One of the things I really hate about reading rock star romances is the high likelihood that other women are going to be called whores. Marie Lipscomb has written a whole 4 book series with a rock band in which not a single character is denigrated for their sex life. There are no evil other women. The fans are not groupies. It’s so nice. This is also a series that starts well and gets better as it goes on.
Rhythm – Beth rents a mountain cabin for a week of quiet to paint. Finn escapes to his grandmother’s mountain cabin so that he can play his drums as loudly as he wants without disturbing the neighbors. Naturally, it’s the same cabin – she has the upstairs and he has the downstairs. Their conflicting needs lead to clashes. Circumstances force them to co-exist and hostility turns to lust.
Strings – As Vixen’s Wail gets ready to break out on a larger stage, they are looking for a second vocalist to harmonize with the lead singer on some new material. The wedding band that Étienne fronted has just dissolved. When he meets Finn at Finn and Beth’s wedding, they bond and he is invited to audition. Étienne also meets Jordan, not knowing she’s the Vixen’s Wail cellist. Their attraction is instant, but Étienne turns down her offer of a one night stand. Previous experience makes Jordan warry of a relationship with a band member.
I liked a lot about the books. I love that there’s a sense that, physically, these are very normal people. They are gorgeous in their own very human ways with curving bellys and thick thighs. They are talented artists, but entirely relatable humans. Lipscomb mostly handles her characters with empathy and care, which made for a soothing, soft read. As much as I enjoyed the first two books in the series, I didn’t love the big misunderstandings that led to the 3rd act breakups. The misunderstanding in Strings strained my credulity a lot. I understood that Jordan was responding to past trauma, I was less clear about why the rest of the band just went along without a conversation. So I was somewhat apprehensive about picking up books 3 and 4.
Amped – There are a few major stories happening in Amped. Liz, the Vixen’s keyboardist is ready to pursue a new career, but she doesn’t want to hurt her friends by telling them that she’s tired of being in the band. Jones, a roadie, is in a lot of pain and afraid that he won’t be able to keep working, but he can’t afford to quit and thinks he has no skills beyond physical labor. The relationship they form supports them each as they make major life changes, but doesn’t solve the individual problems they face. Jones is also hobbled by the abuse he suffered as a child. There is no Big Misunderstanding, just decisions about how vulnerable to be and what path to take.
Encore – (Spoiler alert) With Liz having left Vixen’s Wail to pursue her own dreams, the band needs a new keyboard player. Their potential new backer, Armand, suggests they contact his former piano student, Elise. Elise gave up lessons with Armand after he prevented her from making a pass at him. He was her teacher, too old for her, and in a relationship with someone else. Elise is in a thankless job with a boss who thinks she should be available 24/7. Elise feels guilty about her “little rock band” and then she feels guilty about the renewed attraction to Armand. This time it’s mutual and they are both single. Again, there is no Big Misunderstanding, but there is some nice praise kink and conversation about power imbalance.
This is a really nice series that focuses more on rehearsal and band meetings than performance. Vixen’s Wail is mostly women, has been working hard for a decade, and is on the verge of a major break out. Unlike most rock star romances, they aren’t the biggest band on the planet and while there is some drinking, no major drug or alcohol story lines. The fans aren’t really a big part of the plots, so it makes for a refreshing absence of groupies being used interchangeably and no one seems like they aren’t like the other ‘hos. In other words, the internalized misogyny did not slap me in the face. The books are high heat though. It’s nice to have lots of sex and no accusations of whoring (sex work is work). It’s apparent in Rhythm that Marie Lipscomb knows what she’s doing when it comes to writing. When I reread the first two books for this review and then Amped and Encore, I could see that she’s become a more comfortable and confident writer. These are fairly short books, so perfect for when you need a stress break binge. I’m fairly certain that she’s set up book 5, so I’m looking forward to that too.
I am now on the author’s arc list, but that has not impacted my review. You will be getting a review of Plowed, an erotic Santa romance, soon.