Karina Halle and her husband Scott Mackenzie are officially one of my favorite author teams. Their first novel together Rocked Up will leaving you begging for more.
About ‘Rocked Up’:
Rocked Up is a standalone rockstar romantic comedy and the fun and sexy brainchild of New York Times bestselling author Karina Halle and her husband Scott Mackenzie.
I have been watching him since I was a child.
He didn’t notice me back then and it didn’t matter. Brad Snyder, guitarist and singer for one of the world’s greatest bands, was my entire life.
My father, the CEO of Ramsey Records, takes credit for all of Brad’s success, trying to control him in the same way he’s controlled me.
But I finally get an opportunity to prove myself.
To be wild.
To be free.
Today I’m auditioning to be the replacement bass player for Brad’s band. If I get the job, I’ll go on tour and work with Brad every day, in very close proximity.
There’s only one rule: he’s not allowed to touch the boss’s daughter.
Remember when I said that Brad never used to notice little ol’ me?
Well, Brad’s noticing me now.
In a way that’s going to get us both in trouble.
My name is Lael Ramsey and we all know how this will turn out.
’Rocked Up’ review:
Rocked Up was one of my most anticipated romance novels for May and it certainly lived up to my expectations. It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Karina Halle, she has a way with writing stories that just pull you in right away. Her husband, Scott Mackenzie has only written one romance novel before, and his style is totally different. There’s no doubt he’s very talented, it was just very different from the type of romance one usually reads. So I was very curious as to see how the two would pair up as an author team.
Even though Karina and Scott write very differently, they totally work as an author team. Having Scott’s perspective for Brad’s POV just made the novel seem that more realistic. And it was really intriguing to read two characters with such unique voices. It really did feel like I was jumping between two different minds while moving the story forward in unison. Basically, I was hooked on the story and couldn’t put it down until I had finished. And I’d love to see these two write together again!
As a heroine, Lael is just as strong and independent as I like them. Even though she comes from money, Lael is determined to make her own choices and get to her goals by herself. That means living with a roommate instead of her father’s mansion, and doing small shows by herself instead of getting handouts from the record company he runs. It isn’t until her favorite band has an opening that she asks for a favor, and even then she wants to make sure she gets the gig fairly. Plus, Lael is a total badass and I loved that she had little girls looking up to her by the end of the book.
Brad is the dreamy type of rockstar every girl can relate to having a crush on. Except that he doesn’t have the attitude one would expect from having so many adoring fans. Instead, he’s humble and never forgets where he came from. In a way, he still feels like the little boy that needed handouts just to get by. It sort of holds him back from standing up to Lael’s father, but once he has a reason to step up, he does it in the best way.
There is a pregnancy storyline, but it’s handled in such a way that I think even those that typically don’t like them would still enjoy the novel. Lael is badass and she isn’t about to let becoming a mother stop her from achieving her dreams. She shows that it’s totally possible to get the guy, have a family, and keep your dreams alive.
I wish that this was part of a series, because I would love to see Karina and Scott continue to write about some of the secondary characters we meet in Rocked Up. After all, Brad’s bandmates are still single!
Rocked Up by Karina Halle and Scott Mackenzie is available now. Get your copy today from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, and Kobo. And don’t forget to add it to Goodreads!