Sweet Surrender is book 2 in the Backstage Pass and follows Jase Gizmodo (Gizmo) as he tries to repair his reputation in order to go on tour with his band.
About Sweet Surrender
Gizmo is the drummer for the hot rock band, Bent. He has a history of acting or reacting before thinking things through. It is one such incident that has caused him the source of his current problems. The band is gearing up for their world tour, but because of his past, he has to prove he is more settled. Enter the wild scenario of getting married.
Hendrix is a baker. Specifically a cookie baker. She has her own shop and she is trying to make a go of it. However, her ex-boyfriend left her high and dry. He emptied their joint account and now he wants his investment in her shop back. She is working herself to death just to make ends meet and has nothing left in the tank.
Gizmo and Hendrix meet in a local coffee shop where he overhears a conversation between her and her ex. He likes her gumption and spine. So when his brother, and lawyer, tell him he needs to get married, he chooses her.
After convincing her to sign on the dotted line to become his temporary wife, they have a whirlwind “courtship” and fly to Vegas to get married. She subsequently moves in to Gizmo’s home and is caught off guard when he does not tell her he set up a photographer to get pictures of them in his backyard for the press.
Gizmo promised his brother he would not touch Hendrix. He is known for loving and leaving women. Since they have to stay married for a set amount of time, Nathaniel, the brother and lawyer, does not want tension in their relationship. It will show in public outings and photos. But we all know how well promises are kept.
When he comes home one day drunk out of his mind, she does not know what happened. All she knows is that a family member was in a bad place and it was hard for him to see. Gizmo has secrets. But so does Hendrix. Both of them have parental issues. Different reasons, different issues, but it is a bond they do not know they share.
Sadly Hendrix jumps to the wrong conclusion and thinks Gizmo is cheating. But when she sees what he is really doing, she joins him. She does not know how to help, but she at least wants to be there for him. He has never had anyone supporting him the way she is.
But when her past comes back to haunt her and threaten her, Gizmo will stop at nothing to fix the problem. Even when he thinks the relationship is over, he is there to fix her problem. Yes, he has absolutely fallen for his temporary wife. But she does not love him, or so he thinks.
But these two have a lot going against them. The ex-boyfriend. His bandmate. His brother. His mother. Can these two learn to communicate and discuss what it is they really want? Or will they end up going their separate ways and being miserable?
Impressions
Paul, the ex-boyfriend, needs to have his booty kicked. He is verbally abusive, rude and derogatory in his dealings with Hendrix. Why she has not gotten a restraining order against him is beyond me. But I did love that Gizmo put him in his place physically. He is a snake and needs to slither back to the rock he came out from under.
Gizmo and Nathaniel have a lot of issues to work through. He is angry and hurt at what happened when they were kids, but he does not understand that Nathaniel did not have a choice. I hope they can work out these issues one day.
Hendrix needs to learn her worth. She is a strong woman, but she lets men get to her and hurt her. She has daddy issues that she needs to work through in order to overcome her bad decisions in men. Here is to hoping she has learned her lesson from Paul and found Mr Right in Gizmo.
Finally, seeing Gizmo’s mother throughout the story, working through her issues broke my heart. But the epilogue was the most precious scene you could ever hope for.
Sweet Surrender is an emotional roller coaster for Gizmo and Hendrix. From the lows of their childhoods and their current issues, financial and legal, to their highs as a couple learning to fall in love. You will see verbal abuse, mental illness, feelings of self doubt. Be prepared.
Narration
Both Amy Hall and Ryan Lee Dunlap are new to me narrators. I loved listening to Ryan’s version of Gizmo. He brings out the vulnerability in him. His fear of loving someone and them leaving. It was heartbreaking listening to him talk about his mother and what it was like growing up. Amy brings out the steel in Hendrix’s spine, but also her insecurities relating to her choices in men. I am looking forward to hearing more from these two.
Availability
Sweet Surrender is currently available to read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited and for purchase in all formats on Amazon.
Series Listing
- Sweet Regret (Backstage Pass Book 1)
- Sweet Surrender (Backstage Pass Book 2)
- Sweet Distraction (Backstage Pass Book 3)
About K Bromberg
New York Times Bestselling author K. Bromberg writes contemporary romance novels that contain a mixture of sweet, emotional, a whole lot of sexy, and a little bit of real. She likes to write strong heroines and damaged heroes, who we love to hate but can’t help to love.
A mom of three, she plots her novels in between school runs, sports practices, and figuring out how to navigate parenting teenagers (send more wine!). More often than not, she does all of this with her laptop in tow, and her mind daydreaming of the current hero she is writing.
Since publishing her first book on a whim in 2013, Kristy has sold over two million copies of her books across twenty different countries and has landed on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestsellers lists over thirty times. Her Driven trilogy has been adapted for film and is available on the streaming platform Passionflix as well as Amazon.
You can find out more about Kristy, her books, or just chat with her on any of her social media accounts. The easiest way to stay up to date on new releases and upcoming novels is to sign up for her newsletter or follow her on Bookbub.
