I have had Bundle ten 1001 Dark Nights on my Kindle forever because of this Novella. I figured I would need it when I finally read the Made in Jersey series that was on my kindle. It was well worth it because this might have been the best book of the series.

I was intrigued by James and Lita after reading about them in Sarge and Jasmine's story. They were so much more than I expected them to be. For many, this story might push their boundaries but I embraced it because it is not my place to judge them for what they like. It was consensual and it was hotter than Hell. Great chemistry, great characters, and a plausible storyline.

The only complaint that I have had about most of this author's works is that her epilogues always seem to be more of a HFN instead of a HEA. That is just my preference. However, it doesn't stop me from reading her stories with some of the dirtiest talking men around. ( )

3.5/4 Stars | White-Hot Steam

Anguish, intensity, need, raw passion, and marrow-deep love fuel Tessa Bailey’s newest incendiary treat, ROUGH RHYTHM. More provocative and boundary pushing than her previous books, this white-hot novella pairs two volatile characters who crave and get off on coarse, nonconsensual play.

Understandably for some, nonconsensual sex in any form is a no-go. However, for devotees of dark and steamy romances as well as established fans of Tessa Bailey’s writing, her wading in shadowed waters is an exhilarating extension of her boundless talent. Page after page, Bailey expertly crafts and explores Lita and James’s tantalizing intimacy in a way that teases but never reaches taboo. Like the apt title, they get rough—so very rough—and dirty and explosive, but there are no victims here. No one is taken advantage of. No one is left feeling abused or diminished. Instead, the mutually willing and wildly ravenous couple unleashes four torturous years of obsession, frustration, pent-up lust, and unrequited love on each other in a mad fury of thrillingly unconventional and extreme erotic encounters so eye-opening, electrifying, and libido-quaking that you’ll rush to add “Anything James Wants” to your private list of favorite fantasies.

A potent love story as well, when the heated pair aren’t tearing each other apart in the best possible ways, they are slinging searing and swoon-worthy dialog, making grand romantic gestures, and breaking your heart with aching confessions, painful goodbyes, and happy-tears reconciliations.

Lita and James’s thunderous yet tender affair stirs and satisfies from cover to cover. Though considered a stand-alone, I highly recommend reading CRASHED OUT first. I know my experience and pleasure was greatly enhanced from knowing and enjoying Lita and James prior to the start of ROUGH RHYTHM.

Complimentary copy provided in exchange for an honest review. ( )