Louder Than Love by Jessica Topper - Recommended

I rarely write reviews. I may be a writer, but the craft of reviewing is a totally different animal than writing a book. I salute reviewers who can sum up a story in a few succinct words. All I can say is that I loved this book! In the spirit of full disclosure, I will say that I know Jess Topper, but I had not read this book until it finally appeared on my Kindle after pre-ordering it months ago.

Blurb:

In this powerful debut novel, a young librarian grieves the loss of her husband...and discovers a love that defies classification.

It's been over three years since a train accident made a widow of Katrina Lewis, sending her and her young daughter Abbey back to the suburban town of her youth...the only place that still makes sense. Lauder Lake is the perfect place to hide and heal.

Recluse rocker Adrian "Digger" Graves survived the implosion of his music career, but his muse has long lain dormant. Until Kat hires him to play at her library—not on the basis of his hard rock credentials but rather, because of the obscure kids' TV jingle he wrote years ago. In a case of mistaken identity, Adrian stumbles into the lives of Kat and her comically lovable daughter.

Using tattoos as a timeline, Adrian unfurls his life for Kat. But as the courtship intensifies, it's unclear whose past looms larger: the widow's or the rocker's. Will their demons ever rest, or will they break these soul mates apart?

I can't express how much I loved this book. (I'm not a reviewer, remember?) But I can say that the characters were so real I felt like I knew them and their story touched me on a deep level. I loved going along on their journey as they rebuilt their lives and fell in love. Along the way, I was also treated to an intimate view of New York City and a peek at the world of heavy metal rock and roll.

My words don't do this book justice, but believe me when I say, in the words of British rocker Adrian Graves, it's "brilliant." And I recommend this book to anyone who loves emotional romances about second chances.

Here's the link to Louder than Love.

Natasha
Voluptuous - available now
My Royal Masquerade - coming Oct 21st
Playing for Real - coming Feb 4th
www.natashamoore.com