Review Tour: Rifts and Refrains: Devney Perry
Rifts and Refrains
by Devney Perry
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Release Date Sep 29, 2020.
From the moment Quinn Montgomery sat behind her first snare and cymbal set, she was destined for fame and glory. As Hush Note’s infamous female drummer, she sets the rhythm for the band’s chart-toppings hits. When people tap their feet to their music, it’s to her pulse.
Quinn is content to live in a world away from her family and the cage of her youth. Her only regret is leaving Graham Hayes behind without a goodbye. No matter how many sold-out stadiums she plays, no matter how many crowds sing her songs, his voice haunts her when the music stops.
When a family tragedy forces her to return home to Montana, she plans to leave the second she’s paid her respects. But seeing Graham again turns her life upside down. As a boy, he wasn’t able to make her stay. As a man, he might be her future.
If they can mend their rifts and find solace in the refrains.
I cannot tell a lie. I did not like Quinn at all in Lies and Lullabies. She was rude, manipulative, and unrepentant. But in her mind she was protecting her boys, her bandmates, Jonas and Nixon. But now Quinn is facing something hard for her. She has to return to her hometown in Montana after nine years away to attend the funeral of her grandmother. She left for a reason and shattered her own heart as well as her boyfriend's and never went back. Now she returns a successful drummer for Hush Note, but a family outsider. She is lost, grieving, going through the motions, and terrified of facing everyone at home.
Graham Hayes was the boy she left behind. He is now bitter and angry. Her leaving destroyed him and changed the course of his life. Now a single dad and construction business owner, he is happy in his hometown. He does not want to deal with the unresolved feelings Quinn's return is bound to bring. But their families want to keep pushing them together.
A struggling woman with regrets in need of inspiration. A man who was hurt so bad he wants to protect himself. Their hometown full of memories. Timeline set for one week. One important obligation. Unexpected shared time. How much damage can they do?
Okay Okay, I admit it...Quinn won me over. The author managed to take a character I really disliked and change my mind. She was a girl with a lot of issues and past pain she had been hiding. This is her chance to repair and rebuild relationships and come to terms with mistakes made and events that kept her away so long. It is not an easy situation, it is actually realistically awkward and stilted. But I started to see her good heart and could understand how she had put on a hard facade. And Jonas and Nixon did need someone keeping them in line on the road.
I completely adored Graham! He does not make it easy on her either, but he has had nine years to be hurt, angry, and feel left behind. But he was such a loving, charismatic, talented, protective, and well-rounded guy. He was the whole package and totally swoon-worthy! Colin stole my heart as well.
But what happens once their time is up and Quinn has to face her real-life obligations and band life again? Will Graham be able to say goodbye again and will she still be able to leave him?
This is an emotional, passionate, heartfelt, rockstar, second-chance romance about regrets, coming home, forgiveness, healing, and priorities. It brings ALL the feels, but some lighter moments too. This is truly Quinn's journey of dealing with the past, finding the missing pieces she left behind in her search for fame, and seeing how or if they can fit into her new life. It is not a simple and easy process. She has a lot to face and the path to a different future seems impossible.
This brings back Jonas and Kira, and Nixon. I am looking forward to more in Muses and Melodies by Rebecca Yarros. Nixon has been on a tough road and I am looking forward to him finding some of his own happiness.
Graham Hayes was the boy she left behind. He is now bitter and angry. Her leaving destroyed him and changed the course of his life. Now a single dad and construction business owner, he is happy in his hometown. He does not want to deal with the unresolved feelings Quinn's return is bound to bring. But their families want to keep pushing them together.
A struggling woman with regrets in need of inspiration. A man who was hurt so bad he wants to protect himself. Their hometown full of memories. Timeline set for one week. One important obligation. Unexpected shared time. How much damage can they do?
Okay Okay, I admit it...Quinn won me over. The author managed to take a character I really disliked and change my mind. She was a girl with a lot of issues and past pain she had been hiding. This is her chance to repair and rebuild relationships and come to terms with mistakes made and events that kept her away so long. It is not an easy situation, it is actually realistically awkward and stilted. But I started to see her good heart and could understand how she had put on a hard facade. And Jonas and Nixon did need someone keeping them in line on the road.
I completely adored Graham! He does not make it easy on her either, but he has had nine years to be hurt, angry, and feel left behind. But he was such a loving, charismatic, talented, protective, and well-rounded guy. He was the whole package and totally swoon-worthy! Colin stole my heart as well.
But what happens once their time is up and Quinn has to face her real-life obligations and band life again? Will Graham be able to say goodbye again and will she still be able to leave him?
This is an emotional, passionate, heartfelt, rockstar, second-chance romance about regrets, coming home, forgiveness, healing, and priorities. It brings ALL the feels, but some lighter moments too. This is truly Quinn's journey of dealing with the past, finding the missing pieces she left behind in her search for fame, and seeing how or if they can fit into her new life. It is not a simple and easy process. She has a lot to face and the path to a different future seems impossible.
This brings back Jonas and Kira, and Nixon. I am looking forward to more in Muses and Melodies by Rebecca Yarros. Nixon has been on a tough road and I am looking forward to him finding some of his own happiness.
Quinn Montgomery has always loved music and the drums. She hasn’t been home in 9 years after a huge fight with her family. But one phone call changes it all, and she finds herself on a plane headed home, worried about facing her family and her one regret: the boy she broke up with when she left so suddenly.
Graham couldn’t make her stay before, and this time he knows she’s leaving as soon as she is able. She is not one to stay in this small town when her fame is pulling her back to the big city.
I loved watching these two fight to remain aloof as they found themselves repeatedly forced to face each other. Quinn may have broken up with him all those years ago, but their families have remained close and so in this time of grief Graham’s family is around to support the Montgomerys.
I did not like Quinn in Lies & Lullabies, but I quickly changed my tune as it became clear the flaws in her character were the defense mechanism she had put in place to avoid feeling the pain the rift in her family caused. She didn’t want to put herself in a place to feel that kind of pain ever again, so hardened herself to others. But as she addressed her family for the first time in years, the hardness cracked and we get to see a different side of Quinn. I loved this new version of her.
Graham was a favorite from the very beginning. He is hurting from the loss of Quinn, but has also moved on as best he can. He is a single father, business owner, and very settled in his hometown. But he also remembers the connection he had with Quinn and misses their friendship.
This was a fantastic second chance with so many lessons about forgiveness, acceptance, and love. As each book in the Hush Note series reveals more about the band members as individuals, I have fallen further for this group of friends. I can’t wait to see what demons Nixon has been running from.
She took one step before stopping. A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, the same corner I’d kissed earlier, and I fought the urge to stand and capture that mouth again. Her smile broadened, though there was pain in her eyes.
“Colin is a cool kid. You’re a good dad, Graham. I always knew you would be.”
She might as well have stabbed me in the chest.
“Thanks,” I said, watching as she walked away.
Fuck me.
When had I never loved that woman?
Maybe that kiss had woken me up. Maybe it had made me realize how goddamn lonely I’d been without her. I had Colin, but there was a corner of my heart that would always belong to Quinn.
I should have followed her nine years ago.
Because now it was too late.
Devney is the USA Today bestselling author of the Jamison Valley series. She lives in Montana with her husband and two children. After working in the technology industry for nearly a decade, she abandoned conference calls and project schedules to enjoy a slower pace at home with her kids. She loves reading and, after consuming hundreds of books, decided to share her own stories. Devney loves hearing from readers! Connect with her on social media.
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