When I read a book I definitely take into consideration the genre and intended audience before giving a star review and I certainly don't do lower star ratings often because these authors pour themselves into their work and that deserves a lot of credit. But this book felt like a rough draft. Passages were long and drawn out with extra detail that was unnecessary to move the plot forward and if it was a paper from a student, the red pen would have been out to excess. There were decisions between both the leads that I didn't feel supported the personalities the author wanted to create. Overall I felt there was something missing. Guess this just wasn't the read for me.
This book was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Hell's bells.
Jackson Paige was, in fact, Jax Pain, the drummer of Manix Curse.
That thing in Jami's chest tightened, making it hard to breathe.

When attorney Jami Dillon strides into the conference room to meet her new client, she's stopped in her tracks by an all-too familiar figure. Jackson Paige. He's her tall, tattooed, and sexy as hell hook up from law school-who also broke her heart.

Jackson Paige, aka Jax Pain, has worked hard to put that unfor-frickin-gettable fling behind him and the nasty secret that made him leave her. Truth is, life as the playboy drummer of Portland's hottest metal band hasn't helped him to forget the fiery, sexy woman who stole his heart. Lucky for him, Jami was just hired as his band's new attorney. But when he sees the look on her face when she realizes who her new client is, Jax wonders if maybe being this close to her again isn't such a great idea. The explosive chemistry is there, but so are the dark secrets...

JamiLynn Dillon is a buttoned-up lawyer. She had her wild youth and paid a steep price for it. Trying to make her parents happy she became a lawyer and is a damned good one – not that the job she’s working in takes advantage of that. She constantly wants to please her parents and has a plan for her life. Jackson Paige, the guy she had a month-long fling with in law school, is not part of that plan. She had once thought he might be but after he up and left her, and school, one day without a word or backward glance she quickly wrote him out of the plan. Now he’s back in her life and making things messy. She doesn’t want to feel things. She doesn’t want him messing up her thoughts or making her question her job but he does those things anyway.

Jackson never forgot Jami and regretted his decision to leave her the minute it happened. Now that she’s back in his life he knows that it’s right and he’s willing to fight for the woman he wants in his life forever. He just has to break through to her and make her see the Jami he sees – not the one she’s created to please her parents. She’s stubborn, however, and Jackson must do all he can to get her to see that they belong together.

Beautiful Mess is book 2 in the Rock ‘n’ Ink series. The story of Jami and Jackson was a sweet one and I enjoyed watching the two of them work out their differences.

Jackson was a great guy who had left law school and taken his life back. He’d only been there to please his father but the artist in him finally pushed to the forefront and won the fight. He is now an mixed media artist and tattoo artist as well as the drummer in an up and coming metal band. I loved how he went after what he wanted – including Jami – and didn’t let her objections get in the way.

Jami took a bit for me to get used to. In fact never really truly loved her character. She was so wishy-washy. I know that was because of her parents and how she’d lived her life with their expectations in mind but her indecision and stubbornness got a bit old after a while.

The story itself was good and I liked a lot of it. There was some repetitiveness to it that bothered me as it seemed like Jackson and Jami were constantly hammering out the same issues but there was enough good parts to the book that I could forgive the other. This book, imho, can’t be read as a standalone. You truly need to read book one in the series as you will get lost with all the characters coming in and out of the book. If you read book one in the series and liked it you’ll definitely want to read book two and see Jax find his HEA.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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Beautiful Messis is a rock star love story between former lovers Jackson and Jami. The plot was interesting, character well develop, there are a few steamy scenes. Both Jami and Jackson were ok. Jami was caught up in making her parents happy that she became shell of herself. What it bother me with the story was repetitive of same thing all over again and again. The end for me was also not much likable but it was HEA.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for Netgelly

Both Jax and Jami are a mess. But I think that the trophy goes to Jami. She has been so concerned with what her parents think that she has molded her life to fit their expectations. It takes Jax to finally realize that she wants something different.
Beautiful Mess is a great second chance book with a bad boy trying to get his good girl to loosen up.

3.5 Stars

This was my first book by this author and going into it, I didn't realize that it was a series. However, I think it can still be read as a standalone, without too much confusion.
I think the author's writing style was very good- but it was a little slow in parts and I had to force myself to keep reading it.
I enjoyed parts of this book and the characters definitely had a great connection and chemistry- but I think something was missing.

The concept of the story is not new but I really liked the characters, it was very well written and who doesn't love a good bad boy second chance romance.

Fun book. I enjoyed reading the book and encourage you to read it if you love a good romance. I really liked the characters and found the story line easy to read and fast paced

Kasey Lane's "Beautiful Mess" is the story of the one that got away and what happens when you get a second chance. Despite everything that should keep them apart, Jax and Jami fight for themselves and each other when they reconnect five years after Jackson left Jami without a word. But will love be enough? 4/5 stars.

Beautiful Mess,  Kasey Lane

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre:  Romance

I really wanted to like this book, loved the description, have a weakness for rock star trope so...but, though it was an ok read it didn’t have any real magic for me.

I found myself skipping the sex scenes, there were Loads, page after page after page...or that’s how it felt. I don’t mind that normally, I love sensual spicy reads where a good story has lots of sex, but that’s the issue for me here.
The story just wasn’t strong enough, it all very, very overdone, storm in a teacup stuff, with supposedly old enough to manage their lives people being ruled by parents.

Given Jami’s career path its clear she’s a strong individual, she doesn’t live at home, doesn’t need her parents money and I just didn’t see why she let them rule her life.
Her past – it was difficult but she dealt with it, her brother was great, a strong support and I couldn’t see why she was still letting parents dictate her life.
Likewise when she meets Jax after five years she has that first reaction, lets him say and do things to her, turns into a simpering giddy girl, doing whatever he wants instead of saying “what the he ll, Jax, why did you leave?”

Then the same tired old reasons come out, they are OK, do provide an excuse but for me weren’t really right for this story, didn't fit the people, and let to a tale that felt a just a bit off.
It could have been better, could have been worse, but was just an ok unmemorable read for me.
As usual others love it, which brings me up to the make-your-own-choice warning. Just because it didn’t work for me doesn’t mean it won’t work for you, but if you’re looking for a solid story, lots of band stuff, characters that are well rounded and independent ALA Kylie Scott/Olivia Cunning then you’re not likely to find it here.

Stars: two and a half, there were a few parts I enjoyed but overall its a story that didn’t cut it.

ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers

4.5 starts. overall good read. great chemistry