Gripping, nostalgic, and a bit melancholy.  Brodie’s debut is an exceptionally executed, sweeping tale. 

 

Some books hit all the right notes.  The vivid writing style that paints a brilliant picture.  The richly developed, flawed yet real characters.  The pacing that gives you just what you need yet leaves you yearning for more.  That was this book.  Every note was perfectly harmonized and in sync, creating the loveliest of experiences. 

 

If Jane Quinn had a fan club, I’d be in it.  I felt deeply connected to her, and her lyrics resonated in my soul!  (Hers is an album that I would have played on repeat.)  Jane is full of tenacity and determination, a bit like myself.  Love and heartbreak are friends that catapult her song writing and make her both real and endearing.   

 

Jane is thrust into the music industry by chance at a folk music fest.  Jesse is a bit of a bad boy who’s already on track to stardom, and he is quickly mesmerized by Jane.  When the two connect, it’s kismet.  This book is like a time capsule back to the 70s music scene: sex, drugs, rock-n-roll…all with a side of patriarchy.  Jane’s story feels impeccably true to the folk-rock genre and the music industry of that time period. And it’s hard to reconcile that her story is fiction rather than biography.  

 

In the same vein as Taylor Jenkins Reid, Brodie’s writing is beautiful and breathtaking.  The way she paints a picture with words is truly masterful.   I know there has been some likening to Daisy Jones and the Six, which I can see.  But I see the connection between Brodie and Reid much broader.  They both have a way of capturing a story in vivid detail that is panoramic and sweeping.