Happy book birthday to Sasha Laurens's adult debut, When I Picture You! I've been eagerly reading every music-related romance that has come out this year, so when I heard about this one, I couldn't wait to read it, too. Lola Gray is a wildly successful pop star known for her songwriting. But after a breakup,... Continue Reading →
Books and music: two of my favorite things to read about in a novel! This drew me to With Stars in Her Eyes by Andie Burke. It starts with Courtney Starling, stage name Kestrel, at a live event to launch her solo career and debut album. But it goes horribly wrong due to a bad... Continue Reading →
I couldn't let this month end without reading Regina Black's new romance, August Lane. Set between the late 2000s and 2023, this second-chance romance takes one-hit-wonder Luke Randall back to his small hometown in Arkansas to perform a song with the new Country Music Hall of Fame inductee, JoJo Lane. But he knew JoJo's daughter,... Continue Reading →
The year of music romances continues! Emma Lord's For the Record is a second-chance, enemies to friends to lovers romance between two former rivals, pop star Mackenzie Waters and punk rock frontman Sam Blaze. After two years away from the industry, they're each ready to make a solo comeback... until their label decides to make... Continue Reading →
I have been absolutely loving all the music-themed romances coming out this year, and one of my most anticipated was Kate Golden's If Not for My Baby. It starts with the kind of unexpected opportunity we all dream of: Small-town waitress Clementine's best friend drops out of backup singing duties in a big star's tour... Continue Reading →
Today Danica Nava releases her second novel, Love Is a War Song, and I loved it! This romance follows Avery Fox, a new pop singer (and former child actress) after she's been canceled for maybe lying about being Native American and misrepresenting her culture. For damage control, she goes to stay with the Grandmother she's... Continue Reading →
When the Music Hits by Amber Oliver is the book I've needed for years! A young woman trying to work her way up in the music industry, in that sweet spot between musical creativity and the business side. That's exactly what I wanted to do with my career. This sense of harmony made it easy... Continue Reading →
Who doesn't love a pop punk cruise? This is what caught my attention with Alicia Thompson's Never Been Shipped. I've already been wanting to read her books since With Love, from Cold World came out; the Paramore reference was like a siren call. That one is still on my TBR, but today, one of its... Continue Reading →
Happy book birthday to For One Night Only, the debut novel by Jessica James! 2025 looks like it will be the year of music-related romances, and kicking things off is this wonderful book about a pop punk band getting back together for a one-off concert... and two of those bandmates reigniting that old spark between... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated books this fall was The Lightning Bottles by Marissa Stapley. Set in the Seattle grunge scenes of the 1990s, this dual-timeline novel is about star-crossed lovers—Elijah Hart and Jane Pyre—torn apart by fame and addiction. But when Elijah goes missing in Iceland in late 1994, Jane is forced to carry... Continue Reading →
Tomorrow, one of my most anticipated July romances comes out: Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto. It's set in the world of music, but instead of the pop and rock that I usually read about, this takes us into the contemporary classical realm. Violinists and cellists, a New York City orchestra, and rivals who... Continue Reading →
I was perusing NetGalley a few months ago when I came across Manila Takes Manhattan by Carla de Guzman. It combines so many elements that excite me as a reader: a strong theme of music, a romantic plot, and diverse characters, in this case, Filipino celebrities. I was excited to read about two people torn... Continue Reading →
For many months, I've been excited for the release of Lindsay Hameroff's debut novel, Till There Was You. I'll admit, that delicious cover is what first caught my attention (who doesn't love blueberry pancakes?), but I was also intrigued by the music industry aspect of it, too. This is a charming and heartwarming contemporary romance... Continue Reading →
Three years ago, I adored The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes by Xio Axelrod. The first in her Lillys series, it introduced an all-girl rock band starting to gain traction before releasing their first album. It was an incredible work of music fiction as well as contemporary romance, and I was eager to continue... Continue Reading →
We’ve all heard the Plain White T’s hit “Hey There Delilah” countless times since its release in 2006. I’ve loved the song all these years, and the lyrics have always made it easy for me to envision the story like a movie. Now, that story has been reimagined into a whole novel: What You Do... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated books this fall is Maybe Once, Maybe Twice by Alison Rose Greenberg. I’m always a sucker for novels about music, and that’s what first drew me to this one. It follows a singer-songwriter on the verge of success at 35. But in her past, she asked two different men to... Continue Reading →
I love when two different things that I enjoy converge. Such is the case with the latest book I read. In the last few years, I've become a fan of Zoraida Córdova, having read several of her books. Last year, I also enjoyed Jasmine Guillory's By the Book, the second installment in the Meant to... Continue Reading →
I love music, so I’m always on the lookout for books about musicians or music lovers. A debut novel that particularly caught my interest was All the Right Notes by Dominic Lim. This dual timeline romance stars two Asian American men, from their time in high school in the 1990s to the present day when... Continue Reading →
After enjoying a couple of romance novellas in February, I was in the mood for another quick and cute love story. I picked out For Love or Music by Julie Lipson, in part because of my deep love for music. It's such a different romance than I'm used to reading, and I really enjoyed the... Continue Reading →
Last year, I greatly enjoyed Brendan Slocumb's debut novel, The Violin Conspiracy. As soon as I heard about his second book, I could hardly wait. I was overjoyed to get an ARC of his new novel, Symphony of Secrets, which comes out tomorrow, April 18th. His sophomore release is even more impressive and impactful than his... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated books this year has been The Ingenue by Rachel Kapelke-Dale. Though I haven't yet read her first novel, The Ballerinas, this one falls into a similar genre of drama thriller. Also like her first book, this one features a dual timeline and a protagonist gifted in the arts. Instead of... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated releases of May this year was The Girl With Stars in Her Eyes by Xio Axelrod. I was pleasantly surprised when it was featured as one of Book of the Month's add-on picks in May, and you bet I added it to my box immediately. It's exactly the kind of... Continue Reading →
Earlier this year, Sweethand by N. G. Peltier was one of my most anticipated books of March. Admittedly, it might be that adorable cover that caught my attention - cake?! headphones for music?! a cat?!? - but the summary confirmed my need to actually read the book. It felt like a perfect summertime read, so... Continue Reading →
After I signed up for Book of the Month in early 2019, I started looking into their back catalogue of offerings, adding many books to my TBR. One novel that particularly caught my eye was The Air Your Breathe by Frances de Pontes Peebles. Brazil and music in the 1930s? Yes please! First offered in... Continue Reading →
Amanda's Book Corner 