OK well I enjoyed this book but it wasn't one I couldn't put down. It took me about a week to read Hard Rhythm because I was losing interest in this book.   I think it is because I just wasn't a fan of the characters or maybe I just wasn't in the mood to read the genre at the time.

3.5 stars

In Hard Rhythm by Cecilia Tan we meet Maddie Rofel and Chino Garcia. Maddie works in an exclusive private sex club and Chino is the drummer for The Rough. Maddie and Chino have baggage each needs to deal with, but cannot deny the connection they feel for each other.

Maddie has seen it all and really, working in a sex club, nothing surprises her. At least not until the night she meets Chino. Disillusioned from past experiences, she does not expect much from men, so she keeps a lot of herself private. 

Chino has always found solace in his music. It allows him a chance to put the past behind him, though he can never really forget. His was not an easy family life and after years of running, can he finally confront and deal with his past? 

Chino and Maddie’s journey is one of exploration, learning to trust and being able to be open and honest. There was a lot of sex (sex club after all), some of it on the kinky side. There may be some themes here that may not be for everyone, but overall, it added to the flow of the story. 

I really enjoyed the honesty and openness between them when they talked about what they were planning to do and experience together. The understanding between them as they considered what was safe, really allowed their trust in each other to grow. 

Though I was able to enjoy this story on its own, I think I would have benefited by reading the first two books in the series. Even so, it was an enjoyable story about two people exploring their sexual desires and relationship needs. As well as a bit of intrigue.

I personally struggled with the BDSM and the Daddy references  I just couldn't connect and I feel awful but it just wasn't for me this time around.

Erotic, spellbinding and romantic, this kinky series hits all the pleasure spot on me.  Hard Rhythm is the third in the Secrets of a Rock Star series.  This can be a standalone as I read this book out of order.  The only regrets I have are reading this book so late and not reading the first two books in this series.  Ms. Tan wowed me with her characters, plot and amazing kinky sex.

For those who are looking for erotic romance, look no further.  Ms. Tan delivers lovable characters who come across down to earth.  Chino Garcia may be the drummer of a band and he looks like a bad boy, but he is a gentleman.  Chino is a dominant and when he turns his dom voice on, I melt into a puddle, just like Maddie Rofel.  

Maddie is a character I really liked.  She's smart and funny.  Plus she's a red head which is a definitely weakness of mine.  Maddie is sex vlogger and has been in the sex industry for a while.  One of the coolest jobs she works, is as a hostess in an exclusive private sex club.  Do these clubs exist?  Probably for the rich.  Is this a bit glitterkink with the exclusive club?  Yes, but it is so much more.  

I love how Ms. Tan describes what goes on in this club.  It may be exclusive for movers and shakers, but what happens in the club is not too different than clubs I've attended.  The kink is fabulous.  The BDSM scenes in this story are blazing hot.  The arousal level this book achieves is off the charts for me.  The reason is because of the scenes that are graphically described.  I can see them and they are a complete turn on.  Ms. Tan knows her BDSM and it is very evident in her accurate portrayal of the different scenes.  What I enjoyed most about her scenes is how most of it was mental.  The mind-fucking as well as the D/s is very appealing.  When Chino kicks it up a notch with having Maddie expose herself in the club, it is hard not to reach for a vibrator to hum along.

Whilst this story may incorporate BDSM, the focus is still on the romance, specifically Maddie and Chino falling for each other.  It may come across as insta-love; it is not.  I liked the setup of how they danced around each other for six months and we come in when they finally decide to play with each other.  They may have come together through their mutual enjoyment of kink, but it is much more than just sexy times.  The reader learns more about each of their lives.  This adds depth to the story and engages the reader.  I'm fully vested in Chino's family situation.  I am rooting for Maddie as she starts a new job which sounds like so much fun.  The best is, these characters are true to themselves and they are happy with it.  This is what really makes the book work for me.  Ms. Tan creates characters who are not perfect and they are perfectly happy with it.  This kinky book featuring exhibitionists, Daddy kink and flogging is highly recommended to all kinky readers.

Hard Rhythm is the third and final (sadly) book in best-selling author Cecilia Tan's Secrets of a Rock Star series. The previous books are Wild Licks, and Taking the Lead, and Hard Rhythm is no disappointment in the series.

 

Maddie has been working at the most exclusive BDSM club in Hollywood for a while now, and has seen it all. She's done much of it too, because you can't teach without experience. But she still feels a big empty space inside, that she can't be a "real" submissive because she can't let go.

 

Chino, the drummer for the most wildly popular rock band, can't get over Maddie. He's had a thing for her since the first time he saw her. But he's got abandonment and family issues of his own to work through before he can fully commit to a relationship.

 

Chino & Maddie eventually decide to give in to their mutual feelings, but Chino wants Maddie to completely give herself over to him. She's bared her body, but Chino wants her mind as well. And in learning to bare Maddie's mind, Chino learns to bare his past and family. And in learning to bare their deepest secrets, Maddie & Chino will forge a bond beyond what either could have hoped for.

 

As always, Cecilia is at the top of her game, giving hot, steamy sex together with characters you care about. Relationships you want to succeed, packed full of naughtiness. I've said it before, and I continue to stand by it, Cecilia Tan is one of the greatest writers of smut out there. Few others can combine the tenderness of a budding romantic relationship together with the endorphin packed beginning of D/S relationship the way she has with the Secrets of a Rock Star series.

 

If you're looking for some loving smut, pick up the series. If you're new to the smut genre, pick up the series. If you like your love stories on the sexy side, pick up the series. It starts off quickly, there are no boring parts, everything is important for the stories, and the sex is marvelously hot. It's definitely a must read.

4-4 1/2 stars!

This was the first book that I have read in the Secrets of a Rock Star series, and I really enjoyed it. It was sexy with some kink included, humorous, with secrets being revealed, a little suspense, intense situations, and surprise twists, it was an emotional roller-coaster of a story. A fantastic book that you won't want to miss! 

This had an intriguing storyline with both Chino and Madison hiding their feelings towards the other for months, his traumatic past and the family that he's hidden from his friends, and her revelations about her own past. I loved how they were there for one another, building something great between them, while also helping the other with their past and current issues, as well as trying to help his family. There were some deep emotional scars in both of them, but they fit together perfectly. 

The suspense from the reporter that was snooping around, and stalking Madison was interesting, but at times seemed like it was forced into the story for a more dramatic effect. In my opinion, the story would have been better without this being added. Not that it was bad exactly, it just didn't seem to fit with the rest of the story. Again, just my opinion. 

I would've liked to had read the other books prior to this one, but it is not necessary. I personally like to read entire series from the start, which I will be going back to read the others. However, this book can be read as a stand alone without feeling like you're missing parts of the story. 
I strongly recommend this book, series, and author. 

I have voluntarily reviewed this arc I received from the publisher via NetGalley.

Read January 23-25, 2017
Hard Rhythm - Cecilia Tan
Published by Hachette Book Group Inc.
Secrets of a Rock Star Series 
ARC received on NetGalley
4.5/5 stars


Hard Rhythm started out as one of the flat out sexiest, hottest books I’ve ever read. I read a lot, usually finishing at least 2, but usually upwards of 4 books a week. The story (and sex) of Madison and Chino turned me on in a way that is pretty uncommon for me. At the start. 

About halfway through, our sexy, smart, couple with chemistry out the wazoo turned into a Daddy/girl relationship and I noped right out of there. It’s like there were two books smushed together. Madison still remained a smart, sexy woman, but the story lost some of it’s lustre for me. My kink isn’t your kink and that’s ok though, right? I have no issue with Daddy/girl relationships, but it was totally out of the blue for me, and there wasn’t any indication about the nature of their relationship on the book blurb. When I was reading the first half, it didn’t read to me like this would turn into a Daddy/girl relationship, and that’s ok. It showed me that things aren’t always what they seem, that there can be so much more, and that stereotypes are just that! 

One thing that impressed me so much, and the reason that this book is 4.5 stars for me is the way that the author deals with all of the limits, domestic abuse accusations, real domestic abuse, and safe words. It’s done incredibly well. Cecilia Tan has written a guide to what a proper BDSM relationship should look like, and she covers all different sorts of relationships, with all different sorts of limits. She discusses in depth what the difference between BDSM and abuse is, and she has a whole section on abuse, accessing the abuse hotline, and how to ask for help. Madison and Chino are the very picture of a safe, consensual relationship. They practice safe words, they have limits, they use condoms every time. Sometimes the condoms come off, or the scene gets awkward - and that’s talked about. Hard Rhythm is so significantly different than other “popular” BDSM novels. It’s definitely a must read. 

I would love to catch up with Madison and Chino in the future, there’s so many characters in their book that I want to know more about. There are relationships that I want to see explored more. 

I am thrilled to have been given the chance to read Hard Rhythm. It was on my to-read list, and to be able to receive it as a NetGalley ARC was wonderful. I highly recommend this book. The sex is smoking hot, the BDSM is written appropriately, and it’s amazing to have read a book that surprised me.

This is the third book in the secrets of a Rock Star series.  The books are full of kinky sex and all the characters enjoy BDSM.  Each book features a different band member and this story features Chino, the drummer for the rock group, The Rough.  Chino is charming and fun, although he does have some secrets he is uncomfortable sharing with anyone.  He had a tough home life and he still worries about the family he left behind. 

Madison is still trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life and at the moment, she holds a few different jobs.  Chino and Madison enjoy spending  time together and always have fun and a lot of hot sex.  Unfortunately, at first, Madison doesn't trust Chino but as she gets to know him better she starts to let down her guard.  Chino seems to intuitively understand Madison needs and he is good for her in many different ways.

Chino and Madison help each other work through their issues.  When they meet everything just seems to click between them.  Chino is loving and patient with Madison and he is only interested in Madison.  He is a sensitive, caring guy who needs to be in charge.  Chino and Madison have a DOM/ sub relationship, which makes Madison nervous, she doesn't like to give up control.  At first, Madison is afraid to be a sub but with Chino she is able to let down her guard. I liked both Chino and Madison and thought they make a great couple. This story is sexy, passionate, fun and emotional and there are interesting secondary characters which add to the story.

While I normally enjoy Cecilia Tan's writing, I found myself DNFing this story. The story line is crammed full of subplots and random situations. The chemistry and erotic scenes felt forced and overly done, and I literally cringed every time the MC's engaged in dialogue.

This book begins with Maddie, going through the motions at just another night in the BDSM club she is a hostess in...that is until she gets a challenge from a man she can't refuse.

Chino has been around the club awhile and has been looking for a way to approach Maddie and now that he has found it, he is never going to let her slip away from him again.

My review:

So...I will start this review by saying I didn't realize this book was part of a series when I requested it to review and I feel like had I read the other books in the series, I may have enjoyed this one more.

It felt to me like this book starts in the middle of the story and I didn't know really much of anything about the characters or why they are the way they are.

The sex in this book is plentiful and fans of BDSM will love it but for me there wasn't much else to the story.

I did like the additional story line of Chinos mother and sister and how that develops throughout but again it left me wanting more.


My thoughts:

<b>POV:</b> Switches between Maddie and Chino
<b>Quick hook or slow starter?</b> 3(I was hooked on and off in this one)
<b>Character development:</b> 2
<b>Level of Romance between characters:</b> 3
<b>Passion/Heat level:</b> 4 (hot  and off the charts steamy throughout)
<b>Angst/Heartbreak:</b> 2 (not really much of this in this one.)
<b>Cliffhanger?: </b> Not really a cliffhanger,but I feel like their story is not over and they will probably show up in future books.

Overall, it was ok for me but fans/followers of this series will probably love it.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

My Thoughts

First off i should thank the folks at NetGalley for providing me with access to the ARC since i'm always a huge fan of getting my hands on a book a little early and this series is definitely one that i've found myself really intrigued by.  I may not have had perfect reviews all the time, but the story is solid and you all should realize by now that i'm a fan of Ms Tan.

So in this third installment, we get to focus on Maddie, one of the hostesses at TGC.  We don't know much about her going into this story and while we learn more, there are still a bunch of things that are shrouded in mystery.  We do know that she's been in the lifestyle for a while and was chosen by the girls grandfather years ago to work at the club.  She's bounced from job to job, all in the less than savory genre along with bouncing from relationship to relationship since the men she's chosen haven't been right for her.

Enter in Chino - one of the members of The Rough, the band that we know Axel and Mal from.  We don't know hardly anything about him either except that he seems to keep to himself a lot.  He's a little older than the other guys and that means of course tons more life experience.

Where this story takes us in on a journey of letting go, letting someone in, and coming to terms with your past.  We learn through scenes that Maddie has her limitations in the BDSM lifestyle and that she's never considered herself to have been in a true D/s relationship which causes her to wonder if she truly can.  Chino on the other hand is into a lot of stuff and that comes through more and more as we see trust develop.  Maddie is able to open up more to Chino than ever and that gives us a chance to see what's inside her mind and heart.

Then there's the complexity known as Chino's past.  We quickly learn that he left home when he was sixteen because it wasn't a good place for him, and he left behind his mother, sister brother and awful stepfather.  They were raised so religiously that everything that Chino is now is something that they consider to be the work of the devil and a sin.  That's where the story takes us though, on a journey of trying to get his family back together and into a safe place.

The nice thing about this installment is that it's really playful while pulling at your heartstrings.  Each one of the bandmates stories gives us something else and it's good timing to get this type of plot line.  I think that there's something sweet about two people who want to save each other but who want to save themselves as well.

We get a few interesting surprises with folks popping up when no one expected and then we get the added bonus of angst and anxiety when someone threatens to out the club without the girls being able to control it.  It's a big question now of when the truth of the club will come out and what it will mean, but everyone's always known it would happen so we'll see who gets to make the announcement.

Anyhow - a great third book to the series and i can't wait to read more.

Totally enjoyable, really, really hot and with characters that readers can relate to, Hard Rhythm is an engaging page turner!

Set revolving the band and the kink club we've come to know in the previous two books, Hard Rhythm follows hostess Madison and drummer Chino.

Unfortunately, this is probably my least favorite of the series, little details just bothered me and I don't generally expect my favorite parts of an erotic romance to be the ones that have nothing to do with the relationship or sexy times.  That being said, it's a pretty good series overall.

Ironically perhaps, I felt the public D/S scenes were just too showy for me to even enjoy reading about.  Yeah, I get where that's sort of the point of a public show, but they felt like just show and no substance.  I also felt we were a bit teased by a chance of a relationship with Madison as the dominant, or some element of switch.  The story opens with her thinking about Chino submitting to her, then turns into her regularly going almost instantly into subspace with him.  Other things that stood out the wrong way include a weird mix of expressing concerns over limits then going into scenes blindly without regard for any possible issues, as well as holy crap that's a short period of time to get someone's name inked on yourself (and making decisions like that mid scene... o.O).

As for the positives, among other things I totally didn't see the villain angle of the story coming, which is great because I thought I had it pegged as a overdone cliche.  I was so happy to be wrong.  I think the story really handled the issue of domestic abuse well, and I loved the idea of using a safeword for more than a stop, but as a check-in for acknowledging an issue that is difficult to confront.