Not bad, I really appreciated the relationship building and learning more about music. Unfortunately there was SO much detail and description for every little thing that it slowed it down! I understand wanting to represent NYC but the detail felt a little excessive and took away from the book. I really did love Billie’s character though and how she navigated the music scene and her partner!

This was a great book! I love the way the story went, and I loved learning a bit more about n industry I am not quite familiar with. it was entertaining and it had some really deep moments! I Was a fan of this book!!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

The description provided for this book really peeked my interests, so I was very excited to received an eARC of When the Music Hits, by Amber Oliver. The author follows a recent college graduate, Billie, as she works hard to carve a lane out for herself in the music industry. I found the insight very interesting, painting the picture of how difficult it is to be successful in the music industry. Throughout the book, the author goes deep into Billie’s music influences, often setting the scene with heavy music descriptions. This is a unique angle but the struggle for me was that it felt like it slowed the story way down. I often found myself skipping over the mood-setting music explanations by halfway through the book. Maybe someone with a stronger background in the music scene would find that more interesting. Similarly, the dialogue was along the same lines for me. I found the dialogue to be distracting, at times, although I’m sure it’s reflective of the NYC culture of those neighborhoods. Billie has a complex relationship with her mother, and is forced to often sacrifice her relationship with her friends for her career. I loved that Billie eventually drew a line in the sand, with her mom, and that she began to receive recognition for all of her extra hours spent at her job.

Overall, the 2nd half of this book was really enjoyable for me. Once the story got moving, I liked the behind-the-scenes look at how an artist would sign with a record label. I would recommend this book to someone in the young-adult genre, with an interest in the music industry.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this eARC!

When the Music Hits is a debut novel that pulses with the rhythm of ambition, facing down fears and the unrelenting power of Black creatives. Set in the New York City music industry, the story follows Billie Grand, a young Black woman from the Bronx who lands her dream job at a major record label—only to find that success in this world comes at a steep cost.

Billie is an extremely relatable protagonist—driven, intelligent, and deeply loyal to her family, even when that loyalty is tested by financial strain and emotional exhaustion. Her journey toward setting healthier boundaries, particularly with her mother, is one of the novel’s most poignant arcs. Oliver captures the Bronx with a richness that feels lived-in, offering a portrayal that will make anyone from the borough swell with pride. The friendships Billie builds, especially with her colleague Nina, highlight the way Black women cultivate sisterhoods in the face of systemic challenges, turning professional spaces that can be isolating into communities of strength and activism.

Beyond its sharp critique of power, privilege, and the compromises demanded by the entertainment industry, When the Music Hits is also a love letter to Black artistry. Billie’s romance with Lucas, her boyfriend and fellow creative, is both swoonworthy and grounding—proof that love and art can serve as mutual sanctuaries in an exploitative world. The novel ultimately celebrates not just music, but the ways relationships—romantic, familial, and platonic shape us.

Oliver’s storytelling is both urgent and heartfelt, making When the Music Hits an unforgettable read that champions the Bronx, the healing power of music, and the unyielding pursuit of personal agency. A must-read for anyone who loves stories about finding your voice in a world that would rather silence you.

Lili has dreams of becoming an A& R rep. She went to college and even went on to get her MBA to push herself above the crowd. When she graduates and can't find a job in her coveted field, she ends up taking an assistant role at a major record label out of desperation. While working there, she discovers that there are some secrets her boss is keeping.
As she attempts to navigate her new role, she hasn't lost interest in music or discovering new talent. She partners up with someone at the label to put on a showcase for an undiscovered artist. In the midst of this, her relationship takes a toll due to some of the pressure and stress as her boyfriend has his own dreams and aspirations to pursue his talent with photography.
Overall the book was a decent read, but it read more like young adult in my opinion.
Thank you to #netgalley for this #arc.

The Devil Wears Prada, but in the music industry and with plenty of racism and microaggressions to go around. I found this book to be mildly entertaining, though at the end of the day pretty anticlimactic and certain parts felt rather unrealistic. What I did like was Billie's relationships with Nina and Lucas. These felt authentic - nuanced, sometimes complicated but real. However, many of the corporate aspects felt off to me (note: I'm not referring to the racism and microaggressions here at all.) For example, there is simply no way that Billie would have been able to pitch a new artist after just a few months of being an assistant, let alone be offered a promotion by someone she's never met. This part of the story would have been far more believable had she actually handed the artist over to Nina, and then used this as a launching point for a true mentorship with her - as it was actually presented to Nina by Billie to begin with. I loved their dynamic, and I loved the idea of the two of them making an unstoppable team that was able to show up their privileged white counterparts. I also really liked the quiet nuance the author demonstrates in how Black people, particularly women, are expected to behave and speak differently in the workplace than they do in more casual environments. In my opinion, the whole MHCP storyline was supposed to be the big reveal/climax but it wasn't all that interesting or shocking. I think more could have been done to build that tension up throughout the book instead of just having a few "isn't this weird" moments sprinked in. All in all, I think this *could* be a really good book with some work.

Having said all that, I'm electing to not post a public review or rating for this book because I actually don't think a lot of my critique is the author's fault, I believe it lies with the publisher and editor. First, there is way way way too much overuse of exposition throughout this book. I'm fine with getting the rundown of what people are wearing when it's relevant (like at Samirah's big performance) but not in every single scene, for every single person. And for the love of everything holy, I definitely do not need to know the color of every couch being sat on. Please help her refine her scene setups and background information, it would help so much in getting me, as the reader, to care about what is important and not get bogged into irrelevant details. Second, and very importantly, please provide better editing resources to your Black authors. I have read many ARCs in my time, and outside of an errant typo or a very minor inconsistency, they are usually close-to-final. On not one, not two but three separate occasions in this book, the name of a character randomly changed - usually in the same paragraph. In the most disturbing case, a very important side character is (I think) named Samirah. She is also referred to as Z (a nickname?,) MM and Mariah Monique. I assume at some p0int her name changed but Ctrl F was never used to make sure it was changed everywhere. And to be clear - it wasn't once or twice, it was throughout the book, sometimes multiple names in the same sentence. It is disappointing because I've never seen as egregious an editing error as this in any ARC, ever. I hope you can do better by this author. I intentionally left this as public feedback instead of private because it's important it be addressed before publication.

This book moved me. It gave me feelings. And in the current climate, and even before I feel it and I see it.
It is relevant and real. I felt engaged with the characters and could find myself feeling some of the emotions they were also going through. I am a fan of this book and I hope to see more from Amber Oliver. Thank you for allowing me a chance to read ahead.

4.5 stars, rounded up to 5.

I’m a 47-year-old white lesbian who loves punk and alternative. In other words, I’m far from the target audience for this book. However, I love music and am always open to learning something new, so I decided to join the MC, Billie, as she started working in the music industry.

I must read too much horror and thrillers because I kept expecting something to happen out of left field, lol. I’m happy it didn’t, though. Instead, I was drawn into Billie’s world. It didn’t matter to me that I wasn’t familiar with most of the artists she mentioned. The only thing that mattered was how much of her joy for music came across.

Billie and her two Black coworkers put up with so much crap from the predominantly white business. It sickened me to read about how their workplace valued white perspectives much more than anyone else’s. It also proved what I’ve known for a long time: The thing that’s ruining the music industry is the industry itself.

I’m honestly not sure what section this belongs to. General Fiction, maybe? But either way, it’s definitely worth reading, regardless of whether you’re familiar with the music genres listed or not (or the slang of the MCs).

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

The story flowed well and the characters were well developed. I recommend this book and look forward to more from this author.


****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****