liralen's review against another edition
2.0
This was...not the most auspicious start to 2021...but I can't really regret it. (You know when there's a book that you're pretty sure will be a Bad Fit for you but you really want to read it anyway? No? Just me, then...)
If you told me this was fanfiction, I would believe you. It would be the sort of fanfiction where the super-hot movie hero falls for a non-canon 'normal' girl (but not badly enough done that the Protectors of the Plot Continuum would step in). We can go ahead and call the 'normal' girl Mary Sue, for the sake of simplicity. She has nothing in particular to recommend her, except she's probably really good at something artistic (*cough* like photography) and good (such as, oh, taking care of some overwhelmed girls at a concert) and has a minor character 'flaw' that is played off as cute (the classic: clumsiness) and, of course, everyone loves her.
In the canon version, hero-boy is together with heroine-girl, and they live happily ever after; in the fanfiction version, normal-girl enters the scene, and hero-boy is immediately smitten. In the canon version, heroine-girl is pretty great, but in the fanfiction girl, heroine-girl is an Evil Villain Who Is Evil, because...she also wants the hero. And thus she's evil.
Of course, the flaw in this analogy is that this isn't fanfiction. It's just...fiction. Fiction in which a rock star falls madly in love with a rabid fan for...no particular reason. That is—because after five minutes in her company he decides that she's hard to read and he can be 'real' around her. And then she basically puts her life on hold to hide in his hotel room while he continues to pretend to be engaged to heroine-girl. (Also. Meanwhile, Mary Sue gets jet lag...from flying from Alabama to New York. Umm. Okay, then.)
The thing is: poor heroine-girl gets a bad rap in this book. Oh, she's portrayed as an Evil Villain Who Is Evil, yes. Conniving and bitchy. But—she and hero-boy have a fake relationship that they've agreed to. Heroine girl doesn't get off scot-free here; hero-boy finds out that he's 'engaged' from the Internet, and heroine-girl probably has a hand in that, and that's a problem. (That's the point, by the way, at which hero-boy should have called off the fake relationship and fired his publicist.) But the fact remains that it exists, and hero-boy was, until he met Mary Sue, on board. Once he meets Mary Sue, he doesn't do anything about the fake relationship: he starts dating Mary Sue, doesn't issue any statements when the media catches wind, doesn't talk to heroine-girl about what they should do about this now-defunct fake relationship that affects them both Heroine-girl is left to be painted by the book as the bad guy when in fact she's the one sticking to their agreement—an agreement that will have an impact on public perception and probably on her career. Then, when it's convenient to him, hero-boy continues to make out with heroine-girl for the sake of the cameras, having agreed with Mary Sue that the fake relationship is to continue but not (crucially) having looked up what the agreement with heroine-girl actually entails or having discussed with Mary Sue what a continued fake relationship is going to look like.
(pause while I catch up on oxygen after that run-on sentence)
Siiiiigh.
I know this is their magical forever romance and all, but I don't see it having staying power. There's no substance underneath their promises and sweet nothings, and hero-boy 1) takes no responsibility for his actions and 2) gets petty and jealous every time Mary Sue suggests that she do something other than follow him around and hide in his hotel room. Also, 3) he's a douche canoe.
Favourite errors:
I gave him his tea, and he took a small sip, wearily tasting it before continuing to drink. (51)
His playful attitude exasperated my anger. (212)
If you told me this was fanfiction, I would believe you. It would be the sort of fanfiction where the super-hot movie hero falls for a non-canon 'normal' girl (but not badly enough done that the Protectors of the Plot Continuum would step in). We can go ahead and call the 'normal' girl Mary Sue, for the sake of simplicity. She has nothing in particular to recommend her, except she's probably really good at something artistic (*cough* like photography) and good (such as, oh, taking care of some overwhelmed girls at a concert) and has a minor character 'flaw' that is played off as cute (the classic: clumsiness) and, of course, everyone loves her.
In the canon version, hero-boy is together with heroine-girl, and they live happily ever after; in the fanfiction version, normal-girl enters the scene, and hero-boy is immediately smitten. In the canon version, heroine-girl is pretty great, but in the fanfiction girl, heroine-girl is an Evil Villain Who Is Evil, because...she also wants the hero. And thus she's evil.
Of course, the flaw in this analogy is that this isn't fanfiction. It's just...fiction. Fiction in which a rock star falls madly in love with a rabid fan for...no particular reason. That is—because after five minutes in her company he decides that she's hard to read and he can be 'real' around her. And then she basically puts her life on hold to hide in his hotel room while he continues to pretend to be engaged to heroine-girl. (Also. Meanwhile, Mary Sue gets jet lag...from flying from Alabama to New York. Umm. Okay, then.)
The thing is: poor heroine-girl gets a bad rap in this book. Oh, she's portrayed as an Evil Villain Who Is Evil, yes. Conniving and bitchy. But—she and hero-boy have a fake relationship that they've agreed to. Heroine girl doesn't get off scot-free here; hero-boy finds out that he's 'engaged' from the Internet, and heroine-girl probably has a hand in that, and that's a problem. (That's the point, by the way, at which hero-boy should have called off the fake relationship and fired his publicist.) But the fact remains that it exists, and hero-boy was, until he met Mary Sue, on board. Once he meets Mary Sue, he doesn't do anything about the fake relationship: he starts dating Mary Sue, doesn't issue any statements when the media catches wind, doesn't talk to heroine-girl about what they should do about this now-defunct fake relationship that affects them both Heroine-girl is left to be painted by the book as the bad guy when in fact she's the one sticking to their agreement—an agreement that will have an impact on public perception and probably on her career. Then, when it's convenient to him, hero-boy continues to make out with heroine-girl for the sake of the cameras, having agreed with Mary Sue that the fake relationship is to continue but not (crucially) having looked up what the agreement with heroine-girl actually entails or having discussed with Mary Sue what a continued fake relationship is going to look like.
(pause while I catch up on oxygen after that run-on sentence)
Siiiiigh.
I know this is their magical forever romance and all, but I don't see it having staying power. There's no substance underneath their promises and sweet nothings, and hero-boy 1) takes no responsibility for his actions and 2) gets petty and jealous every time Mary Sue suggests that she do something other than follow him around and hide in his hotel room. Also, 3) he's a douche canoe.
Favourite errors:
I gave him his tea, and he took a small sip, wearily tasting it before continuing to drink. (51)
His playful attitude exasperated my anger. (212)
my_introvert_bookishlife's review against another edition
5.0
Adeline’s Aria by Laynie Bynum
After seeing the cover and reading the the blurb I requested a copy of this book for review.
I have a huge soft spot for YA romance and this book ticked all the boxes and then some. I loved so much about Jude and Adeline story. The insta-love, tbe angst- OMGG THE ANGST had me putting bandaids around my heart. I loved the friendship Adeline and Tabby shared so much. Every girl deserves a ride of die like that. Mental health issues raised were so relatable and my heart wept, broke and cheered when there was a measure of resolve.
I loved the strength that Addie showed, her character development was admirable.
Great story telling. I enjoyed the the switch from being in Alabama to being in England, the author captured both sides of the world well.
5 STARS.
After seeing the cover and reading the the blurb I requested a copy of this book for review.
I have a huge soft spot for YA romance and this book ticked all the boxes and then some. I loved so much about Jude and Adeline story. The insta-love, tbe angst- OMGG THE ANGST had me putting bandaids around my heart. I loved the friendship Adeline and Tabby shared so much. Every girl deserves a ride of die like that. Mental health issues raised were so relatable and my heart wept, broke and cheered when there was a measure of resolve.
I loved the strength that Addie showed, her character development was admirable.
Great story telling. I enjoyed the the switch from being in Alabama to being in England, the author captured both sides of the world well.
5 STARS.
jessicareadsit's review against another edition
3.0
I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I like the quiet depth of Adeline and the raw honesty of sometimes just needing a moment to yourself, outside from your life, where you don't need to pretend. But her original behavior is very different from how she behaves throughout the novel until there was one point where I was not sure which Addy we would have seen. There was low self-esteem Addy,(I must admit I have never heard a character compare herself to “ a plain piece of white bread”), then it was super confident- wear new clothes and take on her enemies Addy then it was weepy Addy (was very confusing).
This theme continued even with her parents who were upset about her leaving but told her to go ahead, then upset with Jude but told him to give her time? It seemed the emotions swung based on how the story played out and not really on a consistent flow which was frustrating.
I was also really taken aback by how hot and heavy they got when they met. It was kinda weird to see Jude just open up like that and that he just threw caution to the wind and exposed his secrets to a young girl he just met who he knows nothing about and is judging her based on a look from across a stage ?? I think we dove in a bit too soon and some pretext was needed to set the stage for their interactions.
Things I did appreciate were her friendship with Tabby and their ability to accept each other as they were, regardless of flaws or quirks but truly knowing everything and being ok with it. There were also some dark issues that I did not believe were given proper context to flourish or be truly impactful but glad they were included in the story.
Overall the book has tons of potential but needed to ground its characters in a more realistic light.
I like the quiet depth of Adeline and the raw honesty of sometimes just needing a moment to yourself, outside from your life, where you don't need to pretend. But her original behavior is very different from how she behaves throughout the novel until there was one point where I was not sure which Addy we would have seen. There was low self-esteem Addy,(I must admit I have never heard a character compare herself to “ a plain piece of white bread”), then it was super confident- wear new clothes and take on her enemies Addy then it was weepy Addy (was very confusing).
This theme continued even with her parents who were upset about her leaving but told her to go ahead, then upset with Jude but told him to give her time? It seemed the emotions swung based on how the story played out and not really on a consistent flow which was frustrating.
I was also really taken aback by how hot and heavy they got when they met. It was kinda weird to see Jude just open up like that and that he just threw caution to the wind and exposed his secrets to a young girl he just met who he knows nothing about and is judging her based on a look from across a stage ?? I think we dove in a bit too soon and some pretext was needed to set the stage for their interactions.
Things I did appreciate were her friendship with Tabby and their ability to accept each other as they were, regardless of flaws or quirks but truly knowing everything and being ok with it. There were also some dark issues that I did not believe were given proper context to flourish or be truly impactful but glad they were included in the story.
Overall the book has tons of potential but needed to ground its characters in a more realistic light.
chrissywilson80's review against another edition
5.0
Wow, this book was truly amazing. I don't read a lot of YA, but this has me excited to read more about this author. I felt with Addie on a personal level, I could relate with her and her feelings, I felt like I was right there with her feeling what she was feeling. The author is great with emotions and feelings with the characters. I look forward to reading more in this series.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
epilieaspiechick's review against another edition
5.0
My full review can be found on the Epilie Aspie Chick blog!
Thank you to Fire and Ice YA for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Let me say this up front: if I do not get a sequel book, I will revolt! The author does a really spectacular job at not only writing a story around what seems to be every girl's not so secret fantasy, but she makes it feel realistic in a way that ties you in knots. Adeline is a typical teenage girl just finishing her senior year of high school: filled with dreams and in an intensely close relationship with her best friend. She has bullies, struggles, and a family that she depends on.
Thank you to Fire and Ice YA for providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Let me say this up front: if I do not get a sequel book, I will revolt! The author does a really spectacular job at not only writing a story around what seems to be every girl's not so secret fantasy, but she makes it feel realistic in a way that ties you in knots. Adeline is a typical teenage girl just finishing her senior year of high school: filled with dreams and in an intensely close relationship with her best friend. She has bullies, struggles, and a family that she depends on.
phoenixrisen88's review against another edition
4.0
*I received an arc if this book for review purposes*
Overall I loved this story, and it left me wanting to read more set in this world. In the very beginning I had a hard time finding the story believable. (Then again is it ever really believable when a rock star falls for the girl next door? Lol. It is still one of my very favorite tropes.) However I quickly fell in love with the characters and lost myself in their story.
I had some formatting issues with the kindle edition that occasionally made reading difficult, but I believe that may have been due to the arc copy I was reading. There were a few editing errors, but not so many as to detract from the story, and that could also be attributed to reading a proof copy.
I am looking forward to reading more about these characters and their group of friends and family, as it looks like this is book one in a series.
Overall I loved this story, and it left me wanting to read more set in this world. In the very beginning I had a hard time finding the story believable. (Then again is it ever really believable when a rock star falls for the girl next door? Lol. It is still one of my very favorite tropes.) However I quickly fell in love with the characters and lost myself in their story.
I had some formatting issues with the kindle edition that occasionally made reading difficult, but I believe that may have been due to the arc copy I was reading. There were a few editing errors, but not so many as to detract from the story, and that could also be attributed to reading a proof copy.
I am looking forward to reading more about these characters and their group of friends and family, as it looks like this is book one in a series.
tbhonest_uk's review against another edition
5.0
Adeline's Aria is an extremely well written novel that deals with many subjects most writers are afraid to deal with. All the characters within the novel have strong identities and each has their own story arc, which contributes to the main plotline. It's well paced and has a satisfyingly realistic conclusion that makes this novel an even more refreshing and engaging read.
*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*
*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*
brinley's review against another edition
4.0
This book was exactly what I was looking for when I picked it up. I was looking for a fluffy read, something uncomplicated and easy. The blurb sounded like this could be fun, so I decided to give it a try. It definitely isn’t the best thing I’ve ever read, but I still really enjoyed it!
Adeline’s Aria follows Adeline after she meets her celebrity crush at a concert. She’s immediately drawn into a world full of paparazzi, lies, deceit, and rumors. She’s forced to reconcile her idea of “love” with what she’s gotten herself into, and has to decide whether it’s truly worth it.
I should start this off by saving that I am a very picky romance reader. I’ve only given around 10 romances a five star rating within the past year. It’s not that I don’t enjoy them, I actually love them, I just have several things that I hate to see. Sadly, this book hit on one or two of them.
The first being insta love. As soon as Adeline and Jude met, it was love. She was way too willing to hang out with him alone, and while it did move the plot forward, it was unrealistic. The day that she met him, she stayed the night in his hotel room. It may just be me, but I know that I wouldn’t be staying the night with a random guy after having only known him for a few hours.
And, the second being the isolation of the main character. One of my pet peeves in romances is when the main character is completely isolated from her friends and family, and only left with the love interest. Sure, Adeline had Tabby, but their friendship barely got any page time. I enjoyed it when it was there, but I really wish it had been a bigger focus.
I do feel like this book did an amazing job of accurately portraying the reality of dating a celebrity. The constant press attention, the multiple faces, the drama, all of it was there. It did make Jude slightly unlikeable at times, but I think that was part of the author’s intention. Even after that entire book, I’m not sure that I loved Jude, but he definitely has potential.
Although I spent this entire review complaining, I still enjoyed this. It was the fluff I was looking for, and it was well written!
Thanks to Laynie Bynum and Booksirens for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
Adeline’s Aria follows Adeline after she meets her celebrity crush at a concert. She’s immediately drawn into a world full of paparazzi, lies, deceit, and rumors. She’s forced to reconcile her idea of “love” with what she’s gotten herself into, and has to decide whether it’s truly worth it.
I should start this off by saving that I am a very picky romance reader. I’ve only given around 10 romances a five star rating within the past year. It’s not that I don’t enjoy them, I actually love them, I just have several things that I hate to see. Sadly, this book hit on one or two of them.
The first being insta love. As soon as Adeline and Jude met, it was love. She was way too willing to hang out with him alone, and while it did move the plot forward, it was unrealistic. The day that she met him, she stayed the night in his hotel room. It may just be me, but I know that I wouldn’t be staying the night with a random guy after having only known him for a few hours.
And, the second being the isolation of the main character. One of my pet peeves in romances is when the main character is completely isolated from her friends and family, and only left with the love interest. Sure, Adeline had Tabby, but their friendship barely got any page time. I enjoyed it when it was there, but I really wish it had been a bigger focus.
I do feel like this book did an amazing job of accurately portraying the reality of dating a celebrity. The constant press attention, the multiple faces, the drama, all of it was there. It did make Jude slightly unlikeable at times, but I think that was part of the author’s intention. Even after that entire book, I’m not sure that I loved Jude, but he definitely has potential.
Although I spent this entire review complaining, I still enjoyed this. It was the fluff I was looking for, and it was well written!
Thanks to Laynie Bynum and Booksirens for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
pagesforsanity's review against another edition
3.0
I am conflicted for a review here. There were many things I liked about this book.
Pros:
I loved Addie's relationships with the supporting characters. her best friend Tabby has some personal issues and Addie is amazing about being supportive towards her.
The relationship that Addie has with her parents is beautiful. She is honest with them and in response they are honest with her. I hope for this type of relationship with my own children.
Skylar is a breathe of fresh air in this book. I love the relationship that Addie has with Judes brother. I wanted more of Skylar.
I even liked some aspects of Jude and Addie together. I liked her devotion to trying with him, even when things were tough.
Cons:
A lot of this was unrealistic in my opinion. While I am sure a rockstar can fall in love with a common fan, this felt quite forced.
I also struggled that we didnt see much development in the relationship between Addie and Jude.
His anger issues were clearly a problem for Addie and yet she never brings it up with him. That felt a bit toxic to me.
Overall, I did complete the book. I did enjoy aspects of. I would love to read future stories particularly those of Tabby and Skylar and how they find their own places in this crazy world.
Thank you BookSirens for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Pros:
I loved Addie's relationships with the supporting characters. her best friend Tabby has some personal issues and Addie is amazing about being supportive towards her.
The relationship that Addie has with her parents is beautiful. She is honest with them and in response they are honest with her. I hope for this type of relationship with my own children.
Skylar is a breathe of fresh air in this book. I love the relationship that Addie has with Judes brother. I wanted more of Skylar.
I even liked some aspects of Jude and Addie together. I liked her devotion to trying with him, even when things were tough.
Cons:
A lot of this was unrealistic in my opinion. While I am sure a rockstar can fall in love with a common fan, this felt quite forced.
I also struggled that we didnt see much development in the relationship between Addie and Jude.
His anger issues were clearly a problem for Addie and yet she never brings it up with him. That felt a bit toxic to me.
Overall, I did complete the book. I did enjoy aspects of. I would love to read future stories particularly those of Tabby and Skylar and how they find their own places in this crazy world.
Thank you BookSirens for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
More...