Play (Stage Dive #2) by Kylie Scott - 4/5 stars

This was interesting. I wasn't sure when it started, but half-way through I was teary eyed.

GOSH! Mal Mal Mal Mal... you have my heart!

Book Blurb:

Mal Ericson, drummer for the world famous rock band Stage Dive, needs to clean up his image fast—at least for a little while. Having a good girl on his arm should do the job just fine. Mal doesn't plan on this temporary fix becoming permanent, but he didn't count on finding the one right girl. 

Anne Rollins never thought she'd ever meet the rock god who plastered her teenage bedroom walls—especially not under these circumstances. Anne has money problems. Big ones. But being paid to play the pretend girlfriend to a wild life-of-the-party drummer couldn't end well. No matter how hot he is. Or could it?

Another great book by Kylie Scott. Mal and Dave's story certainly lived up to David and Eve's (Stage Dive #1).

To start I struggled a little. Mal made a joke out of everything, than proceeded to move in with Anne without telling her about it and make more jokes. He needed a fake girlfriend and he just assumed she would say yes. 

“Yes, pumpkin,” said Mal, his face deadly serious. “I am moving in with you.”

I cringed at the horrid nickname but chose to focus on the real concern for now. “When did we talk about this exactly?”

“Actually, you might have left by then. But it doesn’t change the facts.”

What now?! 

And Anne of-course easily agrees falling for his charms in... 5 seconds! 

So... that was hard for me to swallow. 

BUT----> IT GETS SO MUCH BETTER

We know from Lick that Mal is loud and always making jokes, but we also know he is a good guy. Eventually we start to see more of what he is trying to hide and come to understand what is going on with him, why he is acting the way he is. And gosh if all that didn't break my heart. 

Anne knew from the beginning something was up but also knew better than to try to get it out of him. He wasn't going to tell anyone until he was ready. In that sense she was clever and mature. 

But Anne's character was also hilarious and worthy of many eye rolls. She is a huge Stage Dive fan and always had a massive crush on our drummer Mal, so needless to say he pretty much had her wrapped around his fingers... I gotta confess that if many of my book boyfriends every came to life I wouldn't be that different from Anne... so I suppose I can't judge her! 🤣🤣🤣 LOL 

Mal and Anne together were marvelous (once I got over Mal's silliness anyway). They had me laughing the whole book and were exactly what each other needed, they fit. 

He spun on his heel to face me, arms out wide. “Life’s a song, Anne. Let’s play.”

But you know what my favorite thing was? David Ferris was there! A lot!!!! 

Usually on series where books can be read on their own the previous characters have a very small role to play in the following book, that wasn't the case here. David was there for Mal every step of the way. 

I pulled out my phone then hesitated. Ev had pissed me off, holding me up, but these people were also his family. They deserved to know he was still in one piece. 

Anne: He’s at the practice hall

Ev: Thank you 

David Ferris strode in not fifteen minutes later. He nodded to me, then picked up a guitar and plugged it in. As the first strains of noise rang out Mal opened one eye and saw David standing opposite him. Nothing was said. Time moved by, both sluggish and swift at once. The two of them played for hours. 

All in all I loved it and I cannot wait to read the books on the other band members! 

Play was released 2014.
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Kylie Scott