I wanted to love this book because the premise of it sounded just so interesting. Don't we all dream of being able to hang out with our favorite rock bands?!

When the author of this book contacted me about the possibility of reviewing her book, I was excited to get started. It's pretty different from most of the things I normally pick up so I approached it with an excited and open mind.

Sadly, I have to say that I was a bit disappointed. It's not that the story is bad or that it was poorly written, because that wasn't the case at all. I simply found that I couldn't get into the story.

Maybe it's because I don't understand the glitz and glamour of the rich and famous, or maybe I just didn't personally identify with the characters. But regardless of what it was, everything about the story just seemed so overly superficial.

What did I think?: This one won't be going on my list of favorites but I honestly attribute that almost entirely to personal preference. It still packs an endearing message and I enjoyed seeing what happened all the way to the end.

Who should read it?: If you love music, rock and roll, or have a curiosity for what happens to your favorite bands after they fall from the peak of popularity, this read is perfect for you. ( )

I had a very hard time getting into this, and I think most of it had to do with the present tense, especially considering the amount of recounting in past tense. Also, I just could not connect with the characters and it was a very character-driven novel. ( )

The entire time that I was reading this novel about a young woman who has a crush on an aging Aussie rock star and winds up with him in her home, in her marriage and almost in her love life, I was thinking that this chick is making some stupid, silly, or downright outrageous decisions. She behaves as if she is still a starstruck teen in stead of a young married woman. He husband is running for elected office, so what is she doing creating a scandalicious nightmare for their public life? It's very readable and probably true to life about the touring rock band antics, but it just didn't grab me. My thanks to the author and LibraryThing for a complimentary copy. ( )

I received this book from Library Thing Early Reviewers in exchange for an honest review. "Beside The Music" is an entertaining and funny novel. A fan, Brenda, wrote a letter to the band Hydra. A band she loved when she was a teenager. She did not expect a reply. What she got was a lot more than she bargained for. The band Hydra shows up at her doorstep. Brenda becomes their muse. The band Hydra disrupts Bred's life. Her marriage and work suffer. The band refuses to leave until the album is finished.

Some parts of this book were fun. Others were ridiculous. (In my opinion) The fact that Breda was willing to sacrifice her marriage over a teenage crush is one part. This book had me wondering what I would do in this situation. I would probably put up with the band for a short while, then throw them out if my life got too disrupted. I laughed a lot while reading this book. I felt it was a vicarious way to indulge my teenage band crush fantasy. ( )

I received a copy of this ebook through Library Thing's Early Reviewer's program in exchange for an honest review.
Brenda Dunkirk, in an aging fangirl moment, writes a letter to a troubled rock star in a band she had idolized in her teens. He replies and it ultimately all goes downhill for her from there. She meets the rock star and in a somewhat unbelievable turn of events, the band eventually comes to live in her house while they write and record their comeback album. What happens while the band is in residence is more than just the stereotypical rock and roll band bad behavior and Brenda's life and marriage are in jeopardy as she "becomes a muse." Entertaining enough, but I wanted to shake Brenda and tell her to grow up. ( )