Mike Owens is the devil. Sexy, snarky, and as lowdown as they come, he's one of the world's greatest guitarists and one of Portland's most notorious bad boys.
Jenny Turner is an angel. A preacher's daughter, she's a good girl with a great voice and a dream to hit it big in country music.
When these two opposites meet, the attraction is undeniable, but something's stopping the bad boy from pursuing what he desires most. Can this angel handle the truth behind her devil? Or will his secrets be too Lowdown and Lush?
4 Stars
As the book opens, we find Lush guitarist Mike Owens in a
funk, much like Joss was in book one, A Lush Betrayal. He’s full of
self-loathing and going through the rocker lifestyle motions but not really happy.
Joss, in contrast, is much lighter these days. Having found happiness with Mel,
he becomes a bit of a leader again, though not of the band, which is
still broken up.
Mike is tormenting himself, denying himself of the one woman
who has touched his heart and looks past his rough exterior. Jenny Turner is an up and coming country
singer, managed by Tammy. She’s also a minister’s daughter, raised in Texas ,
far from the rock scene that Mike has known. She really couldn’t be more
opposite than Mike. But after everything in his life he’s been through (you
learn the specifics of this throughout the story) Jenny’s innocence seems to be
what Mike finds attractive.
“I sigh. Poor Michael. No one’s in his corner. And I’m about to become the pawn in their campaign to bring him to heel. I know he’s been a jerk. I know he almost ruined Mel and Joss—and Tammy and Walsh too—but it all ended up fine. Well, almost fine. I guess the band is still broken up, so there is that.” —Jenny
Yes at times, Mike acts like the jerk we’ve seen him be, but
he’s definitely not given a pass. Joss, Mel, and Tammy through the course of
the book make him man-up, straighten up, and get his shit together. I was happy to see his actions never brushed
over. Mike has to work to get himself on track, and his friends give it to him
straight and don’t cut him any slack.
“I hang my head, suddenly understanding what it feels like to be a dog in trouble with its owner.” —Mike
Mike’s character definitely grows and through revelations
from Mike’s past some of his previous actions make more sense. Although Mike learns from his previous missteps and mistakes, what he did to the band
is rightfully not excused, simply explained.
I can’t say I ever really related
with Jenny’s character. (But then I'm neither a country music kind of girl nor from a religious background so it could just be that.) I was mostly neither here nor there about her. I didn't exactly feel the chemistry between
her and Mike like I did Joss and Mel, who remain my Lush couple favorite. I definitely
enjoyed their inclusion in the story.
There’s also bit of a triangle, though nothing of the Walsh/Tammy/Joss
intensity. At the same time the tale is just
as much drama as love story. This is a
story about mending old wounds from the past to move on a better future. It’s a good story that advances the Lush
saga.
The Lush Series
A Lush Triangle (Lush No. .5)
** FREE **
A Lush Betrayal (Lush No. 1)
Selena Laurence is the Barnes and Noble Bestselling author of what she likes to call Edgy Contemporary Romance. Her books have been Amazon Top 10 bestsellers in multiple categories including Multicultural Romance, Hispanic Fiction, Urban Fiction, Military Romance, and Romantic Suspense. Her New Adult romance, Hidden, won the 2014 Reader's Crown Award for Contemporary Romance of the year.Selena lives in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and spends a hell of a lot of time at soccer games, on her laptop, and reading. She requires a Mocha Latte every day to function, keeps a goldendoodle at her feet most of the time, and has more kids than she or Mr. Laurence know what to do with.
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