M.L. Rio, you have such a way with stories. The beauty of the gritty, dark underground of Gil and the Kills really shines through all the madness in this novel. I could never quite pin down many of the characters, but I imagine that’s somewhat the point. The story really just pulls you in, bouncing back and forth between Suzanne’s youth and present day. This did cause some moments to drag a bit, but ultimately I felt the jumps helped keep the story mysterious and exciting!

The book holds both a love for the music and the culture, but also an acknowledgment of the many pitfalls of the rise to fame; the journey to becoming “somebody”. It feels both fantastical but also very grounded. The characters fill the world as if this tour from hell really did happen and Rio is just relaying the tale. And in the present day, Suzanne is joined by some lovely souls who provide a safe space for dealing with all the skeletons she has buried in her closet. They provide a nice respite from the chaos of this band.

The novel is by no means perfect, and I struggled to get through it at times, but I’m ultimately pleased with it. Unconventional, full of life, and at times very fucked up, the story is one I’m glad to have experienced.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC!

DNF at 25%

If you are a person who likes non linear timelines, this is for you. I stopped reading because the timelines aren’t necessarily making sense to me and the year/time changes aren’t labeled.

BUT THE PLOT IS SO COOL. ML Rio is a mastermind with her writing and I hope to come back to this story when I can read it more consistently to understand the timeline.

Entertaining, tense, totally absorbing. The villain feels more than a little cartoonish, but honestly, I enjoyed the backstory and atmosphere too much to care.

A revenge-fueled dive into the 1970s rock scene that’s loud, messy, and unapologetically dramatic. The grit and ego drip off the page, and the music world backdrop feels alive, if a little over-indulgent at times. When it’s sharp, it cuts deep; when it meanders, it’s like listening to an encore you didn’t need.

Oof. Okay, this was a tough read. I really liked If We Were Villains and was curious to read an adult novel by Rio. The good stuff: this is a really compelling premise to me. We've got parallel past/present storylines - in the past, 10-year old Suzanne is on tour in 1989 with her dad Gil and his band, The Kills. We know that particular story is leading up to some kind of horrifying climax, but we don't know what it is, and it could honestly be anything because this cross-country tour is a truly horrible place for a 10 year old kid. In the present, adult Suzanne has left her husband and is on the road with her inheritance from the recently deceased Gil. We follow her across the country again, which shouldn't be as dangerous this time but soon turns out to be as her ex begins to track her on her journey. Rio is a great writer, and the character development here was really good, but it was SO hard to read. I felt like nothing good ever happened to Suzanne, or if it did, it was immediately countered by something terrible. I know that's real life, but I usually prefer to read fiction to avoid real life. I'm sure this will be a great read for a lot of people but it was completely brutal for me. Content warnings for drug abuse, stalking, and major violence.

Hot Wax by M.L. Rio absolutely nails the vibes—I could feel the energy of 80s and 90s rock bands pulsing through the pages. While the story overall worked for me, it did feel like a long build-up to the ending, with a few moments where the plot stalled. What really kept me hooked was the dual timeline between past and present—it gave the story a richer texture and made me want to keep turning pages. Rio’s gift for atmosphere and scene-setting shines here; you can practically hear the music and smell the backstage air.

Hot Wax is stylish and atmospheric. The story explores grief, art, and obsession in compelling ways, but the pacing occasionally drags, and some emotional beats feel underdeveloped. While the writing is beautiful, the plot can feel more like a mood piece than a fully realized narrative. Fans of Rio’s earlier work may appreciate the tone, but it doesn’t quite deliver the impact it promises. A solid read, but not unforgettable.

Hot Wax by M.L. Rio was on of my most anticipated books of the year after loving the two previous books I have read by her. I really enjoyed this one but it was wildly different than I was expecting.

This book follows Suzanne who has spent the last thirty years trying to disappear but she has to dig into her past after the sudden death of her rockstar father. This book also flashes to Suzanne’s past-mostly during her preteen age when she is trying to connect with her father.

I loved seeing the relationship between Suzanne’s different relationships with different characters become more fleshed out through the book. By switching from past to present, it is a slow burn finding out the mysteries of her past. There were so many side characters that felt like fully thought out people instead of plot fodder.

This book felt like if Daisy Jones and the Six was more rock and roll. There is drama between different members of the band that affects everyone around them, especially Suzanne.

I think some of the middle felt a little weird pace-wise but once I got to the 65 percent mark, I flew through the rest of the book. I think fans of books that focus heavily on music will love this one but I don’t know if people that are just fans of If We Were Villains will enjoy it.

I don't quite know whether I loved or hated this book. I think the best descriptor of this book is "grimey." I wanted to shower after reading it. I love M.L. Rio's writing and can admire her craft. I am not so sure I liked the story, though and the ending leaves a bit to be desired.

One of my most anticipated new releases of the year and the description had me hooked. It was more of a coming-of-age/finding yourself story than anything else with both timelines left feeling shallow and unexplored. The build up to the climax kept me going but even that didn't quite hit. M.L. Rio is great at characters and I really just wanted more of everything-more depth, more story, more of what was fueling everyone involved.

Hot Wax, the newest offering from author M.L. Rio, follows protagonist Suzanne on a journey (figuratively and literally) as she runs away from her current problems and runs toward her past. The story is a hot, sweaty, dusty cross-country ride in a Ford Ranchero as Suzanne reflects on the traumatic childhood filled with toxic relationships, rock 'n roll music, and growing up way too fast that helped to mold her into the person she is today.

This is my first experience reading Rio's work, and while the story was well written, I really had issues with the pacing. The story really dragged, especially around the middle, and I wasn't totally invested until around 3/4 of the way through. I found myself not wanting to pick it up, and I even considered DNFing at one point. The story is told through alternating timelines (cleverly titled A Side and B Side), going from Suzanne as a child and her experience touring with her father's rock band to current day 40something Suzanne as she runs from her broken marriage and tries to sort through her conflicting feelings about her father after his death. We know that there is some traumatic event that happens while Suzanne is on the road with the band, and the book continually drives towards this reveal. However, we don't find out what happened until about 90% of the way through, and even then we still aren't given the full story- just Suzanne's fractured memories and the assumptions of an 11 year old child. I feel that if we were given this information earlier in the story, we would have a better understanding of Suzanne's actions and the lingering trauma she's still trying to overcome. Instead, we are presented with a broken person and little to no idea how she got that way. For me, it was hard to empathize with her when I didn't know what I was empathizing with. Without understanding the initial trauma, it was hard to make sense of her subsequent actions and motivations. Only at the end are we given the answers, and by then, it's almost too late to care.

I also feel that this book is mis-marketed. NetGalley labels this book as "Mystery/Thriller," and GoodReads even goes as far as labeling it "Horror." While I admit there is some mystery involved, this is definitely not a break-neck, edge-of-your-seat thriller, and it's definitely not a horror. Even though our main character is in her 40's, I really think this is more of a slow-burn coming of age story. If you go into this expecting twists and turns or gore, you will be greatly disappointed.

I think this book will work for the right audience, I'm just not sure that audience includes me.

I was so looking forward to Hot Wax since If We Were Villains is one of my favorite books but sadly it let me down a little bit. Suzanne is our main character and we follow her when she was a young girl and obsessed with her father and his band. She goes on tour with him..yes, great place for a ten year old girl. We also have the timeline of when she is an adult trying to figure out the events that shattered her childhood because it wasn’t what she deserved.

This had a very slow start for me and I was finally piecing together what was happening 20% in. I never truly felt connected to our characters, sadly. I did, however, want to know what happened to her as a child because that is the whole mystery of this book is that something horrible happened to her. There was some haunting moments in here that we had to read about and it was heartbreaking. It hit me more than I thought it would since I wasn’t too connected to our story.

One of the biggest pros to this book is M.L. Rio’s writing, it truly is beautiful and lyrical. I love it so much and I think it added a lot to a thriller book. I think a lot of times with thriller books I oddly do not like the writing.

Even though this wasn’t a new favorite book, these characters will stay with me.

dnf p. 119

This didn't read well for me.
We have the past being labeled as the A side and the present being labeled as the B side. But that took me until p.100 to pick up on it. Otherwise it felt like the timeline while we're in the past was jumbled. Time skipped with no clear indication to me.

I didn't particularly care for Suzanne one way or the other. I didn't find myself relating to her to empathetic to her struggles. I was too busy being confused at what was happening to grow fond of the characters.

I was 1/4 of the way through the book and I still couldn't pinpoint what the point of the story was.

4 ⭐️
As a diehard ML Rio fan, I was SO excited to receive this advanced copy of Hot Wax! Thank you Simon & Schuster who provided this ARC in exchange for and honest review.
Picture it: summer 1989. Suzanne is ten years old and is tagging along with her father’s hot rock band: Gil and the Kills. Only, he’s not quite famous yet. And every lick of stardom he gets drives him further to the edge of madness. Twenty nine years later, following the death of her father, Suzanne abruptly leaves her crumbling marriage to go and face the ghosts of her past, including certain memories from the dreaded tour from so many years ago.
It took me a few chapters to understand the premise of the story, but once I understood the flow of the story, I really enjoyed it!! I highly recommend checking it out when it comes out this September!!

I love stories about rock bands, complicated relationships, coming of age, and looking back on horrific events from the past. So basically this book was made exactly for me. I loved the portions of the book that followed Suzanne as a ten year old in the 80s as she’s on tour with her dad’s band just as much as I loved seeing her as a woman in her 40s in the present day dealing with the aftermath of his death. I was so eager to find out what this catastrophic thing was that happened with the band in the past, but I was also entirely compelled by her leaving her husband and meeting up with Simon and Phoebe and seeing their different adventures.

M.L. Rio’s writing is so captivating. I loved all of the descriptions of Gil and the Kills, the band and the different members felt so real. It was so interesting seeing the life of a touring band in the 80s through the eyes of a child. Suzanne was such a strong character, both in the past sections and in the present. I loved seeing her connection to music and photography and learning how to stand up for what she wants.

This book is thrilling and has some shocking reveals and events that occur. But I think it’s best to go into it looking more for a character study than a fast-paced thriller. The book really takes its time, exploring Suzanne’s experiences both in the past and present day. Which I really appreciated. So I’d definitely recommend this book to people who are interested in the rock band thriller element just as much as exploring the life of the main character.

"The new novel from the bestselling author of If We Were Villains and Graveyard Shift - a vivid and immersive tale of one woman's reckless mission to make sense of the events that shattered her childhood, and made her who she is.

Summer, 1989: ten-year-old Suzanne is drawn like a magnet to her father's forbidden world of electric guitars and tricked-out cars. When her mother remarries, she jumps at the chance to tag along on the concert tour that just might be Gil and the Kills' wild ride to glory. But fame has sharper fangs than anybody realized, and as the band blazes up the charts, internal power struggles set Gil and his group on a collision course destined for a bloody reckoning - one shrouded in mystery and lore for decades to come.

The only witness to a desperate act of violence, Suzanne spends the next twenty-nine years trying to disappear. She trades the music and mayhem of her youth for the quiet of the suburbs and the company of her mild-mannered husband Rob. But when her father's sudden death resurrects the troubled past she tried so hard to bury, she leaves it all behind and hits the road in search of answers. Hitching her fate and Gil's beloved car to two vagabonds who call an old Airstream trailer home, she finds everything she thought she'd lost forever: desire, adventure, and the woman she once wanted to be. But Rob refuses to let her go. Determined to bring her back where she belongs, he chases her across the country - and drives her to a desperation all her own.

Drenched in knock-down drag-out rock and roll, Hot Wax is a raucous, breakneck ride to hell and back - where getting lost might be the only way to find yourself and save your soul."

Wait, do ten-year-olds usually know what they want to do with their lives?

ot Wax by M.L. Rio is a gripping, emotionally charged novel that delves into the complexities of fame, trauma, and self-discovery. The story follows Suzanne, who, as a 10-year-old in 1989, embarks on a tumultuous rock tour with her father's band, Gil and the Kills. The band's rise to fame is marred by internal conflicts and a violent incident that leaves Suzanne scarred. Decades later, she seeks answers, embarking on a cross-country journey that forces her to confront her past and the man who once held her captive.

Rio masterfully intertwines themes of identity, freedom, and the haunting effects of unresolved trauma. The narrative's dual timelines offer a poignant exploration of Suzanne's evolution, from a starry-eyed child to a woman reclaiming her agency. The novel's vivid portrayal of the rock and roll scene adds depth to the story, immersing readers in its chaotic allure.

While the book's pacing may feel deliberate at times, the rich character development and evocative prose make it a compelling read. Hot Wax is a testament to Rio's storytelling prowess, offering a raw and introspective look at the shadows cast by fame and the enduring quest for self-understanding.

Rating: ★★★★☆

At ten years old, Suzanne hit the road with her father's band, Gil and the Kills, as they set out on a cross-country tour. As the band's popularity began to rise, tension starts to build between band members. This tension eventually comes to a peak as a crime brings about the end of the band, but not the infamy that will follow them for decades. Nearly 30 years later, Suzanne has left that life far behind and settled down with her husband in the suburbs. But when she learns of her father's sudden death, she leaves her carefully built life behind to go find answers.

This book is a completely different beast than If We Were Villains, but it shares the same compelling storytelling, haunting prose, and incredible character work. The pace is pretty slow, but there's a tension going throughout the whole book that really makes you want to keep going. I was hooked from the start. The writing felt incredibly atmospheric too. You could smell the cigarettes and feel the sticky floors of the concert venues. The world of this rock band and their life on the road felt so alluring, like you were under the same spell Suzanne was under.

This book is written in two timelines, alternating between Suzanne's life on the road with her father, and her life now as an adult. In a lot of ways, the timelines mirror each other. There's a focus on cycles of abuse and breaking free of expectations.

I just thought this was so well done.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC!

This is a wild ride! Young Suzzane (Suz) is only 10 when her father Gil forms a band, Gil and the Kills. Now, 29 years later, she must confront all those memories--some good, some bad--as Gil is dead and ex-husband Rob won't let her go. It's a tale of violence and power struggles, but above all, we see the love of a child for her parents--even though they are flawed and can never give her a "traditional" upbringing.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: I should start this review off by saying I wasn't the biggest fan of the authors other work, which I know is wildly popular. That being said, I really loved the premise of this and wanted to give it a try anyway.

What I liked: The writing is quite good, it feels very lyrical (pun intended) at times, heartfelt, and lush. You can tell the author really, deeply connected to this story. I would highly recommend reader the authors note, it was very touching and gives the reader an idea of how and why this story was written.

What I struggled with: The main thing I struggled with was the pacing. We go back and forth in time from present day, to many different times in the MC's life. From her very young, to a teenager and up. One cool thing about this (at least in the ARC) is the chapter titles are on A and B sides like a real record so before you start the chapter you know if it's past or present based on A or B side, I found that creative (as opposed to just saying "past" or "present"). However, going back and forth many times and the way it was put into the main narrative made it confusing at times but also difficult to grasp Suzanne as a main character. Typically books benefit from this, we get to know the MC throughout their lifetime, but something was just off here. I LOVED the first like 15-20 percent, then the pacing slowed down so much, I was getting a bit confused about what to be paying attention to and started to feel like it was a chore to pick it up. Because of this, I really lost connection with Suzanne and ultimately DNF'd it at 40 percent.