Review: Another Little Piece of My Heart by Tracey Martin

I use Grammarly for proofreading because another little piece of my heart breaks when I post errors.
Another Little Piece of My Heart by Tracey Martin

What if your devastating break-up became this summer’s hit single? In this rock-and-roll retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, music can either bring you together or tear you apart.
At her dying mother’s request, Claire dumps Jared, the only boy she’s ever loved. Left with a broken family and a broken heart, Claire is furious when she discovers that her biggest regret became Jared’s big break. While Jared is catapulted into rock-star status, another piece of Claire’s heart crumbles every time his song plays on the radio.
The summer after her senior year, it’s been months since the big break-up, and Claire is just trying to keep her head down and make it through a tense trip to the beach with her family. But when Jared shows up, and old feelings reignite, can Claire and Jared let go of the past? Or will they be stuck singing the same old refrain?

publishes:  December 1st 2013 by Harlequin Teen
Genre: YA/NA contemp
Source: Harlequin Teen via Netgalley
Series? No

Buy it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Harlequin

Author stalk away: ~site ~twitter

 

    I tore through this one. The mix of light and a sarcastic main character to the emotions dealing with the break up and sudden face to face as well as her family issues was just what I needed. 

    I chose to read Another Little Piece of my heart because the synopsis sounded like something I would like. I love stories with musicians, and they didn't disappoint, they had a true love for playing and hearing music, and I could relate with it. I was never good on any instrument, but have loved listening to it, and enjoyed my time dating a musician (he played classical and rock, and was amazing on a guitar). 

   Jared is a good guy when he dated Claire, and though I can understand his hurt, I also totally get hers at his popularity being based on a song that is not true. She dumped him at the wish of her dying mom, and I think that he should have understood that and stuck by because I know they could have ended up working it out. But I also know that it can't be easy for Claire to have chosen her mom, who clearly disliked him and disapproved of their relationship over him, whether she was dying or not. 

    But I loved how fate brought them back together, even though it was so hard that she decided to play like she didn't know him so that it didn't get out the song was about her. But he is dating her cousin, and there is all sorts of angst surrounding that. But I loved their secret jokes that ended up coming out and just the unresolved tension between the two, it was delicious. 

   She is also dating a guy named Zach, who while he seems nice enough, I knew where her heart was, and Claire and Zach didn't have the chemistry that I craved. 

    Claire herself was a lot of fun to be in her head. She was strong and funny, and no matter how different she felt from her family, at the end of the day she loved and valued them. 

     I think that the ending worked well for this book and it left it open that I can imagine what happens next while wrapping up enough of the story threads that I wasn't frustrated. 

Bottom Line: Cute but emotional at times story of second chances.

My question to you, my lovely readers:
Have you ever been in a band?