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blooms_in_books 's review for:
Loud is How I Love You
by Mercy Brown
My original review of this title can be found here on The Book Hookup.
**SPECIAL NOTE:** An eARC of these title was provided by the publisher via NetGalley invite in exchange for an honest review. However, that did not influence this review in any way. All thoughts, quotes, and opinions will be of this version and not of the published edition.
♥ Quick Thoughts and Rating: 3 stars! Because of the glowing reviews this novel was receiving, some from well-known authors and trusted bloggers, I think I went into this novel with incredibly high expectations, and perhaps that's where this story and I got off on the wrong foot. Or, perhaps it's because this is so focused on the '90s indie rock scene and I was only a baby then, so I missed the opportunity to become fully immersed in the setting Brown created. For whatever the reason, while I enjoyed this story, I wasn't blown away like others seemed to be.
Loud is How I Love You was a balanced three-part harmony of angst, sexiness, and musicality. I felt Brown's love for her characters and her passion for music on every single page.
♥ The Lowdown: Emmylou is the front girl for her powerhouse indie rock band, and because she's somewhat of a rock-and-roll royalty baby, she knows just like any other rocker the number one rule of being in a band: you don't screw your bandmates, no matter the reason. But knowing that rule and having a naked Travis--long time crush, best friend, fellow musician/bandmate, sexy as sin guitarist-- wanting you and giving you the most incredible sex of your life are two different things. In her desperate attempt to salvage any shred of her friendship and keeping the band together, especially when she feels like they're so close to getting signed, she pushes away the person she wants more than anything. . .well, more than anything except her band.
But Emmy can't deny the attraction she has for Travis and the more times she keeps pulling him in and then pushing him away after, at what point will Travis finally give up and walk away-from her and the band- for good?
♥ Review: The short and sweet of it is this: I'm a mixed bag of feelings over this novel. It's clear that Mercy Brown has her own voice, one that I enjoyed for the majority of this book, but at times I felt like it got swallowed up and disregarded by the repetitious angst waves rolling off Emmy that left me so irritated. There's a wonderful story hidden in these pages, but I felt like I wanted more from it than the constant back-and-forth, tug-of-war Emmy was having with herself and the two things she wanted, Travis and a successful band. I tried to be empathetic to her situation at first because of her history and how she'd seen bands dismantle because of messy romantic splits firsthand, but after the third or fourth time, I began to question why Travis was still around. I would have hit the road a long time ago, but that's my no-nonsense attitude and I have to remember that these characters aren't me nor my personality. But I can't lie and say that it didn't mess with my ability to really connect with these characters because of it.
I also really, really enjoyed the musical aspect of this novel. I always dig music-inspired work because it speaks to a part of my heart that thrives on music, and when I saw in the author's bio that she was a musician, I knew this book would be amazing. You can tell that Brown lived that rocker lifestyle, that it isn't just some made-up place she visits in her head, but something she experienced: lived, breathed, and got the t-shirt to say she was there. Her love for music and that part of her life were so heavily woven between the pages that I never doubted that part of the book for a minute. However, it makes me so sad that I wasn't knowledgable about that particular era of music--I was born in '86-- so all the bands mentioned and Emmy and the band's influences kind of went over my head. You know immediately that Brown gets music, I just wish I hadn't felt so lost in the time period. (Sidenote: I'm totally going to do some research now, though, and hopefully discover some kickass music because of it.)
Lastly, there were so many people to keep up with, bands to remember, venues that I felt like I needed to keep tucked away, and that pulled me out of the book occasionally, too. I'm that person that prides myself on details and so when I couldn't recall a person mentioned in the book, I had to backtrack to try to remember what group/band they were a part of, and so that kept taking me out of the moment of the current scene. (Yes, I realize this is mostly my obsessive fault, too.) However, I really can honestly say the characters, all twentybillion of them were fantastic. I loved how at times it genuinely felt like Emmy and me were cozied up on the couch having girl-talk (at which point I would have offered some stellar advice and maybe thumped her in the forehead for being crazy-stupid about how she was handling Travis). Travis was pretty perfect, so I could see why Emmy was having such a hard time walking away. I loved all the other bandmates and surrounding characters, too. But like I said, it just felt like it was a bunch to remember.
Overall, it was a book that I enjoyed reading. When I wasn't aggravated about the sex-subsequent freakout-post sex angst, wash-rinse-repeat (repeat, Repeat, REPEAT!), I loved the flow of the story and couldn't wait to see how it all played out at the end. It was a rather satisfying conclusion, though I would have preferred for Emmy to come to her own conclusion long before Travis risked his heart a-freaking-gain.
♥ Teaser Quote:
♥ Rec it? Probably. Loud is How I Love You gets some serious praise from bestselling authors and reputable bloggers, so I'm thinking the missed connection is wholly on me. Despite my frequent irritation with Emmy, my love for Travis and my rooting for them as a couple--though, seriously, Emmy didn't deserve it at one point--are what kept me reading. I may not have been completely enraptured, but I always stayed interested.
♥ A very special thanks to Intermix and NetGalley for providing us with an advanced copy of this title in exchange for our honest review.
**SPECIAL NOTE:** An eARC of these title was provided by the publisher via NetGalley invite in exchange for an honest review. However, that did not influence this review in any way. All thoughts, quotes, and opinions will be of this version and not of the published edition.
♥ Quick Thoughts and Rating: 3 stars! Because of the glowing reviews this novel was receiving, some from well-known authors and trusted bloggers, I think I went into this novel with incredibly high expectations, and perhaps that's where this story and I got off on the wrong foot. Or, perhaps it's because this is so focused on the '90s indie rock scene and I was only a baby then, so I missed the opportunity to become fully immersed in the setting Brown created. For whatever the reason, while I enjoyed this story, I wasn't blown away like others seemed to be.
Loud is How I Love You was a balanced three-part harmony of angst, sexiness, and musicality. I felt Brown's love for her characters and her passion for music on every single page.
♥ The Lowdown: Emmylou is the front girl for her powerhouse indie rock band, and because she's somewhat of a rock-and-roll royalty baby, she knows just like any other rocker the number one rule of being in a band: you don't screw your bandmates, no matter the reason. But knowing that rule and having a naked Travis--long time crush, best friend, fellow musician/bandmate, sexy as sin guitarist-- wanting you and giving you the most incredible sex of your life are two different things. In her desperate attempt to salvage any shred of her friendship and keeping the band together, especially when she feels like they're so close to getting signed, she pushes away the person she wants more than anything. . .well, more than anything except her band.
But Emmy can't deny the attraction she has for Travis and the more times she keeps pulling him in and then pushing him away after, at what point will Travis finally give up and walk away-from her and the band- for good?
I could end this whole story right here if I could just figure out how to handle everything I'm feeling. But if I were good at handling powerful feelings, I'd be an accountant, not a musician. I'm good at feeling things like a hypodermic full of adrenaline to the heart, nice and strong and all at once and thrilling and painful, too. (I actually have no idea what a hypodermic needle to the heart would feel like. I just saw John Travolta stab Uma Thurman in the heart like that in Pulp Fiction like everyone else.) I can feel the big, overwhelming feelings, yes. But handling them? Not so much. This is what guitar is for, but guitar just gives you a place to put those things. To feel them without feeling like they're going to break you. Writing an awesome riff is not really the same as making good decisions about how to treat other people.
~quote taken from the eARC of Loud is How I Love You at 43%
♥ Review: The short and sweet of it is this: I'm a mixed bag of feelings over this novel. It's clear that Mercy Brown has her own voice, one that I enjoyed for the majority of this book, but at times I felt like it got swallowed up and disregarded by the repetitious angst waves rolling off Emmy that left me so irritated. There's a wonderful story hidden in these pages, but I felt like I wanted more from it than the constant back-and-forth, tug-of-war Emmy was having with herself and the two things she wanted, Travis and a successful band. I tried to be empathetic to her situation at first because of her history and how she'd seen bands dismantle because of messy romantic splits firsthand, but after the third or fourth time, I began to question why Travis was still around. I would have hit the road a long time ago, but that's my no-nonsense attitude and I have to remember that these characters aren't me nor my personality. But I can't lie and say that it didn't mess with my ability to really connect with these characters because of it.
I also really, really enjoyed the musical aspect of this novel. I always dig music-inspired work because it speaks to a part of my heart that thrives on music, and when I saw in the author's bio that she was a musician, I knew this book would be amazing. You can tell that Brown lived that rocker lifestyle, that it isn't just some made-up place she visits in her head, but something she experienced: lived, breathed, and got the t-shirt to say she was there. Her love for music and that part of her life were so heavily woven between the pages that I never doubted that part of the book for a minute. However, it makes me so sad that I wasn't knowledgable about that particular era of music--I was born in '86-- so all the bands mentioned and Emmy and the band's influences kind of went over my head. You know immediately that Brown gets music, I just wish I hadn't felt so lost in the time period. (Sidenote: I'm totally going to do some research now, though, and hopefully discover some kickass music because of it.)
Lastly, there were so many people to keep up with, bands to remember, venues that I felt like I needed to keep tucked away, and that pulled me out of the book occasionally, too. I'm that person that prides myself on details and so when I couldn't recall a person mentioned in the book, I had to backtrack to try to remember what group/band they were a part of, and so that kept taking me out of the moment of the current scene. (Yes, I realize this is mostly my obsessive fault, too.) However, I really can honestly say the characters, all twenty
Overall, it was a book that I enjoyed reading. When I wasn't aggravated about the sex-subsequent freakout-post sex angst, wash-rinse-repeat (repeat, Repeat, REPEAT!), I loved the flow of the story and couldn't wait to see how it all played out at the end. It was a rather satisfying conclusion, though I would have preferred for Emmy to come to her own conclusion long before Travis risked his heart a-freaking-gain.
♥ Teaser Quote:
It's familiar this time, and I never knew that familiar could ever mean better, but with Travis it does. I know how he feels inside of me the way I know the songs I write. My body remembers, and now it feels like it remembers him, too. Already.
~quote taken from the eARC of Loud is How I Love You at 26%
♥ Rec it? Probably. Loud is How I Love You gets some serious praise from bestselling authors and reputable bloggers, so I'm thinking the missed connection is wholly on me. Despite my frequent irritation with Emmy, my love for Travis and my rooting for them as a couple--though, seriously, Emmy didn't deserve it at one point--are what kept me reading. I may not have been completely enraptured, but I always stayed interested.
♥ A very special thanks to Intermix and NetGalley for providing us with an advanced copy of this title in exchange for our honest review.