It’s been three years since I read this duet, and my chest still feels tight when I think about it. Angst-filled and complicated, this rock star romance will play with your emotions. We meet this couple when they fall hard and fast as young adults, before our hero ever became a star. I loved the nostalgic vibes and the obvious chemistry, which made it that much more heart-wrenching when everything fell apart. The second book follows their journey back together, and it’s certainly not an easy ride. Wolf does an excellent job of navigating the complexities, and she redeemed a hero/antihero who I had all but written off. This was early in her writing career and she was relatively unknown at the time, so it’s interesting to look back at this duet and see all of the potential in her writing. I’ve since read several other books from her, and they all deliver interesting, complex romances that are sure to keep you hooked.
Read on for my original reviews!
Complete Duet on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3zoACvo
BOOK ONE: Never Lasting
That man is TROUBLE all right. Our hero is the definition of a heartbreaker, because it is so, so easy to fall for him but he is also so, so bad for you…. something that our heroine learns along the way. The chemistry is off the charts from the very beginning between Tali and Jude, but they might be too young (and a little too dumb) to make things work the first time around. An intriguing and well written start to a duet, this book has all the highs and lows that come with young love – made all the more complicated by the fact that Jude is a musician slowly getting sucked into the rock star lifestyle.
The story follows Tali, a college student starting out at a new school. She’s decided to focus on her own goals for a while, but meeting Jude changes everything. He’s a musician on the cusp of making his big break, and while he doesn’t have any intention of starting something with Tali, the chemistry between them is impossible to ignore. He finds himself torn between music and his girl, and it soon becomes apparent that Jude might not be able to handle having both.
This has such a great early 2000s vibe that was fun to read. I loved the writing and the chemistry between Jude and Tali was undeniable. That being said, knowing that things wouldn’t work out between them (at least this time around) added a level of tension to the book – which I kinda liked and also struggled with. I found myself wanting to turn those pages to see how it all goes wrong, but it also made me that much more invested in their relationship. Not gonna lie, Jude has his flaws in this but underneath all that is love for Tali. Definitely looking forward to seeing what’s next for these two.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3zMsjKf
Blurb:
Tali DiPietro is a good girl with a streak of punk rock rebel.
Before I left for college, my mom told me not to settle down with the first guy who crosses my path. Sage advise, sure, but that’s hard to do after I share an elevator with a guy who is nothing like the boys back home. I swore off musicians a long time ago, but when I see Jude on stage for the first time, I know I’m going to fall for him, and I’m damn sure it’s going to hurt.
Jude Goldman is a bad boy with a guitar and big dreams.
I have one goal: making it as a musician. There’s no obstacle I won’t destroy to be the one under the spotlight. Nothing has slowed me down, not until a chocolate-eyed girl with a New York accent enters my world. Tali becomes as important as landing a record deal, and I’ll do anything to have both, no matter how much it hurts.
We’re two ships moored together in a storm of excess, stardom, and broken promises pulled apart and yanked back in, until we’re both battered and breaking. We have that forever kind of love, but for us, forever might be nothing more than stardust and memories.
(The Never Blue duet is a spin-off of the Blue is the Color series, but can be read as a complete standalone!)
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3zMsjKf
BOOK TWO: Never Again
Confession: I was so turned off by Jude at the end of book one that I was DREADING completing this duet, despite the undeniable quality of the writing. I didn’t realize how much the story affected me until I sat down to read book two, but I definitely had an emotional reaction to their relationship. Had I not already committed to reading an ARC, I would not have continued… and I would’ve been missing out on an absolutely beautiful comeback.
This is an emotional punch to the gut, a story so angsty your blood pressure will skyrocket. Though 13 years have passed since the end of book one, the chemistry and connection between Tali and Jude is still so vibrant and alive. Their love story really needs to be read in order, so I won’t bother trying to explain the relationship. If you’ve read book one, you already know the obstacles Tali and Jude face (some serious trigger warnings on this one). I loved how the author turned things around – I had written off both Jude and this romance, but that was a big mistake. The emotion is tangible and the devastation overwhelming before the light begins to shine again.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3sFoNgC
Blurb:
They were a perfect storm of bad decisions and tragedy…
We thought our forever kind of love would protect us.
We thought we were strong enough to withstand any storm.
But we were so young then. We couldn’t have known what was coming.
“First loves will mess you up until the end of time if you let them.”
Older now, we’re both stronger than we’ve ever been. Brought back together by chance, we have a second chance to discover if forever is still the truth or yet another broken promise.
(This is the conclusion to Tali and Jude’s epic love story.)
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3sFoNgC
Complete Duet on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3zoACvo
About the Author:
Hi! I’m Julia and I live in Maryland with my three crazy, beautiful kids and patient husband. I worked as a hair stylist for seven years, collecting stories my clients couldn’t wait to spill, a few of which just might show up in my writing!
I love writing all things romance, from sweet, to steamy, to funny, to so dirty you’ll be blushing for days. I hope you enjoy reading my books as much as I enjoyed writing them!
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