Thanks to Netgalley and Knopf for the early ebook. One of the hardest things to do in a book is to convey the sounds and the power that comes from listening to music. This novel does that and, amazingly, creates fictional bands and a record label from the American music scene of the early 1970’s. At an island music festival, Jesse Reid, a young and quickly rising folk rock star, has a motorcycle accident and has to cancel his show at the last moment. A local band, The Breakers, lead in all ways by the talented lead singer Jane Quinn, fills in for Jesse and steals the show, signs up with Jesse’s music label. From there it’s recording a first album, opening on the road for Jesse, passionate affairs, the ugly sexism of the music business and so much more. The book is shot through with a great love of music, sharp lyrics and a dozen interesting characters, but it’s the hidden secrets of Jesse and Jane that almost stop them just as each of their careers are getting started.

Thanks to @netgalley and @aaknopf for an advanced copy of this book. If you are looking for a summer/beach/vacation read this would be a good choice!
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This is a story of a young woman named Jane. It’s 1969 and she is 19. She has graduated from high school and is working odd jobs around her hometown. She lives on a small New England island. She lives with her grandma, aunt, and cousin. They all work together and job share to pay the bills. Jane is the lead singer in a local folk rock band. Her band has been playing together since junior high. They are practically family. The island hosts a rock festival every year and this year the headliner is unable to perform. Jane’s band take his slot. They are a hit and catch the attention of a record executive. The band goes on a crash course in being rockstars. It’s as amazing and terrible as can be expected.
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The book feels so real. You’re thinking the whole time about looking up these old songs but of course it’s fiction after all. Also, the behind-the-scenes workings of a record label are not glamorous. It’s arduous and the artists lack any real power in the beginning of their careers. It definitely brings to mind all the horror stories we’ve heard from the #metoo movement over the last few years.
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Overall, I enjoyed this book. It’s a quick, engrossing read. This book will be released on 6/22/21.

4.5 stars
In short, I loved this book. It's a coming-of-age story of two rock/folk stars in the 1970s, and reminded me at times of the movie Almost Famous. The main character Jane is one of the most real protagonists I have encountered in some time. At times it's sad, but overall the tone is hopeful. It did start off a little slow, but once I got about 25% through the book, I finished it in a single sitting.
I would definitely recommend this to others.

Thank you to to NetGalley and Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for the ARC!

This book was an emotional coming of age story about two folks/rock singers. The two main characters seem to be based off real life singers of the late 60s and early 70s. The main character was very likeable and overall the book was written very well, I think anyone that liked Daisy Jones & The 6 will like this book. It blends storytelling and music together beautifully.

A big thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review

This genre of old school rock novels has become a favorite over the last year. Though I have read several novels about rock in the 60s and 70s, Songs in Ursa Major didn’t disappoint. It was a fresh and new story to the familiar tunes of rock and roll, love, fame, and family. The Quinn family was impossible to not love immediately. They brought me into their lives and made me feel welcome, just as they did the members of the Breakers and Jesse Reid. The family and the island on which they live are at the heart of the novel; they are what tethers the story and Jane’s life together. I couldn’t put this book down!

When Jesse Reid gets into an accident before a performance, Jane Quinn and her band the Breakers fill in and captivate the audience. When Jane meets Jesse, they have a connection, but she does not know if she can trust him. After Jane’s mother wrote a song that was stolen but another artist, she disappeared, making Jane and her aunt leery of the industry and people so cared with it.. When Jane has the opportunity to become a star, she wants to do it on her terms, which angers some of the record company’s executives. Jane uses her music to come to terms with her mother’s situation as well as her relationship with Jesse.

This book took me on a wonderful and terrible ride, with a soundtrack that I’ve never heard yet absolutely loved. I found myself feeling so hard for Jane and worrying about her and Jesse when I laid down for my nap after an eternal night shift! This story beautifully intertwined both of my main loves, reading and music. I felt like I was there through every single moment. Everything was so real and perfect that I already envisioned the movie version of this. Please, oh please! Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my free arc in exchange for my honest opinion. It was wonderful and I can’t wait to (hopefully!) see it on the big screen one day soon!

This is an emotional coming of age read about a musician and her band in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The main character Jane was likeable and relatable. She's funny & fun and there are scenes that stay with you, like the photo shoot. There are some sex scenes and drug related scenes too. I think fans of Daisy Jones & The Six will also enjoy this book.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC

An very enjoyable book. Jane Quinn comes from a family of strong women on an island in Massachusetts. I envisioned Martha’s Vineyard throughout the entire novel. She is a folk/rock singer, during the 70s, trying to break into the industry when she falls in love with Jesse Reid.. Jesse is a well accomplished musician with a drug addiction. I’m guessing this is loosely based on Joni Mitchell and James Taylor.
There’s music, love, drugs, travel and heartbreaks in this amazing book. I loved reading the song lyrics entwined throughout.
Many thanks to NG and Knopf Books for the ARC.

This is a fun read that brought back memories of the music of the 70s. The author does a great job taking you on that ride. You'll experience the culture, the songs, and the love that can either make a band or break a band. I couldn't help but feel I was with some of the rock and folk legends of the era, experiencing the music festivals with the rest of the crowd. The romance in the book seemed a little predictable, though. What band in that era (or any era really) is able to overcome those shaky love affairs? It seems like the 2 lead singers were destined to be together, yet you already knew there would be lots of turmoil surrounding their relationship. Overall, I think this makes a great summer read for anyone that wants to revisit that time period once again.

Thanks to NetGalley for this advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.
Loosely based on the rise and fall of a couple of famous folk/rock singers of the 70s, we meet Jesse, a rising star and his muse Jane. Jane is trying to break into the music industry with her band The Breakers, and gets a lucky break when Jesse cancels his appearance at a folk fest. What unfolds is passion, addiction, secrets, and lots of lyrics. If you grew up in this time, you’ll recognize a lot as this was when the lyrics of songs were so meaningful and carefully written.
I quite enjoyed this book. I know patrons are looking for a break fromWWII historical fiction and this might fit the bill. There’s some language and graphic sex scenes which might appeal more to romance readers than historical fiction readers, but it’s a nice change of pace. Schizophrenia, drug addiction, bullying and manipulation are so potential triggers.
4 solid stars.

I received a free electronic ARC of this novel from Netgalley, Emma Brodie, and an invitation from Knopf Publishing Group. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read Songs in Ursa Major of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. Emma Brodie brings us a tightly woven tale with personable protagonists. This is a book I am happy to recommend to friends and family, and one I will want to read again in the future.

We spend much of our time back in the 1960s, 1970s, buried in the in's and outs of the professional music world, those highs and lows that make or break an artist, the pressures that make their lives more difficult or muddy their choices with personal angst. Jesse and Jane are interesting and lovable characters, one's we would like to see succeed in the maelstrom of modern business today. And make us sorry, again, that business has anything to do with the music that we so love.

Book Review for Songs in Ursa Major
Full review for this title will be posted at: @cattleboobooks on Instagram!

A very impressive and enjoyable debut. Songs in Ursa Major tells the story of Jane Quinn, an up-and-coming musician during the late 60s and early 70s. There's a large cast of characters here, notably Jesse Reid, who fills the role of "James Taylor" to Jane's "Joni Mitchell".

Jane is complex character and it's easy to see that the author was inspired by Mitchell while writing this book. If you look at articles written about Joni Mitchell during the beginning of her career (Rolling Stone called her "Old Lady of the Year" in 1971, the same year her groundbreaking album Blue was released), you'll see the struggles that female musicians had to overcome in order to be taken seriously. Emma Brodie has written a well researched and very readable book that realistically portrays the music scene of the iconic 60s and 70s.

An emotional coming of age read about a musician and her band in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The main character Jane was likeable and relatable. I really enjoyed the story. I think fans of Daisy Jones & The Six will also enjoy this book.

Songs in Ursa Major was an enjoyable read harkening back to the 60s and 70s where great music, hippies, drugs, and the hope for opportunity was alive. Set in a small East Coast island town, where everyone knows each other and tourism temporarily expands the population each year, the book takes the reader on a journey through music and the lives of those who helped us enjoy life just a little more during that turbulent time. Although other reviewers have pointed out that this novel is loosely based on the affair of James Taylor and Joni Mitchell, I for one wasn’t familiar with the affair to begin with so it had no bearing on where I stood as a reader.
I love the passion of Jane Quinn and the torment within her. The novel take us through her journey and ultimately describes how music helped lead her toward healing. We see strength as well as weakness and a determination to achieve what she wants out of life. The book touches on mental health issues, which is always a positive for me as an educator since I see students each year who struggle with issues and the stigma that surrounds them. There were a couple of times in the book that I felt it lagged just a little, but this did not become a detriment to its enjoyment.
Thank you Net Galley for the arc. I predict that this book and the author will become an enjoyable read for many. I look forward to seeing what else Emma Brodie will have for us in the future.

It's believable. Anything can happen in the music industry when one is reaching for the stars.

The talented Jane is introduced to a crowd at the annual Island Folk Festival in the late 60s when the one everyone is waiting for, Jesse Reid, doesn't show up. The person that they are eager to see has been replaced by an unknown folk singer. She gets on stage, opens her mouth to sing and then there's an unexpected "wow" response all around. It's so powerful that this day starts Jane's career with her band, The Breakers, going on tour.

The story has an expected order of how things work: girl meets handsome star - Jesse - who makes her a success, brings her love and then there's a mix of complications. Jesse says, "Just making an album doesn't guarantee it will be a success."

From the beginning, the story had my full attention. Then with the addition of characters - musicians, producers, family members, fans, press and other lovers - I had to concentrate more. The author inserted lyrics for parts of the songs which was an added plus. Then mental health and addiction issues gave it an extra twist. "Reality isn't always reality."

My thanks to Emma Brodie, Knopf Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy to be released on June 22, 2021.

I had heard such complementary things about this book among booksellers, so was excited when Netgalley offered me the opportunity to read it early! This book is rich in music, with characters that are as complex and delicately nuanced as any you might find in historical fiction. Here's a cheer for an authentic portrayal of romance, and an obviously well researched look at an important period in American history. This book is incredibly propulsive, and as the characters are so relatable, I blew through this in a day because I just couldn't bear to put it down. Songs in Ursa Major is a surprisingly insightful look at just what we hold most dear, and what we are willing to sacrifice for love, money or fame. This book also shines a fierce light on how the answers to those questions are different for women, most always through no fault of their own. This is a great read for summer, a perfect choice for the beach or for any time you just want to escape back to the 60's when the rules were different, living seemed easy and it was all about the music.

Wow! I’m not sure where to begin! I was engrossed from the first page. I was swept along by the story, yes, but more so by the wonderful, rich characters! These are by far some of the strongest, most well-developed female characters that I’ve read in a long time. The struggles, early success, failure and redemption. Themes of mental illness and addiction are handled masterfully, tenderly and with unflinching honesty. A wonderful novel! A must read for fans of Daisy Jones and the Six or Cake. I highly recommend Songs in Ursa Major, by Emma Brodie.

I received this ARC with the promise of a review. I loved this book! The author, Emma Brodie, in this debut novel, has created an historical gem revolving around the amazing pop music culture of the ‘60’s and ‘70’s. The characters are reminiscent of true legends during that time. I simply could not put down this book - I became obsessed with the next great part of this unforgettable story! I totally recommend this to anyone who enjoys a relationship of a lifetime - tempered by an everlasting friendship.