this is a first read for me by this author.
I loved Shane and Delaney so much they were fantastic together.
I need more of this story!
can't wait to get stuck into more books by this author.
I volunteered to read a copy of this book

Shane is a Rock and Roll bad boy. He's been through it all and is now trying to settle on the right track. In order to do this he hires a girlfriend to ward off the groupies. But Shane is hiding a huge secret that could no doubt ruin his career.

Delaney is on the run and what better way to be on the run than to earn money being a Rockstars girlfriend. Shane is about to fall head first but what happens when he finds out Delaney has been hiding secrets of her own.

I was honestly looking forward to reading this novel. It was honestly just okay for me. I was expecting more ‘ROCK KING’ out of this novel, given the title. I felt the story line was very predictable. I wanted a little more originality.

With that being said, I did really enjoy this story line. I just needed a little more from the plot and the characters.

Shane is the lead singer for Nothing But Trouble and has lived every bit of the rock star life with excessive drugs, booze and women to the point of almost self-destructing. He was hiding from the life he left behind and the secrets that were better left hidden…or so he thought. In order to have someone close to Shane to help keep him from the drugs and booze his “trouble repairman” and Shane came up with the idea to hire a girlfriend while he’s on tour. So just getting ready to hit the road again Shane found just the woman he wanted as his “hired” girlfriend this time around.

Delaney had her own secrets from her past and when she was given the contract with the amount of money offered it would allow her go back to school to finish earning her degree but she wanted it known that she was nobody’s whore. Shane would not give up on losing her because he knew she was “the” woman he wanted. He felt something special so the extra incentive that she was offered now was something that would help her father; a man she would do anything for.

This story was of two people with much to hide who had to be able to trust before anything could really come of the chemistry they had. Besides the chemistry there was a real bond forming that they both felt but were afraid that if they felt this they would have to come clean about their pasts.

I received this book as an ARC for a freely given and honest review.

Shane is a mirage. He knows how to shine, but he's better at knowing how to self destruct. Underneath the bright lights, he can be what the people wants. An untouchable, larger than life rock star. Behind closed doors he falls apart. He breaks hearts, ruin friendships and tortures himself with the demons of his past. He wants to be saved, but is not willing to rescue himself. Delaney is the epitome of what his heart desires, but not necessarily what his heart needs. She's a showstopper in more ways than even he knows. Her secrets are less obvious but still exist. Tara Leigh has become a favorite author of mine. She's not afraid to show the dark side of fame, wealth and love. The side we all know to exist, but refuse to see. Rock King is an on the edge romance that is toxic, tempting and touching. Delaney and Shane are caught in a masquerade of their own making, Can they survive the big reveal?

This is my first book by this author, so I was very curious as to how it would be...especially since "rockstars" is one of my favorite tropes ;)

I am happy to say, that I was pleasantly surprised by this one !

The storyline isn't really original if I am being honest. I have read many books with the same sort of plot, some better, some not. But since I am being honest here... I really don't care. If it works it works and this one worked for me, even though it wasn't the first in it's kind.

Now I am also a big fan of asshole alpha's...especially when they are rockstars, so that fact may have something to do with me liking this story ;)

Shane is your typical rockstar. He has been leading a life of "sex, drugs and rock and roll". Of course there is a reason for his behavior.

Shane meets Delaney at a Hollywood party. Imagine meeting your childhood idol...I would freak !!!

They both hit it off and Shane's manager thinks she would be a perfect "fake girlfriend / sobriety buddy for Shane. So she signs on the dotted line and joins him on tour.

Now Delaney wasn't my most favorite heroine, but we all know how hard I am on the ladies, so you might want to take my opinion with a grain of salt. I just prefer my heroines to be pretty though and kickass. They need to stand their ground and demand lots of groveling LOL.

Still I enjoyed reading this one, the steam was pretty nice and it had the right amount of angst for me. I will definitely be checking this authors future work ;)

An ARC was kindly provided to DirtyBooksOBsession in exchange for an honest review.

My reviews are posted on DirtyBooksObsession

DNF at 25%. I really wanted to like these characters. Really wanted to get to know them and engage in their stories--there's a ton that they're both hiding and I was intrigued by the blurb. But I am struggling to connect. Shane is a bit of a bully, manipulator. Delaney, I'm struggling to pin point--one minute she's strong the next a doormat. There's a whole lot of showing versus telling and the characters are definitely spending too much time in their heads.

Shane & Delaney = a one pretty f'd up mess! But they are a beautiful mess. Rock King by Tara Leigh was the exact opposite of what I thought the story would be. I love rock star romances, and this one in in a league of its own. I think this series is going to take off from here! Shane knows what he needs in order to stay true. What surprised me the most was how aware of his flaws he was and even though he was ready to lose himself in all the bad, he kept out of it. At first he wanted to use Delaney as a crutch to keep him in line. In the end, I only saw that Delaney was just his other half walking on the same planet.

The emotions that ran through me were unbelievable. One minute I am in full blow love, the next I am scared to find the truth of these characters. I was mad, then sad. At the end I was a big ball of anxiety. The storyline kept me on my toes. Rock King is not a simple story. The complexity is what I needed to get me out of my reading funk. I loved Shane and Delaney. I am excited for the next books coming up!

Loved it! Shane and Delaney are fantastic together! The story is great! Full of drama and so sexy! I couldn't put it down! I so want more!

We are suckers for bad boy rocker book and with Rock King you definitely get that! This is our first book by author Tara Leigh but boy she sure knows how to write the sexual tension and chemistry!

Not only did the two main characters have a power connection from the start but oh boy the angst in this book! We loved it and can't wait to read more by Tara Leigh!

DNF @ 35%
The book is densely populated with exposition (and holy metaphors in there too!), so much so that we know the hero whose name may or may not be Shane is definitely an addict times three. And we know the heroine was just the type he likes. Insta-lust and he needs a girlfriend for tour. But Delaney has a secret too. Both characters are pretty broken and have absolutely no issue letting the readers know it in the first 10% of the book.

This plot line echoed Lead in the sense that Jimmy had a sober companion. Delaney is hired to be a stand in girlfriend whom is encouraged to participate in a sexual relationship with the hero.

This characters meet based on a set up by Shane’s manager—based on all those criteria that Shane find attractive. Fancy that, she fits the bill perfectly, like a turquoise-eyed goldilocks who likes his music but, you know, not too much.

“Why me?” a question my favorite heroines rarely ask. And if they do, maybe not right up front. In the case of this book, it’s due to insta-lust. Isn’t that clear? You’re hot. Then you said no.

Oh, but the exchange:

“Why me?”
“why not you?”
“I asked the question first”
“I asked second.”

This isn’t a reasonable conversation for twenty-somethings. *pinches bridge of nose, closes eyes.* I’m at 25%.

Shane has been following Delaney around, getting into her space/putting hands on her after being asked not to, and advancing on her when she says no. He basically coerced her into working with him/living with him through the job. He’s the kind of alpha-hole I don't care for. And when the heroine can’t match him, something else has got to make me want to continue reading .. This isn’t the set up for a romance to me, it’s the set up of a horror novel. For me, this isn’t take-charge alpha sexiness, it’s manipulative.

At the point the heroine called herself worse than groupies: an idiot, tease, and a prude, I’m done. I was going to attempt to finish, but a weak heroine vs a manipulative alpha hole isn’t one of the things I’m willing to tolerate. I’ll save my rockstar fix for heroines able to handle them.

<i> Thanks to Netgalley/the publisher for the copy of this book. </i>

DNF@47%

Rock King is the first book by Tara Leigh that I have tried to read but unfortunately I just couldn't get through it. Let me start by saying that I appreciate all authors. The time and effort it takes to write a book and the anxiety of putting ones words out there hoping that who ever reads it loves it. I decided to try this book because I love Rock Stars and I always love the fake girlfriend story line. So my first problem with the book was I didn't like Shane or Delaney. They both annoyed me and their emotion changes were giving me whiplash. I think my biggest issue was that the writing didn't work for me at all. It failed to draw me in and left me not caring about either the H or h. There was so much repetition and constant references to secrets that I lost any desire to continue. This is basically my opinion and I hope whoever gives it a try enjoys it more that I did.

Bad boy rock star, my interest piqued.

Tara Leigh is a new to me author and after reading this, trust me when I say I’m off to search out other titles by her !

Nothing but Troubles front man Shane Hawthorne, needs a charade a creation to be left alone, but what he doesn’t realise is that The girl he finds so interesting is the girl that he needs and not just as the charade !

Delaney, is lost and trying to find herself in life after leaving behind all she new, Travis gives her a chance to make her life a little bit easier and be able to breathe a little more ! Promises made and life signed away ! She falls into step with Shane as he becomes the air she needs to breath !

Secrets and lies, press and fall outs along the way leave this book with enough against and emotional turmoil, amongst the explosive sex. Can Delaney and Shane ride the storm and stay strong in the face of adversary !

Once the closing sentence came into view I was disappointed to reach the end but was pleased to see that Landon and Piper where the focus of the next book ! Landon intrigued me throughout this book ! And now I can’t wait to read about the bad boy drummer !

Overall this book was a great and easy read !

4 Stars

Donna
4TLOReading

Undeniable connection. Unspeakable truths. Unbreakable love.

This was my first book by this author and it was heartfelt and completely drew me in. I loved the complex layers of the characters and the storyline intrigued me. From the very first page, I was wanting more to the point of staying up until 1 in the morning reading this heart-stopping book.

Both characters had a tragic past so similar I just prayed they would be able to heal each other. To want each other enough to love each other forever. To stay. There were also your not-so-typical road blocks that gave me that angsty goodness. While both Shane and Delaney felt a little lost and unlovable, there was a pull that even they couldn’t deny.

I thought this book was very well written and I am now completely hooked on this author! I cannot wait to read Rock Legend!

~WRITING - PLOT - PACE~
So color me surprised because I really enjoyed this book A LOT. I'll be honest, I usually avoid rock star books like the plague. They all tend to have the same cliché plots complete with OTT other women drama, groupies, and/or cheating. Thankfully, this one was a bit different. I was also impressed by how well written it was. The pace was fairly good. I think maybe it was a tad too long as some parts dragged a bit but not enough for me to lose interest in the story. The plot was quite engaging as well. Last, it was all wrapped up in an OK ending. I think Delaney should have made Shane grovel A LOT more than she did (or at all) because he pulled a righteous a$$hole move at the end that cost him some points in my eyes.


~HERO~
SHANE...I liked him a lot. I liked that he was slightly different from the usual cliché rock star hero. Oh, he was still an uber manwhore in his past and I could have done with a little less bringing up of that fact throughout the book. But when he hired a fake girlfriend, he was monogamous while they were together. He was just a really sympathetic character. His past was tragic, and I just wanted to give the guy a hug. He pretty much fell for Delaney from the minute he meets her. That said like I mentioned above he lost some love in my eyes with the incredibly douchey move he pulled at the end.


~HEROINE~
DELANEY...I liked her character a lot as well. Although I do wish she would have had more than one bad sexual experience before Shane. I am really tired of the uber whore being paired with an (almost) virgin. Delaney also has a tragic past that will break your heart. But she was a strong heroine who stood by Shane's side through everything.

~SECONDARY CHARACTERS~
There were quite a few secondary characters in this one. From Shane's manager Travis, and his brother Gavin (who I hope gets a book of his own) to Piper a friend of Delaney's that works for Travis. And of course Shane's bandmates (mostly Landon). In fact, next up is Piper and Landon's book and as much as I enjoyed this one I have no interest in reading their book AT ALL. Landon's character is pretty much your standard nasty uber manwhore. He grossed me out in this book and the brief look we get at his book (he just finishes up having had sex with two women) at the end of this one sealed the deal for me. I was kind of hoping this author would buck the trend when it comes to rock star books, but alas it seems like maybe this book was just a fluke...sigh.


~HEAT LEVEL~
Medium. This one had some smokin' sex scenes, and the frequency felt organic to the story. Both were tested, and the heroine is on the pill so they don't use condoms.


~ANGST LEVEL~
Medium. Most of the angst in this one comes from this couple's relationship. Their pasts. The secrets they are keeping. The contract. Stuff like that. There isn't any groupie or OW drama or OM drama.


~IN THE END~
Like I said earlier, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. Getting me to read, let alone LIKE a book featuring a rock star is tricky at best. But this author did a good job of avoiding the typical clichés found in this trope. She had two well written and intriguing individuals (along with a well developed plot) whose issues carried the book without adding in a lot of the typical outside drama. So kudos to her for that. Now I only wish she had continued along that line with Landon and Piper's book. C'est la vie. Yours truly is giving this one two solid thumbs up.

From the trashy to the sublime, I love band romances. I would def put Rock King closer to the sublime end. All the invasion of privacy reminds me that I only like reading about it though, not something I would ever want to live.I really enjoyed the characters and the progression of their romance. It was all about Shane and Delaney. We barely got to see the rest of the band. I am super looking forward to next book.

This is my first Tara Leigh book and I am officially a fan!
Ok. Wow. This book… Damn…I really enjoyed reading this one.
I’ll admit that this book was sexy AF..I mean oh my gosh!!! The sexual tension in this book is YUM!!! Hehehe 😈 Shane and Delaney’s chemistry is off the charts!

Shane is the epitome of rocker bad-boy dream! Delaney is a sweetheart with a spunk!

I have a bad habit of getting ‘influenced’ by what I read so, pardon my language but Holy Shit! I loved Rock Star! This book had it all- Angst galore! Rocker galore! This book will keep you at the edge of your seats, it will make you wish you could read faster so that the anticipation won’t kill you yet it will make you wish the book was longer.

Yes, this book is basically everything we want in a rock star romance but beneath it all, it underlines the beauty of forgiveness and second chances.

I’d highly recommend this book ❤

Shane is tired of the sex, drugs, and rock n roll lifestyle. When he goes on tour, he has his agent hire a woman to be his "girlfriend" to keep the groupies away. One look at Delaney and Shane knows that's who he wants for his next "girlfriend". Delaney has reasons of her own for agreeing to the arrangement. They both have something in their past they are tormented by and learning to trust each other is important as their arrangement becomes something more. If you like rock romances, you'll enjoy "Rock King".

This was a really good rock star romance with two characters who couldn't have been more perfect for each other. It took them a while to realize this as they both had baggage that they carried along with them that weighed heavily on their consciences and affected their relationships.

This book brought the heat and the sexy times and had a really good story too. I'm excited to see where this series goes!

Two frauds make an authentic couple in this love story. I loved the backstory on each of these characters and the way their stories were weaved together. Definite good read.

This was everything i'd hoped it would be. I didn't put the book down until i was on the last page. Also, the recommendation of books they gave at the end were good as well. I loved it all.