Review: Hot Ticket by Olivia Cunning

Author: Olivia Cunning 

Release Date: Feb. 5, 2013

Publisher: Sourcebooks

Sinners on Tour #4

(reading order Book 3)

ISBN: #978-1402245831

Genre: Erotic Romance

Format(s): paperback (400 pgs), e-book

Book Source: Publisher/ NetGalley

Jace Seymour is carrying quite a few demons from his past, and only one thing is guaranteed to give him any relief. When he finds exactly what he’s looking for during a bachelor’s party at a strip club, he’s all for a little temporary distraction, but as with everything else in the Sinners’ world lately, nothing goes according to plan. Desperate to escape his memories, he seeks out a different kind of pain, but it seems that his angel in leather is more than he bargained for, and just might be the answer to his prayers.

Aggie has worked hard for the life she has: she’s independent, confident, and has a great gig making men literally beg at her feet. She’s happily single and intends to stay that way, thank you very much. But, when she assumes her newest client, a gorgeous, blonde bass player with a taste for what only her skills can deliver, is just like so many others she’s broken, she’s in for a surprise. Jace is unlike any man she’s ever known, and she’s determined to do everything she can to help him, even if it leaves her with a broken heart.

This was a really enjoyable story to read, and is possibly my favorite Sinners story to date. Jace is not only the most introverted member of the band, but one of the most interesting. As an extremely skilled bassist playing in a band he’s always loved, Jace should have confidence in abundance, yet he never allows himself to truly feel a part of everything, choosing instead to keep his bandmates and anyone else he meets at a distance. He’s been made a fighter by his own circumstances, and is viciously loyal to those he counts as his. Consumed by guilt, he perpetually uses his own self-hatred as a shield, while at the same time displaying a profound need for acceptance from the other members of the band, especially his idol, Eric Sticks. Jace is complicated, but very lovable, and I found him completely irresistible almost from the beginning.

Aggie, on the other hand, has found a different means to deal with her past. Like Jace, her family history isn’t pretty, but she discovered early on she had great potential when it came to making men beg, and turned her knack for inflicting physical pain into a fairly lucrative business. Her initial reaction to Jace takes her by surprise, but she’s never been one to walk away from a challenge, and she isn’t about to start with the headstrong, wounded bass player. Aggie is independent and strong, and by turns stubborn and understanding. She is patient and determined, and everything Jace doesn’t want to admit he needs. In short, they’re absolutely perfect for each other.

The Sinners are a rock band, and although they are in the process of outgrowing their past excesses, their appetites for sex are still very much apparent. Jace is an exception to the stereotype, however, since he hides his kink from much of the outside world, while incorporating an amazing generosity towards Aggie as a lover. He is constantly trying to pay off a debt that he doesn’t truly owe, and spends much of his time looking for any means to take the edge off the guilt. It’s a no-win cycle. Fortunately, Aggie is more than capable of meeting Jace head on, and with an equal capacity for giving that just might be the only thing that can free him from his past.

As a counterbalance to the more weighty aspects of the story, Ms. Cunning incorporates plenty of humor, as well. Two of the band members have already settled down, and their sweetly determined fidelity (as well as a few unlikely tattoos) are used to great comedic effect. With a very cramped tour bus, and the addition of Aggie’s skills as a professional Domme thrown in, the rest of the guys face a level of sexual frustration unlike any they’ve known before. It all makes for some thoroughly naughty and entertaining moments.

While all of the guys in the band have proven themselves to be completely endearing in their own way, none have been more lovable, to me, at least, than Jace. Aggie, too, is one of my favorite characters in the series so far, and Ms. Cunning couldn’t have done a better job of letting them show just how perfect for one another they are. Jace goes through a tremendous change in the course of the story, but it never feels forced or conveniently abbreviated just to arrive at a desired ending. Even when Jace begins to find some solid footing towards the end of Hot Ticket, he reaches for his happiness with a tentative, yet grateful, relief. This hopeful acceptance, combined with Aggie’s warm tenaciousness help to make Hot Ticket a sexy, fun addition to the series.