This was cute! Delia, aka Dillie, hosts a popular podcast. She puts out a call for a theme song for her show. Darren has been struggling with his relationship to music since he got some hate for his original song at an open mic night. But the beats he hears from his best friend's cousin inspires him to try again. Plus, he's got a huge thing for Dillie, figures the theme song might be his in. His friends submit his song anonymously, it blows up. Meanwhile, Darren spends more time getting to know Dillie.

There was lots of church content here and since they're in high school, it induced extreme youth group flashbacks for me. And Darren's insecurity, anxiety, and living in his head was super relatable. As an adult now, but especially as a teenager. Although the audiences are going to be different because this is contemporary, but it felt similar in tone to The Duff. (I think. I"ve only seen the movie because I love Mae Whitman.)

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Quick Summary: A YA romance triumph

My Review: Rhythm and Muse by India Hill Brown gets all the snaps and claps. It was a journey into self discovery and realization set to a R & B vibe.

About the Book: Shy guy, Darren Johnson, has had a longstanding crush on podcaster Delia Dawson for a while. He wanted to step to her, but he didn’t know how. When a recording of his voice is submitted for a contest, he feels outed in ways that make him feel uncomfortable. As a result, he has to deal with some past struggles and a few new challenges. What he ends up discovering is that trusting in himself and in his heart will never be wrong.

My Final Say: 🙌 This was a brilliant story. I loved everything about it. The whole scene - the tone, the talk, the conflict, the characters, the opportunities, the romance, the real life straight talk - it all worked.

Other: This could easily be rolled into a series. I would be one of the first in line to read it.

Rating: 5/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: YA
Re-read: Yes
Keeper: Yes
Favorites Shelf: Yes
Status: Clean
Level: ⭐️

Sincere appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher (Harper Collins Children’s Books, Quill Tree Books), and to NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to review this title. It was a pleasure to read such an incredible YA novel.

I was very excited to receive this copy because I used to watch the author on YouTube. This was a fun and easy read/listen. I appreciated the nod to the Black church and a teen boy’s perspective/spin on this story. While I would not add it to my curriculum because I teach high school, I think my male students would appreciate this the most because they would consider it a book for the boys.

I've been going back and forth on what I want to rate this book, and ultimately decided on a 3, but would do a 3.5 if half stars were allowed.

I really liked the Cyrano-esque plot, which is updated to include podcasts and music. And I really liked Darren as a character, but I felt like there could have been a little more development and depth with the relationship between him and Dillie.

The book did have some pacing issues, where at points I was really invested, while others I wasn't. I also didn't quite believe that a podcast jingle would go so "viral" in this community. But I did love the ending, and overall, the book was light, but still heartwarming.

When a daydreamer falls for someone, it happens first in his head. Then, unfolds in a perfectly synchronized rhythm, if timed correctly. The only downside to this proverbial falling, is that the daydreamer may trip and fall with nothing substantial to catch him, if he doesn't wake up from his daydream. That's been the case for me and many other daydreamers I know. And I'm pretty sure Darren, our MC, can attest to this.

Rhythm and Muse by India Hill Brown introduces us to high-school overall good kid, Darren. Darren checks all the good-guy boxes and never colors outsides the lines. He thinks before he speaks or reacts, and often overthinks so much, he misses the opportunity to take action. But the thought of trying on a "love thing" with his crush Dillie D has him stepping outside his comfort zone in ways he wouldn't have imagined before.

Meet Delia, aka Dillie D, according to her podcast listeners. Delia is a free-spirited young woman who knows what she wants and doesn't hold her tongue when it comes to expressing those wants. She hosts a podcasts most teens & college students in the local area tune into each week without fail. But one thing that seems to elude her is that connection from a special someone, since her boyfriend broke her heart last year. Pouring all her time and energy into her podcast proves to be quite the distraction until she has the bright idea to run a contest for her listeners to find the perfect jingle for her show. This contest brings our MC Darren and Delia together in an unexpected way. Will Darren be able to get out of his head long enough to get the girl of his dreams? Will he seize the opportunities laid before him to be recognized for his talent? 👀

I rated this one 4 stars only because teenage angst stresses me out sometimes. I think Darren being in his head so much affected his connections tremendously, and it started to wear on me a bit. I wish I could have seen his relationships develop more organically, outside of his thoughts & fantasies. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the read.

Major thanks to Netgalley and Quill Tree Books for the eARC!

Thank you, to the publisher, for this eARC via Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion! Overall, I enjoyed this cute read. I especially liked that it touched on young Black love, friendships, touched on Christianity, discovering self confidence and love among others. It was light, and I generally liked all of the characters. I would definitely recommend it to those who enjoy reading YA romance novels and more specifically African American romance.

This one took a little bit to get into because while it felt like the chapters were moving fast it didn't feel like the story was progressing that much until about the 40% mark. I feel like even though this was supposed to be a romance and Darren definitely talked about his dream girl, he spent more time in his head fantasizing about them being together than they actually spent together. The second half of the book was when we got more moments with them together but I still wasn't wholly convinced.

I loved the idea of this especially because their just aren't enough contemporary YA romances with Black boys out there especially with them as the main character. I also enjoyed seeing the depiction on page of a Black Christian family that regularly attends church. It's something very common within the Black community especially where the characters are down South but rare to see depicted in recent books.

It was cute enough but not memorable enough for me to think about it long after reading.

Thanks, Harper Collins for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

This was a solid and cute, lighthearted teen ya romance. It was also super refreshing to read a ya straight romance from a Black male's pov. However, I didn’t really vibe with Darren as a main character as I kind of got sick of his indecisiveness really fast. All the other characters felt too one-dimensional, making it a really flat read. I didn’t really feel that much chemistry between the two MCs, especially as they only have a tiny handful of romantic scenes together — we never really understand why Delia is into him. I also think the parasocial relationship aspect of it all took me out of the story. And even though I was initially interested in the plot, it ultimately didn’t click for me when I was reading it.

This was such a cute YA teen/romance written from a young black man’s POV. It is a slow burn romance that talks about, friendship, self confidence and young black love. I definitely recommend reading this book!

*Thanks for the free Net Galley copy. I just found the summary misleading/not for me. Love the relatability of crushing over podcast hosts but the writing is elementary, even for YA. Few visuals to show us what his day dreams about this girl actually look like besides singing together (what? Where? How does she and her crowd look, hello?) , interrupted by unnatural dialogue to fill us in backstory (friends are sick of him not asking his high school sweetheart out already). I don’t buy that horny high schoolers see a pretty girl and think of her as The One, as in marriage over fap material. Sounds way more like a sheltered Christian woman ‘s idealized version of a BF. The girl starting her pod after a Valentine’s breakup is a great idea, but I’d like to her quotes not vague recap of it. This is just more of a middle school audience than I expected. The religious themes should be in the summary so people don’t get the wrong idea about all his “fantasizing” and “showboat” friends. I expected more drama, more Degrassi and less Disney.

I knew this was going to be a favorite of mine when I saw the cover. And then it said that it was also a Cinderella retelling? Listen I was so right! The slow burn was a little much, but it was still good and I’d definitely read it again.

Ok so let’s talk about the characters. I LOVED Dillie. She was the one who kept me interested. She was so lively and she had the podcast and everything. She seemed a lot like me. I also liked Darren, but he reminded me of me too. His anxiety (that’s what I was thinking was wrong with him and why he was in his own head all the time because that’s exactly what I would do) reminded me of me too…. Which is why we clashed a little lol I hate when people tell me stuff about my anxiety and desire to always be perfect, but I have no problem pointing it out. So here were are. I hated that he was so set on being perfect for everyone that he let his life pass by. I knew he would have eventually gotten there, but I think he would have let someone take the credit and never said anything. He was a pushover lol But his parents tho? So freaking cute! They reminded me of my own parents. They’re also lovey dovey like that and they also love music and all the things. I thought it was super cute!

The plot was good, but it was so slow. It was definitely a slow burn that I had to shift through. And as we know I’m not a fan of slow burns. But this one was ok though. I guess because I knew it was a Cinderella retelling, I knew it wouldn’t happen until the end. But it was still hell waiting on it. It got a little repetitive in the middle with him writing the song and then not showing anyone and then not telling Dillie but contemplating telling her. It was weird lol But even still I was ok with it because I love to see people fall in love. Especially Black people.

The romance was cute, but again, since this was a slow burn it was a hardly there. They had some cute flirting that was happening and it was fun to see the two of them squirm, but I think it would have been better if we could have seen them together? Maybe it was just a me thing? But if they spend most of the romance book trying to get together, I count it more as a coming of age novel. Because there’s no romance lol

The music aspect of this was great tho. I loved seeing Darren come back to his love. I know what it’s like to come back to something after you’ve left it behind for some reason. And seeing him flourish once he did get back to it was amazing. I loved it and I was glad he got to experience it again. I also really liked his parents and their love for some of the same R&B that I love as well. It even taught me some things. Like the Zapp and Roger song, Computer Love? I can never listen to that song the same again. I never even thought of the fact that they were talking about Facetime before Facetime was even thought of lol That is a random fact I’ll never forget.

This was cute, but I wanted a little more. Even if it was just a couple chapters after the prom I would have liked it more. I wanted to see the two of them together. It was a romance book after all. Even still it was super good and super intriguing because of the way the Cinderella thing was done. I love fairy tales, but even moreso when they’re Black!

Rhythm and Muse is such a cute sunshine book. I loved that it was simply about music, life, and young love. Such a sweet, short read!

Our MC, Darren, has a crush and while he'd love to confess his love and win her heart, he's also waiting for the perfect moment. But what is the perfect moment?

I loved the quote, “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” This is a story about having a crush and chasing dreams, all while setting solid boundaries and taking the plunge. Darren was relatable and fun, and you just had to root for his romantic heart!

I enjoyed this story so much! I love books about love. They're not trying to save the world, but live in it.

An aside, the audiobook adds to the music, so I definitely recommend grabbing that if you can!

TW: bullying, mentions racism

Plot: 4.5/5
Characters: 4/5
World Building: 4/5
Writing: 5/5
Pacing: 5/5
Overall: 4/5

eARC gifted via NetGalley by Quill Tree Books via HarperCollins Children's Books in exchange for an honest review.

I was intrigued by Rhythm & Muse’s premise. Plus, it’s told from the POV of a young Black man—a rarity in YA/teen romance. I also like books with secret admirers, pining, and characters immersed in music and podcasting. So, I was excited to read this one, and it didn’t disappoint. In India Hill Brown’s Rhythm & Muse, Darren Johnson lives in his head where he pines for his crush and literal dream girl—Delia Dawson—in peace, without unsolicited advice or opinions from his meddling, spotlight-seeking friends and gregarious and loving family. However, when Delia needs a new theme song for her podcast and announces a contest, his boys secretly send in a recording of the song Darren composed for Delia, fearing he will never make a move. She is fond of the anonymous romantic verse and tries to uncover its mystery singer. Will Darren finally step from the shadows and out of his daydreams to live his dreams?

Brown’s colorful, lively writing appeals to all five senses, drawing readers in with vibrant descriptions, deft worldbuilding, natural-sounding and authentic dialogue, and fascinating, relatable, imperfect characters. The characters and their lifestyles feel familiar, giving readers a comforting sense of nostalgia. Having his back, his boys do the most to get Darren out of his head, out of his own way, and help him get the girl of his dreams—and make his dreams come true too. Through her characters, Brown explores taking a break from the thing you’re passionate about to rediscover your love and reinvigorate your passion.

A talented, naturally gifted singer and songwriter, Darren daydreams about Delia, planning conversations and potential dates. He’s sweet, thoughtful, reflective, creative, and kind with a vulnerable heart but spends way too much time in his head and feelings. Delia inspires him to write music again for the first time in a long time, and he composes a song just for her. Brown makes readers sympathetic to Darren and his fear of singing in front of an audience. You wonder why he gave up singing/songwriting when it’s obvious how much he loves both and how deeply entwined they are with his sense of self—giving him something of his own. His views on creating art and creativity are intriguing.

Popular, intelligent, beautiful, driven, and passionate, Delia’s compassionate and mentors middle school girls. In her podcast and live streams, she examines her life, interests, and thought-provoking topics with a witty, humorous, and down-to-earth perspective. I got as sucked into Delia’s podcast as Darren and everyone else. It’s easy to see why Darren is crazy about her.

Delia and Darren are adorably cute together. Brown develops their characters’ connection and relationship from classmates and church acquaintances to becoming friends to a burgeoning romance through sweet, funny, and emotional scenes/interactions. They talk about their Faith and all kinds of things. Reading about fun, loving, and open-minded characters to whom Faith is important is inspiring. One of my favorite things about Rhythm & Muse is how central the characters’ Faith and church life are to them. It’s not often you get to read romances or novels without the characters being jerks or trying to run other people’s lives when they’re Christian. It’s a positive representation of young African American Christians. That’s so awesome.

The characters and their lives/lifestyles feel familiar and relatable, filling the reader with a comforting nostalgia for friends and family. The secondary characters are as well-developed, fascinating, and engaging as Darren and Delia. His boys have his back, and they try so hard to get him out of his head and out of his own way and get the girl of his dreams—and make his dreams come true too. I like Delia’s sister and Darren’s relationship with his boys and family.

Funny, entertaining, and sweet, Rhythm & Muse is perfect for readers looking for a teen/YA romance that’s a little different and from a male POV about African American characters of Faith, falling in love, music, and podcasting.

Advanced review copy provided by Quill Tree Books via Netgalley for review.

Book Review of Rhythm & Muse by India Hill Brown

Cover Story: Record Sleeve
This cheerful, energetic cover looks like it belongs around an 80’s or 90’s vinyl record, just like what Darren and his parents like to listen to. Also, Darren is definitely the kind of guy who would play music with his eyes closed and heavy-duty headphones on. As for Delia’s face appearing on the headphones, that’s because he’s daydreaming about her; “Delia Daydreams” are a recurring feature in this book.

The Deal:
Darren Armstrong has a secret talent for singing and writing lyrics, and an equally secret crush on his classmate, podcast host Delia Dawson. Knowing he’s too shy to admit to either one, his friend Justin submits one of Darren’s love songs anonymously as a theme song for Delia’s podcast. To everyone’s surprise – especially Darren’s – the song goes viral, but what does Delia think of it? Can this introvert get out of his own head and put himself out there for love?

BFF Charm: Roger Murtaugh
I still remember what it felt like when the prospect of being rejected by one’s crush felt like the end of the universe, but that doesn’t mean I like to read about it. I found Darren’s constant indecision exhausting, especially when it turned into outright lies to avoid taking ownership of his success. His friend’s submitting the song behind his back might be inappropriate, but at least it’s doing something. If Darren were left to his own devices, we wouldn’t have a story at all.

Swoonworthy Scale: 3
Darren’s daydreams are remarkably G-rated for a teenage boy’s, and in the real world, he and Delia have a very chaste relationship. Wiping chocolate off her nose is about as sensual as it gets. As for emotional intimacy, I wasn’t feeling much of that either. Delia in person doesn’t sound too different from her podcasts, and Darren spends far too much energy hiding his secret to open up to her.

Talky Talk: Straight Up
I found the writing style pretty straightforward, except for some cultural references I didn’t understand. Since I’m not the target audience of this book, I didn’t need to understand.

Bonus Factor: Music
Darren’s songwriting is inspired by 90’s R&B. Even for those who don’t know the artists he references, his passion and eloquence are endearing.

Bonus Factor: Community
Darren has two loving parents, a witty and supportive older sister, meddlesome but well-meaning friends, a competent guidance counselor at school, and a vibrant church congregation to be part of. It’s the nicest group of people I’ve read about in a long time. This, unfortunately, makes it even harder to understand why Darren doesn’t confide in them.

Bonus Factor: Tasty Business
Darren and Delia introduce each other to their favorite burger place and coffee shop. The Armstrong family’s soul food traditions are mentioned more than once.

Relationship Status: Not My Type
I may not be the ideal reader for you, book, but I know you’ll find them.

This was an interesting take on the secret admirer trope. Darren has had a crush on Delia for a while, and he feels overwhelmed by her popularity due to her fame from her podcast. He waits for the right moment to approach her but misses his opportunities. When Delia announces a song contest for intro music to her podcast, Darren's friends push him to submit his song once they hear his talent. When Darren keeps making excuses before submitting his song, his friends anonymously submit it. This resulted in some mayhem and others trying to claim credit for Darren's submission. Eventually, Darren confirms that it's him by singing it at the homecoming dance, and he simultaneously releases a new song in which he asks Delia to date him. It was a fun and different read.

This book just never quite clicked for me. It felt sort of like a first draft? Like the dialogue didn't feel very differentiated, the motivations weren't totally there, and also--i get this is a side point, but--do podcasts really air at specific times? Aren't they just radio shows at that point? Admittedly, i always have more difficulty with men's/boys' perspective sections in dual-POV hetero romances so i might be the wrong audience for this. But i felt like this could maybe get somewhere, it just... didn't. That said, i never wanted to give up on the book, so that is saying something.

I wanted to love this book soooo bad. It had all the makings of a cute YA romance but it just fell short for me.

80% into the book, I was annoyed by the whole avoiding telling Delia about the mystery singer.

I felt like there were parts that were left unanswered & Im not sure if it would have changed the story but because it was added in I would have liked to know.

Darren’s parents were sweet.

My favorite scene was probably the lock in at the church.

I wanted this book to be great. I really was looking forward to it but sadly, this wasnt the book for me.

This book is sweet!

I want to start by saying I love the main character being male. So rarely do we get a book from his point of view and I loved it. And Darren is truly the cutest. I know so many can relate to stepping out of their comfort zones being a huge fear. His story is here to encourage that and show you have to take risks.

Justin and Jerrod are HILARIOUS and everybody needs fun loving friends/family to help and encourage along the way.

Quick, adorable read that’ll have you falling for the characters immediately.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read and review the book.

This was such a happy, little fluffy + cotton candy vibes type of book!! If you’re looking for an easy summer read, this is one you’ll really love!! Loved that this book talked about more than just the romance. There were themes of friendship, family, and learning how to love yourself and building you confidence. If you love music, mystery contest, food, and romance, then this is the book for you! I'm really happy I decided to read this book.