Lance by Jet Mykles
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
I had a really weird reaction to this book. It’s classic Mykles rock star book but oddly I didn’t believe any of it. I mean I know it’s fiction and all but I never bought into the main couple together and I thought they were better off apart the entire book. So when they finally got together I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was a huge mistake. I like these easy to read and fun books by the author but the IK series pales in comparison to the HS series and it shows in just about all the books. That’s not to say this one in particular isn’t enjoyable to read. The angst is light, if even there, and the characters very easy to take. They’re fun and not too serious while they fall in love and in committed relationships. My main hang up is that I never thought the main guys should be together and I agreed they were better off apart so the final resolution of them happy in love rang very hollow for me. But fans of the author will easily like this one.
As the third book in the series, which should be read but doesn’t have to be, this time bass player Lance has a chance to get back together with this old boyfriend, Gordon. Gordon and Lance met when Gordon was hired to manage Lance’s old band. Unfortunately that band was going nowhere and Lance resisted all of Gordon’s attempts to help him go places. Although a determined playboy Lance agrees to an exclusive relationship with Gordon but eventually gets fed up with Gordon’s (out of the bedroom) pushy ways and cheats on him. Gordon swears he never gives second chances and is done with Lance. That is until he gives Lance the chance at a real band with the Indigo Knights. Now Lance has to prove to Gordon that he’s changed and worth breaking the rules for.
The timeline of this one is a little wonky because apparently events in the second book – Danny and Cash – happen at the same time this one happens. Actually this should have been the second book and Danny’s book the third book in reality as the timing doesn’t really work any other way. Here Danny doesn’t hook up with Cash until near the end of the book so it’s a little weird and kept throwing me for a loop reading about Danny and Noble clubbing and hooking up with random people. Likewise there is a big detail about Lance being celibate for the year since he and Gordon broke up but that turns into two and half years somehow, which doesn’t make much sense. Additionally the past months jump around – first there is a November scene then a September scene in the past so I was confused because I think the Sept scene actually came after the November one. Anyway beyond that I liked the characters, the band members are fun and interesting enough if not particularly memorable.
Lance is a nice character as someone that struggled with commitment, made mistakes and now is trying to atone for them. He accepts his actions as wrong and tries to show he’s sorry by not having sex with anyone else since he and Gordon broke up. Gordon is a bit up tight I have to admit but I could understand that he was trying to protect himself while still creating a working relationship with Lance. I guess the two men have chemistry as the past scenes certainly showed that but ultimately I just couldn’t see the two together. Gordon is very clear about them not being together and how he can’t trust Lance, which I think is a valid fear. Likewise Lance is simply too lazy and fearful of change to make any decisions in his life, which frustrated Gordon tremendously and would again in the future. Gordon is very clear on what he thinks is the right move and regardless of Lance’s reasons, right or wrong they are his choices, Gordon didn’t respect them very much. They’re both likeable characters but I don’t really see them together. They tried and it didn’t work, for more than just the cheating aspect. Which is the problem. The story has to sell why the cheating happened in a way that Lance isn’t a horrible person and it did so well enough that I believe the relationship was falling apart and wouldn’t have survived anyway. Thus, the two really shouldn’t be together.
This really colored how I viewed the story, since it’s a romance and all so I never could feel that sense of happiness when all problems are worked out, because the problems weren’t actually worked out at all. Both men promised to “talk” in the future, for whatever that is worth. Then they were incredibly, deeply in love and willing to go without condoms as some show of trust? The resolution was incredibly fast after the entire book had Gordon shooting Lance down and refusing another chance. Aside from this rather significant problem I liked reading the story well enough. I like Mykles’ writing, which is smooth, easy, and light on detail. It’s definitely popcorn reading but the myriad of supporting cast members, past and present, helps keep my interest. This is not a book I particularly liked nor would read again but I’ll easily continue with the series. I’m happy to see where Noble finds love.
three am 
I was not overly impressed with book 2. It was okay and a “nice light snack” but was really nothing new. I find a bit of sameness now. Once you’ve read HS, just insert new characters in slightly new situations and voila. I really didn’t have much interest in this one and I don’t seem to care all that much about them as a group, so I doubt I’ll read further than #2.
I think the HS ones were really good. Sadly these are just pale imitations. Kind of like diet popcorn. It’s not offensive in any way but it’s not satisfying in any way. I’ll read the last one of the series but probably not any other rocker series from her. I’ll just reread HS honestly. I find this entire group so bland and forgettable I kept forgetting who they were while reading.