Blog Tour: Collaboration by Michelle Lynn ft. Nevaeh Lee

Released On: January 28, 2014

Collaboration

by Michelle Lynn ft. Nevaeh Lee

4 stars

The synopsis of Collaboration drew me in when I first read it. I couldn't wrap my head around the idea of a sweet, country singer and a bad-ass rapper getting together. Honestly I laughed when I read it because I immediately imagined Taylor Swift and Kanye West! LOL, now that was impossible! However, given that this is the premise of the story, I became curious about how a romance between two such opposite creatures could really come to be. 

You know what, I think the authors did a really great job in making what seems to be the impossible highly possible. :)

Trace is the quintessential big-time rapper: leathers and nightclub clothes, groupies, an entourage of males who all benefit from groupies too, drunken night-outs, overnight stays in jail. Taryn is America's sweetheart. Blond, has an angelic voice, and doesn't get involved in scandals. Due to the aforementioned overnight in jail and the other events that happened that same night, these two musical artists were forced to work together on a single by their record label. 

At first, both Trace and Taryn are repulsive of the idea of working together. Both have assumptions about each other, and not all of them are nice. However, music really is the key to the soul; and it is thanks to music that the two of them begin to see each other in a new light. They realize that they actually have a lot in common. Problems like the paparazzi, the pressure of wanting to live up to other people's expectations, not wanting to disappoint the people they love, the lack of privacy, a lot of people telling them what they should do, who they should be with... It's a crazy thing to be in the spotlight, and Trace and Taryn eventually became good friends because of all that.

One of the things I liked most about Collaboration is that although there was attraction from the beginning, their actual romantic relationship developed gradually. They were given time to appreciate each other's finer qualities without prejudices or preconceived notions, whether of their own or by other people's opinions. I think this was the secret recipe, why a love story between these two very different people became very plausible. 

Another thing I loved in this book is Trace's immense love for his parents...! Each time he recalls his mom or his dad, I just melt inside. :) Hey, us girls do love men who love their parents!

There are a few very steamy encounters... :) and secondary characters whom I grew to care for just as much as Taryn and Trace. Taryn's dad is a dear and I wish him all the love in the world. I can't say the same about her mom! Better Stella than her.. Trace's entourage guys (I called them that in my mind, hahah!) were quite funny, especially whenever they teased him. 

*deep breath* Near the end of the story though, something major happens that made me go, "what?!!" several times. I tapped back and forth on my kindle to make sure what I thought I read was actually what happened, and not just something that I thought I read. Oh gosh, it was....aaaaaaggghhh! >.<  

In spite of what happened at the end, though, I still think Collaboration is a very well-crafted story. I applaud Michelle Lynn, and her co-collaborator Nevaeh Lee, for convincing me that two people whose profiles are polar opposites of each other can really get together and fall in love. Actually, that might just be the point of this story. That "opposites" are sometimes only perceived, especially when pertaining to people. We only remain different if we close ourselves to others whom we think are different. If we stop assuming things of others though, and if we step out of the stereotype we have built for ourselves, a collaboration of the heart and soul can truly be possible. That's what Trace and Taryn did, and it brought them happiness and their dreams in the end.

About the Authors:

Michelle Lynn

Michelle moved around the Midwest most of her life, transferring from school to school before settling down in the outskirts of Chicago ten years ago, where she now resides with her husband and two kids. She developed a love of reading at a young age, which helped lay the foundation for her passion to write. With the encouragement of her family, she finally sat down and wrote one of the many stories that have been floating around in her head. When she isn’t reading or writing, she can be found playing with her kids, talking to her mom on the phone, or hanging out with her family and friends. But after chasing around twin preschoolers all day, she always cherishes her relaxation time after putting the kids to bed.

Nevaeh Lee

Nevaeh’s first exposure to writing began in a middle school creative writing class. She was reprimanded for composing a politically incorrect story and forced to re-write about a “safer” topic. Being the writing rebel that she is, Nevaeh always likes to push the envelope a bit and never re-writes, unless her editor insists on it.

When she’s not writing, Nevaeh is a freelance book editor ;).  And though she spends a good chunk of her time reading, writing, and editing, she can also be found hanging out with her family and taking road trips, exploring the area around wherever she happens to be living at the time. Even though “home” will always be Texas, she has lived in several different states and countries, but currently resides in the DC metro area.

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