Duran Duran, Paper Gods, and Rock Starred with Karen Booth

Rock Starred: Love My Way Karen Booth Contemporary Romance | Rockstars March 12, 2015

When her fiancé destroyed her with a “Dear Katie” letter a week before their wedding, Kate Stillman still took a vow--it would be a cold day in hell before she gave a man anything more than one night. Free from emotional entanglements, her photography career is skyrocketing, there's the occasional hot one-night-stand, and her heart is off-limits. It's the perfect plan until a Miami getaway brings her face-to-face with Peter Barrett.

Smart and sexy guitarist Peter has been pursuing Katie with texts since she photographed his band. Now that they're reunited in the flesh, there's more than mere flirtation. He wants her. Now. Katie gives in to their sizzling chemistry, thinking a rock star will appreciate her one-night rule. Instead, Peter balks and extends an invitation for a second night of pure abandon, an offer too tempting to refuse. When they part, Katie learns how well her rule protected her heart. Time away from Peter only leaves her wanting him more. Every steamy, late-night phone call makes her wonder if she can love again. But when Peter returns and her trust is tested, Katie must overcome her past to see that love her way was never the way at all.

Previously published as 'Love My Way'. The 2015 re-release has an all-new first chapter and expanded scenes.

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If you're a follower and/or fan of Karen Booth, you'll know that she writes amazing music-themed romances, and she's also a HUGE fan of  Duran Duran. And so am I. And it's our mutual love for Simon LeBon and the band's hits that had me begging KBooth to stop by today and review Duran Duran's latest album, Paper Gods.

Duran Duran

Paper Gods 

Full disclosure: I’m a huge Duran Duran fan. I have been since I was fifteen, way back in “the day”, decked out in a fedora and pegged jeans, memorizing every word of “New Religion” while pondering the not-so-subtle sexual overtones of the “Girls on Film” video. 

Whenever there’s a new Duran Duran record and I post about it on Facebook, there’s invariably one person who clearly hasn’t paid attention to anything I’ve posted, well, ever, and says, “They’re still around?” First off, YES. Secondly, they’re more than just around, they continue to innovate and evolve, stay fresh, win new fans, please the die-hards and sometimes test us a little bit, too. Their new record, Paper Gods, is no exception. 

For those fully briefed in the band’s catalog, this record has bits of the distant past, nods to the middle years, but a distinct new direction. I wasn’t sold at first. I was under the influence of having listened to the songs that were leaked early, and they felt disjointed. Now I know why. I needed the context to get where the band was going. When I finally had the CD in my grubby little hands, I took to heart what Simon LeBon had asked for--fifty minutes, uninterrupted. Listen to the entire record, from beginning to end, as intended. I did, and that’s when everything changed. 

In the era of “I’ll just buy the single for 99 cents”, I appreciate the thoughtfulness of a band devoted to the art of making a record. It’s something most artists don’t even bother with anymore. There’s not enough money in it. Make two or three hits, fill in the rest, done. With Paper Gods, there’s a pervasive theme of modern-day culture being disposable, nothing lasting, and the cohesiveness of the record is a push back against it. The band also touches on perseverance, living in the moment, and unrelenting pursuit of your passions (a massive career spanning more than three decades, anybody?)…it all has a feel I can only describe as, “We’ve been up all night.” 

Which makes the opening title track so perfect, both ethereal and looming, exactly like witnessing the sunrise when you’ve been up all night, probably dancing, definitely living to excess. Those early morning moments tend to bring about some sobering reflection. That’s what Paper Gods sounds like to me. That’s the thing about Duran. There are always layers. Lots and lots of layers. 

Other stand-outs are “You Kill Me with Silence”, a heartbreaking and honest ballad that is by no means a love song. I can’t avoid the party-mode pleasure of “Pressure Off” with Nile Rogers’ heavy influence, nor do I want to. It’ll have a spot on my workout playlist for a long time, as will “Butterfly Girl” and “Change the Skyline”. I’m more than a little in love with “Face For Today”, with a decided electronic bent while there are stretches of Simon’s vocals that remind me of the best of AM radio. It’s an odd mix and it’s awesome. 

There are a few mis-steps in my estimation, but my opinion is subject to change. Hell, my entire opinion of the record has changed radically since I first started listening. Have you ever watched a movie for the second time and noticed something you never saw the first time? Then you watch it again and it happens again? THAT. Regardless, I’m not a fan of “Danceophobia” and it’s not because of my general aversion to Lindsay Lohan. I think it’s the lyrics that are making me crazy. I’m also not a big fan of “Sunset Garage”…it’s the keyboards. I think. Lastly, I really wish they hadn’t started off “Last Night in the City” with Kiesza’s vocals. It makes it sound like Simon’s guesting on the track, rather than the other way around. 

All in all, I’m a happy girl, with a new Duran Duran record working overtime in my car, on my iPod, and in my office. Paper Gods is worth far more than a listen. And the next time somebody tells me they can’t believe Duran Duran is still around, I’ll answer that they’re far more than still around. Duran Duran has been up all night.  

Karen Booth is a Midwestern girl transplanted in the South, raised on 80s music, Judy Blume, and the films of John Hughes. An early preoccupation led her to spend her twenties working her way from intern to executive in the music industry. Now she’s a married mom of two and instead of staying up late in rock clubs, she gets up before dawn and writes sexy, contemporary fiction—big city love stories and rock star romance.


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