My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Sara is obsessed with rock star Tyler Vincent, and as she works to complete her senior year, she’s determined to find a way to meet him—although her best friend, Aimee, keeps telling her to find a different escape from her desperately violent home life.
Complications arise when Dale, the mysterious new transfer student, sets his sights on Sara, and she falls for this rock-star-in-the-making in spite of her better judgment. When Sara wins a contest, she is faced with a choice—travel to Tyler Vincent’s home town to meet him, or stay and support Dale in a Battle-of-the-Bands hosted by MTV.
Their triangulated relationship is pushed to its breaking point, but there is another, deeper secret that Dale’s been keeping that just may break things wide open...
Turn up your collar, feather your hair, and splash on some Polo, because we’re going back to the ‘80’s when MTV played music videos, there was no such thing as American Idol, and becoming a star meant doing nothing short of crazy for that one, big break
Excerpt:
taken from the WWW (hope it's ok)
“I dropped out in my senior year. Three years ago.” Dale sipped his Coke too, looking at me over the rim. He had a way of seeing into me that was disconcerting. I felt naked in front of him.
“Let me guess? You wanted to make it in the music business?”
“My parents were having problems.” He sat back in his chair, picking at his food. “My dad left my mom. We moved to Seattle. That’s when I really started getting more serious about music.”
“And your dad was okay with you quitting school?”
He snorted. “No. But he I didn’t give him a say. I moved out.”
“So, how did you end up here?”
“I told you. He got a job at Rutgers.” He seemed far away now, distant. I didn’t like it.
“But you weren’t living with him?”
Dale shrugged. “He asked me to come with him. He said he’d pay for everything, let me live with him, and I could pursue my music as long as I was working on getting my diploma.”
I nodded. “So the Academy is your compromise.”
“Well, I knew about the battle of the bands before we moved.” He flashed me a brief smile. God, that dimple. “MTV did them last year in New York, and I had it on good authority they were going to do them again this year. I figured I’d have time to put a band together and give it a shot.”
“Well now that I’ve seen you, I think you’ve got a pretty good one,” I said honestly. That was an understatement. I couldn’t imagine anyone beating them.
“You think so?”
I nudged him with my knee under the table. “I think you know it.”
“I still like to hear it.” He turned to look at me, his eyes searching. “Especially from you.”
I smiled, reaching over and taking his hand, giving him exactly what he’d asked for. He deserved it. “You’re very good. You’re an amazing singer. You’re an incredible performer. I’ve never seen a crowd go crazy like that for someone they’d never seen before. I mean, celebrity takes time. Exposure. I think you’re one of those people who draws other people in. Like a magnet. You’re going to have people following you around, no matter what you do. For the rest of your life.”
He was actually blushing. “Why do you say that?”
“Because that’s how you make me feel,” I confessed, biting my lip, almost wishing I hadn’t said it.
“Hm.” He made a little noise in his throat, turning my hand over in his, tracing the lines in my palm with his fingertip like he was following a road map. “How do I make you feel?”
“Like I would follow you anywhere,” I whispered.
He lifted my hand and pressed his lips to my palm, closing his eyes briefly, and I noticed how long and dark his lashes were before he looked at me with that intense, blue gaze, telling me more with one look than either of could ever say in words.
“When I saw you in the audience today, I don’t even know how to tell you what it did to me.” He shook his head, twining his fingers with mine.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were performing?” I asked softly.
“Because I didn’t want that to happen.” He gave a short laugh. “I didn’t want to be distracted. I wasn’t supposed to let myself get distracted…”
He met my eyes, the emotion in them so strong I felt it before he even said the words. “Sara, I don’t think you understand what you do to me.”
“What do you mean?” Now it was my turn to ask him.
“I couldn’t think,” he confessed. “Thank God the song was over, because the minute I saw you… I was done for.”
“Oh please.” I smiled, teasing him. “All those screaming girls. I’m surprised they weren’t throwing panties at you.”
“Sometimes they do.” He grinned. “But that never mattered to me.”
I blinked in surprise. “What does matter to you?”
“Now? You.” He squeezed my hand in his, that was all, but the sensation shot up my arm with a jolt that nearly knocked me off my chair.
“Dale, do you realize how crazy that sounds?” I whispered, glancing around like someone might overhear us. “We’ve only known each other for a week.”
“Sometimes the best things in life are crazy.”
I laughed. “I can’t argue with that.”
It was crazy.
It was all crazy.
Me and Tyler Vincent.
Me and Dale Diamond.
But somehow the latter had fully eclipsed the former in my mind—and my heart—at least in the m
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Jen's review
Going to have to check out some more books from this author - I really REALLY loved this story!!!
T.L.A.L.F - True Love Always love Forever - Ok I was just starting Jr. High in the 80's - but my walls were covered with Teen Bop pictures of singers and actors, I never had the Madonna fashion down, I was too young for mini skirts, but I had that hottest permed hair :) And I was styling!! lol
This book is a great blast from the past - So many bands mentioned that I haven't even thought of in years, and not to mention MTV's Battle of the Bands!! I remember the first year that came out and it was AWESOME! I can't remember who played, but I remember my friends and I having a great time with it!
OK on to the book! WOW :)
So Sara is a little more obsessed with Tyler Vincent then a normal 19 year old girl should be :) At age 14 - I can relate - but 19 .... I think it goes a little above the obsessed borderline there. Especially since Tyler Vincent is older, WAY older - in fact, he has a wife and kids her age. But she is determined to find a way to Maine and meet him. She knows that as soon as he gets to know her, they'll become friends... But her fantasies go a little farther than that...
Sara's BFF Amie is right there with her. Maybe not as obsessed, but she understands. Because' Sara's home life isn't that great, Sara needs that escape of a fantasy that will help her focus on something more than what's happening now.
At the Academy where Sara and Amie, along with a few other friends from high school were attending trying to get their high school diploma. This academy is for those that struggled with their senior classes, or just didn't bother to go, or had issues that kept them from school too much and they didn't graduate on time.
The girls were at lunch talking about the new hot guy in the school - Sara didn't want to believe them when they told her about his hot look - he looks JUST LIKE Tyler Vincent! lol yeah but Sara couldn't believe it, There was only one Tyler in the world.
When in Chemistry, the new guy walks in and the teacher tells him to find a seat.. Everyone is looking at him, Sara included, but she's trying to hide - checking him out, she realizes that he does in fact look a lot like Tyler, only younger!
When he sits down next to her, the sparks fly, and they're making a new kind of chemistry in their chemistry class :)
Dale Diamond is a sweetheart - when he cares about something, he really cares and puts his all into it. That's why his band is going to make it to the Battle of the Bands, and when he see's Sara, he's going to make her his...
Everything goes great in this book - Dale knows about Sara's obsession for Tyler Vincent, and he's a good sport about it. He keeps hoping that Sara will let him have her full heart, but understands that she has to hold on to her dream.
And like the blurb says, When she wins the chance to go meet Tyler Vincent, a life long dream she has worked so hard for, can she really choose between meeting him and attending Dale's once in a lifetime chance with MTV's battle of the Band??
It gets a little emotional towards the end, but it's totally worth it.
If Emme Rollin's decides to make another story with these two, I'd be happy to read it :D
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