Does anyone else love music-based fiction? Daisy Jones, Opal and Nev, and now Toni Bennette from The Girl With Stars In Her Eyes. Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Genre: romance, women's fiction
Pub date: May 4th
Rating: 🎸🎸🎸🎸
Read if you liked: Daisy Jones and the Six, The Unraveling of Cassidy Holmes

Guitarist Toni Bennette has music in her name and her blood. After her musician mother abandons her to follow her own dreams, she ends up living in a small town with her father, where she meets fellow musician Sebastian Quick. Seb helps Toni perfect her craft, and he promises they'll help each other escape their small town life. But then Seb disappears, and Toni is left to make it on her own. She goes from session musician to member of rock band The Lillys - but she can't avoid Seb and their history.

The best thing about this book is Toni - she is incredibly talented, and her inner strength is obvious. The scenes where she performs are really powerful - you can almost hear her guitar. This would be a great audiobook for that reason (although I read instead of listened.)

I didn't love Seb as much as Toni - in the present timeline, he has some issues to work out, and his inability to address them promptly frustrated me a little. I did enjoy the flashbacks to Seb and Toni as kids, when they played music together and learned from each other.

Since Toni joins the Lillys, we also get to meet all the members of the band. Their early journey to stardom was fun to follow along with, and Axelrod also shows the darker side of fame.

My only complaint about this book is that it felt a little long at 464 pages. But books seem to be getting longer these days, so maybe it's just me? I'd still recommend it, but I think it's good to know these things going in!

Review posted to Goodreads and Instagram 4/26/21.

Antonia Bennette, known as Toni, grew up in dive bars with parents that did not pay attention to her or her well being. So instead, Toni found comfort in her guitar. She had a friend, Seb, that also struggled with family and his upbringing so they instantly became best friends until he split without an explanation.

Even after these struggles, Toni is making a name for herself in Philadelphia as a musician. She even tries out for an up-and-coming band The Lillys and gets the part. The only problem is Seb is their manager.

I really enjoyed Toni and her story as an underdog. She was a fighter throughout the entire book and had to earn everything in her life. Overall, I felt that some of the main events were dragged on too long while others did not get enough time throughout this novel. However, this is my opinion and others might feel like it had the perfect balance.

I'm going to try and keep this review on the shorter side (for me).....
If you're a music lover (especially rock of the 90's), this book is for you.
If you like a rock band that consists of talented women, this book is for you.
If you like second chance romances, this book is for you.
If you like a story that combines a flawed childhood with finding ones path into adulthood, this book is for you.

I honestly picked this book up originally because of the gorgeous cover (I'm a cover lover, what can I say?), but ended up LOVING the story within the pages. Toni was my girl! A girl that grew up in messed up and broken homes, but ended up making something of herself on her own terms. The girl could rock and play music like no one's business. But she wanted to stay behind the scenes, even though you could tell she is meant for more.

And then there was Seb. Someone that was her safe place when they were kids. But he left their small, no nothing town and with that, left Toni behind to fend for herself. What happens when they run into one another under circumstances beyond their control?

This story is one of music, redemption and second chances and it was done with such musical precision. You can tell Ms Axelrod has a love and knowledge of music and it really shines through in this story and the characters. I loved Toni, her talent, her vision and her journey. I liked being able to step back in time and see her and Seb as kids and what they endured. Getting their past is what made any future for them believable. I enjoyed seeing Seb and his broken self. Even when he keeps trying to help others that are beyond help, it shows the kind of man he is. Then there is the Lilly's. The band that rocks and is ready to hit the big time. Each band member held a piece to the story and did it with a quiet, yet powerful reverence. From beginning to end, the book held a pulse. I could feel the rhythm and notes of the heart of the book. The main characters as well as the supporting characters really held the group and the plot together and let us focus on the journey of Toni and her future.
It's unusual to get a book focused on women in rock bands and I loved that Xio Axelrod gave it to us and did it with finesse. She showed the sex, drugs and rock n roll right along with the sexism that is very much a part of show business, but she also gave us talented musicians that rocked the pages right out of this book. Be prepared for music, drama and a side of romance. The Girl With Stars in Her Eyes won't disappoint.
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The Girl With Stars in Her Eyes was a fantastic contemporary romance that I fell in love with. Antonia ‘Toni’ Bennette is an amazing guitarist with a dream to be producing music instead of being front and center on stage. An opportunity to fill in for one of the up and coming biggest bands comes up but she’d need to set out into the light and be the star she could be. To step out of her comfort zone is not what she wants to do but it could give her everything she’s been working for but it also causes her to collide with her past.

Toni was a great character. You rooted for for the whole time from the issues with her parents, to new craziness with the band to her history with Sebastian. The romance was sweet and believable. I just kept wanting more from them. How about more from the rest of the Lilly’s or Yvette?! Please! Great read!

Antonia Bennette, Toni, is twelve when she is sent by her singer mother to live with the dad that she has never met. In the small town, she meets Sebastian Quigley, a fellow guitarist. Although he is a few years older, they become best friends and make a promise to leave the town together. Years later, she is a struggling session guitarist in Philadelphia with great talent, but playing at a lesser known club and doing session work at a small studio. Then fate steps in and she and Sebastian meet again and she has a chance to temporarily work in an up and coming band. Sebastian wants Toni back in his life and Toni has to decide if she can let down her guard and take a chance on joining a band with it's own problems and risking her heart. The characters are interesting and if you like music this is a great read. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy for an honest review.

I was raised on a diet of classic rock >everything else >country music, so I feel like The Girl With Stars in Her Eyes reawakened my inner punk rock persona to great effect (to be clear, the closest I've come to this grunge alter ego is playing Rock Band or Guitar Hero growing up, so don't get any ideas).

This book checks all the boxes of sex ☑️, drugs☑️, and rock & roll ☑️. It's high drama, but all the conflicts feel very organic and pack an emotional punch. We have a second-chance romance (the only time I can recall enjoying this trope, I might add) between Toni and Seb, teenage best friends who reconnect when Toni auditions for the all-girl band Seb manages, The Lillys. The two parted on heart-breaking terms eight years previous, so expect some pining, some jamming, and the slowest of burns. Heart eyes everywhere.

I absolutely died and was resurrected over the rock & roll atmosphere (check out the official spotify playlist for the full multisensory experience!), but it's the characters that will stick with me. Both Seb and Toni must reckon with deep family wounds, complicated relationships with members of the Lillys, and trying to mend their own bond with an oh-so-irritating no-fraternization clause in their respective contracts looming over them. It's a recipe for perfect, excruciating disaster. Or maybe not. Regardless, I will come back for more again and again because this found family is beautiful and messy, the music is banging, and bad bitches need to rock on.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the opportunity to read and review this book. It's out next week on 5/4!

I do love a good second chance romance and this one did not disappoint. This childhood friends trope had such a good story and was about a lot more than just the romance. We got to see our main character grow and really find herself throughout the story.

Toni and Seb stole my heart with their beautiful love story! Thank you Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for an advance galley in exchange of my honest review!

I devoured the writing and the character build by Ms. Alexrod! Toni or Nia as called by Seb after being abandoned by her mother goes to live with her dad. Her only solace and companion is her mother’s guitar, until she meets Seb and finds an everlasting love and friendship in him! They both are separated for 8 years only to come face to come at a band audition. Their chemistry and pull for each other literally gave me goose bumps. Loved this book tremendously!!

This book releases on May 4th. Get a copy to know if Toni wIll pursue her dream to join the music band that Seb is part of or go her own way to find her dream of owning a production house!

The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes is a contemporary romance about a young Black woman making her way through the music industry, and her reconnection with her childhood sweetheart.

Antonia - Toni - Bennette has no interest in super-stardom, or, really, any level of fame. She grew up with a mother obsessed with the spotlight, and Toni has no aspirations to grab it for herself - she just loves music, and wants to make a living at it. Living in Philly, working as a session musician and an artist in residence at an eclectic club, Toni is paying the bills, though not exactly living the dream. She wants to make music without being shouted at by random middle aged men who doubt her talent. Out of the blue, she runs into someone she thought she would never see again, the boy who left her behind: Sebastian Quick.

Seb is not exactly in a good place. He is currently on the hook for looking after Candi, a loose cannon and the guitarist of the Lillys, a band on the rise. Seb manages the girl band and has a close friendship with all of the members, and a dysfunctional relationship with Candi. When Seb unexpectedly sees Antonia again after eight years, he is blown away. He feels guilty, but also desperately wants to reconnect. Toni isn’t having that, and Seb leaves her be, regretting the loss of her despite the intervening years.

But fate has its own plans, as Toni is called in for an audition in New York, where she sees Seb again, and has to work with him. Given their new proximity, Toni finds herself softening toward Seb, and Seb has a harder and harder time keeping a professional distance.

I loved reading Antonia’s story. She’s really tough; she has to be out of necessity, working in a male-dominated field as a young Black woman. Toni had a rough childhood, and you can see that in her goals and the way she conducts herself. She’s very motivated and professional, and really takes advantage of any opportunities that come her way. Toni longs for stability, and tries not to rely on anyone else more than she has to. I also loved her chemistry with Seb; they both are incredibly scarred from their rough upbringings, and have a lot to work through, both individually and together. Seb is a great love interest, and I loved his tenderness toward both Toni and all of the women in the Lillys.

This is a really strong novel, mostly because the main characters are so well established. I normally don’t like shorter flashbacks throughout a novel, but it makes sense here, as we see Sebastian and Antonia growing up together in little vignettes. It’s easy to sympathize with both protagonists, but the supporting characters really add another dimension to the story. The band members are mostly interchangeable, with the exception of Lilly and Candi, who are very distinct and memorable. I’m interested in what their story is, and maybe if there’s another book we’ll get to see more of the internal framework of that relationship. I liked that Candi isn’t entirely villainized, but is more depicted as a self-destructive and selfish person than an evil one. A lesser writer would rely on an audience hating one character to garner sympathy for another, but Candi comes across as crying for help rather than a Disney villain. Similarly, other antagonists aren’t over-the-top, mustache-twirling evil, but regular people with discernable motivations. I also really enjoyed Jordan, the band’s lawyer and Seb’s friend, who really comes across as kind of a voice of reason amid all of the band’s antics.

Though I absolutely adored this book, a few things stuck out to me that didn’t quite work. I  would have liked to see more internal growth from Seb, and I wanted more resolution of his unhealthy dynamic with Candi, which we didn’t really get to see. The plotline with Toni’s parents worked in some parts, but there were times when it didn’t really fall in line with the rest of the story. Both parents were very well fleshed-out, but Toni’s conflict with her mother didn’t feel resolved, and felt a bit out of place towards the end of the story. Also, the ending is a bit rushed. I liked the way it resolves, but it feels a little anticlimactic given the pace of the narrative previously.

Overall, I would not hesitate to recommend The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes to any romance reader. It’s excellent and I will be looking forward to reading more of the author’s work.

Buy it at: Amazon, Audible, or your local independent retailer
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I listened to the audiobook, but wanted to leave a review for the book as well.
Thank you, Net Galley and Sourcebooks for the opportunity to listen to this ARC on audio book.
The Girl With Stars in Her Eyes was a very cute and fun book to listen to. Knowing almost nothing about the dynamics of being a musician or being in a band, I absolutely enjoyed all of the technical details that were included throughout the story. I feel like they helped me to connect even more to the characters and the plot, while also instilling a whole new appreciation for bands. Many times while listening, I found myself googling different songs and artists, and I must say that within it self was fun as heck! Lol
Though the story is a romance novel, for me, it was so much more. The story was told from the POV of 2 different character, Antonia and Seb, however, however the supporting characters also had a place and a bit of character development that helped to breathe more life and depth to the story. It wasn’t just about love or the loss of love. The story is about family, both biological and chosen. It’s about loss. And, It’s about dealing with past traumas.
I noticed that the author has a few books listed as #1 but no follow ups yet, while I think this makes a good stand alone, I would not be disappointed in book 2, as I would love to see how all of the characters are doing and how some unresolved plot lines re appear.

I completely fell in love with Toni & Seb's story. This author has some serious talent.

Antonia (Toni) and Sebastian (Seb) were childhood friends until the day he left her behind. Now, years later, fate brings them back into one another's orbit and Toni is still quite bitter....to say the least. Seb has his work cut out for him trying to explain to Toni why he had to leave. Can they find their way back to their friendship? Can they possibly be more?

Meanwhile, I also really enjoyed the side characters that Ms. Axelrod created. From each of the Lilly's band members to Toni's other friends, the characters all felt fleshed out and real. In addition, the author's knowledge about the music industry felt personal and extensive. She shared musical information in a way that enriched the story and made it feel like a character all its own.

I simply liked everything about this book and cannot wait to read more about the Lillys.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

One Sentence Summary: Toni Bennette (yeah, she's heard it all) wants nothing more than to work in music production with Richie, but doesn't have the money to put in to become his business partner, until an offer to play with the Lillys, a hot up and coming band, comes her way.

The indie rock scene of Philadelphia. It kind of felt like it had my name on it even though I'm not a rock fan. Still, I adore music, and Philadelphia has a special place in my heart. So, of course I had to read this one! Add in a feminist guitarist who did not have an easy life but still has ambition and a female indie rock band and a childhood crush and it just feels like the perfect combination for a sexy, sassy, musical read. Even if I wasn't going to understand most, if any, of the music references.

The Plot: A Surprisingly Intense Story

As teens, Antonia and Sebastian were inseparable, bound by music and bad fathers, after Antonia's mother shipped her off to the middle of nowhere in Pennsylvania to pursue her dreams of stardom. Years later, Sebastian abruptly took off in the middle of the night, leaving Antonia on her own.

Fast forward about eight years and Toni is a musician in Philadelphia. She's in residence at the Electric Unicorn and does sessions at Phactory Sound, where she befriends the owner's son, Richie. She dreams of becoming his partner, and he's pushing for it as well, as long as she can come up with thirty-five grand.

Sebastian, meanwhile, has spent the years piecing together a rising female rock band called the Lillys. But all is not well as socialite turned guitarist Candi has a falling out with the rest of the group, opening up a space for a temporary guitarist, a space Toni fits the bill for.

The past is ready to smack both Toni and Sebastian in the face, bringing up uncomfortable and angry feelings. But it also brings questions to Toni of what she really wants, especially as she witnesses firsthand everything she never wanted.

I really enjoyed The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes. It felt fierce and confident, raw and real. It was a surprisingly intense story that completely riveted me. The only thing that I wasn't a huge fan of was the romance. It was always at the edges, always simmering, but I really preferred the story of Toni and the Lillys. I loved reading the story of an outsider slowly being welcomed into the group.

The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes is described as a feminist novel. Indeed, there are strong women, women who know what they want, women willing to do anything and everything to get what they want, and broken women who continue to fight. It does mean the men were, mostly, not great characters, though there were some redeeming ones. I loved how strong the women's characterizations were. I did get a couple of the minor ones mixed up, but, after awhile, I was able to keep all of them straight and could see how interesting and different each of them were. In their own ways, each of them were a force to be reckoned with, so I don't envy the role Sebastian played in all their lives.

I really enjoyed the story of Toni becoming accepted into the Lillys. She's insanely talented, but being on stage in the limelight is not her thing. I liked that her choice to work with them was for practical reasons, and really enjoyed reading about the unique family the women created. Most of it really was full of music and how it drew the women together, creating a firm common ground and foundation for them, especially because of the manner Toni entered their group.

But there's also a fairly intense romance worked into this already surprisingly intense book. It's there, sizzling away at the fringes, from the very beginning and only seemed to grow from there. But there's also a really lovely friendship, and everything that goes with repairing trust. Most of the time, I felt this was nicely woven into the story, but, other times, it seemed to take over and, while I enjoyed and appreciated it, I did lose interest a bit. It felt predictable and like it wanted to take over more than it actually did.

Overall, I did enjoy this book immensely. It has some really strong women, especially women who are trying to break into a world dominated by men who are in charge. It's also a gorgeous story of four women coming together to form a family based on a shared love of the same music.

The Characters: Plenty of Strong Women

There are a lot of characters in The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes, but I mostly found it easy to keep them separate. They had unique personalities and played different roles. Actually, that helped a lot, each of them playing a different and unique role within the story. The one thing that I struggled with was that some of them were expats, but I had trouble with both remembering and hearing their accents in my head. It was always something of a surprise to be reminded they had come from other countries.

I really liked Toni and Sebastian, though I wish their relationship hadn't been quite so intense. She's strong and fierce, but also fragile and maybe a little too forgiving. She clearly has a soft spot for Sebastian, but is stubborn and intent on being self-sufficient. Sebastian is kind of a broken soul and never shies away from it. But he tries really hard to be better, and it's all his trying that won me over. Otherwise he kind of felt broken beyond repair until his childhood friend comes back into his life.

The Lillys were awesome. A group of four women who were brought together by Sebastian, they had a lot in common, but that didn't stop them from having creative differences. In many ways, they felt exactly as I always imagined a real band would. They were all fun to get to know and I loved how well they worked and blended together. Even through their differences, their bonds were strong.

Above all, I loved that The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes was about people not changing their fundamental cores. By that I mean that none of the characters changed, exactly, but matured instead. Who they were remained who they are, but they're capable of seeing things with more mature eyes. I loved seeing how Toni and Sebastian didn't change, but just grew up and matured while holding tightly to their pasts and who they had been. Who they had been as kids remained who they were as adults.

The Setting: East Coast Music Spaces

The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes is set mostly in Philadelphia and New York City. But I think most of it was actually set in various studios and other rehearsing spaces. I didn't really get a true sense of place, except through the food of Philadelphia. But it was still nice to kind of feel like I was back in Philadelphia.

I've never been in a recording studio or a place like the Electric Unicorn, but I loved the attention to detail. The author was raised in the music industry and records, writes, and performs, so I trust she knows what she's writing about! There were so many interesting tidbits I'd never known about and it was fun to get to learn it all. All the details really made me feel like I was in a recording studio. The stage event felt a little more artistic to me, so it was a little difficult to envision some of it and to connect with it, but it was still a rather incredible scene in many ways.

Overall: A Fantastic, Intense Read

The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes is a fantastic novel. Sure, there were some things I wasn't a huge fan of, especially the romance, but I did love the intensity and all the strong women with strong personalities. The attention to detail was incredible and really made the story into something amazing. The story felt like it had been stripped raw and I loved that there was no sugar coating. The characters were intense, the story was intense. It reeled me in and I couldn't stop reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Rating: 9/10
Steam:🔥🔥🔥

The Girl With Stars In Her Eyes was a musical love letter, and I loved every moment. The narration switches between the POV of Toni and Seb. They were best friends growing up, but that all ends when Seb leaves Toni behind in their small town in Pennsylvania. Toni and Seb’s paths cross again in the future for this second-chance trope. This romcom contained depth and authentic characters who aim for their dreams no matter what life dissonance they are given. I laughed so many times at the witty banter between the characters and band members. I loved Daisy Jones & The Six, and now Toni B is one of my favorite rockstar characters!

Thank you, Sourcebooks Casablanca, for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley, Sourcebooks, and Dreamscape for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

CW: parental abandonment, addiction, parental abuse (physical)

I am honestly struggling with how to rate this one. First this is not a romance, but a great fiction read with a romance subplot. It ends ambiguously, at best a happy for now.

This was a book you could just feel the passion for music in. It was so beautifully written. As a story about women struggling in music and their own identities, this was a beautiful story. Honestly this was truly Toni's story and I honestly wish it had been single POV to bring that point home. The flashbacks were about her childhood, her abandonment issues. Her journey from dreading the spotting to finding a found family.

But the romance, I struggled. I just did not like Seb. His abandonment (with all of the freaking money). His POV had no backstory, and I understood for plot, but to understood him it was hard. He was a pushover, but also trying to save someone. His intense loyalty to Candy frustrated me. I love a hero gone on his love interest, here he was trying to save everyone else and Toni was a second thought. I just never felt that he cared about her. She forgave him too quickly, suddenly forgetting her abandonment issues. We barely saw them together until more than 50% through the book. I love second chance romances, but this one missed the mark for me.


Rating: 3
Steam: 3

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casa and Netgalley for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Toni B has lived anything but a charmed life. Immersed in the music scene literally since birth, she grew up in clubs and bars while her mother performed. But Toni wanted nothing to do with the spotlight. At 12, Toni is sent to live with her father and meets Seb. The two become fast friends and make plans to run away together. They never get the chance when Seb disappears with half the money they've been saving up.

Fast-forward 8 years and Toni is still in the music scene, but has aims to produce. When Toni nails an audition for an up and coming band, not only is she unexpectedly thrusted into the spotlight, she's also placed back into Seb's orbit and he holds the key to her future.

The Girl With Stars in Her Eyes is a love letter to music. You can hear and feel the music through the pages. You can tell that the author has spent significant time in the music industry, because every scene feels so real. I also loved the then and now time that slowly reveals the intricacies of Seb and Toni's tangled past. And some of the twists blew me away. There are complicated connections between characters and events that I did not see coming.

Both characters are deeply flawed and dealing with the remnants of the painful childhoods. But still, Seb and Toni how to help each other heal and their easy chemistry lept off the page. I loved the slow burn romance and I enjoyed seeing their childhood crush develop into a more adult relationship as the book progressed.

My only complaint about the book is that I felt it was a tad slow at the beginning and I had a hard time getting into the story quickly. The middle plot really pulled me in, but by the time we got to the ending, it felt a tad rushed. I still really enjoyed the book! This was just my small sticking point.

4.5 stars

Thoroughly enjoyed this story, as it follows Toni Bennett from displaced young girl to budding musical talent. Toni has had a lot of people walk out on her, including her own mother and her best friend, Seb. However her talent and tenacity earns her a 6-week trial run with The Lily’s, the hottest all female band of the moment. This story is full of many strong young female voices and a budding romance.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a totally unexpected dual love story. The love between the Antonia and Seb, which is kind of epic in it's history - and the love between Antonia and her music.

It was a pleasure getting to know Antonia who is a wonderfuly complex and likeable character. Her rough start in life was heartbreaking at times, but her passion and determination to make it in an industry that undervalues her because of her gender and race, had me cheering her on from the sidelines.

Although Seb frustrated me at times with his inability to let go of toxic relationships, I admired his loyalty and good heart. His growth throughout the book was very satisfying and loved seeing him earn his happy ending.

The secondary characters were well rounded and interesting and I'm hoping the author plans to write about some of the other band members because those women are freakin' awesome.

I could tell this author is extremely passionate about music and that passion drew me into the characters well, but at times I could have done with a little less of the focus on the music, and more on the story/characters. But that's a personal preference and I think some people are going to appreciate the book for this very reason.

This slow burn romance was a delight to read and I'll definitely look for more of her work.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for both ALC and ARC for this book. This was a great second chance romance focused on the music industry. I love the music aspect and how it shows women still struggles in the Industry and facing sexism. The history between Seb and Toni - I was vested in hearing what happened with them. I enjoyed the dual narration of Seb and Toni and seeing their perspectives.

O.M.G. This book just blew me away! I had no idea what to expect, but if I had any expectations, it exceeded them! This book is a romcom, but is so intertwined wit the music and story of the band, it's perfect for fans of Daisy Jones and The Six, Twice in a Blue Moon, and romcoms alike!

Toni and Seb had been best friends as kids, after Toni's mom dumped her in small town PA to chase her dreams of stardom. But when Seb left town without a word, despite their promises they would escape and makes names for themselves in music together, Toni was shell-shocked. Now, nearly a decade later, Toni is working as a session musician when Seb reenters her life. Toni has the opportunity of a lifetime--to play guitar for a girl group with amazing potential--and it's unclear whether Seb will be an asset or a hinderance.

I think this book has everything you could ask for--second chance romance, girl rock band power, crazy antics, lovable characters, and characters with depth and history. There's a sub-issue of a non-fraternization clause included in some of the character's contracts, which I think could have been dropped from the storyline and not really changed anything, but I overall loved this book. Would definitely recommend, especially for music lovers!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casa and Dreamscape Media for my eARC and ALC of this book! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 9/10

Antonia "Toni" Bennett has always loved playing guitar and making music but she has never desired the spot light so she works as a session musician for a local recording studio and playing a few nights a week at a local bar. Toni's mother always wanted to make it big so she and Toni would go to club after cub until she turned 12 and her mother left her with a father she has never known. Years later Toni gets an opportunity to audition for upcoming rock band The Lilly's to fill in temporarily while the lead guitarist has a small break. Toni decides to take the offer and finds out that her best growing up who ended up leaving her without a goodbye, is the band's manager Seb.

Growing up both Seb and Toni didn't have a great family so the two made one together so it was really and when Seb left Toni with no warning. At first I was not on board with Seb trying to get back into Toni's good graces, it was hard to tell what his intentions were but by the end I really liked him. They both had things from their pasts that they needed to go through and I enjoyed them both.

This book was a fun journey for Toni as she struggles with trying to decide what she really wants out of her music career, does she just want to make music or does she want to be a part of something bigger? I really enjoyed this book and the girls in The Lilly's were amazing and I am so glad that this is a series so we get stories for each of them. There is one character that I really did not like at all and I really don't want to get a redemption story for them because I don't want them to end with who I think they will! Also I really want a story about Zeph, they were not a main character and was only in for like 2 pages but I need more about them! Highly recommend this one especially if you love books that have a. musical element in them.