Anne's sister Liz has had a a crush on Stage Dive bass player Ben Nicholson since the day she met him. And instant attraction--forbidden by friends leads to a text affair, friendship, and one night in Vegas. But they come to find out what happens in Vegas does not always stay in Vegas. Now it is all coming back to shake up their world. Ben and Liz are just trying to cope with news of their impending parenthood. All of their friends and family have opinions. It's scary, messy, and confusing.


Ben loves his busy, impulsive, rock star life and never wanted it to change. He never sought out relationships. He's the quieter one. It is hard to figure out what he really wants because his words and actions don't always match, and he runs hot and cold. Even though he has always been the reliable one in band matters, he does not do such a great job dealing with the fact that his life is changing  and he has to catch up. His actions have consequences with the band and Liz. And he struggles to deal with the changes. 

Friendships and relationships are strained. Liz and Ben are trying to find a strong hold in their worlds that are spinning. This installment is full of fight or flight syndrome. Ben is a runner and Liz can only chase so long especially when it is hard to trust him. Their "relationship" or sometimes lack there of is erratic and unstable at best.  I loved their banter initially as it progressed through texts then friendship. They had good chemistry. But they did not always communicate as well in person or when dealing with more difficult situations.  

I thought Liz handled herself maturely and I really liked her. She just wanted what was best for the everyone and took to the challenge.  She did not want to force Ben to change. She was smart, sassy, sweet, and likable. I will admit that Ben frustrated me. He could be the immature one. Just wishing something would go away and avoiding it will not make it so. I wanted to smack him upside his head at times.

There are people and situations only adding more complications. The band life and life on the road is not easy. But somehow Ben and Liz will have to figure out what they want in their future and what kind (if any) relationship they will have. 

All of the Stage Dive crew is back--Dave and Ev, Mal and Anne, and Jimmy and Lena. They have all become a family and that includes fussing and fighting like one. But they also taunt and tease too. Everyone is protective over the younger Liz, so Ben not only has to convince Liz of his sincerity, but his friends as well. We were introduced to a member of another band, Vaughan, and he was an interesting new friend to the crew.

These rock stars may be famous and have money, but they are not perfect. They have problems and flaws. The women are all real and have their own set of issues. Liz was already part of their world since she is Anne's little sister and Mal's new sister-in-law but that just complicated it more. Mal cracked me up even more acting as a dramatic, overprotective big brother/Dad type to Liz. I also loved Jimmy stepping up and being a big support and his progression with Lena as well. These characters make me laugh, they can be totally frustrating, but they are likable and have depth. I have enjoyed this series and will miss these guys. I am looking forward to a spin off Dive Bar series starting with Vaughan. But I will also gladly pick up a new book or series by Kylie Scott and become immersed in her new characters' lives as well. 

Ben, Ben, Ben. The tattooed, bearded, long haired rocker is clueless when it comes to relationships. When Liz announces she’s pregnant he goes into a bit of a tailspin. 

Liz is determined to go it alone, even though she’s harboring serious feelings for Ben. Neither had planned for more than one night, and she doesn’t want him to feel like he has to change his life for her or their baby.

They had so many issues to sort through, not the least of which is the surprise pregnancy. That she is Mal’s sister-in-law and should have been off limits, his avoidance of all things commitment, and that neither had planned to have kids at all, there was no shortage of problems while juggling a friendship, pregnancy, and world tour.

Liz’s determination to be independant and not rely on Ben made me both love her and shake my head at her. She was the opposite of a typical runner in that she never tried to get out of the responsibility she found herself in, but she also wasn’t willing to force Ben to accept what he had never planned for either. But I compare her to a runner because her action often look like a runner: closing herself off from those around her, avoiding conflict, and refusing to acknowledge the opinions of those around her. 

But I loved Ben. His reactions were exactly what one would expect when dealing with an unexpected pregnancy, especially one with a partner he didn’t expect to have more than one night with. But where he differed was his efforts to make changes to support Liz, even if his actions didn’t always look like he was trying to help her. 

By the time I reached the end I loved them, but there were times it felt like the emotions between them were being glossed over in favor of yet another conflict. I really loved the overall story and idea, but I never felt the strong pull between them that I had hoped to, or that I felt while reading previous books in this series. 

I love the family this band has created, and though at times those bonds made things more difficult for Liz and Ben, I also loved that there were always people around to lend a hand (or a punch to the face) as needed. 

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

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Kim's 4.5 star review

Waking up in Vegas was never meant to be like this.

Evelyn Thomas’s plans for celebrating her twenty-first birthday in Las Vegas were big. Huge. But she sure as hell never meant to wake up on the bathroom floor with a hangover to rival the black plague, a very attractive half-naked tattooed man, and a diamond on her finger large enough to scare King Kong. Now if she could just remember how it all happened.

One thing is for certain, being married to rock and roll’s favourite son is sure to be a wild ride.