Release Day, Excerpt, and Review: The Duet (Heart #1) by RS Grey

Title: The Duet
Author: R.S. Grey
Release Date: Nov 8, 2014

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.

The Duet will be priced at $2.99 for two days post-release, then the price will bump to $3.99! You can purchase your copy at the retailers listed below today!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes

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.

RS Grey has done it again. The Duet is a a sweet and sexy love story that will draw you in and make you sigh. Brooklyn Heart is one of the biggest names in the music industry, a household celebrity in pop music. She is also an older sister, well dressed lady, and a single woman looking for a end to her long dry spell. Jason Monroe is the big name in folk music, serenading the world with his songs and style, creating his own niche in the music world. When you put two such incredible artists oozing with talent together, you should have incredible music and a wonderful working atmosphere, right? No quite. When Jason and Brooklyn are forced to come together to work on a song that they must write for the Grammy’s, their journey is anything but smooth. Judgements are made, emotions run high, and attractions become distracting. Their chemistry is hot but when their hearts get involved, things get messy and ugly.

This book was so much fun! It was light, sweet, sassy, and I laughed out loud so much. RS Grey wrote some pretty awesome characters and I loved seeing how they interacted with each other. Brooklyn was the happy go lucky pop princess, loving her life, and taking everything as it came. Jason is the brooding, sexy musician who is way too serious and focused on what is happening in his world and nothing else. When you put two such strong personalities together, you are bound to have issues. When Brooklyn and Jason are informed by their record label that they are to work together, the pair, knowing that there is no other choice,  attempt to put pen to paper. They end up working and writing on Jason’s property in Montana, a far cry from LA, but the perfect get away from the hustle and bustle. These two cannot seem to get along even if the world was about to end. There is an obvious chemistry and attraction between them. It causes Brooklyn to be nervous around him and Jason to despise her more. Yet as working musical professionals, they attempt to put their differences and frustrations aside to write a song together. The constant push and pull of their frustration was so well written. You become exasperated and cannot help but roll your eyes at their annoyance with each other. They judge each other based on what they assume is going on and never the cold hard facts. When they give into their chemical reaction and decide to have sex to help the music flow, you know that things are about to get crazy.

These two characters were so wonderfully written. They came from two seemingly different worlds yet had so much in common. Their chemistry was sizzling and their banter was spot on and hilarious. I loved reading the book with Brooklyn’s internal dialogue. Her humor and sense of purpose added a level of story-telling that made this book even better. The sweet moments were adorable and the sexy moments were hot. Both Brooklyn and Jason had such deep, heartfelt stories in their past that defined who they are and how they reacted to things. It was so fun to watch them fall in love and never suspect that it was happening. I would love to see this story on the movie screen. While reading The Duet, it plays like a fun indie romantic comedy I would see at a movie festival, which made me love it even more!

If you are looking for a cheeky romantic comedy, then look no further. The Duet is a story filled with passion, music, lust, and laughter. You will not want to miss Brooklyn and Jason’s story! RS Grey has written another hit and continues to claim a special place in my heart with her writing and characters.

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.

Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads

Review Tour: Made in Nashville by Mandy Baggot

Made in Nashville 

by Mandy Baggot 
Published by: Harper Impulse
Publication date: February 6th 2014
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

An on-stage attack left Honor Blackwood with more scars than just the one on her face. It’s been ten years since she left her spot as Nashville’s brightest country music star. Is now the time to return? And is she brave enough to do it?Country rebel and rock star, Jared ‘Jed’ Marshall is hot property on the Tennessee music scene in more ways than one. He’s wild, he’s sexy and everybody wants a piece of him. But when he sets his sights on Honor, is it pure attraction or just distraction on his mind?Honor’s record label sign the ex-boyfriend that dumped her and suddenly going back to her old life is harder than she thought. Can she get a new contract? Will she get to perform at the Marlon Festival? Or will Dan Steele destroy everything?When a secret from the past becomes public knowledge it’s no longer just about the music. Are all the people in her life lying to her to get what they want? And who is really behind the anonymous gifts she keeps getting sent?Join the country scene to find out!

Made in Nashville is available today!
You can purchase your copy at any of the retailers listed below.

Amazon    Barnes & Noble

Made in Nashville is a story about second chances and having the courage to take those chances when they present themselves. Mandy Baggot shares with us a story of love, loss, life, and redemption. Made in Nashville starts by introducing us to Honor Blackwood. The story begins with her last day on stage ten years ago when she was brutally attacked by a stalker fan, an act that left her scared both emotionally and physically. Ten years later she is living under the radar, working at a music store with her best friend and putting one foot in front of the other. She is debating on returning to the music scene with her record label but is hesitant due to the fears and insecurities that have been building since the attack. Then a man enters her life. Jared Marshall is like a twister of attitude, emotions, soulful singing and lust. He comes barreling into Honor’s life, causing her carefully constructed plans to fly out the window. Together they embark on both a professional and personal relationship, one that allows both Honor and Jared to heal and face their demons.

Mandy Baggot’s story takes the reader deep into the South and the hustling scene of the Country music world. Being from Oklahoma, it was like stepping into a familiar world. It made me smile when they talked about country favorites and reference different artists throughout the story, how the artists and characters embraced their roots in such a real and honest way. When the story begins, you feel a connection with Honor as we see the attack and the aftermath of the event. Still ten years later she is trying to get over her fears and move on with her life. She has never set foot on stage or been in the lime light since everything happened. When her label wants to do a greatest hits album, she decides to take the challenge and add a few more new songs to the mix. I enjoyed reading about this side of the music industry. This book gives you a glimpse into the working of record labels, something I knew very little about. It displays how new artists are discovered, the stipulations on singers and the stress they entail from the reigning business looming over them. We see both the positive and the negative. It was an interesting world to explore and I loved seeing how things worked.

Honor and Jared seemed to be the perfect country music couple, truly written for each other. Their chemistry is well written and developed. They both carry around emotional baggage and scars from their past, yet they choose to preserve and continue on in their life. Watching them fall in love was a journey filled with moments of sweet gestures and moments filled with passion. Their connection is deep and it is portrayed through both their romantic relationship and their professional singing relationship. They inspire each other and cause creativity to flow in the music. As they grow closer and deeper, their pasts come back with a vengeance and create heartache and drama that cannot be ignored. I was surprised and happy to see that the twists in the story were well written and I didn’t see them coming until it was all happening.

This contemporary romance about two musicians was such a great read! I enjoyed the characters, their personalities and relationships, as well as the storyline and country music themes. It made me want to throw on my favorite flannel and rock out to some Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood, and Lady Antebellum! This story was the right amount of romance, drama, and emotion to create a story that I enjoyed every minute of! Make sure to check out Made in Nashville by Mandy Baggot today!

Mandy Baggot is an award-winning romantic fiction author, writing hot heroes and emotional reads. Represented by Kate Nash of the Kate Nash Literary Agency she is also a contributor to writing blogs, magazines and short story anthologies and regularly takes part in fiction festivals and literary events.Mandy loves mashed potato, white wine, country music, Corfu, shoes and handbags. She has appeared on ITV1’s Who Dares Sings and auditioned for The X-Factor.Mandy is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and lives near Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK with her husband, two daughters and cats, Kravitz and Springsteen.

To see more of what Mandy is up to, check out her social media sites listed below. 

Website   Goodreads   Facebook   Twitter