A story of love, loss, and rock-and-roll
Ratings3
Average rating4
Her name's Antonia "Toni" Bennette (yeah, she's heard all the jokes before) and she's not a rock star. Neither are the Lillys—not yet. But the difference between being famous and being almost famous can be a single wrong note...or the start of something that'll change your life forever. Growing up in dive bars up and down the East Coast, Toni Bennette's guitar was her only companion...until she met Sebastian Quick. Seb was a little older, a lot wiser, and before long he was Toni's way out, promising they'd escape their stifling small town together. Then Seb turned eighteen and split without looking back. Now, Toni's all grown up and making a name for herself in Philadelphia's indie scene. When a friend suggests she try out for a hot new up-and-coming band, Toni decides to take a chance. Strong, feminist, and fierce as fire, Toni B. and the Lillys are the perfect match...except Seb's now moonlighting as their manager. Whatever. Toni can handle it. No problem. Or it wouldn't be if Seb didn't still hold a piece of her heart...not to mention the key to her future.
Reviews with the most likes.
3.5 stars. I read the entire 400+ pages in one day (which tells you either something about how good the book is, or how pathetic my life is). I'm a sucker for stories about rock bands, and it's obvious that Xio Axelrod knows her way around the music business. The second chance love story didn't quite work for me; I wanted to see more flashbacks to Toni and Seb's early relationship, and present-day Seb enabled some pretty toxic behavior of one of band members for way too long. But I was caught up in Toni's journey from spotlight-averse bar singer to temporary member in a rock band on the cusp of stardom, and her fledgling relationship with each of the Lillys.
There are obviously more stories to be told about the band members, most notably the complex relationship between lead singer Lilly and troubled heiress Candi. This is Axelrod's mainstream publisher breakthrough novel, and I hope it's successful enough that she is able to tell them all.
Bonus points for Philadelphia setting - and Tastykakes!
Featured Series
2 primary booksThe Lillys is a 2-book series with 2 primary works first released in 2021 with contributions by Xio Axelrod.