Review: Sex, drugs, rock and roll and an HEA
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 20, 2013
Jaime Samms has written a dark, gritty, and honest look behind the lights, glamor, and glitter of the rock world into the dark underbelly in her story Offstage Right. Damien Learner, his best friend Lenny Stevens, and their band mates form the grunge band Firefly. The blurb skims the basics of the story, but to really appreciate the full, devastatingly and brutally honest impact, you need to read this book.This is definitely a character driven story, with a plot that grabs you from the first page, flows seamlessly and smoothly throughout, and doesn't turn you loose until long after you finish the last page. The backstory gives an added dimension to the storyline, weaving it together without overwhelming it. The MCs private lives are portrayed in an heartbreakingly blunt, no-holds-barred manner, revealing that what many people think of as charmed, turns out to be anything but. Damien and Lenny are two damaged souls looking for what they need in each other, only to drive each other closer to the edge of a total meltdown and unless someone steps in, will drag the band down with them.The sex in most of the story is definitely physical, with very little to it beyond the sex, drugs, and rock and roll veneer, but it changes towards the end into being very loving and tender. The author's style of writing is honest, simple, to the point, and doesn't hesitate to expose and explore the dark and seldom seen world behind the bright lights, music, adoring crowds, and the fame that often leads so many gifted artists to die so young. The book may be a little slow going for some readers but it is DEFINITELY worth the effort. Told in a skillful blend of flashbacks and present day, I absolutely loved the original and unexpectedly hopeful HEA ending and would recommend this heartbreaking yet ultimately triumphant story to everyone.Trish's 4 1/2 sweet pea review is at mrsconditreadsbooks.com/index.php/?p=12771