Sawyer has been fascinated by Vix since they connected briefly in High School, Vix doesn’t remember Sawyer. Vix is a talented musician, has a rock band which is getting ready to break out and is looking for a new member on short notice. Sawyer is looking for a change of venue to find her joy in music again after the pressure of Juilliard. They are just getting together for a tour, it is not supposed to be permanent. They have a real spark musically and that first simpatico from High School is still there. As their relationship grows off stage Sawyer has to evaluate what she wants to do with her life and how best to fulfill her dreams personally and professionally.

Sawyer knows herself but she is learning the weight of her choices and also how to break free from what is expected of her to choose what fulfills her. Sometimes what is expected is fulfilling but we don’t realize it because we are tired of the burden and think a different way holds more joy. Both Vix and Sawyer are at a crossroads creatively and personally. Which direction will they take and will they continue on together?

I liked the idea of this book because I understand the appeal of a quiet crush on a charismatic person. I sympathized with Sawyer remembering Vix but not being remembered. She is brave and jumps in and shines.

This romance has a lovely slow build. We get to know Sawyer, Vix and the band, what motivates them and how they personally harmonize. The contrast and appeal of the charismatic (Vix) and the quiet (Sawyer) personalities is one that is not always understood in romantic fiction yet often works well in real life. Sawyer and Vix are both written “round”; they are like real people, not stereotypes. Vix is a leader but she has anxieties and indecision. Sawyer is more of an introvert but she is funny and passionate. Relationships between introverts and extroverts often work because they balance each other out and this is a nice example of that.

I liked The Love Song of Sawyer Bell a lot! It was an easy and fun read which I didn't want to put down, but it didn't shy away from difficult topics like biphobia. I really enjoyed the musical aspect of the book; the talk about Julliard and the pressure of going there, the song writing process, preforming, touring, etc. It was a lot of fun to read about, and I am definitely interested in picking up other books in this series because of it.
I also really liked the characters and the relationship. Sawyer and Vix had a great dynamic, but I also really liked their friendship with their other band members.

The Love Song of Sawyer Bell is an absolutely gorgeous novel that I couldn’t put down. This delightful book kept a smile on my face from start to finish and I could gush endlessly about it.

Almost immediately, I started shipping Vix and Sawyer. From their very first interaction, these girls have undeniable chemistry and Gale writes the development of their relationship – from friends to friends-with-benefits – perfectly. I also adored their little background history: they went to the same high school, but Vix was a few years older and Sawyer had had a crush on Vix for years. It was adorable.

What I love most about The Love Song of Sawyer Bell was how fun everything was, primarily Vix and Sawyer’s relationship. While there is a little angst, for a majority of the novel the two women are always joking and having fun, even during the middle of sex. It sends such a positive message to queer people everywhere: that our stories and our romances are not inherently tragic (as so many books and shows love to portray) – we can be happy and have fun too.

I really appreciated how realistic this novel was too. While the central of message of the book is that you should always follow your heart and no one else’s opinions, there was also plenty discussions of how sometimes the life you’ve always dreamed about just doesn’t work out, and that’s ok. Sawyer attends Julliard – the university she’s dreamed of going to since she was old enough to dream anything – and to her horror, she discovers she hates it there. She struggles so much confronting this, and deciding whether or not she should go back because she only has a year left, and this really struck a cord with me. So often the pervasive viewpoint in society is that you need to go to university if you want to be successful, and while university can be important for some people, it is not the be all and end all. It’s ok if you take a break from it, or leave permanently. Your life is not over – it’s a great message and one I wish more New Adult, and even YA, books promote.

The Love Song of Sawyer Bell is such a charming novel, and one I want more people to read. If you are a fan of Avon Gale’s works, I HIGHLY suggest you check out this gem. You won’t be disappointed.

What an enjoyable story about sexual discovery and taking chances. Following your dreams. I thought that Vix and Sawyer were adorable. The relationship development wasn't rushed and felt realistic. All in all, a great read. I hope to see more F/F romance from Ms. Gale.

This book was so sweet. It was charming, funny and romantic with a simple premise that was held up by the characters.
Sawyer and Vix had a wonderful chemistry, their relationship was adorable and I loved their approach to sex, which was to not take it too seriously. Seriously, never have I laughed so hard during sex scenes. There were several times where I had to put my reader down and just laugh and laugh. This is probably the first book where I genuinely couldn't wait for the next sex scene because they were so delightful. Loved those. Sawyer, with her university problems, was a very relatable character and I loved seeing her journey. I enjoyed the secondary characters too, although some could take some more fleshing out. I was delighted at having a canonically asexual character too, even if he didn't get much screentime. When I found out there will be a sequel, I squeed.
While Sawyer and Vix' relationship was sweet and I have high hopes for their future, I didn't feel good about where the book left them. There is a lot of miscommunication in this book and there was no proof in the book itself that they learned how to healthily communicate through their problems.

The thing that genuinely enraged me were all the "sexy" comments secondary characters made towards the main couple. I don't read f/f books to be told that men find queer women sexy. I already know that by living in this world as a queer woman. I don't enjoy completely unnecessary reminders from male side characters. I also don't enjoy that to happen several times in one book. I especially don't appreciate the "what, are you going to comment on us making out in this cab car?" "no, I literally couldn't care less" scene. I almost threw my reader across the room. It's so unnecessary and gross. Please stop. This thing knocked the book off potential 5*.

The cover is very beautiful though.

I am a huge fan of M/M romance, and have wanted to dip a toe into F/F for a while, but it took this compelling, sweet, sexy, smart book to make me realize what I've been missing!

The Love Song of Sawyer Bell is a journey of discovery for Sawyer. She's a musician who's lost the love of music. And that love is reawakened by Victoria "Vix" Vincent and her band. Chosen as replacement fiddler for the band tour, Sawyer quickly discovers all that touring life is about—performing, driving, sleeping little, more driving—but she also discovers her sexuality, her true sexuality,and she's quickly discovering that her crush on Vix as a high school freshman isn't one sided.

Vix has been playing with her bandmates since she was just 16 years old. They've worked very hard to make their way in the music industry and their small success is not something she's willing to give up on—not even for love. Vix knows that Sawyer's just biding her time until she returns to Julliard to finish her senior year, so all Vix needs to do is deny, deny, deny the feelings manifesting inside her heart.

Man. This book. This book was amazing. I L-O-V-E-D the slow burn development of Sawyer and Vix's relationship—loved their friendship that turned into a relationship. Loved their love for each other, even when they were scared of all that they were feeling. I finished The Love Song of Sawyer Bell in one sitting and I cannot wait for Jax's story in The Ballad of Whiskey Jack.

I was unable to review this book because of a conflict in my schedule. Sorry for any inconvenience this has caused the publisher or the author of the work. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to review for you and I look forward to reviewing for you in the future.

The Love Song of Sawyer Bell was a really great, sex-positive f/f romance novel that is easy to get through and really enjoyable.

Going into this I was super excited about both the f/f romance but also following the lives of musicians. Now while I was definitely satisfied with the romance part, there wasn't as much musician life included as I had hoped. The novel is really short and because this really only takes place over the band's summer tour there's only so much of that routine you can include.

Instead I found and loved an element of this story that I wasn't even expecting to be dealt with in detail and that is Sawyer's journey with making her passion a job. The whole reason why Sawyer auditions to go on tour with a rockband is because she has lost her love for music because of the pressure she is facing at Juilliard.
I thought the way that Avon Gale handled falling out of love with music because of the pressure was so well done. This portrayed the struggle you are going through when you think you have achieved your dream and you know you are supposed to love it but you're realising it's just not making you happy. The fear you have when you think you've lost your passion for the thing you've always loved most.
As someone who has made her passion her job as well I found this so relatable. It is so real and honest but hopeful and inspiring at the same time and was easily my favourite part of the novel.

This novel is also incredibly sex-positive and handled especially bisexuality so well. The main character Vix is bisexual and Sawyer is gay. There's also several other queer side characters and even an ace character, although that was only really briefly mentioned. We don't see much of that representation and I can't judge if it was well done.
There is a lot of talk about the male gaze regarding wlw and queer (but especially bi) stereotypes. Whenever anything problematic comes up, Vix is basically immediately there to shut it down and it was so refreshing to read.

The relationship between Vix and Sawyer is really wonderful. It develops from friends to friends with benefits to lovers.
Sawyer is only coming to terms with her sexuality in this novel and had a really wonderful journey. All of the sex scenes in this book are a lot about communication and consent, showing that you can still have a lot of fun or rather even MORE fun when you make this a normal part of your sexual relationship. I don't think I have ever read a (New) Adult romance that has put such a focus on communication during sex especially and it makes me unbelievably happy.

Overall The Love Song of Sawyer Bell was a really enjoyable read that I would absolutely recommend.

The Love Song of Sawyer Bell is a quick, sweet f/f romance about two musicians falling in love during a summer tour. Vix is the lead singer of her own band, and desperately in need of a new violinist. Sawyer is a Juilliard student looking for an escape—a break in the monotony of an environment she’s slowly come to despise. It’s a summer of self-discovery for both of them, of honesty and friendship and romance. Theirs is a story about of following your passion and finding yourself—both on and off-stage.

Throughout the book, Gale does a fantastic job of addressing bi erasure, stereotypes, fetishization, and whole bunch of other issues. Vix is proudly bisexual, and speaks openly about her sexuality. She calls out strangers, acquaintances, and even people close to her on some of the problematic statements/assumptions they make. This is probably one of the most bi-positive books I’ve ever read, and it made my little bi heart v happy!!!! (also: Jax—one of Vix and Sawyer’s other bandmates—is bi as well, and apparently there's gonna be a book about him so !!!!!!) Sawyer is a lesbian, and only just starting to come out and explore her own sexuality. I loved that she was given space to figure things out in an environment that supported her—and that some of her more naive assumptions were corrected by other characters.

On the subject of tackling important issues, the story also addresses sexism in the music industry—which is something Vix has struggled with over the course of her career.

The only aspect of the book that felt slightly iffy to me was the background ace rep. Connor, one of the other band members, is on-the-page ace. Although it’s never specified whether he’s aro as well, he’s definitely presented as having no interest in romantic OR sexual relationships. As someone who identifies on the ace spectrum but not aro, this kinda read as equating asexuality and aromanticism……which was frustrating. Asexuality is such a nuanced and diverse identity, and this rep felt sorta reductive. Again, Connor's sexuality is v much a background thing in regards to the overall story, but it did nag at me as something that needed clarification/better explanation. (maybe in future books??)

Overall, this was a fun story about music and soft gay girls that I highly recommend to anyone looking for a good f/f romance! :)

href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34824809-the-love-song-of-sawyer-bell" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="The Love Song of Sawyer Bell (Tour Dates #1)" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1492206053m/34824809.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34824809-the-love-song-of-sawyer-bell">The Love Song of Sawyer Bell</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14237686.Avon_Gale">Avon Gale</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2169093667">3 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I rec'd a copy from NetGalley/Riptide Publishing for an honest review.<br />First book I'm reading by Ms. Gale.<br />Leads Vix and Sawyer star in this sexy romance with the backdrop of a band on tour. Ms. Gale's storyline flows well and has the right amount of angst.<br />3 stars.
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/31134832-gail">View all my reviews</a>

Disclaimer: I received this free in return for an honest review from Netgalley, my thanks go to them and Riptide Publishing for the chance to read this. The free book has not impacted on my ability to review this honestly and critically.

29/10 - Unexpectedly fantastic! I'm very wary of Netgalley books, having had some unfortunate experiences with clunky writing and dreadful editing in the past, so I started this with the trepidation from past experience in one ear and a five star recommendation from a trusted friend in the other. Thank goodness I listened to the friend instead of past experience! (It didn't hurt that Avon Gale is an accomplished author with a number of well-thought of books to her name.)

I loved classically-trained Sawyer with her cute dresses and cowboy boots - she really stood out as the character I could best picture in my mind and as soon as Vix started taking pictures of her legs resting on the dashboard of the van I knew that that would be a fantastic album cover. I can totally picture a pair of crossed legs, lower thigh to cowboy boots resting on the dash as the late afternoon sun comes streaming in the window as a terrific cover (also, would have been great cover art for this book, imho).

I found Vix less easy to understand and empathise with, especially towards the end. When she refused to say anything to Sawyer about her doubts I was screaming at her that this was what was going to ruin the relationship and then look what almost happened. But, the smoking (cigarettes and weed) were the scenes that most put me off - the book and the individual characters doing the smoking - maybe that's why I found myself relating to Sawyer the most, because she was the only one who didn't do either. I understand that cigarettes, a little bit of marijuana and some drinking are things that are going to be included in a 'rock star' romance, but the cigarettes and marijuana are just two things that I'm never going to be okay with - all I'll ever seen them as are death and a gateway drug that will eventually lead to death, respectively.

The sex was quite different from what I've read before, a lot more explaining (about the mechanics and that there's no right and wrong, just what you like or don't) than I'm used to - not at all a bad thing because usually the more experienced partner just assumes they know exactly what to do with their new partner and does it perfectly the first time and that's not realistic. I especially liked the way Vix rubbished the myths about bisexuality and the fact that just because she could be attracted to either sex didn't mean that she felt like she was missing out on something when she was with one or the other gender. It also didn't mean that she couldn't be faithful to whichever gender she was with at the time.

I'm pretty new to F/F romance and not that long ago I read another book featuring an experienced bisexual and an inexperienced lesbian which portrayed the bisexual woman as promiscuous and unable to 'keep it in her pants' around any hot person she happened to come across. She was pretty much a female jock (without any sporting connotations) who slept with anything and everything even though she had a crush on the lesbian. That was my first F/F and I loved it. I didn't know anything about bisexuality (of either gender) or the clichés that have been spread around about their lifestyle and so I was a bit horrified to learn that I had really enjoyed a book that promoted so much incorrect information about bisexuals. Really glad to read one that was so full of positive messages and cliché destroying. Can't wait to read Jax's story next.

I wanted to like the book but somehow I just couldn't get through it once I got somewhere in the middle (around where Sawyer started seeing Jess outside of Band practice) For me there was no spark and the story didn't seem to be moving much.

Mind you, I enjoy storylines with musicians very much and I was really looking forward to this

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Kris – ☆☆☆
3.5 stars F/F bisexual

I had a bit of a love/hate relationship with this book. I enjoyed the premise and most of the story. I'm a sucker for musicians, and the touring with the band, the performances, the other bands and band members they encountered were all spot on for me. Sawyer and Vix (Victoria), however, fell flat. Which bummed me out frankly because I wanted to love them. They were sweet, Sawyer being new to touring and to coming to terms with being a lesbian, leaving conservative Julliard to tour with an alt-country band, had all the makings of a great coming of age/sexuality story. Victoria on her own was also an interesting enough character with her "do it on her own" attitude and her open bisexuality. The two together just did not give me the spark I hoped for. The steamy scenes felt bossy, unsexy and... instructional??? I know telling your partner how to best meet your needs is necessary at times, but this felt very clinical. Still, beyond that, we had the common problems of relationships within bandmates and the problems that brings, along with hurt feelings. So the story had good bones. I think the set up for the next book was enough to intrigue me to read on.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the first book in a new series, and I am already looking forward to book #2. Based around a band on tour, any lover of rock band romance will enjoy the mixture of song writing, green room shenanigans, and life on the road in a van!

In this book, there is a very acceptable level of context building, which gives us a delicious insight into Victoria and Sawyer seven years ago. It then brings us right up to date with the disparities between the two of them all boiled down to a summer on tour and a chance at love. Any open-minded, but uninformed reader will find the treatment of the issues of sexuality and expectation thoughtful and considered. I enjoyed seeing the position from different viewpoints, and the way that the women used music and lyrics to try and sort out their feelings and as a method of communication.

A sweet story, with plenty of potential for engaging future storylines.


Sarah – ☆☆☆☆☆
I loved this story so much! Avon Gale is one of my favourites and this story about a classically trained violinist who joins a rock band for a summer tour was an absolutely perfect read for me.

This isn’t a rock star romance. This is the story of an emerging band touring the country in a van, washing at truck stops, getting excited about nights in dodgy motels. The band’s existence is gritty and a little bit bohemian. I love watching new bands in small venues and this book captures the details perfectly – from the elation of a gig that goes well to the monotony of life on the road to the band’s frustration with a disengaged audience talking through their set.

The romance in the story starts with the secret crush Sawyer has had on the older Vix since high school. And then there’s a convenient hook up, an offer from Vix to teach Sawyer about lesbian sex. But beyond the hook-ups, Vix and Sawyer are becoming friends. They are making music together, creating together – and accidentally falling hard for each other. There aren’t any great romantic gestures – but I loved the mix of sexual chemistry and the ‘friendship caught fire’ feel to the connection between Vix and Sawyer.

I really, really loved the sex in this book. The connection between Sawyer and Vix is playful and fun but this story also celebrates the diversity of female sexuality in a way that I found moving (and very sexy). Avon Gale avoids the angsty, emotionally heavy conversations that tend to ruin most f/f sex scenes while also avoiding the ‘easy orgasm through penetration’ scenes that dominate most m/f romance. Sawyer and Vix are seriously hot together and I especially loved Sawyer’s delight as she explores her sexuality for the first time.

There are bigger themes beyond the romance in this story. At 21, Sawyer is at a crossroads in her life and she isn’t enjoying the life she has worked so hard to build for herself. Sawyer’s part of the story feels very new adult as she tries to find her place in the world and I loved the way her uncertainty plays out against Vix’s very fixed identity and her singular passion for her music.

The Love Song of Sawyer Bell is a title that drew me in immediately. The pages between the cover delighted me even more. Vix and Sawyer made an adorable couple and it was a delight to watch their relationship build from friendship and blossom into love. Their young love is a coy yet sexy mix of antics, music, laughter, and camaraderie with their band mates. I enjoyed their journey immensely.

There's something about a musician book that just got my attention. THE LOVE SONG OF SAWYER BELL wasn't any different. I loved reading about the music world.

Sawyer is a Julliard's student that is changing her classic music background to join Victoria Vincent's band replacing their fiddle player for their summer tour. Vix is impressed by her audition and sparks start to appear between them. But the summer, as well as the tour, is coming to an end, and with it, the question of what will happen to the new relationship and to Sawyer's newfound passion for the music, now that she has to get back to Julliard.

It seemed like an amazing idea of a book, and I felt really intrigued by it, but I didn't liked it as much as I thought I would. It was a good book, but I felt like there was something missing. It might have something to do with the fact that F/F is not my favorite paring, but I really don't think so because I read some other F/F book and liked them a lot.

What I liked about it was the plot, it was easy to get into the story and try to understand what a musician's life is like. I have to admit that I need to do a lot of research about the music mentioned in the book, because other than Johnny Cash, I didn't know any of the artists that were mentioned. There wasn't much angst and there were some funny moments that I really enjoyed. The book is really well written. I also like some secondary characters that might not be too important for the plot development but they were nice nonetheless. I especially liked Jax and a little bit Jeff.

What I didn't liked about it was that I felt like there wasn't a good connection between Vix and Sawyer. I try to care about them as a couple, but it was hard. They lacked passion and I didn't entirely believe their feelings for each other. Maybe I set too high expectations from them, but they just didn't deliver. I did care a little bit more for Sawyer although she was sweeter in my mind than she actually was. They did share some nice moments that I enjoyed a lot, but most of the time I feel like there was nothing more than a summer hookup, especially for Vix.

Overall it was a good book, I think readers who like F/F books might like it a little more than I did. I loved the whole music world the story was set in, and I'm planning on reading the next installments of the series.

I'm a huge Avon Gale fan, and I've read everything else she's ever written, but I've never tried a f/f novel before, so I wasn't sure if I would be a fan, but I loved this. Gale is such a strong writer, and both Vix and Sawyer were fully fleshed out characters. The setup of being a band together was a lot of fun, and I loved how realistically the relationship grew between the two characters. Highly recommended!

4 Stars

I was just recently lamenting the lack of quality F/F romance in my life, and along comes The Love Song of Sawyer Bell to restore my faith in this category.

The book kept a fun and flirty vibe while delivering an engaging romance with a promising HFN. The two heroines were opposites in almost every way but struck up a convincing musical and romantic partnership. The author seemed to be in her element, painting a picture of a musician's life on the road with ease and confidence.

There were certain details throughout that I found repetitive, and I thought the final third dragged a bit. I also would have preferred more interaction with the rest of the band (aside from Jeff) as they were little more than cardboard cutouts (especially when Jax from another band got loads more facetime).

But overall, I highly recommend this book and I'm looking forward to the next in the series (which unsurprisingly features Jax).

I'm really happy at finding some genuinely enjoyable f/f fiction lately. The last one I read with characters I loved this much was Heat Wave by Elyse Springer.

This book also had a trope that I utterly adore, that being the rockstar and relatively normal person falling in love with each other. Except, Avon Gale tweaked that just a little bit and made it even more enjoyable, given that the normal person was a Julliard student. OMG I love movies that are set in Julliard.

Anyway, so these two also went to high school together once upon a time, although there were a couple of years between them. Sawyer and Vix share PoV throughout this story and the way that their completely distinct characters shone through was one of my favourite parts of this book.

Also my favourite was the bisexual character of Jax (who gets his own book next in this series!!) and the mention of the poorly behaved Noah Greer who will be his love interest in the same book.

Avon Gale has managed to create a world and characters that I am completely already invested in.

I enjoyed this a lot. I'm a sucker for music stories, though I have to admit I know almost nothing about Americana (my folk interests tend to revolve around the Britain and Ireland). I know classical, though, so I understood Sawyer's background -- and generally found her an almost painfully relatable character. Her struggles at university and her realisation that something she thought was her dream was actually making her miserable hit a little too close to home, given how much I've struggled at Cambridge.

Although the writing style of this book is reasonably simplistic and not particularly notable, I did end up highlighting quite a few passages, either because they made me laugh or because they were poignant and relatable (see above), which I generally consider to be a good sign. I would have liked to get to know some of the other characters a bit better: Sawyer and Vix spend so much time together that it doesn't really give us the opportunity to explore the others as much as they possibly deserved. One of them was canonically ace, which was cool but only a passing reference and not something that actually featured in the story at all.

The one thing I didn't like was actually the sex scenes. Don't get me wrong, I liked the relationship and I liked how it developed, but the sex scenes were just a bit too explicit for my tastes. Or... well, it wasn't exactly the explicitness so much as the language used, which primarily considered of words I find at best deeply unsexy and at worst kind of unpleasant. But mostly it was just a little bit too detailed. I've generally relaxed about this kind of thing in recent years, but I'm still not as comfortable with sexual content as some readers, so that did prevent me getting fully immersed in the book.

This is my Goodreads review, and I hope to write a slightly more detailed and coherent one for my blog, but on the whole, this was a pretty enjoyable read that kept me up slightly past my self-imposed bedtime and distracted me from various tasks I'd planned to do this evening, so that's a good sign. And it was a book about music that I found touching on a personal level without it making me depressed that I can't play much anymore, so that's also good.