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Summer nights and star-crossed lovers! From USA Today bestselling author Sarina Bowen.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Once upon a time, he gave me a summer of friendship, followed by one perfect night. We shared a lot during our short time together. But he skipped a few crucial details.<\/p>\n I didn\u2019t know he was a rock star.<\/p>\n I didn\u2019t know his real name.<\/p>\n Neither of us knew I\u2019d get pregnant.<\/p>\n And I sure never expected to see him again.<\/p>\n Five years later, his tour bus pulls up in Nest Lake, Maine. My little world is about to be shattered by loud music and the pounding of my own foolish heart.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Add to your Goodreads TBR<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 4 stars <\/b><\/p>\n A rockstar second-chance-romance that is sweet, sexy, and beautifully romantic!<\/p>\n This is the first book in the Hush Note<\/i> series. Each book will be written by a different author (Devney Perry and Rebecca Yarros write books 2 and 3), and though it\u2019s a great start, I have really mixed feelings about this book. On the surface, I loved it. I love a second chance romance, I love kids in books, and I love reading about rockstars. But this book has one of my huge red flags that I usually avoid wherever possible – the secret baby where the guy has no idea that he\u2019s a father. Ugggghhhhhh, it\u2019s not okay!!! I have<\/i> seen it done well, where I can understand and accept how it came about, this one\u2026 not so much. But it\u2019s Sarina Bowen, and there was no way I wasn\u2019t going to read this book.<\/p>\n Jonah is a rock star who is desperate for some down time. So, he has packed up his tour bus, and his two bandmates, and travelled to the tiny town of Nest Lake in Maine, his favourite place in the world where he once spent an idyllic summer falling in love with a local girl.<\/p>\n Kira is that very local girl who is now living in Boston, but has returned home to visit family, with her five year old daughter in tow. Her past is about to smack her in the face when the boy she loved years ago shows up unexpectedly\u2026 and she\u2019s got a big secret she needs to tell him.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a great set up. Jonah and Kira\u2019s past is revealed as they individually remember their time together. Their friendship came at a time in their lives when they both needed someone, and their final night together is a memory that both of them cherish. Though surprised, they are thrilled to see each other again, and it\u2019s clear that the attraction between them still burns strong. But first Kira needs to come clean, and then they need to figure out what to do going forward.<\/p>\n I could go on an epic rant about this, because it\u2019s something I feel so strongly about. At first, I thought it was going to be okay, because I thought maybe Kira didn\u2019t know who Jonah actually was (he had used a different name when he they originally met). But she knew, and she didn\u2019t tell him. She knew it was wrong, and for \u2018reasons\u2019, she kept it to herself. I could sort of get why she felt like that, but that still doesn\u2019t make it okay. I\u2019ve DNFd books in the past because I have so much anger towards the heroine, it\u2019s just not worth continuing on. The reason I could move past it in this case is because I was already so invested in their reunion, and Jonah seemed to get over it really quickly. He didn\u2019t get nearly as pissed off as I would have expected, and seeing him instantly fall for little Vivi just melted my heart.<\/p>\n He is clearly a more forgiving and understanding soul than I, as he got over everything really easily, and he quickly sets about winning Kira back and creating a life with the family that he has craved. It\u2019s impossible to resist a man who so<\/i> devoted to his girl(s). It\u2019s beautiful to watch, and I admit, I fell completely under Jonah\u2019s spell.<\/p>\n \u201cThere isn\u2019t anyone else I want, sweetness. You <\/i>disarm me, the way nobody else can. I don\u2019t know any way to prove it to you. But it\u2019s true.\u201d His thumb brushed my lip with such tenderness that I almost couldn\u2019t bear it. \u201cBe with me, Kira. In my heart, I really just want you.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n But finding their way forward together as a family is difficult \u2013 especially when you factor in the complication of Jonah\u2019s life as a rockstar. They have some hurdles to cross, and Kira certainly doesn\u2019t make it easy, but Jonah is determined to claim his family, and I loved watching them find their HEA.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re it for me, Kira. No matter where I go, I\u2019ll always come back to you.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n If not for the secret baby (like, if Kira had no idea who Jonah actually was and therefore had no way of tracking him down), then I would have loved this book more than I did. But sadly, it did sour my experience a bit. But it\u2019s still a beautifully written story, with great characters, lots of heart and a gorgeous romance.<\/p>\n And just sayin\u2019, can we please have a book for Kira\u2019s brother, Adam? He\u2019s freaking awesome!<\/p>\n I loved it, just not as much as I could have.<\/p>\n 4 stars.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lies and Lullabies (#1)<\/strong> by Sarina Bowen Rifts and Refrains (#2)<\/strong> by Devney Perry Muses and Melodies (#3)<\/strong> by Rebecca Yarros <\/p>\n <\/p>\n I watched Kira ride off, wondering what the hell had just happened. Sure, she probably guessed that I wrote that song about her. But she\u2019d only heard the first few bars before sprinting away like I was the devil himself.<\/span><\/p>\n Spinning around, I located the lodge\u2019s bike shed. I rolled a bike out and hopped on. The seat was too low for me, so I had to stand up on the pedals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n But no matter. I rode off after Kira, my first time on a real bike in years.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The road curved around to the left, and Kira\u2019s house soon came into view. She was sitting on the front steps. She didn\u2019t look all that surprised to see me biking toward her, but the look of pain on her face was so vivid that I could feel it in my gut. Something was wrong, and I still didn\u2019t know what.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cFeel any better?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n She shook her head, and I thought I saw fear in her eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cKira,\u201d I said softly. \u201cI know you want me to leave you alone right now, but I can\u2019t\u2014our conversation isn\u2019t over. In twenty-four hours I\u2019ll be back on that bus. Honestly, you\u2019re scaring me. When I last saw you, things seemed like they were on the upswing for you. When I said I think about you all the time, I didn\u2019t mean to be a creeper. I meant that I was picturing a happy ever after for you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMama!\u201d a little voice called from beyond the screen door.<\/span><\/p>\n At the sound of it, Kira\u2019s whole body went rigid. And then tears spilled down her cheeks.<\/span><\/p>\n I heard little footsteps pounding onto the screened porch. And then a small set of hands became visible against the door just behind Kira. Quick as a flash, Kira leapt to her feet and spun around, darting through the door. It closed with a bang behind her.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhoa,\u201d a man\u2019s voice said. \u201cDeep breaths, Kiki. What did he say?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The hair stood up on my neck. I dropped the bicycle and covered the distance to the stoop in three paces. Leaping up, I opened the screen door. A little girl stood there, with fair, curly hair and blue-green eyes. I was no good with kids\u2019 ages. She wasn\u2019t an infant, but she wasn\u2019t school-aged either. There was a babyish fullness to her face. She was three? Four? Five? I looked up at Kira.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m so sorry,\u201d she squeaked.<\/span><\/p>\n That\u2019s when I finally understood. And I almost couldn\u2019t draw breath to speak again. \u201cI\u2026 She\u2026 What the fuck, Kira?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a very bad word,\u201d the little girl said, accusation in her voice.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSorry,\u201d I said automatically. I raised my eyes to Kira\u2019s. \u201cYou\u2026 She\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I couldn\u2019t think. There was pressure in my ears, and my pulse was ragged. Dizzy, I thought, absently, putting one hand on the door jamb for support.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBreathe, man,\u201d the guy behind Kira said. He wore a bright pink polo shirt and an expression of concern. \u201cSit down. Seriously, before you crash.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n I bent over and grabbed my knees. \u201cOh my God.\u201d The only thing I could hear was my own ragged breathing and Kira\u2019s choked sobs.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMama!\u201d a little voice said, full of alarm. \u201cDon\u2019t cry!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The scary moment stretched on, until I heard yet another bicycle approaching outside. A moment later, another male voice called out, \u201cKnock-knock!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The pink-polo-shirt guy answered him, his voice full of false cheer. \u201cHi, Luke!\u201d Under his breath he added, \u201cWow. It\u2019s raining men.\u201d Then he scooped the little girl up in his arms, stepped around me, and walked out the screen door. It closed behind him with a bang.<\/span><\/p>\n I just stood there, staring at my shoes, trying to catch my breath. Kira\u2019s shoes moved into my visual field, but I wasn\u2019t ready to talk to her yet. Not until my head could clear. Which would probably be sometime next week.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n We stood here, awkward and quiet for a couple of long minutes. There was some low-key chatter outside, and then I heard the sound of the bicycle departing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The guy in the polo shirt came back inside, alone.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re her brother.\u201d I coughed, trying to reconstruct the world into a rational place.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYup,\u201d the guy said. \u201cUncle Adam.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhere is Vivi?\u201d Kira asked, her voice raw.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cLuke is taking her for a little bike ride. There may be ice cream involved.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cReally, Adam?\u201d Kira moved quickly to peer through the screen. \u201cBut that\u2019s awkward.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOh, honey. We have first class tickets on the HMS Awkward today. And the ship has sailed. Luke even had a pink helmet for her, Kiki. Just go with it, okay? I told him you were having a moment.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n I straightened up. \u201cShe\u2019s having a moment,\u201d I spat out. \u201cIs that what this is?\u201d My pulse was still pounding in my ears, but now from anger instead of shock.<\/span><\/p>\n Kira was as pale as a sheet. \u201cI was going to tell you today.\u201d She pulled a photo out of her pocket. \u201cHere. I was trying to find a way.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n I snatched the picture from her hand. \u201cShe\u2019s, what, four?\u201d The photo shook as I tried to look at it. The little girl smiled up at the camera, a stuffed animal in her hands. It was purple. Somehow this detail made it all the more real. The little girl in the photo was clutching the purple cat I\u2019d won at the fair all those years ago.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Amazon\u00a0\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0Apple\u00a0\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0Kobo\u00a0\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0Nook\u00a0 |\u00a0 Google\u00a0 |\u00a0 Audible Blurb Summer nights and star-crossed lovers! From USA Today bestselling author Sarina Bowen. Once upon a time, he gave me a summer of friendship, followed by one […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":51507,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","yasr_overall_rating":4,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[94,9,24,1036,29],"tags":[59,1192,48,378],"class_list":["post-54749","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rockers","category-romance","category-second-chance-romance","category-single-parent","category-steamy","tag-arc","tag-hush-note","tag-review","tag-sarina-bowen"],"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":false,"span_bottom":false},"number_of_votes":0,"sum_votes":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Lies-Lullabies.jpg?fit=200%2C300&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7gaNL-ef3","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54749","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=54749"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54749\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/51507"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=54749"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=54749"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=54749"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Lies-Lullabies-Teaser-2.jpg?resize=564%2C295&ssl=1\")
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\nReview<\/b><\/h4>\n
Hush Note<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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\nReview<\/a>
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\nExcerpt<\/strong><\/h4>\n
For more great reads, check out our\u00a0Sarina Bowen Author Spotlight<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n