I am so excited to be a part of the blog tour for Tracey Martin's Another Little Piece of My Heart! I would love for you to check out my review, and stick around after that for a chance to win some pretty darn awesome prizes. :)
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Format: Egalley
Source: Publisher provided for review
Buy the book: Barnes & Noble | Amazon
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.Some books take very little to sell me on them. Another Little Piece of My Heart was definitely one of those. For anyone who loves music and/or Jane Austen, how could you resist? There is, of course, a lot of fear that the book wouldn't maximize on that potential, but that is most definitely not the case here! Another Little Piece of My Heart is a fun and utterly engaging musical tale of a second chance in love and in family.
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?
First and foremost, I wanted to read this book because it is a retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion, which I adore. That also means I have high standards for adaptations. Another Little Piece of My Heart does a really good job of adapting the general plot of Persuasion without getting absorbed in following the original to a T. I could see where many of the scenes fit, but they were never trying too hard to be Jane Austen set in New Hampshire with music. It still felt very organic, and someone who doesn't know Austen's story wouldn't be bothered in the least.
What I loved about this book, though, is that even as the story is of Claire and Jared's second chance together, there's just so much more going on. Claire has to deal with her fears of what the future might hold, since she no longer has the money to attend college. She comes to realize, in true teenager fashion, that not everything wrong with her relationships is someone else's fault, that she is to blame for shutting people out. She learns to have confidence not only in herself but in her talents. Even in her relationship with Jared, she has to learn forgiveness and how to see his side of the story. The development of Claire's character is really well done; she goes through a very real and natural progression in the summer following her high school graduation--which is a scary time for anyone, especially someone who can't go to college with her friends the next fall.
Needless to say, I really enjoyed reading Another Little Piece of My Heart. Though I didn't really touch on it, the music is present and vibrant, an all-surrounding melody that only adds to the story. (I especially can't fault anyone for that great playlist in the back! Anyone who includes Mumford & Sons is cool in my book.) It is a quick, fun, and summery read that will warm your heart in this cold weather.
About the author:
Tracey Martin grew up outside of Philadelphia, the lucky recipient of a drama-free childhood, which is why she spent so much time reading about other people’s lives. It was while she was working on her doctorate in psychology that she had an epiphany–imaginary people are way more fun than real ones. And so she began writing. Never able to choose just one of anything, she currently writes both urban fantasy for adults and contemporary stories for teens.
She likes her coffee simple, her music epic, and her movies to contain explosions. A city girl at heart, she doesn’t understand how she and her husband ended up living in New Hampshire, but writing keeps her off the mean, small town streets.
Find Tracey online: Website | Twitter
And now for the tour-wide giveaway! :) It's US only, and you must be 13 or older to enter.
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