Another Little Piece of My Heart by Tracey Martin

Published by Harlequin Teen on December 1st 2013
ARC from Netgalley

Synopsis

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?

Every girl dreams of a boy who would write songs about her. Claire Winslow gets to live the dream except for her, it’s a complete nightmare. No one knows that she’s the girl behind Jared Steele’s big hit. Still, it feels like her ex-boyfriend has gotten the ultimate revenge, as he becomes a rock star, singing to the world about Claire and her red Miata. When a chance encounter during the summer brings the two together again, the two start off cold towards each other. Claire and Jared have a shot at rewriting their song but they must first move on from old wounds and past melodies.

Some nights are like a perfect song. The energy in the air lifts your spirits, and the chill drives you forward… Sometimes, just when you think it’s over for good, the alien gods give you the chance to hit Repeat and the music goes on forever.

Another Little Piece of My Heart got me hooked instantly. The breakup-inspired hit song reminded me of Robin Benway’s Audrey, Wait! but the two are different when it comes to the focus of the story. I loved how quirky and charming Tracey Martin’s novel was! I’ve never read Persuasion before so I don’t have much to say about how the retelling was done and interpreted. What I do know is that I really enjoyed the story in itself! It has all the elements I could long for in a book- great characters, great dialogue, great romance, great writing, and great music!

One of the top reasons why I loved this book so much was Claire. She is the type of YA protagonist I enjoy reading. She’s an awesome girl with a knack for sarcasm. What’s not to love? I was fond of her humor and her totally witty, laugh-out-loud remarks! Her BFF, Kristen was equally funny and I found myself adoring their friendship despite the fact they weren’t even together during the story. I also liked reading about Claire’s family dynamics. I would have liked to see them explored in depth because I really related to Claire’s apprehensions with respect to parent pressure and feeling out of the loop.

Funny how you don’t realise how much you want some things until the possibility of having them disappears.

Claire’s relationship with Jared also stole my heart. I was a little uneasy with the placing of the flashbacks from their past but I did like reading about how they used to be together. You see how solid their tie was before and how it still remains the same despite the passing of time so you just kind of root for the two to get back together. Claire and Jared’s bittersweet relationship had me so immersed in the story! It was ultimately obvious that the two still had feelings for each other so all the pent-up tension and chemistry was quite engaging to watch.

Then the wind whips his hair in his eyes, and he pushes it away, and I’m staring at him, tasting my heart in my mouth. I am so not over him, and I never will be if this keeps up. He’s too close and so far, and I can’t handle the combination.

Last but not the least- the music aspect of the book! It was awesome! I adored the way both Claire and Jared were so passionate about writing songs and playing music. If you want a quick, delectable, resounding story, this book might just be for you.