- Dirty Like Me: A Hot Rockstar Romance (Dirty, Book 1)

This was my first foray into anything written by author Jaine Diamond, and oh, my, goodness, it will definitely not be my last! “Dirthy Like Me”, the first of Diamond’s “Dirty” series books, is a dreamy and rather poignant tale of emotional trauma and being consumed by a fear of love and relationships so tangible the angst drips off of each and every page throughout. Within is the story of Katie Bloom and Jessie Mayes, Jessie being the beyond god-like guitarist for the world famous rock band Dirty, a man publicly known for his rock and roll ways both on and off the stage, now attempting to blaze a new path by releasing his first solo album. And Katie, an emotionally broken young woman trying to reclaim her life after a horrific break-up years earlier, a torturous event no woman should ever have to endure, and one that has left her humiliated and mentally battered and bruised. When a chance encounter between the two in the office of Katie’s best friend and talent agent extraordinaire Devi results in a spark all within the room but them can see, they are set upon an unexpected path that will alter both their lives irrevocably. What follows is a story so heartfelt, so emotionally all-consuming it not only alters Jessie and Katie’s lives but will alter yours as well! Diamond’s prose and plot here are easy and fluid like warm caramel, sliding its emotional highs and lows along your senses so slowly, almost painfully so, it will set your nerve endings aflame with the most maddening, yet delicious sensations. Here the author gives us a male protagonist so sweet and earnest in his worry and care for a woman he didn’t want or expect (all while fighting his own fears, doubts, and frustrations) will have you swooning repeatedly. And Katie’s struggle to put her broken pieces back together and not only live life again, but fully embrace and trust it instead of hiding away from the world consumed by fear and doubt, will have you shouting at the universe for extra strength to help her heal. And when the two of them finally collide, it is perfect and blinding. Theirs is a story that will claw at your soul while simultaneously making you laugh out loud with its sharp wit and refreshing candor. And the dialog, by Gods will the dialog between these two stamp itself upon your heart and stay with you long after you finish the last page. It is a wondrously heart thumping, anguish filled story bursting with all the feels in the universe, and you will eat up every word only to crave more!

Good rockstar romance of the softer variety. Of all the rockstar romances I've read (and that's not a lot, but a decent amount), I'll file this one under 3rd favorite. The Words by Ashley Jade is 1st. Revel by Shey Stahl would be 2nd. Some are just so over the top obnoxious and nonsensical that I get disgruntled trying to read them. I'm constantly on the hunt for a good rockstar book that has more of a realistic air to it without it being cheesy. This book definitely hit that mark. While I enjoyed this story, it did get slightly dull at times. Overall, it was smooth sailing. And that was my biggest issue - it was almost too smooth. I wanted a little bit more excitement. Regardless, it was a good time. It didn't go down any ridiculous or sensational roads that made me want to scream in frustration. Very thankful for that! I appreciated the even tone the book kept all the way through. The writing was really good, as was the character dialog. There were some really funny moments that were so good I had to reread them. It was a relaxing fun read. I'm on the fence about continuing the series because I've read multiple reviews about this being the best one out of the series. That makes me nervous to proceed because even though I liked this book, I needed a little bit more from it to accommodate my personal reading preferences. That's a me issue, of course.

Jane Diamond is an amazing wordsmith who creates real and gritty characters then tosses them into Quirky, Fun, Emotional, Steamy & Sexy situations After almost two years Katy is ready to try dating again after being dumped at the alter by a jerk of an ex. After years of studio albums and band tours Jesse is going it on his own to promote music co written by his wayward model sister. When these two meet unexpectedly, a music video and an unusual work contract are made with very sexy results. Hearts are broken, love is found and the end leads us to our next book. It’s a trippy journey with mind melting sex and some good laughs for balance and of course a bit of drama and angst. So far I have read this book 6 times and I’m sure I will hit double digits in my lifetime. It’s a easy to read steamy feel good romance that pulls you in quickly and keeps you up all night to finish. This is the first in the series so get ready for a long journey. I suggest wine and ‘toys’ like Katy buys in New York… Enjoy

Katie is just a regular girl; her life is normal, involving baking and walking her dog. She is even a skateboard-riding hot mess. I love her don’t give a darn attitude. Hanging out with her best friend, who happens to work with the rich and famous of Vancouver. Unfortunately, her bestie is super busy, and it is time for her to get her own life and maybe start dating. Oh snap, the chance encounter with Mr. rockstar in her friend's office lands her (Katie) a job being a model in his newest music video playing his fake girlfriend. But the chemistry between Jessie and Katie is off the charts. The music video scenes are supposed to be fake and not so intimate, but it is the start of smoking hot and combustible. Her dog Max in this book is fabulous and such a character. A job offer, a little more info, and maybe she might just be insane. I love that she is a starving artist, but so normal and down-to-earth. Meanwhile, I think Jessie might be thinking with other body parts. The rockstar lifestyle is fast-paced and far from her everyday lifestyle. Will Katie take this adventure and tour? This trial party is a bit overwhelming, definitely melting, and then comes to a screeching halt when the ex shows up, maybe she has something for rockstars. She does eventually agree, and the tension in this book is tighter than his guitar strings. Both of them are adding lust to the scale while also faking the relationship, having the forced proximity, and of course, all the sizzling interactions. Jessie is a very spicy person, and his constant touches, kisses, and words of affection get Katie smoldering quickly. But can they remember this is fake? If that isn’t hard enough of a challenge, now they have a bet in place on who will fail first. Things finally go volcanic and super sizzling as they get intimate on the tour bus. I guess the forced proximity, devolving feelings, and tension just finally hit a breaking point. The intimacy doesn’t stop. I hope you like it sizzling like her burnt bacon. The breakup in this book will wreck you, I mean, you see it coming, but omg it is emotional as heck. Jesse and Katie are both developing feelings, but neither is great at communicating, and neither is willing to admit more than a business arrangement or that the fake relationship is at play, at least not to the other. I think Jessie probably needs to think more with his brain, but Katie also needs to communicate better, so miscommunication is a total thing in this romance. The end of this romance has me teary-eyed. As they finally both find love with each other. The epilogue switches to his sister's pov and reveals her dirty little secret, but you have to read the next book to get the details, as the books in this series are interconnected standalones.

What's better than a fake dating x rockstar romance combo?! Throw in the rockstar fake dating an "ordinary girl" and I'm hooked. This was a super cute romance yet hot romance. The chemistry between Jesse and Katie was off the charts from the beginning and the tension while waiting for the chemistry to reach the breaking point was *chef's kiss* so good. I love how opposite these two are but yet still have enough in common and they make sure a great couple. It quick paced, the spicy was great, and the plot flowed well. Overall, super enjoyable rockstar romance I'm looking forward to where this series goes next.

Here's what was good: this author's writing style. And how well edited the book was. The author's description of the characters was brilliant: i had a clear picture in my head of each and every one of them. I really like the way she writes. What wasn't so great: there was a very definite lack of conflict in this book. In fact, this was one of those books that, if the hero and heroine had simply had a conversation about their concerns, this would have been a very, very short story, albeit with a happy ending. Instead, they (mostly the heroine because for some reason, most of the book is written from her POV) told the reader (over and over and over), but never each other. **Mild spoiler alert** The first 60% of the book was the hero and heroine doing a ridiculous amount of kissing, sleeping nekked together, and dancing around their very obvious and very mutual attraction - and nothing at all was keeping them from banging except for the heroine's (unspoken - she never actually said anything to him, just made an assumption) fear that the hero was a man wh*re and the hero's refusal to push the heroine into anything (mad props to the author for that bit of his personality, by the way). Inevitably - and finally! - they capitulated, and then the next 20% of the book was them going at it like no human could ever possibly manage, although to be fair, that was an obscene amount of build up, so eh, I'll give it to them. At this point, the author threw in a little tidbit that could, possibly be construed as something of an internal conflict for the hero, but really was a setup for the next book. And then there was a happy ending, because this is romance, and that's literally the definition of the genre, which of course is why I read it. That said, what I enjoy most is the journey, especially when it's exciting and there is a black moment where you wonder, how in the heck can they POSSIBLY get through this to the happiness at the end??? And that stressful, nail-biting buildup-slash-moment was what was missing in this otherwise enjoyable and incredibly well written book. All that said, at the end, there was a teaser for the next book in the series, and if the teaser is any indication, that book really does have internal conflict that needs to be sorted out, so I am highly tempted to read it.

I know a book is truly exceptional when not even partway through I'm wishing that the characters were real. I'm an AVID reader (almost 10,000 books over the past 22 years). I love that both perspectives were given and it wasn't just in a third person which always leaves me wondering about many details in a story. Jesse is incredibly sexy and you could feel the heat for yourself. Katie was a normal, regular person but clearly very sexy herself. Her strength and sense of self worth are so impressive too. Jesse could ONLY have ever been happy with Katie. The fears and insecurities of each came across very well. This story takes you on a ride that is engaging at every moment and makes you glad you got in the car. Kudos Ms. Diamond. I'm about to buy the rest of the series and then check out the rest of your books.

Super fast paced and kept you hooked! I would definitely recommend, I finished it within one day. Definitely reading the rest in the series!