Release Blitz: Behind the Lights (Social Sinners #1) by TL Travis (Review)

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Length: 172 pages

Blurb

Joey Hayes and his best friend Ricky Branson have been together through the good times, as well as the bad. Attending their first concert as teens set the path for their futures in motion. Shortly after, the pair joined band class where they meet Ethan and Mick and the foursome formed the metal band, Social Sinners.

Things were going according to plan until Lucas Shane entered their lives, disrupting the flow and testing the strength of their friendship.

When Joey spirals down a dark path after catching his cheating boyfriend, this tasked the other three band members with making a difficult decision that could end his career as their lead singer.

Book 1 is the only book in the series that can be read as a stand-alone.
Book 1 – Behind the lights (MM)
Book 2 – In the shadows (MM)
Book 3 – A heart divided (MMM)
Book 4 – Beyond the curtain (MM)
Book 5 – After the final curtain (MM/MMM)

3.75 Stars

This was an enjoyable read, but I wouldn’t necessarily categorize it as a gay romance. It was more like watching an episode of Behind The Music featuring the band, Social Sinners. We follow Joey, whose POV the story is told from, through events of his childhood, from his mother abandoning him and his father, his friendship with his best friend, Ricky/Stoli, to their meeting Mickey and Diamond, their future bandmates. We take this journey with Joey as he comes out to Stoli, who also happens to be gay, and his father, to them forming their band and, of course, we see Joey’s relationship with his boyfriend throughout most of the story, Lucas, who I despised! 

The first half of the story was slow and I found it hard to hold my attention at times, once the band starts touring, the story moved along better and was much more interesting. While the story is well-written for the most part, some of it was really overly-detailed. I don’t need to know what’s on Joey’s sandwich or what Halloween costume he’s wearing. It was all a bit too much at times. 

What I really loved, was watching these four young men form this literal band of brothers. They were a tight-knit bunch, along with their respective family members, and although not related by blood, they are what real families are made of. They stick together and support each other through the ups and downs. 

Even though I enjoyed the story, I wanted more romance. Honestly, I felt a bit cheated that it took so long for Joey to open his eyes and find who he was truly meant to be with, something everyone could see but him. I wanted to see and get to know and enjoy them as a couple and I’m sad I didn’t get that chance, but this is only book one in the series, so I’m really hoping to see more of them in the future. While not my favorite story, it was enjoyable and recommendable! 

*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***

Author Bio

TL Travis is the author of The Sebastian Chronicles along with numerous other erotic novelettes (and many more in the works), The Elders Trilogy - an erotic paranormal (Vampire) romance novel series and many non-fiction articles.

In her spare time she likes to fish, enjoy all the Pacific Northwest has to offer, spin spicy erotic webs for readers to enjoy, and rescue any 4 legged lost souls she comes across. Since her children are grown and have flown the coop, she’s taken to spoiling her two deaf white boxers even more so than they were before.

To view TL Travis literary and photography works please visit her website at www.tltravis.com
TL Travis can also be followed on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/tltravisauthor
Or via twitter at http://www.twitter.com/tltravis1

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