Book Reviews
My Daze with the Dark Muse Reviews
Reviewed By Foluso Falaye for Readers’ Favorite
The life of a rockstar includes endless drugs, girls, and parties. However, when you have a wife and a daughter, you have to choose a side or lose everything. Nigel Hartagan can't stop himself from getting high and going back to the things that drive him further away from his family. The fact that his wife's close friend may also be her secret lover is enough to drive him to drown his sorrows in drugs and wild sex with random people. While Nigel goes through this destructive cycle, he wonders if he will ever escape his reckless lifestyle and transition into a proper family man. Set mostly in 1997 and written in the form of a journal, the highly addictive My Daze With The Dark Muse is the first installment in the Better To Burn Out series by D. M. Needom.
Comically sad and effortlessly immersive! D. M. Needom takes readers on a wild sexual and emotional rollercoaster ride in My Daze With The Dark Muse. I couldn't believe a woman actually wrote the book as it is a very realistic depiction of how men think, probably one of the best I've seen. The major issues the protagonist deals with include open relationships, jealousy, addiction, forgiveness, groupies, redemption, and temptation. Expect to see several curse words and explicit sex scenes, including BDSM. I was completely drawn into the story and couldn't stop reading until I reached the surprising end. I am excited I have read the first book in the Better To Burn Out Series, and I want the other books in the series like right now!
Reviewed By Grant Leishman for Readers’ Favorite
My Daze With The Dark Muse (Better To Burn Out Series Book1) by D.M. Needom is a searing commentary on fame, drugs, sex, and rock & roll. Nigel Hartagan is a superstar bassist of one of the most loved groups of the century. From a pimply, gangly teenager in Coca-Cola glasses, full of insecurities and teenage angst, he quickly took to the fame and instant gratification of the world of a successful rock 'n' roller. With two failed marriages behind him and a young daughter, he is currently in a “committed” relationship with a supermodel actress/singer, whose fame is starting to outshine his own. Ava loves his daughter even more than Nigel himself or the girl’s real mother but instead of that being a plus for their relationship, Nigel sees it as more of a bargaining chip to allow him to continue his hedonistic lifestyle whilst still expecting and demanding total loyalty and faithfulness from Ava. Now older but none the wiser it would seem, Nigel is on a self-destructive spiral. Faced with the contradictions of loving his own lifestyle but demanding the exact opposite behavior from his partner, he has to face the consequences of his actions and deal with the horrific fallout of his poor decision-making. Is there a way out of this life, or will it eventually drag him down and spit him out, as it has to so many rock icons of the past?
Author D.M. Needom has written an eminently readable story about fame and adulation, the subject that so many of us relish via the tabloids and magazines, but in doing so she has also created a character in Nigel that is so thoroughly repulsive and abhorrent that it is hard to find even a shred of empathy for him. Equally, one was left wondering why the woman in Nigel’s life was so often prepared to forgive and accept his errant lifestyle despite her own star power and wealth. The conundrum she faced, I guess, is one that many in less auspicious circumstances face on a regular basis; how best to deal with and help an addict, especially one that you love and are committed to. There are no easy answers in life and there were certainly no easy answers for Nigel and Ava. The sheer level of sexism, misogyny, self-deception, narcissism, and self-aggrandizing that Nigel basked in was truly hard to read at times. Despite all his faults, it was possible to feel empathy for Nigel in places and that is the true test of the author’s ability. My Daze With The Dark Muse is a difficult book to read at times, given the high level of misogyny. However, it is a good story with a few interesting twists that were reminiscent of an old television series, which I won’t mention, as that would spoil it. On reflection, I have to say this is an interesting and ultimately satisfying read. Give it a try but be prepared.
Reviews for My Daze with the Dark Muse
Randi-Lee Bowslaugh’s Review Blog
Reviewed By Asher Syed for Readers’ Favorite
My Daze with the Dark Muse by D. M. Needom is the first book in the fictional pop-culture, drug and music genre series Better to Burn Out. Written in its entirety in the first-person and within the context of fleshed-out journal entries or personal notes, the book follows rock god Nigel Hartagan at the height of an ambitious and successful career. His string of successes transcends into his family life with a Playboy model wife who makes enough to support Nigel, who has a laugh at using her money to pay for hookers. But as his own flame still burns so too does his dependence on the substances that takes him higher than anything else has before. The crashes are shocking to a spectacular degree as Nigel loses all sense of convivial boundaries and runs rampant through every conceivable tryst and acts of what can only be described as domestic terrorism, acting as both master and slave in the clutches of his own body and the vices that control it.
Sex. Money. Blow. Beautiful women. Beautiful almost-women. You may look at this and think I've just rattled off my Christmas list, but My Daze with the Dark Muse has plenty to assist with a more wholesome change of course. I joke, of course, but the way that D. M. Needom is able to pull a coherent narrative out of a character like Nigel shows the promise of what is to come in subsequent releases. I enjoyed the quasi-stream of consciousness penned by perhaps one of the most unreliable narrators possible, although there were moments when entire conversations, complete with dialogue, felt like a bit of a cheat. Usually, you can flirt with a shifting storytelling format but regularly jumping between two isn't playing fair. That said, the book is fantastic and enjoyable to readers who can manage a guy who says things like, “I’m a wonderful man who will allow any woman who is worthy to bow down and worship me.” Good fun, that Nigel.
Love Is Worth Waiting For Reviews
Reviewed By Diana Chin for Red Lotus Designz
What I love about the book
The cover looks fantastic and depicts the romance between Jenn and Wes. This book is definitely a rollercoaster read! I love that the book is set in the 90s (which I think it's the best era of all time). I can picture in my mind the scenic Hollywood life, the glam and glitz factor, and the drama in between. D.M. Needom does a fantastic job in bringing her characters to life and the atmosphere behind it. I love that she included a playlist at the end of the book to give a bit of a soundtrack as you're reading the story.
The pacing of the story was easy to follow along and the dialogue was fresh, witty, and full of intrigue. I enjoyed the steamy scenes between Jenn and Wes. You can feel the intensity and passion they have for each other even as the years went by. I really felt bad for Jenn for the BS she had to put up with Mason and her mother. There's a good amount of plot twists and a suspenseful end which kept me at the edge of my seat. Some of the themes in the book touch upon domestic abuse, alcoholism, and mental health. I love that D.M. Needom was able to incorporate those topics without making them feel too dense or lose the momentum in the storyline.
Reading about Jenn and Wes from different perspectives and seeing how they managed to overcome the impossible made it a worthwhile read. Through it all, this is an amazing book with a well-deserved happily ever after.
What I don’t love about the book
Honestly, I have nothing bad to say about it. Everything about this book was flawless!
My rating and Bookly stats can be found at Red Lotus Designs
Reviewed By Lesley Jones for Readers’ Favorite
In Love Is Worth Waiting For by D. M. Needom, a chance meeting in April 1990 would change the direction of struggling actress Jenn Poff's life in a way she never thought possible. She and Wes, an aspiring recording artist, were looking forward to a future together and if their struggling careers improved, that would just be a bonus. When Jenn joins her brother Ollie at Oscar-winning actor Mason Langford's home, it is clear he is attracted to her. However, she soon discovers she has been betrayed by those closest to her and sold into a 5-year marriage contract to Mason. In return, Wes gets the recording contract he longs for. Jenn sacrifices her own happiness, career, and freedom for Wes, hoping that in five years he will still love her. As Wes's career skyrockets, he is still unaware of why Jenn had ended their relationship. As the contract comes to an end, Jenn's dreams of being with the man she loves become ever more possible. But will Wes still want her when he discovers the secret she has been keeping from him and will Mason allow her to leave?
Love Is Worth Waiting For by D. M. Needom is such a rollercoaster of emotions. The characters are so believable and lifelike. There are some truly emotional and heartbreaking scenes especially around the ring as Wes and Jenn say their goodbyes to each other. I loved the way the story was told from both Wes's and Jenn's points of view as this gave me an insight into both characters' thoughts and emotions. Jenn was a wonderful character and by no means a victim; she just loved Wes more than she loved herself. Mason was a vile, arrogant character and I felt really angry at the way he treated beautiful Jenn so cold-heartedly; he really seemed to get pleasure out of seeing her suffer his torment. There are some great plot twists and revelations throughout which made the story even more gripping. The story also raises an important moral question around love and how much you would sacrifice for another person. Would Wes have wanted Jenn to make that sacrifice for him? You will really get lost in the complex but compelling world of Jenn and Wes, the forces that are trying to keep them apart, and their love which strives to overcome every obstacle.
Reviewed By Rabia Tanveer for Readers’ Favorite
This is the best kind of romance novel that I like to read. There is substance to the plot. It deepens at the right place and allows the reader to feel like a part of the story, and thrives on the emotions that run high from the very beginning. Jenn and Wes’s relationship is beautiful. They needed to work on their communication skills, they needed to give time to each other, and I loved how the author allowed them their own space to do exactly that. Emotions run high in Love Is Worth Waiting For, and D. M. Needom does justice to them by allowing Jenn and Wes to show their side of the story and give readers a look into their hearts. I wanted to strangle Jenn’s mother, and I wanted to hug Wes. He has the patience of a saint, and he gives Jenn the space she needs to get back to him. So beautiful and entertaining. I adored this novel!
Reviewed By Jennifer Ibiam for Readers’ Favorite
Love is Worth Waiting For by D. M. Needom was a thrilling read for me. Needom is an exceptional storyteller who could keep me on the edge of my seat until the end of the book. The story was original and the plot unpredictable, giving me a superb reading experience. The title of each scene was named after the narrator, keeping the dialogues steady and making comprehension easier. I enjoyed the power play between Mason and Wes, who was also my favorite character. I cannot fail to acknowledge how the author portrayed love as resilient, faithful, trusting, selfless, and enduring in this novel. It was also emphasized that the victory of an evildoer never lasts. Overall, love is truly worth waiting for, and this is a brilliant body of work!