Book Review: Brand New Sky

Title: Brand New Sky

Author: Heidi Hutchinson

Genre: NA Romance

Reviewer: Aly

Book Blurb:

When the dark clouds gather, find a patch of blue sky.

And chase it into tomorrow.

Sway Schaeffer had always known music was going to be a part of his life. It wasn't until he picked up an electric bass in high school that he thought he might actually have fun with it. Raised by classical musicians with the expectation to follow in their footsteps, Sway had gotten used to not caring what other people thought of his choices. 

He had made it a habit early on in his career to find the bright side to every situation, even when others—including his fellow bandmates—disagreed with his methods. Or misinterpreted them entirely. 

Ryan Zacherson is a moderately successful romance writer. She enjoys her quiet life and does not enjoy surprises. She's tense, suspicious, and completely thrown off by the rock star that has happened to move in next door. She's not looking for an adventure. Or a fling. Or anything really.

But she keeps finding herself drawn further and further into the whirlwind that is Sway's life.

For the first time ever, she feels like she can be herself... and be loved for it.

When life interrupts, and reality checks back in, will what they have built together be solid enough to survive the hurricane that is part of the Double Blind Study world? Or will they be torn apart by simple doubt, drama, and pride?

Review:

So, this book…..alright, I’m gonna admit it, there might have been tears shed….like literally tears pouring down my face as I started this book because this is it...the end….no more Double Blind Study. And that literally hurts my heart. It’s been a tough journey and I’ve loved every moment of it. I wasn’t going to mention it here but I think it really belongs here. But the ending….I think that just completed the series on a note that readers can be happy with and that was a beautiful way to finish the series. So, yes….I swear I’m going to try and stay away from the ellipses now guys.

The first scene in the Double Blind Study books start at the same spot but with different perspectives. And I have to say that this was one of the two perspectives I was really looking forward to. And I wasn’t disappointed. Heidi Hutchinson really gave me a new perspective on Sway and what was going on at that point. And I think she handled it in a really great way.

Brand New Sky had a lot of craziness going on plot wise but it also had moments that were beautiful and bittersweet with the Double Blind Study guys and gals. And again, tears may have appeared. But the way it was written just kept reminding me that this is kind of the end before they maybe not go their own way but start being a little more separate than they have been before. And that kind of hurt deep down. But at the same time, it was so so so beautiful to see their family interact and accept Ryan as one of their own.

Speaking of Ryan, she’s certainly an intriguing character who I can honestly say is different from any other character I can recall. And I liked her. As well as Miles.

Heidi Hutchinson does a good job at creating her characters, writing their stories and giving enough flavor to keep the readers interested but also have moments like those with the Double Blind Study group hanging out, being a family.

So, that’s it. If you haven’t read the Double Blind Study series and don’t like reading series’ that aren’t complete, then you should now give the guys of Double Blind Study a chance!

Rating:

Book Review: The Hope That Starts

Title: The Hope That Starts

Author: Heidi Hutchinson

Genre: NA Romance

Reviewer: Aly

Book Blurb: 

If there's one thing Zelda Fitzpatrick is good at, it's fandom. She can out-geek the geekiest. Her devotion knows no bounds. Her love is true, her motives pure. Oh, and she's also a talented freelance photographer, newly hired to go on the road with one of her favorite bands, Double Blind Study. All she has to do is not ruin this opportunity with her nerdy references (which are in abundance) or her devout klutziness. And she probably shouldn't fall madly in love with lead guitarist, Harrison O'Neil... who is taken. Unfortunately.

Review:

YAY IT’S HARRISON’S STORY! Alright so I was super excited to get the chance to read The Hope that Starts because Harrison was a sweetheart in the previous books and I just love him so much! He’s such a sweetie and sigh, I’m gushing a bit.

But in the prologue we see a different Harrison from the one that we usually see. This Harrison is introspective, sad and just not his usual happy-go-lucky self. It was different and appropriate for what’s going on. Not to mention as I said you see a different side to him.

Zelda was also my kind of character. She’s a self-proclaimed fangirl, and all of the mentions of Doctor Who and several other fandoms made me desperately want to rewatch those shows or movies. If only because I recalled exactly what she was talking about and it made me crave to watch it myself.

There is also a bit of an update on previous characters, which is much appreciated.

There were characters that I loved to hate and it gave me something to focus on. There were a couple of times that I wanted to smack Harrison because he was totally missing the obvious on purpose and that just frustrated me beyond belief.

The plot was easy to follow and didn’t have anything that was too crazy. No explosions or anything like that. The writing continued to impress me and was easy to read.

If you love rock star romances then you should definitely check out The Double Blind Study. I can’t really choose a favorite out of the series but Harrison is definitely towards the top!

Rating:

Book Review: Deepest Blues

Title: Deepest Blues

Author: Heidi Hutchinson

Genre: YA/NA Contemporary Romance

Reviewer: Aly

Book Blurb: 

Mike Osborn woke up in a hospital in Germany three years ago. He was breathing. They had saved him.Double Blind Study has been through every rock and roll cliché ever contrived. When their drummer nearly dies from a drug overdose, everything changes. Life is important again. Living is important again.

No one knows that better than Mike. So why does he feel like even though he's breathing and he's happy, his heart isn't beating the way it should be? Maybe it never did.

When Mike meets Clarke Matthews for the first time, he knows he should stay away from her. He knows too much about her and what she's been through. But for the first time, his heart has found another with a rhythm that matches his own. Every beat explodes a beam of light to illuminate his darkness.

Review:

Finally! We get Mike’s story! I’ve been waiting for this forever! Okay, while maybe a few months? But still, it’s been a while.

I loved the look at addiction we get through Mike’s perspective. I’ve never really thought extensively on addiction but when I have I’ve never seen it in that way. It was interesting and eye opening. I enjoyed this new outlook. It really opened my eyes. 

Like the previous books in the Double Blind Study, we get to view scenes that we’ve already seen in previous books. Now this does not mean they’re repetitive or boring. These scenes are told from another person’s perspective and adds another viewpoint to see this moment and how it affected the characters. I loved that! It gave an entirely new view of Shane and Greta’s first meeting as just one example. 

Then the struggles that both characters faced are huge. I really did not think that they would be able to bounce back and work through that. But again, I was proven wrong. Even though Clarke had good reason to hate Mike she honestly worked through her feelings and bounced back better than I thought she could. And Mike while struggling doesn’t go back to what he knows. It was wonderful to not necessarily see them struggle but to come through those struggles better for it. It gives hope that things can get so much better during difficult periods.

I also have to admit that as usual I loved the other characters, although Lia was a particular favorite. I just enjoyed her no nonsense attitude and her ability to stand up for herself. 

It was great to see everyone get their happy endings and I’m looking forward to seeing Harrison get his. Whoever he ends up with is really lucky as he seems such a sweetheart. 

Rating:

If you haven’t already read any of the Double Blind Study series and you like your rock star romances, then definitely give this series and book a chance! You won’t regret it! 

Book Review: Tectonic

Title: Tectonic

Author: Heidi Hutchinson

Reviewer: Aly

Book Blurb:

No matter how solid something seems, if enough pressure is applied, hearts and lives will shift.Shane Brookings, passionate surfer and accomplished athlete, was not a rock star, as much as he tried to represent himself as one throughout most of his adulthood. Mostly, Shane had always been kind of a jackass. A talented jackass, but still. So it really came as no surprise to him that the only two women he had seen a future with, chose actual rock stars to hitch themselves to.

Feeling cold and hollow, he returned to California to focus on growing his brand. Determined to now stay serious about his life choices, he never anticipated Greta O'Neil's blatant shove into his life.

Greta O'Neil, avid artist, surfer chick, and baby sister to a rock star, had a life that was anything but boring. Having a knack for pulling sad men out of their funk, she sets her talents on Shane Brookings. She has no intention of breaking her rules, which include getting too close, letting him in, and accidentally falling for the guy.

But Shane is not like her other projects. Not only is he built like a Greek god, he's hardworking, passionate, clever and heroic. (Not that he believes any of those things about himself.) The rules she has so firmly set down to protect herself, are more than shaken up with Shane's every push into her life.

Even as they both compromise to make room in their hearts for the other, outside forces put pressure on their burgeoning relationship. Shane's dream is put into jeopardy, ex-lovers surface at the worst moments, and their own faults threaten to violently tear them apart

Review:

Tectonic starts out a bit differently. And that's new, and good as well. Especially because we're given a familiar character and I was glad that Shane got his chance to have his story told. Even though he didn't have the best first impression, I've grown a bit attached to him. At least enough to know that he'll get his story and hopefully his happy ending.

Throughout Tectonic, you obviously get a more in depth view of Shane but it does nothing but prove that really, after he changed, he's an amazing guy. And that was great. Not to mention that we got peeks of some of the band members but they weren't the focus. Which was a really good thing considering it's Shane's book and while he does have connections with the band, he's also not part of the band.

Then there was Greta. She was spunky and entertaining without making it seem difficult(Which is a lot harder than it looks). Although her need to fix men who have had drops in thier confidence confused me. I didn't really understand why she did that until we were given something at least to explain why she needed to fix these men. Not that someone can't want to help others but it seems like an odd way to go about helping them.

What was also really cool was that the title seemed to be more and more relevant as we got into the book and you understood a bit more why it was chosen. 

There was also a bit of a refresher on some of the characters which really helped me out. As bad as it sounds, I honestly didn't remember who Cody was until it was mentioned in the book about what she had done. And then it clicked for me. So that was great.

There were lots of sweet, sighworthy moments in Tectonic and while it was different from the other books, it also seemed to fit well and the writing was similar as well. 

I really loved this book as well as this series, and you should give it a chance. 

Rating:

Book Review: In Your Honor

Title: In Your Honor

Author: Heidi Hutchinson

Genre: YA fiction

Reviewer: Aly

Book Blurb: 

He was as wild and unpredictable as a prairie storm. She was trying to pretend like he wasn't everything she ever wanted. 

How long can a storm be in stasis before lightning strikes? 

Double Blind Study is taking charge of their future. Coming off of one of the most successful tours to date, they start their own label and decide to get back to what they love the most: the music. But relearning how to be responsible adults can be a long road. 

Blake Diedrich has been running from himself his whole life. Being in a band with his very best friends has helped to keep him on the move during that time. But then Blake's past joins the tour and he's forced to think about all the choices he's made to get him where his is today. 

Lucy Newton, raised by her widowed rock star father, has a talent beyond measure. But she's placed her hopes on the back burner, putting family first. An opportunity arises that allows her to chase her dream but there's a catch: Blake Diedrich, the man who broke her heart too many times to count is part of the package. 

Pride is a destructive foe and Forgiveness is hard to accomplish. Friendship is powerful and Love is unpredictable. Every journey has a purpose, will Blake and Lucy come out stronger for it on the other side? Or will it destroy what's left of their shattered hearts? 

Review:

You’d think that because In Your Honor started with the same events that Learn to Fly but from a different view that the scene would be familiar. But it wasn’t. Blake is a very different character with a different set of feelings and a whole new past. It was interesting to see that past play out, even as we’re left in the dark about specifics. I was really curious about Blake and why he would call this girl during this difficult time. Not to mention why he made the promises to her he did. But we weren’t given much in the way of hints.

I admit(guiltily) that at first I read this book, looking for updates on Lenny and Luke as well as the rest of the guys. From the previous book I was really invested in the life of the band and the crew and that was one of the reasons I continued reading this series. But then something happened. While I did get the look into familiar characters lives I also found myself begging for Blake’s past and why this girl. Pretty soon I began reading because Blake grew on me and I was interested in hearing his story.

Book Review: Learn to Fly

Title: Learn to Fly

Author: Heidi R Hutchinson

Genre: YA contemporary

Reviewer: Aly

Book Blurb:

Lenny Evans felt like her life was suffocating her. She would do just about anything to change that, which is how she ended up taking a job that landed her on tour with the biggest rock band in the world.

The plan was simple: get a job, get out of town, don't get attached. But Lenny has never met anyone like the members of Double Blind Study and they easily adopt her into their makeshift family. Now, Lenny finds herself caring far too deeply for these tattooed misfits, daily bringing them closer and closer to revealing Lenny's true past and everything she's running from.

Sometimes crashing headlong into the unknown isn't the worst thing.

WARNING: contains foul-mouthed rock stars, irritating exes, loud music, an overworked tour manager and random shenanigans.

Review:

The prologue of Learn to Fly threw me for a loop. I wasn't quite sure what it was for, or why it was there but it was quite emotional. However due to the fact that I didn't know what relevance it had to do with anything I found myself curious to find out more. That was part of the reason I continued reading. And I found my answer later in the book. It satisfied me to know that the Prologue actually made sense to understand why Luke felt a certain way towards the band. It's an interesting dynamic and one that works. Luke was a great character. He was really well written and I immediately fell in love. 

Then there was Lenny, desperate to run but from what we're not certain until later in the book. I found myself curious about Lenny but I didn't really understand her so I didn't feel a connection with her until later in the book. But the dynamic between her, the band and her boss was funny and fun to read about. It seemed as if they were best friends and didn't seem to hold any of the employer/employee lines intact. But it was fun to see those lines really destroyed. And for them it worked. Clues were being dropped about Lenny's background but it didn't really seem to make sense. You knew small things that seemed inconsequential and they added up. I didn't really get the full picture until the author revealed everything. It was great to see Lenny's past finally come to light. 

Throughout Learn to Fly we are also given some text messages. However many of them make little sense at the time. It isn't until we gain insight to Lena's background that suddenly you go back to read the text messages and realize what they're talking about and who the characters were as well as their importance.

The plot had kinks and characters that readers just have to hate. That certainly was a contributing factor to what kept me reading. I was wondering what new secret would be revealed, when Luke would get his head out of his bum and what they would say next. It was just one great big mystery and I was one curious reader. 

Towards the end of the book, I wanted to slap both main characters. They were being frustrating and stupid. I honestly felt like calling them out and telling them they were acting like five year olds. (Really, I took a minute and just vented about what they were doing wrong....I think my friend thought I was nuts.) But when they finally get things together you can't help but sigh. 

Seriously, Learn to Fly was an amazing book about a band that's more family than anything. Even as it focused more on Lenny and Luke.

Rating: