Ladies and Gentleman, I’m here to announce that You’d be mine is coming out today!
I’ve sat on this book for MONTHS trying to get my words together, trying to understand what I actually thought about it and I think I finally am able to do so and just in time!
What took me so long? I had too many emotions about this book, good and bad, but mostly I needed to prove myself with something that only time would tell and I wasn’t wrong.
So where to start? I think need to write a disclaimer first.
I love music, I enjoy it deeply, and Country is one of my favourite genres. I’m not, however, one of those people that can’t live without music, religiously carrying headphones with them or always blasting something in their ears. I’m the type of listener that get fixated with songs or albums and start listening to them in a loop until I know them so deeply that they become white noise.
That said I have enjoyed this book, It shines a light in the ugly and shiny parts of the life on the other side, the backstage and onstage life.
There is some crude aspects in the entertainment industry where you play a persona and nothing else matter to a lot of people, and you only need to remember who you are because no one else will.
I found this book way heavier than the romantic fresh frame it was planned to have. I feel like it should come with some trigger warnings, some pretty big ones if I am to be honest.
But let’s shine a light on it and let’s start with what I loved before getting into more details, shall we?.
- PUTS COUNTRY ROAD ON PLAY
Annie Mathers is America’s sweetheart and heir to a country music legacy full of all the things her Gran warned her about. Superstar Clay Coolidge is most definitely going to end up one of those things.
But unfortunately for Clay, if he can’t convince Annie to join his summer tour, his music label is going to drop him. That’s what happens when your bad boy image turns into bad boy reality. Annie has been avoiding the spotlight after her parents’ tragic death, except on her skyrocketing YouTube channel. Clay’s label wants to land Annie, and Clay has to make it happen.
Swayed by Clay’s undeniable charm and good looks, Annie and her band agree to join the tour. From the start fans want them to be more than just tour mates, and Annie and Clay can’t help but wonder if the fans are right. But if there’s one part of fame Annie wants nothing to do with, it’s a high-profile relationship. She had a front row seat to her parents’ volatile marriage and isn’t interested in repeating history. If only she could convince her heart that Clay, with his painful past and head over heels inducing tenor, isn’t worth the risk.
So, what do I love about this book? I love that the author gifted us with a double point of view, it allowed me to sympathise with characters I otherwise wouldn’t have, why? Because the characters in this story are onions! They have layers and public personas and more layers, they have traumas and charm and charisma and chips and crepe and it’s ok, they are human, they are young but way older than they should be, they are deep thrown into this wide-scale industry full of big names where everyone is tempting them with one or the other vice and not everyone can be strong, hell knows if I don’t know something about it! Clay is running from himself, he’s lost and clueless; Annie is done, a bundle of phobias and fears a set line of self-imposed don’ts that prevent her to ever step out of line. He’s using the damned way to run from his demons she’s using the merry way to stay away from hers, they are the Ying to their Yang and together they’ll find a balance that it’s actually quite perfect.
I Loved how in this book Love takes the centre stage and then bows and take a step aside for self-growth and self-love. I love how they need to be a better person for themselves in order to be so for each other, I just really liked it. It lightened up my Sunday and It trapped me from the very beginning.
I loved the alternate chapters, I think it was the best choice ever, It helped us have an insight on a character that, otherwise, would’ve been simply judged and not truly understood. As well as open our eyes to grief, sorrow and loss.
This book made me cry, swoon and feel so much, so… why only 3.5 stars?
[SPOILER- ISH]
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I blame it on the ending.
After months I have Just realised I don’t miss it, I don’t have a clear image in my mind of it, it wasn’t epic, it wasn’t THAT BOOK that I will remember when I think about my books of 2019, that ending felt bland, almost anticlimactic, It was nice as a thought and I applaud the virtue behind it, but didn’t feel like in par with the rollercoaster that was the rest of the book! And that, for me, is the difference between a memorable book and… well, a not so memorable one.
4/5 ☆
WOULD I RECOMMEND IT?
Yes, why not? It’s cute, it’s pretty and It’s well thought, I think a lot of people would love it, especially if they read it while listening to country music!
The e-copy of this book was gifted to me on Netgallery in exchange for an honest review