Book Review – Sheet Music: A Rock ‘N’ Roll Love Story by Ann Lister

Sheet Music – A Rock ‘N’ Roll Love Story
A couple of weekends ago, I went on another “rock star book” hunt, and I found a bunch (all nicely loaded into my iPad). None of them are “main stream” or very popular (some didn’t even have reviews yet), but that’s okay. There’s a “first time” for everything (and some of my favorite books recently, have been relatively unknown).  Each of my “finds” had a synopsis that tickled my fancy, (you know… the whole, normal girl accidentally runs into her favorite star or, maybe even someone she doesn’t personally recognize) but quickly gets caught up in the whirlwind of insecurities and fangirl crushes that go along with dating a rock star. So it was good enough for me.

I’ve actually already read a few, and the majority of them are worthy of a review (a few… not so much). One I couldn’t finish – there was NO swooning over that jerk of a rock star, and one had a GREAT start, but again, the rockstar was wayyyy to obnoxious. While I like a little “game” playing, and emotional heart tugging angst, (and I like to joke that I’m a sucker for punishment), I do have my limits. And a few of these… *eeeek!*. Rockstar nightmares!! I think I’d rather run into a bloodthirsty vampire, and take my chances. Hehe. Maybe I’ll review ’em anyway, for the “fun of it”. But I need to get over them first.

Which brings me to this book (quick note – I got the ebook bargain priced – the paperback, however, is quite expensive).

So. I found this book about… Rockstars. Yay! Read the premise. Fluffy read. Double Yay!!! Read the book, and crashed (in a sort of *good* way, though). Lots of bubble gum potential and sigh-inducing moments, but intertwined with crazy and angsty downward spirals. And not the cute and easily fixable angst either. Really difficult life moments, and adult choices that, really when you think of it, what would you do?

And so, as I often do with books that make me feel, I work out my book-feelings in morning chats with Lily:

Maryse: I read this tragic and long book this weekend. It was so good that it sucked me in – another 4am’er. Then when I finally went to bed and I couldn’t sleep ’cause I was dreaming if it.

It was a romance but along the lines of Jamie and Claire (in the Outlander series) but for rockstars. You know, without the actual “adventures’ but still some pretty scandalous life stuff. “Michael” the rock star would do and say the most amazing things… and then he’d turn around and screw it all up.

And the main girl (Annie) – she drove me crazy too… but I dunno. The book tried to kill me and turned me in to a useless blob for the weekend. I LOVED it. And hated it. Only 3 other reviews for it, and all three are spot on.

Lily:  really? So tell me what its about.

Maryse:  Okay, so the book is about a girl with an unknown band that garners a place in a “Battle of the Bands”. A famous band is sponsoring the contest, and each member of  this popular rock band is assigned to mentor one of the “battle bands” for the remainder of the competition. Her band gets the lead guitarist. He’s her idol and she’s in *fangirl* love w/ him. Sounded like your typical fluff-candy romance, and I was all excited!

And he shows up – instant heat between the two – he cant stop staring at her. His own band mates can tell he’s too much into her and warn him – don’t screw this up or her band’ll be disqualified and we’ll be sued (some kind of legal contract not to become personally involved with any of the bands – just mentoring)

Lily:  ah

Maryse:  well he cant help himself

Lily:  of course not!

Maryse:  and he visits her at night – and they totally TOTALLY fall in love. It’s awesome, still fluffy. Trying to hide it at “work”. Lots of seduction but you can tell – he’s not just trying to get in her pants, but in public they don’t even talk or try not to – but everyone can tell. And anytime some guy comes up to her (for example – his singer who likes to egg him on) and flirts with her like crazy, it makes Michael the “guitar god” see red, so some hot typical romance fare there too.

Well, she officially tells him no more cause she can’t help but fall for him even worse each time she sees him and it’s driving her crazy so she figures let’s sever this now while its not too bad and they do. But resistance is futile and keeps getting them into more and more trouble 😉

Lily:  oh wow!

While the adrenaline of the “new love” moments are intense, plentiful and perfect (and to top them off, they involve the heroine’s biggest crush, who just happens to be hugely famous), the dark moments are equally balanced. You’ll find yourself smiling, swooning, and elated, and then deeply perturbed, disturbed, saddened and irritated (oh yes, both heroine and hero can be exasperating in this one).

Maryse:  and bad stuff happens. Lots. Accidents, drugs, groupies, breakups and makeups, and that’s just the first quarter of the book.

Lily:  oh damn

Maryse:  the whole thing goes from fluffy and pretty and sweet and ahhhhh inducing to, OMG all hell has broken loose and how are they gonna get over this? hehehehehehheehe

Lily:  LOL… nice

Maryse:  yeah it’s a series of ups and downs – the ups are SO amazing,… very detailed… long days of fun and personal moments, and friends, and bonding, and then months of agony – and despair from one, or the other…

They both make some pretty ugly decisions. Stuff that *might* be fixable, but instead, gets worse. Ugh just pure darkness at times. But he could be SO pure, I loved him (and then, sometimes, hated him). Very human, but not necessarily a jerk. Anyway, it’s like that – very dark, and very light. Time apart – some therapeutic, some devastating.

And that’s it, I cant stop thinking about it – so here I go again…

Lily:  oh wow, I love when I read a book and cant stop thinking about it.

Maryse:  I started suspecting there might not be a happily ever after in this one. Might be one of those “hard lessons” book where you realize that sometimes love isn’t enough…

Lily:  but you got a HEA?

Maryse: not tellin’ 😉

I wasn’t sure if i was gonna review… some really difficult subject matter in this one.

Lily:  true

Maryse:  if you want fluff (and I often do) this ain’t it.

Lily:  right. I like the hard and gritty. I like when the relationship feels real and its not all puppy dogs and rainbows.

Maryse:  Yup and this is what it was.

Ahhhhh… that was therapeutic for me to get that book out on you. heheheh I feel much better. Darn thing!!!

Lily: I am you dark passenger. lol!

Did I love this book? Yes, I think I did. I couldn’t put it down all weekend. Was it worth the read now that I know all of the *stuff* I was in for? Yes, absolutely. Did I expect the *dark* moments to be so intense? No, and I’ll tell you, right now, it took me a few days to decide if I actually liked the book, let alone loved it. I enjoyed it, but was insecure about it. In reality, maybe it wasn’t as *dark* as I felt it to be, but I literally spent my life in that book for two whole days, and it tore me apart. I was them. The writing was such that I was sucked right in. But it’s been two weeks, and I’ve gotten over the dark moments and can be more rational about it. Oh and it didn’t help that I read a “vague” review (I avoid reviews like the plague usually but *woops*) and I misinterpreted something the reviewer said, which in turn, had me nervous (which might have amplified my leery mood while reading this).

If you’re in the mood for a fairly long read, that touches on darker realities (and not just the blissful sweetness of new love and angry yet fluffy *issues* that arise in most of our romances), then, chances are, you’ll like this one too. Just come up for air every once in awhile. Or maybe… don’t. I feel like I got the full effect from reading it obsessively. Maybe that’s the point 😉

3.5 stars to 4 stars