Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: Wild Obsession
SERIES: Rebel Rockstars #1
AUTHOR: FA Ray
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 303 pages
RELEASE DATE: March 11, 2025
BLURB:
SYNOPSIS
Hooking up with my rockstar, virgin ex, was supposed to be a cruel game. But he’s falling hard, and it’s dredging up the feelings we never confronted as kids.
Keannen
Tim dumped me almost nine years ago. And when I say “dumped,” I mean he left me without a word, without an explanation, without a goodbye. He hasn’t contacted me since.
Now, our bands are on tour together. He’s far more famous than me and my fledgling rock band, but I’m far more vicious, and I’m not letting him get away this time.
There’s nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. He’s trapped with me, and I’ve got eight years of frustration to take out on the man who broke my heart. When I discover he’s a virgin, and that he’s definitely still into me, I know exactly how to torment him — and have a little fun in the process.
Tim
I didn’t want to leave Keannen eight years ago. My parents pulled me out of our high school and shipped me around the country to “fix” me when they caught me under the bleachers with a boy.
When life throws us back together, it’s like no time has passed at all. I might be a famous musician now, but I still stare at him in awe whenever he gets on stage and drums. He’s fierce and fearless, but he brings that same intensity offstage when he corners me in every
composing situation he can devise.
I may be a virgin, but when it comes to Keannen, I’m ready to say “yes” to just about anything — no matter his true intentions.
REVIEW:
Tim considers himself the weakest link in The Ten Hours’ band. They’ve made it big and are recording their second album when their manager announced they’re going on tour and will have an opening act – Baptism Emperor. It should be good news, but it’s the worst for Tim, as the band contains the only man he’s ever loved. Keannen is a bitter man, as in high school, Tim left him without word or explanation, and he wants some payback. But is everything as clear-cut as Keannen believes?
Wild Obsession is the first book in the Rebel Rockstars series, which looks as though it will be a number of standalone tales with a common theme. I found this story engaging and the characters memorable. However, I feel the author could have gone a bit further with the drama in a couple of areas.
The story is told in the first person from the viewpoints of Tim and Keannen. I received an uncorrected proof. Therefore, I will not comment on any technicalities. Physical worldbuilding revolves around concerts, the tour bus, and hotels. The emotional journey is more complicated and morphs from revenge to light D/s, stemming from crappy childhoods and homophobic parents.
At school, Keannen was the bad boy who regularly cut class. As an adult, he has that edgy tattooed vibe. Tim was the polar opposite. But they bonded over drums. As adults, Keannen’s actions come from a place of hurt and a need to control because he’s had no one to lean on. Whereas Tim hasn’t met anyone worth taking risks for, and none measured up to Keannen. Tim believes he deserves everything Keannen dishes out, but he also enjoys the man’s dominance over Tim’s lack of experience, regardless of reasoning.
I liked Tim’s journey from wilting flowers to gaining enough emotional strength to fulfil his needs. I was also sad that those who were supposed to love him failed him to the point where his self-esteem was so damaged. In this area, both men have lots going on. As for Keannen, I understand his anger, but I can’t say that I like him very much. But he seems to be what Tim wants, so fair play. Also, considering the band members were supposed to be family, they sidestepped many areas that warranted intervention.
Overall, the author does well in keeping the focus on Tim and Keannen, and as already said, the story is engaging. However, I felt let down by the explanation in some areas, and the drama could have been a bit juicier. I was given an 8-year absence of build-up, and the reasoning was primarily done in a paragraph – each.
RATING: 
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