April 1, 2013 by Tina Williams

Drummer Girl by Bridget Tyler

Fast and Frenetic Coming of Age Story for Ages 14+

A Reader’s Review was lucky to be sent two proof copies of this forthcoming release, to provide an honest review. The book is scheduled for publication this coming May. Both Caroline and I have reviewed the book, outlining our different opinions and perspectives on the story for our readers to compare.

Tina’s Review (scroll down for Caroline’s review which follows on from this).

Drummer Girl by Bridget Tyler is a fast and frenetic coming of age novel that will appeal to many readers. It centres on a girl band Crush, who wins a competition to go to Los Angeles, with the opportunity to make it big on the music scene.

The book opens with a bang, on the aftermath of a shocking murder. It then rewinds to eight months earlier, to St Gabriel’s Sixth Form, London, where we witness a disparate group of girls come together, at the suggestion of fellow pupil, Harper McKenzie, to form a band. Their aim, in which they are successful, is to win Project Next, a television talent show with the dream prize of going to LA to win the final heat of the competition at the end of the summer and secure their rock and roll future.

It soon becomes clear however, that Harper’s main motivation for creating the band and winning Project Next, is the desire to be reunited with bad boy Rafe Jackson, who lives in LA and whose father Peter is involved in the competition. This creates a fair amount of friction from the start and plays a key role in the development of the plot. The girls face a world of limousines, designer clothes, personal stylists, parties and temptations they have never experienced before. They must also strive to ensure that their ability to make music remains at the forefront of their minds, when struggling with a host of competing issues, including drug addiction, body image, alcohol, sex and the trials of young love. There are also a number of secrets kept by some of the characters, which combine with a series of events which lead to the dire consequences at the conclusion of the book.

Lucy, the drummer in the band, is the central character, although we also get to know the trials, hopes and dreams of her four friends, Harper, the lead singer, Toni, the bass player, Robyn on guitar and Iza on piano. The personalities of the girls vary, but all have their own personal demons to battle with whilst they are on the cusp of adulthood. Lucy, the most grounded of them all, strives to keep the band together and prevent it from self-destructing in the face of the mounting pressures of making it big in Hollywood. The friendship between Lucy and Harper, which has its ups and downs, is one of the main themes of the plot.

There are a number of supporting characters, such as Rafe, Harper’s love interest, and others, including Jason, the band’s manager, Alexander, the band’s music producer and Tomas, who deals drugs. A romance between one of the secondary characters, Skye and the minor character Cesar pulled at my heartstrings a great deal.

When I picked up this novel I did not expect to enjoy it as much as I did, simply because I am not a big fan of celebrity culture and TV talent shows. However, the focus is very much on the characterisations and the evolving plot; the trappings of wealth and celebrity culture serve to bring the issues facing the central characters into sharper focus. Also Bridget Tyler writes in such a way that I was quickly drawn into the world she creates. I developed a great deal of empathy for the young women and the other characters she portrays, in what I found to be an emotional and entertaining read.

The author is a screenwriter and I think this comes across in her writing in a positive way as it swiftly draws you into key scenes which highlight the world the girls find themselves in and the group dynamics at play. Every scene counts and the novel could quite easily be made into a film or TV series. Such is the richness of the tale, there is plenty of scope for the author to pen further novels, based on the characters in Drummer Girl. I do hope that she writes a follow up, if only to expand on a burgeoning romance for Lucy, which is introduced at the conclusion. Whilst I would recommend this novel primarily for teenagers or young adults, I feel that adults too would also enjoy it as it deals with universal issues that affect people of all ages in an exciting and engaging plot that keeps you guessing.

Reviewed by Tina Williams, A Reader’s Review Blog

Review below by Caroline Barker, A Reader’s Review Blog

Teenage girls, music, competitions, friendships, romances, alcohol, drugs and a whole load of other trouble is what ‘Drummer Girl’ is from beginning to end. I can see this being a really popular novel, especially for those between the ages of 14 and 18. It is a coming of age story where the characters want popularity, success and romance. However, they all soon discover that life has its fair share of danger and there are some adult themes covered, such as drugs, alcohol and young girls being taken advantage of.

Lucy, Harper, Toni, Robyn and Iza are Crush. The band enters a contest, Project Next, similar to that as The X Factor, and after winning the semi-finals in London they are given the chance to go to Hollywood for the summer to compete in the final. This alone causes family rifts and after reaching L.A. there is a great deal of pressure for the girls to not only work hard, but to party hard too.

Lucy Gosling, the ‘Drummer Girl’, is a nice character. At the age of 17 she is doing well at school with ambition to go further at Oxford. However, joining Crush and entering Project Next with her school friends is a dream come true. She is a clever, sensible teenager that craves fun and excitement with the hope of fame and success. Her only real problem is her best friend, Harper McKenzie.

Harper is an American girl – the other members of Crush are from London – and she can think very highly of herself and will do almost anything to get what she wants. She is the lead singer of the band. There is some history between Lucy and Harper as Harper and her ex-boyfriend, Rafe, caused a great deal of trouble for Lucy. Trouble that Lucy’s parents could not forgive Harper for. I found Harper to be a very irritating character and I could not warm to her at all.

Lucy begins to get suspicious of Harper’s reasons for forming a band and competing as when they arrive in Hollywood they soon meet up with Rafe and his new girlfriend, Skye. Is Harper still in love with Rafe? Is this the only reason why Harper set up Crush? Will more trouble lie ahead?

The introduction of the story begins with Harper’s body floating in a swimming pool surrounded by her blood. We then go back to the previous eight months that lead up to her death and begin with the band forming and competing in Project Next.

During the beginning chapters of ‘Drummer Girl’ I found the story to be unfolding quite slowly, and with Harper being so annoying I found it difficult to carry on reading. However, I did persevere and once the band reached L.A. I found that the story quickened it’s pace and the reader was introduced to more characters and a darker plot. I then needed to carry on reading to find out what had happened to Harper and to follow the girls’ adventure throughout the Project Next contest.

I have mixed emotions about this novel. On the one hand, if reading this book as a young teenager I think this book is a good read with friendship troubles, romance and the dream of becoming a rock star. You are just beginning to understand the dangers in life and this book is an introduction to some of them.

However on the other hand, from an adults point of view, there are moments when I feel that some issues are too adult for it’s audience but written in an almost nonchalant way. For example, when Harper’s body is dead in the swimming pool, at the beginning of the novel, Lucy is looking at the colour of her blood and thinking that Harper would have liked that colour nail varnish! I thought a teenage girl would freak at the image of her best friend’s body, lying lifeless in front of her. I also feel that more thought has gone into keeping the atmosphere of this book light. If this is the case, then maybe the drugs, alcohol and other adult themes shouldn’t be mentioned.

On the whole, ‘Drummer Girl’ is a good Hollywood Dream story, aimed mostly at teenage girls, with some fun characters and is a light-hearted read with some darker topics woven in. It can be likened to High School Musical, mixed with The X-Factor with the added bonus of real adventure and great ordeals. For fans of the novel, it would definitely be interesting to follow Lucy to the next stage of her life as she is a great role model and character.

Thanks to Templar Publishing for providing A Reader’s Review with Bridget Tyler’s novel, ‘Drummer Girl’ in return for an honest and fair review.

Reviewed by Caroline Barker

Cover art by Will Steele

Templar Publishing Website

March 6, 2013 by Tina Williams

Luscious and Lethal (The Gilded River Chronicles), by Mary Raimes Curtis

Luscious and Lethal is the first in a The Gilded River Chronicles by Mary Raimes Curtis. It is a great book to curl up with and contains a lively romance between two complex individuals, set against the ever present threat of sinister events on the shores of the Atlantic. This novel is the second I have read by the author, the first being Tamed by the Hawk, a historical novel, which I also enjoyed.

In Luscious and Lethal plus size supermodel Dani Renaldo has taken refuge in her rural property at Jancy’s Cove, after the fallout from her bitter and public divorce from her abusive and cheating ex husband and the loss of her unborn baby. She hopes to regain her emotional strength and also develop a new business venture with her friend Jay, which she hopes will help compensate for her financial losses after her divorce and give her a new focus.

It is not long before Dani meets Simon Morse, in an angry and emotionally charged confrontation, in which they trade insults. Not only is Simon, her neighbour, somewhat reclusive, but he is also the business partner of a local woman, Laura, who Dani wants to do business with. Despite their bad start, they strike up a friendship and Dani tentatively opens up to him about her abusive marriage and her past. There is strong mutual attraction and they embark on a sexual relationship. Whilst Dani is sensitive and finds it hard to trust, Simon fights his own demons due to events in his own past and finds it hard to commit. There is great banter between the two of them as they navigate their way through a physical and emotional entanglement that neither expected nor know what to do with!

Dani ploughs ahead with her new business venture. However, her peace and tranquillity are periodically shattered by phone calls from her greedy and sadistic ex husband, who demands yet more money and will sink to even greater depths to secure it. There is also someone prowling around her property and a mysterious boat comes in and out of the cove at night. Events become more and more sinister as the plot unravels.

This novel has an engaging romance at is heart and the author’s characterisations of the main couple, Dani and Simon are excellent. Both the hero and heroine have their own issues to come to terms with and I liked how they helped each other to do this. It was sometimes a rocky road for them and sparks flew on more than one occasion. Neither of them is perfect, Dani appears to blow hot and cold and Simon is sometimes a little thoughtless in what he says. But perfect characters would make for a very boring read! It is their road to redemption and future happiness we are interested in and it was heart warming to see how their relationship solidified throughout the novel. There were also plenty of intimate moments shared between the main couple, which I like to see in my romances! A secondary romance featuring Laura and Jay, who are interesting characters in themselves is also featured. The local community contains a wealth of colourful supporting characters, which I hope to see later on in this series.

The suspense element was ever present and well paced. Due to Dani’s ex husband, the prowler and the goings on at night in the cove with the boat, as a reader I was never sure where the next threat would come from. Danger was always lurking in the background before coming to the fore. I would have liked to see a little more emphasis on the role of Dani’s ex husband in the plot, but saying this there was plenty to engage the reader without this element being strengthened further. I was also pleased that the suspense did not overshadow the romance.

I liked the author’s descriptions of the natural environment, encompassing the sea, the shoreline and the tranquillity of the green interior. The author also refers, through the characters, to the healing powers of nature and small town communities. I was awed by the descriptions of the yummy dishes consumed by the characters and wish that I had a man in my life who could cook as well as Jay or Simon! Knitting and cats, as well as a very special dog also make appearances in the tale.

I recommend this book to lovers of romantic suspense, contemporary romance and chick lit.

Author’s website www.maryraimescurtis.com

Publisher’s website www.museituppublishing.com

Cover art by kind permission of Marion Sipe www.marionsipe.blogspot.com

February 14, 2013 by Tina Williams

Book Review of The Fall of the Misanthrope. I bitch, therefore I am, by Louise Wise

Romancing the Dark Side of Chick-Lit

I read Louise Wise’s sci-fi romance Eden, last year and really liked her voice. I was intrigued by the title of her more recent publication, The Fall of the Misanthrope. I bitch, therefore I am, especially with its billing as a ‘dark chick-lit!’ Misanthrope is a deeply romantic and insightful tale, which deals with difficult issues and the healing power of love. It is also very humorous and made me laugh out loud on more than one occasion!

In the novel,Valerie Anthrope (Miss Anthrope – I loved the pun) is a young woman who runs a financial brokerage. Valerie is not only serious minded and hard working but, she can also be a bit of a bitch. She lives alone and keeps herself to herself, concluding that it is best not to care for anyone. There nevertheless resides within her a deep sadness and vulnerability.

In steps Ellen Semple, a missionary worker returned from abroad, who, in true ‘fairy godmother’ form resolves to make Valerie her next ‘project. Ellen senses something is not quite right with Valerie and does her best to bring light into her darkness. She secures part-time employment in Valerie’s small office. Then, believing that Valerie’s outlook is due to financial difficulties, she persuades her nephew Lex Kendal, a successful businessman, to put a large contract her way. When she sees that Lex is intrigued by Valerie, she warns him off her, believing that Valerie is too fragile to handle Lex’s ‘love’em and leave ‘em philosophy.’ Yet Lex does not take no for an answer, and Valerie falls for him. When she discovers that he is Ellen’s nephew, a fact that they deliberately hid from her, she feels deceived, let down and deeply wounded. To protect herself from future hurt she dumps Lex, almost as soon as their affair has begun.

Yet it is too late, Valerie’s armour has begun to crack and she starts to unravel and descend into depression, the dark dreams she has been having since childhood intensifying. It is from this moment that the novel, much of which has been light hearted, becomes darker, yet humour still abounds. I am glad to say that the tale did reach a satisfying conclusion. The prologue and the epilogue also contain an unexpected twist and make the reader question both fate and free will.

Valerie is complex, early childhood events having shaped her into the woman she is. Indeed, she is ‘stuck’ in the past and needs to let go. The hard face she presents is very much a façade to protect herself from future hurt and loss. The circumstances surrounding Lex’s and Ellen’s deceit unlock her emotions, giving her a chance to face them and heal herself.

Lex, a divorced single parent is a loveable rogue. He is attracted to Valerie and decides to make her one of his many conquests. He has never really grown up. However, Lex becomes smitten with Valerie, who is so unlike his usual women and her prickly nature is a challenge he wants to win. At first he is not thinking long term, but he soon realises how vulnerable she is and wants to help. He finds that he is very much in love with her. I found their developing relationship believable and touching.

The character of Ellen is pivotal. It is Ellen who decides to turn Valerie’s life around. She starts by making small changes in the office, trying to draw Valerie out in conversations and encouraging her to socialise. Oh, and she also introduces her to Lex! The secondary characters of Tim and Paul, Valerie’s employees are also supportive of her. Tim in particular is also very protective, knowing of her history.

I feel that anyone who has experienced anxiety or depression due to past trauma, or is close to someone who has, will find that this book deals sensitively with the subject. It also illustrates the redeeming power of love. Despite the serious subject matter, Misanthrope is a very funny love story, the humour ranging from light to dark. The author’s descriptions of how Ellen bursts into Valerie’s ‘grey’ world and adds shades of colour to it are hilarious, as is the banter between Valerie and Lex and her reaction to his tried and tested seduction techniques.

Louise Wise is a British author and, like Eden, the novel has a British feel. I again found her voice fresh and original and I was immediately intrigued by the characters and quickly drawn into the plot – it would make an excellent screenplay with the right cast. I recommend this book to all romance lovers, not just those who enjoy contemporary romance or chick-lit.