Scan barcode
jamie_cruz's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-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? Yes
4.0
I enjoyed the girls in the story. Toni is such a wonderful character because she is flawed, but she nourishes the way she is to be better throughout the book. I know this has romance which is more subplot to me, but the growth of seeing Toni’s love for music and dedication was enjoyable to read. I didn’t necessarily dislike Seb, but he wasn’t my favorite. He indulged toxicity in his life, and it hurt the others around him. He had character growth too, but I’m kind of side eyeing the kind of relationship he had with Candi and Lilly. There will be more books on the rest of the band, but I do hope I get more and more on Toni. She’s definitely going to stay my favorite with Tiff/Kayla being a close second. Also, I wish there was more of Yvette because she seemed like an amazing bestie.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Misogyny
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Emotional abuse
ktdakotareads's review against another edition
emotional
medium-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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Drug use, Ableism, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Addiction, and Alcohol
bookishmillennial's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-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? It's complicated
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I enjoy most books for what they are, & I extract lessons from them all. Everyone’s reading experiences are subjective, so I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me on Instagram: @bookish.millennial or tiktok: @bookishmillennial
I loved this second-chance romance! I am a sucker for any kind of book set in the music or acting or any kind of famous industry lol, so this was my catnip! Antonia "Toni" Bennette & Sebastian "Seb" Quigley meet when they are pre-teens in Bordon, Pennsylvania, a small town where Toni is dropped off as a 12-year-old when her mother can no longer take care of her as she pursues a career in music on the road. They develop a close friendship over music and everything else, and decide they will leave Bordon one day to pursue music together, and to get away from their families. However, this dream is short-lived as Seb abruptly leaves one day without any explanation & never comes back. Regardless, Toni has made a name for herself in Philly's indie music scene and auditions for an open spot in the Lillys, as their guitarist Candi heals from an injury. This is when she is unexpectedly reunited with Sebastian Quick (nickname from his last name), who is the Lillys' manager, and they must confront the betrayal Toni felt all those years ago.
This book gives us the dual third-person limited POVs of Seb and Toni, and it is indeed a slow burn! It also felt more like a "fiction" book rather than a capital R romance for me, but that's fine. I loved the story, I rooted for the characters, and I was invested in seeing how things would unfold. I appreciated Seb's explanation for why he left all those years ago; I think we quickly villainize people, and Toni definitely learned to unpack and seek out more nuance depending on the situation!
With the subplot of Toni's parents, that absolutely tugged at my heartstrings. I felt for Toni, because it explained why she was so protective of herself, since she was continuously let down by the two people who were supposed to care for her and look out for her. This ultimately led her to look out for herself, and to not depend on others. I did appreciate the representation of Toni's dad, someone who didn't sign up to be a parent, and didn't know how, but looked out for Toni in his own way. It wasn't enough, and it wasn't the way Toni needed to be loved, but it was a nuanced representation that I appreciated. Not every parent is going to "see the light," admit their wrongs, or even be the parent that their child wants. However, it doesn't make either person the villain, and I appreciated that.
I am excited to read more in this series, which I believe will focus on a different band member of the Lillys!
cw: child abuse, misogyny, abandonment, drug abuse, addiction, cancer, emotional abuse, alcohol
I loved this second-chance romance! I am a sucker for any kind of book set in the music or acting or any kind of famous industry lol, so this was my catnip! Antonia "Toni" Bennette & Sebastian "Seb" Quigley meet when they are pre-teens in Bordon, Pennsylvania, a small town where Toni is dropped off as a 12-year-old when her mother can no longer take care of her as she pursues a career in music on the road. They develop a close friendship over music and everything else, and decide they will leave Bordon one day to pursue music together, and to get away from their families. However, this dream is short-lived as Seb abruptly leaves one day without any explanation & never comes back. Regardless, Toni has made a name for herself in Philly's indie music scene and auditions for an open spot in the Lillys, as their guitarist Candi heals from an injury. This is when she is unexpectedly reunited with Sebastian Quick (nickname from his last name), who is the Lillys' manager, and they must confront the betrayal Toni felt all those years ago.
This book gives us the dual third-person limited POVs of Seb and Toni, and it is indeed a slow burn! It also felt more like a "fiction" book rather than a capital R romance for me, but that's fine. I loved the story, I rooted for the characters, and I was invested in seeing how things would unfold. I appreciated Seb's explanation for why he left all those years ago; I think we quickly villainize people, and Toni definitely learned to unpack and seek out more nuance depending on the situation!
With the subplot of Toni's parents, that absolutely tugged at my heartstrings. I felt for Toni, because it explained why she was so protective of herself, since she was continuously let down by the two people who were supposed to care for her and look out for her. This ultimately led her to look out for herself, and to not depend on others. I did appreciate the representation of Toni's dad, someone who didn't sign up to be a parent, and didn't know how, but looked out for Toni in his own way. It wasn't enough, and it wasn't the way Toni needed to be loved, but it was a nuanced representation that I appreciated. Not every parent is going to "see the light," admit their wrongs, or even be the parent that their child wants. However, it doesn't make either person the villain, and I appreciated that.
I am excited to read more in this series, which I believe will focus on a different band member of the Lillys!
cw: child abuse, misogyny, abandonment, drug abuse, addiction, cancer, emotional abuse, alcohol
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Misogyny, Alcohol, Cancer, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Abandonment, and Addiction
star's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This book was so good until it wasn’t.
TL;DR I really enjoyed this book for the most part. Lost love and second chances are both huge soft spots for me. Also, I really also loved that Apple Music literally has some of the songs mentioned in the book as being sung by the Lillys (the band in the book).
Overall, I think I’d read the sequel mentioned in the back if that book didn’t have specific things. Ultimately, I can’t be too mad about some of this stuff — I bought it for $1 at a thrift shop that benefits a hospital.
As for the spoilers, let’s get one thing out of the way first: the godawful, unnecessary, cishet sex scenes were NOT it for me and genuinely are why I didn’t give this book a higher rating. I was enraptured with this book — it’s the first time I’ve finished a book this quickly in ages. I really, really liked Toni. But the sex scenes seemed extremely random and poorly written. They also happened so late in the book that I was caught off guard. They were written like a pretty laughable first time writer attempt at being sexy — definitely not published book material. I’d expect that sort of shit on Literotica. I personally wouldn’t spend full price on the book for that alone.
Also, I was extremely bothered with Lilly’s portrayal in this book. “Ice queen” aside, they constantly flirted with the idea of her being queer/possibly having feelings for Candi, but nothing came of her being queer and it just felt very forced, especially since they also just threw a random nonbinary character (who I did not feel represented me well as a nonbinary/agender person! Especially since they just got randomly written off/used for diversity brownie points!) I would’ve appreciated even a mention toward a confirmation of Lilly or Candis sexualities, especially after that scene with Seb at the end. (Are they both bi or what? And Jordan too?)
Speaking of Seb, his entire character oscillated quickly between being okay and being absolutely insufferable for me. At no point was it okay that he was using her childhood nickname or bringing up their past during sex. But also, in some of those childhood scenes he had already become an adult! It doesn’t always seem like that much of an age difference, but it can definitely have some maturity level issues. And despite me loving the entire genre of childhood love being given a second chance, Seb absolutely did not deserve Toni’s time. (And despite him knowing that, he kept pushing and hurting her anyway!) That, and his inability to set boundaries with Candi, made his chapters a bit more of a slog.
Where the book had so much unsung (lol) potential was the relationships between the Lillys (Tiff, Kayla, Lilly, Toni, and Candi). I loved the parts that were just the band members enjoying their time. I loved the way that the author slowly peeled back the layers to show their motivations and feelings toward each other. I only wish those parts were longer and more detailed — it would’ve been such amazing character development, especially after Candi was kicked out.
Toni was the best part. The things she had to overcome (Mo and Mary, breaking out of her shitty town, breaking into the industry, the bias against her, etc) genuinely made her into a strong character. Her ability to overcome her aversion to the spotlight as well as heal from her wounds genuinely was refreshing to read, though I wish more time was spent on it.
Also, Mo showing up toward the end made me cry.
I just wish that the Seb and Toni sex scenes were better, or less forced, or just weren’t there entirely (even if it was a cut). I felt like they had been overcoming their past really well prior to that, and it was frustrating.
TL;DR I really enjoyed this book for the most part. Lost love and second chances are both huge soft spots for me. Also, I really also loved that Apple Music literally has some of the songs mentioned in the book as being sung by the Lillys (the band in the book).
Overall, I think I’d read the sequel mentioned in the back if that book didn’t have specific things. Ultimately, I can’t be too mad about some of this stuff — I bought it for $1 at a thrift shop that benefits a hospital.
Also, I was extremely bothered with Lilly’s portrayal in this book. “Ice queen” aside, they constantly flirted with the idea of her being queer/possibly having feelings for Candi, but nothing came of her being queer and it just felt very forced, especially since they also just threw a random nonbinary character (who I did not feel represented me well as a nonbinary/agender person! Especially since they just got randomly written off/used for diversity brownie points!) I would’ve appreciated even a mention toward a confirmation of Lilly or Candis sexualities, especially after that scene with Seb at the end. (Are they both bi or what? And Jordan too?)
Speaking of Seb, his entire character oscillated quickly between being okay and being absolutely insufferable for me. At no point was it okay that he was using her childhood nickname or bringing up their past during sex. But also, in some of those childhood scenes he had already become an adult! It doesn’t always seem like that much of an age difference, but it can definitely have some maturity level issues. And despite me loving the entire genre of childhood love being given a second chance, Seb absolutely did not deserve Toni’s time. (And despite him knowing that, he kept pushing and hurting her anyway!) That, and his inability to set boundaries with Candi, made his chapters a bit more of a slog.
Where the book had so much unsung (lol) potential was the relationships between the Lillys (Tiff, Kayla, Lilly, Toni, and Candi). I loved the parts that were just the band members enjoying their time. I loved the way that the author slowly peeled back the layers to show their motivations and feelings toward each other. I only wish those parts were longer and more detailed — it would’ve been such amazing character development, especially after Candi was kicked out.
Toni was the best part. The things she had to overcome (Mo and Mary, breaking out of her shitty town, breaking into the industry, the bias against her, etc) genuinely made her into a strong character. Her ability to overcome her aversion to the spotlight as well as heal from her wounds genuinely was refreshing to read, though I wish more time was spent on it.
Also, Mo showing up toward the end made me cry.
I just wish that the Seb and Toni sex scenes were better, or less forced, or just weren’t there entirely (even if it was a cut). I felt like they had been overcoming their past really well prior to that, and it was frustrating.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Alcohol, Addiction, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Drug abuse, Abandonment, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Grief, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Racism, and Misogyny
Minor: Physical abuse, Gaslighting, Child abuse, and Mental illness
author2223's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Toxic friendship, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Addiction and Drug abuse
Minor: Emotional abuse
boba_n_books's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-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? Yes
4.75
I am blown away by this book. As a girl who grew up on classic rock, this was everything I wanted and more. Toni is complicated but oh-so lovable. Her doubts are understandable and relatable - she struggles but still finds a way to shine. Seb’s character is fleshed out well, too. The dual POV complements the parallel character development well, and I couldn’t be happier that the miscommunication trope didn’t show its face. Great read with amazing character development, a captivating plot line, and a slow burn romance. Highly recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Alcohol and Drug use
alomie's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-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? Yes
3.5
A romance book, set around a woman with a lot of talent called Toni who does not seek fame and a boy from her past called Sebastian who manages a band who are about to hit the big time but their lead guitarist Candi is a uncommitted party girl and addict.
I really enjoyed this I felt the pacing was good and it was an enjoyable read.
Also very much a slow burn on the romance side of things, also quite smutty once we finally get there, but it does take a while for our characters to get their shit together.
It was easy to follow and the world building was excellent, I believe there will be other books to follow in the series and I am keen to read them, which, is quite unusual for me as I much prefer standalone novels.
I really enjoyed this I felt the pacing was good and it was an enjoyable read.
Also very much a slow burn on the romance side of things, also quite smutty once we finally get there, but it does take a while for our characters to get their shit together.
It was easy to follow and the world building was excellent, I believe there will be other books to follow in the series and I am keen to read them, which, is quite unusual for me as I much prefer standalone novels.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Vomit, Violence, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, Death of parent, and Cursing
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
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
More...