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Bring Me Back
Music critic Claire Abby is a single mom dreading her daughter’s departure for college and worried that turning forty will leave her career running on fumes. When she lands a Rolling Stone interview with ‘80s British rock legend Christopher Penman, she’s floored. It’s way more than a lucky break. Claire spent her teenage years fantasizing he was her boyfriend.
In person, Chris is sexy, charming, and infuriating. He’s not about to discuss the rumors he’s dodged for a decade. Claire tamps down her adolescent fantasies and earns his trust, unearthing the devastating secret behind his media silence. His heartbreaking story is her first priority when she returns home, a nearly impossible task when Christopher starts calling and flirting. There’s no denying his wit or his buttery British accent, and once she agrees to see him, it’s beyond anything her teenage brain ever imagined. But when Christopher’s painful past repeats itself, can Claire save the man she could never forget?
In person, Chris is sexy, charming, and infuriating. He’s not about to discuss the rumors he’s dodged for a decade. Claire tamps down her adolescent fantasies and earns his trust, unearthing the devastating secret behind his media silence. His heartbreaking story is her first priority when she returns home, a nearly impossible task when Christopher starts calling and flirting. There’s no denying his wit or his buttery British accent, and once she agrees to see him, it’s beyond anything her teenage brain ever imagined. But when Christopher’s painful past repeats itself, can Claire save the man she could never forget?
324 pages, ebook
First published January 19, 2013
955 people are currently reading
1102 people want to read
About the author
Karen Booth
316 books506 followersKaren Booth is a Midwestern girl transplanted in the South, raised on 80s music and repeated readings of Forever by Judy Blume. She writes steamy contemporary romance and women's fiction. When she isn't creating fictional hunky men and the women who test them, she's listening to music with her kids, honing her Southern cooking skills or sweet-talking her astoundingly supportive husband into whipping up a batch of cocktails.
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June 17, 2020I’ve been spending lockdown delving into the depths of my tbr – I feel a little bad for this book because I literally have no memory of buying it, or even what inspired me to buy it, and the cover is not super expressive of the contents. However, I think probably “rockstar romance and he’s British” might have been the draw.
Anyway, I ended up gently putting the book down at 38% because … we weren’t working out, and I was afraid if I continued I’d get mean-spirited, and that's not really fair.
The basic set up here is that she’s a magazine writer, he’s a rockstar with a chequered past, and she used to have a crush on him when she was a teenager. I’d say you can guess the rest but who knows? Something I really did appreciate, though, is that they’re both older: he’s in his 40s now, she’s in her 30s with a teenage daughter. I am always here for people-not-in-their-twenties getting be in romance books.
I think probably this book is totally fine, but I felt kind of consistently alienated by it—like there things just sort of … assumed … I guess? … about the way the world works that do not really correlate with my understanding. And that’s not about me being right, so much as being constantly thrown out of the narrative by what felt like an irreconcilable clash of values and expectations.
[Edit, I just cut a lot of rambling, because I felt I was out of my lane]
I will, however, leave this because any excuse for a Schitt's Creek gif, right?
Um. What? What is this? Is she saying … that she considers it a ‘bad habit’ to talk during sex?
Heterosexuals consider talking to each other during sex to be a bad habit?
Oh my God you guys, seriously? THIS EXPLAINS SO MUCH ABOUT STRAIGHTNESS.
Anyway, I ended up gently putting the book down at 38% because … we weren’t working out, and I was afraid if I continued I’d get mean-spirited, and that's not really fair.
The basic set up here is that she’s a magazine writer, he’s a rockstar with a chequered past, and she used to have a crush on him when she was a teenager. I’d say you can guess the rest but who knows? Something I really did appreciate, though, is that they’re both older: he’s in his 40s now, she’s in her 30s with a teenage daughter. I am always here for people-not-in-their-twenties getting be in romance books.
I think probably this book is totally fine, but I felt kind of consistently alienated by it—like there things just sort of … assumed … I guess? … about the way the world works that do not really correlate with my understanding. And that’s not about me being right, so much as being constantly thrown out of the narrative by what felt like an irreconcilable clash of values and expectations.
[Edit, I just cut a lot of rambling, because I felt I was out of my lane]
I will, however, leave this because any excuse for a Schitt's Creek gif, right?
Chris was still working on curbing his penchant for sex talk, but I let it slide. We all lapse into bad habits and his commentary was easy to take coming from his gorgeous mouth
Um. What? What is this? Is she saying … that she considers it a ‘bad habit’ to talk during sex?
Heterosexuals consider talking to each other during sex to be a bad habit?
Oh my God you guys, seriously? THIS EXPLAINS SO MUCH ABOUT STRAIGHTNESS.
August 20, 2020
⭐️⭐️⭐️3 STARS⭐️⭐️⭐️
So I'm reading this great and positively charming story about a journalist, single mom (40) who gets to interview the sexy and still gorgeous rockstar she had a huge crush on when she was a teenager. (drools 🤤)
I'm loving the fairytale trope, it's all very dreamy, deliciously fluffly at times, sweet with banter and witty dialogues, a little angsty, the author's prose is lovely.
Should be a winner, right?
Except for one tiny detail. Sigh.
Okay get ready for some fine nit picking here:
The love scenes lexicon isn't working for me AT ALL.
This pervy perv needs them dirty words, not this sugar coated crap.
The hero is notoriously known for his fuckton of conquests and we get this nice and proper shagging lingo? I'm sorry but no. NO. He's a goddamn rockstar, let the man be wild FFS!
Also, the heroine has a thing against sex talk. GASP!
She literally asks him to keep quiet in bed. WHY WOULD YOU EVER DO THAT?
Rant over. Pervy perv out. ✌🏻
More reviews and book talk at :
You can find me here too ☞
So I'm reading this great and positively charming story about a journalist, single mom (40) who gets to interview the sexy and still gorgeous rockstar she had a huge crush on when she was a teenager. (drools 🤤)
I'm loving the fairytale trope, it's all very dreamy, deliciously fluffly at times, sweet with banter and witty dialogues, a little angsty, the author's prose is lovely.
Should be a winner, right?
Except for one tiny detail. Sigh.
Okay get ready for some fine nit picking here:
The love scenes lexicon isn't working for me AT ALL.
This pervy perv needs them dirty words, not this sugar coated crap.
The hero is notoriously known for his fuckton of conquests and we get this nice and proper shagging lingo? I'm sorry but no. NO. He's a goddamn rockstar, let the man be wild FFS!
"Emotion coursed through me when I felt his now familiar presence. It flooded my entire body with happy abundance."
"The pinnacle crept up on me and I became riddled with electricity as I gave way, succumbing to the moment much more noisily than usual."
Also, the heroine has a thing against sex talk. GASP!
"Chris was still working on curbing his penchant for sex talk, but I let it slide."
She literally asks him to keep quiet in bed. WHY WOULD YOU EVER DO THAT?
Rant over. Pervy perv out. ✌🏻
More reviews and book talk at :
You can find me here too ☞
November 30, 2016
I absolutely loved the whole fantasy comes to life fairy tale premise of this one and this really felt authentic with real life worries and situations cropping up.
Claire is a single parent and a music journalist who gets to date her teenage pop star crush when she's all grown up. She's independent, thoughtful and perceptive, a much more intelligent heroine than I'm used to reading. Chris, her pop star crush is still gorgeous, charming, deliciously manipulative yet pretty cynical after his marriage publicly imploded.
I cannot lie, smut is important to me and sadly, the smut in this didn't work for me at all. Actually it was worse than that, it actually put me off.. The language in the sex scenes seemed awkward and formal and stilted. I'd rather get fade to black than read something that makes me cringe:
(I think she's referring to his cock, but I could be wrong)
And
(I think she came)
It was a real shame because I loved the banter and the slowish burn but that smut was a real deal killer for me. Without that, this would've been a four star plus read.
Smut aside, it's a complete story that flows well and is easy to get into and characters that feel pretty real. There's a sequel but no cliffhanger. Box set available on ku.
Claire is a single parent and a music journalist who gets to date her teenage pop star crush when she's all grown up. She's independent, thoughtful and perceptive, a much more intelligent heroine than I'm used to reading. Chris, her pop star crush is still gorgeous, charming, deliciously manipulative yet pretty cynical after his marriage publicly imploded.
I cannot lie, smut is important to me and sadly, the smut in this didn't work for me at all. Actually it was worse than that, it actually put me off.. The language in the sex scenes seemed awkward and formal and stilted. I'd rather get fade to black than read something that makes me cringe:
"...using his tongue in a most staggering, specific way."
"After a few weeks of build-up, there were only a few minutes before we shattered each other's thresholds in less than perfect unison."
"Emotion coursed through me when I felt his now familiar presence."
(I think she's referring to his cock, but I could be wrong)
And
"It flooded my entire body with happy abundance."
(I think she came)
It was a real shame because I loved the banter and the slowish burn but that smut was a real deal killer for me. Without that, this would've been a four star plus read.
Smut aside, it's a complete story that flows well and is easy to get into and characters that feel pretty real. There's a sequel but no cliffhanger. Box set available on ku.
September 25, 2018
I have a soft-spot for wish-fulfillment fantasy in my romances so I thought I'd give this one a shot. Instead, I'm bailing really, really early. We're talking less than 10%. There are a couple reasons. First, the main character, Claire, is pretty incompetent for someone who has supposedly been doing her job for, um, more than a week? She feels like she's decades younger than the stated 39 in basic life skills, while we're at it. And it doesn't help that Booth over-explains a lot of things, giving us an exposition dump any time a new topic arrives. That might settle down later in the book, but I find that kind of thing indicative of other problems.
But the number one most major part of ditching this early is that something is just weird with the audible narrator. Ruth Urquhart has some weird accent thing going on where she over pronounces her sentences but still drops a lot of "r"s. Not all of them. Just some. Melissa couldn't place her accent and she's pretty good at doing so. I thought it sounded like someone embarrassed that they're from Boston. Also, it sounds like she's reading a list of sentences instead of a narrative.
This is published by Audible Studios, so I'd have expected better. I'm pretty sure the book still deserves the one star rating I'm giving it based on my problems with the main character. Probably.
But the number one most major part of ditching this early is that something is just weird with the audible narrator. Ruth Urquhart has some weird accent thing going on where she over pronounces her sentences but still drops a lot of "r"s. Not all of them. Just some. Melissa couldn't place her accent and she's pretty good at doing so. I thought it sounded like someone embarrassed that they're from Boston. Also, it sounds like she's reading a list of sentences instead of a narrative.
This is published by Audible Studios, so I'd have expected better. I'm pretty sure the book still deserves the one star rating I'm giving it based on my problems with the main character. Probably.
June 15, 2013
No spoilers
Overall a great beach read.
This is a grown up romance with a more realistic plot line than some other romances. The heroine is older than many in this genre. So all in all less escapist. Having said that the love interest is an international rock star (in my head he was John Taylor but the author's tweeting may have influenced that picture in my head)so not that realistic... but it is a change from the billionaire businessman/19 year old virgin characters we've seen before. I found this a refreshing change but I think it would better suit a reader who was 30 +.
I liked Karen's writing style. It was an easy read but properly written. The ending was compelling and I stayed up past my bedtime to finish it!
Finally this is not particularly explicit compared to others (it's not Sylvia Day) and although the characters have plenty of sex, most of the detail is left to your imagination. You can read this on the beach without being coy!
Overall a great beach read.
This is a grown up romance with a more realistic plot line than some other romances. The heroine is older than many in this genre. So all in all less escapist. Having said that the love interest is an international rock star (in my head he was John Taylor but the author's tweeting may have influenced that picture in my head)so not that realistic... but it is a change from the billionaire businessman/19 year old virgin characters we've seen before. I found this a refreshing change but I think it would better suit a reader who was 30 +.
I liked Karen's writing style. It was an easy read but properly written. The ending was compelling and I stayed up past my bedtime to finish it!
Finally this is not particularly explicit compared to others (it's not Sylvia Day) and although the characters have plenty of sex, most of the detail is left to your imagination. You can read this on the beach without being coy!
January 26, 2013
Originally posted on The Book Tart http://thebooktart.com/new-fiction-re...
Bring Me Back is brilliant! It’s heart wrenching, funny, sexy and a dream come true for it’s heroine Claire and for the readers who get swept up into the romance and drama of this book. I loved it! And it’s hero Chris….*sigh* I fell in love with him too.
I loved the opening scene. Claire is writing in her journal in 1986 about her crush on Chris Penmen, the guitarist of the British rock band Banks Forest and how much she loves him. It made me smile and reminisce.
Flash forward twenty-two years later and Claire is a single mom of a high school daughter and working as a music journalist. She gets a career making call when she’s asked to interview Christopher as he’s getting ready to release a solo album. If she can get him to open up it could be a Rolling Stone cover article!
Claire’s reaction is classic and I felt her excitement and panic at the thought of meeting her high school crush. It’s like a fantasy come to life. I blushed for her when she met Chris for the first time and had to keep from babbling like an idiot or staring at him to long. Christopher Penmen!
I love Chris! He’s talented, charming, confident. He’s also wounded and vulnerable. He’s been a musician for a few decades and is accustomed to the fame. He’s also British. Yum! He occasionally says cute British words that made me sigh and I could imagine his accent. Chris opens up to Claire and shares painful details about his past that he hadn’t revealed before.
That’s the beginning of their friendship. There’s chemistry between the two of them and he puts his number into her phone and gets hers. Texts and phone conversations deepen their connection and lead to visits and more… I was so excited for Claire. I felt like my best friend was getting to live the dream of dating her rock star! ;) I loved seeing them get closer emotionally and explore the possibilities of their relationship.
I felt like I knew Claire and Chris. They were very layered characters with problems and issues and they weren’t perfect. The secondary characters also helped ground this story. Claire’s relationship with her father isn’t very comfortable and it hurt sometimes to see her dealing with that. The relationship between Claire and her daughter Sam felt very real, warm and relatable and I recognised scenes and emotions from my own family life. I loved how Chris was with Sam and how accepting he was of Claire being a mom.
I liked how all the elements of her life and Chris’ and the challenges of dating someone famous and the obstacles that arise because of who they are were handled. I also loved the heat level in this story. There’s steamy sexy times and warmth and humor and snuggles. It was the perfect combination.
This book made me laugh out loud. It also made me cry. My stomach was in knots for part of their story and I raced through the last chapters desperate to know the ending. I absolutely positively love this book. It hit all my emotional buttons and entangled me.
Here are just a few of my favorite lines…
♦ I caught a glimpse of his eyes and everything turned syrupy. I began searching for words, an intelligent response, and it happened—I became tangled up in his eyes, drawn into them because my mind was convinced there was nowhere else to go. The color was so astounding that it deserved its own name, calling them “green” would have been so dismissive, it couldn’t begin to capture the hypnotic nature of the hue. Apple, forest, grass, jade, emerald, moss, clover—somewhere, there had to be a name for his green.
♦ The heat radiated from him as he drew closer, time moving at a crawl, my mind moving at record speed. I desperately wanted the kiss, despite my miles-long list of doubts. I could feel it in my head before it happened—the protracted version of my teenage daydream.
♦ He groaned, quietly. “But that means nothing to me, seriously. You know, you don’t realize that you’re just as capable of breaking my heart as I am of breaking yours. We have to trust each other.” He granted me a fraction of a smile. “I would say more, but I’m afraid of digging myself a deeper hole.”
♦ “It isn’t fair that I can’t get over you, that I wake up in the middle of the night and feel you next to me even when I know you’re not there.”
If you are a fan of drama, humor and heart with a wonderful blend of bittersweet and delicious sensuality, then you need to read Bring Me Back. I’ve added it to my absolute favorites, the ones I curl up with when I’m down and need to remember to love and laugh and believe in magic.
((hugs))) Kat
The Queen of Tarts
♦ ebook provided for review for my honest opinion.
Bring Me Back is brilliant! It’s heart wrenching, funny, sexy and a dream come true for it’s heroine Claire and for the readers who get swept up into the romance and drama of this book. I loved it! And it’s hero Chris….*sigh* I fell in love with him too.
I loved the opening scene. Claire is writing in her journal in 1986 about her crush on Chris Penmen, the guitarist of the British rock band Banks Forest and how much she loves him. It made me smile and reminisce.
Flash forward twenty-two years later and Claire is a single mom of a high school daughter and working as a music journalist. She gets a career making call when she’s asked to interview Christopher as he’s getting ready to release a solo album. If she can get him to open up it could be a Rolling Stone cover article!
Claire’s reaction is classic and I felt her excitement and panic at the thought of meeting her high school crush. It’s like a fantasy come to life. I blushed for her when she met Chris for the first time and had to keep from babbling like an idiot or staring at him to long. Christopher Penmen!
I love Chris! He’s talented, charming, confident. He’s also wounded and vulnerable. He’s been a musician for a few decades and is accustomed to the fame. He’s also British. Yum! He occasionally says cute British words that made me sigh and I could imagine his accent. Chris opens up to Claire and shares painful details about his past that he hadn’t revealed before.
That’s the beginning of their friendship. There’s chemistry between the two of them and he puts his number into her phone and gets hers. Texts and phone conversations deepen their connection and lead to visits and more… I was so excited for Claire. I felt like my best friend was getting to live the dream of dating her rock star! ;) I loved seeing them get closer emotionally and explore the possibilities of their relationship.
I felt like I knew Claire and Chris. They were very layered characters with problems and issues and they weren’t perfect. The secondary characters also helped ground this story. Claire’s relationship with her father isn’t very comfortable and it hurt sometimes to see her dealing with that. The relationship between Claire and her daughter Sam felt very real, warm and relatable and I recognised scenes and emotions from my own family life. I loved how Chris was with Sam and how accepting he was of Claire being a mom.
I liked how all the elements of her life and Chris’ and the challenges of dating someone famous and the obstacles that arise because of who they are were handled. I also loved the heat level in this story. There’s steamy sexy times and warmth and humor and snuggles. It was the perfect combination.
This book made me laugh out loud. It also made me cry. My stomach was in knots for part of their story and I raced through the last chapters desperate to know the ending. I absolutely positively love this book. It hit all my emotional buttons and entangled me.
Here are just a few of my favorite lines…
♦ I caught a glimpse of his eyes and everything turned syrupy. I began searching for words, an intelligent response, and it happened—I became tangled up in his eyes, drawn into them because my mind was convinced there was nowhere else to go. The color was so astounding that it deserved its own name, calling them “green” would have been so dismissive, it couldn’t begin to capture the hypnotic nature of the hue. Apple, forest, grass, jade, emerald, moss, clover—somewhere, there had to be a name for his green.
♦ The heat radiated from him as he drew closer, time moving at a crawl, my mind moving at record speed. I desperately wanted the kiss, despite my miles-long list of doubts. I could feel it in my head before it happened—the protracted version of my teenage daydream.
♦ He groaned, quietly. “But that means nothing to me, seriously. You know, you don’t realize that you’re just as capable of breaking my heart as I am of breaking yours. We have to trust each other.” He granted me a fraction of a smile. “I would say more, but I’m afraid of digging myself a deeper hole.”
♦ “It isn’t fair that I can’t get over you, that I wake up in the middle of the night and feel you next to me even when I know you’re not there.”
If you are a fan of drama, humor and heart with a wonderful blend of bittersweet and delicious sensuality, then you need to read Bring Me Back. I’ve added it to my absolute favorites, the ones I curl up with when I’m down and need to remember to love and laugh and believe in magic.
((hugs))) Kat
The Queen of Tarts
♦ ebook provided for review for my honest opinion.
June 25, 2013
The latest "thing" in contemporary romance seems to be the rock star romance. Most of the time I leave these alone - as fairytale-ish as the story would seem, I think they are pretty hard to pull off without being cartoonish.
What drew me to this story was that the rock star in question was one the heroine had had a super-duper teenage crush on. She interviews him for Rolling Stone magazine 22 years later and they fall in love. Cool! That's a double-whammy fairytale if ever I heard one. So I downloaded the sample, got hooked on it (just as Amazon intended) and like a responsible Kindle owner bought the book.
First of all, I must tell you all -- IT'S CLEAN. Sigh. Yes, mostly fade to black, not nearly as steamy as my usual romance diet. Although the characters are believable and I liked them, I had a couple of issues. The story is sweet, perhaps a little too? and I wasn't feeling the angst the way I knew I should be. The author classifies this novel as "romantic women's fiction" and I suspect that explains the sweetness and lack of explicit detail in the love scenes. (She has also written a couple of shorter works for Ellora's Cave, and I'm thinking those ones might be more up my alley.)
I loved the premise of this book, and while it didn't quite deliver the goods for me, it was a pleasant read for a Sunday afternoon. I will definitely seek out more of Karen Booth's work.
What drew me to this story was that the rock star in question was one the heroine had had a super-duper teenage crush on. She interviews him for Rolling Stone magazine 22 years later and they fall in love. Cool! That's a double-whammy fairytale if ever I heard one. So I downloaded the sample, got hooked on it (just as Amazon intended) and like a responsible Kindle owner bought the book.
First of all, I must tell you all -- IT'S CLEAN. Sigh. Yes, mostly fade to black, not nearly as steamy as my usual romance diet. Although the characters are believable and I liked them, I had a couple of issues. The story is sweet, perhaps a little too? and I wasn't feeling the angst the way I knew I should be. The author classifies this novel as "romantic women's fiction" and I suspect that explains the sweetness and lack of explicit detail in the love scenes. (She has also written a couple of shorter works for Ellora's Cave, and I'm thinking those ones might be more up my alley.)
I loved the premise of this book, and while it didn't quite deliver the goods for me, it was a pleasant read for a Sunday afternoon. I will definitely seek out more of Karen Booth's work.
May 24, 2016
I'm going to share something with y'all...I was ecstatic to be reading a book where the MCs are my age! :) And, I also had this weird coincidental display of physical mannerisms with Claire - one where I'd do something like pull on my bottom lip or flip my hair behind my shoulder...right before reading that she just did the same thing!
Anyway, this was rather refreshing to read following my last few reads. That's not to say it didn't have its angsty moments. But I delighted in this tale of a woman who's approaching 40 and gets to live out her teenage fantasy of meeting her ultimate teenaged crush.
Now, I didn't chair any fan clubs for bands when I was a teenage but I certainly crushed on some rock stars - Simon Le Bon or Bono anyone?!? Claire Abby's dreamboat was one Christopher Penman; the guitarist for the band Banks Forest. She had very elaborate fantasies of this man including sex in the clouds requiring no birth control.
Nineteen years later, she's a music critic and she's just been offered the chance of a lifetime. Christopher Penman has had a rough go over the past several years. He's endured a nasty divorce and a failed attempt at a solo career. He's now getting his life together and is set to release another solo record. In an attempt for good publicity, he's agreed to an exclusive interview. He never dreamed the sparks would fly - in a good way for once - between himself and his interviewer.
A beautiful romance blossoms between Claire and Chris - one that is allowed to bloom slowly. There are bumps along the way, such as the need to keep their relationship under wraps until the article is published. However, they make their way over every obstacle - eventually - and Claire's dream comes true. The best part, though, is that it's not all dreamy. It's not a glam story about a rock star's life...it's real life and it's very poignant.
One element that makes this story so enjoyable is the cast of supporting characters. Claire's daughter, Sam, is a pistol! And as a mother of a teenage daughter and a soon-to-be teenage daughter - well, although there are some eye-popping moments, I do hope to have and maintain an open relationship with my daughters like the one between Claire and Sam. Claire's dad is such a grumpy old man who's always sticking his nose where it doesn't belong. But he always means well. Even Chris' bandmate Graham was a hoot!
Overall, I adored this book. The title would seem to imply something along the lines of Chris career being revived. However, I feel it's more about real love bringing Chris and Claire to life. And it's a lovely reveal. :)
Anyway, this was rather refreshing to read following my last few reads. That's not to say it didn't have its angsty moments. But I delighted in this tale of a woman who's approaching 40 and gets to live out her teenage fantasy of meeting her ultimate teenaged crush.
Now, I didn't chair any fan clubs for bands when I was a teenage but I certainly crushed on some rock stars - Simon Le Bon or Bono anyone?!? Claire Abby's dreamboat was one Christopher Penman; the guitarist for the band Banks Forest. She had very elaborate fantasies of this man including sex in the clouds requiring no birth control.
Nineteen years later, she's a music critic and she's just been offered the chance of a lifetime. Christopher Penman has had a rough go over the past several years. He's endured a nasty divorce and a failed attempt at a solo career. He's now getting his life together and is set to release another solo record. In an attempt for good publicity, he's agreed to an exclusive interview. He never dreamed the sparks would fly - in a good way for once - between himself and his interviewer.
A beautiful romance blossoms between Claire and Chris - one that is allowed to bloom slowly. There are bumps along the way, such as the need to keep their relationship under wraps until the article is published. However, they make their way over every obstacle - eventually - and Claire's dream comes true. The best part, though, is that it's not all dreamy. It's not a glam story about a rock star's life...it's real life and it's very poignant.
One element that makes this story so enjoyable is the cast of supporting characters. Claire's daughter, Sam, is a pistol! And as a mother of a teenage daughter and a soon-to-be teenage daughter - well, although there are some eye-popping moments, I do hope to have and maintain an open relationship with my daughters like the one between Claire and Sam. Claire's dad is such a grumpy old man who's always sticking his nose where it doesn't belong. But he always means well. Even Chris' bandmate Graham was a hoot!
Overall, I adored this book. The title would seem to imply something along the lines of Chris career being revived. However, I feel it's more about real love bringing Chris and Claire to life. And it's a lovely reveal. :)
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March 12, 2020🎁 FREE on Amazon today (3/12/2020)! 🎁
March 9, 2016
A truly great book isn't just one that will leave you smiling after you finish reading...a truly great book is one that will leave you thinking. I know I just read a truly great book when I find myself talking about it with my husband after I'm done reading. Bring Me Back was one of those books.
Karen Booth (if your not familiar with her other books) has a talent for writing genuine characters. These are characters that you connect to, and can empathize with their feelings. Claire (the lead female character in the book) is instantly relate-able. You will root for her, and perhaps cry with her too.
What can be said about Chris (the male lead)?? Chris is the hunky rock-star man of her dreams. He's the perfect guy...or is he?
This book is a wonderful, thoughtful, delightful read. It explores romance, family, and what happens when a 'dream comes true.' If you're like me, you'll be thinking about the characters long after you read the last page (it really is THAT good).
Karen Booth (if your not familiar with her other books) has a talent for writing genuine characters. These are characters that you connect to, and can empathize with their feelings. Claire (the lead female character in the book) is instantly relate-able. You will root for her, and perhaps cry with her too.
What can be said about Chris (the male lead)?? Chris is the hunky rock-star man of her dreams. He's the perfect guy...or is he?
This book is a wonderful, thoughtful, delightful read. It explores romance, family, and what happens when a 'dream comes true.' If you're like me, you'll be thinking about the characters long after you read the last page (it really is THAT good).
February 20, 2013
Bring Me Back is the ultimate contemporary fairy tale.
Music writer Claire gets an once-in-a-lifetime chance to do a cover story with the rock-star prince she obsessed over as a teenage. Chris is the quintessential rocker complete with a past steeped in sex, drugs and a flopped solo album. Who knew he was a sweetheart on top of being hot, famous and rich? And that these two are perfectly suited?
This is well written. I found the pacing fine (someone mentioned it was slow in places), the description clever and the characters lovely. Though the story is precisely what you think it will be, there are still a few surprises that are wonderfully accurate in an otherwise sweet fantasy of falling for the unattainable legend.
Music writer Claire gets an once-in-a-lifetime chance to do a cover story with the rock-star prince she obsessed over as a teenage. Chris is the quintessential rocker complete with a past steeped in sex, drugs and a flopped solo album. Who knew he was a sweetheart on top of being hot, famous and rich? And that these two are perfectly suited?
This is well written. I found the pacing fine (someone mentioned it was slow in places), the description clever and the characters lovely. Though the story is precisely what you think it will be, there are still a few surprises that are wonderfully accurate in an otherwise sweet fantasy of falling for the unattainable legend.
January 24, 2013
I LOVED this book. I really loved that the characters were older, more mature. I loved the storyline. Aged rocker falls for Rolling Stone writer. Loved it. It was fantastic. The fact that he was British was even fantastic. Really enjoyed this book. Will definitely read more from this author!
January 10, 2017
I enjoyed the hell out of this book!! The story is dense with detail, thoughts and emotion. And the prose are first rate - Ms Booth has a unique way of phrase things with just that extra "something" that had me highlighting over and over again.
The story is about a gorgeous rock star falling for a single mom writer - which could have been really schmaltzy - but instead feels so grounded and real. And I found Claire's relationship with her daughter very relatable.
At times it was frustrating to only be in Claire's head. There were points in the story where I was dying to know what was going on in Christopher's mind!! Looks like we'll get Christopher's POV in book 2 and I can't wait!!
The story is about a gorgeous rock star falling for a single mom writer - which could have been really schmaltzy - but instead feels so grounded and real. And I found Claire's relationship with her daughter very relatable.
At times it was frustrating to only be in Claire's head. There were points in the story where I was dying to know what was going on in Christopher's mind!! Looks like we'll get Christopher's POV in book 2 and I can't wait!!
January 26, 2013
This is a romance you can see yourself in. Remember the poster in your room when you were a teenager? The one you stared at a million times imagining you were Mrs. ....... then 20+ yrs later you get the chance.
I found myself liking the normalcy of this book. This could happen type of thing.
I don't normally read normal, when I read I go for books that I don't see myself in. This was a nice, sweet book with great characters. I truly enjoyed :) And it brought me back to remembering the posters on my walls when I was a teen in the 80's & all the what if's :)
I found myself liking the normalcy of this book. This could happen type of thing.
I don't normally read normal, when I read I go for books that I don't see myself in. This was a nice, sweet book with great characters. I truly enjoyed :) And it brought me back to remembering the posters on my walls when I was a teen in the 80's & all the what if's :)
August 23, 2017
A Dream Come True
Who ever has fantasized about meeting and marrying their favorite rock star should read this book. Karen Booth wrote a terrific story of just that and even though I read rock romances for the fantasy, this one could actually happen. Chris and Claire are a couple worth rooting for. This book ends in a HFN but book 2 is next.
Who ever has fantasized about meeting and marrying their favorite rock star should read this book. Karen Booth wrote a terrific story of just that and even though I read rock romances for the fantasy, this one could actually happen. Chris and Claire are a couple worth rooting for. This book ends in a HFN but book 2 is next.
April 15, 2023
I'm wishing for half stars here, this is a 4.5 star review for me because of the ending. It wasn't a bad ending, it just left me feeling unsettled.
I was pretty excited when the author notified me this week I had won this book for visiting a stop on her blog tour. I love winning stuff and to win a book is doubly good but when you read a book that knocks your socks off, it's like the icing on the cake. First off let me tell you what Bring Me Back is and isn't. This is a complicated love story; it's romantic at times, it's messy at times, it will make you cry, it will make you think, and it will leave you smiling. It isn't full of sexually explicit scenes but they do have sex. It's more implied than anything else but it's there. This isn't an easy fairy tale romance; this couple faces a lot of real issues that at times seem insurmountable. It is absolutely a wonderfully written story about two people who come together by coincidence and find something neither one ever expected.
Claire Abby is a single mom trying to deal with her daughter growing up and moving on. She knows it is happening and she's struggling between trying to remember what it was like to be that age and keeping a level head to offer the best advice she can. She's also just been handed quite possibly the biggest interview of her life the cover story on Rolling Stone of her teenage rock band crush, Christopher Penman.
Christopher Penman is recovering from a nasty divorce and getting ready to release his second solo album of his career. He hopes this album will be everything the last one wasn't...good. He's agreed to an interview with Rolling Stone and has plans to get the story he wants told his way. He never expects to be completely enthralled with the writer they send.
From the beginning of this book, I was hooked. I fell immediately for these two characters. I could easily put myself in Claire's shoes wanting do a great job on the interview of a lifetime yet so enamored with her subject she's worried she'll be easily swayed. Chris wasn't as easy to read, as a rock legend he's use to hiding his thoughts and feelings. I really didn't feel I even knew him until about three fourths of the way through the book. I kind of got the feeling Claire felt the same way. He was easy to like but you just know there is way more to him that he lets anyone see.
I admire Claire for trying to keep a professional distance but sometimes the heart (and body) just wants what it wants and Chris proves to be a worthy opponent. The guy just flat out woos her and it's so hard to resist good woo! More than that I love that he takes an interest in her life and her daughter, it was pretty evident early on her was after more than a sexual conquest.
I can't even begin to explain all the ups and downs their relationship takes but there are a lot. Throughout it all, you could just feel the love building between them and the need they have for one another. It was so satisfying to read and be a part of. The author does a fantastic job of drawing you into their relationship and keeping the momentum going with all the little twists and turns in the plot.
I can't say enough good things about Bring Me Back; it is an epic story full of lust, self doubt, recriminations for actions, and most of all love. My one major complaint while the book left us with a happily for now ending I wanted more. I'm really hoping that Ms. Booth will eventually write Samantha's story (Claire's daughter) so we will get a little peek into how life is faring for Claire and Chris!
4/23 Enjoyed re-reading this one again. I love Claire and Chris and enjoyed being back in this world.
I was pretty excited when the author notified me this week I had won this book for visiting a stop on her blog tour. I love winning stuff and to win a book is doubly good but when you read a book that knocks your socks off, it's like the icing on the cake. First off let me tell you what Bring Me Back is and isn't. This is a complicated love story; it's romantic at times, it's messy at times, it will make you cry, it will make you think, and it will leave you smiling. It isn't full of sexually explicit scenes but they do have sex. It's more implied than anything else but it's there. This isn't an easy fairy tale romance; this couple faces a lot of real issues that at times seem insurmountable. It is absolutely a wonderfully written story about two people who come together by coincidence and find something neither one ever expected.
Claire Abby is a single mom trying to deal with her daughter growing up and moving on. She knows it is happening and she's struggling between trying to remember what it was like to be that age and keeping a level head to offer the best advice she can. She's also just been handed quite possibly the biggest interview of her life the cover story on Rolling Stone of her teenage rock band crush, Christopher Penman.
Christopher Penman is recovering from a nasty divorce and getting ready to release his second solo album of his career. He hopes this album will be everything the last one wasn't...good. He's agreed to an interview with Rolling Stone and has plans to get the story he wants told his way. He never expects to be completely enthralled with the writer they send.
From the beginning of this book, I was hooked. I fell immediately for these two characters. I could easily put myself in Claire's shoes wanting do a great job on the interview of a lifetime yet so enamored with her subject she's worried she'll be easily swayed. Chris wasn't as easy to read, as a rock legend he's use to hiding his thoughts and feelings. I really didn't feel I even knew him until about three fourths of the way through the book. I kind of got the feeling Claire felt the same way. He was easy to like but you just know there is way more to him that he lets anyone see.
I admire Claire for trying to keep a professional distance but sometimes the heart (and body) just wants what it wants and Chris proves to be a worthy opponent. The guy just flat out woos her and it's so hard to resist good woo! More than that I love that he takes an interest in her life and her daughter, it was pretty evident early on her was after more than a sexual conquest.
I can't even begin to explain all the ups and downs their relationship takes but there are a lot. Throughout it all, you could just feel the love building between them and the need they have for one another. It was so satisfying to read and be a part of. The author does a fantastic job of drawing you into their relationship and keeping the momentum going with all the little twists and turns in the plot.
I can't say enough good things about Bring Me Back; it is an epic story full of lust, self doubt, recriminations for actions, and most of all love. My one major complaint while the book left us with a happily for now ending I wanted more. I'm really hoping that Ms. Booth will eventually write Samantha's story (Claire's daughter) so we will get a little peek into how life is faring for Claire and Chris!
4/23 Enjoyed re-reading this one again. I love Claire and Chris and enjoyed being back in this world.
March 18, 2013
Rhayne‘s review posted on Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
4 Stars
Bring Me Back is a romantic modern day fairy tale with an added layer of sexy. This book pulls at your heart strings and plays on your emotions in a way that makes it impossible to quit reading until you get to the conclusion.
Claire is a very independent, strong willed character that is trying to better her career so she can provide a promising future to her daughter. When the opportunity arises to be able to conduct an exclusive interview on her high school band crush, she jumps at the chance. Honestly what girl wouldn’t? She never expected to be able to meet Chris or actually be the one to write about him.
Chris doesn’t give out interviews, ever! He is forced to play his cards when his Ex-wife is writing a tell-all book filled with nothing but lies. He at least needs to get his side out so people can decide what version of his past to believe. Claire happens to be the one chosen for this task. What he didn’t expect was to be drawn to her from their introduction. They have an immediate connection. The chemistry between these two is so strong it all but floats off the pages.
To say this couple has obstacles to overcome is putting it lightly. They deal with his fame and being in the spotlight, horrible ex’s, rough pasts, meddling parents, and that is just to name a few. Both are plagued with self doubt and insecurities. I liked that though. It brought a fresh layer of realism to the story. It wasn’t that one was strong and carried the other. They both struggled and had issues they had to learn to work through.
If you’re in the market for emotional book that is easy to connect with and hard to put down, you will really enjoy this. It’s filled with humor, sarcasm, romance and a cast of side characters that connect it all so well. One thing it’s not filled with is descriptive sex scenes. So if you need that in your books, you won’t find it here.
I’m a fan of spicy detailed sex, but sometimes if it’s written correctly and the characters mesh, detailed romance is better. True love is always sexy!
Review copy provided for an honest review.
4 Stars
Bring Me Back is a romantic modern day fairy tale with an added layer of sexy. This book pulls at your heart strings and plays on your emotions in a way that makes it impossible to quit reading until you get to the conclusion.
Claire is a very independent, strong willed character that is trying to better her career so she can provide a promising future to her daughter. When the opportunity arises to be able to conduct an exclusive interview on her high school band crush, she jumps at the chance. Honestly what girl wouldn’t? She never expected to be able to meet Chris or actually be the one to write about him.
Chris doesn’t give out interviews, ever! He is forced to play his cards when his Ex-wife is writing a tell-all book filled with nothing but lies. He at least needs to get his side out so people can decide what version of his past to believe. Claire happens to be the one chosen for this task. What he didn’t expect was to be drawn to her from their introduction. They have an immediate connection. The chemistry between these two is so strong it all but floats off the pages.
To say this couple has obstacles to overcome is putting it lightly. They deal with his fame and being in the spotlight, horrible ex’s, rough pasts, meddling parents, and that is just to name a few. Both are plagued with self doubt and insecurities. I liked that though. It brought a fresh layer of realism to the story. It wasn’t that one was strong and carried the other. They both struggled and had issues they had to learn to work through.
If you’re in the market for emotional book that is easy to connect with and hard to put down, you will really enjoy this. It’s filled with humor, sarcasm, romance and a cast of side characters that connect it all so well. One thing it’s not filled with is descriptive sex scenes. So if you need that in your books, you won’t find it here.
I’m a fan of spicy detailed sex, but sometimes if it’s written correctly and the characters mesh, detailed romance is better. True love is always sexy!
Review copy provided for an honest review.
February 5, 2017
Favorite Quotes:
I wasn’t drooling… It’s called research.
My mom weighed in on the situation from inside my head, as she was apt to do whenever I was confused. She and I had been exceptionally close when she was alive and somehow our running conversation never ended when she was no longer among the living. She told me to stop being stupid, smile, and eat my lunch. She also thought I should show some leg, but I reminded her that I was wearing pants.
I was wondering how you make everything so perfect. It’s very discouraging for the rest of us.
Do I give you the fanny gallops, Claire?
My Review:
Book one of a box set and I am well entertained and looking forward to the next installment. Bring Me Back was an enjoyable read with a storyline that circles through the full range of emotions and back again, with humor, insight, heartbreak, angst, romance, and steamy love scenes. A writer’s celebrity crush/imaginary boyfriend at age seventeen becomes a work project twenty-two years later that could make, or break, her career and more, but with risk involved. The story was written from a first person POV and I was engaged throughout and enjoyed being in Claire’s head.
I wasn’t drooling… It’s called research.
My mom weighed in on the situation from inside my head, as she was apt to do whenever I was confused. She and I had been exceptionally close when she was alive and somehow our running conversation never ended when she was no longer among the living. She told me to stop being stupid, smile, and eat my lunch. She also thought I should show some leg, but I reminded her that I was wearing pants.
I was wondering how you make everything so perfect. It’s very discouraging for the rest of us.
Do I give you the fanny gallops, Claire?
My Review:
Book one of a box set and I am well entertained and looking forward to the next installment. Bring Me Back was an enjoyable read with a storyline that circles through the full range of emotions and back again, with humor, insight, heartbreak, angst, romance, and steamy love scenes. A writer’s celebrity crush/imaginary boyfriend at age seventeen becomes a work project twenty-two years later that could make, or break, her career and more, but with risk involved. The story was written from a first person POV and I was engaged throughout and enjoyed being in Claire’s head.
February 2, 2014
NOTE: I got a free copy of this book for review purposes.
As a total music geek and former journalism student, I couldn't resist the opportunity to review this story about a music journalist who gets to interview one of her old favorites. I loved the tone and pace of the story and there were quite a few parts that made me smile.
The thing with me is, I love characters. I love reading how they relate to each other and see them overcome emotional obstacles that stand in the way of getting what they want and this book has plenty of it. There are so many things that get in the way here, you are begging by the end to have these characters work everything out. It's a fun and easy read that will definitely take one back to their days of obsessing over a rock star crush, made unique by the fact that the characters are a bit older than the ones in a lot of the other books I've read.
This one is recommended for romance fans.
As a total music geek and former journalism student, I couldn't resist the opportunity to review this story about a music journalist who gets to interview one of her old favorites. I loved the tone and pace of the story and there were quite a few parts that made me smile.
The thing with me is, I love characters. I love reading how they relate to each other and see them overcome emotional obstacles that stand in the way of getting what they want and this book has plenty of it. There are so many things that get in the way here, you are begging by the end to have these characters work everything out. It's a fun and easy read that will definitely take one back to their days of obsessing over a rock star crush, made unique by the fact that the characters are a bit older than the ones in a lot of the other books I've read.
This one is recommended for romance fans.
February 7, 2013
This book made me cry! I read the last part of the book in tears.... I guess because this story is so real???? Even for a fictional romance, this story was something that could so happen! Loved it!
January 24, 2013
Four Stars
I really, really enjoyed this. Full review to come :)
I really, really enjoyed this. Full review to come :)
September 29, 2019
Now that I’ve reached the end of this story, I find that I just don’t have any words to explain where this book took me. It’s a bit of a slower build than I usually go for, but once it reaches it’s peak, it’s an emotional roller-coaster from there. I love the idea of Claire finally getting the opportunity to meet her teenage rock-god crush, and those long-ago fantasies turning into reality. I like that Chris is so real and relatable even though he’s in the middle of a media crap-storm. I don’t know if any of the rest of us would be able to handle what he’s going though in the public eye and do it with the class and grace he does. But he’s also human, which means he’s just as likely to make mistakes as anyone else; contributing to the drama and angst of the story. Don’t get me wrong, Claire’s not immune to making her own mistakes. And that’s maybe one of the things I like best about this story; nobody’s perfect and we get to witness Claire and Chris learn how to be better people.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Booksprout.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Booksprout.
September 21, 2018
2.5 stars.
The famous person dates a regular person trope can be a hit or miss for me. I was a little apprehensive about this one because Claire was a fan of Sam's band when she was a teenager. Still, the book managed to avoid hitting any secondhand embarrassment for me, which is quite a feat.
That said, there was still way too much going on in the last like 30% of this book. A pregnancy! A miscarriage! Breaking up! Making up! Oh wait, maybe not? Yes? Now they're actually going to have a baby. OKAY!!! Whew.
The famous person dates a regular person trope can be a hit or miss for me. I was a little apprehensive about this one because Claire was a fan of Sam's band when she was a teenager. Still, the book managed to avoid hitting any secondhand embarrassment for me, which is quite a feat.
That said, there was still way too much going on in the last like 30% of this book. A pregnancy! A miscarriage! Breaking up! Making up! Oh wait, maybe not? Yes? Now they're actually going to have a baby. OKAY!!! Whew.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 30, 2024
Heartwarming
This love story had me on tears then in jubilation once I read that they stayed together in the end. It was soul reaching.
This love story had me on tears then in jubilation once I read that they stayed together in the end. It was soul reaching.
March 6, 2013
Claire Abby was a single mom who has finally gotten her big break with Rolling Stone magazine. She was getting a feature interview with none other than Christopher Penman, guitarist for her favorite British rock band Banks Forest. Claire was stuck between jumping up and down as the teenage girl she was getting to meet her crush or celebrating that this could be just what she needs to ensure she can send her teenage daughter to college. When she meets Chris, she finds he's not at all what she had imagined in her teenage mind or what she had read in the scandal sheets. He's flirty, fun and has a way of making her forget about everything except how she feels when she's with him. But when reality, in the form of Chris' ex-wife, Claire's ex-boyfriend and the tabloids, enters their relationship will they be able to stick together as a team or will they walk away?
Chris and Claire were incredible complex people. The each had their own emotional issues that made getting involved with one another complicated. But when it came down to it, they were best when they were together. They balanced each other out. Chris was not only Claire's lover, but her best friend. She could open up to him about things and know he wouldn't judge her the way her father or sister would. For Chris, Claire (for lack of a better term) rooted him. She gave him a sense of family and of worth, something he'd desperately been missing with his ex-wife. Together they were a strong unit that could face anything together.
There were times when they let their insecurities from the past creep into their relationship. But it wasn't only their insecurities that did a number on them. In the end, they had to figure out what was better, living a life of agony without each other or fighting to get past this hurdle and be together.
There was something about this book that I just loved. I'm not sure if it was the fact that the Claire and Chris were my age or if it was because Claire was able to live out every teenage girls dream and catch her rock star prince. Whatever it was, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read that had me from start to finish.
Chris and Claire were incredible complex people. The each had their own emotional issues that made getting involved with one another complicated. But when it came down to it, they were best when they were together. They balanced each other out. Chris was not only Claire's lover, but her best friend. She could open up to him about things and know he wouldn't judge her the way her father or sister would. For Chris, Claire (for lack of a better term) rooted him. She gave him a sense of family and of worth, something he'd desperately been missing with his ex-wife. Together they were a strong unit that could face anything together.
There were times when they let their insecurities from the past creep into their relationship. But it wasn't only their insecurities that did a number on them. In the end, they had to figure out what was better, living a life of agony without each other or fighting to get past this hurdle and be together.
There was something about this book that I just loved. I'm not sure if it was the fact that the Claire and Chris were my age or if it was because Claire was able to live out every teenage girls dream and catch her rock star prince. Whatever it was, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read that had me from start to finish.
March 8, 2023
Be ready to pull an all-nighter as you won’t be able to put this down!
Claire Abby is presented with her inner 17 year old self’s dream, meeting her rock star crush Christopher Penman. She’s given the chance to bolster her music critic career with a cover story for Chris who is notorious for avoiding any personal questions. What she didn’t expect was to end up in a relationship with Chris and all the triumphs and pitfalls that come with his fame. Bring Me Back takes you from Claire and Chris’s initial meeting and explores their attempt at looking for a way to make a relationship lasting living on opposite sides of the U.S.
Karen Booth has a hit on her hands with her first full-length novel. She pulled me in from the very beginning, made me laugh at times (I fell apart at the Petri dish reference), and gave me that familiar ache in my chest when I get to that part of a book where it can bring out my own emotions from relating to what the characters are going through. She gives the right amount of description to detail so you have an idea of the surroundings. Her characters are believable right down to Chris’s British expressions (you can’t just say someone is British and give them an Americanized vocabulary so kudos to her on not doing that!) and Claire’s teenage daughter Sam and her antics.
When I get sucked into a book and say “this is the last chapter and then I’m going to bed”, I feel that’s my best way of saying it’s a great book. The end left me wanting to know more about them and maybe even wanting to hear some things from Chris’s point of view.
Claire Abby is presented with her inner 17 year old self’s dream, meeting her rock star crush Christopher Penman. She’s given the chance to bolster her music critic career with a cover story for Chris who is notorious for avoiding any personal questions. What she didn’t expect was to end up in a relationship with Chris and all the triumphs and pitfalls that come with his fame. Bring Me Back takes you from Claire and Chris’s initial meeting and explores their attempt at looking for a way to make a relationship lasting living on opposite sides of the U.S.
Karen Booth has a hit on her hands with her first full-length novel. She pulled me in from the very beginning, made me laugh at times (I fell apart at the Petri dish reference), and gave me that familiar ache in my chest when I get to that part of a book where it can bring out my own emotions from relating to what the characters are going through. She gives the right amount of description to detail so you have an idea of the surroundings. Her characters are believable right down to Chris’s British expressions (you can’t just say someone is British and give them an Americanized vocabulary so kudos to her on not doing that!) and Claire’s teenage daughter Sam and her antics.
When I get sucked into a book and say “this is the last chapter and then I’m going to bed”, I feel that’s my best way of saying it’s a great book. The end left me wanting to know more about them and maybe even wanting to hear some things from Chris’s point of view.
April 15, 2013
Karen Booth has crafted a compelling story about life, love, and second chances. The thing I loved most about Bring Me Back is that Ms. Booth wasn’t afraid to show the imperfections of every day living and the fact that life and relationships are often complicated and messy. However, it’s how you handle those complications that make all the difference in the world. The sex was smoking hot, yet sensual and will make you tingle in all of the right places. The drama is as good as any Lifetime movie and will take you through a myriad of emotions that range from sadness, to confusion, to anger, to happiness. I must warn you that there are several tear jerking moments, so be sure to have a box of Kleenex nearby. If you haven’t picked up a copy of Bring Back by Karen Booth, then do so today. You won’t be sorry. Ms. Booth has hit a home run with this riveting story that’s full of life, trials and tribulations, joy, but most of all, love.Read More...
September 22, 2014
It is rare for me to read books in this genre. The author herself unknowingly persuaded me to do so. She has a love for Duran Duran, her Twitter posts are delightful, hysterical, and articulate. I was sold. I am very glad I was. This is a gem.
I identified with Claire Abby on multiple levels. Karen Booth artfully conveys the teenage mind in the beginning and the struggles of single parenthood, family dynamics, and romantic relationships of adulthood. I laughed- a lot. I cried- a lot.
The characters are well developed and alive on those pages. I will be devouring more of her works. This book had every element I need to not only be transported out of my body and into another world but also to connect with things inside of myself.
Bring Me Back brought ME back to sleeping memories long ago forgotten. What a fun and surprising ride!
I identified with Claire Abby on multiple levels. Karen Booth artfully conveys the teenage mind in the beginning and the struggles of single parenthood, family dynamics, and romantic relationships of adulthood. I laughed- a lot. I cried- a lot.
The characters are well developed and alive on those pages. I will be devouring more of her works. This book had every element I need to not only be transported out of my body and into another world but also to connect with things inside of myself.
Bring Me Back brought ME back to sleeping memories long ago forgotten. What a fun and surprising ride!
March 9, 2016
Remember when you were younger and you use to daydream of the rock star you had a crush on, and getting a chance to meet him? Well this story will remind you of those days. Claire is a music journalist who is given the opportunity to interview Chris the Rock Star she crushed on when she was a teen. Meeting Chris is a dream come true and a finally a chance for a cover story with Rolling Stone. When they become friends and the attraction grows strong, she must think about how a relationship would affect her career. When they move forward toward a relationship, it seems perfect. But rough waters are ahead. Can this work and is it really love?
Displaying 1 - 29 of 164 reviews