Guest Review: Country Soul by Remmy Duchene

When Jackson Rawlings comes out of the closet, he loses everything: from his record label to the self-confidence he needs to perform on stage. Jackson feels as if the world is out to get him. Broken and afraid, he escapes to Hallesford and the ranch he calls home. All he wants is to live out the rest of his life peacefully and out of the spotlight.

But the fates just love interfering in his life.

Marques Lopez is the owner of Phoenix Records, and not only does he hate what happened to Jackson, he feels Jackson Rawlings has plenty more to contribute to the music industry. He ventures into small-town USA to find the singer and when he does, Jackson is a mere fragment of the man he used to be. To make matters worse, Marques’s body and heart step in to present him with a choice between business and pleasure—unless he could have his cake and eat it too…

Guest Reviewer: Fantasy Living

This story opens on a whole lot of feels, and I’m grateful for it. Jackson grabbed my attention from the first page and held onto it throughout the story. His emotions were raw and real, and not whiney. Remmy Duchene hit the mark in portraying Jackson’s broken heart.

Jackson has come out and is still adored by his fans. Country music is his life’s work and he loves it with his whole heart. But his record label doesn’t feel like he is good for business, and ends their contract, stating “creative differences”, while still making money from his entire catalogue of work.

Enter Marquis. The executive of a small record label in New York City, that does not have a country singer on their lineup. But no matter, Marquis is fascinated by the enigmatic singer, and is outraged when he sees the final press conference where Jackson indicates he will be retiring. This is a travesty against the music industry, and music in general, and he is determined to get this man on his label with his full back catalogue of songs.

And then he meets Jackson, and his dick is so happy it wants out immediately, even though (especially because?) Jackson is a growly beast who doesn’t want Marquis in his space. With some coaxing, Marquis manages to talk Jackson into a week of music creativity, to see if he can mend his broken music-heart, and get over the betrayal of the music industry.

Marquis was hot, and pushy. I loved him. He wanted what he wanted, and he wasn’t leaving until he got it. Stalkerish, maybe. In a very sexy way. And since he had a few things to offer, it was a good trade. He managed to cut through the emotional reactions Jackson was having, and show him what could be his again.

The chemistry was definitely there, all over the pages. It was a matter of how, when, and where, rather than if Jackson would come around. Jackson isn’t a prude but he doesn’t give it up easily, and the hard to get was endearing.

When they came together it was sexy. Not burn your panties off, but hot enough to know the chemistry worked. The relationship building was more important, because for Marquis, this turned into a together plan, a forever plan. He just had to get Jackson, and his tattered heart, on board.

I would have loved this story to be longer, but it was satisfying anyway. The author nailed all the feels, the relationship building, and the sexy togetherness, along with a real plot. I will be looking out for more from Remmy Duchene in future.

Dreamspinners Press
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