This was a decent story and I somewhat enjoyed both the heroes, Nicky and Quinn. However, nothing really stood out making it a great book.

3.75 Stars


I loved the blurb, but this story had the same issues as book one for me. We spent too much time in Quinn’s head and not enough time getting to really know Nicky. Although I think this book has more dialogue than Escaping Indigo perhaps, I still wanted more. The second half of the book moves much faster and had more dialogue than the first half.

This story feels heavy. You can feel the grief, sadness and guilt coming off of Quinn in waves and, at times, it was daunting to trudge through all of that with him. I had to keep closing the book and coming back to it.

I loved Nicky and Quinn as a couple and I thought they had great chemistry, but I would have loved to see more of them as a couple as well as a more solid ending. This is definitely a tentative HFN ending.

I loved getting to catch up a bit with Bellamy and Micah, but again I wish there had been more dialogue and interaction between them. We were told about them going out to lunch or dinners, but I’d rather be shown what’s happening, not just told they did this or that.

The author’s writing is beautiful, almost poetic and it draws you in. The story had good bones and potential, but it needed more dialogue and character development and interaction. I’d still recommend it, but I think Escaping Indigo needs to be read first as Micah and Quinn are both dealing with the death of Quinn’s brother, Eric, so the stories are closely linked.

*copy provided by author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Eli Lang's writing is a little heavy for my tastes, but I tend to like things in the fluffier side.

As a fan of rockstar romances I found myself eagerly grabbing at this book the moment it hits shelves and upon completing it I must say that there’s a lot to like about this m/m romance. There’s also a bit of frustration too in this tale of second chances and grief as it went on a bit too long and got lost in its lyrical narrative a time or two.

From the first page to the last this book sets itself apart from other rockstar romances as it’s not your typical tale of sex, drugs, and rock ‘n roll. Yes, it’s a steamy tale but there’s no groupies or heavy partying going on to affect the band’s connection. There’s actually a familial vibe amongst the members of Escaping Indigo and Rest In Peach as they spend time making beautiful music together while in the studio. It’s a time consuming process that gives ample time to the reunion of roadie Quinn and Rest In Peach’s drummer Nicky. Their one night together could’ve amounted to more but a tragic event befell Quinn, an event that he’s still punishing himself for and that’s keeping him from living life to the fullest. In this third installment in the series these two men work through the pain of the past in a journey of self-forgiveness and trust.

Quinn’s always been the caretaker, from the band to his family, the one everyone could count on to see to their needs and keep them safe. It’s a role he took seriously until the day his brother overdosed. That moment left him reeling, feeling lost and ashamed for all that he didn’t do and it’s something he still can’t forgive himself for. His grief has caused him to wallow in self-punishment as he doesn’t feel worthy of love and happiness after failing his brother. His feelings are the crux of the division between him and Nicky and keeps them struggling every step of the way. A lot of time is spent in Quinn’s head but there were still times I felt that there was still much I didn’t know about him. He’s always been quiet and contemplative and he’s still that here, spending a lot of time rehashing his grief. It ultimately made for emotional storytelling but much frustration too.

Nicky’s the more carefree of the two, the one to initiate their reunion. He got Quinn talking and made him start dealing with the past head-on through many heartfelt talks and by opening up a bit more about himself. One secret he shared was a definite surprise and changed their dynamic a bit. It deepened their connection, made it more of a commitment between the two of them. In some ways I felt like I knew Nicky more than Quinn and yet I still felt like there was more missing. He was hurt by Quinn leaving without a word and it’s clear he’s still holding back a bit. For every step forward they took I felt there were many more steps missing in their journey of forgiveness but I applaud Nicky for each olive branch he extended to Quinn.

This was a steamy story as Quinn and Nicky were a crackling couple teeming with sexual tension. From longing glances to deep talks these two spend a lot of time together, spend a lot of time dealing with their pasts while hoping for a future, and it made for some intense reading. Their issues were weighty and Quinn’s grief was an especially heavy burden that didn’t allow for many lighthearted moments. It did all lead to a satisfying ending though, an ending that felt more like a HFN than a HEA, but no less rewarding for all that came before.

Though it wasn’t a path he’d actively chosen, Quinn has been taking care of others for most of his life. First by looking after his mother and younger brother, then as a roadie/semi-parental unit for the members of Escaping Indigo, he’s always tried to be the dependable one, the son/brother/friend that had everyone’s back. Even after experiencing an earth-shattering loss, he couldn’t allow himself to rely on someone else for a change—even if it cost him the only man he’d dared to want for himself. But, an unexpected reunion convinces Quinn that he can’t pretend forever, and that he’s loved far more than he ever realized.

In Scratch Track, the third in the Escaping Indigo series by Eli Lang, we finally get to know more about Quinn, who, in a sense, started everything off by bringing Micah into the band’s company. Though he was a significant presence in the first story, and an absent sort of anchor in the second, I was very much interested in learning more about him. To say that Quinn is “complicated” is an understatement.

As Escaping Indigo’s roadie and manager, Quinn’s role has always the one of the caretaker. It’s such an ingrained part of his personality that he has no sense of purpose without it, even when his younger brother died unexpectedly of an overdose. But, that loss causes him question his ability to care for everyone, which, in turn, makes him feel like an outsider to the “family” he’s nurtured within the band. While grief is absolutely a serious matter, most of Scratch Track circles around Quinn’s doubts with little progress sometimes, although I was glad to see him take steps to try and work through his own.

The remainder of Scratch Track involves the interrupted relationship Quinn has with Nicky, the drummer for another band (delightfully named Rest in Peach) who are sharing the recording studio with Escaping Indigo. Despite the somewhat implausible idea that Nicky has successfully kept his two-year-old son a secret from Quinn when the two bands are all friends and former tour-mates, I liked Nicky very much. Within the parameters of their reconnection, however, his passion, honesty, patience, and even justifiable hesitancy about starting over with Quinn made him one of the most relatable characters in the story.

As was the case with both previous stories in the Escaping Indigo series, Scratch Track leaves readers with the potential, but no absolute guarantees for the protagonists’ ultimate happiness. I think this HFN approach works well with the overall narrative here, given that one half of the equation has far too much at risk to take inadvisable chances, and the other is still unsteady from the weight of his own guilt and doubts. Additionally, Quinn and Nicky won’t have an easy time of things, with both going on separate tours and living in different places. Regardless, I’d love to know how they’re doing, and hope that the author might create a scene that provides some insight in the future.

Romantic without being overdone, Scratch Track is one of my favorites in the Escaping Indigo series. With a more thoughtful POV, it takes into account that, while caring for others is a wonderful thing, doing so to the detriment of those very relationships ultimately does more harm than good. Tactile and vivid in its imagery—from the pleasure of putting an album on a turntable to the shared escape of playing in a park—this story felt more accessible than its predecessors. As the series builds on familiarity with everyone in the band, I highly recommend reading the it from the beginning, as well as the additional scenes the author has on her website.

4.5 stars for a lyrical look at love!

In “Scratch Track,” Eli Lang’s requiem to grief, music and love serve as counterpoints to pain. I was
wowed by her demonstration of how to live on!
 
Also impressive is that the book works as a standalone. I hadn’t read the first two in this Escaping Indigo series, but still enjoyed the rich cast of characters, who function like a chorus to the main couple’s drama.
 
Quinn, a road manager, joins his band, Escaping Indigo, as they produce an album, though he’s neither working, nor necessary. He’s escaping his younger brother’s suicide, its associated guilt, as Lang conveys, “and figuring out how my life worked with this giant home where Eric had been.”
 
Lang pens Quinn “as the guy who listened, and who fixed where I could … took care of them. That was how I liked it. That was how I worked best.”  Now, his brother’s death has left Quinn questioning. “I hadn’t ever known what Eric needed. I hadn’t seen any need in him at all. So obviously that (caretaking) talent was a lie.”
 
Has Quinn isolated himself? Or has Eric’s death revealed Quinn was never the band member’s true friend? “There was something about the way they tuned in to each other, focused on each other, became almost like one mind when they were writing and working on songs, that made me feel…lost. On the outside. Like I was a puzzle piece that didn’t quite fit. It made me lonely in an abstract way,” Quinn muses to himself.
 
Immediately before the trauma, Quinn enjoyed a promising flirtation and tryst with Nicky, drummer for another band, Rest in Peach. (Great band name for a novel about grief, no?) They’d promised to maintain contact - until Quinn’s abrupt, unexplained withdrawal.
 
When Peach records at the same location as Indio, it’s awkward for both men. Nevertheless, Quinn is still drawn towards Nicky, who he reminisces was “easy to be with…He made things simple. He made you want to stand beside him and soak up some sun. So I did.”
 
It’s not simple. Not knowing about the death, when Quinn ignored Nicky’s overtures, Nicky was hurt. It’s equally painful to discover Quinn didn’t think enough of Nicky to share the pain. But Quinn is better at giving than receiving. Can two distrustful men get back together?
 
While listening to an old record, thinking back to when he’d first heard it, Quinn realizes it “made me feel for a few minutes like I was in both places, both times.” Much like death differentiates a survivor’s life into before and after, so can love, “as if two side of my life-the side before I’d met Nicky, before I’d slept with him again, and the side after, with everything that meant and everything that came with it – were crashed together.”
 
This is Lang’s brilliance. Writers often repeat complex concepts throughout a book. But she sorts and shifts through themes of love, responsibility, powerlessness and death, using different contexts, perspectives, and the prisms of different personalities, until reality shines through.
 
The result is much like a musical fugue. By adding and subtracting flourishes to a basic premise she creates new music, as we watch characters confront their pain and confusion in order to change. Can Quinn, who feels like a fraud, become someone who can support the man he’s coming to love? Can Nicky, burned once, trust again? Should he?
 
Lang is clearly a musician. I love her descriptions of the role music plays in helping people process their emotions non-verbally. A scene in which Nicky shows Quinn how to play a drum becomes a blueprint for how to move on. Music aficionados will be impressed.
 
I think I highlighted more phrases in “Scratch Track” than any book I’ve ever read. Eli Lang’s novel deserves 4.5 stars.

Eli Lang is a master of making a reader have All The Feels, and Scratch Track definitely lived up to that. Although it was my least favorite in the series (so far), it was probably the best in terms of plot. A solid read.

No need to read the first two in the series to enjoy this one. The book really focuses on Quinn's motivations in life and how he is floundering. He and the other characters are complex and real.

This is an extremely character driven plot. It's heavy. Like trudging through a morass of feelings.

Unfortunately, I'm more of an action plot fan. So this was tough reading for me. I got to about 45% before I threw in the towel.

I think that for those of you who like 'heavy on the feelz' stories, this is going to be a real winner.

For me Scratch Track was the introduction to Eli Lang and the world of Escaping Indigo, but it is the third book in a series. While I’m not fussy about reading series in order, I felt in this case it might be better to read book #1 first as it seems to be closely linked. I was a little confused about all the characters at the beginning and some of the backstory. It also would have been good to see Quinn from a different perspective than his own.

Scratch Track has lots of strengths, especially towards the end of the story. There is some beautiful and insightful dialogue. At those moments I could really feel the pain of the characters and the love between them. However, at other moments I felt I didn’t know the characters at all. This was particularly true for Quinn, the narrator. He mostly remained a mystery. Apparently, he was a roadie who carried the heavy gear but also some sort of tour manager who made sure the band got fed. We were told this two or three times, but we never saw any of it. In fact, he didn’t seem to be doing anything. The band were in a recording studio and he didn’t have any responsibilities so he just hung around. I understand this was part of him feeling lost and useless, but since I had never seen him any other way I found it difficult to connect with him. Of course, I may have felt differently about this if I had read book #1.
Nicky seemed a lovely guy but again I don’t think I got to know him as well as I would like. Quinn and Nicky together were great and I loved how they talked things through. There wasn’t a ton of conflict between them, but it felt real and I could see both of them grow to resolve it. The resolution made sense but it seemed a little rushed. I didn’t quite believe in an HEA for them yet; it was more a tentative HFN.

Rock star romances are often filled with alcohol and drugs and groupies begging for sex. It was refreshing to see Scratch Track didn’t have any of that. At the same time, I found it hard to believe they more or less worked office hours and in the evenings they occasionally went out for dinner but nothing else. They also seemed very respectful and earnest all of the time. It’s great to see characters taking each other seriously but I would’ve liked to see a little joking around and some heated arguments.

I felt this book was very good when it came to the way Quinn learned to deal with his grief and his feelings of failure and being left out. I also thought Quinn and Nicky together was one of the books strong points. The rest of it felt more like a sketch than a completed painting. For example, I didn’t know until somewhere towards the end the studio was in LA. And in the epilogue I found out Quinn had a beard. This book really could have used some stronger world building and characters with more varied complexities.

3.5 stars

Quinn and Nicky seem like such real people. Broken, hopeful, and scared of what could happen if they pursued the strong feelings they each feel for the other. Seeing them work toward trusting one another was just beautiful. And I loved getting an update on Micah and Bellamy and seeing how their relationship has grown and deepened.