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BOOKWORM REVIEW: Winning Nia by Morgana Bevan


RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
STEAM: 🔥🔥🔥

Sometimes good intentions can lead to huge misunderstandings and drive people apart.

This was the main theme in Nia and James' story. James had broken Nia's heart a while ago right when his band Rhiannon started to make it big. They were inseparable and in love --or so Nia thought -- until James just suddenly ghosted her. Now that she's finally recovered from that heartbreak, he and the band are back in town, and he's doing what he can to get back into her life.

My favorite part of this book is Nia's friendship with Sophie and Mel. I am a stan for ride-or-die friendships, and those three are one of the fictional best. I like Nia because she's strong despite the adversities she has to deal with, including her family and career choices. She stands up for herself, and it's hard not to root for her when she's so fiercely independent and kind.

I struggled a bit with James' redemption arc, and part of it is because this was told from Nia's POV only. Hopefully, we can see more of him and his growth in subsequent books.

This is the second book in Morgana Bevan's True Platinum series, but the book can work as a standalone. Bevan does a great job in highlighting key information from the first book and introducing the characters without overwhelming the readers. 

** I am voluntarily reviewing an advance copy of this book. Thank you to Morgana Bevan for providing an arc. **

ABOUT THE BOOK

I don't need a rockstar to be my knight in shining armour. Especially one who already had his chance.

My first love broke my heart when I was sixteen. James Tyler was everything I’d ever wanted, until he up and left. That’s what I get for falling for a musician whose plans for world domination never included me.

My second love, photography, would never let me down.

Or so I thought until I discovered that making it as a music photographer is a lot harder in reality than in my dreams – and my savings account can only take a beating for so long until I have to swallow my pride and start grovelling to my arrogant, estranged father.

And if things couldn’t get any worse, James is back…

Arriving with a job offer I shouldn’t refuse, and a confession big enough to send shockwaves through the past, he throws my entire life upside down. But I don’t care how successful his band is or that he insists I’m the one for him. If he thinks I forgive him tossing me aside ten years ago, he’s got another thing coming.

To anyone else, James is a second chance wrapped in muscle and black ink. Too bad for him, I’ve never believed in second chances.

Winning Nia is a full length steamy rock star romance. It is the second book following the Rhiannon men and the second in the True Platinum Series. Can be read as a standalone. If you love obsessed rock stars, determined independent heroines who want to solve their own problems and childhood sweethearts getting a second chance, then Winning Nia is for you.



GET A SNEAK PEAK OF WINNING NIA

“So what are you doing in this part of town?” I glanced over my shoulder at him.

What I really wanted to know was whether I needed to quit my jobs at Axel’s and Jackson’s. Not really a doable task, but I might take it under advisement if he was living here. Maybe I could move to Bristol. That would make my decision on The Salamander job easier. Plus, there were loads of music venues there. Surely, I could land at least one.

“I was at Axel’s for their fortnightly show,” he said, smirking like he had a secret. “They’ve pulled in some class talent, haven’t they?”

I agreed, my voice weak. He was playing me. I wasn’t inconspicuous at those shows. I spent half of it crawling around the stage and the other half balancing on chairs, trying to get the best crowd shots.

The cashier called me forward, and I turned back around. My shoulders nearly sagged. Almost there.

“Can you believe it’s been ten years since I played on that stage? Remember the last time?” If he meant the question to be disarming, he should have picked a different one.

I gritted my teeth and focused on the cashier. With just two items, it was seconds before I was stuffing my treasures into my handbag and tapping my card. Freedom was in sight.

I’d lost my virginity that night. I was sixteen and my parents were away at some conference. James was riding a high, convinced that this band was going to be it. As first times went, I’d got lucky with him. But that didn’t mean I wanted to be thinking about what had been an emotional moment, in the checkout line of all places. Or the fact that he’d left me two months later.

I muttered a noncommittal response as I stepped away from the checkout. “Well, I’ll catch you another time.” I didn’t see his expression, my focus zeroed-in on the exit.

“Wait! Give me a second to pay for these and we can catch up.”

Despite myself, I turned back to him. I didn’t know what his wide smile and eager eyes meant; I didn’t want to know. Why could I never resist this man? He’d proven that he was nothing but a wrecking ball for my heart. I needed to get a clue.

I backed away, shaking my head. “Sorry. I’ve got to get home. Early morning plans.”

The light of memory lit his eyes. I braced myself for his next curveball. “Saturdays on the beach with a camera still a thing?” At my nod, he smiled. “Some things never change,” he whispered, his expression soft, wistful.

When the shop door shut behind me, I was shaking. I’d run an emotional relay in under ten minutes. He’d dragged too many memories to the surface, too many contradictory feelings. Some were beautiful and I would always cherish them, but I had to be in the right frame of mind to look at them. Exhausted and sweaty from a long night at Axel’s was not it. My defences were low enough without time to accept that I could turn a corner and walk into him. Throwing sweet and painful moments from our past into the mix was just playing dirty.

And the timing! What were the chances he’d sought me out?

“Unlikely,” I muttered, startling a woman walking past. I stomped to my car, stopping short of running outright.

It had been nine years. No way did I hold a feature spot in James Tyler’s mind. He was a rock star now. He must have women throwing themselves at him. Seeing him here was just a coincidence, a weird fluke. And after today, I’d get over the shock and lock down the memories.

Anyway, I might never see him again. One can hope.

And then another thought occurred to me.

How many musicians actually attend gigs full of unknown bands once they made it? Not many, I’m sure.

MEET MORGANA BEVAN

Morgana Bevan is a sucker for a rock star romance, particularly if it involves a soul-destroying breakup or strangers waking up in Vegas. She’s a contemporary romance author based in Wales. When Morgana’s not writing steamy rock star and movie star romances, she’s working in TV production in the UK.

She enjoys travelling, attending gigs, and trying out the extreme activities she forces on her characters (see Instagram for evidence!).

Connect with Morgana


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