this was one of my most anticipated books of 2021 so I was happy to read it asap.

I had a hard time getting into the story at first because I couldn't connect with seb from the beginning. his chapters had the information and set up but I wasn't as invested as I was reading from toni pov. toni was a character that even with her flaws I wanted more. seeing her journey in the music industry felt so real and her genuine passion was always present.

the only other thing I have to say is that the story did feel a little long. some storylines just dragged longer than I think were necessary. it took me a while to get through but the story was enjoyable in the end.

thank you netgalley for providing this arc for me to read and review.

The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes by Xio Axelrod is one of the best contemporary romances of 2021. The ending left me in happy tears for the characters. Also, so sad that I finished it. I couldn't put it down and could spend so much time in the Philly/NYC music world. #BookHangover

Antonia Bennett grew up neglected and dragged around by her musician mother. Dumped on her Father's doorstep and he didn't know how to be a father. Thankfully, she found music and friendship with Sebastian. Until he ran off on their dreams. We find her as an adult, an incredible talent hiding behind the spotlight. A chance meeting at a gig gone sour puts her face to face with her long lost friend. Plus, the musical opportunites
she's been dreaming of.

Fans of Rock and Second Chance romances will LOVE this book. There is a fun cast of supporting characters. I appreciated the perspective on musicians with drug and alcohol abuse. It is so full of heart, new beginnings and fun. Xio Axelrod's writing is so good. The masterpiece moments of this book are when Axelrod captures the feelings and essence of musician's experience playing in a band or solo. I have so much love for this book and can't wait to read what Axelrod writes next!

Thank you to #netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for granting my wish to read this book. #TheGirlwithStarsinHerEyes #XioAxelrod #SOURCEBOOKSCasablanca

Hello, this book is amazing and needs to be talked about. This is why I loved it:
- Strong protagonist, Toni is steadfast, strong willed, and she stands up for herself. She is hardworking and deserves everything.
- the romance in this is so well done. It’s not cheesy, it’s not overdone, it’s done right. I loved the dynamic between Toni and Seb.
- The story doesn’t only focus on their relationship, in fact it feels like its Toni’s story and we’re along for the ride and I appreciated that. I wish there was more because I just craved for it all the time.

Included as a top pick in bimonthly May New Releases post, which highlights and promotes upcoming releases of the month (link attached)

This has been a highly anticipated read for me, and I was lucky enough to join the Let’s Talk Books promo tour for the book. Overall, it’s one I really enjoyed. I appreciated that there were a lot of extra details added in order to set up what’s meant to be a series. I LOVE the concept of The Lillies. It’s something I could easily visualize throughout the book, and I would love to have a front row seat to see these ladies perform. The energy of the last quarter of the book really propels this book up a star for me.

The premise: Antonia "Toni" Bennett’s mom abandoned her early on for a career in music. She was raised by her surly dad, and sought solace first with her guitar, and later in Sebastian Quick. Seb was a bit older, and sought similar companionship with “Nia”... they made a pact to escape their small Pennsylvania town together. But Seb shattered both Nia’s heart and dreams when he left town at 18 without her.

Nearly a decade later, Seb and “Toni” as she’s known now, are reunited during Toni’s big audition for one of the hottest new acts in the country--the Lillies. As Toni’s dreams start coming true, she has to decide if she still has space in her heart for Seb. While this book definitely has a romance-y storyline, I would dub it more as a contemporary or women’s fiction. The band interactions are fun and cool, and I’m excited to see where the rest of the series takes us.

I think it has a bit of a slow start for the first half, and it’s fairly long--450+ pages, but the writing is solid. It’s one I’ll definitely be recommending to friends! Thanks to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for a digital review copy.

This book gave me some Daisy Jones vibes along with some Happy Ever After Playlist vibes as well. Antonia is a strong female lead trying to fulfill her dream in the music industry. Sebastian comes back into her life unexpectedly and they both soon realize how much they missed each other. I liked their friendship and connection the most in this book. There are also a lot of side characters that were interesting. This book will be a series so I’m anxious to see if another character pops up in the next book.

I have discovered that I love books about bands or musicians, especially the behind the scenes and this book is exactly why I love these kind of stories
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We start with Toni Bennett, yep she’s named the same as Tony Bennett and like him she has a phenomenal voice but unlike him she is not a star.
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Raised in dive bars while her mom tried to make something of herself, with only her guitar to keep her company she was a lonely, resilient and strong child. At twelve her mom dropped her off at a bus station to go live with her father. Don’t even get me started how much I despise her mother. Anyway, the first person she sets her eyes on is Seb and she doesn’t know it yet but their souls are entwined and she is off on a course of hope, destruction, strength and success.
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Toni is an up and comer and finds her break in stepping into the band The Lillys, who are about to make it big.
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With Daisy Jones Vibes and a second chance at love this was such a fun book.
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I had a blast talking about this with @letstalkbookspromo and I am so excited to learn that this is the start of a series and let me tell you I will be here for all of it!
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Thank you #NetGalley and @sourcebooks for an arc in exchange for an honest review. This book is out May 4th

After a childhood growing up in dive bars with her mom, Toni spent her adolescence in her dad’s bar and playing guitar with Seb. Seb was the best thing in Toni’s life - they promised each other they would both get out of their small town, but Seb left Toni without a word when he turned 18. A decade-is later, Toni auditions to play guitar for the Lillys - the band Seb manages. Toni never expected to be playing music instead of producing it, and she really never expected to run into Seb. However, the Lillys seem to be a perfect fit…and maybe Seb is too?

The audiobook of this was really good! There were two narrators - one for Toni and one for Seb, and I think the dual narrators really added a lot to the audiobook. I could not stop listening. I really, really enjoyed this! I didn’t know a lot about the music industry, but I felt like this was a good snapshot - definitely an interesting setting!

Thanks to @NetGalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and Dreamscape Media for my ARC! Read this when it comes out on Tuesday, May 4th!

"The Girl With Stars in Her Eyes" is unlike any book I have read before! Xio Axelrod has written a book that will stay with me for far long after I have finished the book. From an exciting musical career to long lost lovers, this book has everything and you will not want to put it down!

We get to know Toni, an exceptionally talented guitarist from Philly who has no desire for fame. Toni dreams of becoming a sound engineer and putting her musical talents to use behind the scenes. One fateful night, Toni runs into someone she thought she would never see again. This encounter starts a chain reaction that will forever change Toni's life. Toni is left to choose which direction her life will take, the one she always felt was her destiny, or the one she never even dreamed would be a possibility.

Oh goodness! First of all I want to thank Netgalley and Sourcebooks for giving me the opportunity to read this book. I am in LOVE! This book is so heartfelt. I loved Toni and her talent, her willingness to never give her, the fact that she was a woman in an industry where men dominate, and she still did her thing is very inspiring. I loved how fate brought her and Sebastian together, I am a firm believer that things happen for a reason and certain people are put in your lives to do just that. Being part of The Lilly's especially when she needed the money the most was perfect timing. You see, Toni fears that fame will control her the way it has controlled one of the members of the group and even her own mother. And with guidance, from those who care about her she was able to let go of that feeling, she got everything she wanted and then some.

One thing I will say though, I LOVE ME SOME DRAMA!!!!!!

This book was such a wonderful surprise. I was drawn in by the fantastic cover, and it turned out to be a story that sucked me in until there were no more pages to turn. Even though it is technically a romance, the romance part takes a back seat for most of the book. The strength of this book is in telling Toni's journey in life through music. She's a great female lead and the music is interwoven with such authenticity that it feels like another character. I enjoyed the romance between Toni and Seb; even though it didn't feel central to the story, it was sweet and endearing . I will definitely keep my eyes peeled for Xio Axelrod's next book.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I really enjoyed this book. The heroine was fierce, without her fierceness being shoved down the readers' throats. I loved the female friendships, and I loved how the heroine's goals changed throughout the book (in a really realistic way, one that still made me feel like she was getting what she wanted and not compromising anything). And the romance was hot.

I took off a star because I couldn't completely get into the character of Sebastian. I wish I knew more about his backstory earlier in the book. I think it would have helped me identify with him more. His mystery was not very intriguing to me. This might also have been because of the narrator for the character in the audiobook. The voices he made for the other characters took me out of the story.

After reading The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes, I was not surprised to learn that Axelrod, the author had grown up in the music industry. There is so much knowledge about music tucked away in this fictional story about a female guitarist and her time in an all-girl rock band. I loved the female empowerment that Axelrod brought to her novel and really enjoyed the strong protagonist she created. If you are a fan of music, this title is an absolute must-read!

“Family isn’t always blood. It’s the people in your life who want you in theirs. The ones who accept you for who you are. The ones who would do anything to see you smile, and who love you no matter what.”-Anonymous

This was my first book by Xio Axelrod, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! You can tell she has a passion for the music industry (which I know next to nothing about) and I loved being able to see inside the various relationships of The Lilly’s. The way they interacted, played, fought, and worked together was nothing short of intriguing.
Seb and Toni were beautiful characters with complicated backgrounds and a past that made them who they are today. If you enjoy music, romance, and characters with grit then you will love this one 💞

I was gifted a copy of this book in return for an honest review

An Amazing Read!

I loved Toni; she is far from perfect but lives with what she is dealt. Her strength and moxie to persevere drew me in. She has talent, prodigy even, but insecure and scarred due to her raising. Sebastian, well, he frustrates me. The author has brought out all my emotions in this amazing, well-written read. We might even get a second chance, but her heart is on the line. Can Toni trust Seb again?

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the advanced copy: this is my voluntary review.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

I haven’t read Xio Axelrod before, but I follow her on Twitter and have always been interested in picking up her books, and The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes appealed to me. And while I didn’t love it, there are elements of this book I really enjoyed.

The aesthetics of the music and following a band as they rise from nothing to make it big is absolutely a highlight. Additionally, some of the promotional materials, like the trailer, featuring a soundbite from an actual song from the “band,” further add to the immersive experience. https://twitter.com/xioaxelrod/status/1377312689521893379?s=21

Toni Bennett (and yes, there are several “not that one” jokes in the text) is a wonderful heroine. I loved her ambition and drive, and rooted for her as she got knocked about by others in the industry.

Meanwhile, I struggled to get to know Seb. I never fully understood what he was all about. And this made the romance fall a bit flat. Their lives are also so entrenched in the music scene, I fully expected that to take precedence, with some romance on the side. And given how tepid everything had been for 90% of the book, I definitely was not expecting an out-of-nowhere sex scene.

As it appears this will be the first in a series about each of the band members, I’m definitely intrigued to see how it proceeds going forward, although I do hope the romance is better developed in conjunction with the industry stuff next time around.

In spite of its flaws, this is a delightful contemporary first-in-series that is perfect for music lovers, or just those who love a fun, diverse contemporary.

This New Adult contemporary fiction gripped me from start to finish and I felt like I was there with Toni, navigating her hardships, her joy, and finding her dreams.

Toni grew up following her mom around from gig to gig, waiting back-stage or being babysat by a bar owner until her mom decided to ship her off to live with her father. Her dad didn’t really give her the time of day and so she befriended a local boy who shared her love of music. They were inseparable until he ran off on her too, without a word. Years later, and much more grown-up, Toni runs into Seb again and those sparks are still there, but can she forgive him for abandoning her?

I really liked all the characters, and because of that I wanted to know more about them, particularly the leads. I actually wouldn’t have minded if this book was a little longer than its 464 pages if we got to go a little deeper into both Toni and Seb. I wanted to hear more about their time growing up and the years in between. But I loved their chemistry and the way they supported each other in a way that only someone with that much shared history really can.

It looks like this will be the first book in the Lilly’s series, so stay tuned! I can’t wait to read more!

I was reeled in by an incredible cover, but I stayed for the story. I literally picked this one up this morning, and didn’t set it down until it was all over.
For lovers of music, girl power, and finding your family, in both those related as well as those chosen. Add in just the right amount of romance, and this one is a smash hit,
I hope to see more from this crew, there’s a ton of potential for the members of this band.

This was such a great read! Loved Antonia's backstory and her character a lot. The writing was so descriptive during the parts where Toni was playing, and I could really picture the scene and hear the music. I would love to hear this one on audio!!
Toni's love of music really showed throughout the book and I loved how she wasn't in it for the fame or money! It made for a great story! I also really appreciated the relationship between her and Sebastian and thought they were great together. The steam level was perfect for this!! Overall a solid read!

Great characters and Toni was my absolute favorite! The romance will work your heart some which I think add just enough romance to keep me interested!
But this was a very well written, Emotional book! And I enjoyed it all!