Lies & Lullabies (Hush Note #1) by Sarina Bowen
Pages: 300
Publish date: September 22, 2020
Publisher: Tuxbury Publishing LLC
ISBN: 9781950155071
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU
Once upon a time, he gave me a summer of friendship, followed by one perfect night. We shared a lot during our short time together. But he skipped a few crucial details.
I didn’t know he was a rock star.
I didn’t know his real name.
Neither of us knew I’d get pregnant.
And I sure never expected to see him again.
Five years later, his tour bus pulls up in Nest Lake, Maine. My little world is about to be shattered by loud music and the pounding of my own foolish heart.
Lies & Lullabies:
I received a free copy of Lies & Lullabies by Sarina Bowen for review in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.
Lies & Lullabies is the first book in a new trilogy from Sarina Bowen, Devney Perry and Rebecca Yarros. Each author takes on a member of one band and tells their story. I was super excited when this series was announced. Not only was it a rock star romance, but it included two of my favourite romance authors. So, I jumped at the chance to review Lies & Lullabies by Sarina Bowen.
Lies & Lullabies follows Kira and Jonas who after an unforgettable summer together when their separate ways. Now years later Jonas is back in Nest Lake and Kira has a surprise for him. A massive one. Both Kira and Jonas need to navigate their new lives. Their summer together was full of sweet passion and first love. They both never forgot about each other, but they never imagined seeing one another again. And Kira’s secret isn’t something that can stay hidden. But being back in each other lives isn’t going to be easy especially when old feelings come right back.
Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash
I had a lot of ups and downs with Kira. For the most part, I enjoyed her. I loved seeing her growth throughout the whole book. And hell, she has been through a lot and is still an incredible mother. One of the things that I loved about Lies & Lullabies is that we can see the growth of Kira throughout the whole book. Through both flashbacks and current day events, the reader can see Kira’s characterisation – which I think was really well done. However, I hated that she kept their daughter, Vivi from Jonas for as long as she did. I understood some of the logic, but it also doesn’t sit well with me.
Jonas was an interesting protagonist. I didn’t fall in love with him like other Sarina Bowen male protagonist. But I still enjoyed him a lot. Jonas was entertaining and mysterious, but he was also sweet and caring. I loved that we can see different sides of him throughout the book. We get to see the younger Jonas who wants to care for Kira, and then we get to see adult Jonas who wants to love Kira. It was a great combo. I adored that he was able to take on the dad role right away. It was like he was made for it. There were ups and downs, but he loved Vivi so much and that was so nice to see.
Photo by Yvette de Wit on Unsplash
This romance was a combo of being sweet and sexy. And the reader not only gets to see Jonas and Kira fall in love once but twice. And both times were fantastic. Through flashbacks, the reader can see both Jonas and Kira when they were young and vulnerable. They had this amazing summer together, and when it was up, they went their separate ways. But they still both cared deeply for one another. And Kira had a piece of him to remember him by. In current times the romance is much sexy and went from sweet to loving. I liked seeing the contrast between the two.
I love a surprise baby trope; however, I didn’t love that Kira kept it a secret from Jonas for so long. While her reasoning was understandable, I didn’t love it. That was soon forgotten though, because Jonas, Kira and Vivi were adorable together. I loved seeing their interactions and they all melted my heart. This is a very sweet book with sexy moments intertwined. I feel that the rest of the books in the series are going to be more emotional and hard-hitting. but this was a great way to start the series.
I adored Adam, Kira’s brother a lot. The reader can see throughout Lies & Lullabies how much he cares for his sister and niece and I just wanted to hug him all the time. I wish we did get to know the rest of the Hush Note bandmates a little more, just to set up the rest of the series. But it wasn’t a massive deal for me.
Photo by Artur Aldyrkhanov on Unsplash
Overall, Lies & Lullabies by Sarina Bowen explores second chances, family and finding your place. Kira, Jonas and Vivi are an awesome little family. The romance turns from sweet to sexy and beautiful. With interesting protagonists and storyline, Lies & Lullabies is a fantastic read and a great introduction into the world of Hush Note. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series in the next few weeks.
Have you read Lies & Lullabies by Sarina Bowen yet? What did you think of it? Are you planning on reading the rest of the series? Let’s Chat!
Also, have you checked out the first post in my Romance Thursdays series? This week I interview Giana Darling, author of The Fallen Men Series, The Enslaved duet and more.
