A Cruel Kind of Beautiful reminds me of just how good NA fiction can actually be. I'd about given up on NA fiction lately, because what I had been reading had been the same boring formula. Then along comes this beautiful, different tale and now my faith has been restored in NA fiction and NA authors.

Jera is the drummer of an up and coming band. She's got a close relationship with her band, her dad (also the band's manager), and she's a pretty cool person. She's never had a big O, though, and it's done something to her self-image. Then along comes the sweetest guy, Jacob, who crashes into her life when he accidentally delivers the newspaper through her window and breaks it.

Jacob has absolutely no time for a relationship, for love. He had to give up his scholarship when a family emergency hit, and since then, he's been working more jobs than the average adult has, taking care of his family, and just trying to make it to the end of each day. When he crashed his way into Jera's life by accidentally throwing the newspaper he was delivering into her window, breaking it, he had absolutely no idea he'd meet his soul mate.

What I like most about A Cruel Kind of Beautiful is that Jera and Jacob are real and authentic feeling. Jacob isn't a swaggering playboy baller. Jera isn't a simpering sorority girl or a timid mouse. They have distinct, authentic feeling personalities that happen to mesh together really well. I love how patient and gentle Jacob is with Jera and how he guides her through what's been plaguing her most. I also love that her people, her band and her dad, are great characters on their own, and Jacob's family are, too. There's a wealth of secondary characters in this world that I'm hoping will all get their own stories.

If you, like me, are tired of NA fiction that's all about shallow, arrogant playboy ballers who get taken to their knees by shallow college females, I highly recommend you put A Cruel Kind of Beautiful on your TBR list. It's different than most NA fiction, in a very good way.

This was my first book by this author but I definitely will be following her/this series!! This story was well-developed and didn't leave me with any questions other than when does the next come out?!

Jera is a kick butt rocker from a rock star dad. Well former rock star. Who has a problem. She just isn't good at sex - or so she thinks. So she closes herself off from relationships and men because of it. Which makes sense when you read her reasoning.

Jax isn't your typical romance hero in that he and Jera have reversed roles from traditional stories. He's not the rock god, she is. And he isn't the millionaire record exec who falls for her. Jax is a hard worker, working multiple jobs to make ends meet. But he is just adorable and swoony and I love him!!

This was a really good read and I really enjoy it.Jera and Jacob were fantastic characters this book had me laughing at them at times and I really liked the chemistry between them, it was a super read and I am really looking forward to the next book in the series.

A Cruel Kind of Beautiful by Michelle Hazen is the perfect read for reliving all the awkwardness and angst of will he or won't he with a brand new spanner in the works. It's none other than Jera's inability to get where any person wants to go in the arms of another.

Admission time: I read CKB out loud to my partner while traveling, so this is a review times two. As a writer, I discovered much to my chagrin, I absolutely do not belong in the NA genre. OMG, you want hot, read this book! Both I and my partner spent a ton of time screaming, "No, tell me Michelle isn't going to go there." And of course she did.

My favorite part was Jera's dedication to her two band members and the absolutely, yes it's happening real time while she was drumming. Hazen sparkles in making an experience most of us can just dream of feel totally real.

As a writer, watching Hazen wend her way through immersing the reader in Jera's being and inviting them to become Jera was masterful.

Do yourself a favor and indulge in the chocolate high of A Cruel Kind of Beautiful.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read A Cruel Kind of Beautiful.

A cute love story about two young adults who couldn't be more different yet develop a strong friendship together. Parts weren't exactly realistic, but still it was enjoyable to read.

This is the first book in this series by this author. This is a very intriguing story. The characters kept me hooked through out the book. I really enjoyed the storyline mixed with the characters gives you a fab book. I can't wait to read more from this author in the future.
Highly recommended
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book

I am a huge rockstar romance reader! This book is headed to the top of my list! Cannot wait for the next book by this author!

I give this book 5 out of 5 Head Banging Stars! I just loved this hilarious and rock worthy romance! Jera was absolutely hilarious and just my type of girl! She was in a rock band and had a hilarious sarcastic attitude. Jacob was just the perfect guy and totally swoon worthy!
This book was hilarious, had a great plot, fantastic characters, sweet romance and had rock n roll, all that made a rock chick like me have the happiest of feels!
I loved this story and think it was well written. I highly recommend this book, it’s a rock chick’s romance novel masterpiece! P.S. You don’t have to be a rock chick to enjoy this. Lol.

TL;DR: LOVE STORY BETWEEN TWO YOUNG ADULTS IS CUTE, BUT OVERALL, LACKING IN CHEMISTRY AND BELIEVABILITY 
****

THE STORY: 
By night, Jera is the drummer for The Red Letters, a rock band in Portland, Oregon. By day, she's a struggling student, living in her late grandmother's ancient house, and has completely sworn off relationships for one reason: she sucks in the sack. A newspaper tossed through her front window changes all of that, because Jacob, a fellow student with his own dark secrets, crashed into her life and she finds it nearly impossible to stick to her no-romance rule. 

The book follows her push-and-pull with Jacob, discovers his back story, and also the rise and fall and rise again of her band, with her bandmates own troubles in the background. Jera tries to fill her time with concern over her classes and her band, and relegates Jacob to a friend in order to protect herself. Her last relationship went awry when she was apparently so not-turned-on in bed that it caused her ex-boyfriend to be unable to perform, even after they broke up, and his haunting confessional voicemail that she keeps on her phone as a reminder makes her want to avoid going there with Jacob. 

TECHNICAL ELEMENTS: 
My biggest issue with this book is that there's too much going on, and that not enough time is taken to fully develop any of the characters. I didn't feel like Jacob himself was a real character, and he just was there, with this slowly revealed tragic backstory. The Jacob we're introduced to at the beginning doesn't vibe with what we're told about him, and the difference is so stark, that I had a hard time melding the two Jacobs together. I also didn't really feel the connection between Jera and Jacob. 

The bad-at-sex plot was also uneven. We get some pieces of why she feels that she's bad at sex, but then once she fully gives herself over to Jacob and the prospect of a relationship, she's suddenly cured. I didn't buy into that at all. It was too convenient. Here's the thing: this is a new adult romance. Jacob himself isn't even old enough to buy a beer. I just don't have the suspension of disbelief that a guy this young is that good at sex. Now, if the story had gone the way that I was sort of thinking, that maybe Jacob was incredibly kinky or even maybe had a dark secret as a male escort (truly what I was starting to think, with his secrecy over his schedule and not allowing Jera into his bedroom), then I would have maybe believed he could cure her of her supposed frigidity. But as the story stands, I didn't feel it.

I also bought more into the chemistry between Jera and her male best friend Danny, and thought they should have ended up together. 

FINAL THOUGHTS:
Overall, this isn't a bad book. Personally, I feel like the first person present tense style that it's written in does a disservice to the story. Third person past tense would have allowed more room for all the characters to breathe. It's also not the kind of story that benefits from present tense, as there's not really any real suspense. I had a hard time staying invested in the story because I just didn't feel the relationship, but other readers may really connect with Jacob and Jera. Also, there's lots of great music competence porn, so if that's your catnip, you'll really like that.

****
BOOK FROM NETGALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW

This book cover and blurb had me hooked when I first saw them. I was super excited to get a chance to read this lovely book. Michelle Hazen was a new author to me and I was interested to see what this new author’s story would be like.

A Cruel Kind of Beautiful was a very unique story and unlike anyone I’ve ever read before. The main character Jera loves music. She plays the drums with her two best friends and couldn’t imagine doing anything else with her life. One morning Jera’s window is smashed and she meets Jacob Tate. Jacob is sexy and sweet and just beyond perfect. Jera has been hurt many times for her lack of ability to get intimate with a guy and so she pushes Jacob away time and time again.

What I liked:
I really liked how original this story was. I felt like I have never read anything like this story before and that’s always enjoyable. The fact that Jera has issues having orgasms was just beyond unique.

Jacob, I thought he was the sweetest boy ever and I was happy he got his happy ending.

Dislikes:
I didn’t like that Jera was such an unlikeable character. Honestly, I really couldn’t stand her character much at all. She was beyond rude all the time and had next to no redeemable qualities. I found her character simply unbearable. She had a lot of issues, which would have been fine if I didn’t think she treated everyone like horse crap. To further that the story didn’t really show her growing much.

The overall story kind of dragged for me and I don’t know if this was because I didn’t like the main character, or if it was because of how the story was written. Either way, the story dragged for me.

Also, I wish the secondary characters were more prominent than they were. I felt like Jera thought and spoke about her friendships and family a lot and same with Jacob, but the other characters only ended up making quick appearances.

Overall A Cruel Kind of Beautiful was an interesting story with a lot of potential but fell flat for me.

A Cruel Kind of Beautiful by Michelle Hazen
Sex, Love and Rock & Roll #1

Not a fan of New Adult books but this one grabbed me from the beginning and made me think first of Cinderella but with a guy in the lead role. The first scene was one of the best meet-cutes I have ever read.

As I continued reading I realized that Jacob was a keeper with a big family secret and that Jera’s main problem with relationships was not one I can relate to and yet…thinking back four or so decades…it does make a bit of sense and perhaps more than a bit. She grated a bit at times when she ran or didn’t listen or became afraid for reasons I couldn’t quite understand but she also had great talent as a musician-songwriter and was a good friend and bandmate. Jacob…well…he was a book boyfriend worthy of being on THE Wall of Fame for book boyfriends! Family guy, caring, interested, puts others first, willing to give up what others might see as important for what he believes truly is important. I am not going to give the plot away but will say that eventually Jera gets her head on straight and takes a chance…and once she does it seems that things begin to fall in place for her, Jacob and those around them.

I liked the band members and want to hear more about The Red Letters Band. What makes Danny and Jax tick and how will the band get their record deal?

Thank you to Barclay Publicity for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4 Stars

Loved it! This book surprised me at how good it was. I loved the less than perfect heroine and the men in her life. A beautifully written story with well developed, fascinating characters. Worth the read! I voluntarily reviewed an ARC.

It’s always dicey to write a formal review of a friend’s book because for me at least, I expect really amazing work from my friends. Yes, I hold them to a higher standard than I do an author I’ve never met, and I’ll admit it. No freebies from me, even when it hurts me to not hand them out.

And when Michelle Hazen writes passages like

“My eyes are as round as greedy gold coins. I have no idea why he just told me that, and I don’t care. I want that collection, want to shoot it into my veins and roll naked in it and drown in the gorgeous, classic sound of song after song brought to life by the needle of my beloved antique turntable.” (Chapter 6)

about what happens when our heroine, Jera, finds out that our hero, Jacob, is a music junkie with an amazing vinyl collection, well, I know I don’t need to try not to offend. This is a display of some serious writing chops.

But she wanted my opinion on her latest novel, A Cruel Kind of Beautiful, because Michelle wanted my opinion as an expert in Rock Fiction. So let’s start there.

First off, this is a romance. Here’s where I can launch into a discussion of category (Rock Fiction) versus genre (Romance), but I won’t. You need to know this is a romance so you know that this is a book of two people who want to come together but have obstacles to overcome, including one so severe, it’s called a Black Moment and it rips them apart. And you need to know there will be a Happily Ever After when all’s said and done. And there, I’ve told you the plot.

Of course, there’s more to it than that (and the more to it is what makes romance so delicious), so let’s look at it in the context of Rock Fiction, as I said above I would.

Jera is in a band. She’s the drummer, content to, as she acknowledges, let her singer and bassist be the buffer between herself and the audience. This is an interesting point and an important one for the overall themes of the novel, one of which is that she’s the daughter of a musician, someone who almost made it big and regrets the decisions he made in his career. He understandably doesn’t want to see his daughter make the same mistakes.

And that’s one of the (too) many subplots: Jera’s band plays a showcase. They go from warming up an empty room to finishing up in front of a packed house, which seems unbelievable enough, but then they are offered a record deal, too.

Oh, and Jacob turns up late to the show but loves every single second of it.

This is after the two had a date that included listening to his record collection—really, who has vinyl collections anymore? Which makes this an amazing pairing right there—and some of the previously mentioned gorgeous writing.

And then the novel spins into agonizing over what the record company wants to change about Jera’s band until some sage words from Jacob allow Jera to make the executive decision for the entire band and call it off.

Viewing this from the angle of Rock Fiction, it’s not quite enough to tip us over a line the novel toes. The music isn’t carried through the novel—in the second chapter, we see Jera tormented by lyrics she needs to write and music she needs to let pour out of her. And it’s amazing, it’s great… and it’s dropped. We are told other songs torment and torture her, but we don’t see that cruel kind of beautiful again.

This hurts the continuity of the story, the idea that themes and subplots are woven through the story as a whole. And there are so many gorgeous opportunities in this novel for music to play the important role it does early on, I just ache at what this novel could have been: deeply textured and layered. Instead, it feels not quite episodic but definitely as if it has ADD, as it flits from one idea (Jacob and his family issues, Jacob and his jobs, Jacob and his friend’s art show which features nude sketches of our hero, Jacob fixing cars, Jacob and his baseball scholarship… and that’s just Jacob! Jera’s got her own set) to the next, without that gorgeous weaving and building that a writer as strong as Michelle ought to be giving us.

I have toggled back and forth on this one. Can romance be this richly textured? Can it address the very serious issues that are present, everything from body image (compare and contrast Jera and Jacob!) to family pressures, to music and how differently Jacob and Jera view it even while it’s a lifeline for them both, to the value and importance of friendship—Jacob’s relationship with his baseball teammates versus Jera’s with her band, for instance. There really is so much to mine here, and I’m genuinely sad more of it didn’t make it onto the page.

Yes, I believe a romance can support these weighty topics—in fact, I think it should, especially when it could have been done relatively easily. And yes, by a writer of this caliber. Check this passage, one of my favorites:

“He murmurs the words against my forehead and they lose none of their strength for his lack of volume. Instead, I feel like he’s tattooing them on my skin, ripping me open and dropping the ink inside so I can never forget what he said. (Chapter 21)”

So despite my reservation, I’d encourage you to not skip this one, and not just because Michelle is, as I said, a friend. Pick it up. Give it a read. Be like me and eye your water heater longingly—you’ll understand when you read it—and write your own review. Tell me if you’re satisfied to flit from idea to idea, or if you’re like me and you want more.

I want more from Michelle, I’ll tell you that. I want to see what sort of excellence is going to come out of her as she grows as a writer. I would wager that this texturing that I’m missing now is going to show up sooner or later (hopefully sooner). She’s too good to keep it inside—and like I said, it’s 90% of the way there now.

“He grabs my hand before I finish the sentence, squeezing it tight like he’s afraid, even though he still stares straight forward. I glory in the pressure, hopeful goosebumps appearing all up my arms. This is what I was missing, all those other times. In every relationship, you fall short or they do… until the last one. And then you’re stretching so far there’s no going back and you can feel the wind whistling against your face as you fall. But if you’re both reaching, you catch each other’s hands at the very last minute and it makes the perfect bridge.” (Chapter 28)

I love me a rock star romance, and while Jera might not be a star yet I'm placing this one firmly in that category as she's definitely one in the making. In fact, Jera is everything I've been looking for in a female lead. Why should the guys get to be the cool, sexy rock stars all the time? Why can't it be the woman? I love the way Hazen has turned the tables in this one.
The romance is a slow burner, which I do enjoy. Sure, sometimes it's fun for the MCs to be ripping each others clothes off right from page one, but when it comes to romance rather than erotica a slow burner wins out every time.
I enjoyed the hell out of this book, and can't wait to read Hazen's next offering.

copy received for honest review
This book caught my attention because Jera is a female drummer in a band
The book started off pretty good but slowed down somewhere in the middle. I liked the characters especially Jacob. He is a pretty good guy. He made a lot of sacrifices for his family. He was pretty amazing. Jera was a character that I often lost patience with. She had some issues that almost cost her happiness. I liked the story overall. The writing was pretty good. I look forward to reading more in the series.

A cruel kind of beautiful is our first book from this author and it was not what we expected at all. We were invested in the characters pretty quickly and excited to see where the story would go. Rock n' Roll books are one of our favorite genres, so maybe that is why we originally grabbed this book to review, but it's so much more than that and we can't wait to read more from author Michelle Hazen

I just love taking a chance on a “new to me author” and falling in love with their stories. This is my first from Michelle Hazen and I totally loved it. I thought it was going to be a typical rock star romance, but it turned out to be much, much more.

Her characters were totally relatable and I fell in love with them almost instantly. Jera is a quirky almost neurotic chick with dreams of making music that speaks to people. She and her two band mates have a great friendship and share the same intense passion for their music and it was almost moving. But their also young, so she’s still in school while they struggle to make it from local/indie fave to that lustrous recording contract that will expand their audience.

But while, she’s confident in her music, she’s still a typical girl with insecurities and a lackluster track record in the boyfriend department so when cute and oh so sweet Jacob crosses her path, she’s. It going to let his good looks and kind nature deter her from her self-imposed relationship ban. But I don’t know anyone that could resist a guy as perfect as Jacob. Oh my god, I lost count how many times he made me swoon. There were times that he was just so boyish and innocent, but in no way did it detract from his sexiness. Truly, the guy was almost saintly. He was selfless and a hard worker and was just one of those guys that steps up to any challenge, no matter the sacrifice. I just feel in love with him from their first meeting.

Michelle Hazen’s writing was superb. I felt everything and totally got lost in the story. It was just so good, I couldn’t set it down until it was finished. I’m most definitely a. We fan. I look forward to more from the series and can’t wait to see what’s in store for their band’s future and her fellow band mates.

Such a sweet romance that gave me all the feels ❤️

I was expecting an a-typical rock star romance but this was the complete opposite, telling the story instead of a young and upcoming band trying to secure a record deal. The story about the band is only part of the overall book theme though as this focusses mainly on two characters: Jacob and Jera who find themselves meeting, unexpectedly, and immediately feeling an attraction to one another. Jera is avoiding boys after a string of unfortunate attempts at having a healthy sexual relationship but when Jacob, her paperboy, accidentally breaks her window she finds herself facing an altogether unexpected and not entirely unwanted emotion towards him.

Jacob is your loveable boy next door type of character. Despite facing his own personal battles, he is ridiculously sweet and caring towards Jera and is not about to be blown off by her avoidance tactics. I loved the way Jacob supported Jera as together they faced her demons and slowly but surely made her feel that she is not the broken shell of a girl she believes herself to be. What Jera faces in her young life is more realistic than most NA romance stories lead readers to believe. Sex is not always as perfect as it is portrayed in books and I commend the author for her realism and making her young character relatable, especially to readers in that age bracket.

This is a book for college romance lovers as well as those favouring a more musical theme. It’s also a new adult romance so there’s literally something for everyone. The story was well written and entertaining and held my interest throughout. I’ve been sitting on the fence between giving this story 4 or 5 stars but the more I think about, I do want to read this story again and again and for that, in my eyes, it has to have 5-stars!

An entertaining New Adult story, about a young woman, Jera, who's still in college and showing her talent for music by playing the drums in a struggling band and also writing some of their lyrics. She's never had a loving relationship with a guy and now finds trust and the thought of sex something she will never succeed in. Then she meets Jacob, a handsome, charismatic young man who's good looks and kindness make her wish for things long forgotten. He's perfect, in looks and attitude, but that's his problem, there has to be more.

A sweet character study, I loved Jacob, Jera was a real rock & roll gal and her band members were great fun. The story's full of great humour, a little sex and lot's of love.