5*
Crafting YouTuber Andi needs money to go to SCU (presumably the fictional USC) with her twin brother, the same school where her parents met. Unfortunately, she doesn’t win the scholarship and can’t afford the tuition since they’re still paying off her father’s medical bills 5 years after his death. (Universal healthcare, anyone?) So they come up with the idea of filming a video at the Cabazon Music Festival (Coachella in disguise) in the hopes it’ll go viral and raise the funds she needs. The problem is that she’ll have to change her vlogger focus if she wants the money to keep rolling in.Jay Bankar has a hugely-successful YouTube channel that features him pranking people and being an all-around jerk and misogynist. When he and Andi meet the first night of the festival when he offers to help her set up her tent, the chemistry is instantaneous, that is, until she gets a good look at him in the light of the following day. She struggles to reconcile the nice guy with the vlogger she hates with a passion. As they begin to compete with each other in a scavenger hunt with the prize of interviewing the headliner band, one of the hottest in the country, she sees traces of that sweet guy hiding behind his sarcastic online persona. Can she believe him when he says it’s all an act, one designed to raise his own college funds? Is he worthy of her forgiveness after he disappoints her more than once, especially when she thinks about her father’s policy of “no second chances”?
Patrick’s debut novel will appeal to her internet-savvy, social media-obsessed teen audience. In addition to its enemies-to-lovers theme, it also explores sometimes rocky sibling relationships, the lingering grief of losing a parent, and the stress caused by a lack of funds which sometimes causes people to make questionable decisions, all set against the backdrop of a music festival. If you have teen patrons looking for a fun summer read, hand them this book. Highly recommended.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Swoon Reads through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
4*
Very cute teen romance with only a mild bit of angst. If you combine Dirty Dancing (without the sex) with A Star is Born (without the tragedy), you get a really good sense of the plot of this book. There’s Brooks, the hot rocker with a heart of gold, who works at a woodsy resort in Northern CA so he can both escape the obligations to his family and raise funds for his father’s medical bills and Avery, the good girl who doesn’t like conflict, which means she trods the path of least resistance. When she realizes that she’s not living a life she’s chosen, she makes a vow to get out of her comfort zone, and Brooks is there to encourage her every step of the way. They break all the rules to help each other fulfill their dreams and, in the process, fall in love. Supporting them is a solid group of friends and Avery’s younger sister, all of whom spur them on to reach for the stars. Fans of Morgan Matson, Huntley Fitzpatrick, and Sarah Dessen will love this great summer read. Highly recommended.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Delacorte Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
Forty years ago, Daisy Jones and The Six saw a meteoric rise culminating with one of the best-selling albums ever, then the band broke up in the middle of their tour. The reason was never known until the publication of this book, a series of interviews with band members and anyone else intimately involved with the group. It’s the classic rock and roll story: young, beautiful, neglected, rich groupie Daisy Jones hangs out at clubs on the Sunset Strip, sleeps with musicians, takes way too many drugs, and dreams of a career as a singer/songwriter. A garage band from a small town with sexy, brooding front man Billy Dunne gets noticed by a big-name producer and is brought to LA to make music. Despite (or perhaps because) his girlfriend gets pregnant, Billy goes wild on their first tour, sleeping with fans and abusing both drugs and alcohol. When Daisy is brought in for one song, the chemistry between the two is undeniable, both on the stage and when writing songs together. But what happens when two uber-talented, self-destructive and volatile people have to share the spotlight?
Reid has written a mesmerizing and unforgettable novel that is impossible to put down. Not only does it illuminate the exhilarating and tragic history of rock and roll, but, by calling on the memories of the characters, it also clearly demonstrates how contradictory perceptions of events can destroy relationships and drug and alcohol abuse can destroy lives. It makes your heart pound, it makes you cry, it makes you remember the magic of the ‘70s music scene. This is a tour de force!
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Ballantine through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
