Source: Author

I received an advance copy of this book from Author to facilitate my review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

You watched him drown himself in women.
You've heard his sarcastic, mean side.
You think you know Killian Donogue, rockstar.

Her ex-husband abused and almost killed her sister to keep his secret.
She blames herself for not recognizing the signs.

He's drawn to her resilience.
She sees the man behind the walls, the one who deems himself unworthy, unloveable.

Can they help each other find the harmony they need to be together forever?

Blurb:

Viola

I should have seen it. I should have realized what my despicable ex was doing. But I was so busy trying to be a mother, father, and provider to my little sister that I missed all the signs.

She's grown into a beautiful, loving woman I couldn't be prouder of. Yet now I’m realizing I’ve put my entire life on hold out of guilt over my former husband’s monstrous ways. Can I let go of the past? Or will I continue to deny myself any sort of future?

Killian

I guess I fit the stereotypical brooding rocker role. But all I've endured since the launch of the Blind Rebels has molded me into who I am. Love. Loss. Success. Soul-crushing truths. It led me to indulge in an endless stream of one-night stands to avoid ever developing feelings for a woman again.

Then Viola walked into my life, just as tragic revelations threatened to destroy me. For her, I suddenly need to right my wrongs and repair the relationships I left in ruins. Can the two of us forgive ourselves enough to find the harmony in a relationship together?

This book is for adult audiences, as it contains mature themes. Readers with sensitivity to descriptions of drug use, overdosing, sibling death as described in the past tense, and/or physical violence being discussed or described may want to take that into consideration before reading this book.

Ok by now we all know I’m a sucker for Amy Kaybach’s books – and this series in particular[mfn]I’ve actually finished an entire series, if you know me, you know that’s a huge deal. I rarely finish a series.[/mfn], so it should come as absolutely no surprise that I loved the book.

Characters

Viola (Vi)

If you’ve read Blending Chords, you’ve met Viola before and you know who she is. If you haven’t read Blending Chords, Viola is Arista’s older sister. Arista is Callum’s wife – please, read Blending Chords for that story. Viola is having a time of it – she made some mistakes[mfn]Don’t we all? And some of us make some doozies…[/mfn] in her past, but most of them weren’t really her fault. I love Viola because in some ways, I’m like her. I don’t have a POS ex-husband, but I do have some pretty crappy ex-boyfriends. And I’m definitely in the “I’m too old for this guy” category because most of the guys I find attractive are younger than me. So I get it. I love her character.

Killian

Ok, I’m gonna come right out and say it – Killian has been my favorite Blind Rebel since Bridging the Silence. Yes, yes I did choose a favorite member of a band that doesn’t actually exist. In fact, if I had to pick a fictional boyfriend from the Blind Rebels series, it’d absolutely be Killian. But I think he’s a much better match for Vi. I get the blaming himself for things that happened in his past – a lot of us do that. Hell, I’ve done that. I also get the feeling like he isn’t meant for love – because I’ve been there too. Killian has always been the most complex character for me and I love it.

Atmosphere

The atmosphere in this book is much the same as the others – it mostly takes place on the beach, in various band members’ houses, etc.. But the non-physical atmosphere – the way the book feels, is much different from the previous books. The atmosphere in this book is, in some places, much heavier. We get to learn more about a character who has been deceased for the entire series, but who we met briefly in Reviving the Rhythm. We finally get to understand why Killian is who he is – and not just from the childhood stories we’ve read about in the previous books. We get the whole story now. It can be heavy at times, it can be dark at times, but it’s a great thing.

Writing

Ok, we should know by now that I love Amy’s writing style[mfn]If you’re one of those people who say you can’t call authors by their first name because you’re not their friend – yes, actually, I am her friend. LOL [/mfn] – after all, I’ve read 4 books by her and rated all of them 5 stars. And no, that’s not just because she’s my friend. A little background – I’m not a romance fan. I like fantasy, mystery, thriller, horror, but not much on the romance front. The fact that I not only read, but loved, all four of Amy’s novels says she has a great writing style that keeps me wanting to read more of her romances. Just saying.

Plot

The plot for this book is complex. You have Killian’s issues, Vi’s issues, and then something else comes up that just blows everything clear out of the water. The plot might hit close to home for some people, especially when things start being revealed, but trust me when I say it’s a good thing. I think you’ll really enjoy this regardless of the heavier, darker parts of the plot.

Intrigue

Most romance books don’t hold a lot of intrigue, but Amy manages to add some even without having the books be romantic thrillers. You’ll want to know what’s going to happen next because you’ll just have that burning need to find out more about what’s going on. You’ll want to know who certain characters are, what roles they play, and more.

Logic

When it comes to logic in books, I always think about how they are ordered. But in this case, some of the plot points just make a lot of sense and are logical to me. Again, I can’t talk about them because I don’t want to spoil the book – and for some people, these plot points may not be logical in their opinion. But for me, I totally get it. Especially Killian’s reaction to some news he gets in the book.

Ending

I love, love, love the ending to this. It left off in a way that you know it’s final – there’s nothing more to tell with these guys. They’ve all found their soulmates and they’re all doing well – both as a band and as people. There is no question that the series is finished – and the ending is extremely satisfying. I do wish we’d gotten one thing though – Killian and Vi’s wedding. But, I can deal without it.

All in all, this was a great way to end the Blind Rebels series and I can’t wait to see what Amy is cooking up for her next release!