Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Can romance and rock ‘n’ roll dreams survive with a storm raging around them?

Alex Randall has always wanted to be a rock singer. When he answers an ad from a local band, his dream finally comes true. He loves the stage, and the group’s fans love him. Things couldn’t be better, except for the attraction he develops for the band’s guitarist, Lindsey. Alex is surprised and initially worried, since he only had one brief flirtation with a boy in his teens. But even though he and Lindsey become close and start seeing each other, Alex fears commitment, and Lindsey worries that Alex might only be experimenting.

When Lindsey’s ex contacts him following a health scare, fear and anger drives a wedge between Alex and Lindsey, which causes rifts within the band. Alex and Lindsey’s relationship is still new and fragile, and with Alex unwittingly blaming Lindsey for their problems, it becomes a true challenge for them to weather the storm.

 

Book Review

Beautiful Thunder is a well-paced, entertaining “slice of life” tale about Alex Randall, a young aspiring rock singer who looks to join a band and discovers new facets of himself when he falls for fellow rocker, Richard “Lindsey” Lindstrum. I’m a fan of rock musician romance sagas and this one is exceptional. Stimulating, heated, and fun!

Both lead characters are attractive and quite magnetic as they deal with the growing pains of young adulthood. While Lindsey is a super-talented songwriter/guitarist, he is dirt poor. His livelihood depends on him making something of his gifts. He’s quiet, ambitious, and has a few dark secrets. Parentless, Alex has money and a great singing voice. He looks to join a band hoping it will fill the void he’s felt since his parents died. Clubbing and crashing every night certainly isn’t doing the trick. It’s hard enough to make it on your own, can Alex and Lindsey help each other on their journey to rock stardom?

This vibrant story is two-tiered in that the romance between the two men is woven throughout the story of Alex’s trials of finding a band with staying power.  As such the tale is revealed from Alex’s point of view and it was pretty cool to experience his woes and triumphs as he navigated the waters of the rock musicians’ world, while examining his sexuality and pursuing the object of his affection. I especially relished the fledgling rock band premise, which held a serious degree of realism on what it’s like to be a member of a garage band. The diverse mix of band member personalities and backgrounds, the span of time it takes to go from writing a song and performing gigs, to the getting noticed or releasing a recording, and the very real truth that—bands break up.

Events play out at a real-time pace, leading to some steamy almost-moments before flames ignite between the two leads. But the emotional buildup is relatable with sensible fears creating sexual tension. Solid supporting characters gave credence to the diversity of musicians and the varying tiers of support and friendship found in the rock music world, some fleeting and some everlasting. All in all, if you like a good rock and roll story you’ll definitely get a kick out of this one.

Thank you, Louise Lyons, for creating this entrancing slice of the want-to-be rocker’s life!

“Sex, Love, and Rock & Roll with a nostalgic twist = Cooool!”

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook and print
Length	Novel, 220 pages/82756 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	31-August-2015
Price	$6.99 ebook, $14.99 paperback, $14.99 bundle
Buy Link	https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/beautiful-thunder-by-louise-lyons-6196-b