Title: The Duet
Author: R.S. Grey
Release Date: Nov 8, 2014
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Synopsis
When 27-year-old pop sensation Brooklyn Heart steps in front of a microphone, her love songs enchant audiences worldwide. But when it comes to her own love life, the only spell she’s under is a dry one.
So when her label slots her for a Grammy performance with the sexy and soulful Jason Monroe, she can’t help but entertain certain fantasies… those in which her G-string gets more play than her guitars’.
Only one problem. Jason is a lyrical lone wolf that isn’t happy about sharing the stage—nor his ranch — with the sassy singer. But while it may seem like a song entitled ‘Jason Monroe Is an Arrogant Ho’ basically writes itself, their label and their millions of fans are expecting recording gold…
They’re expecting The Duet.
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Review
The only thing Brooklyn Heart and Jason Monroe have in common is the fact that they are both successful singers for the same record label. Apart from that, they couldn’t be more different. So when they’re thrown together to write a duet for an upcoming awards show, let’s just say that their interaction at the start of their time together is extremely awkward and strained. Jason’s behavior is standoffish and distant, and Brooklyn has no idea why he can’t stand her. No matter what she does to try to connect with Jason and work together on their song, he keeps to himself and only beckons her when he wants to write. But as Brooklyn and Jason’s time on his ranch in Montana continues, they start to feel more comfortable towards each other and find a way to form a connection, even if it’s only a physical one. Despite Jason being upfront with Brooklyn and their no strings relationship, though, Brooklyn’s feelings for him only intensify, but when secrets are revealed and lines are crossed, Brooklyn and Jason’s duet might remain unfinished because the best way to write about love is to experience it and that doesn’t seem to be in the cards for either of them.
Because the story is told through Brooklyn’s point of view, readers get to hear the workings of her overactive mind on numerous occasions. Both internally and externally, Brooklyn’s comments are filled with undertones of sarcasm and wit that will have readers snickering as they read. Sometimes, though, I wanted her to shut her mind off and just experience moments for what they are, but R.S. Grey established early on that Brooklyn overthinks everything and also has to give her two cents whether it’s just to herself or to those around her, so it made sense for Brooklyn’s mind to be going nonstop throughout every moment in the text.
Jason, for the most part, is a pretty aloof character. It was hard to get a true grasp on everything that made him tick because we don’t learn a lot about him or experience much of his true personality. Readers experience Jason through Brooklyn’s eyes, so we see him as the asshat she feels he is for a lot of the storyline, which, in a way, makes it difficult to understand why she’s falling for him.
Because The Duet is a romantic comedy, there’s not much angst, just a bit of misunderstanding, which is exactly what I’ve come to expect from a rom-com, and although, I would have liked a bit more character development to truly understand why Jason acts the way that he does, it didn’t deter me from enjoying the book. I loved its light hearted nature that was brought out through Brooklyn’s quirkiness and her close bond with her sister, Cammie, and there were quite a few scenes that had me giggling as I read – one being the bar scene. I also loved how the song lyrics were used to say the things neither Brooklyn nor Jason was able to say to each other; those words allowed them to truly express how they felt without completely putting themselves out there, which was necessary given how much they didn’t talk about their feelings.
R.S. Grey is a gifted writer; she has the ability to tell stories about a multitude of topics, always putting her own spin on what would be rather stereotypical storylines. She’s definitely a writer I always look forward to reading and I can’t wait to see what she has for us next.
A complimentary copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
4 poison apples
Excerpt
The M Lounge was the hippest and most discreet club in LA. If there was any hope of me locking down a one-night stand, M Lounge was the place to go.
“I can’t drink much tonight because I have that meeting with my record label in the morning,” I warned as we passed through the back entrance to the club and headed up a set of stairs that were used exclusively for the VIP level. Fun fact: one time I was going up those stairs when P. Diddy was coming down, and he totally touched my ass. Allegedly.
“Just to clarify: if you’re begging me for tequila shots at midnight, threatening to kill my first born if I don’t give them to you, I should still tell you no?” Cammie asked, just to ensure the boundaries were set. Better safe than sorry.
“That was one time and it was in Cabo,” I protested. “What else are you supposed to do in Cabo other than challenge a mariachi band to a tequila shot contest until the lead singer passes out beside a donkey?”
Cammie held up her hands and started listing off items. “I dunno— enjoy the beach, check out the museums and the culture—”
“That was a rhetorical question,” I interrupted as we made it to the top of the stairs.
As if by magic, the black curtain in front of us swept to the side, opening up an entire room of drunken debauchery before us. In one corner, a celebrity who shall remain nameless (we’ll call her Nennifer Janiston) was sucking face with a sexy man, and across the room two of the funniest women in comedy were doing body shots off of a waiter from the club.
“Welcome to the behind the scenes of Hollywood,” I whispered to Cammie.
Author Information
I am a lover of books, chocolate, reality TV, black labs, and cold weather. Seriously, if I had it my way, I would be curled up on the couch with all of those things… everyday.
I live in Texas where I spend my free time writing and reading. My favorite authors include Mindy Kaling & Jonathan Safran Foer. I’m a comedy geek and love all things “funny”. Women like Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Mindy Kaling are definitely the biggest inspirations for my writing, though I think my work tends to skew a bit smuttier than theirs.
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