4.5 stars

I do love a good rocker romance and BDSM themed stories are a favorite too, so when I saw the blurb for this book I had to give it a try! Playing the Pauses was a wonderfully unique story from others I have read in either of the tropes thanks to the author's way of blending both worlds.

Kate loves being a tour manager, but as a young woman just breaking into the business she has to work to get every job assignment. She loves the sound of The Red Letters and sees big things in their future, so she jumps at the chance to work with them despite the fact their former tour manager left her a heck of a mess to clean up. Their first meeting in the airport goes about as well as it could, but she didn't expect their bassist Danny to turn out to be her personal form of kryptonite. She has always melted for musicians, particularly one with talented fingers, but when that gorgeous and talented man is also a Dom... well, she is in all sorts of trouble!

Kate swore off Doms two years ago and she has held strong on that ban for good reason. She embraces submitting behind closed doors, but when it comes to real life, the men in her past just couldn't seem to stop trying to control her or make decisions for her there either. She is damn good at her job and she will not give that up for any man, but Danny is going to seriously test her resolve.

Danny can't deny his tendencies, but he has taken a step back from that world in order to try to find himself again. The band is starting to find success and the need for control hasn't disappeared from his life, but behind closed doors he feels a bit lost when it comes to embracing his own kinks rather than just fulfilling the needs of the subs he has been with. After one smokin' hot encounter with Kate, he knows they both feel the connection but he bolts when the intensity leaves them both a little unsettled and fears encroach on the moment.

Kate stands to lose everything she has worked so hard to build if she gets involved with Danny. If word gets out, she will be labeled as anything from a groupie to an untalented opportunist who slept her way into her job. But when Danny lays out his proposal to explore his true interests, she just can't bring herself to say no despite the risks. He ignites a craving in her that she has long tried to deny, but the man himself is just as irresistible with his silent strength and instinctive ability to read her like a book.

I loved that the story focused on the exploration of the relationship between Kate and Danny as well as Kate and the rest of the band who have formed their own family over the years. The concerts and travel were certainly a big part of their life, but the focus wasn't always on their time on stage and the groupies didn't factor into Kate and Danny's relationship in any way. I thought the author did a wonderful job with character development, and she cranked up the angst level in the second half of the book as the looming tour end meant difficult decisions to be made. Does finding love mean that Kate has to give up her hopes and dreams, or can they find a way to compromise?

I loved Jera and Jax, Danny's two other bandmates, and I am really looking forward to diving into Jera's story soon while waiting on Jax's story to come along. If you love either rock star romances or stories that delve into the BDSM world, I definitely recommend Playing the Pauses! It is light enough on the BDSM element that those who don't want to be fully immersed into that world will be able to enjoy the story, and it is a standalone romance that focuses on emotional depth and family while being set in the world of rock stars.

It’s currently 1:45am in the morning and I have just put this book down.

For an excruciatingly long, nail biting amount of time I have been waiting for the next book in this series and of course Michelle did not disappoint me. From the moment I purchased it this morning, I haven’t put it down!

Danny and Kate are smoking hot, passionate and fun people in a relationship that breathes sensuality, understanding and chemistry. Never before have I been so sucked into someone’s world and had to hold on tight for the ride.

I thought Jera and Jacob’s story was a beautiful, sweet tale sprinkled with sexy but Danny and Kate are something words will never describe. The raw moments of their life are just breathtaking.

Michelle seamlessly weaved real life people and traits and stories into one big piece of art. So many characters and so many things happening at once. Such beauty in Danny’s tattoo and somewhat... lost soul.

So much talent in Jera’s need to doodle lyrics on any flat service available to her and Jax’s spiralling crash into the come down. Being privy to this bands stunning intimacy was so much fun and left me as honoured as Kate felt.

They’re burning need to make it work is a life lesson all on its own without the bullshit of fairytales and love that works the first time round. Real souls in real lives and I absolutely can’t wait to see more of them.

Michelle Hazen has a gift and there will never be a day I don’t devour her books like I did today. Thank you, Michelle for giving the world such an amazing story and me a nostalgic moment: the first time you read a masterpiece.

What it's like to be the tour manager of an up-and-coming new rock band? Michelle Hazen writes like she's 'been there, done that'. In Play the Pauses, Hazen gives us Kate, a young, independent woman who 'takes care' of three rock and rollers on their tour, where she ends up really taking care of Danny, the impossibly sexy bass player-tattoo artist. Since this is the first book in the series that I've read(might have been the cover that caught my eye), I don't know the history of the band members, but as a stand alone book, it works for me.

I spent seven years playing in a band, and I have to say, Hazen really nails the reality of what it's like. Everything is heightened when you play in front of adoring crowds, so it stands to reason that you carry that high into the rest of your life. Danny, the bass player is a troubled soul who finds his voice in his music. Kate, the very capable tour manager who takes over mid-way and saves the band from owing money at the end of the tour, has to deal with a lifetime of a depressed mother she's always taken care of(which is why taking care of a band is not big deal to her).
Kate and Danny find each other, and the sparks fly, and the novel becomes a backstage pass to Fifty Shade of Gray. Romance with depth and reality--where a strong woman meets her equal and have amazing sex with a few slight kinks. A perfect beach read--plane read or stay up all night read.