Release Date: February 23, 2015
Publisher: Self-Published
Pages: 163
Series: Chasing the Dream #2
Review Source: eBook from author for review
Synopsis:
They're friends online - but can they be more in real life?
Writer Tara McFadden has been friends with artist and drummer Hector Fernandez for years, long before his band became famous on reality TV – yet they’ve never met in person. They finally have a chance to connect offline when they’re both sent to Comic-Con to promote the graphic novel they collaborated on.
Hector's secretly been in love with Tara for as long as he can remember, and once they meet, she sees him in a new light. All the years of longing lead to an incredible night of passion after one of his concerts, but neither is sure if their online relationship can translate into a real life romance – or if this will ruin their friendship forever.
Over four crazy days at Comic-Con, Hector and Tara must decide if they want a future together. But when their story seems to be over, it’s up to Hector’s entire band to make sure he and Tara get their happy ending.
This is a short book, but it's a great story. I mean, when the only real flaw is that you wish you had MORE of the characters, that's a pretty good thing, right? So yes, I would have enjoyed a longer, more drawn out story. It might have been more fun to deal with the sexual tension for a while before things progressed -- a longer period of "will they, won't they", but on the other hand because of the short nature of the book you get to the good stuff fast, and it leaves little time for large amounts of drama. What little drama there was, was resolved fairly quickly in a logical way, which is exactly how I like it.
More Than Comics was a bit more sex focused than I prefer, but the scenes were definitely very hot. I think why I would have preferred less sex, or maybe just more of other parts of the story, is because Hector and Tara had such an amazing friendship. Their conversations and just hanging out together were so cute and fun, so I wanted more of that aspect of the story. I liked seeing their chemistry in more than one way. Another thing I loved was seeing from Hector's POV. He's this ripped guy who could totally be cocky, considering he's insanely successful in two professional avenues and is super gorgeous, but he's actually quite sensitive and he almost has low self esteem in some instances. He doesn't see himself as anything special, whereas Tara sees all the good in him.
This book has a great setting and plot point, being set at Comic-Con. You get to experience some of the panels, signings, and costumes, which makes it a lot of fun. Despite the short length of the book and my wish for more time with these characters, More Than Comics does cover a lot of ground. I obviously liked the romance angle, but I also liked how Tara had to make a huge decision which would impact her future. I liked that she thought about Hector when deciding which job she should take, because it was realistic, but I loved that Hector and his friends showed her how she had to make the decision based on her wants and needs. Overall, this is a great second book in this series, and I wholeheartedly look forward to reading Elizabeth Briggs' next book.
The Cover:
Good!
Rating:
[4/5]Purchase Links:
Kobo | Amazon.ca | Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Google Play | All Romance | Smashwords
About Liz:
Elizabeth Briggs is a full-time geek who writes books for teens and adults. She plays the guitar, mentors at-risk teens, and volunteers with a dog rescue group. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and a pack of small, fluffy dogs.
Where to find Liz:
Website | Facebook fan group | Newsletter | Twitter
More Than Comics playlist:
As much as I enjoyed this book, I absolutely *loved* the first book, More Than Music. Click on the graphic to find purchase links for this great book:
If everything else hasn't convinced you to check out this book and this series, maybe this will. Here's an excerpt of More Than Comics from Tara's POV:
The lights dimmed and the entire crowd seemed to jump to its feet at once, including me. Fog crept across the stage and a red glow slowly illuminated the darkness. The stadium was silent except for the buzz of excitement, the anticipation for the band about to come out. My chest was tight, my breathing difficult, my heart a speeding train that threatened to derail at any moment.
Just when I thought I couldn’t take any more of it, the room burst into sound with the opening of “Uprising” by Muse. The lights brightened, gradually revealing the band already on stage. Maddie on the right, her fingers flying across her guitar, the fake wind blowing her hair like in a music video. Kyle on the left, rocking out behind his keyboard, his black hair hanging in his eyes. And Jared in the middle, playing bass.
A spotlight flashed on him when he started singing. In person he was even more drop dead gorgeous than on screen, with his tattooed arms, sinful blue eyes, and naughty smile. His voice had a way of creeping into your very soul, and he had this crazy magnetism that made it nearly impossible to take your eyes off him. Especially when he wasn’t playing and could grip the microphone like a lover and croon into it. No wonder so many ladies threw themselves at him.
But while everyone drooled over Jared, my eyes sought out Hector, who had gone shirtless tonight. It was harder to see him in the back, but I could still glimpse his muscular arms and shoulders while his drumsticks danced through the air. He was an animal, pounding against the drums like he was possessed by something, yet somehow never completely losing control.
The big screens beside the stage flashed between the different band members and showed Hector from behind, giving a shot of his smooth back, all those coiled muscles flexing and rippling while he played. Sweat slicked his arms as he poured himself into the music, his drumsticks moving fast yet never missing a beat. He was glorious. Strong. Powerful. And ridiculously sexy.
I wanted to lick the sweat off him, which was sort of gross, but I didn’t care. I’d do it to taste him, to explore that hard, muscular body with my tongue. And my hands. And every other part of me.
I couldn’t deny it any longer. Meeting Hector in person had awakened something in me. I’d always found him hot, of course. And sure, I’d fantasized about him a few times, but I’d never seriously thought of him as anything more than a friend. He’d always been too far away, too off limits, too impossible to even consider. But now he was more than a daydream I tried desperately to ignore—he was a very tempting reality.
Once we’d come face to face a flick had been switched, and I felt something…more.
And seeing him play tonight? That made me want him.
So, yeah. Hector = hot, sensitive, artistic, rock band drummer. Yes please?
