This is a perfect beach read! We meet Jane Quinn, in 1969 who lives on the Bayleen Islands. They are having the Island Folk Festival (think Woodstock) there. Jane’s band, The Breakers, is the opening act. We follow the relationship she has with fellow folk singing sensation, Jesse Reid. This story is loosely based on the relationship between James Taylor and Joni Mitchell.
If you love the artists of the 60’s and the music industry, this book is for you! It has an “Almost Famous” and Daisy Jones and the Six vibe.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

When I first read the summary, it reminded me of Daisy Jones and the 6. If you liked reading that book, you will definitely like this book. The author captured the period of the 60's perfectly in her story telling. A great first novel for this author. I didn't realize the story was loosely based on James Taylor and Joni Mitchel which made it ever more intriguing to read. It is a well written novel that doesn't disappoint. You will fall in love with the characters and hear the music in your ears!
There are three parts to the storytelling, the personal of Jane and her family, the relationship between Jane and Jesse and a snapshot of the music industry through Jane’s eyes, this works and flows well. Jane's character is admirable and you will be rooting for her throughout the book. This is a great read for the beach! I hope you enjoy it as much as i did!

This was a fun and immersive read, and the author pretty successfully pulled off the songwriting component, which is not easy! I loved the epilogue showing us where all of the characters landed.

I've read six books released this year that focus on singers and songwriting but this is one of my favorites. Set in the 1960s and 1970s, it gave me lots "A Star Is Born" meets "Almost Famous" vibes - what's not to love?

𝗦𝗢𝗡𝗚𝗦 𝗜𝗡 𝗨𝗥𝗦𝗔 𝗠𝗔𝗝𝗢𝗥 is the story of Jane Quinn, the lead singer of a small local band called The Breakers who get their big break when they replace Jesse Reid, the headliner at the Bayleen Island Folk Festival after he has an accident. When Jane gives the performance of a lifetime, her life becomes becomes intertwined with Jesse's.

This slow burn novel is beautifully evocative of unique time for music. Folk singers were just becoming stars and changing the sounds of the times. Jane and Jesse's relationship is heartbreaking in a lot of ways - Jane is naive in thinking she'll be able to control her career and make the music she wants, and while Jesse does what he can to help her, he knows the realities of the business. At the same time, Jane is so caught up in the music that she's blind to Jesse's flaws. Brodie captures all of the glitz and glam of being a rock star along with the ugly downsides - the sexism, the lack of control and the unrealistic expectations. While Jane and Jesse are the stars of the book, Jane's bandmates, their manager Willy, and her family of Quinn women back home on Bayleen Island are wonderful characters as well. And while the ending wasn't at all what I expected, it fit the story perfectly.

I listened to the audiobook and the narration by @kristensieh was terrific. I loved hearing the lyrics to the songs and wish there had been a soundtrack to go with it. This emotional look at fame, family and first love (which rumor has it was based on James Taylor's affair with Joni Mitchell) is the perfect summer read.

Thanks to Knopf Doubleday, PRHAudio and NetGalley for the ebook and audiobook copies to review.

I absolutely loved this book. Jesse and Jane tore my heart to pieces in an oh-so-wonderful way. The descriptions of the 70's music scene were rock solid. As we follow Jane through her budding music career we see just how much of a struggle it was for a female in the music world during the 70's. My heart pulled for both Jesse and Jane to each find their happiness. This book had it all, drama, love, drugs, and rock and roll. Thank you, NetGalley for the eARC of this. 5 stars

Thank you NetGalley for this early copy of Ursa Major.
Ahhh, I enjoyed this book for what it was, a fast read with likable characters and story line. I didn't like it for what it could have been, so much in-depth of a story with richer characters.
This story takes place during period when women in music were not taken seriously. I believe it is the story (albeit loosely) of Joni Mitchell and her time with James Taylor. What a changing period of time that was for music (late 60s /70s) and it was a fun read to hear the inside view of the rock and roll world. It was also maddening to read how business side of music would clash with the talent side.
Emma Brodie is a very good writer and writes beautifully. I liked her word play and how she weaves the story together. I think what held me back from truly loving the book was that the secret seemed so benign to have caused such havoc and that the characters are written in somewhat broad strokes; they are either good people, or very bad and not a lot of middle character development. This is her first book and I look forward to what comes next.
I do recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun read with a peak into the world of rock and roll and can totally see it made into a movie.

I think this is the perfect summer read. We follow Jane Quinn, a young musician thrust into the spotlight at a festival in the 1960s, through the tumultuous start of her career and relationship with fellow artist Jesse Reid. Sex, drugs and rock and roll - true to the time period. In spite of their shortcomings you'll love them for their strengths.

Loved this book! Emma Brodie has combined great characters with a wonderful story. Her insight into the music world during this era was eye opening. Jane and Jesse were true talents with many problems brought on by the lifestyles of this industry and these times. There were several plot twists that I never saw coming. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you Knopf and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this intriguing story. I really enjoyed reading about the musical genius Jane, the tight knit Quinn clan and the choices they have made in their lives. The story starts with a pivotal moment for Jane and her band, the Breakers, at an highly regarded music Fest in the late 60s. The band gets the chance to take the main stage in the place of Jesse Reid who is a rising star on the music charts. The band wins the crowd over with an outstanding performance and starts their journey with the music industry. Jane starts a lifetime journey with a soulmate. But life has its challenges for all of them. This is Jane’s untraditional love story layered with her discovery of dealing with mental health issues, addiction and how she has to make decisions to deal with those issues. Jane has to confront the reality of her mother’s life and the impact those circumstances has on her own. Her true love for Jesse undeniably shapes the decisions she makes as well as the music she creates. Along the way, she finds out who she really is and what she really wants for herself and others.

The author draws you into the story and I had are hard time putting the book down. I’d recommend this book to those who like books about self discovery and taking chances. Loved the story and look forward to reading more books by Emma Brodie.

Songs in Ursa Major is a story of a musician's journey from the beginning to the end. With a little romance, music, drugs and some heartbreak, this book will have you turning the pages to find out what happens next. The characters are likeable, the story is believable, and over all it was an enjoyable read.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book.

Though two very different stories, this book gave me the feel good vibes from Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Daisy Jones and the Six. The rock and roll, the romance on tour, the drugs, the crumbling relationships; it all makes for a fantastic story. I found Songs in Ursa Major to be a book of fantastic writing, well developed characters, and lessons learned. I was sucked in right from the get go and had a hard time putting this down! I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy and I so look forward to more by Emma Brodie!

BOOK REVIEW: Songs In Ursa Major by Emma Brodie

A young talented woman learning to navigate career, love, family, ambition and corporate hierarchy… While remaining tethered to the ideals she holds most dear... Stunning story!… ✨😎✨

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All my reviews can be seen at This Is My Everybody | Books, Lifestyle & Home Ideas for Simple Living | Denise Wilbanks at www.thisismyeverybody.com

You can see my complete book feature on Songs In Ursa Major at https://www.thisismyeverybody.com/books/2021-books-new-books-coming-out-in-2021-june-books-tbr-books

♡ A big thank you to Emma Brodie, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in my reviews and content are my own… ✨😎✨

This may be my favorite book I've read this year. I loved and cheered for Jane and loved how she kept doing things here way until the end. Awesome read!

This book just wasn't for me. I liked the idea a lot but it was written in such a childlike, simplistic way, I couldn't get into it at all.

DNF at 38% I tried reading this several times. I should have loved this one, because I love music and I love the time period featured here. But the writing just took me out of the entire story. It just wasn't strong enough to even hold my interest in the characters. The characters were fine. I was intrigued by Jane and Jesse, but when I got to the first love scene, it just was so stilted and off-putting that I just couldn't read anymore. I think this would have made a better story if the writing were stronger. Daisy Jones and The Six had a somewhat similar storyline and I really enjoyed that book. This one just didn't work for me.

Brodie's debut novel "Songs in Ursa Major" is an interesting read. I would classify it as a good beach read. The characters are interesting and it takes place during the music scene of the late 1960's/early 1970's. While I enjoyed the book, I did not always like some of the writing -- some of it felt cliched and other times, the third person narrative switched (sometimes it felt abruptly within a paragraph). I would have preferred to either stick with the main character or alternate chapters with different characters so we know whose perspective we are hearing. I did like ow the author included original song lyrics, a review from Rolling Stone, and an article showing where all the characters are present day.

Overall this is a fun read and recommend it.

I've been recommending this to everyone I know as a great summer read. Brodie's picture of the fragile yet determined singer/songwriter and her loves and struggles was a great escape. Then being able to think of the real life people the book is inspired by made it that much better. The music industry "inside baseball" details were perfectly dishy.

Thoroughly enjoyable read! The book takes place in a time period with which I am very familiar. Character development kept my interest. Much to think about.

Thank you @penguinrandomca for sending a copy of Songs In Ursa Major by Emma Brodie for review.

Jane Quinn is the singer in a small hometown group. When the headline act of their local music festival can’t perform, The Breakers wow the crowd and a music label. Thrown into the deep end of making an album in the 60s, Jane faces sexism and self doubt as well as sudden stardom when she dates the star she replaced at the festival. Based on the real life romance of Joni Mitchell and James Taylor, I definitely recommend reading this one while listening to her albums to set the mood. If you liked Daisy Jones And the Six or The Final Revival of Opal And Nev, you should grab this today. DM for content warnings if you need them.

If you liked Daisy Jones and the Six or The Final Revival of Opal & Nev, read this book right now. It's the story of rising folk singers in the 70's their love story, their careers, their personal and shared demons. The writing is beautiful, the characters well drawn. I just loved the lead character Jane Quinn. She was fearless and never ran from a challenge. There's so much sorrow, but so much love in this book. I couldn't put it down.