Five solo artists pushed together to form a new boy band. What could possibly go wrong?

One of the songs I featured in Boy Banned is Kings and Queens by 30 Seconds to Mars.

What I love most about this song is that this IS Corey’s song. Although the five members of Wildcard sing it together, it is Corey who holds this song together. Not only that, it signifies the moment in the book when Corey helps Angel, and when Wildcard are taken as being a serious contender in the show.

There is a passion to this song that suits that part of the book perfectly, a mix of rock and harmony that never fails to make me smile.

There is a quietness to the start of the song and that given Corey time to adjust to what he is doing, a moment when it is just him and the music that makes it easy for him to communicate. And then, when the song starts… Into the night… I get tingles down my spine… lol

Perfect.




Angel gripped the mic hard. The beginning bars of Kings and Queens filled the arena and he Scott and Toby were first in, harmonizing the start, until they backed off and Corey was right there, Into the night…

Corey channeled 30 Seconds to Mars, like he was born to be Jared Leto, and Angel was right there with him. No fancy dancing, no backing singers, no special effects, just them, raw and singing like their lives depended on it.

You can watch (and listen) to this song here – on YouTube - https://youtu.be/hTMrlHHVx8A

The Book

When the only way to win is to hide who you are, how far are you prepared to go?

Reuben “Angel” Jacobs is one step away from giving it all up. Losing a place in the live finals of Sing UK almost kills him. He has no choice but to go home and work for the family business, even though it means giving up his dreams and proving his old bullies right.

Corey Dixon is a rocker at heart. Being on the spectrum means that making sense of other people’s ‘normal’ is hard in itself, let alone in the chaos of a high-powered competition. Singing is his safe space, the only way he can think through the noise in his head. Messing up his audition for the live shows means his journey is over, and it’s the worst day of his life.

The judges throw them a lifeline and create a boy band from the near-miss hopefuls. Angel, Corey, and three others are put together in a room and offered the chance to sing as a group. Agreeing to become part of the new band means Corey has to hide who he is and what Angel has come to mean to him.

Is winning worth the price Corey and Angel have to pay?

Buy Links

Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK) |  Kobo | Smashwords | Barnes & Noble | iTunes

Paper Back Links

Reviews

Sexy Erotic Exciting Book reviews 5/5 Boy Banned is a book not to be missed.

There are times in life when a person can honestly say that a book touches their life. Boy Banned by R.J. Scott was such a book.

Ms. Scott delivered such a touching and heartwarming story ... The flawless writing facilitated a beautifully written tale of young men attempting to make it into the world of music and oh wait…one of them happened to have Asperger Syndrome. "


I could gush more about Corey and Angel and the relationship they build together, but I’ll just say you should definitely read this book!

The author tackled Corey's status with sensitivity, portraying how his behavior elicits varying reactions from people, but when he's with those who truly care about him, it's all about care and patience.

I couldn't recommend this book more and seriously, just the second time this year I can honestly say, multiply the rating by five and there you have it.
Their interactions, moments, all of it. It was written so brilliantly that I had tears in my eyes at the beauty of it all.
It’s heartwarming and gives hope to everyone who feels they are different.

Their romance was sweet, slowly built from Corey’s need to be grounded, Angels understanding and how all the guys accepted each other’s differences.

... at least, not until you can sit down and read it without interruption because, trust me, you will NOT want to be disturbed until you've finished it!

Wicked Reads 4/5 Can Corey merge with these other people and be a cohesive unit?

The autism aspect of the book was interesting and I felt portrayed well.

The Novel Approach 4/5 Boy Banned is simply this: a feel-good book, unrepentantly so, full of optimism and happy beginnings.

RJ Scott is always a sure-bet author for me when I’m looking for a romance novel I can really sink my whole heart into, and boy oh boy, is Boy Banned that book.

Bayou Book Junkie 4.5  I really enjoyed Boy Banned and definitely recommend it.

Boy Banned might not be the first book about the creation of a boy band and certainly not the last but the characters are definitely a fresh take on the story!


Joyfully Jay 5/5 Boy Banned is a book which touched my heart and gave me hope.

However, Boy Banned is not a story about ASD, though this helps the reader in understanding Corey and his initial need for Angel’s comfort. Boy Banned is a story about love, friendship, and identity.

Prism Book Alliance 4/5  His sheer need for Angel and the way Angel so quickly becomes able to read him is fascinating and so hopeful.

I wasn’t sure how difficult it would be to read but I did feel it would be accurate given what it means to the author and boy did she do a fantastic job with it.