ARC BOOK REVIEW ~ HOT TICKET BY OLIVIA CUNNING

Title: Hot Ticket (Sinners On Tour, Book Three)

Author: Olivia Cunning

Expected Release Date: February 13, 2013

ARC provided by NetGalley 

There are things in bassist Jace Seymour’s past that he is unwilling to share with anyone. To cover his guilt and anguish, he seeks dominatrix Mistress V (Aggie) to temporarily placate his inner turmoil.

Aggie doesn’t have much use for men–besides the power rush she gets when they’re begging for mercy at her feet–but Jace isn’t like her usual clients. His cool defiance and unexpected dominance in the bedroom drives her to distraction and quickly steals her heart.

When circumstances threaten Jace’s position in Sinners, Aggie must help him regain his rightful place in the band while showing him that time and love can heal all wounds.

Once upon a time, I was perusing the shelves at my local bookstore, when I came across this book by an unknown author--Backstage Pass. The cover grabbed me with its seductive pose and the blurb --well, the blurb kind of put me off, at first. 

It was a book about Rock Stars.

I wasn't sure if I would be interested in such a book. And I put it aside...

GAH! What in heaven's name was I thinking?! 

I can't remember what prodded me to pick it up the next time around, but I did. And I have been truly thankful that I did every day. The Sinners On Tour is one of my all-time favorite series. 

The Sinners is a fictional band created by the uber-talented Ms. Olivia Cunning. Her rockers are hot, sexy, and hysterical. I couldn't put the book down. I was lost in the world of hard rock music, screaming groupies, and talented musicians who know how to use their hands. Reading Olivia's books make me want to go see a kick-ass rock concert and scream my lungs out. 

Hot Ticket is Jace Seymour's story--the quiet bassist of the group-- who spoke to me from the very beginning. When I learned that this rocker had a darker side, which included whips and paddles, I knew he had a story to tell. 

Hot Ticket starts out in Las Vegas, in a strip joint, where the Sinners run into Jessica, Sed's old girlfriend. There is a lot of overlapping at the beginning of Hot Ticket--scenes that took place in Rock Hard (Book Two), but you get the story from Jace's point of view.  This is also where Jace spots Aggie, dressed in leathers and sporting a bullwhip. And their is an instant connection--Jace has something he desperately needs and Aggie is the one who can give it to him. 

"I want you to hurt me." He drew a deep, shuddering breath into his expanding chest. "Hardcore." 

Aggie, an experienced Domme who knows her way around a whip and flogger, is flummoxed when she can't get Jace to submit. 

"Whatever it is that's eating you alive, you have to let it go, she murmured, stroking his brow, his stubble-rough cheek, and his angled jaw with tender fingertips. "Let it go, Jace."

 His jaw set. He shook his head slightly. "I'd rather be gutted alive.

 There are so many layers to Jace that we get to see in this book. That tender, gentler side, made him all the more lovable. We get to see how he lives when he's not on the road with The Sinners and how simplistic he keeps his life. Jace's character is multi-faceted and as each layer is revealed in this book, I fell a little bit harder. All the painful issues that come to light made my heart hurt and my throat tight with tears. 

As Jace struggles to come to terms with his past and fight for his rightful place in The Sinners, he must also realize that he is loved and deserves to be loved. Aggie is like a balm to his battered soul and the band grows closer together. The disconnect between Jace and Eric is bridged and is one of my favorite scenes in the book. 

And, of course, Olivia delivers with some really steamy scenes between the sheets. This woman knows how to write sex that's filled with emotions, humor, and highly erotic dialogue. 

Hot Ticket gives Olivia's fans a little bit of everything and has them (ahem, me) wanting more.