Early Review of Rock Courtship (Rock Kiss #1.5) by Nalini Singh (A novella)

Title: Rock Courtship: A Rock Kiss Novella
Series: Rock Kiss
Classification: Adult Fiction
Genre: Erotic Romance/Contemporary
Print Length: 166 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: TKA Distribution (September 30, 2014)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
ASIN: B00MUXSWZA
Author's Website: http://www.nalinisingh.com/
Notes: Was given an eARC loan by the publisher via NetGalley. All quotes are from the e ARC and will need to be checked against final copy. Assume any and all errors in quotes are mine, because they most likely are.


Thea has three very specific rules when it comes to clients...

One: Never sleep with clients.
Two: Never sleep with clients.
Three: (You guessed it.) Never sleep with clients.

It's just not good business especially since rock stars have a reputation for not being the most faithful of bed mates.

David, dubbed the Gentleman of Rock, has been admiring his band's publicists since they first met, but timing is everything and at the time she was engaged to someone else. Now she's free of her fiance and David wants to take his place. He's pretty sure Thea's the one. Instead of being put off by Thea's rejections he feels it's only his timing that's off. Thea's sister, Molly, gives him some advice...

"Write a memo (...) About all the reasons why you'd be perfect together, then e-mail it to her."

While most would jump at the chance to date a rock star, Thea's going to take some convincing and so it begins...

"Introduction: In this memo, I , David Rivera, explain why you, Thea Arsana, should seriously consider entering into a relationship with me..."

This is the second story in the Rock Kiss series and I thought it was absolutely charming. I love how David pursues Thea and tries to convince her to give Them a shot. The messages between the two were cute and had me laughing. I loved how David didn't give up when he could have done so quite easily. One of my complaints is that the story wasn't longer. I would have loved to have seen some of the earlier interactions between David and Thea--even if only in flashbacks. There were hints that these two became fairly good friends prior to David's pursuit, and I would have loved to have seen some examples. I think it would have enhanced the story.

Thea is a smart, strong woman who knows how to take a troubling media situation and spin it into a golden opportunity for her clients. It's why she gets paid the big bucks and why some are intimidated by her. Six months ago, she found her then fiance in a compromising situation with another woman and while she wasn't heartbroken, the situation put her off dating and has kept her from jumping into a new relationship. When David asks her out, one of the hardest things she's ever done was to turn him down. While she is attracted to the smart, witty, and talented man, her rule about getting involved with clients is a sound business practice. I loved seeing David sway Thea into seeing things his way--that they'd be good for each other.

Overall I gave this one 4 1/2 out of 5 roses. I felt it was a great novella and packed a lot into such a short story. I would have loved for this one to have been a full length book. The bump in the road/relationship tester, which all good romances have, could have been a little more incriminating and expanded upon, but with the length constraints of novella, I felt it was fitting. The chemistry between these two was awesome and I really enjoyed the story. Have I mentioned I would have liked this to have been a full blown book? *sigh* On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one earned a SHOWER rating--a cold shower is necessary (need I say more?). Some books should come with a warning - make sure your significant other is handy or your shower is in working order. *grin*

Order of the series: