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alexsanch25's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Child abuse
Moderate: Misogyny
elizabethjn195's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I really loved how this novel developed. The main characters were well written and their stories well fleshed out. I love music so getting a behind the scenes look was amazing. Toni is a badass heroine and has so much raw talent. It is so motivating to see black women dominate in the rock world. All the women of the Lillys are complex and talented and I’m so excited for the rest of this series.
I would say the main romance of the story would be Toni falling in love with the band and secondary would be the love between Toni and Seb. The Toni and Seb romance was a slow burn and I wish we got more of it. I will defiantly be buying each book in this series as they come out. I highly recommend this book and wouldn’t be surprised if this got adapted to the screen in some way one day.
I would say the main romance of the story would be Toni falling in love with the band and secondary would be the love between Toni and Seb. The Toni and Seb romance was a slow burn and I wish we got more of it. I will defiantly be buying each book in this series as they come out. I highly recommend this book and wouldn’t be surprised if this got adapted to the screen in some way one day.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Misogyny, Death of parent, and Child abuse
Minor: Emotional abuse and Drug use
sarahholliday's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
An all-girl rock band, a second chance at love, and a young woman determined to stay true to herself as she enters the spotlight...
What more could you want out of a modern romance?
Toni is my favorite type of heroine: she has her insecurities, but she doesn't let them hold her back. She gives people second chances, but refuses to be dragged down by others' nonsense. It was such a pleasure to watch as she blossomed into the superstar she was meant to become.
The romance between Toni and Seb was the perfect blend of sweet & sexy. And I LOVED the lack of highly orchestrated drama as they fell back in love.
I do wish that there had been fewer meaningful glances and veiled comments, and more explicit discussion of the dynamics between the lead band members. But overall, The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes is a delightful, not-to-sweet romance that I heartily recommend!
What more could you want out of a modern romance?
Toni is my favorite type of heroine: she has her insecurities, but she doesn't let them hold her back. She gives people second chances, but refuses to be dragged down by others' nonsense. It was such a pleasure to watch as she blossomed into the superstar she was meant to become.
The romance between Toni and Seb was the perfect blend of sweet & sexy. And I LOVED the lack of highly orchestrated drama as they fell back in love.
I do wish that there had been fewer meaningful glances and veiled comments, and more explicit discussion of the dynamics between the lead band members. But overall, The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes is a delightful, not-to-sweet romance that I heartily recommend!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Drug abuse, and Sexism
madeline's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use and Alcoholism
Minor: Child abuse
readclever's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
What happens when an act of luck brings fame when all a singer wants to do is stay behind-the-scenes?
Antonia "Toni" Bennette is a woman on a mission. Make enough of a name to get steady temp gigs, gain some traction to help create a solid music rep, and avoid the spotlight. Sounds easy, right? Not so much when music industry trauma seeps into every corner of childhood, especially parental abandonment and addiction to fame. I really appreciated that Toni had goals, saved for a future, and wanted to walk that dangerous line. Her arc was pretty captivating.
Sebastian "Quick" Quigley is another character all together. As a love interest, he left a lot to be desired. In the eight years since he abandoned Toni, he began to build an industry name and worked as co-creator of the Lillys. Unfortunately, constant refrains of self-loathing didn't really match up to the clear arc that Toni needed him to be on. I couldn't buy him in the romance.
The book is slow to get into with a lot of backstory in the beginning. Yet the power of an all-woman rock band was very, very intriguing. Most well-known leader singers like Debbie Harry front a band with men. The Runaways with Joan Jett are an exception full of issues and traumas of its own. Riot grrl music of the 90s featured a lot more all-women bands but it's been a minute. And Xio Axelrod knows all this when you read the book. Her knowledge and capital power of the industry and genre are extremely helpful in navigating how the Lillys work together.
Overall, I really enjoyed the parts with the band the most. Felt more organic and genuine than the romance. A better genre fit may have been women's fiction with romance elements. Will I read more in the series? Of course! I enjoyed Axelrod's knowledge and skill. The book just needed more tweaking and some removing/reworking of plot points.
Three stars from me. Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casabalanca for providing an advanced copy for an honest review.
Antonia "Toni" Bennette is a woman on a mission. Make enough of a name to get steady temp gigs, gain some traction to help create a solid music rep, and avoid the spotlight. Sounds easy, right? Not so much when music industry trauma seeps into every corner of childhood, especially parental abandonment and addiction to fame. I really appreciated that Toni had goals, saved for a future, and wanted to walk that dangerous line. Her arc was pretty captivating.
Sebastian "Quick" Quigley is another character all together. As a love interest, he left a lot to be desired. In the eight years since he abandoned Toni, he began to build an industry name and worked as co-creator of the Lillys. Unfortunately, constant refrains of self-loathing didn't really match up to the clear arc that Toni needed him to be on. I couldn't buy him in the romance.
The book is slow to get into with a lot of backstory in the beginning. Yet the power of an all-woman rock band was very, very intriguing. Most well-known leader singers like Debbie Harry front a band with men. The Runaways with Joan Jett are an exception full of issues and traumas of its own. Riot grrl music of the 90s featured a lot more all-women bands but it's been a minute. And Xio Axelrod knows all this when you read the book. Her knowledge and capital power of the industry and genre are extremely helpful in navigating how the Lillys work together.
Overall, I really enjoyed the parts with the band the most. Felt more organic and genuine than the romance. A better genre fit may have been women's fiction with romance elements. Will I read more in the series? Of course! I enjoyed Axelrod's knowledge and skill. The book just needed more tweaking and some removing/reworking of plot points.
Three stars from me. Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casabalanca for providing an advanced copy for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse and Addiction
rynstagram's review against another edition
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
*review based on an ARC
I know half the purpose of this book was to be a romance, but I wish that there had been less of Seb and Toni figuring out their relationship and more with the Lillys. With more focus, there would have been better character development, less 2D side characters, and a more interesting dynamic. I would have loved to see more scenes during the time that Toni and the Lillys were getting to know each other.
Also, I just found Seb really annoying. He was very self-centered and only ever commented on how good Toni looked, even when he admired her guitar-playing. He would say her fingers looked good, not that it sounded great.
All that being said, by the end of the book I came to really love Toni and the three girls in the Lillys! Even though Candi was horrible, I wish she had showed up more, especially in scenes with Lilly. I would have loved more with Seb, Lilly, and Candi together as a unit. I think this book just didn't quite meet my expectations, but there were definitely chunks I enjoyed a lot.
I know half the purpose of this book was to be a romance, but I wish that there had been less of Seb and Toni figuring out their relationship and more with the Lillys. With more focus, there would have been better character development, less 2D side characters, and a more interesting dynamic. I would have loved to see more scenes during the time that Toni and the Lillys were getting to know each other.
Also, I just found Seb really annoying. He was very self-centered and only ever commented on how good Toni looked, even when he admired her guitar-playing. He would say her fingers looked good, not that it sounded great.
All that being said, by the end of the book I came to really love Toni and the three girls in the Lillys! Even though Candi was horrible, I wish she had showed up more, especially in scenes with Lilly. I would have loved more with Seb, Lilly, and Candi together as a unit. I think this book just didn't quite meet my expectations, but there were definitely chunks I enjoyed a lot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Drug use, and Violence
Moderate: Emotional abuse
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