Author: Elizabeth Briggs
Release date: June 17th 2014
Publisher: Self-Published
Series: Chasing the Dream # 1
Age Group: New Adult
Genre: Contemporary / Romance
Music major Maddie Taylor just finished her junior year of college and has a summer internship lined up with the LA Philharmonic, yet every night she practices guitar and secretly dreams of a louder life. But geeky girls like her don't get to be rock stars. That is, until tattooed singer Jared Cross catches her playing guitar and invites her to join his band on The Sound, a reality TV show competition.
Once on the show, Maddie discovers there’s more to Jared than his flirty smile and bad boy reputation – and that he’s just as big a geek as she is. With each performance their attraction becomes impossible to ignore, but when the show pressures them to stay single they’re forced to keep their relationship secret.
As the competition heats up, Jared will do whatever it takes for his band to win, and Maddie must decide if following her dream is worth losing her heart. (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..
Review
I remember Dianne telling me she cannot just contain all her feels while she was reading this one. I cannot relate to her at that time because I haven't read this yet. Though I immediately understood what she said when I was reading it myself. There was just so much tension you can't help but have the feels.
The beginning of More than Music was a blast in its own. Music was everywhere. I basically felt like I was in the same gig where Maddie and her friends went to. That gig was the start of everything for Maddie.
Maddie's immediate acceptance to the band was just what she needed. Yes, she definitely loved doing what she does in school but that doesn't mean she doesn't have a rock star blood in her. When it was time for her to make a decision, go through with the competition for weeks or attend her most prestigious internship at LA Philharmonic, it became clear to her that she didn't want to have any regrets. As much as it was scary for she was taking such a big risk, I was so proud that she was able to finally climb out of her comfort zone. And it was in her inner desires to do that anyway.
The journey that Maddie and the band went through during the competition was quite realistic. The way that The Sound was portrayed felt like I was watching The Voice. It was entertaining to read about how the bands were nervous before their audition, how their practices weren't perfect at all, how the judges act towards their band. It was totally a reality TV show. I don't know how reality TV shows really work but I do know that they have a lot of say about a lot of things that goes on within the show. So who knows what really is reality or not?
The romance between Maddie and Jared was full of tension since their first encounter. It was all there. I must say that there was an insta-attraction but they didn't just profess their love to each other. I swear I just want to bump their heads so that they'd wake up from all their flirting. Though I'd have to say that their flirting was all fun and just fun. Both of them were nerds about music and movie. It was funny how they interact with each other. They'd use references all the time and I even got LSS from some of the songs. Please, those two were just so cute. And swoony.
Despite me enjoying the romance between Maddie and Jared, I got the feeling that the solution was quite easy and just abrupt. Both of them have issues and I totally get where they're coming from. Maddie's problem had a very much concrete solution and Jared gave it to her and so they're good. JUST LIKE THAT. I somehow felt that it all came too fast. The way that Maddie handled things were a little immature for her own good and it annoyed me that she was expecting Jared to man up. Really, Maddie? It was just somehow toxic in a way. BUT whatever, I love those too and as long as they've patched things up, I'm good too.
Hey, can I get more Hector, please?
OH WAIT. I nearly forgot to tell you how the music here was so vibrant that I can hear Jared singing all the songs mentioned. Together with Hector, Kyle and Maddie, Jared knocked up a few good songs. Elizabeth did a great approach in capturing the essence of the music.
More than Music is a music-filled NA novel that will make you swoon over Jared. Need I say more? Kidding aside, this one will kick you up for the great music and writing.
Excerpt
Jared surveyed the room with a line of worry across his forehead. He wore a black button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, showing off his inked arms. His face had the perfect amount of stubble brushing his chin and framing his mouth, and even in this crowd, I couldn’t help but be drawn to him.
“You okay?” I asked, after he sighed for the fifth time.
Jared ran a hand through his hair, making it stick up more. It made him look even better somehow. “I didn’t think there would be so many people here, you know?”
“Yeah.” I didn’t mention that there were probably dozens more on their way or auditioning on other days because I understood how he felt. This was his chance to follow his dream, to make it big with his band, and now it seemed impossible in the face of all this competition. Villain Complex was good, but we’d only spent one night practicing together, and there were so many bands here, and oh god, the more I thought about it the more I might throw up.
“How about you?” he asked.
I pressed my hands to my stomach, willing it to be calm. “Honestly? No, I’m not okay.”
He laughed and sang my words to the tune of “I’m Not Okay (I Promise)” by My Chemical Romance. He continued with the next lines in the song for a minute, and some of the other people around us turned to watch him serenading me. It should have been embarrassing, but instead it made me smile and some of the tension in my shoulders relaxed. It wasn’t every day a hot guy sang to me, after all.
He finished with an exaggerated bow, and I laughed. “Yes, that song popped into my head, too,”
I said. “Unintentional song reference, I promise.”
“It got you to laugh, so my work here is done,” he said, and I melted even more.
About the Author
Elizabeth Briggs is a Young Adult and New Adult author who lives in Los Angeles with her British husband and a bunch of fluffy white rescue dogs. She's a guitar-playing geek who loves books, rock music, and video games, goes to Comic Con every year, and is still hoping to be a Jedi when she grows up.
Elizabeth currently works with WriteGirl to mentor at-risk or pregnant teen girls in writing, to help them get through high school and into college. She also volunteers with Bichon FurKids to help rescued dogs find a new, loving home. She previously worked as an intern for literary agent Jill Corcoran of Jill Corcoran Literary Agency, an intern for Entangled Publishing, and an editor for Curiosity Quills Press.
Elizabeth is represented by Kate Schafer Testerman of KT Literary and is a member of SCBWI and RWA.
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