Winning Nia, A Rock Star Romance, True Platinum Series book 2, Morgana Bevan

Winning Nia: A Rockstar Romance (True Platinum Series Book 2) by [Morgana Bevan]

Genre: General Fiction, Romance

Well, I have a real weakness for fame/romance trope, and this one set in the UK, and being a second chance one seemed a great fit for me.

The settings were very real, I felt there with the characters, enjoyed the behind the scenes look at their lives. I wanted to know a bit more about Nia's father and brother, they were a major force in the story but we didn't really know much about them.
I loved Nia's friends, was intrigued by the Mel/Dan slant and expect that's a story to come that will be interesting. The writing was good, not one of those with Alpha male, grunting MMCs and simpering FMCs thankfully, with a story told in works of three syllables or less. – there's so many of those. Clearly some folk love them - but not me. I want characters that can think for themselves, make their own decisions, show independence.

James, I found it hard to accept his excuses for the long silence. I accept he was young, and we all make mistakes, but to let it go on so long? If he really felt that way about Nia why didn't he contact before? Ten years is a long time to drop someone and then try to walk back into their life. I found his determination to be with her a little odd given he hadn't seen her for so long. But then I do like a determined lover, so......I think I just wish he'd tried to date her a bit, tried to explain his absence better. He really was a first class jerk leaving her the way he did.
Nia was a talented photographer and I'm glad she went with her heart instead of allowing her father and brother to bully her into the family firm. We only get one life, so we need to try to do what makes us happy. Its not always possible, but if it is, as with Nia, then that chance needs snapping up.
Given how heart broken she was, I thought she let James get away with too much, she should have made him explain more, show he can be different before she trusted him again. I needed to see that he had changed, he was a nice guy, I liked him but what we saw didn't convince me he'd pout Nia first, or at least include her in decisions.

I didn't feel there was enough drama for me here though, not until the last 15-20% or so, when it ratcheted up terrifically. Again though I think she lets James off with what was once again inexcusable behaviour. He hasn't even youth as an excuse this time. Perhaps if this happened much earlier in the story, say at 60-70-% there would have been time to show James was truly remorseful, that he had changed. Nia took a huge risk I felt, even though she stood back for a while. Oddly I felt her reaction to the photography job and its origins was overdone, I could see things like that happening all the while, we do make use of contacts for our careers. I found myself siding with James there.

Stars: Four, a well written story, with believable characters but not enough drama for a five from me.

ARC supplied by Netgalley and publishers

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