My Reading Nook

WARNING: This review will have spoilers...don't go any further if you plan to read Phoenix Rockstar and don't want my thoughts to ruin the experience for you.

 

When Phoenix Rockstar starts I was totally taken by Travis and Violet aka Mischief, their sweet childhood friendship told in flashbacks, Travis' four year disappearance and then his moving back home unexpectedly. Honestly, for such a short book, the issues around that would have been plenty enough drama for me. But Vi's daddy, Chief, is the big, bad leader of a motorcycle club...we can't not have some drama with them too, right?! Then Vi has had a life-changing experience with the death of her friend that has created even more drama in her life. As each new thing is introduced, my head was spinning so fast that I could barely keep it all together.

Vi has been through a lot in her 21 years -- a broken home, the love of her life disappeared for years without so much as a goodbye or "see you later, gator," her friend dies in a tragic accident, she was almost beaten to death by said friend's twin brother, she's being targeted for some unknown reason by a rival MC of her dad's.  Now that Travis is home and ready to profess his love for Vi, they start secretly dating.  They know this will not go over well with Big Bad Daddy, Chief. Of course, when Chief finds out, he and his boys beat the stuffing out of Travis like dating/sleeping with Vi was the worst thing he could have EVER done in the world.  Uh, it was no secret Vi's been in love with Travis forever and she's a grown woman now; why the violence, Pops???  OK, maybe there's some MC code that I'm not getting here.  

 

Then things seem like they are going well for Travis and Vi, but he has a secret.  Something happened in that four years we was away. Wait for it...he has a child that he's not mentioned because he knew Vi would throw a fit over it.  He's right; she does! Seriously, was that even necessary with everything else going on in this book?  NO! Then there's a motherfucking cliffhanger...are you fucking kidding me???

 

 

Another issue, my biggest issue, I had with Phoenix Rockstar, is that I couldn't understand why Vi is written to be soooo emotionally stunted and immature, more like a 16 year old than a 20-something. Had this not been the case, I probably would have liked this book even with some of the unnecessary drama; as it were, it did not work for me. AT ALL. I was so happy when Vi's BFF, Reagan, snaps one day and essentially tells her to "grow a pair and grow up!!" because I had been feeling that way for pages and pages of her whining. And I hate when supporting characters enable this idiotic behavior.  

 

 

As I mentioned, there's a cliffhanger ending.  

 

Overall, I wanted to, but I couldn't love this book because there was just too damn much crammed into one rather short tale. The premise, great; the execution, not so much!

 

I did read the next installment, Heart Song because 1) I have a horrible case of FOMO and 2) I'm a glutton for punishment. Heart Song fast forwards 2 years after Vi runs away from Travis and her family in a demonstration of epic immaturity at the end of PR.  It's not worth the time, that it'd take to think about my feelings and review it properly.  I'll tell you that everything resolves...mostly...and Travis and Vi get their HEA and my case of FOMO was appeased. THAT IS ALL.

 

There's more to this series but I won't be hopping on the bandwagon again.