While there was no doubt I enjoyed Playing The Pauses, I’ll admit that this book wore on me a bit. I felt like the hero and heroine kept having the same argument over and over and never really communicating to one another what they really wanted from each other. At times I got frustrated with them, but then something great would happen and I’d get sucked back in and keep going. I’m not a lover of angst, and while the first book in this series had a bit, this book had loads making it a bit more difficult for me to love. The one thing that made me keep reading this book is the characters, all of them from the hero and heroine to all the secondary characters, their varied personalities made it hard to walk away from this book.

Kate Madsen is a tour manager who picks up The Red Letters tour when their tour manager is hospitalized. She knows she has an uphill battle with this “baby band” but she will give it her all because that’s what she’s paid to do. She just doesn’t expect the impact that the band’s bassist, Danny O’Neil, has on her.

Here’s the thing, I think Kate and Danny were very good for one another and brought out the best in each other. I especially loved that Kate was not a bit jealous of Danny’s close relationship with his band mate and best friend Jera and in fact understood that their relationship was a special kind of friendship. What seemed off or just flat out didn’t work was Danny’s whole BDSM sex club performer side that worked for Kate, but didn’t seem to work for Danny. That whole part of the storyline just seemed out of place and I felt like Danny’s issue was never really resolved. And it’s not because I have issues with the BDSM lifestyle, not by any stretch of the imagination, it just seemed to me that this part of the story was contrived. However, while I was disappointed in that part of the story I still enjoyed watching Kate and Danny discover one another, enjoy each other’s company, and fall in love.

While I didn’t enjoy Playing The Pauses as much as I did A Cruel Kind of Beautiful, I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. Next up is Jax, and I have to say I’m a wee bit apprehensive about what’s to come.

This is the second book in the series and really should be read in order. I really enjoyed the first book and could not wait to read Danny's book and what a good book it was. Kate is the band's new tour manager and is hoping that doing a good job will lead to bigger and better things for her career, The chemistry between Kate and Danny was really hot and they start seeing each other in secret but he wants more can he convince her that he may be the Dom for her if you enjoy really hot BDSM scenes in your books then you will enjoy this one.

Rock and Roll and BDSM are stars in Playing the Pauses. I didnt realize this was the second book in a series until I had read at least half of it, so I believe I'd say it can stand alone. Michelle Hazen gives readers a fairly balanced book - story/character/passion. I appreciated the glimpses into the band's world, they seemed realistic and detailed. Michelle treated the BDSM lifestyle with respect. The story is told from the heroine's perspective, which, while fine, didn't let me connect as well to the hero. He is the one exploring his BDSM tendencies, and I would have liked to have heard his thought process. Most of the sex scenes seemed to move the story along. I found Playing the Pauses entertaining, and I liked it well enough to look into the other books in the series or books by Michelle Hazen.

Who doesn't love a good rock star story?? Although this series is more than that. It's the story of a band and their long history as friends. You don't need to read book 1, but you really would want to. That's Jera and Jacob's story and plays a part in this story. But mostly it's Kate and Danny's story.

Kate is just trying to make it in the tour manager world. She recognizes something in Danny that she has but knows she can't get involved with him because she doesn't want to be the manager who slept her way to the top. Sad but true that even today, that's still a worry.

Danny is sort of at a crossroads. He doesn't know what he wants but he feels there is something in Kate that might be it.

For once, the rockstar isn't the playboy, at least in this story, and I liked that a lot!

I loved Jacob for Jera in the first book, but I’ve always been a sucker for rock stars, with their tattoos decorating every part of their bodies — especially their arms, because as much as I love ink, I love sleeve ink the most — and just the way that they hold their instrument or caress the microphone. I’ve always tended to go more for lead singers (like Jax, but he gets so out of control in this book, and that’s not my speed), but now I think I’ve gained a whole new appreciation for bass players.

And the kink. Danny is a Dominant who’s been out of the game for a couple of years, I believe, and Kate is a submissive who’s been out for longer (if I remember correctly). Both were in the Club scene, but left for different reasons, and have been holding themselves back ever since.

Michelle Hazen has a way with writing these sex scenes that I think are perfect because she doesn’t focus too much on the physical as much as she does with the emotional. A great erotica, for me, is when I can feel what’s happening in these scenes instead of just being told, because I feel like just writing about Part A being inserted into Slot-B is kind of lazy, but there’s no laziness here. It’s clear to me that the author has done enough research to make her story believable, and for that, I’m grateful.

This is the second book in the series that I have read and like the first it's a three star review for me.

I really enjoyed parts of this book; it was incredibly interesting to read about Kate's job and her role in helping the band on their tour. It was something that I hadn't read about in other stories about bands on the road. So this was interesting to read from that perspective.

Some parts of this book just bugged me. The first encounter between Kate and Danny just seemed to come out of no where. I think they needed a few more days together on the road before that happened or at least a few moments where there was an obvious connection between the two. The scene on the patio was just like WTF....it didn't seem to fit with either character but especially Kate.

The focus of the story and the relationship between Danny and Kate was supposed to be about finding out what Danny enjoyed in the bedroom and if BDSM was really for him. However, the author glossed over that issue and the focus became on Kate realizing that she needed a dom even though she thought she didn't. The focus became more on Kate and less on Danny.

Playing the Pauses is your VIP ticket for The Red Letters as they embark on a rock & roll tour of self discovery and adventure. Are you ready for an all-access, exclusive VIP behind the scenes ticket.

Danny O’Neil is the perfect rockstar hero, covered in sexy tattoos, a musical genius with his guitar, he is bold and up until now, stayed mysterious.
Kate Madsen is hired to take care of the band, but when her cravings tempt her into one night of sin, will she give in or play it safe? who will tempt who?

Michelle writes witty dialogue with layers of surprises like a dark chocolate cake. It’s smooth, rich, and every bite entices you for more. Note this story contains elements of BDSM and is for mature readers 18+, and is sure to lead to a one-click for the first installment in this series.

Kate was the new tour manager for the Red Letters - and up and coming band. She had become the new tour manager when the original one ended up in the hospital and at the very last minute and that was hard. She will be whatever she has to be for the next six weeks to pull off a successful tour. Kate is a walking life support system for rock bands. The Red Letters have three musicians in it. One female who was Jera who was on drums and wrote songs , then there was Danny the bassist who could also write songs, and Jax was on guitar and sang vocals and he he also could help write songs.Danny is also a tattoo artist. Concert tours were hell on performers - they got put through the wringer - rocketing from the euphoria of the shows to the boredom of mundane travel. Kate has to now cram months of prep work into eighteen hours before the first show and finds the old manager had went was over a logical budget and changes would have to be made or the tour would end up in deeply in the red by the end of it. Kate had to be the one to fix it and tell the band. Kate is very attracted to Danny but knows he has to be hands off. Jera has a boyfriend at home and the are helping raise his little sister Maya. Kate has morals although she doesn’t apply them to the musicians she works with. Then Danny lets Kate know Jax just quit UPS so he is jonesing for something to organize. Kate’s kryptonite comes in two flavors- the first and most strictly forbidden is musicians and the second is dominant men and Danny is both. Kate swore off musicians two years ago. Kate was still building her career and couldn’t afford an affair with one of the band members that might get messy. Danny told Kate he would take care of his band and she do the paperwork. Then Kate has to tell the band this tours organization was a disaster. Kate says she needs to speak to the band's manager and finds out it is Jera’s father she says she needs hi authorization to make some major changes and explains why. They need to let some people go, add some tour dates, get tour buses and not fly everywhere. They also needed to reduce production they were carrying. Kate told them they could fire her but that wouldn’t change the problem. Kate couldn’t help herself Danny was everything Kate wanted and shouldn’t have. They became lovers but Kate had her rules one was no one was to know about them as she knew what she had to lose.
I loved this book and didn’t want to put it down and didn’t except when I absolutely had to. I loved Danny and Kate together. I loved Jera and Jacob together and how much they loved each other . I also loved Maya. I loved the plot and the pace of this book. I loved how this book showed how very rough touring can really be especially when a band is just taking off. I liked the BDSM aspect as it was done tastefully and was informative about this lifestyle. I could not find anything to criticize and that was great. I loved the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I highly recommend.

*this book was given to me in exchange for an honest review*

3-3.5 stars..
Sex, love, and rock & roll-that sums it up! This is the second book in the series, and unfortunately I haven’t read the first book. Walking into the already established series, I found it to be easy to understand the key players, and didn’t feel lost at all. This could easily be read as a stand-alone.
Kate is a tour manager, and lands the gig of an up and coming band, the Red Letters. She works efficiently, has already started making a name for herself, and quickly makes the needed changes to help boost this newer band. She prides herself on being professional, all the while dealing with a mentally unstable mother. She finds herself instantly drawn to the bass guitarist-the dominance that pours off of him.
Danny always seems to be caring for everyone else, which he’s learned early on that it works best both inside/outside the bedroom. His band is currently on tour, and making it big all thanks to the new tour manager. There’s something about Kate that draws him in, and soon he learns that they share a lot of the same tastes.
As Danny and Kate try to hide their budding relationship, they al hide their true feelings for each other. As the tour nears the end, it also puts their relationship in limbo.
They work week together, and compliment each other well. Very hot scenes! I did struggle with parts of the story dragging on.

Kate is the tour manager for The Red Letters which is a band coming on fast and strong with their very first headlining tour. Danny is the quiet bass player who has taken notice of Kate. I love the touch of a grueling tour amongst the three friends that make the band. Is there any time or place for love when you are pushing so hard to make it to the big times? Even though this was book 2 in this series I didn’t miss a beat but I will definitely go back to check out A Cruel Kind of Beautiful which is book 1 and can’t wait to read Jax’s story in #3. This series has caught me and I really am drawn to all the people in the band and their SO’s.

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

3.5 stars
copy received for honest review
This is book 2 in the series. It can be read as a standalone but book one introduced Danny.
I started off really liking the book and the characters. Kate came off as a really together, confident woman that knew what she wanted. Danny was the quiet but intense bass player/tattoo artist of the band she has to manager through a tour. Somewhere towards the middle Kate became a little less confident. She shot holes in her relationship with Danny without any solid reasons. It got a little tiresome. Danny was struggling with his sexual dominance and Kate did help him with that but she tried to keep it just at sex. I enjoyed some of the funny banter and inner dialogue. The writing was good. The behind the scenes Rock and Roll life was not glamorized. the characters were developed and the story flowed well.

4.5 stars

I do love a good rocker romance and BDSM themed stories are a favorite too, so when I saw the blurb for this book I had to give it a try! Playing the Pauses was a wonderfully unique story from others I have read in either of the tropes thanks to the author's way of blending both worlds.

Kate loves being a tour manager, but as a young woman just breaking into the business she has to work to get every job assignment. She loves the sound of The Red Letters and sees big things in their future, so she jumps at the chance to work with them despite the fact their former tour manager left her a heck of a mess to clean up. Their first meeting in the airport goes about as well as it could, but she didn't expect their bassist Danny to turn out to be her personal form of kryptonite. She has always melted for musicians, particularly one with talented fingers, but when that gorgeous and talented man is also a Dom... well, she is in all sorts of trouble!

Kate swore off Doms two years ago and she has held strong on that ban for good reason. She embraces submitting behind closed doors, but when it comes to real life, the men in her past just couldn't seem to stop trying to control her or make decisions for her there either. She is damn good at her job and she will not give that up for any man, but Danny is going to seriously test her resolve.

Danny can't deny his tendencies, but he has taken a step back from that world in order to try to find himself again. The band is starting to find success and the need for control hasn't disappeared from his life, but behind closed doors he feels a bit lost when it comes to embracing his own kinks rather than just fulfilling the needs of the subs he has been with. After one smokin' hot encounter with Kate, he knows they both feel the connection but he bolts when the intensity leaves them both a little unsettled and fears encroach on the moment.

Kate stands to lose everything she has worked so hard to build if she gets involved with Danny. If word gets out, she will be labeled as anything from a groupie to an untalented opportunist who slept her way into her job. But when Danny lays out his proposal to explore his true interests, she just can't bring herself to say no despite the risks. He ignites a craving in her that she has long tried to deny, but the man himself is just as irresistible with his silent strength and instinctive ability to read her like a book.

I loved that the story focused on the exploration of the relationship between Kate and Danny as well as Kate and the rest of the band who have formed their own family over the years. The concerts and travel were certainly a big part of their life, but the focus wasn't always on their time on stage and the groupies didn't factor into Kate and Danny's relationship in any way. I thought the author did a wonderful job with character development, and she cranked up the angst level in the second half of the book as the looming tour end meant difficult decisions to be made. Does finding love mean that Kate has to give up her hopes and dreams, or can they find a way to compromise?

I loved Jera and Jax, Danny's two other bandmates, and I am really looking forward to diving into Jera's story soon while waiting on Jax's story to come along. If you love either rock star romances or stories that delve into the BDSM world, I definitely recommend Playing the Pauses! It is light enough on the BDSM element that those who don't want to be fully immersed into that world will be able to enjoy the story, and it is a standalone romance that focuses on emotional depth and family while being set in the world of rock stars.

Playing the Pauses was a perfect follow up to A Cruel Kind of Beautiful. A bit of time has passed and now the Red Letters are on the fast train to stardom. Already touring and recording their own music, they are on their way to becoming one of the biggest names in the music scene.

When Kate joins on as Tour Manager, she expects it to go just as every other tour before and arrives with her own preconceived notions about what to expect from Jax, Jera and Danny; however, she quickly learns that this trio is far from any band she’s worked with before and she ends up being drawn to each and every one of their personalities and can resist crossing her line of professionalism and forming friendships with Jera and Jax.

But Danny is a different story. In Playing the Pauses I got to see a whole different side of Danny. I thought I had a grasp on who he was, but I was SO wrong. There was so much more to Danny beneath the surface and Kate, seeing a kindred spirit in Danny, took it upon herself to peel those layers away and get to the core of what made Danny who he was. She took their time together and an opportunity to help him work through the deep rooted need to care for others and never caring for himself. He became a ‘people pleaser’ and, aside from his love of music and tattooing, completely lost sight of what makes him happy - in and out of bed. Katy opened him up to exploring that while allowing him to keep true to who it was. She was familiar with his kink and was willing to do what she could to help him find his way. And together, they were beautiful and sexy and it added so many layers of heat to the story.

just adore the Red Letters band members. Their personalities are so different, yet they share such an incredible friendship that is only strengthened by their love and passion of music. With Jera’s story, it had a bit of comedy...I mean her personality is so playful and laid back, I couldn’t help but giggle often. Danny’s story is a bit more serious and a lot more sexy. I have a feeling that Jax’s book is going to be loaded with emotion. There’s a lot going on with him behind the scenes and I know once I get to know those details, his story is going to break my heart and put it back together again. I can’t wait!

Detailed and well-written, Playing the Pauses on the surface has everything I could want in a rock star novel yet half of the way through, my attention waned mainly because of the pacing and the character of Kate who struck me as the epitome of a waffler.

For me, Kate and Danny never really clicked. From the description, I expected Kate to become Danny's sexual mentor, but that never came about. It was as if the thought had been tossed out there, maybe for titillation, but never came to fruition. There were toys, however. (Take that as you will.)

Playing the Pauses is in the category I affectionately call: your-mileage-may-vary. The novel will work for many, many readers, just, unfortunately, not me.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kate is a driven road manager who is trying to overcome her previous mistakes and be successful in her career. She takes a job going on tour with upcoming band Red Letters and meets bass player Danny who is quiet and intense and seems to be hiding something. Though Kate is trying to avoid making another major mistake she is unable to resist Danny and offers to help him to satisfy his desires to be a Dom.

I loved the push and pull between these two characters as well as the love and BDSM scenes which were tastefully done and very sexy. Danny changed from being the outwardly quiet person to a very passionate and intense dominant and the outgoing super organized Kate enjoyed submitting to him. Everything between them played out against the background of life as a rock band on a tour bus, playing gigs and with Kate's help watching their careers take off. Just loved the descriptions of backstage, on-stage and relating to the fans.

This is my first read from Michelle Hazen and I am thrilled to find another author who can write the rock music genre so well she did an amazing job. This is the second book in the Sex, Love and Rock and Roll Series and I am so looking forward to reading the others.

Intriguing,smoldering, reverting, this book was that and more I read this all in one setting it was everything the characters the development the story had me from page one!! I cannot wait for more of this series!!!

Playing the Pauses is the second book in Michelle Hazen’s Sex, Love, and Rock & Roll series, although it works perfectly fine as a standalone novel. I read it as a standalone novel, and did not lose any of the meaning behind the story. There are scenes, however, that build heavily upon events from the first book – so for a fuller understanding of the side characters and their story, it is best to read the series in order. Not necessary, but advised. Although I understood this one perfectly, I do wish to go back and read A Cruel Kind of Beautiful. I was intrigued by the characters and their story, and I’m interested in finding out more about what happened.

I’ll be completely honest about this one – I’m not entirely sure what rating I wish to give it. There were quite a few points where my brain was screaming out for me to hand out a three-star rating – when I first started this book in particular, I was having issues getting into it and was fearing a low rating – but there was something about this one that had me rounding up to the four-star rating when a large part of me believes I wouldn’t usually round up for this kind of three-point-five-star read.

You see, my feelings towards this one are all over the place. There were certain elements of this story that really sucked me in, whereas other parts of the story I didn’t care much about. There were some parts of the story that felt really well done, whereas other parts of the story seemed to fall a bit flat. There were some parts of the story I really enjoyed, whereas other parts of the story I didn’t care for all that much. It’s one of those books that had a paradoxical effect on me, even between chapters, and yet I still found myself rounding up. Why? Because once I got through my initial trouble with the first few chapters, I found myself addicted and in need of answers.

I love a good rock star romance, and this is a big reason why this one screamed out to me. Add in the BDSM element, and I was a goner. The former part I really enjoyed in this one – it wasn’t quite the usual rock star romance, and I enjoyed the slightly different take. It made things interesting, allowed for plenty of drama. The latter I wasn’t so sure about – I love BDSM stories, and this one was certainly unique, but I wasn’t sucked into this element of the story like I usually am. Sure, there were hot moments – however, it didn’t have my heart beating double time like most BDSM storylines. In fact, it was rather anti-climactic, rather tame, compared to what I am used to. It may just be that – how tame it was compared to my norm – that had me feeling as though I was a step removed, yet such was the case.

The story itself was interesting, though. As I said, it was somewhat different to what we usually get in a rock star romance, and I really appreciated this. The BDSM element was also something unusual, which I found myself intrigued by. I feel as though the speed was a bit out – some parts seemed to be dragged out, whereas other parts seemed to be glossed over – but I loved all that played out. There was plenty of drama for our main characters, and we get to see a lot of issues for the side characters as well. I’m really interested in seeing how the third book plays out, as I’m intrigued as to how the final story will come together for this one (hopefully by the time it is released I will have read book one and will be up to date).

Overall, I wasn’t as crazy about this one as I had hoped to be, but I was sucked into the story. I’m certainly interested in reading more of the author’s work.

"The road, the music...it's where I belong. It fits my body and my brain and all my flaws."

Yeah, it was the guitar on the cover that caught my attention and convinced me to give it a try. I'm seriously addicted to rockstar romance and book covers with guitars on them. You should see my bookshelves. While this is a series, I read Playing the Pauses as a standalone. It was my introduction to Michelle Hazen's writing and I'm glad to have stumbled upon her work.

While I was sometimes frustrated with Kate because I wanted her to quit being so hard-headed, I also connected with her character. I share many of her OCD tendencies and understand her need to fix everything and take care of everyone, except herself. I also appreciate that she's aware of herself, admitting that, "I am the kind of person who needs to be needed..." When she lucks into a job as a replacement tour manager for the up-and-coming band, Red Letters, she's determined to prove herself. It's just the opportunity she needs to move up in the industry. Unfortunately, her predecessor left a mess for her to clean up and she has to lay it out for the band members and hope they will support her plan to dig them out of the mess they didn't even know they were in. What she doesn't expect is to fall for them... all of them.

She's never worked with a band that is so close to each other. They are a true family that loves and supports each other and they make her feel like she's one of them. She longs to let herself be pulled in, but her self-protective instincts keep reminding her that this is a temporary gig and she'll be moving on to another band soon.

All that talking to herself doesn't seem to be working. She knows it's a bad idea to hook up with Danny, the dark, mysterious, beautifully inked bass player that seems to be able to read her mind. He seems to know exactly what she wants and needs without her saying a word. Which is a good thing because she can't bring herself to share that part of herself. But that doesn't stop her from craving it, and him.

The chemistry between Danny & Kate is intense. The author did a great job of making me feel their passion for each other. I was fully onboard the #Kanny fusion and mentally encouraged them to take a chance on a future together. Kate worried that, "I want into his life and I know I can't do that without giving up my own." Surely they can find a way to overcome the many obstacles standing in their way, right?

I really dug the plentiful music industry details in this story. I enjoyed meeting the other band members and got drawn into their lives, wanting to know more. I purchased the first two books in this series and I plan to go back and read them. And I'll most definitely be keeping my eye out for the release of Jax's story. The line forms here...

1/2 Stars!

Kate has been working as a Tour Manager since she was 18 and she has just signed on last minute for the up and coming band "The Red Letters". Instantly she can feel the heat coming off the base player Danny, but all the brooding musician does is growl at her. All it takes is one night on his hotel balcony when there bodies sing to each other and the attraction begins. Danny isn't your normal Dom because all he wants is to give pleasure to woman he is with and not take any pleasure for himself, so he asks Kate to help him.

I just fell in love with these two characters ... all they want to do is help others and put themselves last. You know that they love each other deeply, but with them both being selfless, you begin to wonder if they are ever gonna get to have their happily-ever-after. This is the first book I have read in this series and it was so good that now I will have to go back to the beginning and read about Jera and Jacob. And I can't wait for Jax's book because you just know it's gonna be a good one.

I received an ARC courtesy of Barclay Publicity through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

Playing The Pauses by Michelle Hazen
Sex, Love and Rock & Roll #2

Intriguing, enticing and entertaining – three friends are on tour with their band, road crew and new tour manager. Kate Madsen is brought in at the last minute when the schedule manager needs medical care and is a firecracker with organizational skills the group desperately needs.

Little did the band know that they were given a blessing in Kate who whipped things into shape and made things flow.

Little did Kate know that she would meet a man that would challenge her in more ways than one – a man that might be more than just the bass guitarist for the band.

Little did Danny O’Neill know that Kate would be the woman who would help him rediscover parts of himself and also be the woman he will want to spend his life with.

This is a great story of camaraderie on the road and of friendships closer than family. It is a story of becoming honest with oneself and being willing to be honest with others. It is a romantic story with elements of BDSM that are in keeping with the story being told.

What did I like:
* Danny – what a strong, warm, giving man he is with talents not only on his bass guitar and ability to ink tattoos but in the bedroom, too.
* Kate – he strength of will, organizational skills, willingness to help others and sort out their problems are only the tip of the iceberg for a woman with some conflicts to sort through.
* The way Danny & Kate’s story unfolds
* The trust between Danny & Kate
* The love and friendship between Jera, Jax and Danny
* The feel of what it might be like to live in a tour bus
* Pretty much everything ;)

What I didn’t like?
* That it took Kate so long to get her issues sorted out…

I am hopeful that there will be another book for Jax and am curious how his story will unfold.

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

5 Stars