivable, because they weren’t even together, but I did want to know why he did what he did, and I certainly wanted to know how he was going to make up for the hurt. What I didn’t expect was for Noah to earn his forgiveness by repairing his and Kit’s friendship. A romantic relationship is not in the cards for them until much later, which I was disappointed with. I mean, they’re both so IN LOVE with each other, I just couldn’t understand Noah’s need for friendship only.

“Be with me,” he whispered, knowing it was the most selfish thing he’d ever asked of anyone in his entire life. “Be with me.”
Kit froze against him, a flesh and blood statue.
“I can’t be what you need,” he whispered against the side of her head. “But be with me anyway.”

To help Kit and her blooming acting career, Noah and Kit pretend to be a couple, but being around each other 24/7 only further entangles their emotions for one another. The romance is slow, but when they finally, FINALLY try to make it work, there are a ton of obstacles in the way of their relationship. With trust issues, a heartbreaking past, even a stalker, Kit and Noah have to work and fight for their love and coveted HEA.

God, she loved him.
There, she’d said it, even if it was only in her head. She loved him. Damaged and beautiful and talented, he was the only man she’d ever loved, no matter if he’d stomped on her heart.

Nalini Singh’s writing is flawless as usual. It was certainly the best part about this book – the gorgeous writing was mainly what kept me reading. Rock Redemption was actually quite easy to read – even though the romance was slow, I never really wanted to put this book down. What also kept me reading were the other members of Schoolboy Choir! I loved that we get to see Fox and Molly, David and Thea, and even Abe and his ex-wife Sarah. I’ve noticed that Nalini Singh does an incredible job of setting up the next couple for each book in this series, and even though Noah and Kit’s didn’t quite pan out the way I expected, I still have high hopes for Abe and Sarah’s.

I love Nalini Singh, but this latest book in the Rock Kiss series didn’t impress me very much. I liked it, but I didn’t really FEEL the connection between the main characters. And when I finally got excited about the romance, there just wasn’t enough of it to fully satisfy me by the end. But still, if you’re a fan of the series, you might end up loving this book. Nalini Singh has a wonderful talent at writing and storytelling, so even as I struggled with Rock Redemption, I could still appreciate how well-written it was.

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

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

Amazon Ebook: http://amzn.to/1UxPAGw
Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/1O9tB3z
Audible: http://amzn.to/1RnCdna

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[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the Rock Kiss series but I have to admit I was a little nervous going into Rock Redemption. I have a big hot button for cheating and it's not something I can usually forgive in romance stories. Now I know Noah didn't technically cheat on Kit because they weren't actually dating but he definitely broke her heart when she caught him with another woman and the fact that he did it on purpose because they were getting too close made it really difficult for me to like his character in the beginning. I trust Nalini Singh though and decided to push through my fears and I'm glad I did because Noah is actually a really sweet guy when you get past his deep seated issues.

Noah is a mess and he doesn't claim to be anything else, he survived something horrific as a child and it's left him damaged and broken. He uses sex as a way to push aside his memories but it's all quite mechanical and not something he really enjoys. Kit was one of his closest friends and he knew that she was falling in love with him but he didn't want to taint their relationship with sex so he deliberately set out to push her away and he destroyed their friendship in the process. I have to say I had a huge amount of respect for Kit because even though she loved him she walked away when he hurt her. She wasn't about to put up with his crap and knew that she deserved to be treated better. When she eventually lets him back into her life she does it slowly and carefully, she's wary of getting hurt again and I could completely understand where she was coming from. It's obvious the two of them have a brilliant connection but Noah was too messed up to be what she needed, especially in the beginning, and I liked the fact that the author doesn't immediately fix Noah just because he's found love.

Someone who is in such a bad place isn't going to come out of it easily and Rock Redemption isn't quite as light hearted and romantic as the earlier stories have been. It's gritty and real and it takes a long time for Kit and Noah to rebuild the broken trust and decide they have a shot at a future together so you should go into this expecting a slow burn romance built on a strong foundation of friendship. Kit is strong enough to stand up to Noah and she point blank tells him that no matter how much she loves him and no matter how horrible his past was it doesn't give him the right to use her as an emotional punching bag. I could have cheered at that point and I definitely think it was a strong and important message to send out to readers. Kit was more than willing to be there for Noah and help him through his issues but she wasn't prepared to be treated badly while she was doing it.

Noah has a lot of issues but if you look beneath the surface he's a great guy, he cares deeply about his friends and would do anything to help them and it's obvious that he's crazy about Kit. By the end of the book I was completely convinced that Noah had been able to turn his life around, I'm sure he'll still mess up but it won't be by cheating on Kit and I can't imagine him doing anything to hurt her again. Rock Redemption is a slow burner but that made it all that much sweeter when Noah and Kit finally reach a good place in their relationship. We also get the chance to catch up with the previous couples and we get some very interesting glimpses into the final band member Abe's head, I can't wait to read his book!