Can mailing a fan letter change a life? Brenda Dunkirk didn’t think so. She also didn’t think 80s metal star Keith Kutter would have actually read her letter. Watching him stand in the rain on her patio and compose a new song is something she never imagined.
Brenda thinks she’s the luckiest woman in the world when Keith’s band, Hydra, and entourage declare her home their base camp while … camp while recording their comeback album. She fantasizes about late night lyric writing sessions at her kitchen table and being the first one to hear all the new songs. She is confident that with her help the band will get back on top where they belong. Swept up in the glamour of being the rock and roll muse, Brenda risks her already faltering marriage. Tim, her husband, walks out on her and Hydra’s chaos, and to make matters worse her boss is threatening to fire her if she doesn’t her act together at work. The band will not leave until the album is done–it could be another month or it could be another year.
Ultimately Brenda must choose between the secure contentment of her marriage or the allure of rock and roll. She must decide: is it possible to be one man’s wife and another man’s muse?
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Brenda and Tim’s marriage is suffering. Their connection is weaker than before, hiswidow mother is always interfering, Brenda is focused in her promotion at work and tim in his campaign as a state senator. Can a letter to her teenager rock and roll idol change their life? Meeting Keith will disrupt Brenda and Tim’s world and will tear them apart or bring them together. I received a free copy of this book and I voluntarily reviewed it.
Beside the Music has it all! Humor, romance, marital problems, a meddling mother in law and an 80’s metal band who doesn’t realize their 15 minutes of fame is up! Highly recommend this lovely weekend read!!
The story was very entertaining with very colorful characters! Great read!
This story was a good one that is well written and easy to read. The premise of the story, “a laugh out loud romantic comedy”, is not accurate, for if this is the author’s idea of a light-hearted comedy, I dread to think what I would find in a dramatic rendering of her work. As a result, I found the write-up misleading and that it did not accurately reflect the contents of the novel. I would like to see a more accurately written premise, so as to not disappoint readers of what to actually expect the contents to contain.
This drama tells the tale of the main male and female characters who have let the marital bond slide in deference to outside influences. When we are introduced to the two main characters, we are privy to their eroded relationship and the listlessness of the main female character surviving the apathetic state of her marriage. The “walled-in”, “closed-off”, operating parameters of the main male character, assisted in feeding into the general mood of apathy, surrounding this couple’s marital health. Throw in a second male character, the protagonist in this tale, who agitated the main male and female’s complacent relationship and life style.
The characterizations were very well done, good descriptors, good detail, especially showcasing flaws, so as to draw the reader into being able to relate to the dilemmas faced be these characters. For the most part, the majority of characters showed insight into their perspectives and behavior. Some of the characters even showed growth during the course of this tale. The issues raised were , in the main, serious life issues – certainly no laughing matters at these junctures.
This story featured many a poignant scene, and showed frustration, futility, apathy, disrespect, marital breakdown and rebuilding, sorrow, family intricacies, regret, and most of all, forgiveness.
A solid dramatic read.
I voluntarily received an advance review copy of this novel via Booksprout and I am leaving an honest and unbiased review. I have no affiliation to this author.
What would happen if one of the biggest idols of your younger life suddenly appeared on your doorstep and asked you to be a part of his next project?
What would happen if you somehow found yourself playing second fiddle to everything in your husband’s life that he seemed to act like had more importance? Does he stop whatever you’re doing, even in bed, to take a call from his mother?
Bizarre adventure of a middle aged female trying to figure out how to make the dreams she had for her life and family fit with the realities. Sometimes quite funny.
My personal vote? Keep the beagle, keep the boss/ mentor who now lets you work on projects that have real meaning to you. Dump the husband, the band, and the aging rockers.
Sadly for me, perhaps more sadly for her, our heroine does keep the husband, and gets a baby on the way.
The rocker gets some good publicity, gets to see his son, and makes some real headway towards success in a new market and friends with our heroine and her husband.
Moving “find your way in the life you’re living, not the life you dreamed or planned” story.
I enjoyed reading an advance copy of this story, and am looking forward to more from this author.