For Our Next Song

I loved Jessica James‘s first Glitter Bats romance, For One Night Only, and I’ve been so excited to continue the series. Now the second installment is here: For Our Next Song, starring drummer Keeley Cunningham and keyboardist Jane Mercer.

Now that the band is back together and they’ve released a new album, they’re finally free of their horrendous recording contract. But what is next for the Glitter Bats? And why does it involve yet another battle with their old label? While the group is deciding how to move forward, Keeley and Jane are both grappling with a decade of secretly crushing on each other. Will they reveal their true feelings for each other? And will it make or break the Glitter Bats just as they’re on the brink of more changes?

What I Liked:

• Music! I’ve read numerous music-related romances in the past couple of years, and my favorites are ones like this, in which music is truly woven throughout the whole story. We get to see Jane and Keeley (along with the other three Glitter Bats members) write songs, record in the studio, play together, and discuss songs and artists they love. They deal with the business side of things, from shoddy contracts and copyright laws to attempting to gain ownership of their prior recordings. We even see different facets of music, from being in a Paramore-esque punk rock band to film scoring to being a session or touring musician. As a lifelong music lover (and someone who has a master’s degree in music business), this novel really struck a chord for me… pun intended.
• Jane and Keeley are so cute together! They’ve been friends and bandmates for over a decade, yet of course neither knew about their mutual crush on each other. I loved seeing their friendship slowly give way to something more, through good old fashioned forced proximity and a matchmaking bandmate. Their relationship has a strong foundation, which they’ll need when external forces threaten everything.
• Sexuality and coming out. Keeley has been out as pansexual since she was a teenager, but Jane has kept her own bisexuality a secret (largely due to her religious family). Jane eventually reveals that she’s bi to Keeley, but even after they consider a relationship, Jane still wants to keep it private. I appreciated seeing how sexuality and identity are explored here, and especially seeing Jane’s arc regarding it all.
• Very related: Jane’s religious trauma and standing up to her bigoted parents. Jane’s parents have a very narrow reading of the Bible, and not only do they not approve of Jane’s music career, they would never accept her if they knew about her sexuality. There’s a lot of toxicity in her family, but I did like seeing how Jane’s relationship with her younger sister unfolded. At a certain point, Jane will have to decide if she wants to continue letting her parents control her life… or if she even wants them in her life at all.
• Seeing the other Glitter Bats members. Valerie and Caleb are so happy together. Riker, I see you, and I’m so ready for your HEA!
• Interstitials between some chapters. These included text message exchanges, fan discussions, and especially news articles written by my girl Mary Kate Hampton and the evil Ryan Tate. These extra portions add greatly to the world-building and helped push the narrative forward. I always enjoyed these parts!

Final Thoughts

For Our Next Song was as much of a joy as For One Night Only! It brings back everything I loved about that first book while also introducing new emotional themes. Jane and Keeley’s happily ever after is so deserved. I adore all five members of the Glitter Bats, and I can’t wait to see Riker get his love story next. And there’s a ton of setup here, so I’m anticipating getting to know Mary Kate a lot better soon.

Special thanks to the publicists at Penguin Random House, Berkley, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Get the Book

You can buy For Our Next Song here – it’s available as a paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

For Our Next Song by Jessica James
Series	Glitter Bats (#2)
Audience	Adult
Genre	Contemporary Romance
Setting	Los Angeles
Number of Pages	352
Format I Read	Ebook (NetGalley ARC)
Original Publication Date	January 13, 2025
Publisher	Berkley

Official Summary

The decade-long friendship between two rock goddesses is thrust into the spotlight after their mutual desire strikes a perfect—and very public—chord.

For Glitter Bats keys player Jane Mercer, writing music helps tune out her self-doubt from a strict upbringing. Composing also distracts from her longtime feelings for her bandmate and best friend, Keeley, who Jane can’t pursue if she wants to keep her bisexuality out of the media. But when an incompetent percussionist quits mid–recording session on one of her major solo projects, there’s only one drummer to call to make the deadline.

Keeley Cunningham is determined to do what’s best for the newly-reunited Glitter Bats—including conceal her incurable attraction to Jane by keeping her distance. Still, when Jane asks for her help in the studio, Keeley drops everything to fill in. They collaborate harmoniously… until their repressed feelings crescendo into a massive argument about the band’s future that leaves them barely speaking.

As music forces Jane and Keeley into increasingly close proximity, the lingering tension finally ignites into the romance they’ve both been craving—and it’s hot, emotional, and fundamentally secret. But after an intimate moment is caught on camera, they’ll have to decide if their duet can survive its debut—both on and off stage.