REVIEW: Girls with Bad Reputations by Xio Axelrod

OUR REVIEW:

I read the first book in this series, The Lillys, and I super enjoyed it so when I saw book two on NetGalley, I requested it. In this second book about the members of the badass girl band, The Lillys, we get to know the drummer, Kayla, and the man who ends up being their tour bus driver, Ty. While they come from seemingly different backgrounds, they bond over their favorite books and music. Their love story takes place over the course of two festival touring circuits, with family drama and former bandmate drama weaving in and out of their narratives. Kayla has been hiding what she's doing from her family because she fears their reaction and is trying to avoid a fight. Ty, meanwhile, is doing his best to take care of and support his only real family member, his grandpa, while grappling with the guilt and horror and anger he has after he was falsely accused of plagiarism and assault. Needless to say, both Kayla and Ty are working through some things and it's interesting to see how they begin to lean on each other and the band as they figure things out. Their love story is sweet and gentle and fun.

In addition to their story, the story of the band is equally engaging. I am very curious about Tiff and Lilly, as well as what's going to happen with Candi and their record label. Their band seems like they're on the cusp of mega stardom while their label seems intent on making every step of their rise to fame incredibly difficult, which makes zero sense....something I'm sure will be addressed in later novels.

All in all a great read that has me eager for the rest of the series. 

 BUY IT: https://amzn.to/48lQahY

SYNOPSIS:

"Hot chemistry, fantastic writing, realistic character flaws, triumphs, and family drama—Xio Axelrod never misses a beat! GIRLS WITH BAD REPUTATIONS is one you don't want to miss!" —Rebecca Yarros, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author

All her life, Kayla heard the same refrain: Don't be so loud. Don't act so wild. Don't take up so much space. Now she's the beating heart of an up-and-coming rock band…and the whole world is going to know her name.

Once upon a time, the pressure to be the perfect daughter nearly broke Kayla Whitman. Desperate to find an outlet away from her controlling mother, she picked up a pair of drumsticks, forever altering the rhythm of her life. Since then, she's been determined to make her own way, finding her home with her bandmates even as she fights to keep her past and her present firmly separate.

Things were simple enough when the Lillys were playing local gigs at dive bars, but now they're on their first official tour—and all Kayla can see are warning signs. Desperate to escape the worry churning inside her, Kayla finds solace in quiet tour bus driver Ty Baldwin…and discovers in him a kindred spirit like no one she's ever met before.

Their connection is immediate and intense, but when increasing scrutiny from the press threatens to destroy Ty's newfound peace and Kayla's carefully guarded secrets, Kayla's forced to make an impossible choice: pursue her dream and risk destroying everyone around her? Or give in and lose the chance of ever becoming the person she's always known she could be.

REVIEW: Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez

OUR REVIEW:

Just like all of the other Abby Jimenez novels I've read, I zoomed through this one; she has a knack for creating characters and scenarios that pull you in and make you care about their plights. In the case of Just for the Summer, Justin and Emma find each other via a funny story on Reddit and end up connecting through their similar dating stories. What starts out as a one off DM turns into several DMs that then turn into conversations and a suggestion that they try to break the dating curse they both seem to be under. Without a doubt, it's obvious that they're meant to be together and while I think Justin realizes that from the beginning, it takes Emma quite a bit of time to work through her denial. To say she has trust issues is probably the biggest understatement anyone could make, but it's accurate and understandable, as you get to know her story. 

Justin is created to be adored, in my opinion. He's considerate and fun and loving and attentive and really all the things anyone could ask for in a boyfriend. And while Emma is empathetic and caring and up for anything, her inability to let anyone in makes her mildly infuriating. Don't get me wrong, I understand why she does what she does but it's hard to see her denying what's right in front of her. 

These two characters have it anything but easy and yet they persevere and persist and you can't help but root for them the entire time. You know, absolutely know, that their love story is going to hurt before it's all said and done and yet you can't look away from it. You have to know how it's going to implode and how they'll make it back together. 

I really enjoyed their story, and all of the baggage and weight that they carry (Abby Jimenez is nothing if not consistent when it comes to giving her characters something to grapple with), their ability to work through it, and of course the connections that Justin and Emma have with all of the previous books. Funny and sad and infuriating and loveable--you're going to enjoy these two and their HEA.

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/49hmYu3

SYNOPSIS:

A sharp and scintillating summer novel that will make readers laugh out loud and cry happy tears from the New York Times bestselling author of Yours Truly.

Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it's now all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When a woman slides into his DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They'll date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other’s out, and they’ll both go on to find the love of their lives. It’s a bonkers idea… and it just might work. 

Emma hadn't planned that her next assignment as a traveling nurse would be in Minnesota, but she and her best friend agree that dating Justin is too good of an opportunity to pass up, especially when they get to rent an adorable cottage on a private island on Lake Minnetonka.

It's supposed to be a quick fling, just for the summer. But when Emma's toxic mother shows up and Justin has to assume guardianship of his three siblings, they're suddenly navigating a lot more than they expected--including catching real feelings for each other. What if this time Fate has actually brought the perfect pair together?