Review: BACKSTAGE PASS by Olivia Cunning

Backstage Pass
by Olivia Cunning

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Release Date: October 1st 2010

Series: Sinners On Tour, Book 1

It's been months since Brian Sinclair, lead guitarist for the famous rock band, Sinners, composed anything. Unable to write the music that once flowed so naturally, Brian is lost without his musical mojo. But when sexy psychology professor Myrna Evans comes on tour to study groupie mentality, Brian may have found the spark he needs to reignite his musical genius. When lust turns to love, will Brian be able to convince Myrna that what they have is more than just a fling, and that now that he's found his heart's muse, he doesn't want to live without her?

~ Goodreads

This is book one of a new series that centers on a rock band called the Sinners. Backstage Pass is Brian Sinclair’s story. He is the lead guitar player and main song writer of the group. Myrna Evans is a psychology professor who has a PhD in Human Sexuality. She uses music as a teaching tool in her lectures and is quite an expert in rock music. Coincidentally she is at a teaching seminar and staying in the same hotel as the Sinners. Her decision to go to the hotel bar leads her to run into one of her favorite bands and meeting the members of the group.

She is instantly attracted to Brian even though he is shit-faced drunk. Myrna invites him to her hotel room with promises of a remedy to help him get over his hangover. No sex takes place that first night but the next morning is a different story. Myrna only intends for their encounter to be a one-time event but this is only the beginning of their daily marathon, sexcapades.

Brian is a hopeless romantic despite the fact that he has just had his heart broken. He falls head over heels in love with Myrna almost immediately. Making love to Myrna brings out his muse and soon he begins writing music again. With no paper in sight, Brian begins to write the music that he hears onto Myrna’s back, chest, and stomach. How sweet is it to have a man so inspired by making love to you that he writes the musical notes all over your body? 

“I’d cuddle with you, but I don’t want to sweat off my riff and solo.”

She laughed. “That must be the first time that excuse has ever been used to avoid after-sex cuddling.”

He took her face between both hands and kissed her reverently. Never had she been kissed reverently before.

“It’s the truth, though. I’d love to hold you close for hours.”

She smiled. A sweet sex god. What more could a girl want? He kissed her again.

“Ah Myrna,” her murmured. “I think my muse resides deep, deep inside you.”

“You sure know how to use her in exactly the right way.”

~ Brian & Myrna

I loved how open the band members were with their sexuality. It was so refreshing to see a heroine be so uninhibited and open-minded. Myrna, who is dubbed "Professor Sex" by the band, was a bold professional woman with no sexual hang-ups. Brian was a sweet lovesick man that completely wore his heart on his sleeve and was not afraid to show his love for Myrna. There was a whole lot of sex with some ménages thrown in to spice things up. But intertwined with the marathon sex sessions was a tender love story about a sexy romantic rock star and an equally sexy, love-phobic older woman, who journey together to find true love.

I enjoyed the mix of sex, love and rock and roll in this novel. Olivia Cunning did an amazing job creating her multi dimensional characters. The main love story was about Myrna and Brian but the introduction of the other band members and hints of their pending stories was seamless. This is a great contemporary romance for fans that like their sex scenes extra spicy. 

Backstage Pass gets 4.5 dragons!