For What It's Worth


Monday, April 28, 2014

{OMG–MEH–WTF} Review: Play (Stage Dive #2) by Kylie Scott


19080006Kylie Scott returns with the highly anticipated follow-up to international bestseller Lick.Mal Ericson, drummer for the world famous rock band Stage Dive, needs to clean up his image fast—at least for a little while. Having a good girl on his arm should do the job just fine. Mal doesn’t plan on this temporary fix becoming permanent, but he didn’t count on finding the one right girl. Anne Rollins never thought she’d ever meet the rock god who plastered her teenage bedroom walls—especially not under these circumstances. Anne has money problems. Big ones. But being paid to play the pretend girlfriend to a wild life-of-the-party drummer couldn’t end well. No matter how hot he is. Or could it?

Goodreads | Author | Amazon

Source: Purchased because of The Bookswarm’s awesome review

The OMG

"Life is a song, Anne. Let’s play."

I can’t even begin to tell you how much I loved this book. It was FUN. So. Much. Fun. So many books that are funny are also too cutesy for my tastes. Not Play though. It’s hot, hot, hot but hilarious at the same time. I loved how Mal and Anne actually have a good time with life and each other. They do silly things like jump on the bed until it breaks.

This is a fake relationship trope that didn’t feel like a fake relationship story at all. In fact I didn’t’ even realize it was until it wasn’t anymore. lol Their chemistry is just that great.

Mal is great – Anne is great. They are total opposites but amazing together.

The MEH

Anne is a bit of a pushover with her friends at first. But that’s kind of the whole point of the book so it’s hard to complain. No worries, Mal is here to help with that. He pushes her to stand up for herself, even if it’s against him. Did I mention Mal was great?

Mal kind of has a secret. It felt a little forced to add some drama but honestly, it wasn’t his secret to tell and adds a whole lot of heart and emotion to the story so it’s not a big deal.

The WTF

Mal is a giant whirlwind of WTF but in the best possible way. In any other book, with any other guy, I would have hated this whole premise but Mal’s hyped up personality just works. He’s a drummer and his big (hot) body just can’t stay still. He says and does these outrageous things but he’s the sweetest, most loyal guy. As his feelings for Anne grow into something real he just lays it all out there. No game playing. And she steps right up next to him. Good lord that made me happy. I’m so sick of game playing with couples.

"Pumpkin, I'm always serious when it comes to you. Even when I'm messing around, I'm still serious as shit."

Since I read this first, I went back and purchased Stage Dive - book #1 - Lick immediately. It was good, but more the traditional angsty rocker meets ordinary girl tale. Even in that book, with David as the hero, I swooned more for Mal whenever he appeared. He just has this presence that takes over every scene he’s in.

If you like hot rockers but you’re looking for something a little lighter and fun I highly recommend this book.

23 comments:

  1. Yeah, I wasn't a huge fan of Lick myself, but I didn't dislike it to the point that I'm unwilling to give this one a shot. You make it sound pretty great ;)

    Jessica @ Rabid Reads

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    1. I'm so glad I read this one first. If I had started with Lick I'm not sure I would have continued.

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  2. I love hot rockers ..seriously love the name Mal and swooning over this review :)

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  3. Hot, hilarious and fun sounds like a winning combo to me.

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  4. OMG I lovee how you did this review. Brilliant. Sucked me right in.

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  5. Love the way you broke down the review. Oh and... "Mal is a giant whirlwind of WTF but in the best possible way." LOL! Now I have to know what is WTF in the BEST possible way reads like! :D

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    1. He is!!! He just come sin out of nowhere, saying whatever is on his mind and he's just hilarious but also sweet. I'm not sure I could be around him a lot but I loved reading about him lol

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  6. I seriously need to read this. It sounds a whole lot like Wicked Beat, which I loved.

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  7. I am not a big rocker reader but i'd read anything that could make me laugh. I need to laugh. A lot. Like crazy laugh LOL

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    1. This one isn't too caught up in the rock world. It's more about life, love, friends/family so I think you might like it. Mal is so different and it was nice to read something that was fairly low on the angst.

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  8. Mal!!! I absolutely adored this book, even though if you look at it critically, it doesn't hold together all that well. That conversation with a certain part of Anne's anatomy was so funny. I was reading it on the elliptical at the gym and I just couldn't stop laughing.

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    1. Yeah - I'm sure I could never date him and some of the stuff I was - um no - lol but it was so refreshing to read about people having fun & being silly together.

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  9. MAL!! Yes, he most definitely is a tornado and one hot mess but *melts into puddle thinking of that bathtub scene*

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  10. I am always looking for a good romance. I need to put this one on my list :)

    Kate @ Ex Libris

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    1. If you want something a tad lighter and fun (but still sexy) this is a good one.

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  11. The first one was good too - just more the typical romance. I liked Play more because it felt different to me.

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  12. awesome review!! i think i will have to get this one!

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  13. This is one of the few times I think we've ever disagreed on a romance/erotica book, hah. I liked the first book okay (and I liked Mal more in the first book), but this one kind of annoyed me. I don't often love books that have rock stars or "celebrities" though, so it's probably my bad for even trying them.

    She does write pretty good sexual chemistry, though.

    Wendy @ The Midnight Garden

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