MUSES & MELODIES (Hush Note #3) by REBECCA YARROS

‘Loving him was a force so strong there was nothing I could do to protect myself.’

Excitement tinged with sadness. That’s how we’d describe our mood heading into Muses & Melodies, the third book in the fabulous Hush Note series by three amazing authors who have managed to seamlessly blend their words and unique style into a Rock Star series that that has completely wowed us!

‘Quinn was the beat of a show, she drove it forward. Jonas brought the heart. Nixon…he was the energy, the palpable hum of excitement.’

The excitement being that we have been teased and tormented throughout Lies & Lullabies by Sarina Bowen and Rifts & Refrains by Devney Perry, about the charismatic, self-destructive, sex, booze and drug addicted Nixon Winters, the brilliant guitarist with the incredibly talented band, Hush Note. We have been desperate for his story – needing to know what drives him into a downward spiral every summer, and what it is that haunts him from his past. All roads up to this point led to Nixon’s story and we couldn’t wait.

The sadness stemming from this being the last book in what has been a fabulous escape into the Rock star world and it’s one we don’t want to end. Not only that, but we knew early on that Nix’s story was going to tear our hearts apart, so we geared up for the emotional roller coaster that was Nixon Winters. Rebecca Yarros didn’t disappoint by delivering the cherry on the top to a fabulous series!

“You know me pretty well, don’t you?” he asked
“I’m getting there…”
“Good.”

Heartache, emotion, passion, angst, Rock star swagger and some serious swoon. These are just some of the things Rebecca Yarros served up in Muses & Melodies, and boy didn’t we just eat it up! Nixon certainly gave us some heart stopping moments. His pain was a raw, palpable beast and we felt every single piece of it. It was as though we were standing on the precipice with Nixon, hearts braced in nervous anticipation as we wondered if he would once again slide into oblivion. If only Nixon would believe the love that surrounded him from his band mates. This complicated man stole our hearts completely!

‘Jonas was still the broody poet, Quinn, the blonde with the sharp tongue and the golden sticks, and me? I was just as fucked up as I was back then. Maybe even more so.’

Zoe Shannon, assistant to the bands manager, Ben, has seen more than her fair share of Nixon’s indiscretions over her four years in the job. Zoe has incredible respect for Nixon as an artist, but his after hours exploits leave a lot to be desired. Coming out of 45 days in rehab, Nixon is clean, but for how long? No one knows for sure, so Zoe is entrusted with ‘babysitting’ Nixon to ensure the band meets their concert commitments.

‘It was my home, and he was invading it with his…rock-starness.’

During their time together, they head to Zoe’s hometown of Legacy, Colorado, and the place Zoe left at eighteen to fulfil her dream of hitting it big in the music industry. Zoe isn’t thrilled to return but gives into Nix and it is here, where this complicated man is stripped bare of his emotions and the pains of his past.

 “You’ve got to let someone in.”
“And you’ve got to stop thinking you can save me. Spoiler alert – you can’t. “

Rebecca Yarros beautifully blended forbidden romance, small town, rock star and angst into an edgy slow burn romance with some hate to love in the mix. With these elements, and the superb emotionally raw prose of Rebecca Yarros it was bound to be a hit! The friendships, the pain, the love, the rock star vibe all worked so perfectly, with Zoe and Nixon the perfect sparring partners! What a series, what a finale! Encore! Encore! Now, if we can only get Sarina Bowen to write Ethan and Adams story…….

‘If I had a shot with that man, I’d risk more than my reputation – I’d put my heart on the line. No regrets. No safety net. No guarantee. If I wanted him, I’d have to fight for every piece he’d give me.’