If you needed any more evidence that True Love has lost the plot Day 12 will do it.  He’s now throwing 12 drummers drumming into the mix. Assuming they enter Stage Left and advance, drumming, that sounds pretty much like a declaration of war to me, if not the start of the battle.

Of course, the recipient may be a fan of heavy metal or other modern music making. In which case the drummers presumably just roll up on a milk float, or similar, sitting in the middle of their drum kit.

Welcome new arrivals, you think?

DRUMMERS I’VE READ

My first thought for today’s book was the hero of Earthfasts by William Mayne. It’s a children’s book in which an 18th century drummer boy walks out of a Yorkshire hill, playing his drum and meets two 20th century schoolboys. One of my university friends was a huge fan and pressed it on me. I read it conscientiously. That  first scene was  powerful – but all I could remember of it. So it got the thumbs down.

Then there are a load of drummer biographies but surely only a real aficionado would be interested? On the whole I’m not, though I admit Ginger Baker’s would have tempted me at a less busy time of the year.

I am tempted by Drums: a Novel by Brad Henderson. But no, I haven’t read it yet. It’s waiting on my Kindle, even as I write.

DAY 12 BOOK

I admit that Day 12 Book is a bit of a gamble. It’s a contemporary romantic novel, smart, funny and passionate. Two different friends recommended it to me, at separate times. And it’s largely set in the world of rock music celebrities, about which I know zilch.

The hero is a drummer in a mega successful rock band, Stage Dive. Anne, the heroine, is a hard-working woman with a normal job, a sister she’s helping through college and a sucker habit to which I can relate. In some ways, indeed, she’s quite like me. (She can let people walk all over her, which I have been known to do.) One friend pointed that out. One, I’m glad to say, didn’t.

I liked Play a lot. It’s fast paced. Funny. Engaging. I like Anne. The celebrity stuff is there, and Anne boggles at it, as anyone would, but it doesn’t overwhelm her judgement or get more attention from her than social survival requires at any one moment.

After Anne has seen off one rival, she takes a moment to regret that the woman will now never tell her where to buy the glittery shoes she’s wearing.

And there’s a terrific story going on. Right from the moment you meet Drummer Mal, you know a) Anne had his picture all over her wall when she was a star-dazzled teen and b) he’s got something dark going on that he’s not talking about. So there’s suspense, too, because you really want to know what his secret is.

And he’s seriously hot. He takes his shirt off a lot, too.

And he’s seriously disconcerting. Well, he disconcerts Anne the first time he meets her, and not just because she used to have his poster on her wall. He talks a lot about boundaries but his boundaries are kind of unusual. He moves into her apartment without asking, or even telling her first. There’s a bit of him that is the stereotypical drummer geek who gets communication wrong as often as not. Though, at his best, he’s witty, perceptive and kind.

And did I say he was hot?

BEST SELLER

Kylie Scott is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal best seller. That’s some pedigree. And I agree, she’s very, very good.

Play is Book 2 in a four book series. Each Band Member gets his own story. From the reviews I’ve read, I would guess that Play is the most loved. And, believe me, readers really love this series.

I can see why.

SO WHY IS IT A GAMBLE?

Yes,  I did say this one was a gamble. So I have to admit there are things in this books that may not work for you: 1st person narrator;  an awful lot of sex.

Anne tells the story, so you don’t hear Mal’s thoughts, just what he says aloud. Sometimes what he says is off the wall. And sometimes he doesn’t talk at all. But that’s drummers for you. And Anne does a good job of interpreting.

And the sex?  Well there was one place where I didn’t believe it and a couple where I skipped the one-on-one action because I wanted to know what happened next. But that could just be me.

WHY READ DAY 12 BOOK?

Anyway, all of that is outweighed for me by the sheer originality, fun and passion of the writing. So here are my reasons to read Day 12  book:

• Because it’s a page-turner, ripping along like a firecracker.
• Because it has an authentic contemporary voice.
• Because it’s a great story of two people battling to negotiate a relationship through a fog of ferocious sexual attraction.
• Because it will make you laugh.
• Because you’ll care about Anne and Mal.
• Because they help each other through major challenges. Eventually.
• Because if you haven’t read a rock star romance before, it’s a good idea to start with a class act.