Title: Crimson and Clover by Juli Page Morgan
Publisher: Crimson Romance
Genre: Historical (1960s), Romance
Length: 260 pages (estimated)
Book Rating: B
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Blog Tour Company
Summary:
Under Katie Scott’s flower child exterior beats the heart of June Cleaver. Though she digs her bellbottoms and love beads, she longs for the idyllic family life she was denied as a child.
Laughed out of San Francisco’s Haight Ashbury after the Summer of Love for believing rock ’n roll and white picket fences can coexist she decides to try her luck in the bohemian neighborhood of Ladbroke Grove in London.
When she discovers her new friend Adam is starting a band with Jay Carey, she’s ecstatic. She’d admired the British guitar god from afar for years, and when she and Jay finally meet the attraction between them is instantaneous.
But life with a rock ’n roll star doesn’t lend itself well to white picket fences. And when Katie tells Jay the secret she’s carried for two years it may end the dream before it begins.
The Review:
Juli Page Morgan’s debut romance, Crimson and Clover is a fun trip back in time to the turbulent late sixties where sex, drugs and rock and roll are a big part of everyday life.
Katie Scott is ecstatic when she finally meets rocker Jay Carey. There is an immediate connection between the two and they quickly fall headlong into a passionate relationship. Complications arise when Jay’s new band finds instant stardom and his strenuous tour schedule takes a toll on their relationship.
Katie and Jay are vibrant, well-developed characters. Katie is smart and self-confident and Jay is intense and über sexy. The attraction between Katie and Jay is sizzling hot and their sex scenes are deliciously steamy.
Despite their sexual compatibility, their relationship out of the bedroom is a little rocky. Katie has a few self-doubts and a secret that threatens their burgeoning relationship. Poor communication skills continually plague them. Jay is very different while on tour and some of his behavior on the road will eventually become an issue between them. Busy lives, hectic schedules, time apart and career changes sometimes seem insurmountable.
Crimson and Clover is an engaging novel with a wonderful cast of characters. Juli Page Morgan provides an unflinchingly honest portrayal of the time period and perils of fame that greatly enriches the plot and advances the storyline.
An enjoyable read that is sure to resonate with any reader who enjoys their romances with a bit of a nostalgic look back in time.
Excerpt:
She weaved through the crowd, trying to remember names, when she spied a familiar face. What with the sheer number of people who had been in and out of the flat all night, Katie hadn’t even known Stuart was present, and she greeted him with pleasure. His unaffected Texas drawl was balm to her ears, much as she loved British accents.
“Hey, you!” She gave Stuart a warm hug. “When did you get here?”
“Been here a while, hon.” Stuart kissed her forehead and released her. “’Course, it’s a little tight in here, if you know what I mean.”
“No kiddin’.” Just two sentences of Stuart’s accent and she was already dropping her “g”s. Katie grinned. “Talk some more. I wanna hear some lingo.”
“Right on,” Stuart laughed. “Lemme see…how’s this?” He cleared his throat and turned the Texas up to full throttle. “Y’all…hot damn…cornbread.”
Katie burst into giggles, her amusement aided by the half of a joint she’d just smoked.
“What’s funny?” Maureen appeared at her side, cheeks flushed and an unnatural sparkle in her eye.
“Just Stuart,” Katie replied, her giggles tapering off.
“I should’ve known.” Maureen tossed Stuart a grin before turning halfway to speak to someone behind her. “Jay, have you met Katie?”
The name made Katie look up and her breath stopped. She’d seen lots of photos of Jay in fan magazines and on album covers over the past couple of years, but none of them did the least bit of justice to the flesh and blood man standing before her. His head was turned in profile as he said something to Nicky Majors, and Katie took the opportunity to gaze at him unimpeded.
Jay Carey had the face of an angel—a very naughty angel. The rounded cheeks, the chin with the slightest suggestion of a cleft and the long black hair that curled past his shoulders all gave him a look of innocence. Combined with his rather full lips, black brows and lashes, and the schoolboy smile he directed at Nicky, Katie would have sworn he had come right out of a Botticelli work of art. But when he focused those intense hazel eyes on her, she knew she’d been wrong. Nothing Botticelli ever did looked like that. Jay Carey didn’t have the eyes of an angel—he had the eyes of a god.
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Author Bio:
After an exciting (and sometimes surreal!) career in radio broadcasting, Juli Page Morgan was left with a passion for rock ‘n roll and memories of the outrageous antics she’d seen and stories told to her by musicians and bands she’d interviewed over the years. Inspired by these tales, Juli wrote her first novel, CRIMSON AND CLOVER, a rocking romance set in London in 1968.
Juli lives in Arkansas with her husband and youngest daughter. When she’s not writing she’s attempting to force updates on her sixty-year-old house (it fights back!) and trying to convince her husband the world won’t come to an end if the television is turned off. She also listens to a lot of music at maximum volume and exceeds the speed limit when she drives. She’s currently at work on her second romance novel, and yes — it rocks, too!
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