Fast Lane
"Once he met her, it was and always would be Lyla."They were the gentlemen bad boys of rock. Forming in a garage in a small town in Indiana. Taking their licks on the road. Going balls to the wall until they made their big break.And then Preacher McCade and the Roadmasters redefined rock and roll.Guided by their tortured lead singer and songwriter, the Roadmasters changed the face of music in the 80s and 90s. And on their journey to becoming one of the most enduring bands in history—dogged by rumors and myth and fueled by drugs and booze—the Roadmasters had one touchstone.Lyla.Preacher's muse, the love of his life, and the band's moral compass, from the beginning, Lyla is along for the ride.But with fame and acclaim in their grasp, they've entered the fast lane.And they didn't know it, but they were headed for a crash.
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Top Reviews
While I wholeheartedly adore the familiar style of writing and storytelling that Kristen Ashley so notoriously delivers from her "happy place," I am both overwhelmed by and overjoyed with her conscious delve into such a daringly new way of illustrating a rock and roll romance. Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid was one of the most gripping, soul searing, wholly original stories I'd read in the last year and the knowledge that that book inspired this shift into what would become Fa...
While I wholeheartedly adore the familiar style of writing and storytelling that Kristen Ashley so notoriously delivers from her "happy place," I am both overwhelmed by and overjoyed with her conscious delve into such a daringly new way of illustrating a rock and roll romance. Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid was one of the most gripping, soul searing, wholly original stories I'd read in the last year and the knowledge that that book inspired this shift into what would become Fast Lane, as mentioned by the author herself in the forward, had me screaming on the inside as I entered into this novel. The fated marriage of Kristen Ashley, rock and roll, and a Daisy Jones-esque style of storytelling could only ever result in something magical and that's exactly what Fast Lane is. Pure unadulterated MAGIC.
What transpires on these pages is a hauntingly raw look at the rise of a rock band and the drama that shadows and shapes each member, as told through the glaring lens of the journalistic interviews they agree to decades later. This story is as much about family and love as it is about music and, in my heart of hearts, I believe it's one of the most masterful works Kristen Ashley has ever written. It's sheer brilliance the way this story evolves, the way each character shares their nuanced narrative of such a monumental time in all of their lives. It's riveting, complex, unimaginably evocative, and it reads like nothing this author has written before.
I was worried, at first, that this story might mirror DJATS a bit too closely for many readers, that it might not deviate enough from Reid's story to feel original. But I promise, IT DOES. This band, these characters, are like none other, and the manner in which KA unveils their story is unexpected, unpredictable and laced in the signature style known only to her. Truth be told, Kristen Ashley's appreciation and adoration of great music, the soulful message behind so many songs, the gritty reality of so many classic artists, has been a common thread running through almost every KA novel to date. So how she managed to avoid writing a rock and roll romance the likes of Fast Lane until now is possibly the most shocking revelation to come from Fast Lane, in hindsight. Of course, this book was meant to happen, these characters were meant to come alive, and this music was meant to bleed from these page. This book is destiny coming to fruition right before our eyes.
Preacher, Lyla, Jesse, Tommy, Dave, Tim, DeShaun... these are characters that will haunt my dreams. As I reflect back now on where this band began in Jesse's garage, to the events that happened there, to everything that happened along the way, to the secrets revealed about their childhoods, to what they came to mean to each other, to the drugs, to the music, to the gut-wrenching angst of their romance, to their darkest moments and brightest victories, to the way Kristen Ashley plotted out this story so that scenes came out of nowhere and knocked you right on your ass... I have to repeat myself when I say that this is one of the most masterful things she's ever written.
The more I think back on this experience, the more BLOWN AWAY I am. This was brilliant. Magnificent. Next level. No matter where you are on your Kristen Ashley journey, whether you're a newbie reader, a seasoned one, or a reader that might've abandoned ship after reading a few books that just didn't work for you... I'm telling you, YOU HAVE TO READ THIS ONE. It's a dramatic shift in style, a drastic change of pace. There's nothing familiar about it, nothing predictable about it. It's just honest to goodness ROCK AND ROLL, a love story that cuts so deep, characters that claw their way into your soul, a story so meticulous and smart and vividly descriptive. You can't NOT read this book and feel all the feels. Preacher and Lyla are up there as a new top favorite KA couple and this will be one I reread again and again.
By Dori Runolfsson
I'm a huge Kristen Ashley fan, with my favorites mostly earlier series. I've read some more times than I can remember ... they are comfort food that I go back to again and again when I feel I'm in a rut or just need something or someone familiar. Rock Chicks/Dream Man/Burg/Colorado Mountain Men/Fantastical ... those are my favorites. Though I've been more lukewarm to some of the more recent books, any new KA release is still an instant buy for me.
Then the reviews for Fast Lane were so spl...
I'm a huge Kristen Ashley fan, with my favorites mostly earlier series. I've read some more times than I can remember ... they are comfort food that I go back to again and again when I feel I'm in a rut or just need something or someone familiar. Rock Chicks/Dream Man/Burg/Colorado Mountain Men/Fantastical ... those are my favorites. Though I've been more lukewarm to some of the more recent books, any new KA release is still an instant buy for me.
Then the reviews for Fast Lane were so split that I downloaded it but sat on it for quite some time before I finally diving in. Regular Kristen Ashley fans seemed to love it or really hate the different style. In the time since I downloaded it, I skipped past it on my Kindle and Audible (I have both) and re-read all of the books in at least 3 of her other book series (plus countless other authors) first. I didn't want to not like it (and if I don't read it yet, that can't happen, right?)
I'm so glad I got past those nerves and finally read it. First, I'm a big rock fan, and love reading interviews and watching band documentaries. So, the whole Rolling Stone interview vibe that some reviews complained about really spoke to my rock gods loving soul. I loved that she attempted something so different from her normal style. While I love the other books and read a ton of romance, let's face it, there is a formula that can get a little mundane even when you love the characters. This was so different, it drew me in in a way that isn't my normal romance read.
I loved the characters. I love the flashback story telling, the casual interview voice. It read like I have seen many musicians interviewed. That made it feel real. I loved feeling like I was getting bits and pieces of the story from different viewpoints. I loved that it wasn't your typical romance (which is almost all I read these days - I need serious escape!) The different pace, different delivery method, and the background story on a fictional touring band was fun.
So, while this is a different style for Kristen Ashley, I really loved this more than I have her other most recent publications.
By Lois Fahey
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