Book Review and Giveaway: Good Girls Don’t Date Rock Stars by Codi Gary

 

Title:  Good Girls Don’t Date Rock Stars

Author:   Codi Gary

Genre:  Contemporary Adult Romance 

Publish Date:   April 22, 2014

Publisher:  Avon Impulse an Imprint of HarperCollins

Event organized by: Literati Author Services, Inc.

Rating:  3.55 out 5 Stars

~ Book Synopsis ~

Gemma Carlson didn’t plan on waking up married.

She also didn’t count on running into her old flame—and her son’s father-turned-country-rock star—Travis Bowers, followed by a night of drunken dares. Apparently one of those involved a ring on her finger and a vow…neither of which she intends to keep. Now with a hangover from hell, this good-girl-gone-bad knows there’s just one thing to do: run. Travis has been all over the world, but Gemma has never been far from his thoughts. So when he had the chance to catch up over a few drinks, he didn’t hesitate. Of course he didn’t expect it would lead to marriage, or a runaway bride! Travis finally has a second chance and doesn’t plan on losing Gemma again—or the son he didn’t know he had. He proposes—albeit belatedly—a date. Or rather, a few. If they can make this marriage work by starting over, he stays. If not… Gemma’s not interested; she’s got a son to protect and a heart to heal. But having Travis around could make both a little easier. Still, good girls don’t date rock stars…right?

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~Sally’s Review~

Gemma Carlson and Travis Bowers were not your typical high school sweethearts. They started out as friends and over a year later became more. Travis who grew up moving from foster home to foster home and didn’t want to be more than friends with Gemma because he didn’t trust that anything more would last. He was used to moving around and didn’t want to end up with a broken heart. After Travis beat up some guys that were bullying Gemma, they became best friends. Gemma loved Travis from the start but didn’t have enough self-confidence to believe she was good enough for him. She felt that Travis being ruggedly handsome would never feel that way about her. After a year and a half they finally get together. They love each other and are hardly ever apart. This is tested when Travis gets a record deal and has to tour to promote himself. One night Gemma surprises Travis while on tour, but instead is the one who ends up being surprised. She flees without telling him that she’s pregnant and doesn’t see him again until 10 years late Now he is a famous country singer and she owns her own bookshop. After they find each other again, get married and Travis finds out about their nine year-old son Charlie, does the story really begin. He’d never stopped loving Gemma but after finding out that she kept such a big secret from him, he doesn’t think she is the woman he fell in love with all those years ago. He’d always thought of Gemma as the bright spot in his life, and now it was tarnished. Even if she hadn’t told him ten years ago, she’d had plenty of chances over the last couple of days. It’s not exactly dinner conversation. He hadn’t appreciated his voice of reason defending her. Despite her obvious trust issues with him, he had never doubted her. Which made him the world’s biggest idiot. – Travis  Because of what she saw that night on his tour, Gemma didn’t trust Travis and kept their son a secret. She had her reasons and some were selfish. After Travis finds out about having a son, he has trust issues with Gemma as well. Not trusting each other can be a big problem when trying to make a marriage work for the sake of your son and the love you still feel for each other. These are just a couple of the hurdles these two needed to jump in order to find happiness with each other. “What do you want Gemma? What’s going to make you happy and whole again?”–Gemma’s mother.  Gemma’s cheeks were wet with tears and her voice sounded strangled as she said, “I want Travis. I want him here, living with us. I want to spend the rest of our lives together, having more children and loving each other.”  I love these kinds of stories about hidden pregnancies and second chances. Don’t judge me J. It’s a sweet story well told by the author. Travis is sexy and Gemma is as annoying as almost every heroine in every romance novel, but that’s a component that cannot be messed with. Their chemistry is great and every feeling the author gave them read genuine. I look forward to the next book in this series. Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book directly from the author. I was not paid to read or review this book. All opinions are my own, and I was never influenced by anything or anyone.

 

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Excerpted from GOOD GIRLS DON’T DATE ROCK STARS by Codi Gary

How many glasses of champagne did I have last night?             Gemma Carlson groaned, gritting her teeth against the stabbing pain that seemed to be spreading through her brain. She didn’t want to open her eyes, afraid of what she would find. Right now she was only sure of two things. One, her head hurt like a son of a bitch and two, she was very, very naked. Prying open her right eye, she tried to focus on her surroundings, but instead of seeing intricate, golden wallpaper, she found the walls were now light colored. A couch sat in the corner of the room, though her room had had a tiny office chair and desk. The landscape on the wall was new, too. She opened both eyes, blinking rapidly at the dryness, and realized she had no idea where she was. Which meant she obviously wasn’t in her hotel room. A light snore behind her caught her attention and she stiffened, turning her head slowly to look at her bedmate. She sucked in a breath at the sight of dark curls and a broad back, the only things visible above the heavy comforter. What have I done?             Sitting up, she swallowed down the rolling nausea and fought the splitting headache, catching her face in her hands. And then she felt it. Something cool and metal on her finger. Something that definitely shouldn’t be there. Pulling her hands back, she stared at the large three-stone diamond ring on her left index finger and froze.

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About the Author

An obsessive bookworm, Codi Gary likes to write sexy small-town contemporary romances with humor, grand gestures, and blush-worthy moments. When she’s not writing, she can be found reading her favorite authors, squealing over her must-watch shows, and playing with her children. She lives in Idaho with her family

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