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

This is the song the guys choose for their hero’s week. It’s all Corey’s idea, because he sees music in a very different way to the other four. He sees music as a way of speaking, as a way of telling a story, and to him, this song tells a story that needs to be sung. The band isn’t stupid, they know that to win public votes they need to have a song that people recognize, and one that people love.

I love this song so much, mostly because it is my favorite ABBA song (alongside Gimmee Gimmee Gimmee).

“Okay, this is for the first show only. Corey? What do you think?”
“That we should do Winner Takes It All, that we work on the harmonies, and that we move as little as possible.”
“One thing though, are Abba our heroes?” Toby asked, and it was a fair question.
“I love Abba,” DK offered. That seemed to be enough for everyone.
“Okay, let’s vote on that,” Angel said. He raised his own hand, as did Corey, Scott and Toby followed quickly, with DK only a few seconds later.
And that was how they decided their first song, and came in at just under the extra fifteen minutes.
And how the responsibility for how they did that week would be resting on his and Corey’s shoulders.

You can watch (and listen) to this song here – on YouTube - https://youtu.be/iyIOl-s7JTU
(all excerpts in these posts are unedited)

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.