LIES & LULLABIES (Hush Note #1) by SARINA BOWEN

‘If Maine had lost its magic, it wasn’t the Pine Tree State’s fault. It was my fault. I’d been too stupid to see what was right in front of me.’

Lies and Lullabies by Sarina Bowen is the first instalment in the Hush Notes series which is a rock star romance, each written by a different Author, about a different band member of -you guessed it- the über popular band, Hush Notes.  Lies and Lullabies is Jonas’ story, the lead singer, who found himself in the small town of Nest Lake in Maine for some much needed -time out- to write songs and get away from the rock and roll lifestyle. At age 25 he already feels burnt out and needs peace and quiet, what he wasn’t looking for was love, though at the time he didn’t realise that that was exactly what he found.

“Be with me, Kira. In my heart, I really just want you.”

Going by the name of John, Jonas meets and falls for the sweet and timid Kira, who has experienced a horrific event which has had a great impact on how she lives her life. At the young age of twenty, she has already experienced great heartbreak and terror, so in some respects, she lives in the shadow of herself, which is where Jonas finds her. The friendship connection between Kira and Jonas was wonderful and a decision to take it to another level, for one night only, leaves quite the impression on two consequently breaking hearts.

“You’ve only been gone a few days, but it feels like months. Maybe you don’t want to hear this, but I miss you terribly. I hope we’re still friends? Did I wreck that?”

Kira had so much to contend with, it broke our hearts, it seems she’s either constantly abandoned or betrayed for her vulnerability. The way in which she found her strength came from her wonderful brother and the gorgeous little Vivi. We’re definitely not fans of ‘hiding the baby from the parent’ trope, it irks us, however, Sarina Bowen wrote it well and showed that it was not borne out of spite or hatred.

“Kira, my heart is breaking.”

Five years pass and Jonas and the rest of Hush Notes return to the idyllic Nest Lake where his fondest memories were made. But this time it’s not only Kira who awaits him after five years of radio silence! Missed opportunities and loneliness leave scars that are hard to heal, however, Sarina Bowen wrote this beautifully without unnecessary dramatics.

‘I’d been waiting five years. I could wait five more if I had to.’

We really enjoyed Lies and Lullabies and read it in one sitting. Small town meets rock star romance, it’s like catnip for us! We fell in love with Jonas and Kira from the get-go as well as Kira’s brother, Adam, who’s story we are begging Sarina Bowen to write! The relationship between Kira and Adam was just beautiful and pulled at our heartstrings. Rifts and Refrains, which is book two and Quinn’s story is next and is written by Devney Perry, we can’t wait because she’ll be a hard nut to crack!

‘Real love wasn’t set to a four-four drum beat in a recording studio. Real love was accomplished this way – by caring for the people who needed you. I would try not to forget that.’