Psychology student Elizabeth “Liz” Rollins is the younger sister of Anne, heroine of Play, who ended up with the drummer of Portland-based mega rock band Stage Dive after a whirlwind romance. Liz was a supporting character in that book, as well as in the sequel, Lead, and she’s been nursing a crush on the band’s massive, strong and silent lumbersexual bassist, Ben. Due to a nine year age difference and the fact that Ben is quite obviously not the settling down type (or even the multiple dates kind a guy), both Anne and her boyfriend Mal warn Liz to stay away from Ben, but they keep texting in secret, and this does nothing to diminish Liz’ infatuation, until she figures out that Ben really isn’t going to piss off his friends, and she cuts off all contact.
They see each other for the first time in a while at Anne and Mal’s wedding in Vegas and alcohol and the prolonged absence leads to a one night stand (Liz kicks Ben out of her room – sans pants – once he lies on the phone to Mal about who he’s with and what he’s doing). Cue a couple of months later, when Liz has discovered that she’s pregnant. She’s forced to announce the news at a particularly awkward band dinner, where Ben’s current date diagnoses both Liz and lead singer Jimmy’s girlfriend Lena with probably “bun in the oven”-itis. Anne is worried and disappointed, Mal is outraged at his best friend’s betrayal, and Liz pretty much figures she’s going to be a single mum, as Ben is clearly not all that enthused about becoming a daddy.
As Stage Dive are going on a months long tour, Ben persuades Liz to come with them, so she’ll be taken care of and he and she can try to figure out some sort of friendship, since they’ll be sharing custody of a child in about seven months. Liz is disappointed that Ben has no interest in even trying for a closer relationship, but doesn’t want to be alone either and agrees to his “let’s be friends” suggestion, against her better judgement. Her brain tells her to be rational and not expect too much of him, even as her crazy pregnancy hormones make her even more insanely attracted to him than before. Is she ever going to get him to see her as more than his baby-mama friend?
Full review on my blog.