High Strung THE ROAD TO ROCKTOBERFEST 2024
mm romance
10/27/24
Kindle
174
Amazon
Amazon Link: amazon
Life hasn't always been easy for Luka, but music has gotten him through the hard times. Now his heavy metal cello-rock band, the F-Holes, have scored the gig of a lifetime, launching their first major tour and taking the stage at Rocktoberfest with some of the biggest names in music. But after one of his bandmates has an accident that leaves the future of their tour in doubt, Luka is asked to accept the unacceptable.
Bassist Kit Davies is riding high. His band, Sultana, has just finished a record-setting European tour, and now he has six months off before they are due back in the studio again. Rich and successful, he doesn't have many regrets in his life, but those he does have center around Luka Petrov and the disastrous circumstances under which Luka left Sultana, the band he'd co-founded. Every apology Kit has made to Luka has been met with rejection, but Kit's determined to earn Luka’s forgiveness someday.
When Kit learns the F-Holes' bassist has suffered an injury at the first show of their tour, he pulls strings to be given the position as the fill-in. Unfortunately, Luka seems to view this as a power play rather than a means of atonement. With the F-Holes now poised to make it as big as Sultana, can Kit convince Luka to let go of the past, or will Luka once again walk away from fame rather than forgive Kit for breaking his heart?
Review By Maryann
Member of the Paranormal Romance Guild Review Team
Amazon Link: amazon
The F-Holes have finally made their first headliner gig. Luka Petrov is a genius with writing lyrics and especially playing the electric cello. Kris is the unique, lead singer, Dmitri also plays electric cello, Jett plays bass, and Andre drums. Jo is Kris’s girlfriend and she travels with the band. She the official photographer for the group and catches their candid shots back stage. She has plans to write a book in the next year about F-Holes and it would add to the popularity of the group if it became a best seller.
Luka and his family are estranged. He was considered not to be serious enough about music and was cursed by his mother. On top of that being gay, didn’t agree with his parents. Luka went on to make his own life and he accomplished more than any young man of his age. He’s gone so far as to keep his secret from the F-Holes. His hopes for them was to make it big.
After a performance, Jett being silly with the shower competition, trips over cables back stage. For a bassist a badly sprained wrist and a nasty bump on the head puts him out of commission. The band left Jett behind in Virginia to recuperate. Just when Luka thought F-Holes had made it, he’s disappointed to say the least.
Manager, Greg Allen calls the group into a meeting. He’s kept them moving and on the road to the next gig in Philadelphia. Greg set up a meeting with Carter Morton, the head Artist and Repertoire representative from Headcrash. He had gotten F-Holes their contract with Headcrash. Even though they are all concerned about Jett, Carter has good news. The very popular group Sultana had just finished their European tour and were breaking for six months before they are back in the studio. Kit Davies had stepped up and offered to fill in for Jett. Kit doesn’t want anything out of it, he’s really sincere and want’s to help. All the band members are more than excited to have Kit Davies from the supergroup Sultana.
Luka is by no means happy. Greg and Carter were the only two, besides Kit Davies that knew of his connection with Sultana. Every lyric on Sultana’s first album were Luka’s and yes, he received royalties. He doesn’t want F-Holes to know he used those royalties to get them where they are now. But there’s more to it than that. Luka thought he had buried all the painful and heart breaking memories that came with his time with Sultana and Kit Davies.
What will Luka do? He want’s nothing to do with Kit Davies and it shows. What about Kit? Why is he really willing to give his time to the F-Holes? Is this going to tear the dream of the F-Holes apart and destroy their chance at making it to Rocktoberfest?
Ari McKay brings high anxiety on the “Road to Rocktoberfest 2024” with “High Strung”. It’s a story that’s high on emotions and trying to amend for some misunderstandings that never got resolved. Trying to get back lost time. It’s also about letting go of painful memories and looking to a bright future.
I loved the two main characters Kit and Luka. Luka needed someone like Kit to help him release all the bad memories that he kept bottled-up inside. Kit really worked to make amends. He also did well in not pushing Luka to forgive him. Luka really needed someone like Kit to lean on. They both brought lot’s of different emotions to the story.
There are some very interesting characters in F-Holes: Kris who was special in their own way and band member protected them; and Jo, Kris’s girlfriend, who is disabled.
I highly recommend “High Strung” the story is not only well written but Ari McKay writes some very good lyrics. I shied away from saying to much about this story as there are so many Rocktoberfest books to read. But I really enjoyed “High Strung” and was thoroughly entertained!