Wanderlust
Roni Loren
July 19, 2016
InterMix
From the New York Times
bestselling author of the Loving on the Edge series and Off the Clock, a story
of sex, love, rock & roll, and a reporter who’s about to learn a new
meaning for staying on top of her assignment...
Restaurant critic Aubrey Bordelon is never at a loss for words to describe her meals in the fancy restaurants of New Orleans. But after her magazine’s high-profile music reporter falls ill, she finds herself out of her element and in a sea of screaming fans awaiting Wanderlust’s lead singer, Lex Logan. The sound of his voice gives her goosebumps, and the stage presence of the hard-bodied rock star takes her breath away. So when he pulls her onstage for a sexy stunt, she knows she’s in real trouble.
Lex doesn’t want to pretend that the sparks on stage between him and Aubrey never happened, but it certainly makes the fact that she’s writing a story on his band all the more dangerous. The last thing he needs is some nosy reporter revealing their problems to the world. But the sexy Southern belle doesn’t give up easily, and soon, he’s wondering if the best way to chase her off the story is to coax her into his bed…
My Thoughts:
I love Roni Loren's writing, she always finds the perfect balance of steam and story. Not everyone has this talent, but Roni sure knows how to find her balance. My one grip was there could have been more, but Wanderlust does work for the story. Basically, we meet Aubrey who is a restaurant critic, and in order to get a promotion she needs to do a piece on Wanderlust. Yes, she finds herself lusting after the band lead singer, Lex. You all know how this goes.
Anyway, I enjoyed Wanderlust, because Aubrey isn't your typical reporter. I mean she doesn't really want to do the piece, but duty calls and it's way to climb chain to her covet position. Sometimes reports get a bad rap in stories, because they are looking out for themselves. However, she cared about the band, and some of the things she did weren't the best idea. Lex is uber sexy and yummy. I mean doesn't love a dirty talking hero. The boy has moves that will get you hot and bothered. These two are good together. Yes, there are some demons that pop here and there. Those pesky demons, and they love to ruin something good. Anyway, Wanderlust is a fairly quick read with a good solid story and some holy moly scenes like the strip club, you might want to give it try. For those who love Roni, you won't be disappointed.
Copy provided by Berkley via NetGalley
Excerpt
Aubrey managed
to stay focused during the end of Darkfall’s performance, putting her
journalist hat on. But when they left the stage, time seemed to crawl. Bodies
shifted. Voices were too loud. Claustrophobia started to claw at her. Maybe
this had been a bad idea. Maybe she couldn’t handle this. But the third time
she checked the time on her phone, the smoky lights of the club dimmed,
indicating the start of the show. Here we go. She took a deep breath. Within
seconds, the voices of a thousand rabid fans whipped into a screaming frenzy.
A few seconds
earlier, she’d worried that bad memories were about to overtake her, but now
she found herself leaning forward in anticipation, the trapped feeling falling
away. The energy of the crowd pulsed through her, the excitement infectious.
Her foul mood from earlier began to slip from her shoulders like the shedding
of a heavy coat. The band members, barely visible silhouettes under the cover
of darkness, filed onto the stage and took their posts. The drums sliced through
the roar of the crowd first—a thump-thump-thump so loud
her bones vibrated. When the strobe lights began flashing and the guitars
kicked in, a crush of bodies pressed against her as everyone surged closer to
the stage in one collective mass.
All of the band
members were in place except for the lead singer. The woman next to Aubrey
screamed Lex’s name and hopped like a caffeinated rabbit, waving and flailing
her arms. Wow, Aubrey couldn’t remember ever being that excited about
anything—especially not about anyone. If the chick
wasn’t careful, she was going to pass out from sheer anticipation—or from
excessive bouncing in a way-too-tight bustier. Either one could lead to
fainting. Luckily, she didn’t have to wait long.
Aubrey heard his
voice before she saw him. Gravelly, dark, and powerful—the vocals of
Wanderlust’s Lex Logan washed over her with a rush of heat. Goose bumps pricked
her arms. Center stage was still black, but she craned her neck, trying to get
a glimpse of the man behind the sound. As if responding to her silent desire,
the spotlights flipped on and illuminated the singer. The screams in the
audience rose to an octave only female voices could reach. Aubrey wanted to
shout along with them, but all air had evacuated her lungs.
The crowd around
her became a blur of noise and colors, and all she could focus on was the man
at center stage. If she had seen pictures of Lex Logan, she really
must not have been paying attention. The six feet of lean, hard-bodied rock
star sent her pulse into instant overdrive. Dark hair. Bright eyes. And full
sleeves of colorful tattoos. Holy hell. She shifted to the left and stood on
tiptoes to get a better, full-length view. Heat rippled across her skin as Lex
looked out at the audience and curled his lips into a smile. Confident.
Seductive. Wicked. That smile said volumes. That smile made promises.
He gripped the
mic stand and bent over, belting out a note, causing his shaggy, dark hair to
fall over his eyes. Sexuality, raw and unadulterated, rolled off him in waves.
And now she got it. Got what the girl next to her was
having palpitations over. Aubrey wanted to drown in that voice—fall in and
never come out. She closed her eyes and let the sound resonate through her, her
body swaying with the motion of the crowd around her.
A gruff voice
interrupted her blissful moment. “Hey, watch it, lady.”
Her lids snapped
open. The man next to her glared.
“Huh?”
“Watch your
goddamned feet,” he barked. “My toes aren’t made of steel.”
She dropped her
gaze to her heeled boots and assumed she must’ve stepped on the guy’s feet.
“Sorry,” she yelled over the music, but the man had already turned to face the
stage again. She gave herself a mental shake. What the hell is
wrong with me? I’m supposed to be working, not drooling over the subject of my
assignment.
She had to get a
grip or her story would end up reading like a teen idol website. Lead singer of Wanderlust, Lex Logan, is totally hot! He’s six foot
two inches tall. His favorite color is black. Likes long walks in dark alleys.
Prefers blondes who wear dental floss. Okay, so the last part probably
wouldn’t make it into Tiger Beat, but still. She needed
to pay attention to the music, the show, and how tight the performance was or
wasn’t. That’s what she was getting paid to do. Not to admire how firm Lex’s
abs looked through that snug black T-shirt or how his inked arms flexed when he
gripped the microphone.
The song ended
and the band launched into the next track. Aubrey tried to hone in on the other
band members, watching Lex only when she couldn’t avoid it. She shut her eyes
often so that she could listen to the notes, the quality of the vocals, the
crisp sound of the instruments. By the fourth song, she had returned to some
sort of professional mode, taking mental notes at a rapid clip.
When the song
finished, Lex sauntered to the edge of the stage to address the audience.
“How’s everyone doing tonight?”
Screams answered
him. He gave an easy laugh, clearly comfortable being the center of attention.
“I’m glad y’all
are having a good time. We are, too. New Orleans definitely knows how to throw
a party.” He put his hand against his brow to shield his eyes from the
spotlights and squinted at the sea of people below him. “Turn up those house
lights. I want to see these beautiful faces.”
Female voices
reverberated off the walls as the lights above the crowd switched on. A redhead
a few steps away from Aubrey lifted up her shirt as soon as Lex’s eyes traveled
in her direction. Nice. What was this? Mardi Gras? Lex smiled and gave a little
nod of acknowledgment to Boob Job Girl, but otherwise didn’t comment.
“You know, I’m
feeling mighty thirsty, and I heard a rumor that New Orleans is home of the
body shot,” Lex said, continuing to survey the audience with a sly smile. “So
I’m thinking, that maybe I should try one tonight. What do you think?”
The shouting of
the crowd increased.
“Now all I need
is . . . a willing victim,” Lex continued. Bustier Girl began
her bouncing routine again and waved her hands frantically trying to catch his
eye. Lex paced across the stage, taking his time, holding his finger up and
preparing to point to the chosen one.
Aubrey put her
money on Miss Augmentation, but he passed that section up without a glance. As
he neared Aubrey’s end of the stage, his eyes landed on her exuberant neighbor.
The girl’s scream turned shrill. “Pick me! Me! Me!”
Lex lowered his
hand ready to point and then shifted his gaze, locking eyes with Aubrey. Her
breath caught. Oh, shit. Seconds seemed to tick by, but she couldn’t pull away
from the stare. She managed to wag her head slowly back and forth. No. No. No.
He smiled,
lowered his finger, and pointed directly at her. “You. The sexy brunette in the
black T-shirt.”
Her stomach took
a nosedive.
“Come on, I
won’t bite,” Lex said, waving her forward. “Unless you ask nicely, that is.”
The girl next to
Aubrey shot her a glare that could have curdled milk. The sea of fans parted as
if she’d suddenly morphed into royalty, and she forced her leaden feet to cross
the few yards to the barricade. Her heart took up residence in her throat,
threatening to jump out. This was a disaster. She silently cursed the bouncer
from backstage. If she had met the band beforehand, she would’ve never ended up
in this position. Building a professional relationship with the band after this
was going to be next to impossible.
Hands patted her
back and shoulders as the two bouncers flanking the stage helped her climb over
the metal barrier. Lex squatted at the edge of the stage, all wicked grin and
guyliner, and stuck his hand out. He cocked his head, beckoning her closer in a
way that spoke without the words. Come on over, lamb, said
the wolf. This will only take a minute.
Purchase links:
Roni
wrote her first romance novel at age fifteen when she discovered writing about
boys was way easier than actually talking to them. Since then, her flirting
skills haven’t improved, but she likes to think her storytelling ability
has. Though she’ll forever be a New Orleans girl at heart, she now lives
in Dallas with her husband and son.
If she’s
not working on her latest sexy story, you can find her reading, watching
reality television, or indulging in her unhealthy addiction to rockstars, er,
rock concerts. Yeah, that's it. She is the National Bestselling Author of The
Loving on the Edge series from Berkley Heat.
Places to find Roni Loren:
Giveaway
Info:
$25
Gift Card (Amazon or B&N)
No comments:
Post a Comment