Loud is How I Love You
Hub City, Book #1
By Mercy Brown
Author’s Website: http://www.mercybrownwrites.com/#who-is
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi
Emmylou, lead singer of the indie band Stars on the Floor (aka Soft), has just made this biggest mistake of her life and broken one of the big rules of being in a band. She had sex with a bandmate, her guitarist, Travis. And, even worse? It was the best sex she’s ever had!! She can never let it happen again. NEVER! But when she tells Travis how she feels, it hurts him pretty bad. But he knows she’s freaking out and tries to appease her and get to a place that she’s okay with the situation.
They do give into their feelings for each other, but decide to keep what they have secret from the rest of their band. But when another band couple (different band) have an explosive breakup, it sends Emmy reeling once again. And she tries putting Stars on the Floor before what she has with Travis. Above all she can’t ruin the band. But can trying to protect the band be what ultimately destroys it?
I really enjoyed this book, especially in the beginning, I couldn’t put it down in the early going.
A handful of pages in and I read this:
Travis,” I whisper, like I’m trying to get his attention in a movie theater. He glances up at me, shifts his eyes to the side to check for supervillains or anyone else I might be wary of hearing me.
And I instantly know that I love Mercy Brown’s writing style and that she’s an author I can definitely get behind.
But then the conversation continues and I realize something else … I’m already in love with Travis! He’s an easy laid back guy with a sense of humor that you can’t help but smile at. I would love to have a best friend just like him.
“What?” he whispers back. Then he hands me the syrup.
“What happened last night …” I start to say, but I can’t continue because I am choking on the awkward.
“Was really awesome?” He finishes the sentence for me with a crooked smile and I die. Then he lowers his voice to a whisper again. “I thought so, too.”
“That’s not what I was going to say.”
“Really?” he asks in mock surprise. “Because last night you seemed to think it was pretty awesome. That is, if all the orgasms were any indicator.”
Now I’m choking on my coffee and ready to hide my own face in my napkin. He’s got a verifiable point, though.
“Wait, you weren’t faking it, were you? For my ego’s sake?”
I shake my head no.
No, I wasn’t faking it, and no, you are not teasing me about this. No, you are not.
“Travis, I’m serious.”
“I’m sorry,” he says. “I’m serious, too. Last night really was awesome.”
My only problem with this book is Emmylou’s constant flip-flopping when it comes to a relationship with Travis. I felt bad for the guy as she continually pushed him away. And, for the most part he kept taking it, and he was much better about the situation that I would ever be. That must be love, right? But I felt this on again off again romance, made the book repetitious and even boring at times. And her constant need to push him off on Millie and then get jealous got really old too. We all know how pissed she would have been if he had turned to Millie.
“What about Millie?”
“Millie?” he says, spinning back around to face me. “Oh yes, Millie Vagaboss. Let’s definitely talk about her.” His sarcasm really isn’t bad for a Midwestern boy.
“It’s none of my business, really,” I say as I realize I don’t actually want to hear this, most likely.
“No, no, it’s your business, especially since you gave her your blessing to basically dry hump me in the van last night.”
“What the hell?” I think I feel my nostrils flaring, but I really hope not. “I did?”
“Yeah, thanks for that,” he says. “She told me you said there’s nothing going on between us, and you were cool if she hooked up with me, like I’m some guy in your personal boy harem and you’re giving me to her as a token of your appreciation.”
“It was so not like that! Are you kidding me?”
“She was really drunk,” he says. “But that was the gist of it, yeah.”
Now I’m mad. I have no idea why, since I basically did tell Millie she was free to go for it with Bean.
“What’s wrong?” he says. “Did you really expect to find her hiding in my closet? Were you going to fight for my honor or something?”
“Stop making fun of me.”
“Stop giving me to your friends like I’m some kind of manslut.”
But the book does get back on track at the end and I loved how the author included the lyrics to “Loud” at the end of the book. “Loud” is the song that Emmy and Travis wrote in this book that is the anthem to their relationship and of course where the title of the book comes from.
I thought this was a strong first book in a series for a new author and I can’t wait to see what happens next!!
“Loud is how I love you
Loud is how I know you’re there
Stay loud so I don’t lose you
I will follow the sound of you anywhere”
And for a little eye candy… this is how I pictured Travis… Alex Pettyfer. Photo Credit IMDB.COM
