Fame & Obsession (Lords of Lyre Book 2) by Cora Kenborn

Review by Cattigan

Book Blurb:
An empty house in Hollywood isn’t what Phoebe Ryan envisioned when she said “yes” to a rock star’s proposal…

Phoebe is pregnant and alone in Tinseltown. She had hoped for a fresh start, but instead gets flashing cameras and tabloid gossip while her famous fiancé is on tour. Then the body of a young woman surfaces, bearing the same scars Phoebe has kept hidden for years. Phoebe fears the nightmare she can’t forget has come to collect an overdue debt.

Julian Bale struggles to balance his life as a touring rock star and his new role as a family man…

Everyone wants something from him, but he just wants to go home to the woman he’s fought so hard to keep. When inside information comes to light, threatening his fiancée and unborn child, he’ll do whatever it takes to protect what’s his, even if it costs him everything he’s worked for.

Phoebe and Julian thought they left the drama and danger behind, but they thought wrong…

When the monster from Phoebe’s past claims the most innocent of victims, accusations and grief shred what they’ve fought to build. Some say tragedy can make or break a family, but can Phoebe and Julian unite to fight for what was taken from them, or will fame and secrets ruin everyone?


I had a hard time getting lost in this book at first.  Our heroine Phoebe is pregnant and it seems that her pregnancy hormones are affecting everything, including the story.  This book didn't have  Kenborn's usual style of banter between characters.   Julian and Phoebe's relationship is filled with angst and animosity which confused me since Fame and Obsession ended with them working a lot of their crap out together and now we jump back to square one. 

 

Then BAM! They start acting like the couple I remember from the original book.

 

The suspense and climax had me reading faster and feeling disappointed when it ended.  

 

Parts I loved: Phoebe's colorful cursing at Ryker and the doctor while in labor (this is the Kenborn  styleI know and love!).  I love the made up jumble of obsenities. I also love Cletus the Fetus, the use of the word "snarkism", and our hero and heroine's special line about traffic.  I was also thrilled to see a blurb about the next book in this series and am looking forward to it. Overall though I think I have to give this installment three out of  five cups.

Beautifully Broken by Laura Lee

Review by Cattigan

(ARC book)

I never knew reader/book events existed until I put myself into the middle of Alex Strong's life.  I just bought my books at the store or online and went on my merry way.  Never had I ever followed anyone on social media.  I had no idea what I was missing! You meet authors, pick up their awesome swag, get their autographs, meet cover models... I've become the ultimate fangirl!

At Passion in Portland 2016, I chatted with just about every author and assistant who would listen. I looked at covers, read the backs of books, name dropped other authors, who I worked for, and what other events I had been to.  I hate to admit it but I seriously judge a book by its cover.  I have a thing about covers... I'm trying to change.  It's a 12 step process really.

One author was so nice when I drooled over her covers AND her and her assistant Jamie talked to me.  Complete sentences and a full conversation! Laura Lee's cover for Beautifully Broken fits perfectly with the story.  And what's not to love about her Deal Breakers' cover.  The foot kicked out signifying what I can only imagine as a really deliciously fabulous kiss. <sigh>


Book Blurb:
I KNEW HE WOULD RUIN ME FROM THE MOMENT WE MET.
Everything about the man screamed confidence. Sensuality. Intelligence. Worldliness. But it was how he saved me that ruined me most.

Through him, I learned to end my path of self-destruction. I no longer needed to numb the pain with mindless one-night-stands and drunken blackouts. He made me feel worthy. Treasured. Optimistic about my future.

Here I stand four years later, in a coffee shop a world away, still broken…but beautifully so. My scars no longer hold me back. Instead, they give me strength and enrich my appreciation for the good things in life. I have hopes and dreams…faith that anything is possible. I am no longer the lost little girl fighting for survival. I have direction. I have courage. I am not without possibility.

I’ll always have Gavin to thank for that—Mr. Cooper, I remind myself. That’s who he is to me now: just a former teacher. I know what you’re thinking, but don’t worry. I was eighteen when we first met. Legally, we did nothing wrong. Morally? Well, I guess that depends on how flexible your morals are.

My name is Kat and this is my story.

 

Boy, did I ever need caffeine the morning after reading Beautifully Broken! I started and finished this book in one night…well, early morning. Can 2:53am really be considered night?

Kat has had curveball after curveball thrown at her to where she is beautifully broken. Her focus is to come out ahead of it all. Author Laura Lee’s Kat is a character I had mixed emotions about; loved her, related to her, was puzzled by her, rooted for her.  I was a little nervous at first considering the age difference between our lovers and a few non-truths as to how the story was going to play out.  There are quite a few “awwww” and “I’m so glad that happened” moments. I was really cheering for Kat at the end. The story completely came together really nicely… hence the 2:53 am end time.  I just had to know what happened and needed to read just one more chapter until I got through all of them!