Narrated by Sebastian York
Rock is the star nickname for Rowan Kyle AKA RK Saber, a 23-year-old rock star who seems to have disappeared from the public eye. At 18, RK left his home town of Grand Lake, Colorado, after a tragic prom-night car accident that killed his girlfriend, Melissa Vetti. His journey led him to LA, where he formed the band Son of a Jack, which rose to stardom with 5 band members. And now, another tragic car accident has destroyed the band, leaving only Rock and one other member, who is in a coma.
This is more than romantic suspense – it’s part psychological thriller, told from the first person POV of Rock, who suffers blackouts and amnesia after the accident. He’s never gotten over his part in the death of his high school sweetheart, and he has never forgiven her identical twin Melanie for all the cruel tricks she played on him as a child. But why does he wake up in the parking lot of the doctor’s clinic in his home town, not remembering how he got there or what day it is? Why is he wearing rock-climbing gear when he has never even attempted the sport before? And why does he have to stay in his home county under 24 hour surveillance of the local sheriff’s department? When Melanie starts telling him she is really Melissa – that’s when both RK and I started reeling. What happened to his band? And why are his brother and friends acting so odd?
We spend several weeks inside the broken, messed up head of RK, with his random bouts of selective disassociative amnesia – are they brought on by drinking? By confronting his past? I feel chills every time a chapter opens with someone he doesn’t know waking him up, in some location and time he doesn’t recognize, not knowing what to expect! And every time I think I am on solid ground with the direction of the plot, there’s another twist. I can’t really reveal more without spoiling the suspense, although I’m tempted to start it over and listen again for more clues.
Sebastian York delivers another terrific performance, voicing RK’s confusion and emotions right on point. His timing is excellent in building the suspense, without resorting to techniques like increasing speed or over-acting. You feel the pain in RK’s throat while he recuperates from the accident, and York doesn’t even have to pretend to be hoarse. He does a great job of bringing all the characters to life – the Vetti twins, his brother TJ, his band manager Jayce, the therapist Margie. His performance is perfect, so perfect, in fact, that it slipped away as I focused on the suspense and the story.
Like any romantic suspense with death involved, there are some graphic scenes, as RK re-imagines tense moments from the accidents that plague him; some of his memories are suspect, though, and nothing is as it seems to be.
Melinda
Narration: A
Book Content: A
Steam Factor: Glad I had my earbuds in
Violence Rating: Fighting
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Podium Publishing
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but it has a HEA right? Right?
I forgot to respond!! Yes, HEA.