Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Tashie Bhuiyan
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Release Date: January 2nd, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

From the author of Counting Down with You  and  A Show for Two comes a new YA contemporary about a girl who accidentally sabotages an up-and-coming local band and falls for the guitarist while secretly trying to make up for her mistake.

Liana Sarkar lives and breathes music, hoping to follow in the footsteps of her A&R coordinator father. Maybe if she succeeds, he’ll finally give her the time of day instead of drowning himself in work to distract from the grief of her mother’s passing.

When Liana accidentally sabotages an up-and-coming local band, Third Eye, she makes it her mission to steer them towards success—without them discovering her role in their setback. But as she gets closer to Third Eye, especially their enigmatic leader Skyler Moon, it becomes harder to hide the truth.

With both her heart and their futures on the line, will Liana be able to undo the damage she’s caused?

ENJOYABLY MESSY.

When I read YA contemporary I can get frustrated with decisions and the attempt at problem solving. But sometimes it comes off really well and just feels human. This had that quality. I felt for the main character battling depression, an absent father and a mistake she truly didn’t mean to make. I loved the positive therapy rep and acknowledging the need for help and having the support system around you to make it to the next day. I LOOOOVED this found family with the band. They had ups and downs and you could clearly see how they came together to make it to those final pages.

I loved all of the music content and lists of songs throughout the book. There’s an obvious theme of the power of music and the effects it can have in someone’s life. The quiet moments were sweet and I loved how the romantic relationship developed. This was a solid young adult contemporary I thoroughly enjoyed.

Overall audience notes:

• YA Contemporary Romance
• Language: low-moderate
• Romance: kisses
• Trigger/Content Warnings: absent father, mentions of loss of a parent, depictions of anxiety and depression

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