Tuesday 1 February 2011

Review: Please don't stop the Music - Jane Lovering

Genre: Contemporary romance  /Fiction
Pages: 304
Published: February 1st 2011 Choc-Lit

How much can you hide? Jemima Hutton is determined to build a successful new life and keep her past a dark secret. Trouble is, her jewellery business looks set to fail - until enigmatic Ben Davies offers to stock her handmade belt buckles in his guitar shop and things start looking up, on all fronts. But Ben has secrets too. When Jemima finds out he used to be the front man of hugely successful Indie rock band Willow Down, she wants to know more. Why did he desert the band on their US tour? Why is he now a semi-recluse? And the curiosity is mutual - which means that her own secret is no longer safe.

Plot:
Jemima Hutton makes belt buckles, and that leads her into the guitar store owned by Ben Davies. They both have secrets, and they both need someone.

My thoughts:
What can I say, it was real. I like this kind of romance. You know where a couple meet, are friends, and then something slowly builds up. It is real, it's life, there are doubts, and there is love.

Jemima is young woman trying to build a life. She is nice, but she is also broken. Why we do not know. But there are hints, something has happened in her past. That alone could have kept me reading, I do like secrets. Then there is Ben, a former celebrity from a band bigger than Coldplay. Why he suddenly left no one knows. He has issues too, and I though that I knew why while reading, but the truth is never that simple. His secret made me want to read on too. These two needed each other. Their way to romance was slow, but truthful, and it made me the happier when they took small steps.

There are also two side characters, Jason who shares a studio with Jemima. He was fun, and Rosie with her newborn son Harry. She was sweet and now I kind of want her story. And of course we need someone not to like and in comes Saskia, the resident bad guy. She does not want to sell Jemima's belt buckles anymore, she seems to have a stick up her ass, and she demands too much from Rosie (who makes handmade cards and sells them in Saskia's store). Something fishy is going on there, so there is a third mystery that makes the plot go forward.

This book had a mix of everything, and there was warmth, true friendship and feelings about loss and trying to hide who one really is. I could not put it down, I had to read on. It was a fast read, and wonderful read too. 

Final thoughts and recommendation:
I would recommend this one, it is not contemporary romance with whirlwind romances in a day, and big jealousy dramas. It's a more truthful look at a couple finding each other and opening up. While dealing with life. It was a wonderful book that I did not want to stop reading, and I do want to read more by this author.

Reason for reading:
I like Choc-lit books, Brit romances are fun :)

Cover:
Nice, but it does make  me think about what her belt buckles really look like with all those stones on it.



29 comments:

  1. Nice review. The first paragraph of "your thoughts" is what sold me!

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  2. Thank you so much for the lovely review, I'm delighted that you enjoyed Please Don't Stop the Music!

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  3. With so many mysteries even the romance pill might be swallowed with less difficulties by yours trully. Great review and I do agree about the cover - there should be an awesome buckle or two, not a girl playing the guitar...
    Last but not the least - I do love it when a former music star can arrange his/her life outside the pop music industry instead of drugging and drinking to death...

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  4. Sounds cute! Thanks for sharing!

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  5. Hi B!

    Great review, new book to me.

    Don't read many of these, and I don't read too many Brit lit romances.. maybe I should give one a try?

    Dottie :)

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  6. Mary
    I am glad it did :D I like that I managed to capture your attention at once.

    Thank you for stopping by Jane :D
    It was such a delightful book, I truly enjoyed it.

    Sabrina
    I do think you would enjoy it

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  7. Choc-lit books! lol! That sounds fun. :) I love real romances. First friends than lovers. ;) Great review.

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  8. Ana
    I thik even you could handle it because the romance is so different from other contemporary romances. Here it happened slowly, there was no fluff, just two people hiding their past and being afraid to take the plunge. And yes lots of mysteries.

    Linda
    it truly was :D

    Dottie
    I do think you should give one a go. I do find them so different from US romances. Just like a Uk and US movie would be different ;=)

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  9. I love truthful chick lit like this! I will definitely be reading this one!

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  10. Okay, I think I need to read this one. I love it when it slowly builds. I also need to know why they both have secrets and what they are! You evil laughed at us because we are wondering... huh? ;)

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  11. Sounds like a nice story, an honest romance.

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  12. Nice review. Jemima is a cute name! This sounds like a good romance.

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  13. I call those kind of books love stories instead of romances, don't ask me why. This sounds great!

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  14. Nina
    I love them too, they are a nice mix between the whirlwind contemporaries, and the passionate paranormals :)

    Amused
    They are just wonderful, and real. But still so much more.

    Melissa
    You caught me there ;) I did laugh a bit tempting you all with those secrets

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  15. Carol
    Just what it was. And I do love the English countryside too

    Naida
    I think Jane Green had a novel named Jemima..but yes it is cute :D

    Bermuda
    That does make sense when I think about it. because it was more a love story than a romance

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  16. Great review. The title and cover is so cute.

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  17. Wonderful review B!

    You've peaked my interest in this one and you are right, I wouldn't have normally reached for it with that particular cover!

    Thanks for sharing. (I do like romances with rock stars in them).

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  18. It seems like a lot of romances are built up very quickly so its refreshing to see one with a slow build plus I love Brit lit and dont read enought of it so will have to give this author a try.

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  19. I like those sorts of romances, too.

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  20. I'm loving the sound of this one, Linda, and there's totally something about the cover that appeals to me. Great review! :)

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  21. Sounds perfectly pleasant! I'll have to look into it =)

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  22. Great review! it does look like a great book! I love the Realness in my romance too! =D

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  23. Juju
    I do love covers and titles :)

    Lea
    There is something about rock stars, and they are so much more tough than movie stars, lol. A truly wonderful novel

    Jenny
    There is just something about Brit Lit, must be something in the water. Makes me drink tea too, lol. But yes give this one a try

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  24. Chris
    Perhaps even something you could try? No m/m loving but hey ;)

    Melissa
    Thanks :) It was so lovely to read this one, so real and nice. And after it I read a total whirlwind one, I do love them all

    Mishel
    I hope you do :)

    Larissa
    Sometimes they just have to struggle for all the right reasons :)

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  25. I'd never heard of Choc-lit before this. A new word! This one looks good. Your review is making me want to give this one a try.

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  26. I love Brit romance..sounds fun!

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  27. Janicu
    It was a wonderful book :=D
    The publisher is called that cos of chocolate and lit..wait, yes where our heroes are like chocolate, yum

    Staci
    They are the best :D

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  28. i really like that she runs a small business, and the guy is an ex rock star? I'm in!!

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  29. Carrie
    Oh yes ex rock star, they were huge :) And now he has a store and wants to forget his past, loving it

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