Long before the world bowed down to the band Whispered Words, they bowed down to me.

I was a simple girl in a small town, working two jobs and juggling college full-time—all in the name of a better future.

Until them...Kieran. Cal. Ash. Rad.

They marched into my world like a hurricane, infiltrating every aspect of my life and taking control until they owned every inch of me.

I became their obsession.
Their toy to use.
And I ate up every second of it.

Looking back, I should have run in the opposite direction the moment they mentioned my family name. West. I should have known they were only chasing me for my father, Corbin West's multi-million-dollar music legacy.

But I didn't. I stayed. I loved. And then I was wrecked.

Every fortified wall I erected, they beat down until I was left in shambles, and then they shattered me to pieces.

Music. Lies. Love. Betrayal. S*x. Money. Rock and roll. It all amounted to a whirlwind romance full of deceptive destruction and betrayal.

My name is River West, and this is the story of how Whispered Words loved me, used me, and tore my heart in two, leaving me when I needed them most.

Tropes:

  • whychoose

  • Rock stars

  • Second chances

  • Spice

  • Betrayal

  • Angst

  • TW: prêgnãncy end of book

Trigger Warnings:

This book is recommended for people 18+ due to the mature material within these pages. All characters depicted in this book ARE 18+ and consenting adults. This is a whychoose romance with some scenes you need to be aware of. Please note this book contains a pregnancy near the end. Flashbacks of childhood abuse and current situations. Flashbacks of SA (NO DETAIL on page) and the aftermath of the trauma. A current SA attempt (On page, but not in detail and only an attempt.) Physical assault resulting in hospitalization. Death of a loved one.

What people are saying…

  • 5+++ freaking amazing stars!!

    Holy Heck. This book is amazing. I absolutely love River and her take no crap self. She’s strong, sassy, independent, and just everything I love in a FMC. The guys are obsessive and protective, the kind of take over her life but she doesn’t mind. Callum is the sweetest mmc ever. I love him so much. Rad and his dirty mouth., Kieran and his possessiveness, even Evil Ash…I love them all.

    By the end I kind of hate them too, but I know it will turn around in book 2. I really don’t think they’re all at fault for what happened, but River is rightfully angry with them and they have a LOT of groveling to do before it gets better. I absolutely can’t wait for book 2. This author has knocked it out of the park with every book since Web of Lies and I am so here for it!!

    -Eamacire-

  • Holy Crap! I cannot stop thinking about this book!!!!

    Whispered words is permanently on stage in my mind…naked.

    These boys don’t play around. Cocky, confident, and borderline obessive- sign me up. Well Kieran, Rad, and Asher. Dear sweet, shy Callum, I have a bone to pick with you. Speaking of bones, there are 2 EPIC scenes. Seriously, don’t bother wearing panties, you’ll just ruin them.

    And River, my girl is everything. Apologetically herself in every way. Whispered Words thought she’d be their conquest but really, they were hers. I cannot wait to see her revenge in Sweet Strings. These rockstars have ALOT to answer for.

    I knew this was going to end in a cliffhanger, but it still felt like a punch to the face. (I’d really like to punch Gloria in her face.) I was all in, they were all in, and then BAM! Or should I say poof!

    I cannot wait to see these guys on their knees for River. Again.

    -Margareada_7-

  • Heartache and Desire

    What an emotional journey that was!

    Bitter Notes is the perfect blend of spicy and painful. With the simple start to their journey being build on intended manipulation, it was easy to see just how much heart ache the rest of the tale would induce. But boy oh boy did it still manage to surprise! From the twisted events caused by a j/p ex, to the poor decisions made by the men themselves. We can all agree at the end of the day that River Blue deserved so much better.

    I am so excited for book two to see just how this sassy and incredible woman brings the boys of Whispered Words to their knees.

    -Jennifer C.-

  • Amazingly Heartbreaking

    This book tore my heart out and left it bleeding on the floor! It was so good and so funny but heartbreaking and infuriating as well. River is a bada** and I hope she makes them grovel.

    -Desiree-

  • Are you ready to fall in love with Whispered Words?

    Are you ready to fall in love with Whispered Words? If you read the extended epilogue of Wicked Deceit, you know going in that this book would lead to betrayal. It is well worth the ride. Knowing that every blissful step towards love is going to lead to heartbreak won’t stop you from racing to the end of this book. I was drawn in and read through this massive book in a flash!

    Aly gives us no choice but to fall in love with the members of Whispered Words – the possessive Kieran, the obsessive Rad, and the sweet Callum. She even has us falling in love with Evil Ash. Even the FMC, River, knows getting tangled with the band will lead to heartache. Her dad is a famous rock star, and he kicked her and her mom out with nothing. Her musician ex left her, breaking her heart. Everyone leaves. Romantic entanglements will only keep her from achieving her goals. Yet, she lets the boys in, falls hard, and gets crushed in the end. I feel just as crushed and now hate the boys that I had come to love.

    This is high steam right from the start. They are all consenting adults who know what they want s3xually and are comfortable with taking what pleasure they can. Expect scenes ranging between m@st3erb@tion and gr0ups3x, with one long week of debauchery.

    Book one in this duet is the before. I cannot wait for book two, which will give us River’s revenge and our well-deserved HEA.

    -lady_h_reads-