Tag: music business

REVIEW: Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey

REVIEW: Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Avon in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Melody and Beat met as teens – her, awkward and self conscious and him, gorgeous with seemingly effortless ability to command a room. Their mothers were the Steel Birds – female rock legends. The teens were shooting interviews about their famous mothers – and the infamous breakup of Steel Birds. But there was a moment – a comradery born from their shared role as offspring of the famous duo. It might have turned into something if they had had more time.

Years later, Beat is crushed under the weight of a blackmailer’s scheme. And a producer offering him enough to make that go away – again – is too good to ignore. It doesn’t hurt that it gives him a chance to see Melody for the first time since they were teens. But when the producer suggests a reality stream of the two trying to convince their mothers to reunite, he’s about to walk away.

Melody is tired of the empty relationship she has with her mother. This streaming reality program is a chance to get her mother’s attention for once. Maybe Melody could finally be SEEN. And if it doesn’t work, the money could at least allow her the financial freedom to walk away from her mother for good.

Review

There’s a lot to love here. The storyline is just plain fun. Add to that the amazing main character – I was expecting Mel to be mousy but she never was. Reserved, maybe, but hilarious and sweet with a sassy streak. She was a delightful surprise. The heat between her and Beat crackled on the page. The moms brought some excellent additions to the story. And the friend group characters needed more page time. The whole cast is fantastic.

The “we’re getting the band back together” vibe of this was perfect for me too. I loved that premise and the parts of the story that explored the history of the band.

There was a line early in the book that set off a few alarm bells in my head that said this book might be much farther along the “spice” scale than I usually read. And that inkling was right on target. There’s some frank talk about sex with some details bordering perhaps on “kink” at least as I define it. If spicy romance is your jam, you should definitely check this one out. The story is excellent and the content definitely skews “spicy.” If that’s not your style, you might approach this one with caution. (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: A Very Merry Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams

REVIEW: A Very Merry Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Berkley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

A year ago, Colton and Gretchen slept together. And the next morning, Gretchen fled. She’s been avoiding Colton ever since. Sharing a friend group makes it tricky at times, but she makes it work. She loves her job as an immigration lawyer, and she lets her work fill her calendar. But her estranged family throws a wrench in her avoid-Colton plan by dangling the one thing she wants – a seat on the board of the family foundation – in front of her.  All she has to do is get Colton to agree to be the next ambassador for their whiskey company.

Colton’s in the middle of tense negotiations with his record label, but it’s not going to distract him from this opportunity to reconnect with Gretchen and make her see how amazing they could be together. But he has no idea how much he has to overcome.

Review

I have been a fan of this series from the start, and this was a fun holiday-ish addition to the series. Grumpy/Sunshine is not a trope I usually seek out, but I loved Colton, and Gretchen grew on me over time.

There were a few threads to this I thought were looser than in other books in the series. The guys don’t work through a romance book together in this one, but Colton and Gretchen share some conversations about a book. But the set up for this wasn’t as clear as I wanted, and then it sort of just disappeared when the book shifted focus to Gretchen’s family. I also would have liked a bigger, more definitive wrap up to those family things also. At the end of the book I was left feeling like I was holding something 85% finished. I enjoyed the whole, but I would have liked it to feel a little more solid to me.

Series fans will want to pick this up to see the progress through the larger friend group. I think newcomers might enjoy starting with an earlier book (Undercover Bromance is my favorite) in order to get a better sense of the Bromance Book Club than they might get if they start here. (Language, sex)

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good+

REVIEW: If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich

REVIEW: If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Saturday is one of the hottest pop groups around. Angel is the fun one; Jon is the sexy one. Zach is the “bad boy.” And Ruben is the blank slate. The label wants him to be the “every guy” who can fit any niche a fan might want that the other three don’t. And that means there is NO room for him to share that he’s gay.

Everything from the boys’ images to their off-stage wardrobes to their choreography is dictated by the label. They want what they want, and they expect the guys to stand and deliver.

But in a moment of vulnerability, Zach acts on feelings he’s been trying to ignore. He kisses Ruben. And everything changes – Zach’s self-concept and identity, the band’s dynamic (even though no one else knows what happened), and the friendship between Zach and Ruben.

If this gets out? It will shake the foundation of everything – the group, their fan base, their record deal, and their future.

Review

This was such a great read! For me there were two aspects of the story – the romance and the band life. Both were so well done.

I liked Ruben and Zach as individuals and also as a couple. All four guys in the group are fascinating, and I loved their fierce devotion to one another. Ruben and Zach get to tell their own stories, which is powerful. Readers are along for the ride as Zach wrestles with his sexual identity and Ruben waffles between his determination to be fully himself and the pressure to give in under all of the gaslighting, manipulation, abuse, and coercion from the adults around him.

The psychology of the novel was my favorite part, though. The manipulation from the label. The identity journey for Zach and for Ruben to a lesser degree. The group dynamics in the “band.” One character’s “merging” behavior (losing himself as he tries to accommodate everyone else first). It’s all SO well done and a joy to dig into.

Come for the romance and the behind-the-scenes look at the music business. Stay for the fantastic characters and the brilliant, insightful moments throughout the story! (Language, sex, alcohol/drug use, LGBTQ+, TW: gaslighting/manipulation/verbal abuse)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: You'd Be Mine by Erin Hahn

REVIEW: You’d Be Mine by Erin Hahn

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Clay Coolidge is country music’s latest bad boy. He might only be 18, but his drinking and carousing and recklessness is starting to catch up with him. And his record label is NOT happy.

Their solution is to have him convince Annie Mathers to open for him on a summer tour. Annie’s parents were music legends before their deaths (overdose and suicide) when Annie was 13. While Annie doesn’t want to ride their coat tails into a music career, her own talent and their names would be a great asset on a tour.

Clay and Annie are drawn together by undeniable chemistry both on and off the stage. But their personal baggage, grief, and Clay’s self-destructive behavior could destroy both of them, condemning them to a repeat of Annie’s parents’ lives.

Review

This is SO good! The social media buzz for this has been tremendous – and it’s well-deserved. My heart broke for these two teens trying to negotiate adult decisions and the pressures of music careers while weighed down by the grief they each carry. I LOVED both of these characters. I wanted to hug them – and shake Clay several times. The supporting cast – Annie’s best friend and cousin who are her band mates and Clay’s best friend/band mate – are also fantastic. It’s easy to get caught up in the story and forget how young they all are.

The music pieces – recording studios and summer festivals, concerts and song writing – all felt absolutely realistic. I traveled on the fringes of such things once upon a time, and this felt very familiar.

This is a fantastic example of dual-perspective storytelling done well. Each character has a clear and distinct voice. Telling their own parts of the story – their thoughts, their grief, their feelings about one another – was so rich for me as a reader. I also liked that they were fairly honest with each other. This is not one of those “If only they TALKED about their feelings” books. Their feelings were apparent. The roadblock wasn’t secrecy but grief, fear, and Clay’s choices.

If you enjoy a star-crossed love story, or stories from the music scene, be sure to check this one out! It’s fantastic. (Language, alcohol/drug use, hooking up [off page], TRIGGER WARNING for suicide)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥