Release Blitz + Review: Outside by Michelle Mankin

Get ready for rock stars, surf, and second chances in Outside by Michelle Mankin

Outside

By Michelle Mankin

Release Date : July 19, 2015

Pre Order: Amazon

Synopsis

Outside

Rock Stars, Surf and Second Chances

When handsome California surf god Lincoln Savage suddenly rolls into Ocean Beach like a rogue wave, shy beauty Simone Bianchi’s foundation is shaken. No longer under the thumb of her domineering father, she’s made a simple quiet life for herself and her fluffy fourteen pound Havanese pup running a surf shop in her hometown of OB. Long ago she gave up her dreams for a future with Linc.

But now the notorious lead singer of the Dirt Dogs has returned, and Simone is reluctant to admit that she’s still vulnerable to his killer dimpled smile and easy charm. She finds that although she’s stowed away the mementos, it hasn’t been as easy to erase the memories of their epic summer love.

It seems he hasn’t forgotten, either.

Is the recording contract he’s offering merely a pretense?

Or does he have something more in mind?

Does he really believe that they can just pick up where they left off, despite all the bad luck and heartache?

And is she willing to risk everything again for one last chance at love?

Pre Order: Amazon

The walls vibrated as soon as the spotlights hit them. Feet stomped. Fans yelled. Some even stood on their chairs. Camera lights clicked on and so did Lincoln. Brightly. He strode to the center of the stage. Confident. Compelling. Controlled. A cosmic force.

He plucked the mic from the stand glared at the audience daring them to come along with him or get the hell out of the way, before he and the guys launched into a cover of ‘Satisfaction’ that kicked ass as righteously as the original.

It went uphill from there. Ramon on guitar flashing his flirt. Ash slamming sexy on his drums. Patch firm and steady on bass. And Linc my gorgeous warrior with depths of worth that he still failed to recognize eclipsing them all. The Dirt Dogs might still a bit rough around the edges but they were undeniably on the ascent. What had started out as something to occupy their time when the surf wasn’t up had transformed into a magical mélange of Pacific saltwater, California sun and hard rocking in your face attitude.

I moved quickly across the parking lot shielding my eyes from the glare when I reached the sand. The tension inside my stomach instantly ratcheted tighter. I recognized Lincoln right away. Even in his wet suit the way he moved across the surface of the ocean on his board was as unique as he was.

Under the curtain unleashing his fins.

Maxing out of the tube.

Finding steep wall and going nearly vertical.

Those were the maneuvers I knew, the others I didn’t but that didn’t make them any less awe inspiring.

`My favorite inspirational surf youtube video with music that captures the tone and spirit of Outside perfectly`

“You afraid?”

I shook my head. I was never afraid of him. Never.

He studied me a beat seeming to notice my parted lips, heavy breathing, hard nipples and trembling.

“Turned on?” he guessed.

I nodded.

“Get on my board then, babe. I aim to please if you’ll let me.”

Michel’s Review

If you are a fan of second chance romance, Outside by Michelle Mankin might be the book for you.

What happens the odds of your relationship are stacked against you? What happens when your dreams are blown to pieces without warning? What happens when your life takes a new direction that is beyond your control? While all of this is happening you are not secure enough or mature enough to handle it all. When love enters the equation it makes all the more difficult.

Michelle Mankin did a wonderful job of laying out a story where two young people lose each other because they weren’t really ready to hold onto to each other. They did not have the confidence, the courage, and the maturity to handle life events. Fifteen years later neither Linc or Mona have moved on. Their hearts are still in limbo.

While one went on to be a great success , the other went home licking their wounds. Linc hid behind fame. Mona hid within the four walls of her surf shop.

Linc turns back up at Ocean Beach to offer Mona an exclusive music deal. It is merely an excuse to get back into her life once again. He wants the girl that captured his heart back in his life. Has he left too many scars on her heart?

Mona wants nothing to do with Linc’s offer. She has built a safe quiet life for herself. When he reveals his real reasons for returning her heart begin to beat once again.

Personally I had a hard time embracing the characters. Their personalities seemed a bit flat. Their back story felt like I was being told the story rather than experiencing it. The back story itself did not have the build up that would convince me that both of these characters would pine for each other for fifteen years.

Overall the writing is solid and the story is well developed. It was a decent second chance romance book.

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About Michelle Mankin

Reimagining classic stories with sexy rock stars and thought provoking issues.
For many years she worked in the insurance industry as an underwriter. Somehow, the boredom didn’t kill her but the hours and hours of looking at facts and figures provided ample time for her mind to wander.
Love Evolution, Love Revolution, and Love Resolution are a Brutal Strength centered trilogy, combining the plot underpinnings of Shakespeare with the drama, excitement, and indisputable sexiness of the rock ‘n roll industry.
Things take a bit of an edgier, once upon a time turn with the Tempest series. These pierced, tatted, and troubled Seattle rockers are young and on the cusp of making it big, but with serious obstacles to overcome that may prevent them from ever getting there.
Rock stars, myths, and legends collide with paranormal romance in a totally mesmerizing way in the Magic series.
When Michelle is not prowling the streets of her Texas town listening to her rock music much too loud, she is putting her daydreams down on paper or traveling the world with her family and friends, sometimes for real, and sometimes just for pretend as she takes the children to school and back.