The green eyed monsterRating: 4.75 stars
Buy Links: 
 Amazon | All Romance
Length: Novel


Sky Somers is in a band that is suffering from the lack of a talented singer. When Sky rescues an unsuspecting stranger from the grips of a group of pretentious idiots, his only thought is to get the man away from the Fang Gang. After a night of partying with Brandon, a friendship is formed and Sky is surprised to discover that Brandon can sing. And with a little bit of work, Brandon becomes the band’s frontman.

Scotsman Brandon Cruikshank was new in town when Sky approached him. Immediately attracted to Sky, Brandon didn’t let it get to him when his new friend turned him down because he’s straight. Making friends with Sky and his roommates and becoming part of the band helps Brandon come out of his shell, be himself – dresses, fox fur, and all. But his protectiveness of Sky never diminishes.

As years pass by, Sky and his band, Crucifox, get picked up by a manager and eventually sign with an international label. Fame and stardom is stressful and takes its toll on Sky as the go-to guy and babysitter of the band. When jealousies and misunderstandings start to affect their friendship, Sky and Brandon plan to spend a night alone hanging out. But the attraction between both men is obvious, and when one thing leads to another, Sky is confused when he wakes up next to Brandon.

A friendship on shaky ground due to jealousy and lack of communication takes a turn for the worse when feelings get hurt by Brandon’s indifferent attitude. Sky, who has never felt anything beyond friendship for a man, tries to explore his sudden feelings, but has no idea what they mean. He only knows that he hates seeing Brandon with anyone but himself. But even as he knows how he feels, he still pushes Brandon away. And when it starts to affect the band and their performance, Sky has to decide whether his feelings for Brandon are worth fighting for before he loses everything that means anything to him.

Ugh! This book was so frustrating and wonderful at the same time. I know that doesn’t sound like a wonderful opening line. But trust me, this book is amazing. I have a definite love/hate relationship with The Green-Eyed Monster. In the end, it was more love than hate but the book is an emotional rollercoaster ride.

The Green-Eyed Monster is the first book I’ve read of Melanie Tushmore’s and now I can’t wait to read more by this author. It’s a story that follows a band from the early days of playing in a dank basement, on their road to fame, and all of the little things in between. This book follows Sky and his band from the mid 80s through the early 90s. As you can tell by the title, it’s a story of jealousy and its effect on the people surrounding it. It’s a book filled with emotion and confusion and misunderstandings and miscommunication. And I loved/hated every second it.

So, I’m pretty sure we all know that I’m a sucker tortured heroes. And when an author can put a unique twist on a tortured hero, I usually find myself in love. Sky is the ultimate tortured hero of this story. He’s an overconfident ass who always has to be right. He’s outspoken and judgmental. Lord, he would get so uptight and snippy, I kept thinking he really just needed to get laid. But when he falls for Brandon, he’s confused and frustrated. His jealousy takes him over, even before he realizes what he really feels for Brandon. His heart and temper and attitude control him. And it can turn volatile. He’s a wonderfully tortured, complex character that I loved to hate and then I just loved.

Brandon, the cross-dressing love interest, is fabulous and frustrating and kind of a man-whore. I love Brandon. He’s fun, sweet, and a little dense. He’s easy going and laid back and kind of naïve. He never knew when he hurt Sky’s feeling, or how. His big mouth got in the way of a possibility of a relationship with Sky, not thinking before he talked. I think I liked him the most because he’s so open and honest. He never pretended to be anything but himself.

The entire cast of characters is amazing, really. Jamie cracked me up in nearly every scene he was part of. Ritchie, Sky’s best friend, is a go-with-the-flow kind of guy. Star is Sky’s balance. She is a hippy girl who is the most calming influence for Sky. Pepper, Spider, and Dana round out the band and truly they’re all great.

The plot is wonderful – fun, exciting, frustrating, confusing, and completely perfect. I was worried for the first third of the book that I may not actually get to see any romance, but I was wrong…boy, was I wrong. The first third of the book, or so, is the creation and journey of the band. But the inclusion of Sky and Brandon’s volatile relationship makes this story amazing. And the relationship between the two men? Well, when they are on, they are on and hot. God, they’re hot. But when they’re off…well, watch out. While reading, I was frustrated and wanted to shake Sky, but I loved it all. Their relationship is just as it should be. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and all that. The writing is so wonderful. I love when an author can make me feel the story – the tension, the emotion – and Tushmore is obviously a master.

The book is written in Sky’s point of view. While I loved getting into this complex character’s mind, I would have loved to see some of Brandon’s viewpoint. Brandon is quirky and fun. I would have liked to know what was going on in his head especially after he and Sky slept together and the drama really starts.

I love this book, love the characters, love the plot, love it all. Everything about this story is fantastic. Like I said, there was a love/hate thing going on, but now I just love it and can’t wait for the next. I highly recommend The Green-Eyed Monster by Melanie Tushmore.

crissy sig