Good glory, I so enjoyed THE LIGHTNING BOTTLES by Marissa Stapley. Her vivid depiction of the grunge ,music scene in Seattle and the nascent career of a duo finally going stratospheric successful when the beloved partner disappears without a trace, was a privileged view into an extraordinary world. I especially loved accompanying Jane Pyre on her quest to be left alone and forgotten and yet moving across the world lands her next door to a super fan claiming to have proof that Jane's soulmate and partner is not dead, propelling them on a road trip full of twists, turns, and fascinating misadventures. I deeply enjoyed inhabiting the world that Stapley created and living in the world of musicians and rabid fans. I received a copy of the book and these thoughts are my own, unbiased opinions.

The Lightning Bottles is a novel about a fictional alternative rock duo that finds both success and despair in the ’90s music era.

Before they were famous, Jane and Elijah were just two teenagers exchanging messages, letters, and phone calls in 1989, musing about life and music. Jane was an isolated girl in a strict Canadian household, while Elijah was a high school dropout playing music with his friends in Seattle. When they finally come together after Jane turns 18, their lives are more difficult than she imagined while dreaming alone in her room in Canada. She feels shut out of Elijah’s musical life by his bandmate, Kim, and is naive about the amount of drugs flowing through Seattle’s music scene in 1990. When tragedy strikes, they make a messy exit and head to Los Angeles to make music on their own, but they can’t completely leave behind Kim or Elijah’s issues with drugs.

They quickly find success with a powerful group of songs written by Jane, but misogyny in rock music is rampant, and they agree to let Elijah take credit for her work. Despite his demons, Elijah’s angelic voice paints him as a sensitive soul ready to be saved, while Jane is portrayed as his scowling and difficult guitarist. This reputation follows them across continents as they continue to tour in support of their albums, but the stress of fame and lawsuits by Elijah’s former bandmates, including Kim, spin them further into their separate addictions and away from each other.

Eventually, a desperate Elijah takes a rowboat out into the cold waters of Iceland and is never seen again. With her husband and musical partner presumed dead, Jane must face life without him and conquer her own demons. But five years later, a German teenager (Hen), living next door to her rented house, shows Jane a piece of her past that leads her to a series of graffiti street art memorializing her private life with Elijah. Jane starts to question if he’s really gone or if he’s been waiting for her to find him again.

The Lightning Bottles is a complicated love story set against the backdrop of the early ’90s music scene. It’s easy to imagine this band existing alongside actual bands of the time, and the author makes it feel real and authentic. I loved how she gave Jane a thoughtful and introverted personality, which could easily be misconstrued by the public as angry and controlling. The bare-bones depiction of their spiral into addiction is heartbreaking but realistic for the era and their chosen career. I really enjoyed this unique love story and look forward to reading more from Marissa Stapley.

In the early days of the internet, Janet (Jane) begins chatting with Elijah about music. They share the same bands, love the same music. In order to escape her extremely isolated life with her Born Again mother, Jane leaves her small Canadian town for Elijah’s Seattle home where they start making beautiful music together. While they share a beautiful love, ugliness finds its way in until one day, Elijah disappears. Five years later, Hen who lives in a small German town believes that Elijah is still alive and is leaving messages. But who will believe a girl who lives with a shut-in mother and has never been anywhere or done anything in her seventeen years in Marissa Stapley’s amazing The Lightning Bottles.

By now, you may know that my favorite genre is the music novel (Is that a genre unto itself? It should be.) followed by the twisty mystery. The Lightning Bottles has both. Marissa Stapley seems to love music as much as I do because her love shows up on the pages of this novel along with the palpable love between Jane and Elijah. And we fall in love with the characters, even Jane, perhaps more so Jane, because we know the reality the fans and critics don’t know. While Jane comes off as prickly, we know her backstory, we know her reality which makes us sympathize with her if not empathize. Jane writes music because it’s as necessary to her being as oxygen, food, water.

Along with an absolutely engrossing story, The Lightning Bottles comments on a music world in which strong defiant women are demonized, their talents perceived as lesser to their male counterparts or sometimes even usurped by men. (Of course, there are dozens of true-life tales of women creating while men claimed credit across all art forms; hopefully, relegated to history now–oh, who am I kidding? History is frequently–or wants to be–the present.)

While many music novels fall short of the mark, The Lightning Bottles never does. It’s a novel to savor up until the very end and leave you (me) wishing for more. And, obviously, filling up my tbr with all of Marissa Stapley’s previous works.

Many thanks to the publisher for sending me this spellbinding novel.

This novel is an almost alt version of the Kurt Cobain/Courtney Love story. (Hole is even mentioned a few times) Jane Pyre, along with her husband Elijah Hart, was part of the super-duo known as the Lightning Bottles back in the 90s when grunge and Seattle sound ruled. Drugs and alcohol and lawsuits brought the band to a head and Elijah ended up disappearing, presumed dead. Jane, after 5 year of misery, decides to move to Germany for peace and to be left alone. She has not faired well in the media and she's trying to lay low. However, her new neighbor is a super-fan named Hen who has a secrets she needs to share with Jane; Elijah may be alive and trying to clue Jane in!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this e-arc.*

I was interested in reading this book about two 1990s alternative music icons but it fell flat. I never connected with the characters and the plot was a bit far-fetched. Plus, Stapley didn't do a good job of making the 90's rock scene interesting.

This 90’s rock and roll story had many layers to it. It definitely brought to mind Daisy Jones and the Six vibes! It’s a love story with all the things you would think of happening in the 90’s rock and roll band era. The Lightning Bottles’ journey was one of love, loss, angst, music, and the nightlife.

I did really enjoy following the previous flashback years seeing Jane and Elijah’s journey of how they started from chatting online discussing their love of music to becoming so much more. It was interesting and felt very real reading about the struggles they faced being in the band, the band life and things I’m sure many rock bands faced and/or possibly still face today. While following their previous years journey together, it also felt like a little bit of a mystery following Jane in the present day as she seeks to find out what happened to missing love, Elijah. I loved her neighbor and superfan of The Lightning Bottles, Hen. I don’t know what I expected from this one, but I didn’t expect what I got from the story, but either way I liked it.

To me, this book read more like a young adult novel, which partially took away from my enjoyment based on my initial expectations. I think there’s a very specific audience for this read, and it will resonate most with those who have a deep love for the 80s-90s grunge scene. As a millennial who loves that era of music, I found that the book’s nostalgia only works if you’re into a very particular part of the grunge and rock world. While there are plenty of clear pop culture references, some of them might be lesser-known to wider audiences.

The teen angst in this book is through the roof, and it leans into a Romeo and Juliet vibe. Jane, the rebellious protagonist, is a young girl finding herself, pursuing a forbidden love, and diving into an adventure she never anticipated. After meeting Elijah online, she embarks on a journey into passion, heartbreak, stardom, and addiction. While I didn’t connect much with the characters themselves, I think the way the author captures the sacrifice that comes with celebrity, along with the dedication it takes to achieve, maintain, and fall from fame, is where the book succeeds most.

The character Hen, who is clearly meant as an homage to the fangirls of that time and the lingering effects of those power ballads, felt somewhat random to me. While her presence added to the nostalgia, her appearance in the story seemed out of place. Ultimately, I think it was the nostalgia and the depiction of the music industry’s depth that carried this book for me. If you’re not into that specific grunge music scene or don’t appreciate stories steeped in youthful rebellion, this book may not hit the mark. But for fans of that time period, it could offer a very different experience.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon&Schuster for the chance to read this digital arc.

This book was brilliant. Pure perfection.

I don’t want to say too much about it because it is a book you just need to experience.

You get two timelines. One is Jane and Elijah’s love story along with their rise to fame in their band called Lightning Bottles. It’s beautiful and heartbreaking. The second timeline is 5 years later. It’s about a girl named Hen who is a big Lightning Bottles fan. She has found a secret with no one to tell it too until Jane moves in next door.

This book is everything. The amount of grief and pain in this but also hope and resilience is incredible. There’s so many 90s alternative rock references and also the pitfalls of being a female musician. There’s so many sad examples of how fame can bring out the worst in people and not everyone survives it. It feels very nostalgic and like you’re reading about real people so it brings out even more emotion. I loved Jane and Elijah with all their flaws so so much. I was dying to see what would become of them.

I highly recommend this book if you enjoy books about music and the perils of fame.
5/5 stars, I loved it so much. I already want to reread it. Thank you Simon Books for a copy of this book.

The Lightning Bottles by Marissa Stapley is a gripping, nostalgic and very entertaining.
I just loved this book!
What is there not to love here? We have 90s rock n roll, a love story and unsolved mystery!
Yes please! The story is remarkably compelling; I did not want to put this one down.
Fast-paced, skillfully crafted and beautifully written, this book had me staying up late, and getting up early.
If you enjoyed Lucky, you’ll love her newest book!

Thank You NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

As a 90’s kid, the premise of this book immediately drew me in through my nostalgia for those simpler times. This book, however, quickly and shockingly reminded me that the rose colored glasses I’ve been wearing are exactly that. The Lightning Bottles brought me back to the angsty, dark part of the 90’s that you don’t see in the new trends making the decade “cool” again.

I was initially drawn to the setting, and stayed for the unforgettable story! Jane and her unlikely roadtrip buddy, Hen, embark on a road trip to solve the mysterious disappearance of Jane’s former boyfriend (lead singer of the 90’s band “The Lightning Bottles”), long presumed dead. What unfurls is an adventure full of mystery, heartbreak, and a beautiful ode to the rock ‘n’ roll music of the decade.

This novel is perfect for mystery lovers, music lovers, 90’s lovers, and everyone in between! I foresee myself rereading it, and I don’t do that often. A must-read!

Big thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the gifted ARC!

During the infancy of the internet, Jane finds community with others through a bulletin board about music. There she meets Elijah. They move from the internet to calls to letters. Though the bulletin board messages were my favorite! Then they meet and it’s lightning! Soaring with the Seattle music scene, they fall in love with each other and music. The story is at its heart a love story, but there is so much more added to the mix that the book is great for even those people who are not romance fans! I loved the character development and how everyone’s stories intertwined throughout the book. I loved the timely musical and cultural references. If anything, it was a love note to the times that Jane and Elijah were a part of the music scene! Definitely a story that will pull you out of your world and into theirs!

Thanks to Simon Books for my #gifted copy in addition to NetGalley access in exchange for my honest opinion. Funnily enough, I found a Canadian edition of the author’s previous release (and @reesebookclub pick) Lucky in the Little Free Library near the house where I was dogsitting this weekend. I will have to read Lucky soon, because I really enjoyed The Lightning Bottles!
If you’re a fan of music and musicians (especially behind the scenes type of stuff) and the early 90s Seattle grunge music scene, I think you will enjoy this one. The Lightning Bottles is kind of like Daisy Jones and the Six but updated for the early 90s with an underlying mystery tying the story together. I loved the references to real musicians and tried to determine who the fictional ones were supposed to represent. If you weren’t alive in the early 90s or don’t care much for that musical scene, I still think this can be enjoyed. The story is well written, and even though it hops back and forth in time and locations, it is clear what is happening when and where. I would go to set the book down and take a break but then I’d see when/where the next chapter was taking place and decide to keep reading - just one more chapter! I read this in a couple of long sessions this weekend, including staying up way too late to read as much as I could last night. Oops! The Lightning Bottles will be available tomorrow everywhere and I definitely think you should check it out!

You know those books that have you from the first page? The ones that you both can't put down but also don't want to end? Where the story and the characters captivate you? The Lightning Bottles by Marissa Stapley was just that book for me - and it is out in the world for all of us to bask in TODAY!

The Lightning Bottles - Elijah and Jane - were one of the great, though misunderstood, bands. Elijah's voice was the stuff of legends. But Jane was polarizing - easy to hate and to blame the mistakes on. And she became public enemy when Elijah disapeared and later was declared dead.

It's five years later, and Jane is still trying escape the public eye. She has moved to a farmhouse in Germany, hoping to live off the grid. Yet when the neighbor girl Hen shows up with a theory that Elijah is both alive and leaving clues through street art, she doesn't know what to think.

We learn about Elijah and Jane's past - their meeting, theeir rise to fame, how they fell in love, and ultimately fell in part - as Jane and Hen roadtrip throughout Europe. It is a raw, nuanced look at fame, addiction, how easy it is for those put on pedastals to fall. Not to mention the misogyny.

I loved this one. It felt unlike anything I've read before. Bravo, Marissa!!! Big thanks to my friends at NetGalley and Simon & Schuster who let me get my hands on this one early!! It is not to be missed

I sincerely enjoyed Stapley's previous book "Lucky" and so I went into this one excitedly. Unfortunately, this plot just didn't stick the landing with me.

I've never been into Rock & roll and this book read a lot like a VH1 Behind the scenes. Musicians who start off with good intentions, get caught up in stardom ,lose their way in drugs and alcohol and ultimately crash and burn. That's half of the book; the other half is one of those musicians, Jane, of the duo The Lightening Bottles and the neighbor she just met Hen, solving the mystery of what happened to the Lightening Bottles' other half, Elijah. Except it really isn't' a mystery to solve so much as hopping from one point to another in quick succession.

There is a ton of activity in this book to move the plot forward, as well as characters and relationships, but none of it really seems to sink in. By the end, I don't think you'll remember most of it.

Also thrown in is allegations of plagiarism from a previous bandmate. It takes up SO MUCH of the plot that you will be sick of it halfway through.

The ending is very sweet however. Very moving and restorative, almost unusually so considering most of the book.

If you've ever wanted a front row seat to the rise and fall of rockers - this book is for you. Otherwise, read "Lucky"

* Sincere thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an eARC of this book*

4.5 stars - This book is exactly what I wanted "Daisy Jones and the Six" to be. It has the behind-the-scenes drama of a rock band and a love story, but there is an intriguing backstory that made this much more interesting than that novel. I loved that this was set in the 1990s, which is when I first started getting obsessed with music. I also appreciated the whole emo/grunge music scene that's illustrated in this. The story did feel a tad predictable (especially towards the end), but I really enjoyed these characters. They genuinely felt like real people that I wanted to follow along on their journey.

5⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Lightning Bottles follows Jane Pyre, once part of the famous rock duo The Lightning Bottles. She now may be one of the most hated women in music, she never connected with her fans and now they blame her for her bandmate, and husband, Elijah's disappearance years ago. Jane rents a house in remote Germany to find some peace and quiet, but instead meets who new neighbor Hen, a huge fan of The Lightning Bottles, who claims to have clues about what happened to Elijah. The story intertwines their journey with flashbacks to the beginning of The Lightning Bottles and their journey through fame and what it cost them.

I was hooked on this story from the first chapter. I loved the romance between Jane and Elijah from the beginning, their journey was so unique, and it was so hard at times, but at the end of the day they truly loved each other. Jane was such a complex character, she was far from perfect, but that is why I liked her so much. She had to deal with misogyny from the beginning of her career and she kept going despite it. The mystery elements were interesting, and I loved how Hen was able to help Jane in their journey. I really enjoyed the 90s music setting in the story and getting a look into the struggles that came with being in the music industry.

Mystery books are usually not my favorite, but I loved this story so much! There were so many interesting aspects, and I would definitely recommend reading this story.

I loved this book! It is gripping, nostalgic, evoked emotion, and had me smiling with all the musical references. I had a hard time putting this book down as I was fully invested in the characters, their music, their relationships, their challenges, their fights, and their love. This book gave me all the feels and then some!

Jane (Janet) and Elijah met online when Elijah answered one of Jane's posts. They communicated online, through phone calls, and eventually through letters when they were teenagers. Jane's mother was not having it, so Jane ran away from home. She traveled from her home in Canada all the way to Seattle to be with Elijah. They are young, in love, and share a love of music! Things are not easy as his friends see her as a threat and let her know how they feel about her. But love conquers all and soon Jane and Elijah find themselves on top of the rock 'n' roll world as the hot duo the 'Lightning Bottles.' Jane writes the songs while Elijah is the singer. He is handsome, charismatic, and captures the hearts of their fans. Jane is quiet, reserved, misunderstood, hated, and maligned by fans and critics alike.

Years later when Elijah goes missing, Jane finds herself alone, misunderstood, and trying to pick up the pieces. When her teenage next-door neighbor, Hen, arrives claiming to have some information on Elijah that might help Jane, Jane begins a walk down memory lane in hopes of getting to the truth.

Oh, how I loved the nostalgia and memories that this book brought up. I enjoyed the characters, even the unlikeable ones. I loved the angst, the jealousy, the love, the drama, and the music. I found myself rooting for both Jane and Elijah as they delt with fame, addiction, jealousy, the music industry, their relationship, and loss.

I enjoyed how this book is told in the present and through flashbacks from their teenage years to the skyrocketing fame. This book is about falling in love, making music, the cost of fame, addiction, and friendship. Whew! What a journey this book took me and the characters on while entertaining and thrilling me.

Marissa Stapley nailed the 90’s music scene. She also did a great job creating characters which I cared about. I felt their pain, their loss, their longing, their frustration, their love, their hope, their drive, and their need to create music.

Wonderfully written, moving, nostalgic, and gripping.

Highly Recommend.

4.5⭐
Engrossing tale of the rise and disastrous fall of a rock duo. After the disappearance Elijah Hart 5 years ago in a boating accident in Iceland, his partner/wife Jane solidified her reputation as the most hated woman in rock. Now she wears disguises, moving to a remote farm in Germany to hide. Told in flashbacks, the connection of two music nerds hundreds of miles apart , first in a chatroom, then as penpals with furtive calls metamorphed into soulmates. Now another young music nerd, Hen, thinks she has found clues proving Elijah isn't dead and wants Jane to follow the clues with her. The path from joyous creativity to addiction is riveting and horrifying when it's two characters you have come to care so much for. Found myself not wanting to put the book down even to sleep. This one will stay with me.

4+ stars!

“She’s chasing the beating of her own heart, the core of her existence, with no clue how to find it or if she ever will.”

In the haze of a up-all-night reading session, I feel that I have finally found a true match for my beloved Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau. On the surface this one may seem like just another “rock stars go off the rails” narrative. It is not.

Readers are dropped into the world of the 1990’s west coast alternative music scene, framed by Elijah and Jane, the members of the band The Lightning Bottles. The dazzling love for each other and rise to fame is not without disasters, and ends abruptly. We catch up with Jane years later as she travels across Europe in search of answers. In a remote German town she crosses paths with a teenage super fan who offers clues and a fresh perspective about her quest. Hen is often the only adult in the room and she was the star of the novel for me.

The subtle concept of how fans project their hopes and dreams, insecurity and vitriol onto celebrities is a compelling angle to view the subject of how stardom competes with privacy. Chat room messages, letters, lyrics and street art all add a creative texture amplifying the basic premise of a presumably simple love story I thoroughly enjoyed.

Many thanks to Simon and Schuster Publishing and Net Galley for the early copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

WOW. Just…wow. I’m not sure any review I write could do this book justice, but I’ll try. I thought The Lightning Bottles was absolutely incredible. A story of love, music, addiction and grief, Marissa Stapley has done something truly special here. Jane, Elijah and Hen completely captured my heart. I loved seeing Jane and Elijah’s love story and also their rise and fall in the 90’s music world. The double standards of the music industry and media for men and women will absolutely infuriate you because we still see it today. What women are villainized and seen as shrews for, men are indulged and seen as geniuses for. It also highlights the para social relationships fans have with artists and how damaging those can be. This book broke my heart and put it back together so many times. During the few times I had to put the book down because responsibilities, I found myself constantly thinking about it. I think readers who enjoyed books like Daisy Jones and the Six and The People We Keep will really enjoy this one. I’m so happy I read it. Jane, Elijah and Hen will stick with me for a very long time.
CW: drug use, alcoholism, death of a parent, religious trauma, grief

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced digital readers copy in exchange for an honest review.