Zoey Flowers' life was turned upside down with the loss of her brother, Zachary. It made her believe in the family curse of people dying at age twenty seven. And now as her own twenty-seventh birthday is looming ahead, she is lost and scared to live her life for fear of joining her brother in death at her age. It cripples her plans and keeps her from moving on. She decides that she is finally ready to head to Miami to deal with her brother's things and see where he lived the last years of his life.

What she finds are some questions about her brother and what he was doing in the past year. And also finally meets his best friend Nate Hanson. He is successful, handsome, and protective. He seems to have everything going for him at least on the surface. She quickly develops an attraction for him, but Nate is resistant and disconnected. But there is a push and pull between them that both excites and frustrates her. And he seems to have as many secrets as her brother apparently did. Nate is that deliciously sexy, bossy type that you can tell hides a broken boy underneath who has not dealt with his own issues. He is afraid of feeling too much or getting hurt. He likes control, but is passionate and at times has a hard time dealing with what he wants vs. what he thinks is best.

Zoey is more sweet, naive, inexperienced, and responsible. Sometimes she comes off as immature and gets bogged down by her fears. But Nate makes her feel more spontaneous, empowered, and alive. He encourages her be who she always wanted to be. But also scares her because she knows it will be easy to get attached and the situation is not permanent.

Soon they are exploring lust, companionship, and living life. They are really two drifting souls tethered together by loss and pain, but desperately needing to live and love. But both have fears that keep them from fulfilling their full potential. I loved them together. She brought out both Nate's alpha dom side, but also his vulnerable broken parts. And he brought her out of her safe cocoon to experiment, live, and push her boundaries. Their chemistry was amazing and their bodies were definitely on board, even if their hearts and minds were not always in the same place. Neither could see a future due to their own reasons. But they got caught up in each other anyway. There were many things going on in the background with Nate and her brother's past that Zoey is finding out along the way.

But will a "temporary arrangement" be enough or will it break them further when it ends whether by their own choice or her destiny coming for her?

The was an interesting assortment of side characters and settings in Miami. Her brother, Zach still had a strong presence in the book. I loved how obvious the bonds were between Zoey and Zach, and Zach and Nate even if he was physically not with them anymore.

This was a complete stand along story without a cliffhanger. It focused on destiny, loss, living life, and love. It was told in Zoey's point of view with the prologue and epilogue in male point of view that worked perfectly to set up and end the story. It was an interesting, unique premise with underlying mysteries and secrets that gradually unfolded. The characters were well developed and had issues. The couple had chemistry and conflicts. It was sexy, sad, emotional, and both characters had healing to do. It was a challenging journey for both of them to face their demons, explore options, and attempt to move on. They had both been stagnant and closed off to real relationships, but they both needed a catalyst to change. And And it was enjoyable to see the twists and turns of the story in the present as well as find out the mysteries of Zach and Nate's pasts. I was so happy to see an epilogue and loved how it added to the story.

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.

So, The 27 Club… yay or nay? I am still toying with the answer to this question. Another book this week I rode the fence line on. Why you ask? Well, it comes down to the female protagonist. My struggle with her colored the entire book. Outside of her and a few minor issues, The 27 Club is one of those books that will have you thinking about it long after you have finished, because of that I can’t quite wrap my thoughts around this new standalone. And while I did enjoy a majority of the book, I cannot say I devoured this as a junkie would devour their drug of choice. 

I'd like to be able to give you a specific reason I am sitting on the fence, but I truly can't narrow it down. There isn't one thing that stands out and screams at me. Overall, it just felt as though something essential between Nate and Zoey was missing. I didn't feel their connection or chemistry outside of a great friendship. Outside of her pain over losing her brother and his need to help her move past that. Due to this, there wasn't much emotional tension or real believable "sexual" buildup. There was a lot of push and pull, but not in an angsty kind of way, more of an I made a promise to your brother kind of way. Most of the book felt as though Zoey was telling Nate how he should be feeling or what he should be doing with their bodies. She was overly pushy and often came off as immature, compared to his maturity. Unfortunately, if the characters are missing sexual and emotional chemistry then it is extremely hard to connect with them. I need passion and intensity. As a reader and a woman, I need to feel these things flow effortlessly off the pages, not told to feel them. When I don't have these two things present then it all fells so flat. 

With that said, I give Ms. Karr a huge round of applause for stepping out of her box to deliver an intriguing and unique story, at least in my humble opinion. With my current reading slump, I never once considered walking away and calling it quits; in fact, I read The 27 Club in one sitting. That doesn’t mean I wasn’t messaging a friend complaining about the lead heroine. Luckily, between Nate’s character and the mysterious allure surrounding Zach’s life, it kept me engaged all the way to the last word. My brain was twisting around the puzzle pieces, trying to figure it all out; I seriously NEEDED to know what in the world this man was hiding from his sister and friends. Not to mention, I may have had a little crush going on when it came to Zach’s best friend. OK…OK…a HUGE crush. 

Nate pretty much made this book, for me. Everything about his character swept me right off my feet. He’s an absolute sweetheart with the perfect mix of rough and edgy. For my tastes, his personality held all the right ingredients. I can see myself spending quite a bit of time obsessing over him. But that’s nothing new, I don’t think I’ve come across a male protagonist Kim has written that I haven’t spent time drooling over. She writes them, I fall wicked hard for them. After spending time with River and Nate, I look forward to meeting her next bad boy. 

Would I call The 27 Club erotic? Eh…not really, at least not compared to my normal erotica reads. I think if you are not into this type of read, you are safe. Promise. Outside of a few detailed descriptions of The Estate, this book isn’t what I would classify as BDSM erotica. Yes, Nate has a dominant personality and exudes a commanding level of control, but it stops there. Also, it isn’t a beat you over your head type of control. In the bedroom, other than some spankings and hair pulling, there isn’t any uncomfortable scenes for those not into that type of life style. Honestly, Nate is no different from any other naughty book boyfriend out there who likes to get a bit dirty between the sheets. Again, I promise your senses will not be scandalized.

Would I recommend? Yes, I think I would, especially if you are a die hard Kim Karr fan. It wasn't a bad book by any means and everyone has different tastes. What didn't work for me, may very well work for you. So I say, if you want a new man to obsess wildly over then get to one clicking.

Thank you, Kim Karr, for the complimentary copy of The 27 Club.

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