Release Day Review ~ Franco (Bright Side #3) by Kim Holden

Book Description:

Franco Genovese is the drummer for world renowned American rock band, Rook. He’s got it all. A killer smile. Tattoos. Talent. Razor sharp wit and humor. And a heart as big, and generous, as they come.

Life is good. Steady. Uncomplicated. Just the way he likes things.

Until one night at an unassuming L.A. bar changes everything.

Enter Gemma Hendricks.

She’s a successful young architect from Northern England with an adorable smile, sarcasm for days, and an unparalleled trusting heart.

The attraction is instant. 

So is their friendship.

It’s also temporary because they’ll both be heading home, thousands of miles apart from each other, in a few days.

Or is it?

There’s something Gemma wants more than anything else.

And when Franco propositions her to provide what she’s looking for, everything changes.

Will it transform friendship into love, or will it be their ruin?

Note from the author: Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is recommended for mature audiences.

Buy Links:

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2iIi83q

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2itB3f1

Our Review:

Reviewed by Donna ~ 4 stars

***ARC received for an honest review***

“God bless the wankers.”

Kim Holden only knows how to “Do Epic” and Franco is no different. Franco is the drummer in Rook, Gus’s band and though he has been mentioned throughout this series we have never actually really got to know him. Gus has a great taste in friends and band mates and there was nothing about Franco I did not like. In fact, he was adorable.

“These tears are love. Don’t ever apologize for that.”

Franco is not your average rock star, especially when it comes to women. He has a type, a type that doesn’t come along very often. In the circles he treads the women are superficial something that Franco is immune to. Franco likes his women honest, modest and with a personality.

Gemma was a northern lass from England with a spit fire personality to match. Gemma was fun with a capital F, but not in your face. She was intelligent, and was coming to the end of a yearlong work project as an architect. Gemma was in her late twenties and had her life mapped out, but she didn’t bet on meeting Franco.

“…I believe that dreams fuel life. And it’s when you’re chasing them that you’re most alive. There’s no reward in settling for the safety of status quo.”

When these two meet, the chemistry is instant, you literally feel those sparks flying off the page, and a lifelong friendship is born. Both Franco and Gemma know that their time together is limited, both leery to let their hearts get involved, but sometimes when a chemistry is that strong and that intense, the heart makes up the mind.

“I think the best sex is a mixture of harmony and discord. A battle within the bliss.  Because anything that feels this damn good should make you want to work your ass off for it. Chase it. Sweat for it. Force your muscles to burn for it. Make your lungs gasp for it. When we come, I want to feel like we’ve fucking earned it.”

I’m not going to say anymore because you need to experience all those emotions first hand for yourself, but as with any Kim Holden read she nails that character connection which only intensifies everything that you read. Franco and Gemma came to life with some fantastic dialogue that had me laughing one minute and swooning the next. These two together were a perfect match and Kim Holden portrayed that perfectly.

“…I genuinely miss her friendship. A ten-day bond that felt more like ten years strong. Unexpected.”

The friendship between Gus and Franco was adorable and seeing these two interact lit up every scene that they were in. That camaraderie, friendship and mutual hero worship had me once again laughing one minute and smiling from ear to ear the next. Every single scene with these two killed me in a good way.

“If I setup a goddamn Pinterest account, I want you to punch me in the fucking face.”

My only niggle, I would have loved to have known more about Franco and Gemma before they met to get that background info that I crave. This book does move at the rate of knots, is relatively short and is predictable, but this was not about the predictability of the plot, this was all about the journey. Yes, I knew it was going to happen but it didn’t make it any less enjoyable when I got there. As with any Kim Holden book the power of positivity is woven throughout and it is this that really brings this book together. We all learned our lesson in the first book…always look on the Bright Side. Franco is a book boyfriend that is going to be on a lot of peoples lists after reading this. He was perfect, he was adorable, just like this book.