Synopsis:
From bestselling author L.J. Shen, comes a new, standalone, contemporary romance.
It should have been easy.
I needed the money. He needed a babysitter to keep him from snorting himself to death.
I was cherry-picked especially for him. Responsible. Optimistic. Warm. Innocent.
The worst part is that I should have known better.
Alex Winslow. British rock star. Serial heartbreaker. Casanova with whiskey eyes.
“Don’t get near the devil in a leather jacket. He’ll chew you up and spit you out.”
Guess what? I didn’t listen.
I signed the contract.
World tour. Three months. Four Continents. One hundred shows.
My name is Indigo Bellamy, and I sold my soul to a tattooed god.
Problem was, my soul wasn’t enough for Alex Winslow. He ended up taking my body, too.
Then he took my heart.
Then he took my all.
Review:
Midnight Blue by L.J. ShenMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Alex Winslow Rocked My World
Alex Winslow - The perfect jerk, bad boy and heartthrob we all want to hate but can't help but love. *sighs*
Midnight Blue is the first book I have ever read by L.J. Shen and I have to say that Shen not only has a way with words but she also knows how to write bad boys to a T.
Alex Winslow is the epitome of bad boys. I have met my fair share of fictional bad boys over the years and Alex gives all my favorite book boyfriends a run for their money. *swoons* Seriously! He's perfect and I mean it in every sense of the word. ;)
I have a feeling that a lot of readers took a while to warm up to Alex and I honestly don't blame them, because as much as I love Alex, I have to admit he was a HUGE jerk. Despite his asshole ways, I couldn't help but love him from the very beginning, assholeness and all.
I literally had a love hate relationship with the man and wanted to both slap and kiss him at the same time.
I have a keen eye when it comes to bad boys and can always see little glimpses of the good in them shining through and Alex was no exception to this. He pissed me off more times than I can count and yes, I admit he could be so cruel at times BUT I happen to have a huge soft spot for bad boys like him, because underneath all the dickheadedness, douchebaggery and cockiness, there was a good guy who had been wronged in so many ways and the only way he found he could cope with his reality and the sh*t he was dealing with in life was to use drugs and drink alcohol. Was that the best choice? No, obviously not. But he found solace in it all until it nearly ruined his career. Him being the cocky rock star he was, didn't see any of this, and thought he was fine but he was far from fine. Alex was literally falling apart at the seams and hit rock bottom.
The worst part was that he couldn't see that he hit rock bottom, because he was so angry with life. He constantly hurt those around him and was so bitter he couldn't be bothered to care. He simply went on, hating life and hating his ex. Fallon.
Alex hates Fallon so much, he wants to get back at her for having cheated on him, and plans to steal her back from the man who stole her from him, just to hurt her like she hurt him. He's so blindsided by his vengeance he doesn't see he's ruining his life and hurting those around him just to get back a woman, who clearly didn't care about him enough in the first place. He doesn't see any of this though and lets his vengeance drive him until his poor decisions lead him to hit rock bottom.
He goes to rehab and gets clean to go on tour with his band, but when he gets out, he struggles to stay clean because old habits are hard to break and the temptation is everywhere. He resists but it's not easy for him. His demons are always there. Tormenting him. Tempting him.
Alex struggles to hang onto his sobriety by a thread and nearly loses himself to his demons. But fate works in unusual ways sometimes and puts him on the right path to start straightening out his life and his career. When this happens, his path happens to align with Indigo Bellamy aka Indie. His new nanny.
To Alex, Indie is the worst thing to ever happen to him when in reality she is the best thing to ever happen to him. He just doesn't realize it and treats her like total crap from the very first day he meets her, but Indie is not one to easily stand down and shows him from the very beginning she won't take his crap and makes it very clear that she is there to do her job and that she will not let him get in the way of that. She needs the money to help her family, and is determined to see the job through no matter what Alex says or does, because her family is her first and biggest priority.
Indie puts up a fight from the very first day and this amuses Alex to no end. He tries just about everything to get her to quit. He humiliates her and uses her, and treats her and everyone around him like crap, but I knew from the beginning it was a defense mechanism and that underneath the rough exterior was a good guy. He just needed a chance to show it and when he did, I found myself highlighting each and every moment, because it was rather endearing to see the good in him shining through. He tried to be a jerk even in those rare moments he was kind and caring, but nothing, not even his asshole ways could overshadow those moments where the good in him really came through.
Indie was the first to really stand up to Alex and when she put her foot down and didn't quit like the rest of his nannies he began to warm up to her, and slowly but surely and without him even realizing it, Indie started peeling back his layers and got the real Alex to start showing.
Underneath all the douchebaggery and bad boy facade was a guy with a genuinely good heart that just needed love, compassion and maybe just a little polishing. Who am I kidding? A lot of polishing! But being with Indie made a world of difference, because she brought out the best in him even if he didn't realize it. She even inspired him in ways he didn't understand.
Alex stupidly used Indie, thinking he could just take what he needed and dispose of her later, but when it comes to matters of the heart things aren't that simple and when one person is around you constantly, watching you, taking care of you, getting to know you and showing genuine concern, feelings are bound to flourish and flourish they did.
When their feelings blossomed and sparks flew, their chemistry reached a whole other level! Alex and Indie seriously had some of the hottest chemistry and steamiest moments EVER! I won't spoil any but one of my favorites was the bathroom scene in the mile high club. It is steamy AF and may require lots and lots of fanning and a cold glass of water. Consider yourself warned. ;)
Get ready and climb aboard the Alex and Indie train! It is going to be one very bumpy and HOT AF ride but it is worth every second! I promise! Even in those moments you want to slap Alex right across the face. He is worth it no matter how much he pisses you off. I pinky promise! (Hot gifs ahead. Consider yourself warned.)
Midnight Blue was a worldwind adventure I'll never forget. It taught me that no matter how broken a soul is, there is always hope. Hope for the better. Hope for the future. Alex found all that and more in Indie the day he met her and never looked back.
Midnight Blue is a 5 star read for me and one of my absolute favorite reads of 2018! I cannot recommend it enough! Read it!
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Favorite Quotes:
- “Mr. Winslow, I’d be
more than happy to purchase a pack of adult diapers for you. In fact, I
think they’d suit you just fine, considering your behavior.” Where had
Jenna found this girl, and how could I send her back to whatever
hellhole she’d come from before she boarded the plane with us on
Wednesday? I smirked, my elbow still against the wall, raking my
callused fingers through my long hair.
- Time stood still. I still hated her. I still wanted her gone. But for the first time since she tagged along, I was starting to suspect she might not be as useless as I’d originally viewed her. It was that curve between her neck and her shoulder that did it. I wanted to bite that spot, produce blood, and write the lyrics of my next song with it. And the fucked-up thing about it was that this was my train of thought when I wasn’t using.
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