Today, I’m hosting author Claire Davon’s latest release Overture, book two in the Lyrical Interludes series, a contemporary romance. Be sure to read my review. And don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway.
****
Title: Overture
Series: Lyrical Interludes Book 2
Author: Claire Davon
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Blurb: Ally Wilson should have been a slam dunk for VP until transplanted marketing executive Dirk Roberts takes what’s rightfully hers. A dubious reputation dogs Dirk, and her boss wants her to keep an eye on him. One look from Dirk’s searing sensual gaze and her world shifts.
Dirk never intended to be in Los Angeles, but a shattered reputation forced him to take desperate measures. He wants to repair his name and get out of the sprawling city. Ally’s haunting curves and undeniable appeal won’t change that, much as he yearns for her.
Their coming together is inevitable, as is the waiting disaster if their relationship becomes known. Can two damaged souls find happiness—or will their pasts destroy them?
**Don’t miss the first standalone book in the series!**
Reprise
Lyrical Interludes Book 1
The scent of coffee nudged Dirk awake. A sense of peace filled him, something he hadn’t experienced for a long time.
Then he started, coming to his senses in a room that was familiar to him but not his bedroom.
Fire.
Cartoons.
Alanna.
He was in Alanna’s living room. On her couch. A blanket was tucked around him, and his cap was resting toward him on the coffee table.
A hint of morning light slanted across her blinds.
Stretching, he tried to guess the time. Eight or so, he hazarded. He focused on the DVD player in front of him in the entertainment unit. 8:17.
The morning hours were used to get chores done before the day began. Except he had no chores to do in an efficiency apartment.
Soft singing came from the kitchen.
He had fallen asleep on Alanna. He should have been embarrassed but instead felt alive.
Smoothing his hair into place, he settled the cap over his head. With quiet movements, he padded toward the kitchen.
Clad in burgundy-colored, cotton drawstring pants and a white tank, Ally had her back to him as she washed dishes in the sink. Her hair had been brushed but was still kinked in that way sleep did. The top outlined her body, curving around her shoulders and down to her tapered waist. The pants were loose and, as with many of her clothes, designed to conceal rather than reveal. The outline of her strong thighs was still visible under the cloth. Wow. He liked nice, high, round butts, and hers fit the bill to a T.
Straining to figure out what song she was singing to herself, he pegged it as “What a Fool Believes” by the Doobie Brothers. A slow grin played over his face.
Arms crossed, he leaned on the doorframe to the kitchen. “Don’t you ever wear shoes?” he asked with an amused drawl.
She spun, sponge in her hand. The force of her spin made water spray across her shirt and onto the floor. The water began seeping in across the side of one of her breasts.
Then those glorious lips parted over a smile. One that made it to her eyes. “You could teach a cat about stealth. Good morning to you too.” Setting the sponge down, she rinsed off her hands, then removed a dishtowel from a hook that had a smiling, dancing pig on it. The theme carried through to additional towels draped in the stove handle.
“Not if I can help it,” she continued, placing the towel back in a nearby ring. “Hate the things. Kick them off first chance I get. Even in winter, unless my feet are blocks of ice, shoes don’t exist when I’m home.” She retrieved two plain coffee cups from a nearby cabinet from it. “The siren lure of my couch has claimed an additional victim. Sleep well?”
“Your couch famous for its soporific qualities?”
If she was startled at his use of the four-syllable word, she gave no sign of it. Grinning at him, she moved past to the coffee maker in the dining room. He pressed himself back against the door opening to try and give her room, but the swell of her large breast grazed his chest anyway. The wetness of her tank top riveted his attention, and he could make out a plain white bra underneath the shirt. The desire to bend down and taste those breasts with his tongue overwhelmed him for a minute. He swore under his breath, counting backward from a hundred to bring his body back under control.
“Big time. I’ve fallen asleep on it more times than I can count. How do you take your coffee?” she asked.
“Black.”
“Me too.” She poured the coffee and handed the mug to him.
“For real?” He raised an eyebrow.
“Yeah, why?”
He’d stepped in it somehow but couldn’t figure out what had happened. “Dunno. You just seem more like the type to enjoy the sweet things in life.”
The sudden bleakness came and went, but he noted it before she shut down, presenting him with a bland countenance.
“Not like that, Alanna.” Her mulish appearance told him all that had done was make her shut down further. He shouldn’t care. He should change the subject. Instead, he waited for her to answer, trying to ignore the shaft of pain that lanced through him that he’d caused her hurt.
****
The blurb says it all so I’ll get right to the review. Being a music junkie, I enjoy a good music romance, and the author didn’t disappoint.
First, I adored Ally. She is a wonderful heroine readers can easily root for. Not only is she great at her job, she deserved the vice-presidency that was taken from her with Dirk’s arrival. Ally had a great backstory full of pain and abuse (physical and emotional). But she’s a fighter, determined to put her victim days behind her and become a survivor.
Dirk is a hero readers will love. He’s a massive guy with a big heart, but an intimidating presence. Far from a cuddly teddy bear, he uses his massive height and muscles when needed. And he flexed them plenty throughout the story.
These two were from opposite ends of the world. Ally from the east of the US and Dirk from the south. Their music preferences even clashed. Dirk is country and Ally is all about rock ‘n’ roll.
They had great chemistry in and out of the office. The author did a great job building their romance from one of office-mates, to friends, and then lovers.
I also loved the setting of L.A. The descriptions put me right at each scene that played out like a movie. The author also brought the music industry into the novel and took me through an “office” romance as if I was right there in the studio, at the office, and on the road, watching them build their latest artist’s career.
The plot did lag now and then with a bit too much narration, but it didn’t detract from the novel. This is a great love story with plenty of music as its backdrop and the beauty of Los Angeles.
I recommend you get yourself a copy. The author really knows the music industry and sets you right in the novel of an office romance. Her fresh writing is what really pulled me in. She uses original descriptions to flesh out the plot, and great dialogue to make the characters come alive.
****
Claire can’t remember a time when writing wasn’t part of her life. Growing up, she used to write stories with her friends. As a teenager she started out reading fantasy and science fiction, but her diet quickly changed to romance and happily-ever-after’s. A native of Massachusetts and cold weather, she left all that behind to move to the sun and fun of California, but has always lived no more than twenty miles from the ocean.
In college she studied acting with a minor in creative writing. In hindsight she should have flipped course studies. Before she was published, she sold books on eBay and discovered some of her favorite authors by sampling the goods, which was the perfect solution. Claire has many book-irons in the fire, most notably her urban fantasy series, The Elementals’ Challenge series, but writes contemporary and shifter romances as well as.
While she’s not a movie mogul or actor, she does work in the film industry with her office firmly situated in the 90210 district of Hollywood. Prone to break out into song, she is quick on feet and just as quick with snappy dialogue. In addition to writing she does animal rescue, reads, and goes to movies. She loves to hear from fans, so feel free to drop her a line.
Follow Claire: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Bookbub | Amazon | Goodreads
****
Enter for a chance to win a $20.00 Amazon Gift Card.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Maggie Blackbird 