DNF @ 10%

I wish I had something truly specific or constructive to share on why I stopped reading this one. But the reality is I just couldn't get into it. I didn't care to keep reading, and it wasn't pulling me in at all. I've got too many books on my TBR to waste on, at best, a "meh" read.

M/M romances with musicians are my favorite. I really enjoyed how this one played out, although it could have been a little better fleshed out. I'm planning to continue on with this series because I was to see where it heads next.

I love rock star main characters, especially those who are passionate on the stage, but full of humility when off. Bellamy is such a rock star, but he is also suffering from internal strife. Micah was a drummer in his own band, but is now a roadie for Bellamy’s band, Escaping Indigo. These two guys are so weighted down in melancholy that I never thought the story was going to give them, and the reader, some peace. I understand that life doesn’t always have a full course happy ending, but this one was kind of depressing me. I think it may have been better for me if there was more dialogue and less descriptive details that took pages before getting to another word spoken between the characters. The writing is beautiful, but I am more a fan of letting the dialogue tell the story kind of reader.

Don’t get me wrong, the guys do end up with a happy-for-now, and hopefully in the upcoming books we get some Bellamy and Micah sightings that will lead them to a full on Happy-ever-after. It just was too heavy a topic to end that way in this first book. This story reminded me, in a way, of maybe what Chester Bennington of Linkin Park may have been dealing with. Bellamy is famous, and popular, and seems to have everything going for him, but in his own head he gets lost and struggles to enjoy what he’s been successful at doing. Micah is a fan and grieving over the loss of his band-mate/best friend. I understand losing someone so close to you, but it seemed that Eric was more a lost lover than a best friend. I am still a little depressed writing this review, so I think I may take a little break and read something sunshiny before continuing this series.

I absolutely adored this book, which was both a bit of a delightful surprise and the first step in laying a foundation of affection for everything that comes after this!

Overall, I liked but I didn't love it. The story was a little slow moving for me. It took a while for things to progress between Micah and Bellamy and when it finally did I didn't feel the chemistry between them. I felt they were better off as just friends, which I think is what they both needed at that moment in their lives.

3.5 Stars

Micah has lost his best friend, and with it his deep, driving desire to make music as a drummer in a band. Now signed on as a roadie, Micah finds himself face-to-face with the lead musician, Bellamy, who he has both fantasized about and regarded as almost a musical god for years. But despite his proximity to the quiet singer, Micah finds it difficult to both crack through the walls Bellamy has erected around himself and also reach beyond his own trauma of losing his best friend.

Micah wants to be more than friends with Bellamy, and while the guitarist seems to want that as well, Bellamy struggles with anxiety that is crippling to his creative self and prevents him from allowing anyone to get close to him. Between Micah struggling to let go of his dead best friend’s memory, and Bellamy refusing to do anything to get a grip on his crushing anxiety, the two men seemed destined to never become more than friends despite their desire for a different outcome.

Escaping Indigo was a real study in how a person who suffers with depression and crippling anxiety can shut themselves off from the world. Both Micah and Bellamy struggled with some real personal darkness, and desperately wanted to get beyond it, but had not a clue as to how to maneuver. Micah simply could not turn off the intense sadness that thrummed through to his very core when he remembered losing his best friend. Not only was he dealing with Eric’s death but the fact that since then, Micah himself had discovered that playing in a band no longer holds any real joy for him. He is, in a word, adrift. Eric’s brother convinces Micah to be a roadie with him for a few months, and it is here that Micah feels his first spark of life in the form of the lead singer, Bellamy. He has both a sense of attraction and some definite hero worship for Bellamy, and it takes Micah some time to come to terms with the fact that Bellamy is just a normal guy and one that Micah is worthy of being with intimately.

But Bellamy is struggling with demons of his own, and he is not just reluctant to confront them but loathe to do so. He refuses to get any help with the dark depression he suffers as a result of his anxiety, and here is where the story really excels. You see the way in which the author, Eli Lang, wrote about both these men and their struggles as very realistic. There were no easy answers for these guys and, in the end, they had to decide to either say goodbye to their fledgling mutual attraction, or make definite moves towards getting help.

Thematically this was a strong novel, and I felt it dealt with these sobering themes quite well. Unfortunately, it was just a bit too long in the tooth. After a few chapters of Micah struggling to feel worthy and find his purpose in life, I was ready for the confrontation to occur between him and Bellamy—but it didn’t. Instead, this line of self-questioning labored on and on, leading to a pacing issue that was, at best, substantially slowed. To be frank, by midway in the novel I wanted someone to move on—either Bellamy or Micah—and I really needed something to happen as my attention began to waiver.

I understood that the author was striving for an in depth look at how these two men struggled with their respective problems, but I felt that some serious editing needed to happen in this story to keep it from getting weighed down in its own dark themes. Escaping Indigo is a good story that could have been better if the author had allowed for less introspective analyzing and more dialoguing between the main characters.

Escaping Indigo is not your usual hot m/m story.
It was an extremely emotional read and at times it was really hard to be in Micah's head for me.

I liked the author writing and how sweetly and naturally Micah and Bellamy's relationship evolves and I really appreciated how they in the end will try to do everything in their powerin order to be happy together.

P.S. I want to tell everybody out there that mental issues are not a competition,no one has more rights to talk about their problems than others...nowadays,unfortunately,is so common to see stars take their lives unexpectedly so please if you feel stressed or anxious seek someone to help you and never be ashamed of it.

This book was cute. It wasnt anything amazingly original but it was a fun, easy read.

Escaping Indigo is a fairly brief, emotional study of the pitfalls of love, loss, anxiety, and misunderstanding. Micah is living a fan’s dream when he’s hired as a roadie for a band he’s loved for quite some time. But, being with them all long-term on a tour bus alters things, and his perspective of the individual members—Bellamy, in particular—begins to change. Unfortunately, both Micah and Bellamy have too many wounds that are still raw and aching to find an easy path to one another, and trying to hold onto something so fragile could cost them everything.

As much as I loved the premise of Escaping Indigo, there were a few things that I had a little trouble with. Micah’s constant worry over Bellamy leads to several moments of repetitive inquiry that made Bellamy seem more fragile than he was in other scenarios within the narrative. I also had some difficulties with Micah’s somewhat contradictory stance on Bellamy’s anxiety. While he claims to acknowledge and accept Bellamy’s determination to deal with his issues on his own, he frequently pushes the idea of therapy (including medicinal treatments, to which Bellamy is adamantly opposed). There were other small issues, as well, but they didn’t stop me from wanting the best for these two characters.

Romantically, I generally enjoyed the slow build between Micah and Bellamy. There were moments throughout the beginning and into the central part of the narrative where I wasn’t sure about Micha’s stance on the situation as a whole, but things did fall into place later on. Micha’s awareness of Bellamy outside of their roles as lead singer and roadie was very sweet at times, however, and when they truly connected with each other, the story came alive.

Aside from these issues, Escaping Indigo makes several important points about relationships. For starters, people aren’t always what they appear to be. Getting to know someone’s truths can be precarious business, and trying to manipulate the outcome is seldom advisable. Another thing that I appreciated was that it’s made abundantly clear that one person cannot “fix” another. There are myriad problems just waiting for anyone who tries, and Micah treads that line a little too closely more than once.

In the end, I’m somewhat conflicted when it comes to Escaping Indigo. On the one hand, there were several things that could have been addressed that would have made the narrative stronger overall. On the other, I think this story has a great deal of potential. I really liked everyone in the band, Bellamy especially, and Micah had his good moments, as well. Since the next story in the series will revisit the other members of the band, I’m very interested to see what the author might do from here. I can’t help but hope for the best for these characters and the series as, a whole.

Micah and Bellamy are such well-developed characters, and one can't help but fall a little in love with them as they work toward learning to trust one another. I loved that they acknowledge that it's going to be a lot of work to be together, but are still willing to try.
Can't wait to read more from Eli Lang.

Escaping Indigo is about roadie Micah and lead singer Bellamy. These two men have some issues, both in their present lives and in their past. This story is raw, with Bellamy being a little needy, and a little tough to read because of this. But, at it's core, it's a solid story, with a ton of emotion's running through these character's.

The author did a decent job with the issue of anxiety/mental illness, but, i could have stood for Bellamy to be a little more open to treatment for what he assumed is anxiety....which I am not so sure was the root issue.

I DNfed the book at 40%. This is my second book by Eli Lang and I'm sad to say this author and me just don't match. I have to admit she has a quiet, lyrical style of writing which I usually enjoy but I found it didn't work for me in her books. I had hard time connecting with the characters, felt the whole plot was moving too slowly, it was too melancholy, to self-absorbed and I couldn't bring myself to care what happened to the characters. I see glimpses of brilliant writing and some memorable inner monologues but that was not enough to make me finish the story.
This is only the second book released by Eli Lang and I believe she has a potential to be a great writer, but for not her stories are not working for me and I don't plan to read any more of them for a while.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica – ☆☆☆☆
Eli Lang isn't a new-to-me author, but it feels as if she is, after struggling with Half previously. The writing seems different – the voice – and it was easy for me to escape into Micah's narration.

Escaping Indigo is voiced by a grief-stricken drummer who is acting as the roadie to one of his favorite bands. Micah is a solid character, his traits never deviating from how the author created him. He lost everything when his best friend overdosed, even the will to create music...

There's something about Escaping Indigo's Bellamy that compels and intrigues Micah, and it seems the reaction is mutual. The pair lean on each other, finding comfort and strength.

After Half, I was hesitant to read more by Eli Lang, but with the emotions painted across the pages, I am interested in exploring more of her works in the future, as well as more in this series. The imagery when it came to the music industry and the inner most thoughts musicians go through was highly realistic, setting the scene and placing me in the moment without purple prose and over-description.

The aftermath of losing someone important in your life – the grief – was also realistic, as was the way anxiety was written on the pages. I could empathize with Bellamy on several fronts, both with the anxiety and how you feel a part of this world, yet apart from it. An observer, with your head in your art, never knowing if said art is good enough, no matter how many say it is.

While I loved the premise and the sweet, wounded boys on the pages, the pacing stalls around the halfway mark, slowing down to a crawl, without anything new added to the story. I just needed a little something more, but not necessarily strife or unnecessary conflict. In the end, pacing issues aside, Escaping Indigo was an emotional read, yet relaxing because of the pacing and lack of conflict. A hurt-comfort read.

I recommend to MM romance fans, as well as those who enjoy stories featuring musicians.


Angie – ☆☆☆
I really didn't like this book at all for a few reasons. First, there was soooo much inner monologue and not enough dialogue. I like when my characters talk to each other, interact with each other besides just asking if they are alright. Second, I was skimming and bored most of the book. After about 40/45% I got to the point where I didn't care how things turned out. Between Bellamy's anxiety and Micah's grief, it was just a big ole ball of depression and nothing seemed to make the book any better. Totally not for me but I am sure other people will enjoy it.


Sarah – ☆☆☆
This story is pure emo angst. I was expecting a typical rock star romance and I was thoroughly unprepared for this story about two tortured artists. After Micah’s best friend and bandmate dies, he finds himself on the road, acting as a roadie for his favourite band. Bellamy is the face of the band. On stage, he is a skilled musician and a larger than life entertainer. In private, he is often paralysed by anxiety.

This is a beautifully written story. The prose is gorgeous. Descriptions are wonderfully sensual and observations are sensitive. This story is told from Micah’s point of view. Micah quietly studies Bellamy and his band while reflecting on his own life.

At times, this is a torturously slow and emotionally intense story. Micah and Bellamy first communicate through music and art. Very gradually, they recognise something in each other and forge a connection. Neither man fully understands his own issues and needs, and they find it difficult to support each other.

Other than some personal growth, not much actually happens in this book. I’m trying not to be too critical because know I’m not the target demographic for an emo new adult romance. However, I do have to admit that by the end I was a little bit bored of Micah, Bellamy, and their dramas.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆
This is the first in a new series, and it is quite different to any rock band romance I have ever read. It is also much more a study of the minds of two musicians, than a standard MM story. If you like your stories fast paced and full of action, this will not be for you. It is evocative, thought-provoking, and very emotional. I confess to not being someone who enjoys pages of inner thoughts, so I did find it a bit frustrating. By complete coincidence, I was reading this whilst at a festival, so I decided to stick with it and see whether it would give me more insight into the members of the bands I was watching. It also gave me moments of deep thoughtfulness when surrounded by noise and activity.

Without doubt, this book will give you a continuous insight into the thoughts of a man who is struggling with grief, falling in love with an equally tortured soul, and following their dreams to live a life in music.

From the very first page readers will find themselves quickly caught up in the lyrical feeling of this story as two bruised souls find comfort in each other's arms. It's a narrative told from the perspective of former drummer Micah who's lost his way after the death of his friend/bandmate. Now a roadie for his favorite band Micah finds himself drawn to Bellamy, the quiet yet commanding lead singer of Escaping Indigo, and together they take readers on an emotional rollercoaster ride.

Micah once had dreams of making it big in the music world alongside his best friend, but with his bandmate's death he lost the fire to stay on the stage. He can't leave music completely behind though and soon becomes a roadie for the band that's always brought joy to his soul. It's a routine job until the night he enjoys a bit of solitude with lead singer Bellamy and as quiet talks led to heartfelt introspection a romance teeming with sensuality along with moments of heartache evolved. Micah's clearly lost and lonely at the start of the story, full of what-ifs and what might have been. The moment he sees Bellamy he senses a kindred spirit as one lost soul calls to another. He's always been enthralled by his larger than life stage presence but it's his little boy lost personality that truly captures his heart and has him opening himself once again to the possibilities...possibilities of love as well as making music. Micah's a caring soul who understands Bellamy's moods and is a strong support when he needs it most. He asks tough questions of him, questions not easily or always answered. When it comes to their relationship, it's one teeming with sensuality as well as doubts regarding their different statuses that puts readers through the wringer and culminates in a HFN.

Bellamy's the quintessential rockstar on stage, sexy and full of energy. Off stage though he's a contradiction as his moods go from one extreme to another. He's clearly a tortured artist, talented but always needing to be better. Fears and doubts constantly weigh on him and have resulted in issues with crippling anxiety that led to feelings of isolation. Finding Micah gave him unexpected support when he needed it most. It also led to hard questions regarding his mental health, and ways to help his moods, that often left me frustrated. Despite that, I still found myself just as enamored with Bellamy as Micah was. Bellamy's love of music is clear and it's a love that he desperately wants to reignite in Micah with scenes that depicted joy and helped Micah find forgiveness.

Through all Bellamy's highs and lows this was a couple meant to be together. Their encounters were teeming with sensuality and oftentimes more was expressed through a single touch and glance than with words. Both had kind hearts and worried that their personal baggage would harm the other which led to lots of talks and introspection. These talks were nicely balanced with a few steamy interludes as well as lots of sweet cuddling that made for a more realistic relationship. The music world was vividly depicted too as moments on the stage were full of energy and eroticism while behind the scenes were endless miles of travel and boredom. Escaping Indigo isn't a stereotypical band as there's no vices on display, just a deep-seated familial bond between the bandmates and their crew. Issues of mental health were at the core of this story and while I appreciated Ms. Lang's addressing it, I was equally frustrated by the secretiveness and feeling of dirtiness surrounding Bellamy's anxiety. Despite that small criticism I found myself caught in this story's sensual haze through its lyrical storytelling. Micah's inner dialogues were beautiful and gave deep insight into his heart and soul as well as helping readers better understand Bellamy. This was a captivating series starter and I look forward to revisiting this couple and getting to know more about the other members of Escaping Indigo in the future.

Would love to read something by this author again! The story was well thought out and the characters were very likable!

m/m
Escaping Indigo is a gentle sweet if angsty rock and roll romance. Micah is suffering from a loss and has had his world turned upside down. Bellamy may be a rock star on the rise but he has problems of his own. Watching these two fall for each other was sweet and sometimes painful but you just know it is going to work in the end.
I would call this a young adult book. I fell for the guys and the band and am looking forward to future installments.

3.5 Stars

I loved the blurb when I read it and I couldn't wait to get to this book on my reading schedule, but the book didn't completely deliver.

Micah hasn't been able to pick-up his drum sticks since the death of his bandmate and best friend, Eric. Eric's brother Quinn gets him a job as a roadie for his favorite band, Escaping Indigo. After some time spent on the road and being in the small contained space of the tour bus, Micah slowly begins to get to know the lead singer, Bellamy. As they get to know one another they grow closer, but both Micah and Bellamy are hurting. Micah from the loss of Eric and Bellamy from the breakup with his last boyfriend, who left when he could no longer deal with Bellamy's refusal to seek help for his anxiety disorder.

I really loved both Micah and Bellamy, and the story was enjoyable. I loved that the relationship moved slowly. First, there were innocent and light touches, then a sweet kiss. The pace felt natural. My heart broke for both of them. Micah is so lost without Eric and Bellamy is frightened of being rejected again by someone he loves. I wanted to give them both a big hug.

I loved the author's writing, it's beautiful and almost poetic at times. My issue with the story is that it's told completely from Micah's POV, and while that's perfectly fine, the story needed more character dialogue. Bellamy is too underdeveloped because we spend the majority of the story inside of Micah's head. We don't really get to know Bellamy all that well or exactly what he's feeling, because there wasn't enough dialogue to express or explore these things. I'm a firm believer in dialogue, but it just wasn't present in this story. I'd love to read the next story in the series, and I'll most likely give it a chance, I just hope the author gives the characters more on page conversations.

While the story is enjoyable, it's also very heavy. The sadness comes off both Micah and Bellamy in a waves and you can feel it, especially Micah and being inside his head at times felt like that sadness was sitting on my chest like a lead weight.

Micah and Bellamy had amazing chemistry and the sex scenes were sweet and passionate. The ending is realistic and I'm left hoping these two men can make this new and fragile relationship work. Recommendable!

*copy provided by Riptide Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

This story has a melancholy air that never lifts.

Bellamy and Micah (great names right?) are both dealing with depression and anxiety. They have different reasons for them, but they come together slowly and carefully get to know each other.

To be perfectly honest, I don't think I can give this book the review it deserves. There's never been a more perfect example of the wrong reader for a book.

I like edgy, gritty, fast paced stories. A balance consisting of 80% action and 20% emotion.

This book is 100% emotion. There is zero action. From my skewed point of view, nothing happened. Two young men met, talked about a lot of sad stuff and went sadly into to setting sun.

I'm probably coming across as a heartless beeatch. 😕

It just wasn't the rock god story I was expecting. I enjoyed the glimpses of Bellamy on stage but the rest of it was too emo for me.

3 stars because it is extremely well written and edited