Review: Beautiful Crazy by Kasey Lane

Title: Beautiful Crazy by Kasey Lane
Rock ‘n’ Ink Series Book One
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 352 pages
Book Rating: C+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

“Vibrant and sexy! The chemistry between Kevan and Mason is explosive and I was cheering for their happy ever after from page one.” -Stefanie London, USA Today bestselling author of the Dangerous Bachelors Club series

“You confound me. You’re all these maddening contradictions that don’t make any sense… And I can’t get enough of your special brand of beautiful crazy.”

She’s a rocker with attitude and ink…
He’s a sexy suit who gets what he wants

Kevan Landry is trying to keep her life on track and her brother in rehab. If her fledgling marketing firm can sign the hot new band, Manix Curse, it will make a world of difference. Mason Dillon heads the most successful music PR firm in Portland. He’s desperate to breathe new life into the company by signing Manix Curse.

The last thing either one needs is a one-night stand with a smoldering stranger…

The stakes are high when a battle for the band-in the bedroom and the boardroom-becomes a battle of the heart. But if these two can set aside their differences, they may find they’re the right mix of sexy savvy to conquer both their worlds.

Review:

Beautiful Crazy is a debut romance by Kasey Lane and it is the first installment in the Rock ‘n’ Ink series.  This blazing hot romance is sure to be a hit with readers who enjoy novels set around the music industry.

Kevan Landry owns her own public relations firm and as a first year business owner, she  is  struggling to keep afloat.  Throw in her brother Bowen’s expensive stay in rehab and she is desperate to sign the up and coming  heavy metal band Manix Curse to her roster.  Working part time as receptionist for a tattoo shop that also employs several of the band members, Kevan still has her work cut out for her convincing the band’s manager she is the right woman for the job.  She is shocked and dismayed to learn that industry heavy hitter PR firm GEM is also competing for the contract.  Even more stunning is the discovery that the person handling the account is none other than her very recent one night stand, Mason Dillon, who is also the CEO of the company.  Down but not out, Kevan agrees to go on tour with Manix Curse where she and Mason are locked in a fierce competition for the contract.  With so much on the line, Kevan knows she has to keep her focus on winning the contract but will she be able to ignore her sizzling attraction to Mason once they are forced to share very close quarters?

Kevan is a tattooed hottie from the wrong side of the tracks with a dysfunctional past.  Despite her professional success and her college degree, her emotionally abusive father’s derogatory comments can still sometimes make her to doubt herself.  With a string of failed romances behind her, Kevan has sworn off men but she forgoes her rules the night she meets Mason.  Needless to say, she is mad at herself for giving in to her desire once she realizes he is vying for the Manix Curse contract.  Knowing she HAS to pull out all the stops so her PR firm is selected, Kevan insists she and Mason keep their relationship strictly professional while they are touring with the band.

Mason might be the CEO of GEM but with his job on the line, he has no choice but to sign Manix Curse to his PR firm.  However, for the first time in years, he is working in the trenches with the band instead of handing off the job to the people who work for him.  With his contacts and GEM’s name behind him, he is fairly certain he can win them over, but Mason sadly underestimates Kevan’s creative approach to garnering publicity for the band.  He also miscalculates how often thoughts of their night together will distract him from the task at hand.

The chemistry between Kevan and Mason is off the charts and there is plenty of sexual tension as they live and work together.  Mason is completely smitten by Kevan and he turns on the charm as he tries to coax her back into his bed.  Kevan is equally infatuated with Mason but the difference in their backgrounds and current social standing are a big stumbling block for her.  With so much at stake for both Kevan and Mason professionally, it is frustrating that both of them spend so much time dwelling on their mutual attraction.  It is also somewhat irritating that Mason is not as respectful of her situation as he could be as he continually tries to seduce her.  Kevan is equally annoying as she constantly blows hot and cold during their time together.  She allows Mason to draw her closer only to back away time and again as self doubts creep in.  This exasperating push/pull occurs for much of the story and just when it appears they have made progress with their romance, Kevan misconstrues a situation and leaps to conclusions without giving Mason the opportunity to tell his side of things.

A bit slow-paced initially, Beautiful Crazy is a nice beginning to Kasey Lane’s Rock ‘n’ Ink series.  The characters are easy to like but they  both have little quirks and inconsistencies that are a bit off-putting.  The storyline is somewhat predictable and overpowered by too much emphasis on sex.  The sex scenes are quite explicit with Mason firmly in control of their bedroom activities.  The tantalizing glimpses of the secondary characters will leave readers eagerly anticipating the next books in the series.