Cover Image: Songs in Ursa Major

Songs in Ursa Major

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I very much enjoyed this story. It was wonderfully written. I look forward to the author’s next book!

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Is there a genre of fiction books about fictitious rock bands/singers with a behind-the-scenes feels? I really hope there is. After reading The Unraveling of Cassidy Holmes by Elissa Sloan, and Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid, I fell in love with reading about the going-ons of these bands. I can add Songs in Ursa Major by Emma Brodie to this list, as I fell in love with Janie Q and The Breakers!

This book is Emma Brodie's debut novel, and it was an amazing read. From meeting the Breakers, and learning about Jane's rise within the music industry in the late 60's and 70's was so interesting to me, I could not stop turning the pages. We get to see Jane's struggles with her getting to know Jesse Reid and how it impacts her place in the biz. As she rises to a level of superstardom, we are there when all of her relationships change, and how she handles them.

Every now and again, the POV of the story would change, and we would see an incident from the POV of a music producer, or a photographer. These instances worked very well in the story and really enhanced what was going on in the story. A few trigger warnings: drug use, addiction and mental health concerns.

I have read that this story is loosely based on the love affair between James Taylor and Joni Mitchell. If this is true, then I need to look up more about this! My only complaint about this book was that the ending wrapped everything up to where there will never be a sequel. That made me sad, as I would love to visit this world again!

If this is Emma Brodie's debut novel, I cannot wait to see what else can come from her!

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Once I started reading, I couldn't stop. I loved the characters, the scenery of the Island, the story, it just ticked every box. The musical nostalgia took on a character of it own! I highly recommend this debut book!

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This took a little while for me to get into the story.
This is 3rd person POV. Jane, the heroine and Jesse the hero.
The story starts off in 1969. There are a lot of characters to keep up with.
Each characters has their faults and vices. It really was trying my patience. It did had some realism to the era.
I liked Jane and I really was pulling for her. I wish that this would have been 1st person.
This was a fun area to go through.
I would love to read more by this author. I'm ok, if it's not about the music world.

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Jane Quinn has just gotten the opportunit of a lifetime. Jesse Reid, a very popular singer, is supposed to appear in a music festival but he is now injured and can’t be on the stage. Jane is asked to step in for Jesse. The crowd is restless but she manages to still perform and get noticed.

After, Jesse and Jane start becoming close. Her band is even chosen to open for Jesse’s upcoming tour. Things don’t turn out as expected but she is inspired to be able to write Songs in Ursa Major.

This debut was fantastic! As an artist, Jane uses inspiration from her life to be able to create something amazing. You get a glimpse on how the music industry treated women and how double standards were normal at that time. It has been compared to Daisy Jones and the Six but they are both different. This book is definitely worth the read.

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I absolutely loved this book. I originally hesitated because of the comparison to Daisy Jones but once started realized that this was a completely different story and I never wanted it to stop. I feel in love with Jane and rooted her on through everything. I cannot wait to read more from Emma Brodie.

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This is a great book for fans of Daisy Jones & The Six or fans of fiction about the music industry. It's 1969 and at a music festival on a small island off the coast of New England, Jane gets her big break when the headliner doesn't show up for the festival. She and her band perform and get noticed. So begins a whirlwind tale of music, ambition and love. Jane was a relatable protagonist who struggles with career and romance. She has her own personal history of a missing mother and family trauma. In an industry that seems dead set against letting her succeed, Jane follows her heart.
Through it all she maintains her integrity and sense of self. I really enjoyed this one and recommend it!

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I adore how music and lyrics were woven throughout this book. though I didn't really enjoy the ending.

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This was a warm, quick, fun read that was much needed in the middle of January (and on the heels of A Little Life). Books about music and the music industry seem to be the hot take right now which is ok with me but I definitely fell into the comparison trap and was thinking about how this novel stacked up to its more recent competition.

First off, I had no clue about Joni Mitchell and James Taylor. I knew about him and Carole King...but I guess I just really don't know my 60s/70s singer-songwriters as well as I thought! Anyways, it was an added bonus that this was based off real life people, but just happened to be fictitious. I felt with Daisy Jones & The Six it was completely obvious it was about Fleetwood Mac and Rumors so this was a happy discovery.

I did feel bits and pieces were unpolished and the narrative of the book moved a bit too fast if that makes sense. For instance, at the beginning, they just perform and POW the next day talking to a person in the biz. Especially since the festival was dying so rapidly that it became defunct the next year. But I think that comes from debut writers and lack of nuance.

I think the characterization was off as well. It would be hard to explain what felt off about them without giant spoilers that don't take place until 3/4 of the novel have progressed, BUT just know 2+2 did not seem to add up to 4 and there seemed to be continuity issues with personalities and the stories being told. I am not wholly convinced that our main character Jane would act in a certain way or believe certain tales near the end of the book...I'm just not.

All that being said, it was a pretty good, fast-paced read. Infused with a lot of real-based characters that kept you guessing who was who. Immerses the reader in the world of 1969 and the music industry harking back to a more romantic time for songs and song writing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for a free digital copy to read and review. These opinions are all my own

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Perfect summer or vacation read. Something to pick up on and off. Only because I didn’t want it to end.

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When a song drags you in from the beginning you know you're in for a treat.
Songs in Ursa Major did just this.

Jesse is an artist recovering from an accident. Jane is asked to step in to fill the position at a music festival. What results is an unlikely relationship.

I loved how the lyrics are seamlessly woven into the book. What we find is the bond that can only be created by music.

If you like music this is for you. If you like reading this is for you. I really enjoyed this book.

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Songs in Ursa Major by Emma Brodie is a historical fiction that looks at the romance between musicians and how it affects their careers.

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When a book grabs you from the first page, you just KNOW it's going to be good. Songs in Ursa Major was hard to put down. Jesse and Jane show that music really does bring us together.

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Songs in Ursa Major follows the discovery of a young woman, Jane, by Jesse Reid, who is already the rising star recovering from an accident. Showing the choices of fame, artistic liberties, and reality of gender bias, we see how their careers evolve. I enjoyed the writing and how the lyrics were shown throughout - it makes you 'sing' in your head along! I felt like the plot moved in a way that felt realistic, too.

Following reading, I had the opportunity to listen to Emma Brodie - highly recommend also checking YouTube for a song based on the book.

Thank you Knopf Doubleday and Netgalley for an ARC; I also purchased a copy of my own!

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I will admit I was hoping for a Daisy Jones and the Six vibe. Although that’s not really what this was I did enjoy the story. I’m not sure I liked the end? I would read another by this author. Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC

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I just finished reading Songs in Ursa Major by Emma Brodie and let me just be real for a sec here...

I'm typically not a huge fan of stories set around the music scene of the 60s and 70s (or any music scene for that matter). Love the music from that era but I don't know, stories set around this subject just don't do anything for me.

So at first when I heard about this book, I wasn't too interested. But this year is the year I've been trying to read outside my typical go-to genres so I thought let's give it a shot.

I'm happy I did! The storytelling and writing in this book is amazing. I read this on my Kindle and was constantly highlighting so many passages throughout the book because the writing was just so beautiful.

Songs in Ursa Major is set in the late 60s and 70s and follows musicians Jesse Reid and Jane Quinn. Jesse is set to perform at a music festival but gets into a serious motorcycle accident on the way to the show.

Jane and her bandmates are asked to step in and play at the festival. Obviously everyone is super disappointed because they were there to watch Jesse perform but Jane blows everyone away and delivers a performance of a lifetime.

Jesse and Jane strike up a friendship and then a steamy love affair. We follow them through the ups and downs, the highs and lows of being in the music industry, especially during that time.

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I enjoyed this book so much! I loved the time period, Mary Jane and the story. A great coming of age story that deals with the first time a girl realizes maybe her parents aren’t always right.

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Likely one of my favorite books of the year. Beautifully written, enchanting, and female forward.

ARC via NetGalley but the opinions are my own.

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A book set in the summer of 69 I enjoyed reading. Though I enjoyed the musical aspect of the book more so than the characters.

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A (not so) sweet and mellow spring fling with a morning star!

Local band The Breakers get the break of their lives when Jesse Reid is a no-show at Folk Fest 1969. They win everyone over – both the crowd and the music journalists - by singing Jesse’s hit song, then performing their own stuff, becoming an instant sensation. Soon, music managers and record producers start knocking at their door, offering them the world. They get to record their own music and open for Jesse Reid for his US tour.

Jesse Reid and Jane Quinn, frontman for The Breakers, fall in love during the tour. But Jesse’s and Jane’s secrets come between them, and they must decide if they can save their relationship or break up and go their separate ways.

Also worth mentioning, the author talks about how female artists were treated in the music industry during the 1970s.

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