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heraddledbrain's review
5.0
I've read every one of Selena Laurence's books. She started out as a great writer and has only gotten better with each book but this one especially is absolutely standout. I think she found her stride here in Lush's world, and how could she not? The guys are everything you could want in a rock star story--young, full of life, passionate, sexy...yet, under the surface, deep and complex. Each character has his or her own demons and Laurence weaves them together so flawlessly that when the secrets come out, their entire world comes apart in a way that pulls at your heart. Because even though the characters each have their own faults, you can't help but love them anyway and cheer for their happy ending all the way through. I love celebrity stories so this book fulfilled a craving I'll never fully satisfy but anyone who loves a bad boy on the outside, but a loyal, loving man on the inside--and don't we all--will go crazy for Joss. And I suppose if we must watch him fall for another girl, Mel is a worthy rival. Looking forward to the rest of the series!
vikit's review
4.0
I have not read anything by this writer in this field so there was no basis for comparison, but the cover and blurb, and the fact that it is about rock stars, won me over. The book is basically a story about three friend and a history of broken hearts.
Joss is the frontman of the famous band Lush and at first glance you may think that he is a typical rock star. However as we get more and more immersed into the story, you realize how much more lurk behind his facade. He has a really complex and deep personality. He commited quite a betrayal that he keeps carefully hidden, but it still stains him mentally. His guilt slowly suffocates him. But then he meets Mel, who represends a bright star in his bleak life. He starts to enjoy himself once again, unfortunatly his past mistakes still rule his thoughts.
Mel is a beautiful woman. She was in close proximity of Lush thanks to her sister, but somehow they never noticed her. She was the invisible littes sister to them. When she gets the opportunity to work professionally with them, she is torn. On one hand she is excited because it's a huge chance for her carrier. Only everybaody still treats her like Tammy's little sister and not like she is an actual independent person. Thats why hers and Joss connection, relationship is strained in the beginning and the fact that everybody tries to keep the apart. Especially Tammy, who does all of this in a franatic, crazy way.
Tammy isn't the most sympathetic. She is verry arrogant, jealous and annoying. The cause of her behavior gets revealed pretty fast, and honestly she can only blame herself.
There are a lot of supporting characers but the stay pretty much in the background. Probably because they have their own books to shine.
The author weaved together the interesting and relateable characters with the world of the rich and famous in an exceptionally talented way. i smiled a lot during reading thanks to the fantastic writing style. It was very easy to read and get a sense of history. However there was setback for me in the story. When it became obvious that the main characters forming relationship is doomed from the very beginning thanks to the secrets they keep. I almost stopped reading after the realization. I felt I didn't got quite what the blurb promised.
Joss is the frontman of the famous band Lush and at first glance you may think that he is a typical rock star. However as we get more and more immersed into the story, you realize how much more lurk behind his facade. He has a really complex and deep personality. He commited quite a betrayal that he keeps carefully hidden, but it still stains him mentally. His guilt slowly suffocates him. But then he meets Mel, who represends a bright star in his bleak life. He starts to enjoy himself once again, unfortunatly his past mistakes still rule his thoughts.
Mel is a beautiful woman. She was in close proximity of Lush thanks to her sister, but somehow they never noticed her. She was the invisible littes sister to them. When she gets the opportunity to work professionally with them, she is torn. On one hand she is excited because it's a huge chance for her carrier. Only everybaody still treats her like Tammy's little sister and not like she is an actual independent person. Thats why hers and Joss connection, relationship is strained in the beginning and the fact that everybody tries to keep the apart. Especially Tammy, who does all of this in a franatic, crazy way.
Tammy isn't the most sympathetic. She is verry arrogant, jealous and annoying. The cause of her behavior gets revealed pretty fast, and honestly she can only blame herself.
There are a lot of supporting characers but the stay pretty much in the background. Probably because they have their own books to shine.
The author weaved together the interesting and relateable characters with the world of the rich and famous in an exceptionally talented way. i smiled a lot during reading thanks to the fantastic writing style. It was very easy to read and get a sense of history. However there was setback for me in the story. When it became obvious that the main characters forming relationship is doomed from the very beginning thanks to the secrets they keep. I almost stopped reading after the realization. I felt I didn't got quite what the blurb promised.
torixoxx's review
5.0
A Lush Betrayal sounds so sexy and it really is. It catches your attention and never Let's it go! Picture a forbidden romance, add some damning secrets, some undeniable sexual tension, and the band "Lush" & you've just entered the book A Lush Betrayal!
Meet Joss: The stereotyped bad boy of the Band Who only wants happiness and love that his Boss, Tammy, and best friend, Walsh, has. He has a dark secret that will crumble Lush as We know it!
Meet Mel: A photojournalist whose life was going great til a scandal rocks her world and puts a hold on her degree. Luckily, Tammy gives her the opportunity of a lifetime; an amazing hook-up taking pictures of the band Lush.
Put these together and welcome to the Journey of Heaven & Hell . Enjoy the Journey
Meet Joss: The stereotyped bad boy of the Band Who only wants happiness and love that his Boss, Tammy, and best friend, Walsh, has. He has a dark secret that will crumble Lush as We know it!
Meet Mel: A photojournalist whose life was going great til a scandal rocks her world and puts a hold on her degree. Luckily, Tammy gives her the opportunity of a lifetime; an amazing hook-up taking pictures of the band Lush.
Put these together and welcome to the Journey of Heaven & Hell . Enjoy the Journey
emilylouisef's review
3.0
It wasn't the greatest read I've ever read but I did enjoy it. Tammy annoyed me quite a bit, Joss did too at times. It was enjoyable enough I just won't be continuing the series. It's been a while since I read a rockstar book and maybe I had higher expectations than I should of done. Oh well. It was enjoyable and I read it quite quickly.
kat_2024's review
5.0
Joss and Mel are great together. I could not put this book down...I loved learning the ins and outs of their relationship. This is the perfect start to the series!
vailynst's review
2.0
Mini-Review:
I pretty much gave up on the story when I realized that not much happened by the middle of the book. It should have been sexy, fun and etc but I was mostly bored and there was zero material in the story to make it a cool romance with a rock star.
I pretty much gave up on the story when I realized that not much happened by the middle of the book. It should have been sexy, fun and etc but I was mostly bored and there was zero material in the story to make it a cool romance with a rock star.
deborahconnal's review
3.0
Enjoyed it and read quickly. Easy read and had some really nice character development and depth.
gerireads's review
4.0
4.5 lush stars!
I didn't expect to love this story so much.
Selena Laurence is a new author to me and since I'm always up for reading about rock stars, I couldn't pass this up. I was expecting a typical rock star story but surprisingly, it was but typical.
Sure. The readers still get treated to the whole sex, drugs, and rock n' roll theme but it didn't detract from the story but added layers to it.
The main story is Joss and Mel. But to say that this book was only about them is misleading because there were other stories here too. While the book is told in two POV only, through these POVs, we get a glimpse of the Walsh and Tammy's story, Mike's bitterness and Colin's aloofness. I like how gray these characters were. There were moments where I hated certain characters but I understood them too, which is really a testament to the author's talent.
I won't go into the details of the story because I don't want to spoil it. Trust me, this is one of those books that needs to be experienced without prior knowledge whatsoever. But I do want to say that this was really more than a love story between Mel and Joss. It's about Joss and his love for music, his relationship with his father and his band. This is also about sisters and what you do when confronted with a choice between your heart and your family. The dynamics between the band are wonderfully done, IMO.
I loved Mel. She made some terrible decisions but I loved that she didn't whine about it. She made the most of the opportunity given to her. I was upset for her because everyone was pressuring her about her blossoming relationship with Joss and yet, no one really cared to find out about her. She was facing a huge challenge and no one noticed it except Joss. Poor girl but she handled it really well.
I'm glad I read this book. Gah! Now, I'm off to read the next book, which promises to be even more angsty than this one. :)
I didn't expect to love this story so much.
Selena Laurence is a new author to me and since I'm always up for reading about rock stars, I couldn't pass this up. I was expecting a typical rock star story but surprisingly, it was but typical.
Sure. The readers still get treated to the whole sex, drugs, and rock n' roll theme but it didn't detract from the story but added layers to it.
The main story is Joss and Mel. But to say that this book was only about them is misleading because there were other stories here too. While the book is told in two POV only, through these POVs, we get a glimpse of the Walsh and Tammy's story, Mike's bitterness and Colin's aloofness. I like how gray these characters were. There were moments where I hated certain characters but I understood them too, which is really a testament to the author's talent.
I won't go into the details of the story because I don't want to spoil it. Trust me, this is one of those books that needs to be experienced without prior knowledge whatsoever. But I do want to say that this was really more than a love story between Mel and Joss. It's about Joss and his love for music, his relationship with his father and his band. This is also about sisters and what you do when confronted with a choice between your heart and your family. The dynamics between the band are wonderfully done, IMO.
I loved Mel. She made some terrible decisions but I loved that she didn't whine about it. She made the most of the opportunity given to her. I was upset for her because everyone was pressuring her about her blossoming relationship with Joss and yet, no one really cared to find out about her. She was facing a huge challenge and no one noticed it except Joss. Poor girl but she handled it really well.
I'm glad I read this book. Gah! Now, I'm off to read the next book, which promises to be even more angsty than this one. :)
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