*** 4.5 Stars ***
Hard to Hold (The Hold series #2) by Arell Rivers is the second book of a rock star romance trilogy. Except for the last chapter, it's told entirely from the first person perspective of the female main character, publicist Rose Morgan, and it ends with a cliffhanger.
This book picks up where the previous one ended and has Rose on probation at work, scrambling to do damage control in the PR nightmare after rockstar Cole Manchester, her secret boyfriend, drunkenly marries a random fan in Vegas. The media are having a field day with photos of the marriage certificate, but Cole insists he did not get married. He says that his supposed wife, Starr, who is nowhere to be found, made up the whole thing, and that she's not only lying, but she's Cole's stalker who has been threatening Rose. As everyone searches to uncover the truth, find Starr, and expose her as a fraud, the threats increase as danger closes in. Will Rose forgive Cole for what happened in Vegas? Is he telling the truth? Or was he just too drunk to remember getting married? What will happen if Rose's relationship with Cole is exposed? Will she lose her job? Will they find the stalker before she carries through on her threats to Rose? Or will it be too late?
I enjoyed part two of Cole and Rose's story much more than the first part. The pacing was quicker and there was more tension, action, and suspense. Switching to Rose's point of view enhanced the story by providing insight into her thoughts and emotions. She still comes across like a bit of a pushover, but she's starting to grow a stronger spine. And man, oh man, what a cliffhanger! I can't wait to find out how everything turns out in the final installment.