I started the Power Station series on a recommendation. Plus, I love a bit of rock star romance.
Book number one is High Strung and tells the story of man whore bassist Dan and down on her luck bartender, want to be Wall Street financial analyst Ashlyn in a very unlikely pairing.
I wasn’t an immediate fan of both of the lead characters at the start. Dan is totally smug and cock sure and Ashlyn a bit of a shrieky loon. Doing really crazy things to begin with – ok she was drunk… But still. It took me a while to warm to them, although the Gephart’s writing was immediately catching. It didn’t take long until I was fully submerged into the story.
Although High Strung is book one in the series, it didn’t feel like book one. It felt like I had missed a couple of books – I even went and double checked the series order. Nothing I hate more than reading a series out of order and I now realise I should have read the Lexi series first. Will I go back and read it retrospectively? Definitely I found Lexi a very, very interesting character and I can’t wait to read more.
After their my initial reservations about Dan and Ash as characters it wasn’t long before I was really enjoying their story. The chemistry smoking, Dan transformed and grew into cute and Ashlyn became a bit less harpy-like. Dan’s growth in the book was the best part, his journey from slut to loved up was great. I also particularly liked the alternating chapter perspectives with one chapter told from Ashlyn’s point of view and the other from Dan’s.
The book was a quick read and I would of liked perhaps a bit more to it. I found the reason they split up towards the end of the book a bit stretched out of proportion. Something you might have had a screaming row about sure, split up and never accepted any future phone calls for? Not really… But every romance needs that shock moment and a least as a rock star romance into didn’t resort to ‘the paparazzi moment’.
A fun, sexy, quick read that was perfect for my holidays. 3.5 Stars.
Book two, Crash Ride, was most definitely better than book one. This time the lead is Ash’s quirky best friend Megs and drummer Troy. I actually didn’t expect it to be better, but Megs is all kinds of funny, confident in her own skin, intelligent with a high flying medical career and really sexy with it too. Plus her dress sense is to die for.
Troy is a nicer guy than Dan, but still with the uber cool rock star edge. Again I loved the alternating chapters from each of their perspectives. It was written in a way that didn’t break up the narrative at all, and just kept those pages turning.
Megs and Troy’s relationship is most definitely a ‘crash ride’ as they desperately try not to have a relationship and fall for each other, worrying that it will mess up their friendship. I loved the fact that Megs was a successful woman in her own right, she didn’t need his money. Also that she had crushed on Troy since his posters adorned her walls in her teens. Crash Ride is hotter (if possible) than High Strung. Off the scale sexy.
The conclusion was fab, unexpected, but I think it enhanced their relationship. Troy going even further up in the imaginary boyfriend scale with his devotion. 4 Stars.
Back Stage, book three is Jace’s story. The last eligible rock star bachelor (the other band members having had their stories told in the Lexi series). This book was actually my least favourite of the three.
I felt like it took quite a while for anything to kind of go anywhere in Jason and Angie’s relationship. I still enjoyed Gephart’s pacy writing style, but I did feel at times that I was (impatiently) waiting for something to happen.
Angie was a real different character to the other women in the series. Kind of edgy and cool, a singer with her piercings and tattoos. I liked the difference, as well as kick-ass attitude, her smart mouth and inventive ways she had at getting back at Jason.
Jason always seemed laid-back and relaxed in the previous books, but we learn that this is not the case and he is one guy with a series amount of baggage. Angie and Jace’s story is a clash of passion and fury as much as love. Don’t get me wrong it was good, but after Crash Ride, it wasn’t as good. I felt like it needed a bit more action, not even that kind of action, to give it the same appeal.
But, as the others did, it had a great ending and a fab sense of family amongst the band members. It was as sexy as hell and an awesome holiday read.
Side note, but I also really enjoyed the band’s anti-drug stance in the novels. It was refreshing to see it portrayed that you don’t have to just accept that part of the rock and roll world. 3.5 Stars.
Overall Verdict
A great three books and a great series. I will most definitely be going to purchase the Lexi series quick smart and reading about the other band members. Super sexy romances for rock star fans. Not quite as good as my favourites – Kylie Scott’s Stage Dive series – but still pretty damn good and also this series is a touch more grown up.
Series Rating: 4 Stars
High Strung / Crash Ride / Back Stage by T. Gephart
(Power Station #1-3)
Contemporary/Rock Star Romance
Smashwords (2014-2015)
Ebook: 250-276 pages
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