Review: Merch Girl by Rebecca Lewis

Posted by Nina L. on 12:00 PM in 2-star, contemporary, Rebecca Lewis, review, romance, YA,

Author: Rebecca Lewis

Release date: May 4th 2013

Publisher: Self-Published

Series: N/A

Age Group: Young Adult

Genre: Contemporary Romance 

Purchase: Amazon | Barnes and Noble 

Add to your library: Goodreads

Seventeen-year-old Lacey Kind doesn’t have the guts to talk to cute boys, isn’t a size two, and would rather stay home and listen to music than go to a party. But in the summer before her first year of college, she ends up thousands of miles away from home, in the back of a tour bus, underneath the half-naked body of the hottest teen rock star in the country.

When Lacey and her best friend Trina sneak into a Boston nightclub to see their favorite band, they not only get to watch their rock gods perform for the first time, but score a chance to meet the band too. Lacey’s heart races as she comes face-to-face with her idol, nineteen-year-old lead singer, Logan Shire.

The girls charm their way into being hired to sell merchandise on Lansdowne’s first summer tour. As “merch girls” Lacey and Trina quickly find themselves transported from their ordinary, suburban life to an exhilarating few months on the road. But they soon realize that life on the road isn’t always a smooth ride. (via Goodreads)

I received an e-copy of this from Dianne of Oops I Read A Book Again in exchange for an honest review. This however did not influence my opinion of the book or of the author in any way.

Merch Girl got me interested with the idea of a tour on its blurb. What's not to like about tour adventures? Add to that a hot band with a definitely great kind of music. But then we don't always end up liking a novel just because of its blurb, right? I'm not trying to be an expert here but I'm doing my best to be just honest about my opinion of the novel.

The start of the novel felt weird to me. I sort of get the excitement when you're trying to trespass a private concert. So I was excited for Lacey and Trina to pull off their sneaking attempts. But when they saw someone they knew, I found it too easy for them. Like what are the odds that a friend of them was working there? What if they didn't see him? Then they wouldn't be able to attend the private concert? It just felt too convenient for me. And I guess I was looking for some sneaking-in actions. That would have been more exciting in my opinion. Another thing was their reason in going there. Did they seriously think that they'll be able to sneak in the private concert and be in touch with the band personally? I mean, fine. Maybe some fans want to have interactions with their idols. I get that. But for someone to actually believe (and when I say believe, it's in a way that the person doesn't think of any other downfall for that matter) that her idol will like her and fall in love with her and all. Sorry, but it felt really weird for me. Seriously? When Trina got to be a little friendly with one of the members, Lacey was sulking because her idol wasn't being that kind of friendly to her. It was just weird for me. Too weird. That I somehow felt awful because how in the world can Trina and Lacey just think that they can trespass a private concert and believe they'll have a relationship with the band members? I know we all have our fantasies. But it was just so convenient and too unnatural. I felt like the start of Lacey's relationship with Logan was a fluke. And even of Trina with Griffin. Then when they were invited to be the merch girls of the band during the tour, how can their parents just seriously allow them? Again, too convenient. I didn't even feel Lacey's parents being a little hesitant because their daughter was trying to go on a roadtrip with a bunch of a-little-but-not-so-total strangers. All they said was if Trina was there, Lacey can be there. Really. Oh, and during the tour, I want to slap Trina and Lacey for being so judgmental about Jenna. I get them. They don't want Ryan to get hurt. And I honestly felt Jenna being a bitch. But it's not their business. Ryan wasn't even that close to them. They were just doing things because they were mad at Jenna before. In short, I felt their vengeance more than their concern for Ryan. It's not just about Jenna they were being judgmental. Even to the fans. I'm thankful that Lacey wasn't that much of a total bitch. However, Trina on the other hand, was just a total bitch. For me, anyway. I didn't even realize how badly they irritated me until I was writing this. I didn't at all feel some bond with any of the characters. Not even with Lacey whose POV I was reading on. I've known characters who used to be really bitchy or shallow at first but then would come around at the middle or at the end and I would see their redeeming value. Though it's not the same with these characters. Even if they changed, I just didn't connect or see anything redeeming about them. I sound cruel but that's how I really felt.

In all honesty, I didn't swoon or feel anything with the romance. It felt fake to me even with Logan being hot and absolutely sweet there. Maybe because Lacey had all this intention to make Logan fall in love with him. Oh, have I mentioned that Lacey was already in love with Logan even before they met? Of course she was since she was a fan. Another factor it felt unnatural for me. Maybe she loved him more when they grew closer but I still feel otherwise.

I guess you're wondering why I stil gave this novel 2 stars when all I did was rant and rant. Well, the tour journey and music was enjoyable to read. It was refreshing to see what usually happens during a band tour. Also, Rebecca's writing was smooth and really likeable. Other than the tour and their music, I guess it was the writing that kept me reading.

Merch Girl is about two girls who experienced a roadtrip of a lifetime being with their favorite boy band. Despite me not liking this, I hope you'll give this novel a chance and see if you'll like it or not.

About the Author

Rebecca Lewis is a lover of all things writing, music, and pop-culture. Her passion for entertainment and writing brought her to Boston University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the College of Communication. She currently resides in Florida with her husband and puppy.

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