More Than Music (Chasing the Dream, #1) by Elizabeth Briggs
Romance Contemporary/NA
E book, 199 pages
June 13, 2014
Self Published
Reviewed by Tori
Favorite Quote: “Maybe it’s time you stopped running and fight for what you want.”
Maddie Taylor is a music major in her third year of college. All set to intern with the LA Philharmonic Orchestra, she has her summer pretty much mapped out. Though she secretly dreams of playing guitar in a rock band, she knows her obligations and her mother’s expectations keep that door firmly closed.
Jared Cross has a reputation of being a player. He has been pushing his band towards stardom and when they are granted an audition for a reality based battle of the bands style show, Jared knows they have a solid chance of winning. But when his bass player quits abruptly, Jared sees all his dreams going up in smoke.
Until he hears Maddie play.
Jared asks Maddie to fill in for their audition for The Sound. As Maddie, Jared and the band work their way through bad mentors, incompatible songs, and jealous competitors, Maddie learns that love and rock & roll don’t always mix well.
I love a good bad boy rockstar story. The dynamic personalities and the push/pull relationship between the hero and heroine drags me in willingly. The romantic journey is often the compelling point but for me it’s what they do to finally prove their love is what pulls me into their sphere.
More Than Music is the first book in a new adult romantic contemporary series that revolves around an up and coming rock band-Villain Complex. Book one focuses on the developing relationship between two musicians who compete on a reality show together. Ms. Briggs uses her skills to paint an engaging and humorous coming of age story that addresses the expectations of ourselves, family, and the lengths one will go to for fame and fortune. Though told primary from the heroine’s viewpoint, we do get in depth dialogue between both protagonists, enabling the reader to get an entertaining story.
Heavily character driven, the story paces itself nicely, slowly revealing our protagonists’ backgrounds while building the storyline and subsequent romance. What makes this book more appealing is the maturity and straightforwardness of the protagonists. There are no dark or hidden secrets. The lack of over the top angst and emotional heaviness was refreshing.
The behind the scenes step by step look into a reality based show was interesting as Briggs delves into the competitiveness between the performers, the prima donna mentors, and often assumed but never voiced predetermined winners.
I enjoyed seeing Maddie gather her courage to take the plunge to live her fantasy. While she is a talented young woman, her strengths are buried beneath a deep well of vulnerability. Her mother’s issues concerning music and men have played a huge part in planning Maddie’ future. Being invited to audition and winning a spot on the show with the band is her dream come true. Plus, she’s always had a crush on Jared but assumed with his player status that he would never be interested in someone like her. Maddie tries to hide her attraction because she wants the band to win and doesn’t want any conflicts to ruin their chances.
“…I don’t know if I can do a casual hook up…”
Jared was a little harder to get a bead on, especially with the story being told by Maddie. We only see what she sees. There are essentially two Jareds-the rock star player before the camera and the quiet work focused Jared off camera that seduces Maddie with his soft words and kisses. Jared has worked hard to get his band where they are at now and his need to succeed wars with his need to see where things could go with Maddie. He gives off mixed signals which adds to the conflict.
“This was the trick to being an entertainer: pretending everything was great while your life was falling apart around you.”
The romance develops slowly between Maddie and Jared. In the the beginning, you get the feeling the attraction of Maddie’s end is her crush. It’s only when Maddie gets to know Jared, seeing a much different man than the one she’s used to hearing about, that her feelings and confusion deepens. Also, the reality show wants to play up Jared’s player status to encourage more viewers for the show so Maddie is hurt at times when she catches him flirting with fans. The chemistry between Maddie and Jared is potent and the forbidden aspect makes for some nice steamy inventive “quickies” around the studio.
”I’d lost myself in the show, in Jared, in the impossible dream and the beautiful lie.”
Lively secondary characters infuse the story with some humor and depth. Briggs’ tongue in cheek characterization of the reality show’s staff and contestants supplied some laughs and I couldn’t help but wonder who she modeled some of her characters after.
I did have a few qualms concerning the story. I wish we could have seen more interaction with Maddie’s mom and Jared’s parents. They all played a large role in the actions and career paths of their children and I found it odd that we barely interact with them. I felt the other band members weren’t as fleshed out as our protagonists but since this is a series, I suspect we eventually get to their individual stories. Also, the conflict was almost too predictable from the argument that forces our protagonists to look deep within themselves and make some hard choices to the rather pale ending.
Regardless of my misgivings, Elizabeth Briggs’ debut, More Than Music, is a quick comfortable read that is sure to appeal to music and reality show fans.
RATING: C+
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