Xio Axelrod

Her name's Antonia "Toni" Bennette (yeah, she's heard all the jokes before) and she's not a rock star. Neither are the Lillys--not yet. But the difference between being famous and being almost famous can be a single wrong note...or the start of something that'll change your life forever. Growing up in dive bars up and down the East Coast, Toni Bennette's guitar was her only companion...until she met Sebastian Quick. Seb was a little older, a lot wiser, and before long he was Toni's way out, promising they'd escape their stifling small town together. Then Seb turned eighteen and split without looking back. Now, Toni's all grown up and making a name for herself in Philadelphia's indie scene. When a friend suggests she try out for a hot new up-and-coming band, Toni decides to take a chance. Strong, feminist, and fierce as fire, Toni B. and the Lillys are the perfect match...except Seb's now moonlighting as their manager. Whatever. Toni can handle it. No problem. Or it wouldn't be if Seb didn't still hold a piece of her heart...not to mention the key to her future.

The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes

No pun intended but omg, this hit almost 

 all the right notes. Loveable, dynamic characters — including the villain. An engaging second chance romance plot that centered said amazing characters while also peeling back the curtain just the right amount on the music industry — and also, with no third act break up! Good writing that made me sigh plenty of times. My only complaints is that I could have used 

 more pining & angst. I mean, we were robbed — ROBBED — of a “Sebastian is jealous” scene. And also, the wrapping up of Toni’s relationship with her mother felt oddly jumbled. Minor flaws though, in a sweet, engaging romance!

Sharanya Sharma

No pun intended but omg, this hit almost exactly all the right notes. Loveable, dynamic characters — including the villain. An engaging second chance romance plot that centered said amazing characters while also peeling back the curtain just the right amount on the music industry — and also, with no third act break up! Good writing that made me sigh plenty of times. My only complaints is that I could have used a bit more pining & angst. I mean, we were robbed — ROBBED — of a “Sebastian is jealous” scene. And also, the wrapping up of Toni’s relationship with her mother felt oddly jumbled. Minor flaws though, in a sweet, engaging romance!

Kristen Claiborn

Recently, I have somehow managed to stumble across quite a few books about kids with garbage parents. I’m really not sure how that happens, but it does get frustrating to read a slew of books with similar storylines. The general theme is a kid manages to grow up and become relatively successful despite having parents that neither cared for them nor about them. The one follows that same storyline, but this one was also a cheesy romance, and since that happens to be one of my favorite genres, it didn’t irritate me like I expected it to. I also BLEW through this book, in well under the average amount of time it takes me to finish a novel, which tells me it’s more than just a good book. To be completely honest, however, I finished this one with unexpected time on my hands when the power went out during a particularly nasty and seemingly unending storm. Was it the book?? Or was it the lack of functioning electricity thus no television that propelled me towards the end? We’ll never know. 
	Axelrod’s writing was hilariously quirky in places and appropriately serious when it needed to be. It had the perfect balance between story and humor that kept me engaged throughout the entire story. With the exception of Toni’s parents, each character was well-written and likeable, even that druggie hot-mess of a celebrity. I found myself rooting for Toni’s success and hoping that Seb and Toni can overcome their shared history to forge a future together. At the end, I wanted to stand up and cheer, which is yet another sign this is a good book. 
	So the conclusion is that this is, indeed, a good book.

I was really surprised by this book. This book has been in my TBR stack for a long time and I finally picked it up to start reading and was blown away by how much I enjoyed it. I’ve been finding it really hard to connect with romance lately so this book was a breath of fresh air. The plot is interesting, the chemistry between the love interests is undeniable and I honestly couldn’t put it down. Even when certain moments were predictable I never found them cheesy. I would easily recommend this book to someone else and I am excited to read more by this author in the future.

Sydney Alston

I was really surprised by this book. This book has been in my TBR stack for a long time and I finally picked it up to start reading and was blown away by how much I enjoyed it. I’ve been finding it really hard to connect with romance lately so this book was a breath of fresh air. The plot is interesting, the chemistry between the love interests is undeniable and I honestly couldn’t put it down. Even when certain moments were predictable I never found them cheesy. I would easily recommend this book to someone else and I am excited to read more by this author in the future.




Ashley Shaw

** spoiler alert **
           I loved this book so much. The author did an amazing job of filling this book with such a diverse group of characters. The main character Toni is a black woman, other characters are in the LGBTQ+ community, there is a non-binary character, a few British men, a Scandinavian bombshell, a hot mess from old Texas money. There was something for everyone in this book. The author intertwined so many communities but was able to do it in a way that was authentic and didn’t seem to be pandering or like she was just trying to check off boxes on a check list to be politically correct. She wrote such unique personalities that worked so well together. I was rooting for the main characters Toni and Seb to figure their stuff out from the opening chapters. The way that the music and lyrics were written into the story made me feel like I could actually hear the song. 
All of that to say, I cannot recommend this book enough. I know this will find its way to my re-read pile for sure.

Melissa Clark 

An amazing journey about finding yourself, old love and relaxing the past all with music at the heart 

b.andherbooks

I read The Girl With Stars in Her Eyes on my little getaway, and the author's knowledge of the music industry and love of music is a standout here, and the writing makes you hear music.

I personally wanted the romance arc to be more central but that's typical for me. I would definitely say this story is more about Toni's journey towards actualizing dreams she didn't even know she had than about the romance and HEA she finds with her childhood friend and crush. The romance is definitely there but it is an ultimate slow-burn (the first 100 pages the two aren't even on page together except in flashback).

But if you love stories with complicated relationships to fame, found family, messy characters who are not villainized, and poetic language - snap this one up. I'd love to know if anyone listened on audio once the book is released.

Thank you to Edelweiss+ and the publisher for the arc

The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes

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