Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Street of Dreams
SERIES: Rocktoberfest
AUTHOR: Jenna Galicki
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 268 pages
RELEASE DATE: October 30, 2020
BLURB:
One street touched a thousand lives and sent two boys in opposite directions.
For Reid Mackenzie, Street of Dreams offers hope for a better life and a chance to share his music with the world. For Jake King, it reinforces his life of crime and the ties to a city that empowers him.
They were two boys, growing up side by side in the same neighborhood, but their lives couldn’t be more different. Mac comes from a humble Scottish family and dreams of the stage and the day he has enough money to escape Chicago’s South Side. Jake knows he’ll never leave. The impoverished city, and his notorious father, have a hold on him that won’t let go.
Circumstances force them to carry on their relationship in private, until it explodes in the worst way. With the will of a warrior, Jake vows he’ll do whatever he has to in order for them to be together, no matter how brutal the consequences.
This is a story of courage, kilts, and second chances.
Street of Dreams is the 4th book in the multi-author Road to Rocktoberfest series. Each book can be read as a standalone, but why not stay and enjoy the whole show? If you like scorching tales of hot rock stars and the men who love them, then you’ll adore the untamed musicians of Rocktoberfest!
REVIEW:
Reid Mckenzie – Mac – is as singer/songwriter from the South Side of Chicago who dreams of making his dreams come through in the music industry. He’s good, but he’s not getting gigs – unless his BFF Skylar starts marketing him. She’s in school and knows Mac can do better than busking on the street.
Jake King is the king of the South Side. He runs numbers and protection and has his twin brother goons with him all the time. He and Mac have known each other all their lives and Jake has always pushed Mac’s buttons. Mac is one of the few who will stand up to Jake. But one fateful night, Jake and Mac do much more than push each other buttons 😉 But they are playin a dangerous game. Jake’s dad is a notorious and violent gun runner. He’s also a homophobic asshole. He’s rather have a dead son than a gay son – as he’s often stated. And Jake knows he means it. But of course controlling Jake has become a lot easier once he find out about Mac.
Jake knows what he has to do to protect Mac and also the rest of his family. So he calls it off – cuts Mac off – just when things start to happen for Mac in the music world. Mac is devastated, but he’s in a whirlwind with a tour and a record deal. But unbeknownst to Mac, Jake is working on a plan – a plan that will get him and his brothers away from Bruce and give him the opportunity to have the life and the man he loves.
So a LOT happens in this book. It’s basically a season of Shameless with a few twists 🙂 Same rough South side of Chicago aesthetic. Except instead of a promoter, Mac is a singer/songwriter. And instead of the soldier brother being gay, it’s the singer/songwriter, so there’s a bit of a character mashup. But it’s an interesting ride. Mac is gutsy and Jake is vulnerable with him in a way he’s never been with anybody else. Even though they’ve known each other basically all their lives, until they snap and go at each other, they have no real idea about the other. Mac knows that Jake is difference under his tough-guy persona, but he doesn’t fully comprehend it until he see’s Jakes life up close and personal – and it almost costs both of them everything. The story is a bit of a gritty melodrama in some parts, but there were enough tender moments and true connections to make me want to know how they were going to resolve this situations. While I had to suspend disbelief a bit at the end, I was happy to see Jake persevere and get his happy ending with Mac. Recommended.
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