3.5 stars.

Take Me Home Tonight is a sizzling hot addition to Erika Kelly’s sexy Rock Star Romance series. Although this third installment can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend the entire series.

While waiting for her father to finally hire her to work with him, Mimi Romano is passing time cooking for Blue Fire and auditioning for an apprentice spot on a popular cooking show. She is overjoyed to discover she has been selected as one of the five contestants, but she is concerned that her lack of formal chef training will put her at a disadvantage. Lucky for her, Blue Fire’s temporary keyboardist, Calix Bourbon, volunteers to help her hone her skills before the show begins taping. With a sizzling attraction simmering between them it is not long before they give in to their red-hot attraction. Mimi soon feels much more than desire for Calix, but will his emotional baggage ruin their chance at happiness?

Mimi is strong, independent and not afraid to voice her opinions. She is tenacious and stubborn and while these are admirable traits, this leads to tunnel vision as she tries to convince her father to let her work for his company. While she is enjoying the relaxed pace working for Blue Fire, she is impatient to begin the next phase of her life. Determined and focused, Mimi throws herself into learning as much as she can from Calix and his family and she has high hopes she will win the cooking competition.

Calix is an incredibly gifted musician but he refuses to become Blue Star’s permanent keyboardist. His family is extremely close but ever since they suffered a tragic loss, everyone has put their life on hold. Calix is sensitive and caring but he maintains a physical and emotional distance from everyone but his family. He is a man of few words, however, Mimi is able to coax him into confiding some of his problems but at the first sign of trouble, Calix quickly shuts down.

While the sex scenes between Calix and Mimi are incredibly sensual, their relationship frequently gets bogged down by Calix’s unresolved issues. Mimi is quite observant and she is not afraid to offer her insight to Calix, but he is reluctant to take her advice even though he sometimes agrees with suggestions. She pushes him to open up and although he finally does spill some of his secrets, he is quick to shut her out immediately afterwards. This destructive cycle continues for most of the novel and it is very frustrating watching Mimi take him back time and again. She gets some credit for speaking up about the way he treats her, but she soon becomes a doormat when he continues to react the same way time and again.

With plenty of angst, conflict and scorching hot sex scenes, Take Me Home Tonight by Erika Kelly is an enjoyable yet frustrating romance. The characters are well-developed and likable with relatable flaws and problems to overcome. Although this installment was not my favorite in the Rock Star Romance series, it was still a great read and I am looking forward to the next book in this wonderful series. ( )