Christie's review: Heartbreaker by Melody Grace

Heartbreaker by Melody Grace Genre: Contemporary Romance Release Date: March 28th

"A must read second chance love story!"

- Claire Contreras, NYT Bestselling Author

 

Synopsis:

They say that time heals a broken heart, but you try moving on when your ex is the most famous man on the planet.

 Every time I walk down the street, there he is on magazine covers and billboards plastered with his gorgeous face: Finn McKay. Now he’s a drop-dead sexy rock star, but when I knew him, he was just the boy from the wrong side of the tracks - and the first guy I ever loved. He broke my heart into a hundred pieces when he skipped town without saying goodbye – but now he’s back. And he wants me. I’m determined not to make the same mistakes twice, but the chemistry with Finn was always way too hot to ignore. He was the guy who had me sneaking out my bedroom window for just one more kiss, and breaking curfew parked by the riverbanks, steaming up his windows in the backseat of his car. The past five years have been good to him, real good, and between his dirty mind and that ‘I know how to make you scream’ smile, he’s breaking through my defenses all over again.

 Maybe one last wild fling for old time’s sake is what I need to finally move on. But what happens when Finn wants more than my body? This time he wants everything.  

Excerpt:

Finn walks me to my front porch. “Listen, Eva, I wanted to say…” He stops there on the dark road, with nothing but the moon to illuminate the shadowed planes of his face. “About what happened, when I left—’

 “Don’t.” I cut him off before he can try to justify what he did. My pride is all I’ve got now, and I can’t bear for him to know how thoroughly he broke my heart. “You don’t need to explain. Ancient history,” I add, with a forced little laugh. “It’s all over now. Thanks for walking me, but I’ve got it from here.”
     I turn to go, but then his hand is on my arm, pulling me back, pressing me hard against a wall of solid muscle.
 “Is that what you really think?” Finn demands, searching my face, just inches between us. There’s something raw in his voice, something wounded and real.
     “I…” I stop, caught in the intensity of his gaze. The feel of his body, the hot whisper of his breath on my skin, it’s overwhelming. And oh, those lips, so close… A hundred volts of electricity race through my numb, tired veins, short-circuiting my brain until I can’t think, can’t breathe. I can only feel him. All of him.
     I fight for air, my blood pounding in my ears. “Finn…” I whisper, pleading, but for what, I don’t know. And then his lips claim mine in an urgent, fevered kiss, and I realize what I’ve been waiting for since the moment he walked through those doors.
     This. Right here.
 Finn kisses me hard, yanking me closer and circling me with those taut, chiseled arms. His mouth is hot against mine, merciless and wild. He eases my lips apart, exploring the wet, hot depths as his tongue slides deeper, demanding. I buckle against him, sensation flooding through me. It’s lightning to dry wood, the sharp spark that roars to wildfire in an instant, the heat surging through my entire body.
 And God, I can’t get enough.
     My hands are in his hair. My body presses close against him, like I could mold myself to his form.     The years melt away, obliterated by the force of our passion, so familiar but still so new. Every touch, every taste feels like a revelation.
 My Finn. Back again.
     He makes a low groan, sliding his hands lower, possessive, to cup my ass and bring me hard against him. Time is lost, gone forever as his lips take possession of me completely, and I match him kiss for kiss. Desire rages to life again, so sharp and craving. It’s like I’ve been sleepwalking for the past five years, and only just come back to life. The world bursts from black and white to glorious, vivid technicolor.
     “Look at me,” he whispers, in a low husky voice that sends molten honey pooling between my thighs. “Look at me, baby.” He tilts my chin up, so I have no choice but to stare into those stormy eyes, the face I’ve imagined so many nights in scenes just like this. He traces my lips with his thumb, and I shudder at the friction. Light-headed, dizzy with desire, I part my lips, ready for another kiss.            Finn’s lips curl in a victorious smile. “Ancient history, huh?” he teases, stepping back. I blink, still reeling as cold air rushes to fill the space his warm body has left behind.
  Wait, what?  

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About Melody Grace

  Melody Grace is the New York Times bestselling author of the Beachwood Bay series. A small-town girl turned SoCal beach lover, after spending her life with her nose in a book, she decided it was time she wrote one herself. She loves steamy romance novels, happily-ever-afters, and lusting after fictional menfolk. She lives in LA with her two kittens, Bucky Barnes and Steve Rogers.

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He was inevitable. My temptation. Half a perfect world that was mine, just for a little while.

This is my second full-length novel by Melody Grace and I'm left wondering why I haven't explored her backlist more. This book had several facets that made it very tempting to me at first glance. Bearded, tatted musician. Second chance trope. An author whom I know from experience writes well-developed characters and heart-pounding passion. I was more than willing to give this one a shot.

While these things made me hopeful of a positive outcome, there's never a guarantee that any particular story will succeed in grabbing your interest. This book was a pleasant surprise that exceeded my expectations. No, it wasn't anything far outside of what I've read before in the rockstar romance sub-genre, but that didn't matter to me in the slightest. The writing was so well executed I was happy to go along for the ride. This book delivered.

Eva and Finn were two unlikely best friends during high school. She was the quiet, shy girl in the drama club and he was the town bad boy. He was the rebellious, mysterious one who everyone gravitated to but no one knew much about. He was an enigma. After a chance meeting, they evolved from friends to much more, but it was a reckless love that was destined to end in heartbreak. Finn brought out the daring side of her, made her shed her insecurities in a blazing, exhilarating rush. But after he was gone, suddenly everything came crashing down around her.



With the loss of that great high, came great lows. And she went seeking that high in other dangerous ways. New York was supposed to be her ticket to chasing her dreams on the stage, but it only brought shame and a retreat to her hometown to live a quiet life.

That peace was shattered when she was confronted with her past. Finn McKay was back in town. While she had come home to lick her wounds, he was back after conquering the music scene. She wanted nothing to do with him despite his appearance in town again. From the first moment Finn and Eva reconnect, you know he's back for more than a little relaxation. His intense interest in her, his need to be around her makes it clear that his feelings haven't dimmed through the years.

The best thing I've ever done and my biggest regret, all wrapped up in one heart-stopping package. Eva.

I really enjoyed his determination to break down her walls. He was persistent, sexy, and very endearing to see how he handled her so gently. But he also knew how to take control and use his dirty talking and lustful looks to remind her of all the thrilling passion they once shared.



This book was incredibly hot, which I think balanced out a lot of the sweetness of the story. It wasn't too cloying or overdone, I think because the characters were so charming and engaging. I never felt disconnected with the story. It set me on a fast-paced and absorbing journey, watching them chase their second chance at love.

Finn's return also caused Eva to look within herself. To stop accepting the mundane existence she retreated into after her dark years. She was stuck, unable to see how she was clinging to the regret and guilt that lingered after the bad choices she made. And could she trust that he was being sincere? If he breezed back out of her life a second time, she doubted she'd be able to pick up the pieces again. He was a whirlwind, exciting and tempestuous. But would he only leave destruction behind?

The second half did slow down somewhat, there was more time spent on her struggle to come to terms with the past and process her decision to move forward with Finn than I would have liked. Did it effect my enjoyment of the story greatly? No. Overall, this book was a solid story that I can see myself reading again. Not too heavy, and perfect when you're in the mood for something light and engrossing with a nice dose of steam. I will definitely be checking out more from this author in the future.

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