I loved so much about this book - but I also have huge issues with parts of it... Hence I found it hard to rate this book
It's a friends-to-lovers story, with a bit of second chance romance - two tropes I quite enjoy reading. It's a slow burn, far too slow with a lot of angst and despite the HEA, I was left disappointed with a number of things.

Kit was nice but not great. I understood where she was coming from and I could accept her infatuation/love for Noah despite all the things he did to hurt her. She came off as too good to be true at times but I liked her overall until a specific moment towards the end when she made what a consider an irresponsible and plain wrong decision.

Noah was a very interesting character - bad boy rocker, a player on the outside but a deeply scarred person, bitter and disappointed and scared on the inside. He tried to keep Kit at the distance, too ashamed of his past, unable to accept her love. His reaction to what had happened to him was heart-breaking and the way he went about his life because of that was not healthy or healing.

I felt the story showed that it was Kit who saved him, that (true) love had this all-healing superpower and the message that you only need love to make things right is not one I'm really comfotable with. What went like a very much realistic, more or less plausible story suddenly lost all conenction with reality for me. It became of fairytale of the power of love which I don't mind on principle, I enjoy reading it in fact. It's just that it didn't fit with the trauma Noah had suffered. The problems he's been struggling with for decades don't just disappear on their own because a nice woman has fallen in love with him.

I can see how their connection can help them both be happier, content but to refuse and totally disregard any professional help is not OK for me. I was a rather unpleasantly by this development of the story, furthermore, Ms Singh had already dealt with similar issues of past hurt/trauma in a much convincing way in the previous book in the series, Rock Hard.

It may appear that I'm fixating on just one aspect of the story but it really bothered me and it's the main reason why I didn't end up liking this story very much.

There was moments of the magically beautiful writing I've come to expect from Ms Singh and Noah could be great at times but it wasn't enough to make me like this story more than OK

Two caveats: I seem to have read a different book than the one I’ve seen reviewed (yes, that’s a hint–don’t read on if you are easily offended), and one of the protagonists is a survivor of child abuse. Read on at your own risk.

Rock Redemption, by Nalini Singh

Kit’s and Noah’s story has been blatantly set up pretty much from the beginning of the series–there’s a very telling scene in Rock Addiction that can be likened to a neon sign flashing: “look! future book protagonists right here!”

Perhaps that’s why, even though I always intended to read their book, I wasn’t as fired up about it as other fans of Ms Singh.

And perhaps that’s why it’s so easy for me to find flaws in the story, the characters, and the writing.

See, this is one of those books where pretty much every trope–and the proverbial kitchen sink–make an appearance. I know I’ve read, and loved, books with an overabundance of trope, but this was not one of them. Not by a long chalk.

Quick and dirty summary: Kit has been friends with all members of Schoolboys Choir, but finally her friendship with Noah is getting more intense and personal. Then he sets her up to find him fucking a groupie (and no, that’s not an euphemism–that’s literally what happens on the page), for her own good, dontcha know. A couple of years later, Kit is still dodging a stalker, and Noah is still fucking anything that moves. Then, because reasons, they have to fake a romantic relationship–which, natch, leads to the real thing.

Throw in “neglected little rich girl” and “twice victimized survivor of sexual abuse as a child,” with a side of “secondary character set up for future book,” and you have this novel.

But see, pretty much anything can be reduced to a few sentences of snark, if one is so inclined. Generally speaking, I’m not so inclined. This is, as a matter of fact, an aberration, and one that gives me no pleasure whatsover.

I mean, I really, really liked the previous book, on so many levels!

My problem with this one is, that I found the writing so freaking overwrought, that I could never suspend my disbelief enough to sympathize with the characters. From the first page, and on throughout the book, Kit “hugs” things to her heart, her stomach dips, her blood pounds–keep in mind, she and Noah haven’t even kissed at this point, which makes her sound as if she had the maturity of your average thirteen year old.

We are told, ad nauseam and in minute detail, what these two characters feel, to the point that there’s nothing left to read between the lines, let alone to feel.

As an example, here’s an early quote (from the prologue):
“A high-heeled shoe lay on the carpet by the room service tray. The shoe glittered under the lights, sparkly gold with a four-inch stiletto heel.
At that instant, it felt as if that heel were embedded in Kit’s chest, the pain of it burning and burning. She knew she should turn around and leave, but she couldn’t. She had to know, had to be sure. Noah meant too much for her to make a mistake or have doubts.
Heart squeezing and lungs barely drawing in enough air to keep her from passing out, she made herself walk across the floor to the open bedroom door.”

The passages from Noah’s point of view are no less, well, overwrought.

To add insult to injury, the set up for the last book, Abe’s and Sarah’s story, is shoehorned in, taking up way too much space on the page that could have been used to actually develop the main characters.

Instead, there are so many things that are glossed over, it’s not even funny.

We have a manwhore who drinks himself stupid all the damn time–yet we are supposed to believe he has never caught an STD, and has never forgotten to wear a condom, while fucking one, two, or three groupies a night, for years on end.

And oh, by the way, his liver is also fine and dandy, thank you for asking.

And, despite being drunk often–which equals impaired judgement–Noah has never used drugs. Because Kit despises drug addicts, you see. And, of course, alcoholics are known for their strength of will and clarity of purpose.

…

Seriously? No, really–are we honestly expected to ignore all reality here?

I hate to write this, but this story could have used a ruthless content editor–there is both too much, as you can see from the quote, and too little, when it comes to actual characterization.

It may be that reading this story while in the throes of the worst reading slump ever makes me a far less forgiving reader than I might have been otherwise, but in all honesty, I don’t think so.

This is the one Nalini Singh book that I’ve received an ARC for, that I’m not buying a copy for my library.

Even worse, I don’t think I’ll be able to read the final book in the series after the ham-handed set up from this one.

Rock Redemption gets a 5.50 out of 10.

Rock Redemption
Rock Kiss, Book 3

I Picked Up This Book Because: I fell in love quickly with this series and Nalini Singh’s writing.


The Characters:

Katherine “Kit” Devigny:
Noah St. John :

The Story:

Kit is way too good for Noah and I honestly can’t sit and listen to her be in love with him while he uses her to be his friend. I am sure there is an amazing story here but I don’t have the patience to get there.

The Random Thoughts:

*DNF so no rating

I'm loving this series, and this was a great installment! Kit and Noah were wonderful characters, and the storyline kept me interested throughout.

Noah betrayed Kit in a horrible way in order to keep his secrets. He agrees to pretend to be her boyfriend, but suddenly it all seems too real.

Loved this one and can't wait for more!