Review by lololovesthings - August Lane

lololovesthings 's review for:

August Lane by Regina Black

4.0

dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

"August Lane" by Regina Black is a wonderful second-chance rockstar romance that's more than meets the eye. It's heartbreaking and revelatory, raw and realistic, intriguing and sad, uplifting and vulnerable. Please check the trigger warnings before reading because this book deals with some heavy topics (including alcohol abuse/alcoholism, ab0rtion, domestic and parental abuse, abandonment, dementia, etc). All of the characters in this story are flawed individuals, which I think makes this story all the more interesting. August and Luke are two characters I loved reading about despite the fact that their stories are difficult to digest because of the nature of what they go through. August has been living in her country music star mother's shadow since she was young. She has always been a sensitive, complex soul. August's mother, Jojo, was never particularly warm to her. She cared much more about putting in her music-scene dues than parenting. As such, August was raised by her grandmother. Luke's home life was also awful and full of physical abuse, strife, and abandonment. They both carry heavy, heavy burdens on their shoulders. They managed to find solace in one another in high school, only to have it all fall apart. This book will run readers through a gamut of emotions. You'll find happiness and joy in August and Luke's reconnection. You'll feel anger about the racism Jojo and Luke experience at the hands of country music, its fans, and "the industry." You'll feel sadness and irritation at the horrible conditions and trauma that August and Luke go through throughout their lives. Regina Black clearly poured her soul into writing this, and it shows. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Regina Black, and Grand Central Publishing for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

Content Warnings