WICKED BEAT (Sinners On Tour #4) by OLIVIA CUNNING

Review by Jenny & Gitte

Gitte: I was so excited for Eric’s turn in the Sinners series. He’s been a bit of an enigma for me and as Olivia Cunning is my ROCK STAR I just couldn’t wait to devour Wicked Beat. So, writing this review hurts like a bitch because I just didn’t get it, I enjoyed it but I didn’t get that feeling. I guess didn’t connect. I was sadly disappointed. I feel as if I don’t really know Eric any better than I already did. I love Eric and his character but I don’t feel he was given the story he deserved.

Eric’s story paled in comparison emotionally to the previous Sinner books, I wanted to know all about his past from the snippets we’ve been given. Feel his pain and emotion. Eric has such a boyish sense of humour you can’t help but love him and we did see plenty of that however!

“Do you have any camouflaged condoms?…..So you won’t see me coming.” ~ Eric

“Are you going to make me get a hideous tattoo on my ass?” ~ Rebekah

“Yeah…a tattoo of my face….so even when I’m not around, you’ll still be sitting on my face.” ~ Eric

This was meant to be his book, his story, his place in the band…his life on the road with The Sinners. However, it became all about the ‘nookie’ and the heroine Rebekah. The depth of the character just wasn’t there. There were snippets but not enough.

“Things were almost too perfect. He kept waiting for a meteor to fall from the sky and pulverize him to ash. His life had been one train wreck after another. Something this wonderful had to end badly. And when it did, he knew it would destroy him.” ~ Eric

Now, it probably doesn’t help that I didn’t connect with Rebekah. She was a complete contradiction. I sympathised with her and her personal issues. She was fun and sassy at times. But…..her character didn’t endear herself to me at all. The way she loved, the way she was with Eric and Isaac; even Trey in the beginning for that matter. I was never convinced of her love for Eric because of how she spoke of Isaac, her behaviour throughout the book really. To me, her feelings were translated as intense sexual attraction not love and it was given freely and randomly. And what Eric deserved after his past was love, one hundred percent unwavering love. For me, that love came too late and the path that took it there was just not convincing. I didn’t feel anything sadly, rather to me Eric became Rebekah’s second best choice.

What did you think Jenny, am I being too harsh?

Jenny:  No, sadly Gitte you’re not, because I agree with everything you’ve said and it breaks my heart to have to say that.  This is one of those times I really wish we disagreed.  I admit I ended up skimming some of this book. In my notes I wrote “felt like 25% story/75% nookie” and my feelings haven’t changed.  I love Olivia’s books and the Sinners books are my “go to” books. The ones I eagerly countdown and impatiently wait to release. So yeah, this review hurts…badly.

In previous Sinners books the sex, kinkiness and everything we love about them has always been balanced out with emotion, camaraderie, humour, amazing character depth, engaging storyline and the intense feelings of the band member and their loves. In this one, something was missing.

“The past can’t be changed……”the future can’t be predicted. All we really have is the present. So none of that matters to me.”

I also didn’t connect with Rebekah and felt like Eric was her consolation prize. I absolutely sympathised with her for what she had gone through but I didn’t feel the connection with her an Eric.  Oh sure, she may have said the words plenty of times,  but she never convinced me that she truly loved Eric.

“I like you, exclamation point.”

After the wonderful interactions, acceptance and understanding between Jace and Eric in Hot Ticket I was so looking forward to more of that. Of delving deeper into Eric’s psyche, of getting to know this man on another level but sadly it never eventuated.

Gitte: One of my stars goes solely to Trey. His parts in the story were classic Sinners and I loved them. He brought it back whenever he was in a scene. To be honest I relished every moment I got to spend with the Sinners all together, on the tour bus, in concert….but they were sadly scarce. I’m sure I will be in a minority here and yes it pains me because I’m such a HUGE Olivia Cunning fan, her books are favourites of mine no question. I cannot fault her writing nor her ability to find new inventive ways to make that blood pressure rise! Wicked Beat just fell short for me.

How much did we love those scenes with Trey Jenny?!

Jenny:  Oh we loved them very much!! The scenes with Trey won me over completely, and I so eagerly awaited the scenes when the other Sinners boys were involved! It was in these scenes I could see Eric’s character emerging. These ended up becoming the focus for me, but you’re right. There just weren’t enough of them.  My eyes would light up and my heart would race every time Trey came on the scene and THAT scene….wow! Well, I don’t think I’ll ever recover from that.  HOT doesn’t even describe it and didn’t we discuss that one at length!

“Are you really standing here jerking it?” – Trey

The Sinners books will forever be up there as one of my favourite series. Without a doubt! I love them and I love these boys.  I’ve loved watching and witnessing these men become a family, I’ve been with them while they’ve found the love of their lives, and I’ve been absolutely swept away as they have discovered the love they have for one another. They’ve entertained me, they’ve made me laugh many a times and they never fail to get my temperature soaring.

Trey and Jace became the highlight for me. Their stories were told with such feeling, such emotion, laughter and pain.  Yes, they were extremely HOT – off the scales hot, but they were balanced and gave us a bit of everything.

“Trey squeezed his eyes shut and clung to Brian as if he planned to never let him go.”

Unfortunately this wasn’t the case with Wicked Beat.  It was missing the emotional intensity and the character depth of the other books.  Yes it was hot, no doubt about that, but, at the end of the day, I needed more. In saying that, Sinners fans will want to get their hands on this one.

I’ll tell you one thing.  I am hanging out for Dare’s book when Olivia releases  her new series.  Bring it on!

Gitte: 3.5 Stars
Jenny: 3.5  Stars

SERIES READING ORDER PURCHASE LINKS
(Please note below is the correct reading order in sequence of events)

SINNERS ON TOUR BOXED : amazon us || amazon uk