The Rocker That Holds Me by Terri Anne Browning {Review}

Touring with four rockers is the thing of dreams… At least that is what people tell me. To me those four rockers are my family. They have watched over me from the time I was five years old. Protecting me from my mother and her drunken, drug addict rages. When they made it big they still watched over me. And when my monster of a mother died they took over as my guardians. In the six years since that happened I have watched over the four men that mean everything to me. I take care of them just as they once took care of me. I handle all the dirty work behind the scenes of a rockers life. It isn’t always pretty. At times it came be damn near disgusting, especially when I have to get rid of their one night stands. Ugh! Taking care of them doesn’t bother me though. I mean it’s not like I’m in love with one of them. That would be crazy. Falling for a rocker is NOT smart. Okay, so I’m not smart. I love my guys, and one of them kind of holds my heart in his big old rocker hand. But I’m dealing. I’ve been able to keep it my little secret for years now. I’m not, however, dealing with this bug that I seem to have caught. It scares the hell out of me. I hate doctors, but I’m suddenly more worried about finding out what is wrong with me than what the doctor might do to me. When I get my test results back my life will never be the same again… ***Because of language and adult situations not suitable for readers under 17***

My Take:

I can't handle abuse in any way shape or form, especially reading about it so when this book opened up on a young Emmie getting beaten by her drunken mother I almost lost my shit. She runs off afterwards and tries to find Nik who is like family and always takes care of her after her abuse. When she doesn't find him she hides under his trailer and falls asleep not knowing that Nik and his friends are looking for her. When they finally find her they clean her up and feed her and protect her. That was just the damn prologue! When we come to present day Em is on tour with Nik, Jesse, Drake, and Shane who make up the band Demon's Wings. She is sort of their assistant but not really because they are all like family to each other. We find out that they guys made it big in high school and when Emmie's mother died they took her on and basically raised her. She goes on tour with them and takes care of them, making sure they have what they need to function onstage and off. 

When Emmie starts to get sick and has to be rushed to the hospital for exhaustion that ends up bringing another shocking discovery for her and the band. They have to figure out a way to get past this mystery illness and remain a team. The band decides to take time off from their tour to take care of Emmie. The whole time Emmie is fighting her intense feelings for the bands lead singer Nik and has loved him secretly for years. They are brought together by this unexpected news and start to connect on a level that is more than friendship, but jealousy on both their parts could keep them apart for good.

WOW! First of all this was a novella and packed a serious punch in just a short time. I am finding more and more that rocker stories are becoming my new favorite. I wasn't expecting to love this story but I fell ass over elbows. With Emmie being abused my heart was instantly hers. She was just a little girl and the abuse she suffered broke me even though it wasn't described but that one instance in the prologue. I loved the relationship between her and these four guys who have taken care of her since she was little. Watching them bathe her and bandage her wounds after one particular beating was heart wrenching. I can't imagine why someone would have a kid only to beat and abuse them and it makes me want to saw mother fuckers in half and wear them like suits!

Nik was the most amazingly amazing male character. Being a young teen on the cusp of Super stardom and taking care of Emmie when she needed him was the most beautiful moment in a book I have read. When he sees how badly she has been hurt it brings tears to his eyes and that's when I lost my shit. Seeing him so torn up over her was my undoing. He was so gentle and loving with Emmie and it wasn't about them being a couple because she was much younger than him. It was just a beautiful moment between friends that will tug at your heartstrings. You can really tell how much he cares for her as the story progresses and he starts seeing her in a different light. The transition between these two was done perfectly. There are brief looks at their back story that shows the reader how they got where they are when the story begins.

The rest of the guys make wonderful supporting characters. Emmie is closer with Jesse the bands drummer than the rest and that makes Nik a little jealous especially during a highly emotional scene in the book. I won't spoil anything even though the catalyst might be predictable it was still a welcomed surprise. I kept thinking "Surely the author wouldn't throw that in because that's kinda predictable". I had convinced myself that wouldn't be the case but when it gets revealed I was still shocked because there is a little bit of mystery still. I loved the added tension this Revelation brought to the table. The banter between the guys and Emmie is hilarious and real. If you could imagine touring with a bus load of hot dudes and the shit that gets said this book covered it. I couldn't get enough of these guys and thankfully I found out there will be continuing stories involving them all. 

Even though this book was a quick read I loved it so much! I can't say it enough! I want to snuggle with this sum bitch and have it read me bedtime stories and tuck me in at night. It had everything you would want in a good steamy story. Drama, Romance, Sexy rockers and hot sex! I can't wait to read the next one! trust me when I tell you that you can't go wrong with this book!

Favorite Quotes

For just a second I let my eyes linger on Nik. With his voice that fucked a woman from the inside out and those ice blue eyes half hidden behind a curtain of thick, sooty eyelashes, there wasn't many females that would ever be able to say that Nikolas Armstrong didn't affect their libido even marginally. ARC 14%

"Give me a second, beautiful. If you move right now I'm going to embarrass myself and blow inside of you way too soon." ARC 54%

'There hasn't been anyone in my bed in months! Jesus Christ, Emmie. Are you blind? Can't you see how I feel about you?" ARC 90%

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