I absolutely adore this gorgeous cover! And a Jane Austen inspired story?! Count me in! I thought the story was engaging and full of emotion. I love the Tobago setting!

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A vibrant re-imagining of Austen's PERSUASION, set in contemporary Tobago. This book doesn't miss a beat as it takes us through grief, growing up, and a beautiful second-chance love.

I read this because it was billed as a Persuasion retelling, but I didn't enjoy it. There's elements that I did like -- I really liked the clear love Sarah Dass has for Tobago and she puts great work and care into the setting and I think there was a lot to explore with Reyna and the concept of moving on (which, if this had played out as it should've, should've actually rendered the romance unnecessary) and grieving for a parent and trying to live up to their expectations -- but the main pull of the novel fell flat. The romance doesn't work because the romance just doesn't feel like there's anything between them. Stories about exes getting back together often rely too much on They Used To Be In Love! which you're supposed to believe is still true, but then the book skips showing how it's still true and why it works now. It really doesn't here. I don't see why they work together, I don't think they really need each other in their lives, and I don't think they should've gotten back together. They had very little in the way of actual connection, vulnerability, or, like, anything but Angst. Do they have fun with each other? Do they LIKE each other's company? I don't know! Also, as a site note, this book doesn't work as YA. I wondered the entire time if it was written as if they were supposed to be adults, but then the characters DID act like teens so I guess no. I just feel like a Persuasion retelling works so much better if 1) they're not 17 and only 2 years have passed since the break up and 2) there was an actual barrier to them being together. Otherwise, you're just writing a story about exes getting back together that you're just claiming as a Persuasion retelling.

A quick read, but ultimately entirely too disappointing.

Excellent book to add to my school library. Really enjoyed the setting and culture. The story was engaging and entertaining.

3.5

I gave the .5 because I liked how the author handled the MC dealing with a death in the family and showed the aspects of the "last words" of that member that died can affect a person.

I really wanted to enjoy this but I'm learning that romance books is not for me anymore. I am tired of reading about characters that lack self-confidence, poor communication skills, and the conflict is what makes them "romantic." I believe that is what took me 18 days to get through this book.

This discussed a love affair that abruptly ended due to miscommunication and then for a birthday week, rekindles after dealing with being involved with someone else. I did like the "friendship" that was present with the MC and the girl that the MC ex was sleeping with.

I like that the book is based out of Trinidad and some of the language from the characters you can tell as well. I would love to have the audio just to see if the accent was present.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

Two years have passed since the death of Reyna’s mother and since her first love—and the first boy she ever kissed—left Tobago and pursued his dreams of being a musician. Reyna has wrapped herself up in running her family’s hotel, which has helped her deal with her grief and heartbreak. But when her childhood boyfriend returns with his friends, his band now famous, and she is forced to cater to them on the island, she begins to realize she can’t hide from her feelings… or from another potential heartbreak.

As an avid reader of YA romances and a lover of slow-burns, I really enjoyed this book. I loved watching Reyna and Aiden avoiding (and even fighting and denying) their own feelings even though their love, and being together, seemed inevitable. I really enjoyed the additional characters (Eliza and Fish) that added a layer of jealousy and insecurity between Reyna and Aiden. Plus, they were incredibly likable! (Give Fish his own book, please!) I LOVED how well Dass captured Reyna’s relationships with various people on the island (including her father), as well the the island’s culture. The character development was strong, and I ended up in tears as Reyna came to realizations about herself, her mom, and her life. And lastly, Aiden is a musician… and he sings. What more could you ask for? Highly recommend.

Reading this story I felt that the main characters were to young to understand this deep-rooted love. I had to keep going back to check what their ages were (only 17yrs old).

This contemporary young adult fiction of first love set in the island of Tobago was a sweet story. 17 year old Reyna is trying to be wiser than her years-wanting to honor the memory of her deceased mother. Her first love Aiden has become an international music star has returned after 2 yrs and even though they try to avoid each other, feelings resurface.

The author, Sarah Dass represents the island well and is and becomes an additional character...wish I was there with some rum punch and conch salad!

This read more as adult contemporary rather than a YA novel, but an enjoyable debut novel and look forward to her next.

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC.

This was such a beautiful and well told start to finish that even when I had to force myself to put it down, I was still thinking about it constantly!

Reyna grew up in Tobago and its all she really knows. She grew up in her family's hotel, the Plumeria, and has been learning how to run it her whole life. One day there is an unexpected guest in the hotel whom she never thought she would see again: her ex best friend and boyfriend Aiden who is now an international music star. Through the wonderful storytelling of Sarah Daas, we get to see how Reyna deals with this this unexpected change to her norm and delve into how Reyna and Aiden ended up where they are today.

I want to thank Netgalley and Balzer + Bay (HarperCollins Children's Books) for an ARC of Where the Rhythm Takes You in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Rating ~ 5 / 5 stars

Another fantastic and beautiful story set to publish in Spring of 2021. Its been two years since Reyna's life has been flipped upside down. Two years since her mother passed away. Two years since Aiden, her first love, her first kiss, and her first everything, left for America. Two years since she had to give up her dreams of following her passion for creating art and instead help manage her family's resort in Tobago. It's been two years and Reyna thinks she is over Aiden until he comes back to stay at her resort with his Grammy-nominated band and friends.

This was such a heartfelt story. I was immersed in Sarah Dass's storytelling and how true it felt. It didn't feel like a work of fiction, instead, it felt like I was reading something that someone had truly experienced. I love reading books by authors of color because it is such an incredible way of reading the influence of their culture and it was truly evident in this novel. Set in Tobago, you get to explore a whole different culture of the people living there from exploring different places and settings on Tobago to even reading about their cuisine. It felt like I was in class learning about a country's history but in a way that I was engrossed with and never wanted to end.

Reyna isn't sure what to do with her life or with her heart. Her life is entirely absorbed with handling the Plumeria, leaving her with not following through with her plans of attending an art school. Then, Aiden comes back again and Reyna is wrestling with her emotions to stay in check. It's such a sweet story of a girl who believes she is stuck in a situation where there is no way out. Everything around her is changing but she is stuck in the same position every single day. Even though Reyna thinks having Aiden enter life again is horrible, we see her change and enjoy her life for once instead of worrying about the hotel and her father.

The romance between Aiden and Reyna is a captivating story with a meaningful message of giving second chances and taking care of yourself first. This enchanting story is one of my favorite contemporary books this year and I savored the fact that I got to read and learn about Tobagonian culture.

Set in the beautiful backdrop of Tobago the author takes us on a journey of the heart filled with music and art. Reyna and Aiden were young and in love when distance and miscommunication drove them apart. Now that Aiden is famous can he and Reyna rekindle the love they once have? Can Reyna learn to live her own life and stop living her life as an ode to her mother. This book was as lush and as bright as the island it is set on. The author ends with a Soca playlist that calls to mind all the emotions in the book!

It’s been two years since Reyna’s mother passed away, two years since Aiden – her childhood best friend, first kiss, first love, first everything – left the island to pursue his music dreams. Reyna’s friends are all planning their futures and heading abroad. Even Daddy seems to want to move on, leaving her to try to keep the Plumeria running. Aiden comes roaring back into her life – as a VIP guest at the resort. Aiden is now one-third of DJ Bacchanal – the latest, hottest music group on the scene. While Reyna has stayed exactly where he left her, Aiden has returned to Tobago with his Grammy-nominated band and two gorgeous LA socialites and he may (or may not be) dating one of them. It’s a great book and thank you to NetGalley your allowing me to read this book.

I received a copy of this book from NetGallery in exchange for my honest review. I have been trying to lean into more stories written by People of Color and was very excited to come across the book; I appreciated the culture and how big of an impact music and family had on the characters in the story. I hate to say it but I did not enjoy this book - the plot just didn’t feel me in even half way through the story. I became rather bored but pushed through to the end. I’m glad to see others enjoying the book but it just wasn’t for me.