As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Rhythm and Blue

by DP Denman

What’s a little treachery among friends?

Blue:
Don’t let anyone tell you that professional jealousy is less destructive than the generic brand. It isn’t. I know because it’s killing what I thought was a solid friendship. Several, actually. I get one lousy Grammy nomination, and it all swirls down the toilet.

When I was a kid, I dreamed of being a rock star. I guess a successful songwriter is close enough, but my first taste of fame is changing my life in ways I didn’t expect.

Not all of them for the better.

cw: past self-harm

rockstar · age gap · damaged lead · millionaire

Excerpt:

Blue woke to classical music on Brady's clock radio. The music stopped. The bedside lamp snapped on, and he rolled to his stomach to hug his pillow. He smiled when Brady kissed his shoulder, and drifted in the space where dreams and reality blended, waiting for the sound of the shower.

The normal routine had Brady clean and dressed for work before Blue got out of bed. He had nowhere to be at three-thirty in the morning. He could lounge under the covers until something as important as a craving for coffee or a full bladder lured him into the day, living the life of a largely kept man.

He drifted near sleep before the smell of coffee coaxed his eyes open. Brady stood by the bed with a breakfast tray and a smile.

"What's this?" He pushed up on one elbow.

"I thought I'd bring you breakfast in bed." Brady set the tray on the nightstand.

READ MORE

Blue plucked the steaming mug from its place near a plate of sourdough toast with a generous dollop of Mary’s homemade strawberry jam.

"You thought you'd bring me breakfast in bed because...?" He sat up and took a sip of coffee, eyes on Brady.

"No reason."

Blue watched him over the top of his mug, waiting for the truth. Brady was romantic and lived for random surprises over nothing. However, his favorite bread, favorite jam, and coffee at four o'clock on a random morning felt too much like buttering him up.

"Except?" he prodded.

"I'll tell you that part later. Enjoy your breakfast."

He raised his chin to accept the offered kiss and tracked Brady when he strode back out of the room. He took a bite of toast and tried to guess Brady's news while he chewed. There were too many possibilities. He put down his half-eaten toast, tossed back the blankets, and crawled out of bed.

It was chilly without covers to warm him and he stepped into the closet to pull on one of Brady's rarely worn sweatshirts and a pair of jeans. He padded barefoot down the hall to Brady's office.

"I think I want to hear whatever you're trying to break to me in phases," he said.

COLLAPSE
Reviews:Bitten By Love on Amazon wrote:

This book is the sequel to Blue. You don’t need to read the first one to read this one, but I recommend it because this is an established couple. I would have loved to know Blue’s history and the way that Blue and Brady got together. Saying all of that, I completely recommend this book and am going to read the first one and the next one that is coming.

Blue is a songwriter with a very traumatic past. He is in a relationship with Brady, who works as a private investor. At this point in their lives, Blue’s songs are gaining quite a bit of notoriety and success is happening quite rapidly for Blue. Brady needs to decide if he is going to take the steps necessary to go along for the ride. Blue tends to feel as if Brady does too much for him, and that leads to a lot of insecurity that isn’t helped by his low self-esteem from the abuse of his past. Brady does what needs to, to make sure that Blue gets the support that he needs. This couple understands each other very well but even after being with each other for so long, they still need to learn to talk with each other. They need to figure out what their relationship is going to look like as Blue’s success causes many things to change.

I love that this couple is on an evolving journey. This book depicted their journey together pretty realistically, showing them completing normal everyday things like grocery shopping and laundry. Now that may not sound all that interesting, but I enjoyed seeing their relationship through each other’s eyes and feeling as if I was along with them. The feelings that these two made me have was a roller coaster ride that I thoroughly enjoyed and hope to continue.

Rineholt on Amazon wrote:

This book was hard to put down. Author Denman did an amazing job depicting the relationship between Blue and Brady in a way that you can't help but want that love for yourself.

Blue's past is implied as a tortuous and cruel existence. He met Brady who is several years older but they just fit. Together they complete and help eachother heal and grow.

There's so many real problems and issues depicted in this story that are handled in realistic ways. This may be a fictional story but I felt like I was one of their friends. The characters are likeable and realistic and I'm hoping that the author has stories planned for some of the secondary ones.
All in all, this is an author that I look forward to reading more from and I will be recommending to all of my book friends.


About the Author

Award-winning author DP Denman wrote her first short story when she was eight and has been crafting fictional adventures ever since! You can usually find her with a cup of coffee in hand, contemplating her next story.

 

A covert romantic, she writes addictive, character-driven gay romance (aka MM romance or MLM) about damaged people who find the strength to put their lives back together. Her stories are gripping and dramatic -- guaranteed to hold you hostage to the last word!