HEARTSTRINGS

Author: Ali Novak

Year: 2025

Genre: Y/A Contemporary Romance.

Rate: 4.5 Stars⭐⭐⭐⭐✨

“Because every once in a while, the most effective way to fix something was by breaking it. Only then could you put the pieces back together in a way that made sense.”

About:

“Who cares about being a fan favorite when you've found someone who's there just for you? Indigo, AKA "Indie" loves the art of special effects makeup and sometimes wonders if making monsters and zombies could be more than a hobby. But her sister, Violet, is a TV actress whose career has blown up big and become its own kind of monster. It's affected their parents have split, their dad's too busy being Violet's manager, and Indie's on her own as she agonizes over her music school application.

Even worse, she's just been drafted into being her sister's personal assistant for a weekend. Talk about being overshadowed.

But Indie is about to meet someone who can Xander Jones, the boyishly sweet guitarist of the world famous band the Heartbreakers, who constantly plays second fiddle to the band's bigger personalities. At a hectic comic con where she's fetching bottled water for her sister, Indie and Xander meet behind the scenes and hit it off.

Indie knows Xander deserves to step out of the shadows. What if she could find the courage to do the same, by defying others' expectations of her and making a new path for herself? And what if she and Xander could become more than friends?”

My thoughts:

It has been a while since I stayed until 2:00 AM to finish a book.

It has been a while since I cried so hard over the emotions a book evoked in me. By chapter sixteen, I was in tears, sobbing and heartbroken for the FMC, but then a few chapters after, I got confused by the dramatic change in the FMC Arc, and I got a little upset. When I finished the book, I wasn’t sure what I was feeling, so it took me a few days to write the review.

And here is the thing, I’m with the idea of being the bigger person, the better person, but also, I believe in fairness, and I wish the storyline would give more credit to the FMC's feelings.

Overall, the story is fantastic, a beautiful narrative, great characters, love the band and the bond between them, an interesting plot line, this time not about the most popular guy but the one in the shadows. And of course, my favorite a strong main female character.

1000% recommended.

I received an ARC from Sourcebook fire through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. And I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Note: Images taken from www.goodreads.com