Release Date: December 1, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 304
Series: n/a
Review Source: Netgalley
Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
What if your devastating break-up became this summer’s hit single? In this rock-and-roll retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, music can either bring you together or tear you apart.
At her dying mother’s request, Claire dumps Jared, the only boy she’s ever loved. Left with a broken family and a broken heart, Claire is furious when she discovers that her biggest regret became Jared’s big break. While Jared is catapulted into rock-star status, another piece of Claire’s heart crumbles every time his song plays on the radio.
The summer after her senior year, it’s been months since the big break-up, and Claire is just trying to keep her head down and make it through a tense trip to the beach with her family. But when Jared shows up, and old feelings reignite, can Claire and Jared let go of the past? Or will they be stuck singing the same old refrain?
Despite my lack of musicality (or perhaps because of it?), I always find myself intrigued by books about music, especially those featuring performers. Another Little Piece of My Heart is a great book for this, with Claire, the main character, being a performer aspiring toward stardom, and Jared, her ex-boyfriend, who has catapulted to fame.
I liked Claire, and I really felt for her. I enjoyed the cast of characters over all. This was another YA/NA hybrid type of title, with Claire having just graduated high school and dealing with the “what’s next?” question, while other characters were college students. This is a book about a romantic relationship, but it’s also a book about family. Claire is still dealing with the loss of her mother, and what she feels is a betrayal from her father who has lost the money for her college tuition and is shacking up with his assistant.
On the romantic front, I really did wish for Claire and Jared to work things out. You see how they were as a couple before all this mess, and they had such a great relationship. Throughout the book, even at their worst, the two have great chemistry. There was a little bit too much avoiding each other and acting out instead of actually having a conversation for my liking, but I managed to ignore it enough to truly enjoy the story. I liked that both Claire and Jared felt like the injured parties, and that there was a truth to that. Neither one of them were wholly responsible for what happened to their relationship, so it was easy to see that once they accepted responsibility and atoned for their actions, they could make a good couple once again. What’s interesting is that it could go either way: throughout the book you’re never sure if they’ll actually reach this point.
This was a really fun title, a book about music, boys, family, and growing up. It was a great mix of lightheartedness and more heavy emotions. If you’re looking for a sweet summer tale to read while attempting to beat the winter blues, be sure to check out Another Little Piece of My Heart.
The Cover:
Love!!
Rating:
[4/5]Purchase Links:
Kobo | Barnes & Noble | Amazon.com | Amazon.ca
This book looks so fun! It's definitely on my winter tbr, and I like that you mentioned that it's a good title to help beat the winter blues. The romantic chemistry sounds good too. I saw that this is a retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion?
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