REVIEWED by Jay V.
TITLE: Starting From The Top
AUTHOR: Lane Hayes
SERIES: Starting From #5
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 310 pages
RELEASE DATE: March 5, 2021
BLURB:
The guitarist, the dad, and a band on the rise…
Johnny
A quiet place to live and some time to recharge before my band heads out on the road again sounds amazing. I wouldn’t mind a distraction too, but my new neighbor is off-limits. There are rules about not getting involved with your bandmate’s ex, right? And Sean isn’t my type anyway. He’s too bossy, too commanding, and he has way too much baggage. I’ve learned that it’s best to let go of the heavy stuff. So why am I so drawn to him?
Sean
Coming out later in life has taught me to protect my privacy at all costs. And while juggling a handful of businesses and two kids isn’t easy, I excel at the art of multitasking and keeping everything separate. But Johnny blurs those lines. He’s easy-going, sweet-natured, and cool. In short, he’s everything I’m not. I want to know all about him…starting from the top.
REVIEW:
I’d say the boys in the bands are back but I started that way in my last review in the series. The lead guitarist of the band Zero is setting in to a new life – a new house and a new look on life. Johnny is needing a bit of a rest from creating/recording new albums and tours. Back to take a break, work on their next album, and get ready for a larger tour, all in the bands are trying to relax. Johnny is taking it heart but with an errand to run, things start to go very differently as Sean comes in to his life, a much more serious business man who is the opposite of Johnny. Will they work? Should they work? Do they work?
As always, Lane is such an enjoyable writer – you don’t quite know where things are going but she is able to capture the feel of people in the music industry and put a spin on it that is refreshing. On paper they shouldn’t work, but on the page they go from FWB’s to potentially something more. The road isn’t easy and there’s some bumps but getting to better know both characters are a great read. The two are so different it’s almost a chasm but you can’t help but root for them.
We do a get a catch up on all the characters from the former books but there’s not a need to have read the rest, though it would be a shame not to have read them. Lane is a consistent writer in producing great stories that balance characters, story, and some hot sex without overpowering. Her sense of place and characterization are dead on as if she’s been in the music business – albeit maybe a more friendly version, but good at the inner workings and thinking around music. Both sets of band members have their hearts on their sleeves and it keeps showing through in these books.
Frankly, I was in a bit of a book slump before picking this book up & I’m grateful that I got to read such a good book that set me back upright to focus on consuming more books. It’s always a joy to read an engrossing story and get back in the spirit of reading. Not sure if this is the last of the series but Lane is quickly becoming one of my must-read authors, which I only have a few. Kudos.
RATING:
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