Title: The Girl’s Got Secrets
Author: Linda Kage
Series: Forbidden Men #7
Genre: new adult, contemporary romance, music
Here’s the same old “girl posing as a boy” story but with a rock-n-roll twist.
Remy Curran dreams of one day being in a band, except the group she wants to join refuses to hire a girl drummer. So, she auditions as a guy…and makes the cut.
Becoming “Sticks,” a member of Non-Castrato, isn’t quite what she dreamed it would be, though. She spends most of her time keeping up the subterfuge and learning how to walk, talk, act, and drink like a man.
But what’s even harder to deal with is acting oblivious when the band’s heartthrob lead singer, Asher Hart, treats her like one of the guys and not a woman. She never imagined he’d be so much more than a pretty face with a nice voice. But he’s better than perfect. He’s perfect for her.
When love and lies combine, Remy must keep up the act or lose everything. But who knew lying to reach one dream could prevent you from attaining an even bigger dream?
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SANDY’S REVIEW
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
**3.25 ‘Sticks’ stars**
This being my second book from Linda Kage, I’m still amazed by her writing and storytelling ability, Infact the story flowed so smoothly that I didn’t realise it was 450 pages long!! Book #7 in Forbidden Men series, The Girl’s Got Secret follows the story of Asher Hart, the only single guy among his group of friends. This can be read as standalone.
Asher Hart is the leader singer in his band Non Castrato which plays in The Forbidden bar every Friday where he bartends for rest of the week. With good looks and great voice, it isn’t hard for him to find any girl to spend his nights with but with all his friends settling down he craves for a companionship rather than an awkward one-night stand. During one of the karaoke nights he will be mesmerised with a girl in an Incubus shirt, ironically, the only girl who had his attention is not single. He never tries to find her or learn her name and she doesn’t seem to leave his thoughts ever.
Remy Curran, a passionate drummer whose is now lonely and feels worthless after she brokes up with her ex-fiancé, she still holds on to her dream of being in a band, and she ceases the opportunity when she heard that Non Castrato were looking for a new drummer. But she was rejected even before she played, just because they didn’t want a girl in their band. Devastated by their rejection she decides to audition posing as a guy, with a lot of help from her friend/room-mate Jodi she transforms completely into a guy, going by the name ‘Sticks’. This time she nails the audition and gets a most deserving spot on their band. Seeing as her dream coming true she continues to pose as a guy but now being near the hot lead singer, developing a strong friendship with him is making her feel guilty more than ever.
Things I liked: The development of the characters was done fantastically, the friendship growing between Asher and Sticks felt real and effortless, I was always looking forward for their time together. Also, the emotions these characters projected, be it their need to love and be loved were heart-warming.
Things I didn’t like: I get the reason for lying and keeping up the act but I can’t stand any relationship growing on the foundation of lies. When Remy decides to become sticks, to show those boys that talent has no boundary, I was like “you show them girl”. To some point it was funny and entertaining to see the extent she goes to appear as guy and actually change her personality around them. But the non-stop lies which kept on going was just frustrating. And by the time truth was unfolded the story reached a point where it felt like a mess.
So it’s safe to say though I didn’t like certain parts I enjoyed the overall story, the writing was no doubt appealing so were the MC’s. If you are in mood for something light and entertaining with pleasant showcase of friendship and romance where music is soul of the story, then this book is for you.
*ARC generously provided by the author, for an honest review.*
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EXCERPT #1
"...You look just perfect. I would so throw you down on your bed and ride you right now if I didn’t know you were really a girl in there. Hell, I’m tempted to, anyway.”
I rolled my eyes but chased it with a smile. “Thanks. I think.”
“Now practice your man walk,” she demanded, waving out her hand.
I faltered. “My what?”
She sighed. “You’re not going to pass for a dude if you stroll in there with your hidden girl hips swaying and flattened tits pooched out on display.”
My mouth fell open. “Excuse me. I do NOT walk like that.”
She snorted. “Oh...own it, puta. You’re a hot piece of ass, you can’t help the girly swagger.”
“But I don’t—”
“Hunch your shoulder over a little more, concentrate on keeping your hips in line, and try to jut your cock forward when you strut.”
“Do...what?”
“That’s how hot guys walk, like they’re leading with their junk.”
I could only shake my head. I had honestly never seen a guy walk as if he were trying to poke his pecker out ahead of him. “Where do you come up with this shit?”
“Just do it, puta.”
I sighed but used her suggestions, trying to overdramatize the cock-and-go strut, as I was thusly dubbing it.
“What do you think?” I asked.
She purred out a promiscuous growl and clawed the air in my direction. “How do you say ‘I want to sit on your face’ in Spanish?”
EXCERPT #2
Remy and I bent at the same time to turn on the karaoke machine.
“Sorry,” we murmured together when we nearly bumped foreheads. Then we shifted an inch apart but still both going in to get the machine up and running.
“Holy shit,” she murmured under her breath, turning toward me slightly. “You smell really good.”
I didn’t want it to, but my body reacted, remembering every touch, lick, and kiss she’d ever given me. I glanced at her face, and her eyes flared as if she was in trouble for saying such a thing.
“Sorry.” She lifted both hands in some kind of surrender. “It’s just...it’s new. You’ve never smelled like that before.”
Lust stirred through me. I tried to bite it back, tried to cling to the fact I was mad at her, but a need unlike any I’d ever experienced with any other person roared through my blood.
I had to shake my head and blink myself back to the present, remind myself where I really was and what I was doing. And that was most definitely not Remy Curran.
“It’s, uh...Eva gave it to me as the best man gift. I figured I should wear it today.”
She nodded, agreeing. “Well, it’s amazing. I think I just got pregnant.”
AUTHOR INFO
Linda grew up on a dairy farm in the Midwest as the youngest of eight children. Now she lives in Kansas with her husband, daughter, and nine cuckoo clocks. Her life's been blessed with lots of people to learn from and love. Writing's always been a major part of her world, and she is so happy to finally share some of her stories with other romance lovers.
Author Links:
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Rafflecopter Giveaway (Lots of Chances to Win! $20.00 Amazon eGift Card (x1), $10.00 Amazon eGift Card (x1), $5.00 Amazon eGift Card (x2), a Paperback copy of THE GIRLS'S GOT SECRETS and a Paperback copy of winner's choice from the Surviving Series by Ada Frost)
Great review! Thank you for hosting!
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