REVIEW: Lick by Kylie Scott
Dear Ms. Scott:
I started reading you on the recommendation of another reader when I was looking into post-apocalyptic romance fiction. I really liked your erotic romances although I felt that the heroines could’ve been a lot stronger. In the meantime, you have published a book that could be categorized as a new adult based on the characters, but for me it read more like a standard romance with very erotic sex scenes.
Evelyn Thomas wakes up in a hotel bathroom in Vegas with very little memory of the events that took place the night before. In the bathroom with her is a very attractive tattooed guy whose name she figures out must be David because that is the name that is now tattooed on her ass. All Evelyn wants to do is get away from the strange guy, take a shower, and get back to her life.
When she gets home, she finds out the press is camped outside her home. The attractive guy with the tattoos and guitar picks in her hotel bathroom happens to be heavy metal guitarist, David Ferris, of the band Stage Dive. David arranges for Evelyn to come to his home in Laurel Canyon and figure out how they will manage the press and the divorce that Ev claims she wants.
The story is told in the first person so we don’t know all that is going on in David’s head, but we do know he is hurt and angry by Evelyn’s failure to remember anything that happened. When they are thrown together in his home, Evelyn decides that she’d like to have a chance to get to know her husband and maybe, just maybe, stay married to him.
It wasn’t until the book hit the halfway mark that the story came alive for me. As Evelyn and David explore that one night that brought them together, we get to know both of them on a deeper level. Ev begins questioning her plan to become an architect, like her father. Just being with David is out of character for her and as foreign as his world is to her.
Daivd was believably portrayed as the sensitive musician type. He had fallen for a girl before who had cheated on him and he was devastated. During the evening in Vegas with Ev, David was seduced by her defense of a waitress, her lack of fawning, and her general good hearted demeanor. The recording sessions, the talk about the creation of the music, and the tour scenes all contributed to the authentic feel of the story which is always a big thing for me.
The drummer in the band, Malcolm, provides the comic relief. He refers to Evelyn as “child bride” and pushes David’s buttons constantly.
“Child bride.” Mal smacked a noisy kiss on my cheek. “I’m heading to a club. You guys coming or taking off back to your love nest?”
“I don’t know. Just let me find David. That was amazing by the way. You guys were brilliant.”
“Glad you liked it. Don’t tell David I carried the show, though. He’s so precious about that sort of thing.”
“My lips are sealed.”
There were a few things at the end that bothered me. The two have issues with each other stemming from David’s inability to trust but also his refusal to reveal important information to Ev. Other characters make excuses for David’s behavior and I felt that the explanations should have come from him. For readers who like a good grovel, David provides it through his actions versus words, but I needed some words as well. Still, Lick, the first in the novels pertaining to the band Stage Dive, was an engrossing, sexy, and emotional read. Bring on the rest of the band. B
Best regards,
Jane
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After seeing on Twitter how much Kati enjoyed this book, I read it too. It is fun and I loved the character of Mal. I did find David to be sort of unreasonable, in part because he seemed too unaware, for much of the book, of how hard it would be for any one from the “real” world to be his girlfriend.
NA novels are rarely my thing, but I liked Lick. Ms. Scott does a great job of blending sex, angst, and humor. I am looking forward to the next in the series.
I loved this book. LOVED. I’d end up giving it an A-, for the issues you mention, Jane. But I thought that the dynamic between Ev and David was really well done, and I thought David was a truly charming hero, in all his crankiness. I liked that Ev had backbone and thought that the connection between them was very believable. I haven’t had many A reads this year, so I was delighted to dive into this one, and even more delighted to love it as much as I did.
You had me at Rockstar … and I just made a huge dent in my wishlist, darn it!
@loosheesh – pretty sure you’re going to enjoy this one. Out tastes are so similar. Btw did you see that Whethering the Storm is coming out next week?
@Jane: Is the release date going to be changed? I have it in my August folder (yes, I have bookmark folders for upcoming books – nerdy much?) and the release date on WtS’s Amazon page is showing as Aug 20.
@Loosheesh: :( Ugh :( I thought I saw a goodreads review indicating that it was out next week. Ah well, I have plenty to tide me over until August.
I liked this book. It was a refreshing change from all the rocker bad boys. David was actually sweet.
Loved it!! I want to go to Vegas and marry a rock star! lol
Well written