Revel

Revel

by Shey Stahl

A rock god.

The princess of pop.

Who will fall first?

Everyone knows the name Revel Slade. They know to fear him. To never get too close because this guy, he’s so hot he commands the fires of hell, and he will burn you to cinders and enjoy watching the flames dance.

He haunts my every move. So why am I going on tour with him?

I’m an idiot. That’s why.

Me, Taylan Ash, the princess of pop, falling for the king of rock. Falling for evil. When you’re young and being told all those fairy tales, the ones that tell you there’s a Prince Charming out there for you, they leave out the villains—the monsters lurking. They don’t warn you about the ones hidden behind a disguise with pretty eyes and smoke in their lungs.

Blinded by passion, I refused to see what was really happening until it was too late, and there was no going back. When I emerge from the haze of him, I’m left empty and undefined, barely recognizable.

He wouldn’t fall. Not at all. Not ever a chance.

What a silly notion that would be.

But, he did. He fell hard and this time, I couldn’t catch him.

​Spice Level: 4.5/6

Story Score: 8/10

Rating: 5/5

This book was a TikTok, I’m pretty sure. I put it on my TBR and it made it onto a NextRead collage…then I spun a wheel, lol.

This is the story of a rockstar and popstar on tour together along with their exes. Revel and Taylan are “enemies”...but really they aren’t. He’s a cocky, bad boy rockstar and he liked pushing her buttons. I don’t think at any given point in this book that Revel actually hated Taylan. However, their pasts do have connecting darkness and that makes them…unhappy being around each other…until it doesn’t.

This book deals with some sensitive topics. Check for trigger warnings. Addiction, unconsented drugging, etc. I will admit though that I DO NOT like drug/alcohol books. I don’t enjoy my characters relying on them and I don’t like the way addiction is handled in most books. However, I loved this book and I fully support the 5-star rating.

Revel is…well, he’s going to hurt your heart. It is painful to read his thoughts and how other people around him treat him and how his past has shaped him. Taylan is not quite a breath of fresh air, but she’s real. For being a popstar character, she was one of the most enjoyable I’ve read. She has moments that she’s a bit snooty and a bit naïve, but you understand what she’s saying throughout most of the book. And eventually, you’re proud of her.

My biggest issues in this book are the asshole bandmate of Revel’s and a particular scene which I will explain in the spoilers.

I found the story interesting. It was a bit different than a lot of rockstar books I’ve read and maybe because it was dealing with the dark parts instead of praising or ignoring them. I thought it was a deeper book than most and I really liked it.

-SPOILERS-

Revel has a sex tape. Taylan watches it and apparently Revel is rough. Once they get to the point in their relationship for the sexy things, Revel keeps pulling back. He doesn’t want to taint her, but Taylan wants to be with him and eventually it gets to that point that it’s put up or shut up.

I’m mad about it.

Revel is trying DESPERATELY to make this something different for himself. He wants it to be something different for both of them. He wants to be himself with her, not the himself everyone thinks they should get. And I thought it was an awesome opportunity that the author squandered. There should’ve been more than one sex scene.

Ok, there is. But not like this.

She pushes him until he’s brutal with her like she expects him to be. And sure, he gets off and she loves it, but I feel like she pushed him into being who everyone says he is and she should know better. Everyone thinks they know who she is and she did the same thing to him. I’m mad that she doesn’t connect any of the dots. Revel loves her better than she loves him for a lot of the book in my opinion.

I do appreciate the fact that she actually leaves him so that he can focus on him when he goes to rehab and I love that it takes more than a blip of time for them to get back together. Recovery CANNOT be easy and I feel like, even though they gloss over it, the amount of time it takes, shows it was work.

Standalone

382 Pages

Trope Challenge: Grumpy/Sunshine

Taking her hand in mine, I pull out a Sharpie I stole from the diner lady from my pocket and write on her palm. So I give you these roses of revenge because I don’t know any another way. Smiling, she pulls her hand back and reads it. “That’s beautiful. What’s it from?”

“‘Roses of Revenge.’”

“What’s that?”

“Our song.”

“Kiss me,” she whispers. I stare at her until it hurts.

“Your heart makes my favorite sound,” I tell her, just before sunrise.

- Revel by Shey Stahl

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