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Jessica Topper

Forfatter af Louder Than Love

6 Works 130 Members 9 Reviews 1 Favorited

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Image credit: Jessica Topper, copyright Jay Blakesberg

Serier

Værker af Jessica Topper

Louder Than Love (2013) 54 eksemplarer
Dictatorship of the Dress (2015) 36 eksemplarer
Courtship of the Cake (2015) 17 eksemplarer
Softer Than Steel (2015) 12 eksemplarer
Deeper Than Dreams [novella] (2015) 10 eksemplarer

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I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. It was a lot...richer than I'd been expecting and I really enjoyed it.
 
Markeret
tanaise | Jul 17, 2022 |
Jessica Topper's debut novel, Louder Than Love is an emotional and powerful story of healing. It is also a beautiful romance between two wounded individuals who unexpectedly find love. But before they can reach their happily ever after, Katina "Kat" Lewis and Adrian "Digger" Graves must move on from their heartbreaking pasts.

Needing a musician for a children's show she is heading up at the library, Kat Lewis tracks down the singer who sings the opening song for her four year old daughter Abbey's favorite show. When Adrian shows up for the performance, Kat has no idea who the tattooed artist is but she does know that he is a little older and a whole lot sexier than she anticipated. An instant and mutual attraction between them leads to an unexpected romance but will the ghosts of their pasts stand in the way of their future?

Three years after her husband Pete's tragic death, Kat is still grieving his loss. She is not only mourning Pete's death, she is also mourning the loss of their dreams for themselves and Abbey. A bittersweet portrait of their marriage is revealed through flashbacks and Kat's memories of the love they shared are positively heartrending. She is surrounded by a group of loving and supportive friends and Kat has created an insulated, safe world for herself and Abbey. While she is quick to explore her attraction to the mischievous and fun loving musician, Kat finds it nearly impossible to open up about her past.

What's not to love about Adrian? He is charming, sexy and soo wonderful with Abbey that he pretty much steals your heart right from the start. Of course, he has many hidden depths to explore and once his rock star past is revealed, Adrian is pretty open and honest with Kat. He does not make excuses or sugarcoat his excesses and mistakes. Adrian owns his past and he takes responsibility for his missteps, failures and shortcomings. Kat's inability to confide in him leaves Adrian unsure and vulnerable and it is no surprise when he jumps to a conclusion that derails their relationship.

And speaking of their relationship, wow, it is incredibly sweet, sensual and romantic. The chemistry between them is scorching hot and their lovemaking is full of strong emotion right from their very first encounter. The intimacy they share is so intense that there is an almost voyeuristic feel to their love scenes. Their conversations are so personal it feels like eavesdropping when they finally reveal their deepest, darkest secrets.

Jessica Topper has an uncanny ability to draw the reader into the story so that they experience firsthand the agony and the ecstasy of the characters. The hustle and bustle of New York springs vividly to life whereas the serenity of Kat's hometown Lauder Lake is calming and quite soothing. The end result is an emotional investment in the final outcome of this enthralling story.

Louder Than Love is an amazing journey that is full of raw emotion, deep sorrow and incredible joy. I found impossible it to put down and I hated that it had to end. A truly incredible novel that I highly recommend.
… (mere)
 
Markeret
kbranfield | 5 andre anmeldelser | Feb 3, 2020 |
Softer Than Steel is the second installment in Jessica Topper's fabulous rocker series, Love & Steel. This leisurely paced romance between guitarist Rick "Riff Rotten" Rottenberg and yoga instructor Sidra Sullivan is quite captivating and delectably sensual. Although characters from the previous novel in the series make guest appearances, it can be read as a standalone but I HIGHLY recommend the other books in the series as well.

Rick is thrilled to be reunited with his former band mates but now their latest tour is over and they are back in the recording studio, he is having difficulty focusing on their next album. With a bad case of writer's block, mounting anxiety and a raging case of insomnia, he is getting pretty desperate for some relief from his stress. After yet another panic attack, Rick takes a friend's advice to give yoga a chance and he is delighted when he discovers his new instructor is the woman he unsuccessfully tried to charm when they met by chance a few days earlier. Sidra shares his attraction, but she does not mix business with pleasure and after having her heart crushed by her musician ex-boyfriend, she is really not in any hurry to become involved in another relationship.

Now in his mid forties, Rick's life is full of changes. His three sons are now grown and on their own and he is having a little trouble coping with his empty nest. Although it has been fourteen years since her death, he is still deeply mourning the loss of this beloved wife, Simone. He is also still wracked with guilt and regrets from the mistakes he made in the years leading up to her death. Reuniting with his band mates is a dream come true, and while Rick is ecstatic to be back in the business, there is unexpected tension between the band members as they try to strike a balance between work and their personal lives.

Sidra is a warm, caring and compassionate woman who is very devoted to her family. She is slowly building her yoga business and she also helps out in her cousin's second hand record shop. Her relationship with her ex-boyfriend ended when she found out he was cheating on her and she has no intention of dating another musician. Sidra does not trust easily and this becomes a major problem when she jumps to conclusions about Rick throughout the course of their romance.

The relationship between Rick and Sidra is fairly slow growing and Rick displays a surprising amount of patience as he tries to win Sidra over. They each carry significant baggage from their respective pasts and these unresolved issues lead to many of the problems between them. Both of them find it difficult to open up and communication is one of the couple's biggest issues. Sidra's mistrust leads her to jump to conclusions when she misconstrues Rick's involvement in a situation concerning her family and she is not easily persuaded to give him a second chance.

Softer Than Steel is a wonderful addition to Jessica Topper's Love & Steel series. The characters are vibrantly developed with realistic flaws and issues to overcome. The romance between Rick and Sidra builds at a unhurried pace and it is quite enjoyable watching Rick patiently work his way through Sidra's somewhat formidable defenses. Although the conflict between them is rather easy to predict, their separation provides both characters with an unexpected opportunity to make some much needed changes in their lives. All in all, it is another highly entertaining novel that old and new fans are going to love.
… (mere)
 
Markeret
kbranfield | 1 anden anmeldelse | Feb 3, 2020 |
Loved, loved this book. I was sucked into the world and carried on the roller coaster ride. Entire afternoons gone in a blink! It's my favorite kind of book - both characters have big flaws and heavy baggage, and a long road to go to their HEA.

A wonderful debut.

Anyone know where I can find a guy like Adrian? Wow.
 
Markeret
Laura_Drake | 5 andre anmeldelser | Aug 19, 2016 |

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Statistikker

Værker
6
Medlemmer
130
Popularitet
#155,342
Vurdering
4.0
Anmeldelser
9
ISBN
10
Udvalgt
1

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