Author: Erin Hahn
Rating: 4 - 4.5 / 5
Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for letting me receive a digital copy of this book before its official release date.
Annie Mathers is America’s sweetheart and heir to a country music legacy full of all the things her Gran warned her about. Superstar Clay Coolidge is most definitely going to end up one of those things.
But unfortunately for Clay, if he can’t convince Annie to join his summer tour, his music label is going to drop him. That’s what happens when your bad boy image turns into bad boy reality. Annie has been avoiding the spotlight after her parents’ tragic death, except on her skyrocketing YouTube channel. Clay’s label wants to land Annie, and Clay has to make it happen.
Swayed by Clay’s undeniable charm and good looks, Annie and her band agree to join the tour. From the start fans want them to be more than just tour mates, and Annie and Clay can’t help but wonder if the fans are right. But if there’s one part of fame Annie wants nothing to do with, it’s a high-profile relationship. She had a front row seat to her parents’ volatile marriage and isn’t interested in repeating history. If only she could convince her heart that Clay, with his painful past and head over heels inducing tenor, isn’t worth the risk.
I haven't watched A Star Is Born, but if it's anything like this book, it must be amazing. There are so many things I want to metion in this review, let's start by saying I'm not into country music or novels that include music as subject, though recently, I've read quite a couple and maybe I'm more into it than originally thought. Because they were all great so far. And it's safe to say that You'd Be Mine ruined me for all the other music related books there are.
Despite the author's effort trying to point out Annie and Clay/Jefferson aren't like Johnny and June Carter Cash, they are. Oh, they so are. It's all present: the country music, the fame, the drugs, the alcohol, the heart-eyed girl wanting to save the boy. Sometimes, it felt like I was watching Walk the Line for teens. And I mean that in a good way. I didn't know I needed such a story until I read it. I didn't know I longed for an up-to-date version of Johnny and June until I got to know Annie and Clay/Jefferson. So, thanks for that, Erin!
There's a lot of family drama involved from both sides. And both of the characters got their own ways of dealing with them. I wouldn't want to trade places with either of them, and just because Annie avoids drugs doesn't mean she's dealing with her grief and her anger in a healthy way. That shows pretty good during the end of the story. I loved that scene when it all came crashing down on her. I'm kind of sad the story lost its greatness to me there as well, though. It was rushed, Annie found herself pretty quickly again, gaining her cool back, pretending like nothing happened. I didn't get that. And that's the reason I can't give five full stars to this amazing story, sorry.
The most important thing, I think, was the friendship in You'd Be Mine though. Next to the beautiful romance, of course. Kacey and Jason and also Fitz were this great team. A bunch of friends anyone would be grateful to have. I think what's saved Annie and Clay/Jefferson was having each other, but also their friends. Even more so, I guess. They always had their backs and there were never any hard feelings, no fights, which I was really susprised at actually, but found refreshing. I liked that. Also, their friendship shows that family's who you choose.
Next on, the lyrics. It was hard for me imagining melodies along to the lyrics, but words speak louder to me than anything else, and so I let them sink in. Of course, You'd Be Mine, Annie's personal lead, is my favorite, but I also liked to find out that the importance of the messages behind their songs were what Annie and Clay/Jefferson really thought about. They didn't want to sing these shallow songs, other people wrote for them. It's nice of the author to point that out.
I don't know if it had to do with the ARC-file I was provided, but sometimes, the time jumps were a bit too much for me. They happened in the same line, no change of paragraph, that's why I felt a bit lost sometimes. There should have been a visible switch.
Lastly, I'd like to point out the one thing five shining stars worth for. Always. This is Erin Hahn's debut novel. And you'd never actually guess this, because the way this author writes just blew me away. It's extraordinarily beautiful. It's like reading a huge poem. Every word's so well thought-through. That's what's having me lost for words, finally.
