Reviewed by Valerie
TITLE: Tattered Angel
AUTHOR: Layla Dorine
SERIES: The Road To Rocktoberfest #2
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 233 pages
RELEASE DATE: October 16, 2020
BLURB:
Since the moment he picked up his first guitar, Dez Conway dreamed of being a Rockstar. A multi-talented musician with the ability to play the electric violin, electric cello and even the bass, he’d be an asset to any group of musicians, if only the bands who’d hired him over the years had truly thought that way. Instead, he’s singing for the dishes in an upscale restaurant, bitter, pissed off and unwilling to entertain the offer to replace the front man of the world-famous Deviant Angels because why the hell would they be any different than the guys who’d kicked him to the curb in the past?
Only…they’re not the Deviant Angels, their longtime front man took the name with him when he left, along with their hopes of getting back out on the road again and playing the music they love. Of course, a talented musician like Dez could change all of that for them, if they can convince him that this time, his dreams of rock stardom, and love, can actually come true
REVIEW:
Well, this wasn’t a bad book, but it certainly wasn’t about romance and love. The blurb says, “If you like scorching tales of hot rock stars and the men who love them …” There was no scorch, no heat, not even the warmth of an electric blanket turned on low. There were just a few kisses and a vague reference to one hook-up, but nothing sexual on page – not even a fade to black. Even the first significant kiss wasn’t until eleven pages before the end of the book! There were no utterances of love, no confessions of feelings, no descriptions of anyone experiencing deep emotions. If you’re looking for a hot rock star romance, this is not it.
That said, it wasn’t a complete loss. Tattered Angel is basically a buddy road trip novel as the band travels and performs a series of concerts working up to Rocktoberfest; I did enjoy the road trip aspect of it. Most of the characters are enjoyable, specifically bandmates Zakk, Damian, and Dez. Zakk is bursting with friendliness, upbeat, and lots of fun. Damian made me smile with his abundant, flowery vocabulary and distaste for contractions. Otherwise, Zakk and Damian are rather one dimensional characters. Dez is very likable and more developed with a good backstory. For the most part, the characters behave like early twenty-somethings, not men in their thirties.
My least favorite of the main characters is Riley, who is meant to be Dez’s love interest. Riley is a miserable git, annoyed and angry for much of the story, thinking he has a greater drive and desire to prove themselves as a band. This is a third person narration, so if it wasn’t for the greater focus on Riley, I wouldn’t have been sure up until the eighty percent mark who was meant to be Dez’s love interest, Riley or Zakk. Dez even states that if he hooked up with anyone it would be Zakk. With Riley it’s just a friends vibe.
There are a few plot holes, such as how the band had no name – despite performing in a series of concerts without one – until they were at Rocktoberfest.
I was sorely disappointed that Tattered Angel wasn’t what I would consider an MM romance. I think my expectations were realistic considering the other six books in The Road to Rocktoberfest series are romances, as are the author’s other books. There’s no sexual tension, no slow burn, no Insta-love, no lust; whatever your favorite romance trope is, it’s not here. If this is your expectation, you’ll be disappointed, too.
RATING: 
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