Title: Brando
Author: J.D. Hawkins
Genre: Contemporary/Erotic Romance
Release Date: October 26, 2015
Warning: Graphic words/language
Blurb
I know what you want, and I know exactly how to give it to you...
It's why I've got a row of platinum records on my wall and girls lining up for a shot at fame. I'm the best. Now I just need to prove it.
The bet is simple: take a nobody and make her a star. I just didn't bet on HER.
She's not some wannabe, she's the real deal.
But f*ck it, I want her. And I always come out on top.
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Excerpt
I cup her chin and turn her to face me slowly.
“You’re thinking too much. Don’t think.”
A blush creeps across her cheeks and she drops her eyes again. I brush her hair away from her face and let my hand rest on her neck as I slowly move in closer. Her trembling lips steady themselves on mine, softly settling against my mouth. Our breaths mingle, tongues gently tickling at the insides of each other’s lips. I press further, wanting to kiss away all the shakes in her body, to let her thoughts disappear in the heat of our mouths. Her hand presses against my shirt, splayed fingers tentatively tracing the hardness of my chest, before pushing me away from her.
“Brando…” she whispers, her eyes still closed, her mouth still wet. “I think I just need…”
“Tell me what you need,” I coax her.
“I need…” She opens her eyes, and I already know what she’s about to say. “You.”
This is the most restrained I’ve ever been. Every muscle memory in my body wants to tear her clothes off, the look in her lidded eyes all I need to know she wants this – even more than I do. Hours spent around her blossomed lips, her hidden breasts, her slender thighs, hours of caging up my lust for her in pursuit of another goal has made it grow, big and fearsome. Now that the cage is open, it’s taking all of my reserve to stop it from taking me over. I need this to be slow – this is for her.
“I know how to make you sing, Haley,” I growl in short breaths. My hand goes to the inside of her thigh, pressing itself against the front of her jeans. “I can make you sing better than you’ve ever sung before.”
I have the buttons undone in seconds. Warm, strong, fingers teasingly reaching into the lip of her panties. Her head goes back, eyes closed as she starts panting at the ceiling.
“Wait!” she says, snapping back, her hand on my wrist. “I don’t understand what’s happening between us, Brando. Is this about me? Or is this about music?”
I kneel in front of her, slowly pulling down her jeans.
“It’s about music,” I say... “It’s always about music.”
RATING:
“You’re thinking too much. Don’t think.”
A blush creeps across her cheeks and she drops her eyes again. I brush her hair away from her face and let my hand rest on her neck as I slowly move in closer. Her trembling lips steady themselves on mine, softly settling against my mouth. Our breaths mingle, tongues gently tickling at the insides of each other’s lips. I press further, wanting to kiss away all the shakes in her body, to let her thoughts disappear in the heat of our mouths. Her hand presses against my shirt, splayed fingers tentatively tracing the hardness of my chest, before pushing me away from her.
“Brando…” she whispers, her eyes still closed, her mouth still wet. “I think I just need…”
“Tell me what you need,” I coax her.
“I need…” She opens her eyes, and I already know what she’s about to say. “You.”
This is the most restrained I’ve ever been. Every muscle memory in my body wants to tear her clothes off, the look in her lidded eyes all I need to know she wants this – even more than I do. Hours spent around her blossomed lips, her hidden breasts, her slender thighs, hours of caging up my lust for her in pursuit of another goal has made it grow, big and fearsome. Now that the cage is open, it’s taking all of my reserve to stop it from taking me over. I need this to be slow – this is for her.
“I know how to make you sing, Haley,” I growl in short breaths. My hand goes to the inside of her thigh, pressing itself against the front of her jeans. “I can make you sing better than you’ve ever sung before.”
I have the buttons undone in seconds. Warm, strong, fingers teasingly reaching into the lip of her panties. Her head goes back, eyes closed as she starts panting at the ceiling.
“Wait!” she says, snapping back, her hand on my wrist. “I don’t understand what’s happening between us, Brando. Is this about me? Or is this about music?”
I kneel in front of her, slowly pulling down her jeans.
“It’s about music,” I say... “It’s always about music.”
Review
RATING:
This is a first JD read for me. I have the 1st book in his other 2 duets but unfortunately haven't gotten to them yet (eek)...
Now I haven't read any of the other reviews on this yet, something I typically do right after I finish reading a book, but off the top of my head, there are a few things that came to mind quickly. It may have been said already, or not...
JD could have easily titled this book Stu, as in Stu Reardon, the cover model, and I would've been more than ok. I actually had to keep reminding myself that the H's name is Brando *grins*. Second, as soon as I read part of the blurb, "The bet is simple: take a nobody and make her a star.", the first thing that popped into my head, "Ooh, kinda' like Pygmalion, but with a twist". Is it just me? Third, I actually had to look up "A&R". I'm sorry, but just call me clueless that way.
The blurb tells us under what circumstances Brando and Haley met. Brando and the readers know that, but not Haley.
Brando, initially, if I didn't know any better, almost came across as d0uche-y, just because I know what he was trying to do. But, I'll be the first to say that he is a decent guy albeit misguided with his desires that he was willing to do whatever it takes. At least, he sorta' recognized that himself as well. And there is his sense of humor, and his tenacious drive.
Haley, initially, almost felt like this pawn in whatever game Brando was trying to pull. She's an amiable person with a good touch of snark who has talents and just wants to get her break. I love how she has that spark in her.
I didn't immediately buy into their connection in my head, a consequence of having access to Brando's thoughts. Outside of Brando being Stu in my head, I was frankly wondering what she's seeing in him at first. Not that he was an a$$ to her or anything like that, it was because I know what his original motives were. But lo and behold, as I read more, I started getting it. Then their connection really sizzled! Before I know it, I was getting just as enamored as Haley. Without me getting a full picture of their daily minutiae and just being focused on their interaction, I started falling for Brando myself. With select words, I started seeing what Haley meant to Brando. In a short amount of time, I sense growth on Brando's part. I felt the sincerity of just doing right by Haley. If I think of it as a movie, it felt I was given a well-crafted montage where I got glimpses here and there of events that when put together, you understand the emotional intent and fall for every second of it...
Alas, this is just the first book in the duet, so no HEA yet. The designated "villains" have just started doing their villain-y moves. All is not well yet... Luckily, the 2nd book is just around the corner.
In the meantime, I really need to get to JD's other books...
Author Bio
I'm an erotic author from LA. I grew up in Southern California and now
live with my wife in Venice. I've also lived in NYC, India and Thailand. I
love to travel and have been to Central America, Australia, Europe and the
Middle East. I have a boring corporate day job where I cover people's asses for
a living and am hoping to leave this world soon and make a living doing the
thing I love - writing. I enjoy surfing and I'm also a martial artist, my other
main passion, which I have practiced since the age of 5.
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