Title: The Rocker Who Betrays Me
Series: The Rocker #11
Author: Terri Anne Browning
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: October 20, 2015
Blurb
USA TODAY Bestselling Author Terri Anne Browning's The Rocker Series
Annabelle
I’ve always loved Zander Brockman in some shape or form. The boy who lived next door for the first seventeen years of my life has been my best friend, my confidant, my first crush, and my first love. I trusted him with my life and my heart. When he smiled at me I knew everything was going to be okay…
Until it wasn’t.
Zander
I haven’t seen that girl in seventeen years, and I’ve missed her every damn day. I knew I wasn’t good enough for her, so the night before I left with my bandbrothers for California, I stole a night with her. I lived off those memories. There hasn’t been a day that has gone by that I haven’t wanted to talk to her just one more time, but I knew she deserved a better man than me. Now, after seeing her again, I realize that I didn’t care if she should have a better man. My feelings were still as strong as they have ever been for her. I wanted to be with her…
But she hated the very sight of me.
***Contains Mature Content***
Young love and the boy next store.....this book is the story of Annabelle and Zander. Annabelle's mother is an alcoholic and her step-father is abusive to her. She has a backpack ready to go and slips away to avoid the beatings. She goes over and climbs in through Zander's window. She spends her nights with him. He's attracted to her, but she's only 16, soon to be 17, so she technically is "jail bait".
I fell in love with both of these characters. I was frustrated and sad that Zander kept telling her he was no good for her. He has issues and when things get out of control and he gets worked up, she is his balm. They are perfect for each other. And he would do anything for her. When he broke his promise to Anna to not tell anyone about the abuse and told her older brother Noah, she interpreted it as a brush-off.
"I didn't tell Noah what was going on because I was tired of taking care of you. I would f*cking take care of you for the rest of my life and never complain about it. I didn't care if you climbed through my window. Hell, it was something I looked forward to because when you were sleeping in my bed, I found the kind of peace I've been searching for all my life."
So his band finally make it big and they head to LA, leaving Annabelle behind in Tennessee.
"I love you, Annabelle. I love you so damn much. Say you'll wait for me. I'll come back for you, baby. I swear it."
And we know from the synopsis that it's been 17 years since he's seen her or talked to her. What??? Yes, he screwed it up BIG, and it broke my heart! I kept thinking he'd give in and call her or answer her calls or texts.
This story gives us both the past and the present and is told from both POV's. I couldn't wait to get to present day to see why, why, why Zander did what he did. And when their worlds collide once more, my heart broke for Annabelle.
I wanted to jump up and run from the room. I didn't want to be in the same state with Zander Brockman let alone the same house. For weeks I'd had to deal with seeing him in passing at the hospital. Each time I'd seen him it had felt like I was being stabbed in the chest with a knife.
I'd avoided so much as looking at him, but the few times I'd found myself giving in, it was to find his tortured green eyes starting at me. Green without the gold flecks. I'd felt destroyed seeing his eyes like that. Other than that first time he'd spoken to me, he'd kept his distance and I had been both glad and hurt to my very soul that he hadn't tried to talk to me. Was it really so easy to forget all about me?
This was a very emotional read! There were times I cried, but the author warned us about it at the beginning of the book. Despite the angst, I loved it! There were so many emotions I felt during this story. I was angry with Zander, so angry, but I still loved him and wanted to give him a big hug I felt he needed. He seemed so lost. The secondary characters were wonderful as well, especially Zander's grandma. I highly recommend!
I received this copy in exchange for my honest review.
Purchase Links
Also Available
The Rocker Series: Demon’s Wings Collection
(includes #1-6) #1 The Rocker Who Holds Me
#2 The Rocker Who Savors Me
#3 The Rocker Who Needs Me
#4 The Rocker Who Loves Me
#5 The Rocker Who Holds Her
#6 The Rockers’ Babies
#7 The Rocker Who Wants Me
#8 The Rocker Who Cherishes Me
#9 The Rocker Who Shatters Me
#10 The Rocker Who Hates Me
Excerpt
As I listened, I couldn’t fight back the tears that suddenly threatened to choke me. From the first note that left Axton Cage’s mouth, I knew that there was no way OtherWorld wouldn’t go far with this guy front and center for them. He wasn’t just good; the man had a fucking gift. And it broke my heart into a million pieces. One look at OtherWorld performing with Axton singing their songs and any manager with a working brain would sign them on the spot.
Swallowing hard, I glanced at Noah. The look on his face was a mixture of amazement and gut-wrenching pain. He knew as well as I did—as well as everyone in the room—that not only was Axton going to fit with the band, but that this guy was better than even he had ever hoped to be. The pain in my heart at the knowledge that I was even closer to losing Zander than I had been just thirty minutes ago, doubled at the pain my beloved brother was going through right then.
The Aerosmith song faded easily into the Skynyrd song, “Free Bird,” and even though Axton’s vocal range changed, it only showed just how talented he really was. I lowered my gaze to the floor, hiding the tears that were so close to spilling over. I wanted so hard to hate Axton, wanted it with every fiber of my being, but I couldn’t. None of the pain I was feeling was his fault. He’d just shown up to a freaking audition, unknowingly ripping my heart from my chest with that amazing voice of his, and shattered it into a million little pieces.
I couldn’t hate him. Not when he was going to help the man I loved succeed in his goals.
Skynyrd drifted seamlessly into Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters” with Wroth’s talented fingers. Glancing at Zander, watching him keep beat with the bass, seeing how much he loved being a part of this music world, I lost the battle. One tear escaped from my eyes and was quickly followed by a hundred more. I stood, keeping my face averted from everyone as I went into the bedroom and shut the door quietly behind me.
Swallowing hard, I glanced at Noah. The look on his face was a mixture of amazement and gut-wrenching pain. He knew as well as I did—as well as everyone in the room—that not only was Axton going to fit with the band, but that this guy was better than even he had ever hoped to be. The pain in my heart at the knowledge that I was even closer to losing Zander than I had been just thirty minutes ago, doubled at the pain my beloved brother was going through right then.
The Aerosmith song faded easily into the Skynyrd song, “Free Bird,” and even though Axton’s vocal range changed, it only showed just how talented he really was. I lowered my gaze to the floor, hiding the tears that were so close to spilling over. I wanted so hard to hate Axton, wanted it with every fiber of my being, but I couldn’t. None of the pain I was feeling was his fault. He’d just shown up to a freaking audition, unknowingly ripping my heart from my chest with that amazing voice of his, and shattered it into a million little pieces.
I couldn’t hate him. Not when he was going to help the man I loved succeed in his goals.
Skynyrd drifted seamlessly into Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters” with Wroth’s talented fingers. Glancing at Zander, watching him keep beat with the bass, seeing how much he loved being a part of this music world, I lost the battle. One tear escaped from my eyes and was quickly followed by a hundred more. I stood, keeping my face averted from everyone as I went into the bedroom and shut the door quietly behind me.
I quickly tore off my clothes as I entered the bathroom. Turning on the shower, I climbed in before the water even had time to warm. My knees gave out and I slid down in the corner of the tub, letting the cold water beat down on me as the first sob tore my heart loose from my chest. Pulling my knees up to my chest, I hid my face in my raised thighs and cried for the loss of the man who wasn’t even gone yet.
Trailer
Author Bio
Terri Anne Browning is the USA TODAY bestselling author of The Rocker...Series. She started writing her own novellas at the age of sixteen, forcing her sister to be her one woman fan club. Now she has a few more fans and a lot more passion for writing. Reese: A Safe Haven Novella was her first Indie published book. The Rocker That Holds Me changed the tables and kicked off The Rocker... series featuring the sinfully delicious members of Demon's Wings. The Rocker... Series has since expanded to OtherWorld with Axton Cage and his band members. Terri Anne lives in Virginia with her husband, their three children, and a loveable Olde English Bulldog named Link.
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