5/5 Review: Running with Scissors by L.A. Witt

Eighteen months ago, drummer Jude Colburn made the biggest mistake of his life when he walked away from his band just as they were on the brink of success. Now, he’s got a second chance. The band’s bassist just quit, and Jude plays bass almost as well as he plays drums. The other band members aren’t thrilled, but they are desperate.

Running with Scissors needs him, but there’s one condition: no hooking up with bandmates. That’s what ruined things eighteen months ago, after all. Jude’s on board, but no one warned him about the drummer who replaced him. A.J. Palmer is shy and unassuming . . . until he hits the stage. He gets Jude’s attention from the first beat, and suddenly that “no hookups” rule isn’t so easy to follow.

Keeping secrets on a tour bus isn’t easy either, and it’s only a matter of time before the band catches on. When everything hits the fan, Jude has to choose: a second chance at the career he’s always regretted leaving, or a shot at the man of his dreams?

**********

Running with Scissors by L.A. Witt is a book that pulled me into the story.  I loved how being on tour was described.  The almost constant demand of recording a record.  Being on a bus almost nonstop with no privacy.  The best though, was the rush of performing at a concert and the adrenaline rush that they all experienced when it was over.  A.J is the new drummer, he has been with the band for a little over a year and he took over as the drummer when Jude left.  Jude was having a relationship with Conner and the constant tension almost shattered the band.  Jude is very impulsive and almost self-destructive.  He left the band right before a big and influential event and almost cost them getting noticed.  After a while of working at a job that made him want to bang his head against the wall and regretting his impulsive tendencies, he gets a call from the band’s manager.  She begs him to help them out as the bassist because Wyatt walked out.  Wyatt and Conner were sleeping together and that caused them to panic.  Can Jude come back and not destroy the band?  He wants to try but everyone of course resents him for leaving them like he did, and A.J is worried about being replaced.  There is so much going on in this story but I loved how the author was able to draw me in and feel all of the emotions.  Jude and A.J become close friends, but they really fight their attraction to each other.  They know that getting together is a bad idea but they can’t help themselves and when they decide to begin seeing each other they start a chain of events that have the possibility of destroying everything that they have worked towards.   I would love to read more about the band and find out what happens with the other members and to see more of Jude and A.J.