Rating: 4 stars
DISCLAIMER! I got this ARC from NetGalley in return for a fair and unbiased review.
David Rivera, known as the Gentleman of Rock for his nice manners and penchant for wearing bespoke suits, is the drummer in famous rock band Schoolboy Choir. He's in love with Thea Arsana, the band's publicist, and has told her about his feelings, but she has a firm policy not to mix business with pleasure. That's even before you factor in the fact that her last boyfriend was a complete bastard, who she walked in on, having sex with a younger woman, so she has natural trust issues with guys. So David pines in silence for Thea for months, until her younger sister, Molly, suggests that he send her a memo. Yup. Not an e-mail. Not a tweet. A memo. He takes her advice.
The memo arrives just as Thea is going off on vacation, and David's carefully worded arguments start to make Thea waver. She does some thinking, then refutes his every persuasive bullet point with one of her own. She's charmed, though, and they continue sending memos back and forth. David knows about Thea's relationship history, they were friends before he fell for her, but even then, he never liked her ex. He knows he needs to work hard to persuade Thea that he will never cheat on her and is willing to do anything to make her happy. They continue to communicate via memos, text messages and on the phone. Thea is worried that entering into a relationship with him will ruin their friendship, and if they were to end badly, it would affect her career and his band. With his patient courtship, David wins her over.
This romance is pretty much exactly the opposite of Rock Addiction, where the couple go from insta-lust to insta-love in less than a month. David and Thea have known each other for a long time. They were friends, and Thea is naturally wary about jeopardising what they do have by taking it to the next level. Their courtship is slow and gradual and David is very sweet and romantic. When they finally decide to start a romantic relationship, it feels earned.
As I said in my review for Rock Addiction, I really like the supporting characters in these books and while the last book didn't exactly thrill me, this novella has ensured that I'll continue checking out Nalini Singh's contemporary romances. I'm assuming the other members of the band have to find their own HEAs at some point.
Crossposted on Cannonball Read.
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