I was excited to read this book because I love music. I'm sorry to say, I enjoyed this as much as I enjoy folk music, which is not a lot. It was just a slow moving story - very much like I imagine the 70s to be like. It just wasn't for me.

Is it just me or so all 1970s band vibes remind you of Daisy Jones? I really couldn’t get into a new type of mindset for Songs in Ursa Major because it all just seemed too familiar. And honestly, I get it. I’m sure that’s what 70s rock-n-roll was like for women, like Janis and Stevie, but it almost felt like a Daisy Jones retelling in a different format. And what really skyrocketed DJ so high up my list was the actual format of the book. I loved the “where are they now?” interview style layout of the book. And as a narrative story with a similar plot, Ursa Major just couldn’t even begin to compare.

That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the book. I did enjoy the book, but again, it just seemed all too familiar… like I’d read it all before.

What I did like that seemed a bit different was the heavier focus on different mental illnesses, including drug abuse. DJ was more heavily focused on that drug abuse and addiction side of rock-n-roll stories, but Ursa Major weaved in other mental health concerns too. But I also enjoyed the characters and felt satisfaction when the story was over. I do enjoy some good 70s vibes, and I did enjoy the book. I just wish I was better able to separate the overall plot lines between both stories.

A story taking place in the music world of 70's focused on an aspiring singer/song writer Jane Quinn who begins a relationship with the famous musician/singer Jesse Reid. It was slow, so-so for me with a bit too much angst and too many song lyrics.

I was so excited for this one, given how much I loved “Daisy Jones and the Six.” However, “Songs in Ursa Major” just lacked the excitement of that book and for a novel that follows a rock band, I’m surprised to have found large portions of the book to have been rather boring. I was not invested in these characters and their relationships, which in theory, should have been fun to follow. This one was just alright for me. 3 stars 🌟. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the copy for review.

Publishers Summary:

"The year is 1969, and the Bayleen Island Folk Fest is abuzz with one name: Jesse Reid. Tall and soft-spoken, with eyes blue as stone-washed denim, Jesse Reid’s intricate guitar riffs and supple baritone are poised to tip from fame to legend with this one headlining performance. That is, until his motorcycle crashes on the way to the show...

...Jesse stays on the island to recover from his near-fatal accident and he strikes up a friendship with Jane, coaching her through the production of her first record. As Jane contends with the music industry’s sexism, Jesse becomes her advocate, and what starts as a shared calling soon becomes a passionate love affair. On tour with Jesse, Jane is so captivated by the giant stadiums, the late nights, the wild parties, and the media attention, that she is blind-sided when she stumbles on the dark secret beneath Jesse’s music. With nowhere to turn, Jane must reckon with the shadows of her own past; what follows is the birth of one of most iconic albums of all time..."



My quirky review that I hope Emma Brodie reads:

Reading, in the dark with the crickets chirping, the moon blinking, and Ursa Major shining off into the distance. Songs in Ursa Major reads like a Rolling Stone Article featuring the band The Breakers, and musician Jesse Reid.

It's the Summer of '69 -- Jane Quinn lives on Bayleen Island where she and her band The Breakers make it past obscurity when they play at the Bayleen Island Folk Fest. If it wasn't for beloved folk musician Jesse Reid who doesn't show up for the festival The Breakers wouldn't have stepped on the stage in his place. Jane with her blonde hair and bare feet catches the eye of Rolling Stones reporter, Curtis Wilkes. Willy Lambert P&R man for Pegasus Records and manager for Jesse Reid seeks Jane out while she is working at her part-time job bartending at the local bar, The Carousel. Jane can't believe he wants her to be a solo artist for Pegasus Records! However, her band The Breakers are her best friends, bandmates since Jr. High and she just can't leave them, nor does she want to go solo, too many obstacles to hurdle mentally with that kind of move.

Throughout the book, you read the lyrics of the music that Jane and fellow bandmate Rich write. The Lyrics are so good that I starting searching for Janie and The Breakers music 🎼 Online and suddenly remembered it was a fictional band. Touché Emma Brodie you got me and I bet a lot of other readers too! I seriously would love to hear Janie’s, and Jesse Reid’s music! Do you have a song list you were listening to while writing? I’m dying to know.

In the middle of this whole saga of Jane and The Breakers evolving into a hot ticket to nothing once again, there is the backstory of Jane's mother Charlotte, herself a songbird of a singer that disappears when Jane is small. The mystery of Charlotte's disappearance is quite the story on its own and the damage that her disappearance it causes to Janie's psyche helps you understand the lyrics to most of Janie's music.

The "Mighty Quinn(s)" Family is filled with strong, independent women from Janie's grandmother to her cousin, Maggie -- these women step out of their comfort zone, do everything they need to to provide for each other monetarily and mentally, and sometimes shatter when no one is looking except for the reader.

Emma Brodie writes a compelling, true-as-life music fictional biography that will fill you with the desire to go out to your own festival and gaze at the stage wondering what each performer's story is and loving the music every second of your attendance.

Thank you, NetGalley, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, and Emma Brodie for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

i did not like this book. i truly wanted to but it was not for me. this is definitely a book for people that are obsessed with music and i am not that person. thanks anyway netballs.

Songs in Ursa Major opens at the 1969 Bayleen Island Folk Fest, where local musician Jane Quinn is asked to step in for the headliner, folk rock mega star Jesse Reid, and her life is changed forever. Jesse, who is recovering from a motorcycle accident, falls for Jane while recuperating on the island and asks her band, the Breakers, to open for his 1970 tour. Jane insists on keeping her relationship with Jesse as secret, because she wants to be known for her music, not just as an opportunistic female. As the Breakers travel cross country on the tour, her A & R rep pressures her to capitalize on her romance to sell albums. Complicating the situation is Vincent Ray, the producer who finds Jane's talent and independence threatening, and tries to derail her career. Although he is adept at hiding it, Jesse is a heroin addict and as the tour continues, Jane finds out and is pressured to coddle him and keep his secret. Ultimately, she heads back to the island to record her seminal solo album, Songs in Ursa Major. The epilogue details the continuation of their friendship, although somewhat briefly. The book is based on the relationship between James Taylor and Joni Mitchell, although it stands on its own as a hero's journey where a woman with incredible musical gifts struggles to overcome the roadblocks the music business throws in her way. Predictably Songs in Ursa Major is being adapted as a movie. I can't wait to hear the soundtrack!

Songs in Ursa Major by Emma Brodie is a 2021 Knopf Publishing Group publication.

It was the summer of ’69…

That’s the whole story right there.

Off the coast of Massachusetts, on a remote island, the Folk scene is creating a buzz. Jesse Reid, a good looking and wildly popular singer is slated to appear at the big music festival on the island, but is injured in an accident shortly before he was set to take the stage.

Shoved into Jesse’s spot, local musician, Jane Quinn, faces a restless and angry crowd. Despite the rocky start, she not only survived the night, but managed to get herself noticed in the process.

While Jesse is recovering on the island, he and Jane become close, and Jane’s band ‘The Breakers’ are even tapped to open for Jesse’s upcoming tour- although Jane wants to keep her relationship with Jesse on the down-low so she'll be judged by her own merits.

It’s a heady time- but things don’t work out as well as Jane hoped, which turns out to be a catalyst for her creative juices, prompting her to write her breakthrough masterpiece- Songs in Ursa Major.

This is a quick read, somewhat based on the real- life affair between James Taylor and Joni Mitchell. It’s also an expose on the double standards in the music industry that Jane had to cope with.

This story feels nostalgic and occasionally melancholy, but it is also a story of tenacity and triumph, and a profile in the conflict of success and fame.

A solid debut!

4 stars

An interesting and entertaining story about the music industry in the 70's. And one woman's rise no matter how they tried to hold her down. I didn't know when I started, but this is supposed to be loosely based on James Taylor and Joni Mitchell. I don't know either artist so I enjoyed some of their music right around the midway point of the story, just to give the lyrics some context.

I did enjoy Jane - Janie to her friends. She was a strong character and I appreciated her fierce stubbornness. Every time she hit up against opposition, I cheered her on and as she stood on her own two feet. I liked the feel of the era and the behind the scenes look at rock stars, touring and festivals.

<i>A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.</i>

It took me a while to finish reading this book. The story was interesting but it did not keep me turning the pages

There are books you read that have a way of sticking with you, and this is one of those books for me.
This debut novel by Emma Brodie really left its mark on me!

Taking it back to the 1970s, following an aspiring musician Jane, who gets her first huge break filling it in a festival in her hometown, but when her headliner Jesse, is an accident and unable to perform, Jesse finds himself helping Jane get through the makings of her very first record.

But we are talking about a time when females were not welcomed into the music industry so not only is Jesse dealing with trying to get her first album made, but she’s dealing with the sexism in the industry.

It’s hard to not become gripped with stars in your eyes when looking at all the glitz and glam that comes along with playing large stadiums and hob -nobbing around with celebrities.
There are a lot of secrets you can become blind to and that’s exactly what happens here.

This book was based on the Joni Mitchell and James Taylor love affair but it does become its own story as well.

Truly enjoyed exploring a time I do not know much about.

Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced copy.

Songs in Ursa Major By Emma Brodie follows Jesse Reid and Jane Quinn as they navigate the world of late 60s/early 70s folk music. Jane performs at a folk music festival after Jesse is injured and can’t perform. Then Jane and Jesse develop a relationship built around his needs as he heals. Eventually Jane goes out on her own and enters the cutthroat music scene. Plenty of drama to keep you reading right along. Read and enjoy!

Today, I’m going to give you a review of this delightful book set in the late 1960s/early 1970s, following your new favorite fictional band.

Jane Quinn is a singer and musician, leading The Breakers. Due to an emergency, the festival they are playing at needs them to fill in for the main act. Jane’s voice wins the crowd over and The Breakers catch the eye of Willy Lambert, who hunts down Jane to tell her he is interested in getting the band signed. The journey Jane and the band takes to get their record made was really captivating.

Jesse Reid was supposed to headline the festival that changed The Breakers lives but a motorcycle accident left him fighting for his life. He is able to stay at his family’s house and receive at home care. His nurse is Jane’s aunt and when she needs Jane to relieve her, Jane and Jesse start forming a close relationship. While part of this book is about the record industry, the other part is about new love. Jane and Jesse are so believable as people and their story is a page turning read.

The Breakers get the chance of a lifetime: to open for Jesse Reid on his upcoming tour. Jane wants to keep their relationship under wraps, as she wants to become a name on her talents not her relationship. Rumors soon get out about the couple, though. The tour is eye opening in lots of ways and Jane returns home to write her next albums Songs in Ursa Major.

This book is so immersive, so believable that I was upset when I remembered I couldn’t look up these songs. She did a wonderful job writing some chapters from others perspectives, like the sound engineer Simon and photographer Alex. There are also parts of the story dedicated to the Quinn family and the disappearance of Jane’s mom. There’s a mystery with this part of the story that I still can decide if it was necessary for the book, but didn’t take away from the full story.

Overall, I gave this book 4 stars and look forward to reading more from this author. Fans of DAISY JONES will be delighted to be brought back to this time with another fictional band.

Thanks to @netgalley and @aaknopf for the free eBook for review! All thoughts are my own.

Songs in Ursa Major was just an okay read for me. Given the marketing around the book, I was expecting something with a lot more drama. The book felt a little too similar to Daisy Jones and the Six to me and didn't offer anything more that would have made me fall in love with the story.

Wow. I Loved this. Some plot points could be handled with more subtlety, sure, some peripheral characters feel flimsy, but this was a love letter to music and the infamous tempestuous relationships that rocked ‘70s bands while making records ★★★★★

Coming of age in the 1970s, I really enjoyed this book. Containing the turbulence of the era of sex, drugs and rock and roll you follow a couple stepping into their destinies. The lyrics were lacking the gripping intensity of the bands of that time but it is a good love story.

Did you like Daisy Jones and the six?
If Yes, pick this one up!

A Bustle Must-Read Book • A transporting love story of music, stardom, heartbreak, and a gifted young singer-songwriter who must find her own voice—“pure sun-soaked summer fun” (Kate Quinn, bestselling author of The Alice Network).

- ARC Provided by NetGalley

What a wonderful debut book! Historical fiction during the big rock Era (1960's/70's) this book follows the story of Jane Quinn and her launch to stardom due to anothers unfortunate event.

Based on the romance between Joni Mitchell and James Taylor loosely, this is a book that transforms you to another era - the music scene of the 1970s when soft rock and solo female singers were just emerging. Given a unique opportunity near her small town on the coast of Massachusetts, this debut novel follows the career and love life of Jane Quinn. The story is so much about emotions, struggles but also warmth and love. The writing was fantastic, though I did struggle a bit with the slow burn plot. The inclusion of discussions about mental health, drug use, and the sexism of the era really added to the story. I definitely recommend it, its a hidden gem in the publishing world right now and I urge you to pick up a copy.

Desperately wanted to love this one after loving Daisy Jones and the Six but it didn't work for me. It didn't grab me but I know a lot of people loved it!