Delilah was supposed to be getting married the weekend of the Mayhem Festival. Recently dumped by her ex-fiancĂ©, she knows the festival will provide the perfect distraction from her heartbreak. When her friend can’t come with her, she attends solo and meets a handsome non-metalhead who’s attending with his friend for a bachelor party weekend. Instead of diving into a short-lived festival tryst with Bryce, Delilah attempts to approach their undeniable chemistry with caution, trying to protect her heart while also laying the groundwork for a hopefully successful relationship.
Bryce also carries relationship trauma, and although his isn’t as recent, his insecurities run incredibly deep. He also wants a lasting relationship, but more than that, he doesn’t want Delilah to become the one who got away.
Since I’m not a big listener of metal music, a lot of the details about the festival that the author wove in were probably lost on me. As an outsider to this fandom, I feel like I got a glimpse into a rich culture from the perspective of a long-time music lover.
I really enjoyed how the relationship between the two main characters in Power Ballad played out. The sparks between them feel absolutely natural, making the reader root for the couple’s potential happy ending from the very beginning of the book. The quick infatuation and ease of the beginning of their connection feels very true to life, with both characters’ main obstacles being their self-imposed brakes due to past trauma. Although Delilah wears her heartbreak on her sleeve, Bryce’s insecurities are revealed slowly as we get to know him. Both deliveries felt authentic to the characters and were satisfying to explore.
The story felt concluded by the end of the festival, but I did enjoy reading the epilogue and getting a glimpse into the characters’ futures.
A love story at its heart, readers interested in low-spice romance will love this novel as well as anyone who enjoys metal music.
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