Blurb:

I’m not the kind of guy that gets attached.

After my parents passed away, I learned nothing is forever.

Not the fame my band is gaining or the girl I might be falling for despite our “no-strings” relationship.

With so many changes in a short amount of time, I find myself spiraling further and further with no end in sight.

Except maybe rock bottom.

Then the unthinkable happens.

Kira gets pregnant and if I don’t get my life together, I’m about to lose way more than I ever bargained for.

My 4* Review:

Rising is book two in the Wild series by Micalea Smeltzer. This is a rockstar romance story about Rush Daniels and Kira Marsh.  If you have read Wild #1, then you will have already met both these characters as Rush is the drummer for The Wild band and Kira is best friends with Mia. These are two incredibly broken people, who somehow make each other happy until angst over an accidental pregnancy throws both their lives into turmoil and makes them have to face reality. 

It is an emotional read, looking at the effects of trauma on a person and then finding the strength to live a life worth living. A story about acceptance, forgiveness and fighting past demons. 

“I wish I felt like I was good enough for you.”

Rush is the oldest member of the band and before they arrived in town he was a player, always drinking and partying. The other members are the only family he has now since a traumatic event eight years ago sent him spiralling down and changed his life forever. He lost everything and it’s too painful to talk about so he hides his problems by being the joker of the band. 

Kira is studying to be a nurse, she is kind and funny but quick tempered. She grew up with toxic parents and always felt she was a burden to them. Having witnessed abuse, drugs and alcoholism, she tries to control every aspect of her life. At the moment her life revolves around school, work and Rush. It’s confusing for her because she likes him but avoids attachments

The mutual attraction between them started out as a nice distraction because neither wanted a relationship. They have been enjoying their no strings arrangement because they agreed no personal details. They joke, tease and argue and have grown close but refuse to call it a real relationship. Lines start to blur when they have some authentic moments and both realise it’s become more. They never expected to feel the way they do. Rush is convinced love makes men fools and Kira thinks love doesn’t exists. 

When their circumstances change, they are scared and neither react well. Rush uses alcohol as his coping mechanism even though he knows it’s the wrong way to deal with everything. Kira pushes everyone away and shuts people out. They are both complicated people who need to open up and deal with their demons. She has abandonment issues and he is drowning in grief. They have kept their secrets to protect themselves for years but now they need to be brave and honest with each other. 

Can this couple find a way past the mistakes they have made, let go of the past and stop throwing their lives away? Is Rush worthy of forgiveness, can he change and be a better man? Do they need to fall apart before coming back together or are they better off apart? Can they fix themselves so they can have a future and be the parents they need to be? 

While this couple go through the ups and downs of battling their emotions, they are supported by their friends, old and new. The angst and emotion in this book will pull at your heartstrings as they struggle with sorting their lives out and finally admitting their issues. This couple certainly have a lot to deal with but the character development was fantastic. I felt the author tackled some interesting topics and showed how changing your life for the better isn’t an easy task. I loved all the excitement when the band’s single gets played on the radio and they realise their dreams are coming true. There were lots of interesting snippets about Fox and Cannon’s sister Calista, so hopefully that’s the next book.