Lead

Kylie Scott’s Stage Dive series, is, hands down, my favorite rocker series EVER! It just improves with each novel and the third installment, Lead, completely blew me away. It is an absolutely hilarious and achingly heart wrenching romance and I LOVED every single word of it.

Jimmy Ferris is the resident bad boy of Stage Dive and he has the addictions and out of control behavior to prove it. Having successfully completed another stint in rehab, Jimmy is on his last chance with his fellow band members so when he is in desperate need of yet another sober companion/personal assistant, they decide Lena Morrissey is just the woman for the job. Having recently sworn off men since her luck in the love department is abysmal, Lena pretty much show more gives up her personal life to keep Jimmy out of trouble, but her unexpected attraction to the sexy rocker puts their professional relationship in jeopardy.

Lena is my absolute favorite female character in the Stage Dive series. She is funny, saucy, sassy and she won’t take any crap off anyone. Not even Jimmy. No matter what he throws her way, she sets him straight and tells him like it is, or more importantly, she tells him how it is going to be. Lena’s inner dialogue is full of self-deprecating humor that is laugh out loud funny but it is also very poignant as she realizes that her feelings for Jimmy go beyond attraction. She tries to protect herself from getting hurt, but resisting Jimmy is virtually impossible.

Jimmy is closed off, brooding and so unbelievably vulnerable that it takes your breath away. He is arrogant and demanding, but with Lena pushing him, Jimmy’s rougher edges begin to smooth over. Jimmy reveals little about his demons, but with an incredible amount of patience and understanding, Lena gets him to open up about his dysfunctional past. Jimmy is slow to recognize what he feels for Lena and relationships are so far out of his comfort zone, he is at a loss at what comes next for him and Lena.

The relationship between Lena and Jimmy is slow growing and they form a somewhat uneasy friendship that Jimmy counts on to keep him on an even keel. He does not do well with change, so when Lena admits her growing attraction to him, Jimmy does everything in his power to help her get over him. Hilarity ensues but so does jealousy when Jimmy encourages Lena to get a personal life.

At this point in the story, there is an amazing amount of sexual tension between them, but Jimmy and Lena stubbornly refuse to give in to their desire. When they finally do act on their passion, their sex scenes are explosive, incendiary and scorching hot. Jimmy is no slouch when it comes to sexually satisfying Lena, but there is still room for improvement in his emotional education and just when their relationship should be turning a corner, they find themselves at another impasse.

Lead is incredibly emotional, laugh out loud funny and almost unbearably poignant at times. The characters are vibrantly developed, easy to relate to, and even when behaving badly (cough, Jimmy, cough), it is impossible not to like them. The plot is refreshing unique and watching Jimmy’s transformation from an emotionally distant and troubled rock star into a loving man willing to risk his heart is wildly entertaining and immensely gratifying. Kylie Scott continues to amaze me with this phenomenal series and I can hardly wait to read the next Stage Dive romance where it is finally Ben’s turn to find his happily ever after. show less

Ugh, I have a problem. That problem is Kylie Scott making me stay up all night to finish Lead.

In the prior books, I was almost dreading Jimmy's book, he's presented (at least from my memory) to be a self-indulgent asshat with no redeeming qualities. To be sure, he behaves this way even toward his brother. Indeed, he didn't start off much better in this book, with the obnoxious Mal (yes, yes, super unpopular opinion. I do not find Mal adorable or charming. He's annoying and sophomoric.) seeking her out as a sobriety companion for Jimmy based on her behavior toward her former employer moments before she's fired.

I could not stop reading this book. I said in my updates, I have an oddly soft spot for stories of addicts in recovery, and with show more this told from the heroine's POV exclusively I was concerned it would come off all wrong. Luckily, Lena was exactly the right balance. She wasn't invulnerable, and she was sensitive and empathetic but not ridiculous. She held Jimmy accountable, let him know when she was hurt (both as a friend and employee) and called him on his shit. He did start out a bit of a jerk-or maybe he even stayed one, and Lena was not immune...but it felt real to me.

I'm not into reading about codependent recovery (though I think that's obviously a scale not a binary thing) or man-babies that don't have reasons behind their issues. I felt that this book avoided all those things marvelously. Was Jimmy a jerk, well, yes. What was clever about how Scott created this relationship is that through empathy and understanding and a good dose of accountability, Lena outsmarted him.
She outsmarted him so good.

In fact, during the love declaration, he did not say he loved her, he described, in wonderful detail all his feels and she looked at him like he was an idiot (at least in my head) and said, "You weirdo, that is love." I might be paraphrasing here.

To sum, yes I loved David and his sensitivity in [b:Lick|17983690|Lick (Stage Dive, #1)|Kylie Scott|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1421855031s/17983690.jpg|25216800]. I liked the prior book ok too (Mal's) [b:Play|19095025|Play (Stage Dive, #2)|Kylie Scott|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1393202794s/19095025.jpg|25758268], and maybe this exceeded previously lowered expectations-especially considering this seems to be seen as weaker than the previous books by other readers. I wonder if this left me feeling far more favorable than I would have otherwise, but I thought this book was superbly done. Perhaps it just suited my style perfectly--After all, I'm pretty in love with both characters. Fair warning: very possible you will not enjoy this the way I did because I can see where it would be detested too....but I'll just sit here happily with book hangover. show less

Around this time of year, I don’t have a lot of time to read so I want stuff that I’m going to love. Fortunately, I’ve gotten back into the Stage Dive series which fits that bill perfectly with its combination of rock stars, drama and sassiness. Lead is the third book of the series, but you could read them in any order depending on your taste – insta-marriage, fake girlfriends or a working relationship. Lead is the story of Jimmy Ferris, lead singer of Stage Dive and his sobriety companion/live in assistant Lena. Jimmy has been the more obviously troubled member of the band, with time in rehab after too many drugs and alcohol. Now that Jimmy’s clean, he needs someone to help him stay that way. Nobody has lasted until the band show more lays eyes on Lena, who isn’t afraid of dishing out her own honest observations and laying it on the line.

Where Jimmy goes, Lena now goes. Which means they see each other nearly 24/7 and Lena can’t help but develop a little crush on the singer, particularly after seeing him at his most vulnerable. She knows she will have to leave Jimmy’s employ but Jimmy’s not responsive. Instead, he has a four step plan to destroy Lena’s crush and make her stay. But will it work when two headstrong individuals are determined to get the best for each other?

As this is a romance, you know where this is going. It’s a mighty fun ride following Jimmy and Lena through ice cream sessions, chaperoned dates, time in the studio and down time. Their verbal sparring is witty and sexy – the type not seen since Elizabeth and Darcy. (Actually, just pretend that Darcy is a modern rock star and Elizabeth his assistant and you’ll totally get this book). I loved how Lena was brutally honest with Jimmy, yet didn’t push him over the edge. It brought out some pretty blunt observations from Jimmy, sure, but Lena taught him how to mind his manners and learn to care more. There’s also a more serious side to the book as Lena is drawn into Jimmy’s childhood and the things he’s been hiding from brother (and band mate) Dave for a very long time. It helps to explain why Jimmy has been the way he is over the past two books. Lena has her own family issues which she can’t get over and keeps to herself – it’s when Jimmy takes control in the bluntest (but well meaning) way that things start to progress between the pair.

There’s also the return of my personal favourite band member, drummer Mal. While the story isn’t loaded full of his witticisms (probably because Jimmy would not be impressed with sharing the limelight), there is enough to keep a Mal fan happy with his comments. In fact, it’s really Mal that brought Jimmy and Lena together… (I’m not biased at all). Lead is a bit more serious in tone than Play but Mal helps to lighten the atmosphere and Lena’s observations keep things fun. Jimmy is also unpredictable enough to keep the reader (and Lena wondering). It’s grown up sassy with razor sharp dialogue. I’m looking forward to reading about Ben, who has been a quiet enigma throughout the series very soon.

http://samstillreading.wordpress.com show less

Lead
4 Stars

Following a stint in rehab, Stage Drive's lead singer, Jimmy Ferris, is forced to endure the presence of a sobriety companion to ensure he doesn't relapse. After "encouraging" several others to quit, Jimmy finally finds his match in Lena Morrissey, a no-nonsense personal assistant, who has no qualms about speaking her mind. As these two strong personalities clash, their relationship evolves into more than simple employer-employee. Can Jimmy and Lena overcome the obstacles to their romance?

A significant improvement on the previous installment. Lena and Jimmy's interactions are a hoot and the fact that Lena is no pushover despite her feelings for Jimmy makes her all the more appealing.

While readers are only privy to Lena's show more thoughts, Jimmy is somewhat of an enigma. He has obvious feelings for Lena but keeps pushing her away, and it is only once she is gone that he is able to recognize just how much she means to him.

The secondary cast is great and their support and acceptance of both Jimmy, despite his troubles, and Lena is wonderful. Unlike many reviewers, I am not a fan of Mal as he is just too over the top for me. Nevertheless, he has his moments in this book.

The next book focuses on the bass player, Ben Nicholson, and Anne's (book #2) younger sister, Lizzie Rollins. There are already hints in this book that there is something between them and it will be interesting to see how it plays out. show less

I was all set to give this a 5 star review and add to my favorites. Then, when I got to 60% finished and they still weren't together I got frustrated. I really wanted to read more of them as a couple!! They were funny as shit!! I could not put this down up until that point where I got annoyed that they weren't getting their shit together. Jimmy was such a great, tortured, hot guy!! He was really an interesting character and Lena knew just how to handle him. Still a good book but disappointed it wasn't as great as it could have been.

4.5 stars...
I am not going to pretend like I read the other books in this series. Good thing that these can be read as stand alone books! I am now a huge fan of Kylie's! This book was awesome!

Lena and Jimmy's story isn't typical of a rock star story. This book isn't on the road with groupies. It set in Jimmy's home. Lena is hired to be Jimmy's companion/assistant. What does that mean? Well Jimmy needs help keeping his life on track. He doesn't have the confidence to do it alone. No one in the past has worked out. Enter Lena.

Lena is running from her past. She doesn't know where she is going, but she is trying to run there as fast as she can. She runs straight into the lead singer for Stage Dive. Not a job she would be searching for, but show more the pay is good. How hard can it be to just spend time with someone and keep them on the straight path.

The slow relationship that builds between these two characters is perfect. It's not instant. It takes weeks for them to be comfortable with becoming friends. They know they are attracted to one another, but that isn't what is important.

Kylie does a really great job and building their friendship slowly and then into a relationship, eventually. The chemistry between the characters is well portrayed and believable. I found myself chuckling many times. I even admit I almost cried a couple of times. Almost. Honestly, that is what might have made this a 5 star read for me. Those couple parts where I wanted to cry, I wish I would have. I needed a little more in those scenes to get me to where I desired to be. show less

Lead

The Characters

Lena Morrissey is patient, kind, caring and effing amusing. Ms Scott excels at writing heroines that I love. I so want to hang out with Lena, Anne and Ev.

Jimmy Ferris, ex-addict and all around asshole, except when it comes to Lena. I love that he is able, in the end, to admit his feelings for Lena. He has a lot to overcome but he’s doing it. Day by day, step by step and that is admirable.

The Story

Lena is hired as Jimmy’s “Sobriety Companion”. I don’t think it’s any surprise that Lena falls for Jimmy, I mean he’s like a fallen angel. I was shocked at how long Jimmy had been falling for Lena though. I love the scene when he can finally admit his feelings to not only her but really to himself. His journey is show more quite interesting. I would have loved to be in his head during some of this story.

The Random Thoughts

I’d forgotten how much I love Mal. He’s exhausting but in the best way.

I can’t wait to see what Ben and Lizzy get up to.

4 Stars show less