I blame Fred Astaire. Years of listening to records
entranced by the sublime staccato of his tap dancing made me naturally inclined
toward a hero who can keep a good beat. There are a lot of romance novels
featuring rock stars of every type. While reading Brooklyn Ann's recent
book TEMPTING BEAT, I
began thinking about just how many of my favorite books have diverting and
delicious drummer heroes.
"For life can be delish
With a sunny disposish"
Ira Gershwin
Listen to Frances
Williams sing the song on YouTube
"You know, you can be kind of intense sometimes, Malcolm Ericson. You come
across as this happy-go-lucky-type dude most of the time, but you are in fact a
man of many layers."
—PLAY by Kylie Scott
I love a charming and witty hero. Mal Ericson, from Kylie Scott's Stage Dive series,
is the first drummer hero I read about. It's easy to see immediately why Mal, a
fan favorite, is still talked about years after his book PLAY came out. Mal's manic
energy, good humor, and highly amusing sexual confidence is vastly entertaining.
Anne Rollins is fighting a losing battle trying to resist Mal's charm once he
picks her to be his fake girlfriend. Over the course of PLAY, Anne sees that Mal is
more than the charismatic drummer and sexy distraction. This rock star is
nursing a hidden pain when he meets Anne. Anne provides comfort when Mal needs
it but calls him on his bs when he needs it too. At times it can be hard to
tell, for Anne as well as readers, when Mal is being serious or when he's
playing around. Serious Mal and fun Mal are both a hoot and utterly fantastic,
but it makes for a whirlwind of a romance. Mal fans everywhere can rejoice since
Kylie Scott has recently come out with a short story featuring Mal and Anne in
the multi-author anthology COCKTALES. After reading PLAY, you might be prone to
fervid dreams with "pumpkin" repeating over and over in an endless erotic loop.
"You're a genius, baby, but you act – you act like a goofball most of the
time."
—WICKED BEAT
by Olivia Cunning
All of the men in Olivia Cunning's Sinners on Tour
series are gorgeous hunks of metal and intense in different ways. The favorite
of many a fangirl of this fictional band is the naughty and seemingly
unattainable Trey Mills. With one flick of his hair, or come-hither look, Trey
can have any man or woman he wants. In WICKED BEAT, Trey's
bandmate Eric fights to stand out and show the object of his affection that he
is just as worthy of being desired as Trey. Eric Sticks, lovable goofball
drummer extraordinaire, is my favorite hero in the Sinners on Tour
series. He is described in WICKED BEAT as part Mr.
Romance and part Mr. Porn Star. I love Eric because he is friendly, loves a good
joke, and has a wonderful vulnerability. In HOT TICKET, readers get the
first real glimpse of Eric's loneliness and childhood hurt. In WICKED BEAT, he finds a
woman who laughs at his lame yet adorably cornball jokes and appreciates his
hidden sensitive soul, his musical brilliance, and his passionate nature. I love
that Eric and Rebekah act like equals and partners in crime. As Trey observes,
they have more fun and laughter in their sexual escapades than anybody. Since
this is my favorite couple, I'm so happy that Olivia Cunning continued their
story in "Sweet Love of Mine" (in the wedding anthology SINNERS AT THE ALTAR
featuring characters from the Sinners on Tour
series), and their honeymoon story ALMOST PARADISE. In each
progressive story, Olivia Cunning shows how Eric and Rebekah understand each
other better the longer they spend together, and their love grows therefore.
Reading about these two, you'll break out laughing, cringe at some of their
erotic trysts, and get caught up in the depth of their affection.
"A rock star who cooks and like cats? If he's good in bed too, maybe you
should get serious."
—TEMPTING BEAT
by Brooklyn Ann
Brooklyn Ann's heroes in her contemporary Hearts of Metal
series are amazeballs. Roderick "Rod" Powell is a drummer for the heavy metal
band Bleeding Vengeance. Those not a fan of this type of music might expect Rod
to be a totally hedonistic and self-centered rock star living a life of
dissipation. That's the kind of bias Rod must deal with in the new neighborhood
he moves into. The reality is that Rod is a complete sweetie and thoroughly
charming. His friends and bandmates are good people who hang out and watch
cheesy movies, and who take their music careers and their committed romantic
relationships seriously. A spot of sunshine in this new environment is his
next-door neighbor, and nurse, Gwen Mason. Before getting their happily ever
after, Rod and Gwen must navigate around a few of their insecurities, but
Brooklyn Ann balances the relationship drama, lively courtship, cute cats, and
sizzle. I like how the relationship develops very organically and you root for
the two main characters. Rod woos Gwen with fancy teas to die for, his easygoing
personality, and undeniable hotness.
Listen to Prefab Sprout
"Girl I sing this song for you
For all the miseries I've dragged you through
For the moods I can't explain
For the sunny days I've spoiled with rain
Please forgive me if you can
Girl, you know that I'm a troubled man"
—Prefab Sprout
Although I generally prefer a hero with a sunnier outlook and a sense of humor,
many readers prefer a complicated brooding hero. Luke Matthews from L.P. Maxa's Devil's Share
series and Langdon Cox from Tara Leigh's Nothing but Trouble
series are two men with demons to exorcise. Their experiences differ wildly
because they have different baggage and women who drive them wild. In PLAY HARD by L.P. Maxa, the
book opens with Luke nursing a broken heart. For years he was in love with one
woman only to have her fall in love with his bandmate. Luke didn't begrudge Lexi
and Dash their happiness, but it was killing him a little more each day. As he
tries to lose himself in women and booze, he finds a woman who provides a
wake-up call. Harlow is a breath of fresh air and doesn't take any of Luke's
nonsense and she doesn't let him wallow in self-pity. In L.P. Maxa's RiffRaff Records
series, she writes about the tangled love life of Luke and Harlow's children –
among others.
ROCK LEGEND by Tara Leigh is full of all
sorts of emotional upheaval. Piper Hastings is the girl Landon Cox let get away.
Landon has psychological scars that prevent him from being the kind of man that
Piper needs. When he finally gets a second chance with Piper, Landon sabotages
himself and Tara Leigh gives readers a roller coaster of a relationship to
follow. When Piper takes control of her life and makes some hard choices, her
maturity forces Landon to own up to his mistakes and try and prove himself
worthy of her. This is a romance perfect for readers who like their love stories
with a heaping helping of complicated.
"I told people I was a drummer before I even had a set, I was a
mental drummer".
—Keith Moon
David Rivera is known as "The Gentleman of Rock". In the Rock Kiss novella
ROCK COURTSHIP, by Nalini Singh, David makes
a play for his band's publicist Thea. As the steadiest member of his band, this
romantic gambit is something that David takes very seriously. Thea is a woman
David is desperately physically attracted to, but he's attracted to her dynamic
personality as well. While initially rebuffed because of Thea's worry about all
the ways a romantic relationship between them could explode their world, David
takes his courtship up a notch and woos her with erotic suggestions and verbal
sparring. Thea is a strong woman, but her fears almost cost her a great guy.
Nalini Singh creates a fascinating story between two multifaceted characters who
almost didn't get together. David is a hero who is loyal to family, friends, and
the woman he falls for. I love a hero who works a little harder at trying to win
a woman by appealing to her mind. This is a story that is fun, fabulous, and
full of sexual tension.
So we leave you with Fred
dancing his famous drum solo! Enjoy!
Miranda Owen
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