WARNING:This book ends with one girl finding her happily ever after with five handsome guys, opening the endless well of love in her heart to the rock band, Beauty in Lies. The pages herein contain graphic sex, lovemaking, quickies, romance, world travel, a little guy on guy action, admissions of love, rock 'n' roll music and genuine friendship. This book should only be read by those who've got a little moxie in their step.
“What would you do if you were in love five times over?”
Lilith Tempest Goode. The one and only groupie for the rock band, Beauty in Lies. One woman on a world tour with her five rockstar soulmates.
She's the moon and they, they are her stars. The whole world seems to shine a little brighter when they're together, carrying them through Ireland, England, Japan, Australia...and back to the city of Seattle to start their real lives together.
Five guys. One girl with a lot of moxie and a boatload of spirit. That's what it takes to make a fresh start.
If they can open the gilded cage of their grief, let it fly free on wings of hope, they'll have a future together.
But real life is different than a rock 'n' roll tour. They might've healed their souls, but can they mingle their hearts? Seattle, Washington. Six broken people on the mend. One happily ever after.
MOXIE is a full-length new adult erotic rockstar read. This book is a MMMFMM romance/menage romance/reverse harem story with one lucky girl and her five lovers. But this is about more than sex. This is about love and heartache and fresh truths covering up old hurts. This book is about music and romance and unconventionality. Book one in the series is titled GROUPIE and book two is ROADIE. This is the final installment.
C.M. Stunich is a self-admitted bibliophile with a love for exotic teas and a whole host of characters who live full time inside the strange, swirling vortex of her thoughts. Some folks might call this crazy, but Caitlin Morgan doesn't mind - especially considering she has to write biographies in the third person. Oh, and half the host of characters in her head are searing hot bad boys with dirty mouths and skillful hands (among other things). If being crazy means hanging out with them everyday, C.M. has decided to have herself committed.
She hates tapioca pudding, loves to binge on cheesy horror movies, and is a slave to many cats. When she's not vacuuming fur off of her couch, C.M. can be found with her nose buried in a book or her eyes glued to a computer screen. She's the author of over thirty novels - romance, new adult, fantasy, and young adult included. Please, come and join her inside her crazy. There's a heck of a lot to do there.
Oh, and Caitlin loves to chat (incessantly), so feel free to e-mail her, send her a Facebook message, or put up smoke signals. She's already looking forward to it.
this series is some serious wasted potential... and the queerbaiting and the fetishisation of queer men was strong. i seriously don’t think i have read a book that queerbaited before? tv shows, sure? but books??
idk why this needed to be three books ://// this totally could have been done in two... while simultaneously feeling unfinished? i feel like so much was skimmed over or left out here. there needed to be so many more confrontations of emotions— so many feelings felt unresolved.
Michael’s jealousy issues. Cope’s relationship with his mother. Pax’s relationship with his parents. Pax and Ransom’s romantic relationship. Muse’s bisexuality. which leads me to...
not gonna lie... in my opinion this final book was totally queerbaiting and fetishising.
i felt like in the previous book, Lilith fetishised Ransom and Pax, but i left it out of my review since i wasn’t sure if i was just overthinking things? but... after reading this book i know i wasn’t lmao. Lilith literally wants the guys to fuck for her own pleasure... forces the two heterosexual guys to kiss for her while wanting Paxton and Ransom to be together... just so she could watch them have sex :///
the author continuously hints, foreshadows, alludes to Paxton and Ransom being together... but seems to just use them as a fetish for Lilith to get off🥴 and barely explores them romantically even though it’s stated in their inner monologues that they have feelings for each other and that they think they’re in love with each other as well as being in love with Lilith... but the author never fucking shows it.
every time i got to either Paxton or Ransom’s POV i got so excited to find out more about their budding relationship and which direction it would go in... for subsequently nothing to happen at all. it was like the author (whenever we occasionally got a sexual scene between Paxton and Ransom) used them as a way to “spice up” the orgy scenes which were all focused on Lilith, but then when it came to the romantic development of the pair... she couldn’t be arsed to put in the effort.
now my main complaint of the previous book was how everything was centred around Lilith— and i understand this is a reverse harem, so the girl is at the centre of the story... but the guys involved are just as important. and their relationships with one another, albeit platonic, sexual or romantic, are just as important as each of their relationships with the girl. so, any time Paxton and Ransom potentially could move forward with their feelings, Lilith came bulldozing in and had to make it all about her :///
i just wanted Paxton and Ransom to grow romantically without her. i wanted Muse to explore his bisexuality and his newfound attraction to men without Lilith fetishising him. i wanted their friendships to grow and blossom more without Lilith around. i just didn’t need her to be the centre of attention when there were so many other interesting af characters in this story🤷🏻♀️
she even admits she likes it when the attention is all on her, preferring it when the guys aren’t together sexually (even tho she told them in book one they could be) and instead, focus solely on her. so we get little to nothing of Ransom and Paxton’s romance nor Muse’s bisexuality. that’s why it felt queerbaity (yes i made up that word) as fuck.
it just felt like a plot device for *shock value* without bothering to follow through with either storyline. it definitely left a bitter taste in my mouth when concluding this book. this series has been a pretty solid read for me until this final book, where nothing was resolved and everything was rushed... while nothing seemed to happen or change at all?
Paxton and Ransom were my favourite part of this book and what kept me going lol (only to be disappointed by the queerbaiting in the end bcos i don’t see it as anything else). i was kinda obsessed with them and wish we’d gotten so much more. any glimpse i got of them, i held onto and reread like five times😭 they deserved better.
and Cope was adorable and sweet. Muse was soft and protective. while Michael...
this book cemented my dislike of Michael, ew. last book he was a bit douchey but nothing unnecessary... but in this book he was nasty to people for no reason :/// well, he seemed to be the only guy not happy with the arrangement of sharing Lilith, so he had to compensate by being a dick— like making fun of Muse’s trauma (which is so bleak and awful) and that was final nail in the coffin on my feelings for him. even how he kept pressuring Lilith to live with him so he could have her to himself... when she explicitly told him she wanted her own place.
even after that he was a dick— when Lilith was excited to have a female friend, he tells Lilith that she didn’t need friends bcos she had the band... doesn’t sound slightly toxic in any way, right? it’s like he wanted her to be completely dependent on the band, but more specifically him. and it was icky af. then makes fun of Cope for buying Lilith a book on the anniversary of her sister’s death that is based on one of her favourite films or something. like alright, dickhead. i honestly don’t know what Lilith saw in him other than his physical attributes🥴
and idk why you’d write a character into a reverse harem that doesn’t actually want to be apart of the harem😭 like he wouldn’t even let the other guys have sex with her without him being involved somehow— he interrupts Lilith and Cope, Lilith and Ran, Lilith and Pax... I think Lilith and Muse were the only pair he didn’t interrupt :///
so i seriously could have done without Michael. and i could have done without the queerbaiting too. while Lilith? she’s so boring and one dimensional she ain’t even worth mentioning.
Yeah, this could've easily be edited into one novel, as is the story was stretched thin and a lot of it felt like a filler. As a whole though it was pretty good and I enjoyed it a lot. This definitely turned me to reverse harem genre, I can already tell there will be a lot of that in my future ;)
Rushed for the final book and doesn't feel like a completed series
Overall I really liked this series, but this last book felt rushed to me. There were more errors in this book than the others, and I feel like not everything was wrapped up. The series feels unfinished to me. I think she should have not quite rushed through this book. Given us more closure with Pax's family, actually introduced us to Cope's mom, and done more with Pax and Ransom's relationship. I also feel like there was 1 boy too many in the harem. I've read RH books before with this many and not really had a problem with it, so I think it's just this particular story 4 would have been better. Although I like Cope, I think he could have been cut. I kept forgetting about him.
I think the author just wanted to quickly wrap up this series and move on to her other projects. I felt this final book was a disservice to the series as a whole.
Well, all i can say as a conclusion to this series is...phew...overwhelming scenes of group sex...with such a heavy emotional grip that makes this book one of a kind experience...
Yes, there's heavy sex...and there's some more heavy sex...but there s also healing and dealing with the scars of each of the six characters' pasts...it's liberating in every segment...the release is both literal and metaphorical until all of their pasts come full circle and meet right there in present, in this unique moment in time as it all ends in a "fairytale-like" HEA
our love is like a fairytale. It has a beginning, a middle, and a happily ever after, but it doesn't have an end
And that's about it-the whole reality gathered in the book...you enjoy it as such, a glimpse of smth forbidden and raw as their love is and you don't dwell about the "impossibility" of this kind of emotional/sexual relationship!
Nevertheless, it s intriguing, hawt and not everyone's cuppa, I guess...but if you are willing to look beyond labels you might discover that this series bring so much more into the mix!
I didn't love the conclusion as much as the first two, but it was still fun. I guess I wanted a little more--to see them in their future lives, settled down a bit? I wanted to see an epilogue of some sort that showed me how their arrangement was working out for them, even if it was just a few pages.
Lilith esta buscando su "Felices para Siempre" junto a sus 5 novios, los integrantes de la banda Beauty Lies, pero antes todos deben enfrentar su pasado e iniciar el camino del auto-perdon y la auto-aceptacion, lo que es bastante dificil para algunos, pero que poco a poco y con el apoyo de los demas, podran ir enfrentandolo. Ahora viajando para la parte internacional de la gira, llegan a Inglaterra donde Paxon debera enfrentar a sus padres y su "prometida" e intentar hacerlos entender que ya no los necesita y que no va a casarse con ella, ya que esta enamorado de Lilith. Pero el no es el unico que tiene que enfrentar su pasado, Muse esta intentando reunir el valor para contarle su verdad a Lilith deseando con todo su corazon que no cambia la forma de verlo despues de esto. El grupo se volvera mas unido que nunca, integrandose, apoyandose y amandose como nunca antes y quizas con eso puedan lograr sus "Felices para Siempre".
Para finalizar la trilogia es un libro excesivamente flojo, escrito con mucho apuro. Durante mas de la mitad del libro tenemos la tension del encuentro Paxon-Padres y la "verdad" de Muse, para que todo termine de la forma mas tonta que ni siquiera merece la pena contarlo. Los personajes comienzan a perder fuerza, quedaron historias guindando, como que paso con la madre de Cop o como fue el encuentro con el hermano de Michael, que paso con la ex de Michael o el ex de Lilith, y Octavia? en que paro todo lo del tour? En fin, creo que en contraste con los otros dos libros, este dejo mucho que desear, y gracias a dios que fue el ultimo, quizas lea al autor mas adelante, quizas no, dependera de mi humor en ese momento, y espero que no todos sus libros me dejen como este.
A journey of six angsty artists who learn to heal from their trauma/pain through sex while on tour. That's all I got out of this series, if it hadn't been an audiobook I never would have gotten past book 1. Although the audio narration is a nightmare also.
I will write reviews for all the books in this series after I get my shit together.
So, I got my shit together to review the books.
This is the last book from Rock-Hard Beautiful series, or is it? Although there is a book 4 added on Goodreads there are no updates about a releasing date yet. I WANT IT!!!!
The characters:
Lilith Tempest Goode ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Lead Vocals, Keyboards, Pianos—Paxton Blackwell ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Lead Guitar—Michael Luxe ⭐⭐⭐ Rhythm Guitar—Derek “Muse” Muser ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals—Ransom Riggs Drums, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Percussion—Copeland Park ⭐⭐⭐
At this moment in the series, I got to accept and love or like all the characters. While I don't "love" Michael or Cope they still got in my heart and I wouldn't be able to see this relationship without them in it.
Ransom & Pax continued and evolved their relationship WHICH IS AMAZING AND ON FIRE!!!!!!! I already mentioned I love them in the previous reviews being fascinated by them.
I felt bad for Muse and his confusion regarding his sexuality. After having a past like his it was hard on him. I got to admit it was very hot Muse/Ran/Pax's interaction. I felt bad for what happened after, but in the end, he was ok and joined their thing sometimes as Lilith says in the end.
The only thing about this book that I feel is missing is their life after moving to Seattle. I really hope there will be a book 4 and we will get their story after the tour. I would love for all of them to move together in a big house and be a big family, have kids and shit! THAT WOULD BE AMAZING! I WANT THAT!!
Well, my worst fears for this book did not happen so that's really nice, but I don't feel like anything was really resolved in this book. I do strongly feel that Moxie contents should have been in Roadie and the third book should have been about the group settling into the relationship in Seattle.
So... I'm rather disappointed with this book. The ending is happy and ambiguous. The struggles from the other guys were really well thought out but how it's dealt with was too easy. The most real thing in the book for me were the song lyrics and the "book excerpts" that Cope rolled in his head. Yah yeah. It's six people in a relationship and they are all broken in some way, but being together is what made them better. Ok. Awesome. I'm down with the concept but the overall journey was pretty disappointing for me. If parts of it were not so good, I would not be as unsatisfied. There are brilliant moments and poetic phrases.
All the right things happened but they all happened with a lack of detail that left me really grumpy. The anticipation is created by what the author expresses within the story. You got me to like them all. I wanted to know everything I could get my hands on. All of the right actions were done but they happened in a manner that feels empty to me.
I may be the only person unhappy with the conclusion of the trilogy. I mean, it's not awful. I wanted great. I wanted amazing. I got... okay.
I liked the first book because it seemed kind of realistic about dealing with a complicated relationship and how that is established. I'm unhappy with the rest of the series because I feel like "I love you" covered all mistakes and what made the story strong - the struggles and pain - were not as evident. It's not absent but it's all kinda brushed over with more foggy ambiguity.
Voto effettivo: tre stelline e mezza. Purtroppo ho trovato la fine un po' affrettata, anche se tutto il resto del libro è stato bello quanto i primi due. Ovviamente anche questo è di genere ADULT, non consigliato ad un pubblico giovane.
So when I read the first book ”Groupie” I was overwhelmed by all the negativity, pain and all the raw feelings that were on each and every page. Did I love it? No, I honestly did not! I felt that the book was too painful for me. I still kept the score high, because it takes some serious writing to make me feel like that, and I admire that about C.M. Stunich! So I continued and read the second book “Roadie”, which was right up my alley. Yes, the pain is still there but it no longer feels wrong or morbid. I might be a prude, but it doesn’t sit right with me when someone is thinking “oh no, daddy died” while someone is thrusting inside them!! However, I feel that C.M. Stunich made the balance more tolerable in “Roadie”, and almost beautiful in “Moxie”.
Still, I’m once again sat with mixed emotions because I’m not sure I’m quite happy with how this Rock-Hard Beautiful series ended. Is it because I never really wanted it to end? Very possible! But I feel that Muse, Copeland, Michael, Paxton & Ransom has so much more to offer to Lilith, and to me. I do like that there’s kind of an epilogue in the end, that tells us a little bit about how life goes on. But I’m not ashamed to admit I’m greedy and thus, I want more!
I want to know more about Paxton and Ransom’s relationship. I want to know what Muse’s place is in it, how does he work through his demons? How does Michael cope with the sharing, in the long run? Does Lilith have a relationship with Copelands mum? Because I feel like she would help take care of her.
Was the book bad? No, it was explosive and awesome! But I just can’t shake the feeling that I’m not done with these 6 people. Maybe it’s wishful thinking, maybe it’s just pure greed. But one thing is certain, I’ll be reading these masterpieces over and over again.
This book was a fantastic carry on from the previous two. Gripping, exciting with such a great storyline as well. I actually cried when I got to the end as I didn’t want it to end.... I’m hoping this series will continue but I’m moving 9n to more of her books now.
I fell so hard for this series and these characters. I'm a it despondent that I finished the last book so fast. Can we have a 4th book about Lilith & the guys' lives after the tour! PLEASE.
The only thing that bugged me about this book and a little bit in The Secret Girl, was how much the characters insist they don't know each other enough to have a relationship/like or love them. Like fuck normal conventions like that. It is totally possible to fall for someone that quickly. Maybe not all the time, but it HAPPENS!
Okay rant over. Back to all the feels. I love seeing the guys and Lilith help heal each other. Their inner darkness called to me in an indescribable way. Seeing them all slowly work out of their own personal hells was such an inspiring and admirable feat. Plus the way all five guys love each other just breaks my freaking heart.
AND DEREK!!! My little baby. I was just making sad eyes at him all the time because god I love him. My favorite scene was definitely Paxton telling his parents to basically fuck off. That was so satisfying.
I cannot even begin to explain my fucking LOVE for this series. I saved each book as a treasure, a treat, in between other books on my TBR and I’m so so so sad it’s over. I want another book, I want more time, more moments, more healing.
Lilith and her five rockstars are burned into my soul. They’re lost and broken but they found a path together and they choose to walk with each other forever.
This installment solidified their relationship. Meeting parents, facing tough conversations, telling secrets, explaining reasons. More connections were made within the group, our MM game was....on. fucking. point. Delicious, is what it was.
CM’s writing is beautiful, simply put....it’s gorgeous. It’s vivid and bright while talking about such dark topics. She manages to pull all the beauty out of every ounce of pain that lives within the group. Each person has demons, fears, insecurities, confusions. But they work through them using each other, building trust, falling in love.
“The past is dark with thick grey clouds and the distant growl of thunder; the present is clearing up, the sky brightening to a vibrant, brilliant blue. I stand in the blustery wind and gentle sprinkle of rain that fills the space between them, and I try to appreciate the weather for what it is.”
Over three books, the six of them traveled the world on tour, we saw so many scenes of the guys performing and they never failed to give me goosebumps, make me tear up from the intensity of the writing. The descriptions were flawless. I saw and felt everything.
This series is incredible. Hands down my #1 favorite RH series and solidly in my top 20 favorite books of all time.
“Slowly, slowly, slowly our little group is healing together, one scar, one wound, one bloody broken heart at a time.”
The third and last installment of this series surprised me with Lilith
I was a little disappointed that we didn't see more of Paxton and Ransom developing their relationship though. I really enjoyed both these characters but wished there was more about them.
Great story with characters that stood out. I enjoyed the series even with the little hiccups here and there.
This series is awash with ableist language and horrible queer-baiting. Cis-White-HET authors need to stay in their lane and stop fetishising queer men. Literally, every "queer" interaction was for the entertainment of the female lead. And the only time two guys had penetrative sex? It was as a "cure" for childhood rape.
The definition of Moxie is force of character, determination, or nerve. There's nothing mentioned about it being hot, sexy, emotional, sweet or being the perfect ending to the Rock-Hard Beautiful Trilogy. C.M. Stunich's Moxie definitely deserves the second definition. This is the final book for Lilith and the boys of Beauty in Lies. The band and their girl are on the world tour. It seems the shows are the only effortless part of the tour however. The guys and Lilith have settled into their unique relationship and it's working; making everyone happy in all sorts of combinations. The L word is even being thrown around. Lil has the guys sight-seeing every stop of the tour and the guys are all loving seeing Lil this happy. But there are still problems to be faced; Paxton's parents and fianceé, Muse's past, Mikey's brother Tim, Pax's and Ransom's relationship, Cope's mom. What will happen when the tour is over? Where will Lil live? How will they all be when life returns to normal? All of these issues are addressed and answered. All loose ends are tied up.
If I had a complaint about the book, it would be the fast pace. It only makes sense that it moves quickly since the band is on tour, but I would have liked it to slow down once it was over. More normal time in Seattle would have been awesome. More details, more time with the guys individually and as a group would have been appreciated. I'm greedy this way. Maybe we will get a holiday Novella? Art show, wedding+commitment ceremony, baby??
I love that there were no loose ends. Each one of the individual relationships was a focus at some point in the book and the group became stronger because of it. It was good to see the group with lessened pain and angst. Lilith Goode, the once-broken little girl was key to making everyone whole. Everyone has problems; some people just have issues that are more apparent to the world. This belief and her ability to forgive, accept, and empathize were what made her fit perfectly with each of the guys. I loved how she made each one feel special and completely loved. And that they did the same for her. I will miss Lil and her guys from the band.
The world tour of Beauty in Lies continues as Lilith and her five rock stars continue to strengthen their bonds and work through some of the darkness that haunts each individual. In this installment, we get a clearer picture of Pax’s issues with his parents and what really happened to Muse as a kid.
I felt like this installment was a bit rushed. While the author does resolve some of the issues with Pax and Muse, I felt like it was a superficial patch on their problems instead of a real resolution. For example, Pax has major issues with his controlling parents. I expected him to irrevocably cut ties with them and tell them off, instead, he shifts the focus and just leaves. Similarly, while Muse opens up about his past and tries to overcome some of his fears, I didn’t feel like the actions of either Muse or Pax actually healed their character at all, unlike Lilith’s magic with the other boys. There was also less smut in this installment as all the characters were too exhausted from the tour. For all those reasons, I liked this third book less than the previous ones.
If I had to sum up this book in one word it would be boring.
I loved the first two books. Finding out the back stories to the guys was so great. Learning about their pasts, it was all so intriguing. Like I wanted to know what made them all so dark and mysterious. And the smut in the first two books was sooo on point. I just loved it.
This book doesn't compare to the first two. At all. Not in the slightest. The smut wasn't there. There was really no reason for this book other than to find out what happens when the tour of the band was finally over.
There was a HAE but it was just so damn boring. Litereally nothing happened in this book. I just wanted it to pick up. I mean I just wanted my damn smut and it just didn't happen. It was rather quite annoying. I am just so glad I'm finally done with this series. -.-
I was a bit disappointed by this one. Like many others said it felt rushed and that left me rather unsatisfied. A lot of things that I had been looking forward to, like meeting Copelands mom or the first time between Pax and Ran, were just glossed over. Especially that Pax and Ran thing frustrated me. I don't usually read M/M anything but I was really looking forward to that since it's been working up to it for so long. Oh well. Still like the book, it just felt unfinished.
So sad to see this series end 😢 and this book was not long enough. I wanted more about their life in Seattle, I just want more of them.
This was the shortest of the 3 books and mostly covers their time overseas while on tour. We also get to see the family dynamic with Pax. Which truthfully was a little anti climactic, but we also learned a little more about Muse. 💔
Because I was emotionally invested in each of these characters, I didn’t mind so much just reading about the continuation of their relationship.
Overall I was happy with how this ended and with their HEA.
My final ranking of the guys:
Cope- still my #1 from the beginning. Ever since the gas station. I just felt that his connection with Lilith was most effortless and his love for her the most genuine. I hate that he was the last to hear she loved him, but I guess you save the best for last? ❤️
Michael - I get that he wasn’t a lot of people’s favorite, but he’s the possessive alpha male that I love. He was last to join and sharing is not easy for him but he’ll do what he needs to keep Lilith. I felt their connection was the most electric. ⚡️
Muse - the youngest but the most responsible. Without him, Lilith would not have continued on with the guys on the tour. I loved how much he cared for everyone
Ran & Pax - they are complete opposites but yet their connection together was strong than either each individual with Lilith. I love their love story/friendship more.
In conclusion, I enjoyed their stories, the writing and the characters and the 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶. Highly recommend!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I FREAKING love this series. I read the Madison Kate books last year and it was the reading highlight of my year and it really made me fall in love with reverse harem stories.
I've since read 4 or 5 series that I didn't really love UNTIL this came along. These books are just amazing. So well written, they're clever and fun and really make you fall in love with each of these guys. Pax and Ransom were my favorites but I have to say I really fell in love with Muse during the last book.
I'm so sad this series is over. I've been dreading ending it cause I loved it so much. I've been using these books to treat myself.
I would definitely recommend this series I might even re-read them I've loved is so much.
OMG, I’m so in love with this series, I can read about Lilith and the boys till the end of time! I don’t even know how to pick another book after this, it was absolutely AMAZING! So fu**ing breathtaking, raw and incredible, one of my all time favorites, this whole series is to die for!!!!