Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: Strike a Chord
SERIES: Replay (book #4)
AUTHOR: K.M. Neuhold
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 216 pages
RELEASE DATE: May 14, 2019
BLURB:
“You want to fake date me?”
Music is my life, my band is my heart and soul, and it’s all falling apart before my eyes.
A plan hatched from desperation as we both watch our careers burn down around us. Dating my best friend’s twin brother, Paris, who just so happens to be a gay icon at the moment seems like the perfect plan. And if we have a little fun along the way, where’s the harm in that? The band is spiraling, his football career is going up in flames, and the more the world falls down around us, the easier it is to get lost in each other.
But are stolen moments during our own busy schedules and hurried kisses hidden behind social media posts the basis for a real relationship, or is this just another thing that’s going to turn to dust in our hands?
**Strike a Chord is the fourth and final book in the Replay series. This series can be read in any order.
REVIEW:
This was a nice conclusion to a pretty interesting series on Rock Stars, their fame and how it can change your life.
Benji has always been the “good one” of the band. He does his job and doesn’t make waves like his other “bad boy band members” Lincoln and Jude do. He and Lando figure that Archer already have his hands full babysitting those two. All he wants is to do is just go home for Christmas to see his mom and dad and hang with his best friend London. What he doesn’t expect though is for London’s identical twin brother (who has been his crush since the moment he first saw him in high school) to be home for the holidays too. Paris has had a very rough year of it. First the NFL star quarterback tears his shoulder out in a game and has to undergo reconstruction surgery and is still in physical therapy 10 months later with no clue what his future looks like. Then his long time boyfriend dumps him. Now he learns that he had been cheating on him too. It’s time to get drunk with his brother to wash away his sorrows. When London makes him join him at a cocktail club he wants to leave and get smashed in a real bar. That is until the masked surprise piano player starts his set. Benji has been it for Paris since he first spotted him at the locker next to his years ago in school. And that kiss Benji gave to him at graduation when he “mistook him” for London, Benji’s boyfriend, has seared his thoughts for years. But when London suggests that Benji and Paris pose as fake boyfriends for publicity reason they both say “no way” at first. However soon enough opportunity opens that door. But can these two men “fake it” when they both have long time hidden feelings for each other without the other realizing it?
I loved these two men and liked that we were given flashbacks of their youth and how their attraction first came to be. The nerdy musician and the star quarterback that both make it huge in the world! My patience was a bit strained after awhile that these two took so long to finally admit about their true feelings, both past and present. And then I felt a bit “cheated” that everything wrapped up so fast when it all came out. I did love that both men were so giving of their time and money to support LGBTQ+ youth. It was great reading this last night with the warm tropical breezes coming through the palms trees at my home and the ocean waves crashing so that I could almost hear the “musical beat” that Benji described.
The London story line was a nice twist. I know that Benji only saw them as best friends-with-benefits growing up but I am totally convinced that London didn’t see it that way…at least when they were younger. I love that London was wholeheartedly supportive of Benji and Paris and did everything in his power to make it happen. Without him I’m sure their story would have went on and on without resolve for even longer!
The part that was a bit disappointing for me was the wrap up epilogue. This was a four book series about some very dynamic and interesting men and their love journey for their mate/mates. I would have liked to have seen it longer that 3 pages with more than a quick side note to what happened to each of these couples. I loved that they all matured and grew from their individual demons and trials and that they got their much needed HEA. But I think it felt a bit rushed and I didn’t get the closure I needed. I would have loved to have attended one of their weddings at least. Maybe we will get a Christmas novella of Benji and Paris’s private beach wedding???
These books have followed the same timeline of what they each did when the band was forced to cancel their tour due to everything that was happening to destroy their lives and their band so much of it isn’t a surprise. I did love that this book took what happened with the whole Archer/Epic label further.
I loved Benji’s “calmer” story and it was a good way to wrap up the series without too much drama. But I still think that both Lincoln’s and Lando’s stories touched me more. Great series and I am so thankful I discovered them and K.M.!
RATING: 
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