* REVIEW * - Unplugged (Blue Phoenix #3) by Lisa Swallow

Reviewer : Kaylene

Rating : 5 Stars

Wow, just wow, couldn't put this book down...

Unplugged is the third book in the Blue Phoenix series by Lisa Swallow and it most definitely does not disappoint.

The first two books in the Blue Phoenix series, Summer Sky and Falling Sky, are about rock star Dylan Morgan (front man and guitarist of Blue Phoenix) and Sky Davis (a sweet, humble girl).  These two books were amazing and I didn't think I’d really want to read about any of the other members of the Blue Phoenix band as I am not a huge fan of spin off books.  However, Lisa Swallow rocked it with her latest “Unplugged” and my doubts about spin off books was disintegrated after reading the first paragraph.  I will never ever dismiss a book as a spin off again.  I absolutely loved this book from the very first page and that love continued throughout the book to the final word.

Blue Phoenix is a very successful rock band and Liam Oliver the bass guitarist in the band is the star of this book.  He’s a very laid back bloke, and has the typical attitude of a member of a band who’s not the lead singer. He seems to be happy in his relationship with Honey which we saw develop through the first two books of the series. However, Honey, who ‘s very shallow and really only with him for his money and fame, seems to have him under the thumb and has every intention of marrying him. She wants the glitz and glamour of a huge, and I mean huge, celebrity wedding and she does everything she can to achieve that goal.  Liam goes along for the ride, but you can see his heart is not in it. He doesn't really like being in the spotlight much and just tends to enjoy writing and playing his music.  When things go south with Honey after she cheats on him, he goes home to Wales to try and get some sense back into his life.

When he arrives home for Christmas, he finds that his bedroom has been invaded by Cerys and her daughter Ella, who are staying there after her partner kicked them out of their home.  This is where things start to heat up for Liam, when he realizes that his attraction for Cerys has not dwindled from all those years ago when they stole a kiss. Cerys, when she was younger was a groupie and loved Liam and had his pictures all over her walls.
  

”When you got famous, I put pictures of you guys all over my bedroom wall.  I was such a sad fangirl.”

“You were fifteen.”
“I fantasised about one of you coming back and whisking me away for the rock star lifestyle.”

  

Of course, life gets in the way and they both went their separate ways, but as life would have it they reconnect.  I absolutely love these quotes from the book.
  

“Liam tore apart my heart and soul, then put them together again with a piece of himself inside. He was right. After last night, I'm his.”
  

“We knew each other before and we were drawn together again by a shared past and a shared hurt, but this is more. Connecting with Cerys was like plugging into a new energy, a resonance that opened my heart and called it home."
  

So, I could go on and on and spoil the entire book, but of course I won’t. In Unplugged we see a very different side to Liam and I absolutely loved him. You really need to read this series of books because they are without a shadow of a doubt, one of the best “Rock Star” romances I've read and they are in amongst some pretty good company.

I give this book five big golden stars and thoroughly recommend it.  Thank you Lisa Swallow for a fabulous series of books and I look forward to reading more from the Blue Phoenix rock band.

“A rock star doesn't return to his humble beginnings and whisk away the girl he kissed once. Especially if she has a four year old and her relationship status is 'it's complicated'."

Blue Phoenix bass player, Liam Oliver discovers pictures of his fiancée with another man and his world crashes around him. He packs up his humiliation and hurt and flies back to his Welsh family home for Christmas.

Cerys Edwards once had pictures of Liam Oliver covering her bedroom wall. Her best friend’s big brother never gave her the time of day when they were growing up. When she was fifteen, he left town leaving Cerys with her fantasies. Now he’s back. The problem is, she has a daughter and a broken relationship of her own.

In the world of his Christmas past, Cerys and Liam reconnect. Are they two hurt people looking for comfort in a time of heartbreak or does Cerys have a place in Liam’s future too? 

Months later and unplugged from his Blue Phoenix lifestyle, Liam reconnects with Cerys. He discovers Cerys’s world is full of complications he never expected – including Ella’s father who isn’t happy about being replaced by a rock star. 

Unplugged is more than a rock star romance. Liam isn’t dark and brooding like Dylan, or a bad boy like Jem but a fiercely loyal man with a big heart. This is a story of love, family and unexpected bonds made that can’t be broken. 

This is book three of the Blue Phoenix series. It can be read as a standalone but has minor spoilers for books one and two. 

Purchase Link to come on release in September 2014