Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Pub. Date: November 3, 2015
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: Print ARC
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Blurb:
#1 New York Times bestselling author S.C. Stephens brings us the next book in her Thoughtless series!
The spotlight doesn't only shine. Sometimes it burns.
Being the bad-boy bassist for the world's hottest band has earned Griffin Hancock some perks: a big house, a fast car, and most importantly his incredible wife, Anna. The one thing it hasn't brought him is the spotlight. Anna tells him to be patient, that his talent will win out. But Griffin is through waiting for permission to shine.
Without warning, Griffin makes a shocking decision and takes the gamble of a lifetime. Suddenly he's caught up in a new level of lights, cameras, and chaos. One that pushes his relationship with Anna to its limits. Anna has always found his unpredictable behavior sexy, but lately he's seen an ache in her eyes--and it has his soul in knots. Just as the recognition Griffin seeks is finally within reach, the thing he loves most in life could be slipping through his fingers...
Review:
I never thought I'd see the day where I would sympathize with Griffin. But that quickly ran when I realized that being in his head, we would see a side of him that wasn't pretty. At the beginning, it was the same old Griff, perverted yet charmingly funny. Then, the immaturity and huge ego started coming into play. And sure, at first it was funny because it's Griffin, you can't help but laugh... But the jealousy and the 'poor me' act got old real fast.
I get it, he wants to be out of Kellan's shadow...wants some of the limelight. Wait, not some but he wants to be the limelight; the star. It doesn't happen though because the band doesn't give him the time of day or listen to him when he has ideas. At first I got ticked off with the band for being that way. It seemed wrong to me. But then, I started seeing exactly why they acted the way they did. Griffin, my boy, you have a lot of growing up to do!
Thoughtless has been my favorite book/series since I read it a few years ago. The pain, the anguish, the guilt, and love I felt for those books, well nothing has ever compared. I missed the days when the D-Bags only played in bars. The simplicity they faced. So I guess I have that in common with Griffin. But his life and those in his life treated him the way because he had such little disregard for those around him.
I love Griffin, and while this review may seem like I don't, I do. It's hard seeing him in this kind of light. His selfishness made me want to strangle him. At times I was embarrassed for the way he acted and behaved. It was like he was a damn child. But...damn if I didn't love the way things turned out. Griff CAN be romantic. Upon seeing the icky side of him, we got to see another, completely different Griffin. It was amazing.
If there was one thing I loved about the book was that I laughed, a lot. Being in Griffin's head...well you can only imagine. He's a funny guy and of course still one of my favorite D-Bags, after Kellan of course. Which brings me to reason why I was so upset. I hated that so many people belittled Griffin and made him feel like he wasn't an important part of the band. And yeah, I admit, the band sometimes acted in ways that I didn't approve of. Again, Griffin did put this all upon himself. I still didn't like it.
It was so good being able to see all the D-Bags and the girls. Especially Anna and co. Aka the children. The children were a huge highlight for me - it truly showed what a great person Griffin was even if he couldn't see it himself. I have to admit though, as much as we got of Kellan, it reallllllly made me miss him. So I think I'm going to go back and read Thoughtless, I'm due for my yearly read of it anyways.
Overall, I'm not sure but by the epilogue I think this was out final goodbye with our beloved boys. Nothing makes me more sad... But I truly think you should start at the beginning if you haven't ever read the series. I love S.C. Stephens for creating such a wonderful world. It truly feels like I'm saying so long to my family; my buddies. This will forever be one of my top favorite books to recommend.
*Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
S.C. Stephens Q&A
1. At what age did you discover writing?
It wasn’t until my late twenties that I really had an interest in writing, and then, I could never seem to finish more than a scene or two. It wasn’t until 2009, when I started Thoughtless, that I finally finished a full-length novel.
2. What made you want to pursue it as a career?
Writing was just a hobby for me until Thoughtless and its sequel, Effortless, really began to take off. Even still, I never truly considered writing as a career until I was approached with a book deal. That was when it all started falling into place.
3. What can you tell us about Griffin and Anna, that we won't find in the book? The book doesn’t cover the challenges they overcame early in their relationship—those are touched on in the original Thoughtless trilogy. They both had to let go of their wild pasts to truly embrace a committed relationship.
4. Did you listen to music while writing UNTAMED? If so, what are some of the bands and/or songs on your playlist.
I frequently listen to music when I write, especially when I’m writing about a band. The D-Bag’s sound is a lot like Linkin Park to me, so their music is all over my playlists. For Untamed, Until It’s Gone, A Light That Never Comes and Final Masquerade were on constant repeat.
5. If you were in a rock band, what instrument would you want to play?
I have no musical talent whatsoever, so I would have to do something simple…like a cowbell. And I’d probably mess that up!
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