Review: 4 to 4.5 stars. Loved Quinn!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 02 24, 2014
We met Quinn the keyboardist for Shaken Dirty in book one Crash Into Me and I have to say he did not make a big impression on me in that one. I remember getting to the review and I was trying to think of something to say about him, but there really wasn't anything that stood out. That was probably because the other guys in the band all had major issues going on so they were more dramatic. But from the beginning of this book, I really liked him.As kids and teens, Quinn Bradford and Elise McKinnon were piano playing rivals that constantly tried to out do each other, pull pranks and generally irritate each other. But they were also friends and turned into more as they got older. But it ended when they were seventeen and were left broken hearted especially Elise.Ten years later, Elise has suffered injuries and loss in a car accident. Quinn comes to the hospital and as they are reunited for the first time, they immediately spark. Quinn has a lot going on in his life. His band Shaken Dirty is struggling a bit due to interpersonal battles and Wyatt in rehab. But Elise has had a hard year and has no one else, so Quinn decides he is stepping in whether she wants him to or not. There's a thin line between providing help and kidnapping.(Quote)That sweetly polished boy was long gone and in his place was a man who exuded sex--raw, primitive, raunchy sex--with every move, every word, every breath.We see not only Quinn the rockstar, but we also get to see where he has come from and how his past has changed him. With his success he could be a real jerk, but he is caring, considerate, and really jumps in to take care of his old friend. He can tell that there's more wrong with her then just her accident and he can see through to her pain that she's trying to hide. He is sensitive when he needs to be and pushes her when she needs it as well . His feelings for her are all tied up in the past as well as a continued attraction in the present. They have a definite connection and chemistry, but they both have reasons not to act on it. She is just getting over a major trauma as well as multiple losses. She has major trust issues based on their relationship in the past. And he has never felt worthy of her and has issues from his past that have caused him to think negatively about himself. And even though he is now successful those insecurities are still there. He shattered her heart and changed the way that she views the world and caused her to put up big walls. He hurt himself in the process too, but thought it was best for her. But now in the present they revert to some of their flirty, fun, antagonistic banter and also try to push away their attraction to each other.Their sparring is engaging, taunting, and laced with an underlying need for attention. The jokes they played on each other are interesting and humorous. They ooze sexual tension and chemistry. Oh, the foreplay! They have a shared history and they both have suffered loss and are broken in some ways. She resists but really does not want to. He pushes more but knows that he shouldn't. She is lonely and has walls up and lacks emotional connections. He has never felt worthy of her and has made mistakes. They are quite the dysfunctional pair. But they really do fit well together. They are put back in each other's lives at a time were they both needed it. The future of his band and career is all up in the air and they are all scrambling to get it together. She is trying to figure out what her own future will consist of since the one thing she truly loves and has always been an integral part of her has been snatched away. And despite their playfulness and pranks, they both tend to have an understanding and calming presence on each other.(Quote)He wanted to take her apart as she'd done to him, wanted to put her back together--put them both back together--in a way that took everything she had to give but gave her everything of him as well.It basically all boils down to trust, fear, and insecurities. Do they care enough and are they brave enough to try to do better this time and not hurt each other again? He worries so much about hurting her and she frets about getting hurt again, but their protective actions do just that. They avoid and run at times. So they are self fulfilling prophecies. They need to trust and believe in each other and themselves in order to even attempt to move forward.I loved getting more with the band Ryder, Jared, and Wyatt(Micah..not so much) and Ryder's fiance/Jared's sister, Jamison from Crash Into Me. Their interactions were funny and taunting and they had me smiling often. But they were also truly supportive of each other too and act like a family. This one was sweet, sexy, funny, and engaging. I actually liked it better than the first book. I was sucked in and enjoyed being back with the Shaken Dirty gang and I look forward to more stories especially Jared and Wyatt.Thanks to Brazen, Entangled Publishing, and Tracy Wolff for providing me with an arc copy in exchange for an honest review.