Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: In Tune
SERIES: The Road To Rocktoberfest 2022
AUTHOR: Elle Keaton
PUBLISHER: Dirty Dog Press LLC
LENGTH: 151 Pages
RELEASE DATE: November 8, 2022
BLURB:
Dean
Life is good for Dean Blanchett, lead guitarist of the superstar rock band, the Lost Apostles. He’s got his music, he’s got his dog, he’s got his best friend Luka and the girl he’s gonna marry. Right up until a few days before the biggest show of the year, when his fiancé literally throws his ring in his face and leaves him for an accountant.
AN ACCOUNTANT.
Dean quickly spirals out of control, knowing Luka will be there to pick up the pieces. Again. It’s a good thing he has a friend like Luka.
Luka
How many more times will Luka have to put Dean together again? Staying with the band, taking care of Dean’s dog – who’s really Luka’s dog – while Dean chases after the next girl who is ‘the one’ and then crashes and burns. Again. It’s all taking its toll.
And why does his stupid heart keep insisting Dean is the only one it wants?
This time is IT. Luka is done with the Dean Drama, the soul-mates-of-the-month, even the band. He loves Dean, he has since they met, but Dean is straight as a ruler. And unless something changes, he’s going to self-destruct something Luka can’t bear to watch.
When Luka throws down an ultimatum, Dean begins to question everything—including his sexuality.
Can he live without his best friend? Does he even want to try?
There’s only one way to find out; he has to live with him first.
In Tune is part of the multi-author The Road to Rocktoberfest 2022 series. Each book can be read as a standalone, but why not read them all and see who hits the stage next? Hot rockstars and the men who love them, what more could you ask for? Kick back, load up your kindle and enjoy the men of Rocktoberfest!
REVIEW:
Dean flirted with everyone except Luka. Luka knew that the straight Dean would never look at him that way or kiss him the way he kissed Cassidy, the fiancée. For years, Luka tucked away his love and settled for friendship until it all became too much – one day, he was done. The question was – what would Dean do in response?
I picked up this story because of its connection to Piedras and a series that I adore. While I greatly enjoyed the overall story, this relatively short novel (151 pages) is stacked to the rafters with information, some of which I’m not sure was necessary. I will explain in a bit.
The story is told in the third person from the viewpoints of Dean and Luka. Other than the occasional autonomous body part, I found it technically sound. From the stories I’ve read thus far, Elle Keaton’s world-building is extensive – an aspect I’ve loved as it has allowed me to immerse myself into the universes created.
In Tune is one of several independent stories developed for the Rocktoberfest series. The blurb says that they can all be read as standalones. However, characters from several other series written by the author have dive-bombed this tale. And seemingly not wanting to leave anyone in the dark, the inter-family/friends’ connections and their other halves, with a smidgeon of backstory, are also included. I occasionally found it so confusing only bits registered in my head.
I get the incentive to link novels, but the only place the universe created completely comes together is in the author’s head (unless you are a particular reader) because that’s their world, and they know it intimately. The rest of us bookworms read other stories, too, and when there are months between episodes, the memory needs more jogging than a few paragraphs. For the story to work, yes, mention in the acknowledgments who makes an appearance, but the main body of the tale didn’t need the complicated who was cousin to who’s best friend twice removed. For me, these explanations also put some areas out of proportion. There were areas where less would have improved flow and focus, and other areas, where less was too little. I fear a lifetime of friends and family were forced into too small a space.
I am, therefore, on the fence about this short novel. I loved the return to Piedras. I loved the band and their dynamic. Dean and Luka are delightful, and Frank (the Husky) is a scene-stealer. But, if there’d been less detail in the peripherals, more time could have been dedicated to Dean and Luka, resulting in more being made of certain situations, intensifying the emotional investment.
RATING: 
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