This review was written in conjunction with my lovely fellow litbrarians at The Book Hookup! 
 Initial Thoughts and Rating 
 Ana: Good, quick read! I enjoyed this story and it's characters and I thought it was well written. 
 Celeste: 4 stars! So sweet! This made my heart flutter, and I might be a little in love with Jared Steele. 
 Christina: An actual rating of 3.5 stars, but I'd round up to 4! This was a fun, upbeat contemporary and apparently just what I was in the mood for at the time. 
 Characters 
 Ana: Even though Jared isn't a beloved character in the very beginning, and he does do a few things that make me shake my head, I still loved him. He had the best of intentions most of the time, was down to earth despite being famous, and he supported Claire unconditionally. Claire was great. She'd been through a lot yet wasn't a whiny character. She experienced many twists and turns but was stronger than she gave herself credit for every time. The supporting characters, Claire's best friend and her family, were also well written. 
 Celeste: I went through a few feels about Claire while reading. I liked her almost the entire time, but I really loved her by the end. She had some moments of immaturity, but hey, that's what made her real. She really stepped up towards the end, both with her internal dialogue and actions... and if I think about it, I really can't fault her. 
 Jared Steele, now even though he was portrayed in a negative way by Claire, I just knew he was divine. He was hurt, and dealt with his pain the best way he could. So really, he was perfect because he was such a good guy on top of being totally hot and talented. {YUM} I loved the way he loved Claire, and I knew the entire time he had never given up. 
 Christina: I loved Claire's spirit and how she continued to roll with the punches despite the many blows the universe (or alien gods?) delivered repeatedly to her gut. I thought she adjusted perfectly, and the author gave us good authentic emotion for a character that was going through all the issues Claire had to face. As for Jared, I'll have to admit that I wasn't his biggest fan throughout the entire novel- especially during a particularly scene when he said a few choice, hurtful words- but his journey was also really believable. I especially liked that he wasn't affected by his fame. There were some really great (and not-so-great) secondary characters in this novel as well. Claire's best friend, Kristen, never failed to make me laugh and steal the scene whenever she was present, even if it was only on the phone. 
 Plot, Pacing, Setting 
 Ana: Overall, the pacing was good. There were a few slower spots where I just wanted to tell the characters to get on with it but that didn't make the story any less enjoyable. The plot is not necessarily unique but it was done in a new way and the book was a quick read. 
 Celeste: The storyline was what caught my eye in the first place. Boy and girl break up, boy writes hit song, girl suffers. While I knew that Jared was supposed to be famous, he didn't actually seem that famous in the story. The pacing was pretty good as I read the book in only a few sittings, and always was glad to pick it back up. I'm from Massachusetts, so I could totally imagine the setting for the story, and let's be real: I love New England so I loved the setting. ;) 
 Christina: I loved the setting and was easily able to conjure up images thanks to the author's lovely descriptors. Though the plot wasn't entirely original, I think the Ms. Martin enlivened the storyline with rich characters, and I really appreciated the arc of the novel and the paths the characters had to take to find each other again. As for the pacing, I did find that it lagged a little in the middle when I felt like we were going a little in circles, but that was probably due to my impatience over wanting Claire and Jared to hash things out quicker than they did. All in all, it was good book and one that I finished over a short period of time. 
 What We Loved 
 Ana: I loved the characters. There was a great mix of spoiled rich brats, famous musicians, regular teens, uncaring parents and humorous friends. The interactions between them made the story rich. Also, I loved that the music felt like a character as well. It played so strongly into the story that many scenes revolved around it. 
 Celeste: The whole story. It was sweet, full circle, and coming of age. 
 Christina: I love love loved the musical aspect of the story and actually wished it could have been incorporated more. I also liked the diversity among all the personalities of the characters. Ms. Martin gave us a solid cast and a plot that I enjoyed seeing unravel. 
 What We Could Have Loved More 
 Ana: I would have liked a bit more romance...more swooning. The emotions were there but they could have been stronger in order to have more impact. This could have happened if we had more interactions between Claire and Jared...all their interactions seemed short to me. 
 Celeste: I needed more smooches and touches and heated looks. While I knew Jared and Claire belonged together, I desperately wanted to feel their love and attraction jump off the pages. 
 Christina: I, too, felt like this book lacked the chemistry and romance between Jared and Claire. I could tell through their interactions that it was meant to be and that they cared, but I didn't feel it from them, personally. I also would've loved some more swoony goodness after they finally did get back together. 
 Book Cover Thoughts 
 Ana: Gotta be honest...not a huge fan of the cover. Although it makes perfect sense with what the story is about, it didn't draw me in. 
 Celeste: It's fine, but doesn't make my head spin. I'd like a little kissy scene thrown in with the guitars to make it work better. 
 Christina: I guess I'll be the oddball out and say that I really liked it. In a market saturated with "kissy" stock images for covers, this one jumped right out at me. Now that I've read the story, I think it suits it perfectly. 
 Rec It? 
 Ana: Yes. This was a fun, quick read with lots of great characters. It tugged at my heart and it made me smile all at the same time. 
 Celeste: Oh yes. This was a good old fashioned romance that will tug on your heart strings. You definitely want to add it to your TBR. 
 Christina: I'd have to agree with my counterparts and rec this Another Little Piece of My Heart as well. It was cute and funny, so it'd be the perfect book to read for a pick-me-up after you've finished a heavier novel.