Runaround

Big Bands Big Hearts #5

by Sandra Alex

The twisted groupie. The secret message on a drumstick. The conversation overheard a day late…and the shot from behind the altar.

The first time I saw him in a rock magazine I thought I would die. Those eyes, the hair, the way he pounds the drums so artfully, and his face on the camera, is unforgettable. He was my first crush. Meeting him has always been a distant pipe dream, until the day I’m told I’m the winning caller on a radio station. When our eyes meet something clicks and I know it’s not my imagination. But his girlfriend’s psychotic gaze sets me off, and then I overhear a conversation not meant for my ears...that puts someone’s life at stake.

We’re backstage for meet and greets before a show, when this girl, Liv, comes to meet us. She’s got arms that rival mine, and I'm a drummer. But she wears them well. The girl is tough and smart, and there’s something about her that is different. Her eyes and ears, and her heart, pick up on things that I'm blind to. Then she gives me a strange gift that changes my life forever. Her presence shifts certain things on the tour, and I’m not sure who I can trust anymore. Odd things are happening that can’t be explained, and then, at a moment when we’re all vulnerable...it all makes sense...but then again, does it?

Rock star romance
Medium heat
Drinking
Drug abuse
Swearing
Cliffhanger ending

156 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 23, 2023

About the author

Meet your next book boyfriend.

Love stories that could actually happen.

New to Sandra Alex? Download your FREE BOOK and see what you've been missing https://dl.bookfunnel.com/9ak1h8gll1

About the Author

Sandra has been writing poems and short stories since middle school, and writing full length, self-published novels since 2010, using several pen names.

Writing full-length steamy romance series has quickly become a love for this author. Her stories have elements of humor, family issues, suspense and personal growth. Her books take the reader right into the bedroom with the characters to feel the same intensity as the lovers do in the story. Sandra's goal is to have the reader rooting for the main couple...and she doesn't disappoint.

You'll find this author working out weekday mornings at ungodly hours. She's gluten and dairy free, and is probably the only person on earth who doesn't do coffee or chocolate.

Her favorite movie is Bohemian Rhapsody, her favorite tv shows are Friends and The Connors. She's also a die-hard Rocky fan and has read the Fifty Shades trilogy and watched the movies more times than she cares to admit.

Sandra is married with two daughters and is a lover of all things four-legged, including her own two furbabies.

The Ford Brothers series focuses on five swoon-worthy brothers who each served in the military, and lost their billionaire father suddenly, which left them to run his airline after his death. Each book features one brother, but they make appearances in all five novels. In case you haven't guessed, the titles in the Ford Brothers series have been inspired by hazard warning signs, an idea the author came up with after completing a health and safety course prior to starting the series.

The Miles for Love series is about unexpected love, and it features the Lynch family; four brothers and one sister, who are each passionate, imperfect, and are just like you and I...but way sexier and with much more interesting lives. They are very individual and each have a unique story to tell.

The Rock Star Romance series is inspired by the death of Eddie Van Halen on October 6, 2020. It is a standalone series unlike any other this author has written. Look for this series! It's available now!

Ford Brothers Series order:

Proceed with Caution (Colton and Julia) second chance romance

Enter at Your Own Risk (Wade and Kendra) rock star/hate to love romance

Handle with Care (Garrett and Nora) second time around/betrayal romance

Slippery When Wet (Dalton and Amelia) widower romance/younger man & older woman

May Explode if Heated (Jack and Kristina) bad boy romance

Trespassers will be Prosecuted (Bryn and Liz) billionaire romance

Miles for Love Series order:

Crossing Boundaries (Daniel and Kayla) best friends to lovers romance

Crossing Oceans (Aleks and Mallorie) long-distance romance

Crossing Roads (Christopher and Ashley) hate-to-love romance

Crossing Hearts (Tyler and Ripley's story) second chance romance

Crossing Borders (Grant and Frankie's story) second chance romance

Rock Star Romance Series order:

Dress Rehearsal (Billy and Michelle's story)

Opening Night (Jimmy and Cindy's story)

Platinum (Tommy and Debbie's story)

World Tour (Danny and Diana's story)

Big Bands, Big Hearts Series order:

Dreams
Jump
Secrets
Unchained
Runaround

To learn more about Sandra, you can check her out here:

Website: https://www.sandraalexbooks.com
BookBub: www.bookbub.com/authors/sandra-alex
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/SandraAlexBooks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SandraAlexBooks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandra_alex...

Join her Facebook reading group Sizzling Reads by Sandra Alex:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/32052...

For a FREE Prequel for 'Proceed with Caution', 'Crossing Boundaries', and an

Reviews

[Doris · Rating 5 out of 5]

What An Ending!!!

Liv and her sister win tickets to see Liv’s favorite band, Buying Time. Stix is their drummer and she has crushed on him forever and now she gets her chance to meet him. Liv isn’t a groupie but she does score a job as security working for the band which will give her and Stix time together since they hit it off so well in that very first meeting.

Liv takes her job seriously and can feel that something is up. As for the relationship between her and Stix well, let’s just say its sizzling. With the cliffhanger in this book and I cannot wait to see what comes next for the guys from Buying Time.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book five in The Big Bands, Big Hearts series and it is Stix and Liv’s story and it is definitely a must read. Liv and her sister Stef have just scored tickets and back stage passes to see there favourite band called Buying Time and they are so excited as Liv has wanted to meet Stix for a long time and now is her chance. Liv works in security plus other jobs to make ends meet but her passion was always to become a cop like her father and brother but due to her having bad asthma attacks that was not possible so she keeps herself fit and healthy. Stix is the drummer in the band Buying Time and at the moment they are on tour and when he goes to do a meet and greet he is instantly drawn to Liv and wants to spend more time getting to no her as she is a shy, beautiful, genuine, adorable woman but he can’t move forward until he gets rid of Meg who has become clingy, toxic and is always looking for a argument but then something happens that gets Meg away from him and now he can pursue Liv like he wants to and see where it goes and the attraction and chemistry between them is so strong and intense which is something that he has never felt before. When Liv is offered a job for the band as security she takes it as it will also give her and Stix more time together but something doesn’t feel right especially after she heard a conversation that has put her on edge and she feels like danger is all around them and she needs to be on her guard as her instincts are normally spot on and then you get an explosive cliff hanger ending that completely throws you. I absolutely love this book and I read it in one sitting because I was totally hooked right from the start and it kept my attention throughout and I can’t wait to read the next one in this amazing series.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Sandra Alex for providing me with an advanced ebook copy of Runaround for me to read and review.  This is the fifth book in the Big Bands, Big Hearts series and another great story. The balance between romance, suspense, and mystery was excellent and drew me in right from the first chapter. As usual, Alex writes excellent personal character development for the main characters in the story and I love that numerous characters and plots from previous books in the series were brought back and continued on in Runaround. I wasn't a huge fan of the how insta love the relationship seemed to be and I feel like it could have been fleshed out more to make how fast it was seem more plausible. Another dislike for me, which may be my own personal preference, was the continued use of the word man when other characters are speaking to or referring to the female characters of the story. This writing choice appears in a number of Alex's books; it rubs me the wrong way and throws off my reading flow when it happens. These couple things made this one not my favorite of the series, but it is still an excellent story and I'm excited to see where the series will go next.

[Maddy Matos · Rating 5 out of 5]

this story opens with Blaze finding out at the bank that his accounts are empty, there’s the wedding, there’s a helicopter flying over them and suddenly gunshots ring out and Stix is on the ground. This is quite the opening scene. I thought this story was going to be about Blaze but again the author has gone in another direction with Stix. Already I’m loving this story because Stix is so adorable and Olivia is darling. I love their easy conversations and their chemistry. Olivia just doesn’t realize how much Stix likes her and they are just so cute together. Besides the chemistry when they finally get together it’s hot, like my Kindle was melting hot. I like that there aren’t a lot of long winded conversations or outings that lead nowhere. This story gives you just enough of everything without dragging or getting boring. The ending is explosive, never ended a review with those words. I’m giving this book five stars and highly recommend it, now I’m thinking of that next explosion.

[TELA666 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must admit, though I had been eager to read this when finishing book 4, I struggled to remember everybody and keep up with the plot. There is a lot going on and many POVs in this 14 chapter book, I also felt it took a long time to read. I will continue with the series but it seems Eruption is not due for 4 months and that also has a cliffhanger. For me if I knew the release schedule I would have waited and binge read as I think I would have enjoyed it more that way. It is a good series with lots of interconnecting characters and plots and dies feel set in the 80s.

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

[Caroline Doig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liz and her sister win tickets from a radio station competition to go backstage and meet her favourite band but most of all her favourite drummer Stix and from there it’s love and one hell of an adventure ohh and don’t forget about the danger at the end it’s explosive. There is a cliffhanger ending and it made me jittery I just have to know what happened but I won’t find out until July when Eruption come out and I can’t wait. I loved this story and the characters and I definitely recommend this book/ series.

[KL Cassanello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liv wins tickets to see Buying Time, and meets Stix. This book is their story, and what a story it is! There are a couple of side stories going on... Blaze, whose money in the bank has completely vanished... Ray and Slick's wedding... But the main event is Stix and Liv's romance. I love them both; her, because she's not a groupie, but a hard-working fan; him, because off-stage, he's a regular guy. The ending is a surprise. Waiting (not so) patiently for Eruption. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Belinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Three bands on the road and so much going on. Each story is connected so read them in order o fully understand and keep up. Blaze finds out that someone has embezzled his money and Stix is shot during a wedding. Sandra Alex grabs you from the beginning and doesn't let go until the end. We get answers to previous questions but it closes with a new one. No spoilers here, but Liz and Stix have a great story and I am looking forward to see what is in store for these bands in the future.

[Wendy Livingstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the fifth book in this series, and this is Stix and Liv’s story. Stix is the drummer in a rock band, and Liv is the winner on a radio station to meet the band. There is an instant connection between these two and the sparks fly. This is a well written story which is an entertaining story, with mystery, suspense, intrigue, emotions, and love, which leads to an entertaining page turner.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jenn M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rockstar Instalove Romance

I love this series and loved this book!! This is Liv and Stix’ story. The two have instant chemistry and they crackle from their first meeting. The series has an interwoven story that continues and it seems that a lot more is going to be coming up. I can’t wait to see where things go!!

[Robyn Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved reading the story of Liv and Stix.
How many of us have fantasised about a celebrity knowing you will never meet them. But Liv gets to not only meet her celebrity crush but also fall in love with him.
This story mixes action as well as love to make a great story line.
Sandra Alex never disappoints.

[Maja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blaze is just an amazing hero and I really loved reading his point of view in the first person. This one pulled me in from start to finish, I couldn't put it down. 5 stars.

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

[MeCalle Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story

But I hate cliffhangers. Hopefully the next book is out soon. I see some sequels that were never finished as years go by. I bought the first one by mistake. I'm not happy that you have brought down Storm and Dez. So much for hea for them.

[Jacquie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book! I received an arc of this book.

[Claudia Reinbrecht · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5