36146624Title: You’d Be Mine

Author: Erin Hahn (Debut)

Genre: YA Contemporary

Release Date: April 2nd 2019 from Wednesday Books

Format: Kindle ARC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goodreads Synopsis: 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. 

When I saw this book on NetGalley, the cover looked adorable and looked into its plot. I’ve never been much of a country music person. I know some history on the genre and I do like some artists, but it’s never been a genre I listen to all the time. But I figured “why not?” and requested it. Since it’s not out until April, I figured a mini review was more appropriate, especially since contemporaries are usually pretty straightforward 🙂

PROS

  • Look into fame: With Clay being a superstar and Annie’s parents being country music royalty, this book doesn’t shy away from the darker side of fame. There’s a lot of substance abuse, sleeping around, hiding your true self and also other personal pains that come along with being famous. I liked how honest and sad fame can really be. It really gave a good foundation to both Clay and Annie’s characters.
  • Fun music references: If you’re a major country music fan, you need to read this! From Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Kenny Rodgers and all kinds of other fun music references, this book was pure musical fun. The way the author writes their stage moments was very cute and gave awesome vibes. You’ll have even more fun if you love the genre.
  • Capturing Attraction: The way the chemistry develops between Annie and Clay was so sweeping and reminded me of how teens can be during a summer. It even reminded me of how June Carter and Johnny Cash fell in love (it was quite a whirlwind romance for them) and the way they became attracted to each other was just enjoyable. They do become attracted fairly quickly, but with all the great things happening (gaining national attention and the tour going well) around them, it didn’t bother me. Their roller coaster relationship was real and felt like it was true to life.
  • Tough Topics: Both protagonists suffer from painful pasts, from deaths in the family, drugs and other difficult subjects. Don’t let the summery cover fool you. I also appreciate the pain the author weaves into the dialogue and the character’s actions as well. This is a more hard hitting contemporary that draws upon these raw emotions very well.

CONS

  • Pacing: For some reason, I felt like at times the pacing was either too fast or felt like it was longer than it actually was. Some moments seemed to skim over some moments that had potential for more emotion. Then at times some scenes were too long, making some more raw moments later too short. It was a mixed bag for me.
  • Not completely likable: While I liked both protagonists fine, I don’t think they will stick with me. Annie is likable in some ways, with trying to figure out her feelings for Clay and the painful past of her parents and their fame. But I would think that will all that happened to her, she wouldn’t be as willing to fall for Clay like she did. I thought she’d be a bit smarter. For Clay, while I get that his behavior is understandable with how he hides from his problems and his substance problems, but I still didn’t like him sometimes. I didn’t have enough moments to build a foundation to care about him like Annie. While they do have good character development by the end, they didn’t completely make their way into my heart.
  • Personal Preference: I will list this here, but I honestly didn’t like the profanity in this book. It’s something I don’t like but it didn’t affect my rating.

Overall: While this was an enjoyable contemporary, I wasn’t completely blown away. I liked the country music references, the darker side of fame and personal pain as well as the wonderful cover. It was a solid debut and I will read the author’s next book. But the characters didn’t completely stick with me and the pacing was a mixed bag. But if you love country music, as well as books that deal with tougher subjects, I would check this book out.

Rating: .75 stars

Have you read this book? Have you heard of it? What books that feature music do you enjoy? Let me know in the comments!