Blurring the Lines and Extras book cover

Blurring the Lines & Extras by Amy Kaybach

Published on 07/15/202403/08/2026 by Charli

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.

This book may contain material that is disturbing to some readers. Please Google for a full list of trigger warnings. Thank you!

This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.

Blurring the Lines by Amy Kaybach
Also by this author: Bridging the Silence, Blending Chords
Series: The Blind Rebels #0.5
Published by Self-Published on July 15, 2024
Genres: Rockstar Romance, Romance
Format: eARC
Source: Author
Amazon
Goodreads

Some day they'll write songs about me...From the outside, the Blind Rebels have it all. They are one of the most popular rock bands in the world. Their albums go platinum. Tickets to their concerts sell out in hours.

Behind the scenes, they are a band hanging on by a thread.

Lead singer Mavrick Slater worries his guitarist and best friend is on a dangerous path to self-destruction.

Guitarist Callum Donogue is tired. Tied of being the one who cares. Tired of the constant touring. Drugs give him an escape.

Becka wants out of her dismal life in Chicago and to have songs written about her. The only way out she sees is on the arm of a rock star. Any rock star will do.

Find out the real story of what happened before the Blind Rebels series.

—

Also included in this book are several extra scenes from the Blind Rebels series.

Blurring the Lines is a novella meant for adult audiences. Content includes strong language, explicit sexual scenes, cheating, mention of drug and alcohol use, mention of overdose leading to death, and other mature situations.

Blurring the Lines & Extras is a prequel novella with some extra tidbits for the Blind Rebels series, all wrapped into one tidy little package. This book does contain spoilers for the Blind Rebels series, so if spoilers bother you, I recommend either reading the series first or stopping after Blurring the Lines and waiting to read the extras until after you’ve finished the Blind Rebels series.

As a huge fan of the Blind Rebels series, I’d often wondered exactly how the events played out that led up to the Rebels’ hiatus. I knew it had to do with Mavrick, Callum, and Mavrick’s fiancee Becka, but I wasn’t sure how it had all played out. Now I know.

I’m going to be honest, I dislike Becka even more now than I did before. While there were times I could relate to her, she really got under my skin most of the time. I had a hard time understanding what Mav saw in her to be honest.

Blurring the Lines was very well written and relieves the itch of wanting to know what happened before the events of Bridging the Silence took place. Now… about those extras!

The extras are the parts that will be spoilers for the Blind Rebels series. Like I said above, if you want to avoid spoilers, I recommend reading the series first or just reading Blurring the Lines and leaving the extras until later. The extras include events from other perspectives, events that don’t actually appear in the books, and in some cases, things that happened after the series was over. You’ll get to see some beloved characters dealing with things in new ways or just dealing with new experiences.

I gave Blurring the Lines & Extras a solid five stars because it perfectly starts off the series and gives so much more to the series! I can’t wait to read the next series.

Finding Harmony by Amy Kaybach

Published on 12/10/202212/31/2024 by Charli

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.

This book may contain material that is disturbing to some readers. Please Google for a full list of trigger warnings. Thank you!

Finding Harmony Series: Blind Rebels #4
Also in this series: Blending Chords, Reviving The Rhythm
Published by Amy Kaybach on 12/09/2022
Genres: Rockstar Romance
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: Author
Amazon
Goodreads

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!

Reviving the Rhythm by Amy Kaybach

Published on 09/16/202212/31/2024 by Charli

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.

This book may contain material that is disturbing to some readers. Please Google for a full list of trigger warnings. Thank you!

This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.

Reviving The Rhythm Series: Blind Rebels #3
Also in this series: Blending Chords, Finding Harmony
Published by Amy Kaybach on 09/16/2022
Genres: Rockstar Romance
Pages: 352
Format: eBook
Source: Author
Amazon
Goodreads

The third book in the Blind Rebels rock star romance series plunges drummer, Sammy, into an abyss of uncertainty after an accident threatens not just his life but the only safe place he has left. Despite the sudden dark storm that assumes control of his existence, a ray of sun peeks into his life from his past that might pull him out of the depths. Will his fears and past mistakes be too much to revive his rhythm?

Experienced paramedic Melody is a strong, confident, take charge woman who’s made it her mission to save lives, but knows from personal experience not all hearts heal, especially one damaged so long ago. Even if the heart beats again, so many things can go wrong and cause past lost love to flatline permanently.

SAMMY

After high school, three things mattered to me: my sister Sevenya, my drum kit, and my surfboard. With Sevenya in the passenger seat, we hightailed it to Los Angeles so I could chase my rock 'n' roll dreams. But I left a part of my heart on the beach.

Just as the Blind Rebels were gaining popularity, I suffered a crushing loss. One I didn’t think I’d ever recover from. I tried running to the ocean for solace, only for an accident to turn it against me.

MELODY

When it comes to relationships, I've learned it's best to keep my distance. Heartache takes many forms, so I've avoided it by perfecting the art of not getting too close. Instead, I focus on my career as a fire paramedic to help others, to make up for the one I couldn't save.

When I saw the surfer go down in the water, my instincts and training kicked in. I never expected that the life I’d be saving off-duty would be that of my high school sweetheart. He broke my heart then. I keep his beating now. Haunted by pains of our pasts, we're left wondering if a second chance is even possible after all these years.

This book is for an adult audience as it contains mature themes. Readers with sensitivity to drug use, alcohol use, cursing, violence of a physical and/or sexual nature being discussed or described may want to take that into consideration before reading this book.

Ok, you all had to know this was coming. I’m part of Amy Kaybach’s ARC Team, so the chances of me not reviewing Blind Rebels book 3 was slim to none. Well, today is this book’s birthday, so here we are – my review of Reviving the Rhythm.

This time we get Sammy’s love story and in this case, it’s a love he had and lost… of his own doing. There are things in this book that hit home for me and it took me a bit longer to read this one than the first two books.

First, let’s look at our characters. Of course, we already know the lovable Sammy. He’s the peacemaker and peacekeeper in the band. He’s a fun-loving guy and he’s great with Gibson. We get to learn Sammy’s backstory and what made him who he is today. We also learn about the tragedies in his life. Those tragedies aren’t entirely his alone – he shares at least one with Killian.

Then we have Melody. Sammy’s long lost love – again, of his own doing. She’s a great character. She’s strong, but also not strong in certain situations. She also has situations in which she reacts like many of us would or do. I really liked her, although I admit, I like Kady and Ari better… again, I love Melody, but I just like Kady and Ari better for some reason.

Next we have Clance and Sofie… they’re a married couple who are friends of Melody’s. Clance is overprotective of Melody and in some cases it is warranted, in others, not so much. Clance features more in the book than Sofie does – but we do see her a fair amount and she’s a good friend to Melody.

Now, let’s look at our plot – this one is full of twists, turns, and near-tragedies. It kept my interest and made me want to read more, as all of Amy’s books have. The only reason I had issues was there are a few things that hit home for me because while my issues aren’t exactly the same, I have some similar problems as characters in the book[mfn]All I will say is one of the characters is Killian and one is Melody[/mfn]. But the plot is amazing in this one and I’m impressed at Amy’s coming up with new ways for her couples to have problems. LOL

The ending was perfect and not perfect as it is kind of a cliffhanger, but not really. It’s a cliffhanger for reasons… but it’s not as far as Sammy and Melody’s story goes. The cliffhanger involves our 4th Blind Rebel, Killian. But I’m not telling you what it is. Suffice it to say, you’ll be chomping at the bit for Killian’s book and the explanation for his part of the ending of Reviving the Rhythm.

I gave this one 5 stars because as always, Amy does an amazing job with the Blind Rebel boys. I highly recommend you give these books a try – start with Bridging the Silences, then go to Blending Chords, then Reviving the Rhythm. I promise you won’t be sorry.

Green space background with green guitar and the words Blending Chords and amy kaybach on the front

Blending Chords by Amy Kaybach

Published on 06/19/202212/31/2024 by Charli1 Comment

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.

Blending Chords by Amy Kaybach
Also by this author: Bridging the Silence, Blurring the Lines
Series: Blind Rebels #2
Also in this series: Reviving The Rhythm, Finding Harmony
Published by Amy Kaybach on 06/24/2022
Genres: Rockstar Romance
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: Author
Amazon
Goodreads

Callum
Guitarist. Rock star. Blind Rebels bandmate. My public persona embodies all of these titles fans have gifted upon me. But none of them matter as much as the role bestowed on me two years ago: father.

My son is my world, yet juggling being a single father with everything else hasn’t been easy. I know I need help, but how can I trust a stranger with the one thing my entire world revolves around?

Arista
I must get out of my sister’s house. As much as I love her, I can’t tolerate her handsy husband. Armed with a degree in early childhood education, I’m determined to find a live-in nanny position that will allow me to truly make a difference in a child’s life with one-on-one interaction.

Being a nanny for Callum Donogue looked like the opportunity of a lifetime. Unfortunately, he seems to resent me being there, spending time with his son. Can we find a way to make this work? Or will our constant clashing prompt him to hang up his guitar and abandon the Blind Rebels mid-tour?

Ok, so again, we all know that I don’t read a ton of romance books. Namely because I usually don’t care much for them. But there are certain types of romance books that I enjoy, and a good rockstar romance is one of them. So of course I was going to read the second book in the Blind Rebels series by Amy Kaybach. After how much I loved the first book, Bridging the Silence? There was no way you’d catch me dead not reading Blending Chords!

Blending Chords is the story of Blind Rebels guitarist Callum Donogue and the woman he hires to be his live-in nanny, Arista. Now before I go any further, I feel like I should post a couple of trigger warnings because, well, they’re there – there are mentions of suicidal thoughts, sexual assault/abuse, death of family members, and kidnapping. If any of these things are trigger points for you, I recommend being very careful while reading this book. Now…

I know I gave this book 5 stars as I did Bridging the Silence. If a book keeps me on my toes and wanting to read more, then it gets 5 stars, especially if it is a romance novel. So let’s get into why I gave it 5 stars, shall we?

Characters

Callum

I’m not going to lie, Callum can be an asshole. I mean, I get where he’s coming from – after all, he has a son[mfn]Gibson[/mfn] to think/worry about, his son’s mother abandoned him and signed her rights to him away just a few days after he was born, and he’s a rock star who has obligations to his band, Blind Rebels. But he can still be a real asshole. At least he knows it and he makes attempts to rectify his mistakes when he’s being an asshole. Of course, there are a couple of parts where you’ll see that his being an asshole is completely justified.

Arista (Ari)

I giggled when I saw her name because I’m old enough to remember the record company called Arista.[mfn]I wonder if they’re still around…[/mfn]. In any case, I like that Ari has issues but does her best not to let them interfere too much with her life. Of course, she still, like any human being, let’s them define her life, but only to a point. Many people in her situation would be far more messed up than she is. She obviously cares about Gibson and about kids in general. She’s an interesting character who has layers.

Viola (Vi)

Although we don’t see a lot of Vi, she’s Ari’s older sister. I won’t give away why she’s important to the story, but I will say that she truly embodies what a sister should be. I really liked her and almost hope we can get a story (even if it’s a novella) about Vi’s life after Blending Chords.

Todd

Vi’s husband. Without giving too much away, I wanted to throttle him from the beginning to the end of the book. Believe me when I say you will too – and if you don’t, um…. yeah… I’m going to just leave that there. Asshole doesn’t begin to describe this person.

Review

This one took me longer to read, but that’s more because I was dealing with my own life issues than because the book wasn’t good enough to keep going on. I actually ended up starting the book on my phone because my Kindle needed to be charged and I wanted to get started on it.

Even when I wasn’t reading it because I couldn’t focus[mfn]Stupid life issues[/mfn], I was thinking about it and wondering how certain things I’d already read would play out.

Amy certainly knows how to write great characters and great plot twists. There was one “plot twist” that involved a mystery character – who I correctly guessed before I found out who it was – but the character was written in a way that you did wonder who it could possibly be.

One of the first plot twists is one that will piss you off – I know it did me. How anyone could do that to Ari is beyond me and although you never do find out for certain who did it… I have a sneaking suspicion I know.

While this book doesn’t have the typical “burned by love” storyline, it does have atypical – because the people who burned them aren’t people they truly loved or even thought they truly loved. This makes it interesting to me because the burned by love trope is usually characterized by the one who is burned having truly loved/adored the person who hurt them. In one of our characters’ case, I want to beat the person who hurt them within an inch of their life.

One thing I like about Blending Chords – while they are meant to be read in order of release, meaning while you really should read Bridging the Silence first, you actually could read Blending Chords first and not be too lost. Sure, there might be a few things mentioned that make you wonder what’s going on, but for the most part, it reads like a stand alone book. Of course, that could be because I did read Bridging the Silence first.

I don’t believe that will be the case with the next book, Reviving the Rhythm[mfn]To be released in September 2022[/mfn], based on the ending of Blending Chords, but we’ll see.

If you love Rockstar Romance or want to get into it, I highly recommend picking up both Bridging the Silence and Blending Chords. You’ll fall in love with these boys in Blind Rebels, I guarantee it.

Blending Chords will be available on Amazon as a Kindle book or in paperback on June 24, 2022. You can also purchase signed paperbacks on Amy’s website.

Author Interview: Amy Kaybach

Published on 05/09/202212/31/2024 by Charli

Photo of author Amy Kaybach — Amy Kaybach

Hi everyone! Today I’m bringing you a very special author interview – Amy Kaybach! Amy and I have been friends for years, bonding over NASCAR (Tony Stewart to be exact) and more recently, our love of books. Amy just released her debut novel, Bridging the Silence (read my review here), in March 2022 and her second book, Blending Chords, will be released on June 24, 2022.

You can find Amy at her website: Amy Kaybach, on Twitter at @AmyKaybach, and on Instagram at @authoramykaybach.

Enjoy my interview with Amy Kaybach.

Do you read reviews of your books? If so, how do you handle bad or good reviews?

Right now, yes. Bridging the Silence is my first book so I do check on my reviews and read them. I want to know if there is something off. Or at least that is the excuse I give myself. So far my reviews have been positive, so I am still waiting for the negative review to come in. I can’t be sure how I’ll react until it happens. I’m not naive – I know it will happen. It’s just a matter of when. Having a little bit of a thick skin from my job will hopefully come in handy. But I can see it possibly coming to a point where I have to stop reading them.

What is the best way you’ve found to market your books?

I’m still a baby author so I’m still learning to walk when it comes to marketing. I’m indie so I don’t have a huge advertising budget or anything like that. I’m mostly focused on trying to get my name out there. I do a lot on Instagram, mostly because that’s my favorite social media app because I’m a visual person and I love photography so I’ve always liked Insta the most even well before I became an author. I will seek out bookstagram accounts and follow them and interact with the account and try to forge a relationship with them. If they seem to like similar books as me or as what I write I will send them a blurb and offer them a comp copy if they are interested. That’s worked well for me a few times. On Facebook I try to interact with other author’s readers groups, and sign up to do parties for their new releases just trying to get eyeballs on my book. Get people to see my name and say, Oh she’s been around a bit, maybe I should check her out. Unfortunately for me- I am not the best at saying “HEY LOOK AT ME” and never have been, so my introversion is not helpful when it comes to marketing. It’s to a point where I am having trouble balancing marketing and writing. I want to push myself and my content out there, but I have all these characters talking to me and wanting me to work on their stories.

Are there any authors that you just didn’t like their work at first, but eventually came to like?

I saved this one for last actually because it’s a hard question for me to answer. I have certain tropes that turn me off of a book as a reader- specifically in the romance genre. Personally I’m not a huge fan of age gap where the MMC is a lot older than the FMC. I’m also not a huge fan of the teacher/student trope either. So when I see or hear that those are the main themes in a book I will usually steer clear. A friend of mine recommended author Carian Cole to me and I balked when I read the description of her book Torn. I almost didn’t read it. And honestly it kind of pushed my boundaries as a reader. A couple of her other books also pushed me when it came to tropes I didn’t usually care for. But she is one of my favorite authors now because she somehow took something that I was opposed to and made me care about the story.

What do you think is the most unethical practice in the publishing industry?

I think the most unethical practices come from vanity publishers or people out there looking to take advantage of authors just starting their publication journey. I’ve been lucky so far but I was paralyzed with fear when it came to getting an editor. The idea of putting my book in the hands of someone who’s meant to basically tell you what’s wrong is scary enough. Editing is hugely expensive and I didn’t want to end up as one of those horror stories that I’d read about in author groups where someone takes their money and doesn’t return the book with edits. Or someone who steals the story to use themselves. I knew I needed editing help. I almost didn’t do developmental editing because it is the most cost prohibitive of the different types of editing. But I was lucky. I ended up choosing a newer editor and her prices were more in my price range. And did I luck out because she is a damn good dev editor. She’s made me a better writer on many fronts and her developmental suggestions have been amazing on all the books she’s worked on. My books are definitely better because of her. Taking advantage of someone’s inexperience is really low I think. Beginning indie authors don’t have a lot of extra money to throw around on finding another editor.

What was your favorite book as a child? Did it influence you to become a writer?

My first favorite book was a Little Golden Book called “The Wait For Me Kitten.” I don’t remember the name of the author. I don’t remember that making me want to be a writer, but I really loved the story and asked to be read it all the time when I was a little kid. I think the first book that I read where I thought, “Hey I might want to be a writer” was in fifth grade. I read The Outsider’s by SE Hinton. I’ve since gone through several paperbacks of that book because I will re-read it often, even still. But when I found out she was sixteen when she wrote the book it made me think, wow, maybe this is something I can do. I was an advanced reader and read well above grade level through most of school. Luckily my parents where of the mind that I should read whatever I wanted to (I was reading Stephen King in junior high) and if I didn’t understand something they’d explain it to me. I definitely think their fostering my love for reading was one of the reasons I’ve become a writer.

Have you gone on any literary pilgrimages? If so, where have you gone?

Well, kind of. I live in Steinbeck country (Monterey County) and have been to or around many of the places where his books took place. I’ve read a lot of his stuff, I even took a class where we just studied different works by John Steinbeck in college. I’ve been to Cannery Row (including Doc Rickett’s Lab or Dora’s), The Pastures of Heaven, etc. But these are all local to me. I would love to go to England one day and see all the lit places there one day.

What is your favorite thing to listen to while you write?

I can’t have silence when I write. I need to listen to something. I find that when I have the TV on as background noise though I get distracted and end up watching TV. So what I listen to depends on the situation. I make playlists for my books on Spotify and listen to those. But sometimes even music is too distracting. If I find I’m too into the music I know I need to change over to background noise. Basically I go to YouTube and search either brown noise or ambient noise and play those in the background as I write. Brown noise is basically just like the sound of a fan or an engine. I have to be careful with the brown noise ones because sometimes they make me sleepy- so I definitely don’t listen to them if it’s late. So instead I’ll do ambient noise videos- I like the library or coffee shop ones the most- but they have to be super soft or my brain will start to eavesdrop on the conversations. I don’t use the ones with rain because they make me have to pee too much. My noise-canceling headphones are my favorite writing accessory besides my laptop. I should probably find a coffee shop and just write there but the problem with that is that I will eavesdrop and not work on the task at hand. (That said eavesdropping is one of the ways I get story ideas- I’ll hear a snippet of someone’s conversation and then my brain will create a story around this little snippet that I’ve heard)

Do you think it helps authors to have a big ego or hurts them?

It’s a delicate balance. You need to have enough of an ego to believe in your writing and know that it’s good enough to put out there. You need to have the belief that you deserve to be out there occupying the space that other authors occupy. But you can cross the line and turn off readers I think. I won’t name any names but I’ve definitely been turned off of an author based on how they treat their fans.

Do you ever have reader’s block or reading slumps? How do you get yourself out of them?

Oh my yes! I get into reading funks- that’s what I call them. Book hangovers are very real for me and usually start the funk. When I finish a really good book or really intense or angsty book I will then make sure that I change tropes and move to something lighter. If I haven’t found anything to read or nothing’s holding my attention I will change genres completely. I find that either of those things will usually snap me out of my funk. But sometimes I will do a reread of a favorite book or series instead. I have some go-to rereads. I find rereading comforting. It’s like visiting with an old friend. I’ve actually been wanting to do a reread of the Cake series but I’m too engrossed in my current read right now to do it. I’m not one of those people who can read multiple books at one time. I like to fully fall into the story and bopping between multiple books becomes more of a distraction for me. I’m jealous of the people who can read multiple books. There are so many books I want to read, but I have to do it one at a time.

Do you read the genre of books you write? Do you read your own books after they’re finished?

Yes- but I don’t read solely that genre. My favorite romances to read tend to be angsty and rockstar romances, but I also read small-town romances and I love a good sunshine/grump trope and throw a mechanic in the mix and I’m in because I also have a thing for cars. But, I also love a good psychological thriller. I like mysteries- I was a huge Sue Grafton fan and was devastated when she died before finishing the alphabet series. Simon Wood is a favorite and he’s written thrillers, mystery, and horror (under Simon Janus). I’ve read a lot of Stephen King. So I don’t just read romance, but I do tend to favor it. And I do tend to favorite a good angsty book whatever genre I’m reading. I want them to really earn that HEA when I’m reading. About my own book, yes I do read them but only because I’ve been needing to pull out teaser quotes for social media marketing. By the time a book has been published I’ve read it so many times through the editing process that my brain is tired of that story and ready to move on to the next.

Bridging the Silence by Amy Kaybach

Published on 03/18/202212/31/2024 by Charli

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.

Bridging the Silence by Amy Kaybach
Also by this author: Blending Chords, Blurring the Lines
Series: Blind Rebles #1
Published by Self-Published on March 18, 2022
Genres: Rockstar Romance
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: Author
Amazon
Goodreads

The first book in the Blind Rebels rock star romance series follows Kady, a broken ex-popstar trying to rebuild her life after suffering a devastating traumatic event and Mav, the charismatic lead singer of world famous Blind Rebels, who has been talked into doing a reunion residency in Las Vegas a year after the band broke up in a very public, very explosive way on stage.

Kady
I was a pop princess. American royalty. Until my ex, armed with a gun, turned my super star existence into a grisly nightmare. Now, living in a prison of self-inflicted silence, I'm battling to break out of my isolation by rediscovering the world from behind a camera lens.

Mavrick
Our band, The Blind Rebels, was globally famous…until our very public implosion. And I know, I share plenty of blame for that after tackling one of my bandmates on stage at Madison Square Gardens. Our label wants us back together. They don’t know our guitarist stole my fiancée and had a child with her.

I didn’t think I could ever trust a woman again…until I met Kady. She’s just as broken as I am, shattered by the heartless actions of another. Can we put our painful, self-doubt aside and learn to trust each other? Or will wounds from the past destroy our chance at true happiness?

This book contains adult themes and may not be for all readers. It is not recommended for audiences who may be sensitive to discussions involving mass shooting, bodily injuries or death, anxiety and panic attacks.

Ok, I know, it’s another romance novel. But here’s the thing – romance novels get me out of reading slumps and it’s not just a romance novel. This is a rockstar romance novel. Now, I know you probably can’t tell from the looks of my blog, but I love rock music and listen to everything from hair metal to death metal, along with some other assorted types of music. So combining rockstars and reading is a sure way to get me to read your romance novel. Now… about that romance novel. 😉

I do want to disclose that I am friends with the author and have been for years – before I even knew she wanted to write a book. That does not in any way color my review of this book – trust me, if I hadn’t liked it, I probably wouldn’t have finished it. Now, on to the actual review.

Bridging the Silence is the first in a four book series about a band called Blind Rebels. This particular book is Mav’s[mfn]The lead singer[/mfn] story. Being a singer myself, the singer is nearly always my favorite member of a band. So far, Mav is my favorite out of Blind Rebels as well – and the band isn’t even real! So that should tell you right off how well Mav is written as a character. Now, about those characters.

Characters

Mav

Mav is the lead singer of Blind Rebels. He and the guitarist for Blind Rebels, Callum, got into a huge fight at Madison Square Garden and the band went on a huge hiatus. Because of that fight, and the reason behind it, Mav is a bit on the jaded side when it comes to both the band and love. He can be your typical rockstar – getting drunk and a bit disorderly. But he’s also not your typical rockstar. I found myself truly enjoying Mav. He was an extremely likeable character, even if he could be a complete jerk at times. But hey, what man can’t be a jerk at times? If you’re familiar with the rock music scene, you’ll love how Mav is written because it’s realistic. Mav doesn’t seem fake and while I was reading, I almost forgot Mav isn’t real!

Kady

I admit, I loved Kady. The former pop-princess who goes through a highly traumatic event and comes out the other side battered and a bit on the broken side. Don’t think Kady is completely broken though – she might have been for a time, but she certainly isn’t that way anymore… even if her best friend wants to keep believing she is. One of the reasons I loved Kady was the fact that she could look back on her former career and realize that wasn’t who she wanted to be – it wasn’t who she really is. Again, Kady is written in such a realistic way, I almost forgot that she isn’t real.

Those are the two main characters, so they’re the ones I’ll focus on for this book.

Review

Now… I managed to read this book in less than 24 hours. I actually stayed up until 6AM to finish the book, even though I probably should have gone to bed. But once I started reading, I couldn’t stop. I had to know what was going to happen next. I had to know how the story was going to play out.

Most romances I’ve read, while great for getting me out of reading slumps because they’re usually just a bunch of meet-cute fluff, don’t provide me with a feeling of needing to know what happens. But Bridging the Silence isn’t just your typical meet-cute fluffy romance book. It is gritty, realistic, and talks about issues that might make some people uncomfortable. This is a romance book that has more substance than most romances I’ve read.

When I read this book, I lost myself in it. I was actually immersed in the music industry world in which the characters live. I felt as though the characters were real people instead of just names and brief personality descriptions. The characters actually stand out and honestly, I found myself thinking more than once I wish they were real so I could meet them – that’s how much I loved them.

The plot for this book is typical romance stuff – at least one of the characters has been burned by love. Both are cautious, although for different reasons. But the manner in which that plot is carried out is far beyond what you get from most books. You don’t just get the “so and so cheated on me”[mfn]Although there is that… trust me[/mfn] trope, you also have someone going through not just an emotionally but physically traumatic event. Usually romances I read only have one of the main characters burned by love but in this story, it’s both of them, in wildly different ways.

It’s really hard not to tell you what happens in the book, but I’m not going to spoil it for you. This was my first and only 5-star rating for a book that wasn’t an audiobook so far in 2022. If you like Rockstar Romance or you’d like to get into Rockstar Romance, I’m telling you, Bridging the Silence is the book you want to pick up.

Bridging the Silence is available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited on March 18, 2022. You can also purchase a signed paperback from Amy’s website.