Lennon Reborn: A steamy, emotional rockstar romance

4.5 stars — Well, that was another emotionally loaded book! It was a fantastic end to what has been an emotionally charged series full of characters that make me feel so much. Lennon was both not at all what I was expecting, and yet made total sense at the same time. I think that was a hard thing to balance, b/c he’s a serious dick in the previous books, and so I, as a reader, really needed to understand what was behind all of that. I get the impression that this author does a lot of research, so I feel more comfortable in trusting the existence of the things that affect her characters. It was heartbreaking to finally hear about Lennon’s past, and how that shaped him both emotionally and from a psychological perspective. My heart hurt for him from the very first scene of the book, and just kept getting put through the ringer with all the new challenges he was facing. But he also made me feel so hopeful. I truly believed in his transformation…in how Georgia managed to finally connect with him on his level, and convince him of his worthiness. I appreciated the steps he eventually made to get help. I found the disability fascinating as well. As someone able bodied, I can’t speak to the nature of how Ms. Cole dealt with that, but it didn’t feel ableist. It felt like it was treated with respect. But I’d look to others for more educated opinions on that. I kind of loved that Georgia’s life was so remarkably different from Lennon’s, but she suffered from her own form of neglect and lack of love. My heart hurt for her as well, though I sometimes had a harder time remembering that it was most of what she knew, and not getting cranky with her when she held on to some things. I loved that she was so smart, but also extremely compassionate. In the end it was really the relationship that they developed that was the stand out. And most of that was because Georgia brought out honesty in Lennon by being honest with him and not playing games. I loved how upfront she was, how she didn’t hold things back, how she took the time to truly *see* him, and she wasn’t afraid to show him that she saw him. And through all of that, she encouraged Lennon to finally feel comfortable enough to open himself up and be honest himself. That connection was something truly spectacular, and I loved the chemistry that they had. It was emotional, but also extremely playful. I think my only complaint is that the book sometimes felt shorter…or maybe parts of the relationship between Lennon and Georgia felt fast. But maybe that was just me. I just remember being at 77% and thinking that I had expected for more to have happened. But it kind of settled in with those last 20%, so maybe it worked? Maybe I’m just greedy? As always, it was nice to see the family we’ve fallen in love with as it’s grown. There was somewhat less of that in this one, just by the nature of the story, but what was there was great. So yeah. Emotional, heartbreaking, uplifting, playful, sexy. I really enjoyed my time with the boys of Preload. I think Jordan’s still my favourite though. 😛

Lennon McCartney is the drummer for Preload and while heading to their final show before a scheduled several months break when they are involved in a devastating accident. Georgia Starr, a premier pediatric neurosurgeon, just happens to be driving, which she rarely does, by and quickly jumps in to help extricate the band members and their family from the bus. This is how she meets Lennon and her medical care is what saves his life, medically and emotionally. Lennon was deeply depressed prior to the accident but after he turns everyone away. Georgia has it all. A thriving career but she will never have the approval of her father who seems to have a control over the rest of the family. Georgia is drawn to Lennon in ways she could not fathom and days after the accident turned up in his hospital room and the band members (his family) are their but getting nowhere with him but she steps in and she is the light in his world. Watching Lennon and Georgia come to grips with their budding friendship that sparks into so much more was beautiful but watching the healing that happens to both Lennon and Georgia as they each come to grips with what their lives need was told in a way that was thought provoking and emotional. Make sure you have tissues handy when reading this one! This can be read as a standalone. I have not read the other books in this series and was not lost at all. That being said, I am going to have to find the other books about the rest of the "family" because these "brothers" are fascinating. **Received this ARC for review from the publisher via NetGalley**

Oh my gawd!!! My heart was literally shredded over Lennon and all he had survived in his life. A more broken hero, I’ve never met. If ever there was a man that needed unconditional love it was him. His thoughts were so dark, his heart unable to acknowledge anything other than rejection. With a soul that had been bleeding his whole life, Lennon was unable to find any freedom from the pain inflicted upon it. He knew with certainty that there was nothing out there for him. My soul bled for him in return. Fate brought Georgia and Lennon together at one traumatic moment that would change Lennon’s life in so many different ways. Even as she lays her hand upon him to reassure him of her presence, she can feel the jolt of life that resides inside of him, a recognition that he has so much more to give. And so, her fight begins. Lennon had the most atrocious childhood imaginable. While his bandmates find love, peace and happiness, he’s still on the sidelines as a place holder, waiting for the moment when they will walk away from him. When Georgia forces herself into his life with her nonjudgmental manner and cool professionalism, he finds moments of time when the aching need to just end it all fades away. My gawd, did I respect the heck out of Georgia! She took on a task that most would’ve walked away from. And more importantly, she refused to go into this relationship with anything other than truth. There were no games played here. No lies told to protect themselves. When it might have been easier at times to toss out a blasé comment, they held tight to being who they were. A very rare occurrence in romance books. There is so much more to Lennon Reborn than just boy meets girl, etc. It was so freaking heart breaking, I mean truly heart breaking. I cried so much over Lennon’s abusive past, his present as he struggled to accept his current status, and the future that he was too afraid to hope for. There are layers upon layers to Lennon and Georgia and I absolutely adored every one that was revealed. All of that to say: This, my friends, is a true love story, not just a romance. A love story.