Author: Morticia Knight
Publisher: Totally Bound
Pages/Word Count: 60 pages
Rating: 4 Stars
Blurb: The chance of a lifetime and the touch of a rock god are offered to music journalist Bryan Gallagher on the same day. Embracing one is easy, but resisting the other is harder than he’d anticipated—especially since Bryan has never been with a man.
It could be his dream assignment. Aubrey King, the legendary god of alternative rock music has requested to meet with journalist and writer Bryan about penning the star’s memoir. Aubrey and his dark, angsty songs are the reason Bryan was inspired to become a leading rock journalist. His obsession for his career has alienated the women in his life, but Bryan doesn’t care. What really matters to him is the music.
Aubrey King has been out of the music scene for almost ten years—ever since his alternative rock band, Falling in Stereo, broke up. Questions about his sexual preferences have always surrounded him, and now that he’s ready to make a solo comeback, he wants to tell his story, his way. He’s followed journalist Bryan Gallagher’s career for a while and believes that Bryan’s obvious passion for music mirrors his own. He loves his writing style, but is also enraptured by the boyishly handsome writer.
Bryan finds pushing his fanboy nervousness aside is difficult when Aubrey finally stands before Brian. He’s amazed at how little Aubrey has changed—his intense gaze, his unique style and his still youthful looks epitomize the star he’s always been. But Aubrey’s vulnerability when he sings and shares the deeply personal lyrics of a new song triggers something in Bryan that he never knew was there. The need to give himself to Aubrey, to let the rock god do to him what he’s never before desired a man to do.
Review: Rockin’ The Alternative is a short story of around 60 pages. I’ll admit that I usually stay away from stories this short because it can be hard to develop a connection with the characters. I did not have that problem with this story though. Bryan immediately jumped off the page as someone I’d be friends with in real life because of our mutual love of music. When he gets the chance to interview one of his idols, he flips between utter fanboy and trying to be professional.
Aubrey King is looking to jump back into the music scene, but it’s been 10 years, and he’s got a little bit of a story to share first. He’s also orchestrated Bryan interviewing him, as he’s followed his writing career for a while. Oh yeah, he’s also very attracted to Bryan even though he’s never met him in person.
This is a story that even though it happens in a very short timeframe, the couple just worked. Between their love of music, their own vulnerabilities, and the attraction that’s almost instantaneous, even though Bryan considers himself straight, they connect and simply work. There is a lot of sexy heat between these two characters; enough that I wished the story had been a full length novel.
Rockin’ The Alternative is a novella you need to give a try because you’ll be surprised how much you like the characters. If you love your rockers, or are a music geek, fanboy, or fangirl, I can’t recommend this story enough.
You can buy Rockin’ the Alternative here:
