Jane Quinn is happy with her small town existence. She loves her family and making music with her band. When her band is slotted in to play for musician Jesse Reid, who is injured in a motorcycle crash on the way to the music festival, Jane is unexpected launched into music stardom. She must learn to navigate the music industry as a woman in the 70's, make peace with and utilize her songwriting legacy, and survive loving a complicated rock star in Jesse.
I will read anything about the 70's and musicians and that this was in the vein of Daisy Jones made it a must read for me. That the author used Joni Mitchell and James Taylor as her artists to fictionalize made this book even more interesting. I really liked Jane's strength and journey as a musician and a woman. The writing was immersive and had just the right tone. This book was a definite win for me and I would recommend it to anyone with similar taste. If you need me, I'll be listening to some Mitchell and Taylor.
Thank you to Netgalley for the great book for review- 4.25 stars

When superstar Jesse Reid crashes his motorcycle, Jane Quinn and her band step up to play at the annual folk festival. With her amazing vocals and stage presence Jane becomes an instant hit. Jesse remains on the island to recover, and Jane's Aunt becomes his caregiver. Jesse and Jane quickly hit it off, and Jane and her band are invited to tour with Jesse. What follows is a roller coaster of emotion, as Jane is forced to deal with the music industry, and it's extreme demands.

What a fun read! I was caught almost immediately and found myself reading late into the night. The story featured interesting and dynamic characters, who really put themselves through an emotional ringer. Overall, 5 out of 5 stars.

The connections to Daisy Jones were inevitable, but this was a great read in its own right and one I wish I didn't read the description of before hand so I didnt make the connection to Daisy.

I loved this story, the atmospheric writing and the way I was completely sucked into the characters, their lives and where we were going next.

Unfortunately, though I wanted badly to like this novel, it ultimately feels like a watered-down knockoff of Daisy Jones & the Six. I don't mean to imply that there can only be ONE novel fictionalizing a woman-led 70s band, because I would love more of that particular genre, please (queerer, though, in the future!). But the writing here falls flat for me and frustratingly contrived; my eyes glazed over many times, and the romance at the heart of the story was not compelling or connective enough to truly hinge this book together, and neither was its main character.

This was an interesting read. It is about Jesse, a handsome rock star and Jane, who has a gift for writing lyrics and an incredible voice. They were from the same place and knew many of the same people and had family connections. Their on and off again love life was influenced by the decisions of others and their beliefs. A wonderful read.

I loved this book! I felt like I was reading a biography of an early 70's singer songwriter. I wanted to buy the album! Enjoyable, well developed characters and a fast paced story made this book hard to put down. Highly recommended.

This is one of the best books I’ve read this year. It’s very similar to daisy Jones, but has the almost famous twist which makes it new and original. I can’t stop talking about this book it was so so good!!

Songs in Ursa Major is the debut effort of Emma Brodie and this women's fiction tale centers around Janie Q' and The Breakers rise in the music industry.

I was drawn to this book because of the time period -- the story opens in 1969 at a small folk festival. A local band called The Breakers is taxed to perform in the place of the headliner, Jesse Reid who cancels at the last minute. Lead singer Janie Q has to tame an audience impatient for the pop magic they expected. Janie wows them all, including Pegasus A&R man, Willy Lambert. I loved Willy and his relationship with Jane.

Jane's relationship with her band was quite lovely, there was a close bond there that gave me a good feeling throughout. Family is another important theme here, with Jane's immediate family consisting of her grandmother, her aunt and cousin, along with her band members.The family dynamics here were also very relevant to the outcome of the story.

While Janie is preparing for her first recording sessions and The Breakers first album, she meets Jesse Reid, the headliner she replaced at the festival. As he recovers from his motorcycle accident, they connect over their music, starting a romance that develops further when they go on tour together.

The story focuses on Janie's interactions in the industry and her romance with Jesse. I found this to be very interesting. I loved Janie's rebellious, feisty attitude when it came to her music and how she grew into her songwriting with the help of others. The romance was also a strong element of this story that I enjoyed.

So why not five stars? The book ends with an update from the current day that just blew my mind, especially after the content of the previous chapter. I found myself going back, re-reading a few times, scratching my head, wondering what I missed along the way. I don't really want to spoil it for anyone so I won't say much more, because I really did enjoy this book, I just thought the story was heading in a direction that it wasn't and it ended up surprising me in a way that took something away from this story for this reader.

Overall, I really liked this. No one is perfect -- these characters have flaws and I loved them for it. There was one point where I thought this might be one of my top reads for the year (and it still might be). I liked the characters and story. It had me engaged. Growing up in the time period, I thought it captured the atmosphere of that sex, drugs and rock and roll time.

Favorite line: "There's good medicine in sticking it to the man."

First and foremost this is a novel about music. Jane is a musical prodigy able to pick up any instrument and play. Her mother wrote music and Jane also has this capability, but her lyrics are always personal and at first she doesn’t want to show that much of herself to the world. It takes a tragedy for her to show all of her emotions to the world. It was at this point that Jane had my by in. Her holding back also made me hold back.

Jesse was a conundrum. He had all of this talent yet there were hints of a “troubled past” that weren’t explained until later in the book. Between Jesse and Jan he was the more immediately likable but I’ve always liked an underdog and Jesse started out the book at the top of his game and musically he stayed there. Jane’s journey both musically and emotionally was much greater and it was because of how she handled the ups and downs in this book, and evenly more importantly fought for her music that I cared what happened as much as I did.

I have only one criticism for this author. I was so invested in these characters that I felt betrayed by how she wrapped up the book. Yes, there were a lot of characters and I liked hearing their lives were fulfilled or they found a partner or whatever, but the pages may have been better spent on wrapping up Jane and Jesse’s lives in a different more emotional way. I felt disassociated from those pages like I was reading a newspaper. It was kind of a let down after the emotional ride the author had taken me on through the book up to that point.

I can’t let this review end without saying how much I appreciated how wonderful all of the song lyrics were in Songs in Ursa Major. There was truly some great poetry and songwriting skills made by this author. Even though I couldn’t hear the actual music the lyrics made me feel the emotions the author intended me to feel. Emma Brodie has loads of talent and I hope she writes another book quickly. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for my honest review and it was honest!

1969, a good year for many especially Jane Quinn for there at the Bayleen Island Folk Fest, Jane will get her big break due to a motorcycle accident of its main star Jesse Reid. Nervous but excited Jane and her band, wow the audience as a replacement for Jesse, and a star is born.

Jesse decides to recuperate on Bayleen Island and he and Jane strike up a friendship which eventually leads to romance. As Jesse becomes more entwined with Jane, the lure of fame and fortune creates a world where anything goes and where one might lose oneself. As always both of the main characters harbor secrets which will become an enormous blow to both especially Jane.

The pulse of the seventies is fully captured in this story where all the good and bad of the music industry is played out against the romance of both Jane and Jesse.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday for the arc of this book. I really enjoyed Songs in Ursa Major and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys stories based on the music scene of the late 60's/early 70's. In reading some articles immediately after finishing the book, I learned that it's very loosely based on James Taylor and Joni Mitchell. As someone who wasn't born until the early 80's, my knowledge of these two singers/musicians has always been somewhat limited. But this book made such an impression on me that I wanted to learn more about them as soon as I finished reading it.

I felt that the story was really well-developed and that a lot was packed into the pages. I was only midway through and wondering where it was going to lead because I felt that so much had already happened. But it had a lot more depth and plot than I expected or anticipated. Yet despite having such an involved and interesting plot, I still felt it had great character development, as well. Overall it was a great balance - while I would have liked to know a little more about some of the supporting characters, it certainly wasn't necessary to the story.

I really, really enjoyed Jane as a character. While she was flawed, she was also a total badass, and it was great to see that in a female protagonist.

If I had to find something to improve upon it would be that I wish the relationship between Jane and Jesse had been just a bit more developed to make it more believable. It felt a bit rushed to me and it made it a somewhat challenging to understand the depth of their feelings, despite what was implied. I would've liked a little more buildup to that relationship to really feel the connection between them.

Overall, though, I really enjoyed this book. It was very atmospheric and gave me a glimpse into a time that came before me, and I loved every minute of it.

I received this from Netgalley for an honest review. This is a great summer read. It takes you back to the late sixties and early seventies. The music and the vibe is on full display. Jesse and Jane's love story will gut you. I highly recommend this book.

A story of an exceptional artist and her singer lover. I was intrigued by this book. A story about the music industry in the 60's and 70's. It is a subject I am far from familiar with and I found it fascinating.
A good read, well written and with some mild intrigue and a surprise ending. At least, for me!!
Very glad to have read it!

LOVED THIS!! Gives off the same vibe as Daisy Jones and the Six, but a much more deeper story. I loved the time period that this was set in as the end of the 60s-early 70s always interested me.

Kudos Emma Brodie for this delicious debut! This book was an emotional journey down memory lane for me. I was a teen during the years of the story's setting, which was obviously inspired by the lives and early careers of James Taylor and Joni Mitchell, two of my favorite folk-rock artists of the era. The reader gets to ride along as Jane and Jesse navigate the cut-throat, misogynistic music industry of the time, but there is so much more to this intimate story than that. The author skillfully addresses mental health issues, drug abuse, and personal values. I constantly cheered for Jane's bravery and passion as she repeatedly had to decide what she was willing to sacrifice to become a star. Thank you NetGalley, Alfred Knopf, and Emma Brodie for providing the digital Advanced Reading Copy.

I try not to read reviews before reading a book so I wasn't aware this was loosely based on Joni Mitchell and James Taylor - - and I'm glad I didn't know. It would have colored my own perception and imagination of the characters. I enjoyed the book which felt like a step back into the 70's. Most of the characters were well done and the writing is good - especially for a debut. The story rang true and seemed to flow well. The only jarring note for me was the occasional sex and profanity that seemed to be dropped into the book just for effect. I'm sure it was true to the times, but it just felt out of place in the book somehow.

The pacing of the book was rather slow in the beginning - - then rushed at the end. The epilogue tied everything together and (to me) provided some surprises! I have to admit, I expected a different ending - - which wouldn't have been the case if I'd known the Mitchell/Taylor connection.

Overall, this is an enjoyable book that's perfect for a summer read.

It started out pretty interesting but then it began to slow down and I found myself having a hard time remaining engaged. Just fell flat for me but it seems like many people enjoy the story. The writing was fine and there wasn’t anything in particular that I didn’t like. I would still recommend others check it out, but it just wasn’t my thing.

This was an amazing book! Great characters and a plot that took me inside bands, touring, and record making. At heart, it’s a love story that was beautifully told. I highly recommend this book, 5 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Debut novelist Emma Brodie has fictionalised the careers and relationships of Joni Mitchell and James Taylor. The author shows promise but I didn't enjoy this as much as I'd hoped to. The book opens with a wonderful first chapter but unfortunately then seems to lose its momentum. Some of the supporting characters are not well fleshed out and their presence distracted from the flow of the story. I feel that the writing wasn't engaging enough to keep reading and that the vibe of the 70's wasn't there.
Emma Brodie certainly has some talent and perhaps with some guidance her writing will become more engaging. There is still enough in this book for many readers to enjoy especially those with an interest in the music scene.

When singer Jesse Reid has an accident, Jane Quinn and the Breakers are tapped to fill in at the Bayleen Island Folk Festival and a star is born. What follows is a torrid love affair eventually undone by Jesse and Jane’s respective secrets. Loosely based on the love affair between Joni Mitchell and James Taylor, Songs in Ursa Major explores the question many women artists must confront: what are we willing to sacrifice for our dreams.

What a fun story for summer! I had a tough time getting started but about halfway through (when the story really focused on Jane) I couldn’t put it down. I’m a huge fan of Taylor Swift and the discussion of sexism in the music industry was so reminiscent of what she is still dealing with to this day. The mention of Jane not owning her master recordings was also very apt.

There were a few things I didn’t love: including the underdevelopment of some characters, I needed more Jesse. I needed more Charlie. I wanted to understand Jane better. I also felt that the random chapters from different viewpoints just didn’t flow, especially because they were from characters I had no vested interest in.
Fans of Daisy Jones will love this one and I actually think I liked the story better, even if it was a bit uneven.