ARC REVIEW: First Kiss (Heavy Influence Trilogy #1) by Ann Marie Frohoff

It was all about the band, until the girl next door. 

Her innocence is tempting.

A sexually charged coming of age story set in the throes of stardom.

About an up and coming teenage rocker on the verge of stardom, when the girl next door becomes something more, they are forced to face the harsh realities on his road to fame and the expectations of their friends and family. 

Sacrifices are made as everything changes, as they know it. 

Book Links: Goodreads / Amazon 

My Thoughts:

To say I was excited for the release of First Kiss would be somewhat of an understatement. I read Skid Out and was immediately hooked, so when the super awesome Ann Marie Frohoff contacted me and asked me to review First Kiss I was in my happy place.

Jake and Alyssa have been friends and neighbours for a long time. But somewhere along the way they both went in different directions. Jake focusing on his band and Alyssa hanging out with her friends and being part of the volleyball team. But at the start of Summer their paths cross again and there is an undeniable connection between the two of them.

Being only fourteen Alyssa's parents would not be happy with her dating the much older Jake. Those few years in age difference don't mean much when you are older but in your teenage years it's quite a difference in maturity levels. Alyssa has little to no experience in the dating cycle where as Jake at eighteen has much more experience. He's been living the up and coming rockstars lifestyle. Girls, drinking, parties, drugs. They've all played a part in Jake's life. 

Most of the book is told from Alyssa and Jake's point of view which was just perfect for this book. I think had we have not gotten a look into what both of our main characters were thinking we would have missed out on really understanding them and their attraction to each other. I have to admit that there were times when the difference in their ages and level of experience made me really stop and think. I questioned not Alyssa's attraction but where Jake's attraction was coming from. But being able to get inside his head really laid that to rest for me. 

Living the life that Jake has he realises that he's never really been able to be himself. Pressure from his mum and bandmates to always do what is expected. That is until Alyssa. For the first time he feels what it's like to love, and he can't get enough of it. He wants to be with Alyssa all the time, but life on the road gets in the way of that. But that only increases Jake's need for Alyssa.

This was quite a bit longer than most Young Adult reads but it really delved into the teenage life, pressures, issues that they face and growing up along the way. While there were times that Alyssa's immaturity bugged me, I think she was portrayed perfectly as the fourteen year old girl that she is. Didn't we all struggle with balancing friendships, falling in love, our first boyfriend, parents... But Alyssa also has the added stress of her boyfriend being away touring in a band. And then throw in a very jealous ex!!! But by the end of the book I thought the she had really grown up a lot.

And while Jake has lived the fast life, he is different with Alyssa. He understands that she's young, but he never pressures her to go too far. He is more than happy just spending time with her and holding her and kissing her. And that right there showed me the kind of person that he was. I loved him from the moment I first met him in Skid Out and I loved him just as much in First Kiss.

Another original concept of First Kiss is the option to purchase the soundtrack which I've had the pleasure of listening too. While I'm quite particular in my musical tastes I found that I really enjoyed the catchy tunes.

And that ending!!! Not what I was expecting at all!! !! I'm anything but patient when it comes to waiting for the sequels of books that I've enjoyed. And First Kiss was definitely a book that I loved. There was no question as to how much I enjoyed Ann Marie Frohoff's writing style and the way in which she portrayed the characters. Being such a huge lover of music and having it woven so perfectly throughout the book was perfect!! Bring on book two, Broken Notes!!

4/5 Stars!!

On a side note, I had so many quotes that I wanted to share with you from the book but when I updated my ereader all of my bookmarks were deleted!!