Hey, everyone! How you've been? Well, I'm glad you're still dropping by my virtual abode. Today, I'm breaking my hiatus for a double book review. Yes, you heard that right! Two review in one blog post. So here it goes.
Title: Songs of Our Break-Up (Playlist #1)Author: Jay E. TriaGenre/s: NA Contemporary RomanceReleased Date: August 22, 2015Add to Goodreads TBR ListSynopsis:Every breakup has its playlist.How do you get over a seven-year relationship? 21-year-old Jill is trying to find out. But moving on is a harder job when Kim, her ex-boyfriend, is the lead guitarist of the band, and Jill is the vocalist. Every song they play together feels like slicing open a barely healed tattoo.Jill’s best friend Miki says she will be out of this gloom soon. Breakups have a probation period, he says. Jill is on the last month of hers and Miki is patiently keeping her company.But the real silver lining is Shinta. Having a hot Japanese actor friend in times like these is a welcome distraction. This gorgeous celebrity has been defying time zones and distance through the years to be there for Jill. Now he is here, physically present, and together he and Jill go through old lyrics, vivid memories, walks in the rain, and bottles of beer. Together they try to answer the question: what do you do when forever ends?
Review:
Songs of Our Break Up is the story of Jill, vocalist and guitarist of the indie band, Trainman, as she went through the three-months probation period of her break-up with their lead guitarist, Kim. Complicated, was a weak word to describe their relationship and Songs of Our Break-Up summed up, beautifully, the messy stages of moving on and falling in love again.
There were a lot of things I love about this book; the memorable characters, the silly bantering, the atmosphere of the indie music scene and the lyrics of Trainman's album. I wish the Trainman album was real because the lyrics just speaks volume. Even without the melody, it already has a huge effect on me. How much more if someone put some notes and sang it? I'd probably cry myself to sleep while listening to their album.
Jill was all of us as she went through the process of moving on, but failing a few times because she still has to be around her ex. Good thing she has Shinta (the super charming and handsome AF Japanese actor who used to be their fan but now, became their friend) and Miki (their rhythm guitarist and her best friend who is secretly in love with her). Between the two, I'm rooting for Miki. It was heart-breaking to see his efforts were disregarded yet he's still waiting in the wings. But Shinta is awesome, too, don't get me wrong. He was the sliver of Japanese sunshine in Jill's gloomy world.
I was a bit confused with the non-linear narration, though. I guess, I'm just not used to it and it sometimes threw me off of my reading trance. But that's just a minor issue. Overall, it was a good and unique contemporary story that I would highly recommend to anyone who likes contemporary story about music and moving on.
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P.S.
Also watch this live reading of Songs of Our Break-Up because if you're not yet convinced by my review, I'm sure this will.
Review:Title: Songs to Get Over You (Playlist #2)Author: Jay E. Tria
Genre/s: NA Contemporary Romance
Released Date: February 29, 2016Add to Goodreads TBR ListBuy on Amazon | BuqoSynopsis:
It's harder to get over someone who was never really yours.They say rock stars get all the girls. But Miki knows that's not always true. He, for one, though the guitarist of popular indie band Trainman, just can't seem to get the girl. It's kind of his fault, really. No one told him to fall in love with Jill. No one told him to stand still and watch as she moved on from a terrible breakup into the arms of another guy—a Japanese celebrity with the face of an angel and the body of a god.So when someone else comes along, someone who finds him cute, smart, and funny (sometimes in the haha sort of way), will Miki finally move on? Or will he continue to pine for Jill?
When I heard that the second book in the Playlist series is Miki's story, I immediately squee. I love Miki but I pity his unrequited love for Jill. He's such a caring and loving guy and he doesn't deserve to be in the friend-zone. Good thing, Ana saved him from that place.
"She's cute and perky and obviously socially adept." Jill paused as she processed this. "She's like the anti-me. That's so strange. But then she's also tall and skinny and moves like a boy, like me." - Songs of Our Break-Up
Ana was Miki's classmate in one of his elective classes in college. She's a CPA and loves to work as a corporate slave. She's not the anti-Jill for me now that I read this story, I think she's the version of a left-brain-dominant Jill that doesn't have hung-ups and emotional baggage. She's pretty cool, sweet and patient. She knew Miki's secret feelings for Jill and she waited and taught him how to break the habit of pining for his best friend.
Their relationship was more realiztic than the first book but is as beautiful. I was really happy that Miki finally found someone. Overall, it's a swoon-worthy sequel to the Playlist series.
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About the Author:
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Hi! I'm a writer of contemporary Young Adult and New Adult romance. These days I'm writing paranormal/fantasy too, and it's a fun exercise. I'm often inspired by daydreams, celebrity crushes, a childhood fascination of Japanese drama and manga, and an incessant itch to travel.
