BLURB: Every breakup has its playlist.
How do you get over a seven-year relationship? 21-year-old Jill is trying to find out. But moving on is a harder job when Kim, her ex-boyfriend, is the lead guitarist of the band, and Jill is the vocalist. Every song they play together feels like slicing open a barely healed tattoo.
Jill’s best friend Miki says she will be out of this gloom soon. Breakups have a probation period, he says. Jill is on the last month of hers and Miki is patiently keeping her company.
But the real silver lining is Shinta. Having a hot Japanese actor friend in times like these is a welcome distraction. This gorgeous celebrity has been defying time zones and distance through the years to be there for Jill. Now he is here, physically present, and together he and Jill go through old lyrics, vivid memories, walks in the rain, and bottles of beer. Together they try to answer the question: what do you do when forever ends?
REVIEW:
So I finally met Trainman (after seeing their cameos in Feels Like Summer i was eager to know where it all began) and man i loved this book.
The story’s told mostly from Jill’s POV, with Shinta (squeal) and Miki (awww) getting a POV as well. It also incorporates flashbacks which worked so well in adding so much more depth to the current events. i love them. The author also included the bands songs in between and wow…I wish i knew the actual tunes for these songs so i could sing along. Not that that stopped me, i sort of added my own tunes and sang along in my head LOL
The band dynamics were great, we really get a sense of each of their personalities i think. My faves were definitely Jill, Miki and Son from the band. Nino and Kim are put on a time out for their behaviour lol.
The author does an excellent job of showing the stages of Kim and Jill’s relationship. We see this via the flashbacks. how they started, broke up, got back together, broke up again, how Jill is trying to cope with being ina band with her ex boyfriend AWKWARD.
And then we add Shinta Mori to the mix and man that guy. he was a trip. a fun trip 😉 Right off i liked him. so funny so cute. So totally crushing on Jill. And I mean Jill wasn’t exactly unaffected either, even if she didn’t see them as more than friends…initially
Shinta smiled at Jill, radiant as the sun. Her mouth opened into a small O, her mind pulling out a vibrant memory, warm under her skin.
Jill turned to glare at her professor. “I meant to tell you this years back. Your son should come with a warning.”
Then there is Miki. i really felt for him, crushing on your best friend sucks. Miki’s song got me right in the feels :/ I see his book is up next so I have hope he’ll find his HEA 🙂 Him and Jill’s friendship though, so good, so pure. He was truly there for her.
I wished there were more ladies in the mix though. Jill and Shinta’s mom were legit the only ones with much page time and well most of that was given to Jill as the MC so there weren’t many ladies. Yeh it’s explained why she doesn’t have female friends but it’s so very male centric. i loved the boys but would have loved for Jill to at least have one female friend. Miki’s maybe potential love interest shows up here too so i’m hoping she can become friends with Jill in the next books?
Over all i really loved this one! grabbing book 2 immediately i must know what happens with my sweetie Miki 🙂
And i leave you with this truly magical line uttered by one Shinta Mori
“Okay, bye!” Shinta called back cheerily. “I’m off to put on my first cock sock.”
Also peep my livetweet of the book here
Rating: :
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