Black Heart Down by S.J. Frost
Conquest, series
MLR Press
Contemporary M/M
ISBN: 978-1-60820-328-4
Reviewed by Lisa









Years of having next to nothing to eat and living in crap apartments are long over.  Once their band, Black Heart Down, hit the big time the rockers, Kyler Christenson, Robbie Russo, Adam Hunter, and Kevin Moore never looked back.  For Kyler though, he’s always had the gift of attracting people, as lead singer it’s a heady experience indeed to be mobbed and loved everywhere he goes.

Ordinarily an unattached celebrity would soak up the adulation and some would act on the offers made to him.  Little does the public know that Kyler secretly loves and has always loved the band’s lead guitarist, Robbie.  They met back in high school and followed their dreams of becoming a successful music act in New York.  Robbie feels the exact same way about Kyler, true love.

Unfortunately, for both of them their relationship runs the gamut from stormy and tumultuous to tender and sublime.  When Kyler and Robbie are in sync the world is a beautiful place and when they are taking a hiatus from each other nothing is quite right as they indulge themselves with strangers.  For Robbie the complications are beginning to outweigh the reasons they do get back together.  It’s the same old thing over and over with Kyler’s actions sending a proverbial knife through Robbie’s heart time and time again.  Then they make up until it happens once more.  Robbie is tired of walking away for a breather.  This time is going to be different – either Kyler grows up and commits to Robbie or it’s the end.  Sadly, Robbie is wondering what matters more to Kyler, the end of Black Heart Down or the end of them.

Emotional landmines, incredible sexual encounters, and a captivating plotline are packed within the pages of Black Heart Down.  Author S.J. Frost demonstrates her talent for writing powerful stories of flawed, emotionally crippled characters who literally step off the page.  Memorable characters are front and center here with in the closet problem child Kyler loving repressed enabler Robbie.  They have built a cage of love, passion, and heart rending angst then they lost the key.  It is their relationship – from intensely passionate lovemaking to tearing each other apart – which is the heart and soul of Black Heart Down.  The rock stars, band plotline sits way in the ‘nose bleed’ section as their destructive love takes center stage throughout Black Heart Down with such raw emotion it hurts at times.  I Joyfully recommend Black Heart Down.  Powerful.