"Once upon a time, the pressure to be the perfect daughter her demanding mother needed nearly broke Mikayla Whitman. Desperate to find an outlet, she picked up a pair of drumsticks, forever altering the rhythm of her life. Since then, she’s been determined to make her own way, finding her home with her bandmates even as she fights to keep her past and her present firmly separate. The only thing Tyrell Baldwin loves more than his books is his solitude. Recently released from prison for a crime he didn’t commit, he’s searching for a fresh start. Taking a job as a tour-bus driver for an up-and-coming all-girl band might seem like a strange fit for a man allergic to the spotlight, but he can’t deny there’s something about getting a front row seat to the meteoric rise of the Lillys…especially if that means getting closer to fierce, enigmatic drummer, Kayla. Their connection is intense, but when a tabloid exposé threatens to destroy Ty’s newfound peace and Kayla’s carefully guarded secrets, Kayla’s forced to make an impossible choice: pursue her dream and risk destroying everyone around her? Or give in and let an industry famous for chewing girls up and spitting them out claim another bright young star?"
"Blake Dillon isn’t exactly living the dream. She longs to follow in her grandfather’s footsteps and make a difference in the world as a journalist. Unfortunately, her current job has her paying-off hotel staff for celebrity gossip. Tasked with shadowing a film star for an in-depth profile, Blake sees it as a chance to finally prove her worth. She never expected the interview to reconnect her with her old college crush.
Oliver Benjamin agrees to move to Los Angeles to work as the executive assistant to his best friend, a rising star. He hopes it will give him some direction. However, he soon discovers the only difference between being a frat boy and a Hollywood heartthrob is the amount of free stuff and the level of media attention. Ollie spends most of his time putting out fires, leaving little time for anything else. When Blake is sent to chronicle their lives, he finds himself face-to-face with the one that got away.
Blake and Ollie are smart enough to recognize the signs—there are enough sparks between them to melt glass—but they agree to put a lid on it until the article is finished. Much easier said than done when they’re forced to spend more time together than apart. There’s more going on than a simple interview, but they’re both professionals. They must resist temptation or risk unraveling both their lives."
"Her name's Antonia 'Toni' Bennette (yeah, she's heard all the jokes before) and she's not a rock star. Neither are the Lillys—not yet. But the difference between being famous and being almost famous can be a single wrong note... or the start of something that'll change your life forever. Growing up in dive bars up and down the East Coast, Toni Bennette's guitar was her only companion... until she met Sebastian Quick. Seb was a little older, a lot wiser, and before long he was Toni's way out, promising they'd escape their stifling small town together. Then Seb turned eighteen and split without looking back. Now, Toni's all grown up and making a name for herself in Philadelphia's indie scene. When a friend suggests she try out for a hot new up-and-coming band, Toni decides to take a chance. Strong, feminist, and fierce as fire, Toni B. and the Lillys are the perfect match... except Seb's now moonlighting as their manager. Whatever. Toni can handle it. No problem. Or it wouldn't be if Seb didn't still hold a piece of her heart... not to mention the key to her future."
"Scottish ex-pat Frankie Llewellyn lives and breathes music. Working late nights at WKMP, a radio station in suburban Philadelphia, he can play what he wants, sleep in every morning, and no one gives him any grief. No one but his most recent ex-boyfriend. Frankie is a serial monogamist, but after this latest break-up, he’s worried he’ll end up alone with nothing but his records to keep him warm at night.
When the station hires someone to do some much-needed renovations, Frankie is horrified to find out the work will be done during his overnight shift. But it makes the most sense, so he’s resolved to take one for the team. After he meets the mysterious contractor, a gorgeous, lumberjack of a man named John Burton, Frankie decides it may not be such a hardship after all.
John is reserved, and a bit mysterious. Quite the contrast to Frankie’s drama-filled life. But, as their friendship grows, John’s quiet presence has Frankie singing a new song."
"John Burton has Franklin Llewellyn humming a new tune.
***
After a messy break-up, Frankie thought he’d never find someone that really got him, especially his unique relationship with music. His ex called it an obsession, but it goes well beyond that. Music is Frankie’s lifeblood, and he’s always struggled to explain it.
Then John Burton crash-landed into Frankie’s world. Attentive, curious, and supportive, he's everything Frankie’s ever wanted.
Frankie doesn’t know what it is about Johnny, but that he can’t stay away. Being with him is like listening to his favorite album on repeat. Johnny becomes as much of an addiction as Frankie’s beloved vinyl collection, but their budding relationship proves to be just as fragile.
When things between the pair shift from friendship into something more, Frankie finds himself overwhelmed by emotions he’s never experienced. He worries he’s in over his head, but it doesn’t stop him from taking whatever Johnny is willing to give.
As wonderful as Johnny is, he's clearly hiding something. It’s an errant note in an otherwise perfect melody. The late-night texts and phone calls that Johnny won’t fully explain leave Frankie feeling adrift. Alone in an emotional freefall.
When Frankie discovers a secret from Johnny’s past, it's a record-scratch moment. Can Frankie look past it and continue their duet? Or is he destined to go solo?
~
Author's Note: Let the Music Play picks up after the events in When Frankie Meets Johnny."
"As a nineteen-year-old, wunderkind doctoral candidate, Ian Waters had little interest in social interaction. Books were his companions, and that had suited him just fine. Then a hurricane named Jessen Sørensen blew into his life, throwing Ian off his axis. On the cusp of rock stardom, Jessen had burned brightly, and Ian had fallen heart-first under his spell. But Ian soon learned he was only a temptation, a pit stop on the road to the rocker’s dreams, and Jessen was gone as quickly as he’d come. Ian buried his heartache in academia, the only home he’d ever known.When Ian encounters Jessen at a party, the seven-year separation seems insurmountable. There’s too much pain, too much distrust. But Jessen declares he has a new dream, and that’s a life with Ian."
"Sometimes there's a moment when you know you've screwed up. For Camden Skinner, it's the night a dead pop star walks into his pub.
As one-half of Skin, an agency which specializes in cleaning up behind the ultra-rich and infamous, Cam has gotten used to getting his hands dirty. A little too used to it. After the young singer at the center of a client's controversy is found dead, Cam decides he's out. He walks away from Skin in search of a simpler life. Maybe even a shot at redemption.
Redemption arrives in the form of Yara Bujold.
The singer's meteoric rise to the top surprised no one more than Yara herself. All she ever wanted was to make music. Caught up in the dark underbelly of the industry, Yara is forced to fake her own death. But she can't hide forever.
Yara tracks down one of the principals at Skin, the very people that helped to tear her down. She'll force Camden Skinner to make it right, whatever it takes. What she doesn't expect is remorse from the man that helped to ruin her. And she certainly doesn't expect to lose herself in him.
Cam finds himself sucked right back into a world he'd hoped never to step foot in again, but he can't walk away. He has to fix this. Not only for himself, but for her. For Yara. Because she might just be everything he didn't know he needed. She just might be everything."
"Subzero. That’s what folks around the league call Constantine Zimin, hockey’s best defenseman. He’s unflappable. Stoic, even. No cracks in all that ice, not until he meets Suji Meriwether. The pediatric nurse has no time for bad-boy jocks who want to use her patients as props. But as soon as they meet, temperatures rise and their defenses fall.
Editorial Reviews:
4.5 Stars
Finally, a book...about a love that that is new and exciting. No long, lost love in The Warm Up but a love at first site for two people who deserve it in their lives. The Warm Up was explosive. I got to enjoy a little bit of my home state where hockey is as big as football and baseball. And, Xio Axelrod made it very easy to enjoy the relationship between these two, beautiful people. - Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
This was fun love story between Zim and Suji. I laughed out loud during the first few minutes of their meeting but that was soon replaced with some hot chemistry and then some more laughing. Definitely some romantic comedy going on here. I loved it. - Bea's Book Nook
The Warm Up by Xio Axelrod is fresh and exciting in the city of love, Philadelphia.
I love it when the heroine is strong, determined and a force to be reckoned with. This spicy story is sexy, witty and hot. I look forward to reading more from this must read author. Everyone should have a sister like Suji and a man like Zim in their lives. - Books I Love a Latte"
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