Becca the Bibliophile: BLOG TOUR: Bullet by Jade C. Jamison

An Epic Rock Star Novel

What if you discover the man you want is toxic?

She tasted a little bit of heaven with him, and now they've gone through hell and back, but can their relationship take anymore?

Valerie Quinn is a naive college freshman when she meets on-the-rise rock star Ethan Richards. He’s an idealistic, handsome, reckless young man, but he’s captured her heart. She doesn't give up on him and eventually his walls crumble down. By the time Valerie has given herself to him completely, she discovers he’s damaged and may be beyond help. Can she save Ethan and their relationship before he implodes, or will he self-destruct and take her with him?

When first given this book, I really didn't know if it was going to be a book that was up my alley. I am a hearts and flowers kinda girl, who really doesn't like a lot of angst and like the Happily Ever After stories. That was until I read Bullet. O.M.G. I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!

Valerie was my kinda girl. Although she has her weakness, like most girls when it come to the guys you love, Valerie was a strong heroine that could take care of herself. This book was funny, adventurous, sad and heartbreaking. Going from present to past, you really get the whole picture of Valerie and Ethan's life together. Heavy Metal Rock is the center of this story. So if you love a good rock n roll romance, this is the book for you. Don't miss out on this book. Add it to your TBR NOW! I can not wait to read other books by Jade C. Jamison!

Alternate POV scene from Bullet

Jade C. Jamison

Brad had been able to pretend he didn’t know anything when both Ethan and Valerie were gone that first night. Maybe Val had just been sleeping in her bedroom that night and Ethan had coincidentally disappeared, right? And even the other night when he’d heard…that from his spot in the living room. That could have been his mind playing tricks on him. But last night…there was no denying what he’d heard.

He and the guys had been discussing the concert in the living room and Val had gone to shower then off to bed. Later the guys decided to call it a night and it was Brad’s turn to sleep in the bedroom. He hadn’t thought much about it when Ethan disappeared, because he’d just gone to the bedroom and started untying his boots. But he finally lay in bed, trying to unwind after a pretty good show, and fuck. All his worst fears were confirmed when he heard the unmistakable sounds of a woman having an orgasm.

Oh, he still tried to deny it. Maybe she was just masturbating, right? That would be really hot, having Valerie masturbate in the room next to him, and… Shit. He couldn’t let his mind go there. No way. Especially because he knew that wasn’t what was going on. He felt his jaw clench, his teeth practically grinding themselves into powder. It was Ethan. Had to be.

He’d squeezed his eyes tighter, trying to block out her sounds of passion, trying not to hate the man who was like a brother to him. Well, now he knew she wasn’t a virgin anymore. If Ethan hadn’t been diving deeper into some heavy shit, Brad might be okay with it.

All right. Not completely. But Brad did want Val to be happy. He could at least learn to live with it.

And, as though the universe wanted to make sure he wasn’t in denial, he heard them talking after. They weren’t loud, but he could tell it was Ethan and Val. He considered covering his ears with his pillow but then they were quiet.

Until she started orgasming again. Jesus Christ.

The next morning he poured water into the coffee pot, trying to force himself awake. He’d hardly slept the night before. His stomach had been in a knot. He wasn’t even sure how he’d managed to fall asleep, but he was grateful that they’d grown quiet after the second time.

He stretched and turned around, leaning against the counter, and he saw three guys sleeping in the living room instead of two. What the fuck was Ethan doing sleeping out here? Had Val kicked his ass out?

No…that didn’t seem like something she’d do. More likely Ethan had felt uncomfortable and selfish and left her room. Fucked her and left her. Brad nodded, gritting his teeth again and pouring a cup of coffee before heading into the shower. He had a song brewing inside him he’d have to write, a song no one but himself would ever see.

Later that afternoon, he just couldn’t help himself. Ethan had treated Val like shit in the past, and by God, it wasn’t going to happen again. If he’d deflowered the girl, then he was going to treat her like his girlfriend and not just another whore. If Brad had had the money, he would have just joined a gym and pumped iron until he couldn’t move or beaten a bag until he fell down. But he couldn’t. All he had was his guitar and his mind. And so he spent the entire morning thinking…thinking about how he was going to say to Ethan what he had to say.

He did get out of the house and take a walk to clear his mind and, when he got back, decided to talk to Ethan. If nothing else, maybe he could talk some sense into his self-destructive friend. When he got back, Ethan was sitting on the chair in the living room. He’d been up for a while by the looks of it. Nick was back in the bedroom pounding on the drums and Zane was in the kitchen eating breakfast. Ethan was dressed but he didn’t seem fully alert. Brad stopped in front of his friend. “Hey, man…let me know when you’re awake. We need to talk.”

Ethan looked up, squinting one of his eyes as though Brad were the sun. His mouth curled on one side, but Brad couldn’t read him. “Say what you gotta say now. I’m up.”

Brad inhaled. Yeah, his thoughts were organized enough. He nodded and swallowed. “What’s goin’ on with you and Val?”

Ethan let out a breath and shook his head. “I knew it. I knew I should’ve talked to you first. Val said there was nothing going on between you two.”

That almost winded him. Nothing? There was nothing between them? He wasn’t sure how the hell to respond to that. Val was a liar if she’d said there was nothing…there was definitely something, even though they’d both chosen to sublimate it. But Brad also knew his friend Ethan a little too well and suspected his friend might be exaggerating what Valerie said. Maybe Valerie had told him their agreement…that stupid hands-off policy Brad himself had put into place, and Ethan had simplified it. Yeah…that sounded right. Val had always seemed open and honest with Brad, so he could believe that a little better. Either that or she was fooling herself. So he took another breath before answering his friend. “For the good of the band, we decided not to go there. You knew that.”

Ethan shrugged. “I know that’s what you told her dad.”

Brad kept his voice level even though he could feel anger starting to simmer in his chest. “I meant it.” He took another deep breath. “But you didn’t answer my question. You and Val…”

Ethan raised an eyebrow. “What about it?” He let out a breath and closed his eyes. “Yeah, okay. So…we’re kinda together.”

“What do you mean kinda? Either you are or you aren’t. I’m sure Val doesn’t feel so half-hearted about it.”

“Exactly how would you know that, Bradley?”

Brad sucked in another deep breath, trying to keep calm. Ethan usually called him Bradley when he wanted to poke at him, and he knew this was one of those times. Ethan was implying that, just because Brad had never made love to Valerie, he didn’t know what she wanted…but Brad suspected he knew more about what Val wanted and needed than his drugged-out friend did. He even thought he might know a lot more about the way Val thought than maybe even she did. “Ask her yourself if you don’t believe me.” Ethan just rolled his eyes. Brad decided to try a different approach and sat on the sofa so he was seated diagonally next to Ethan. “She really cares about you, man.” Why, he couldn’t understand. “Try to be good to her.”

He could see Ethan bristle. “I have been.” His eyelids lowered.

“Then be better.” Ethan looked up at him again. “Quit takin’ the shit. She worries about that.”

Ethan’s voice was low. “She’s not my mom. Neither are you. I didn’t ask what she wanted.”

“Doesn’t matter. You have more than just yourself to think about now.”

Ethan stood. Yeah…Brad was getting under his skin. Good. Maybe that was what he needed to wake up. “I didn’t ask to watch out for someone else. She’s a big girl. She makes her own decisions.”

“Jesus, man. Think about what you’re saying.” He stood up. Ethan seemed to think he could intimidate Brad by hovering over him, but Brad was taller. He didn’t even need to puff his chest out like Ethan. He just stood up.

“I have. She knows me. She knows what I’m like. I’ve never hidden that from her. She takes me as I am or not. I don’t give a shit.”

Brad couldn’t keep it out of his voice anymore. It was all he could do to not jab Ethan in the chest with his finger. “You don’t deserve her.”

“Fuck that. I make her happy.”

Brad fought to not just punch his friend in the face, even though Ethan had it coming. “Does she look happy to you?”

Ethan smirked. “You heard her yourself.”

Oh…fuck that. It took everything in Brad to not just beat the shit out of his friend. Not only was Ethan being a shithead to the woman who’d fallen prey to his charms, but he was rubbing his best friend’s nose in it. Ethan had to know Brad cared for Val…a lot. So to throw that out there… Still, he wanted Valerie to be happy, and that was what he was going to focus on…not the red rage and jealousy threatening to overtake him. “Ethan, you’re a mess. You know it and I know it. You wanna make her happy? Get your shit together, man.”

Ethan got close to Brad, raising his shoulders to give the appearance that he was almost as tall as his friend. Brad felt a primal urge inside himself, the part of him that would have survived pre-civilization, and it wanted him to give in, to just get physical with his friend, beat some sense into him…or at least to beat him into submission. Out of the corner of his eye, Brad saw Zane walk in from the kitchen. Apparently, even their friend sensed what was in the air.

But then the front door opened…to none other than Val. Brad still didn’t want to back down from the challenge, but at the same time, he didn’t want to upset Val. He couldn’t quite pull his eyes away from Ethan’s, wasn’t going to, because he knew his friend would view that as a sign of weakness, no matter why he’d looked away. When she closed the door and started to approach them, though, they both backed down. Nothing would happen now. She said, “What’s going on?”

Brad took a small step back and looked at Val. He cleared his throat and hoped he could pull off the lie. He knew she’d know anyway, but he had to say it just the same…out of respect to both her and Ethan. “Nothing. Just a little misunderstanding.”

Ethan had an angry look on his face, but he wasn’t going to contradict Brad. “Yeah.”

Brad inhaled. “How was work?”

Val shrugged her shoulders, but her eyes looked concerned. “Nothing exciting.”

Brad nodded and forced a smile. He too had to do what he’d just lectured Ethan about. He couldn’t make Val happy either if he was constantly poking at Ethan and making him mad. Val certainly wouldn’t be happy to know about their argument. So…he’d have to just keep his mouth shut. “Well…you’re home now. Take a load off.”

He saw the look that crossed Val’s face as she looked at Ethan. The girl loved Ethan…for better or worse. Yeah…it would be best for Brad to just go write another song and keep his goddamned mouth shut. She loved his friend, and there wasn’t a damn thing he’d be able to do about it. Not now, at any rate.

Jade C. Jamison was born and raised in Colorado, moved from one city/town to the next, and she’s decided she likes it so much she wants to stay…although travel is not out of the question. She lives in a big town in Colorado (not unlike Winchester!) with her husband and four children. She is working on becoming a crazy cat lady. Okay, so maybe not.

Still want more? Jade has a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Theater, a master’s degree in English, and a master of fine arts in Creative Writing. Obviously, she loves school and the student loan folks love her. She works in human services by day, teaches English and creative writing at night, and—in between playing soccer mom and community leader—writes like a fiend. Someday soon, she’ll narrow it down to just writing, but let’s get all those kids off to college first.