REVIEW: Sound Effects by LJ Greene (+$25 Amazon GC Giveaway!)

Title: Sound Effects 

Author: LJ Greene

Series: Ripple Effects

Date Published: 2016

Format: Kindle

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Source: Goddess Fish Blog Tours
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Synopsis:

What is YOUR passion?

When an uncharacteristically rash decision lands law school graduate Melody Grayson in San Francisco’s dicey Tenderloin District, she comes face to face with a dangerously tempting man who embodies every mistake she swore she would never repeat. Passionate, sexy, and far more insightful than she’d care to admit, he causes her to question everything she thought she knew about her future. Now she’ll have to decide where the bigger risk lies: in the intriguing but uncertain path he’s offering, or the prudent one she has been working tirelessly to pursue.

Up-and-coming, Irish-born musician Jamie Callahan is no stranger to chaos; he’s lived a lifetime of it. But in the fall of 2004, when the music industry is on the verge of massive upheaval, the life he aspires to could come at a heavier price than he’s prepared to pay. And while Melody may be the ideal person to help him navigate the gambles he must take, a relationship with her might be his biggest gamble yet.

SOUND EFFECTS is a standalone dual POV adult contemporary romance that captures the gloriously unpredictable nature of life, in which the path from who you are, to who you’re meant to become may not be a straight one. It may also have a few bumps. Sexy, humor-filled, and relatable, Sound Effects is a story about living passionately, staying true to yourself, and finding that one magic person who makes the journey of self-discovery an adventure worth taking.

~My Thoughts~

Having never read a Ripple Effects book before, I had no real idea what I was getting myself into.  I tend to see ripped abs on the cover and figure that I'm in for some sensational love scenes, but probably not a whole lot of character depth or moving, interesting plots. Definitely wrong about that for Sound Effects! The characters were strong, well-built (literally and figuratively) and the story made sense and had a strong drive to it!

Melody Greyson is our leading lady here, and aside from being able to describe a handsome man with many metaphors, she is also a pretty great person in general. I understand her choices and mistakes...heck, I'd probably make a few of the same ones myself. 

Jamie Callahan, sexy Irish musician whose abs grace the cover, is more than just those muscles. He's got soul (duh, as a musician he'd have to) and he's got ambition and drive to make something of himself. Together Mel and Jamie have a fun, sexy, realistic, sometimes funny, lots of times sexy relationship that was great to read about! 

L.J. Greene writes passionately and with real emotion that you can feel through the characters actions and dialogue.

~Try an Excerpt!~

It wasn’t just one thing about him–his beautiful eyes fringed with thick lashes, the richness of his dark, auburn hair, the curved mouth, or the solid frame–it was how it all came together so devastatingly. This man had a magnetism that was absolutely undeniable, like a secret so big it just oozed out of him, despite any effort he may take to keep it in check. And I knew right then and there, if he ever turned it loose on me for real, I’d be finished.

“Abort! Abort!” my head shouted, but to no avail; my body was not listening.

Because to top it all off, like catnip to a kitten, he was carrying a guitar.  

It was beautiful Gibson dreadnought, slung behind his back and positioned in such an organic way that it looked a part of him. The way he cradled it gently with his elbow told me it was a part of him. And everything I loved and hated about musicians came rushing back to me in a surfeit of hormones and horror stories. He was my siren song.

“I’m Jamie Callahan.” The siren had a name. Jamie, I said in my head. I think I may have sniffed him a little, too. Subtly, of course.  

~Meet LJ Greene!~
LJ Greene is a self-professed obsessive multi-tasker who writes really boring stuff by day and lets her inner romantic fly by night. This California native is married to the most amazing man and has two beautiful children, not old enough to read her books. (They probably wouldn’t want to anyway on account of the “Ew, gross” factor.) She’s an avid reader of all genres with an embarrassingly large ebook collection, and a weird penchant for reading the acknowledgements at the end of a novel. She's also a music lover with no apparent musical talent, a travel enthusiast, and a cheese connoisseur.  will be awarding a Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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