Release Day Review ~ Troublemaker ~ Melissa Pearl

Troublemaker by Melissa Pearl
Songbird Series #6
Release Date: February 1, 2016
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary Romance
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 3.5 Bookworms
Challenges: #2016NewRelease, #COYER B2B
Goodreads

Synopsis
Kelly DeMarco is out of Marcus Chapman's league. When they met in high school he was besotted with the blue-eyed goddess, but she never gave him the time of day.

High school is now over and the tide is turning.

Five years later, Kelly is job-hunting and the best she can find happens to be Marcus Chapman's personal assistant. He is thrilled by this second chance and determined to win the beauty's affections, but Kelly has no intention of falling for the "class clown."

What you're looking for can be hiding right in front of you.

In spite of her resolve, Marcus's playful charm begins to chip away at Kelly's protective veneer, and she starts to realize that tall, dark, and mysterious isn't a requirement, and sometimes Mr. I Don't Think So can actually be Mr. Perfect.

Will Kelly's obsession with keeping up appearances push Marcus away, or will he have enough drawing power to convince his favorite girl that honest love can outclass anything?

The Songbird Series is one of my favorites because it's comfortable. The writing is always easy to read, the characters feel familiar and are engaging, and the music element gives the stories that little something extra that makes them that much more enjoyable. Troublemaker is a great addition to the series with a couple I was rooting for and an excellent soundtrack!

Marcus is a manager at Torrence Records. He's an affable guy, loyal, honest, and hard-working. I loved his goofy grin, his determination to make people smile and laugh, and his kinda nerdy personality. (In other words, kinda like my hubby. ;) Things are going well for him and then his high school crush turns up to interview for a job as his personal assistant.

Kelly is something else. As the heir to a fashion company, she was raised in a cold home with certain expectations placed on her. Basically, she's always felt like an ornament. She does let a few close friends see the real Kelly, but she hasn't introduced them to her world. And Marcus is *not* her type. Too bad she'll be working for him and he's determined to change her mind.

Marcus was a sweetheart! I liked that Ms. Pearl had the story be about a guy who's been in love forever with the unattainable girl. I had a hard time connecting with Kelly because of her haughtiness. She's so entrenched in social status, seeing people according to where they fall in social circles, how they look, how they dress. It rubbed me wrong, especially considering the expectations her parents placed on her were chafing her. It took a really long time for her to grow a backbone and to realize what she could have with Marcus. Because Marcus - he always saw the real Kelly underneath all her window-dressing. It's a good thing Troublemaker is told using dual POV so that I could connect with Marcus - and see Kelly through his eyes. I did eventually warm up to her though and I was fist pumping when she finally stood up for herself against her parents, and fought for Marcus.

I have to mention how much I loved Ms. Pearl's use of music in the story - not only in Marcus' job but as an important element in both Marcus' and Kelly's lives. They use it to communicate - and it added this layer of fun to their story. Now Ms. Pearl has me anxious for the next couple's story - and I get the pleasure of going back for a few I missed in between.