ARC Review: Rock Wedding by Nalini Singh

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As you know, we love Nalini Singh around here; some of us love her Guild Hunter series and Psy-changeling is the perfect cup of tea for others. Me, I've been falling deeper and deeper in love with her Rock Kiss series as I've followed from the very first book, Rock Addiction, which I told you about here. I also told you about the last release, Rock Redemption, here, which I thoroughly enjoyed. 

 Of course, when I saw that the final member of Schoolboy Choir was getting his HEA soon and that Rock Wedding was available on NetGalley, I requested that baby right away. I didn't remember anything about Sarah from the previous books, and didn't know Abe very well, but it was a Rock Kiss book, so I was pretty sure it was going to be a great rock-and-roll romance. I was so right, but Rock Wedding turned out to be more. 

 Come with me through the jump and I'll tell you why I loved Rock Wedding and why you need to devour this series if you haven't been keeping up all along. Spoiler free, of course.


 Nalini Singh is known for her two paranormal romance/urban fantasy series, so starting a contemporary romance series about a rock band was a leap of faith. I'm sure she didn't know if her readers would follow her, if we would want to read about sexy rockers and the women they fell for. But she took that chance and I am so glad she did, because I have thoroughly enjoyed the adventures of Schoolboy Choir. 
We've watched the lead singer, the drummer, and the guitarist, as well as a good friend, fall in love, and we've known about the guys' struggles and addictions, although we only got glimpses of the pianist, Abe, and his wife, Sarah. So when Rock Wedding opens at the end of Abe and Sarah's marriage it looks like things are over before they've begun, but sometimes things have to fall apart so better things can fall together.

 At the beginning of the novel, Sarah is utterly devastated by Abe's behavior, and as far as we know Abe is oblivious to anyone's pain but his own. We quickly learn that Abe's grief was buried under a mountain of addiction and he regrets the way things went down with Sarah, as well as her departure from his life. Watching him woo her and try to make up for his mistakes is glorious. You've got to adore a man who owns his mistakes. But Abe isn't the only one in the relationship and he's not the only one who made mistakes. Sarah's fear and insecurity held her back from being the person she would grown into, and getting to know the fierce, loving, strong woman she grew into is sublime. 

 What I loved the most about Rock Wedding was seeing Abe and Sarah learning each other all over again. They both acknowledged that they made mistakes the first time around, finally opening themselves up to the other and sharing parts of their past that they had kept to themselves in the past. Their open, genuine conversations, their fear of being vulnerable but taking the chance and sharing anyway, felt so authentic. 

 I adore a romance novel that shows a couple growing together, learning to live together and be vulnerable. No contrived scenarios, no ridiculous tropes, no reader eye rolling. And Nalini Singh delivered just that in Rock Wedding. A beautiful journey from two broken hearts through eye-melting chemistry that led to affection and friendship that led to a smidgeon of trust that led to taking chances that led to healing and love. There was plenty of drama in Abra's  life, drama that felt real, made you ache for them, made you swoon, and ultimately made you cheer for them. 
Rock Wedding was a wonderful conclusion to a solid series. I am so glad that Nalini Singh stepped out of her comfort zone and penned a terrific series that is entertaining and sexy. The series got better and better with each installment until this final, glorious crescendo. Bravo, Ms. Singh. I can't wait to see what you start next. 


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