After breaking up with her bad-news boyfriend, Reagan O’Neill is ready to leave her rebellious ways behind. . . and her best friend, country superstar Lilah Montgomery, is nursing a broken heart of her own.
Fortunately, Lilah’s 24-city tour is about to kick off, offering a perfect opportunity for a girls-only summer of break-up ballads and healing hearts. But when Matt Finch joins the tour as its opening act, his boy-next-door charm proves difficult for Reagan to resist, despite her vow to live a drama-free existence.
This summer, Reagan and Lilah will navigate the ups and downs of fame and friendship as they come to see that giving your heart to the right person is always a risk worth taking.
Last week I finally got around to reading this debut novel by Emery Lord and I honestly don’t know what took me so long because it was fantastic! I loved how perfectly imperfect the characters were, each one coming from some broken background or situation. Reagan was so easy to relate to, and even during the few scenes where she did something stupid or petty, I couldn’t get mad at her because I realized I’ve behaved similarly before.
The friendship in Open Road Summer is so heartwarming! Lilah and Reagan’s relationship reminded me so much of my high school BFF (side note: it also calls to mind Emily and Sloane’s friendship in Morgan Matson’s Since You’ve Been Gone, another fantastic read).
And the romance is truly swoon-worthy <3
Since Open Road Summer revolves heavily around music and songwriting, it was very easy to make up a soundtrack in my head while reading this book. Erin over at The Hardcover Lover hosts the Soundtrack Saturday meme and since I loved this book so much, I wanted to share my Open Road Summer soundtrack with you all.
Some songs are dedicated to BFFs Reagan and Lilah while others perfectly go along with some of the dialogue and quarrels between Reagan and Matt. (The last song is my fav!)
Just press play and enjoy!
Open Road Summer Soundtrack
https://open.spotify.com/user/12157150747/playlist/5TVXAep550WD3hIqHT9dlh
I haven’t done a Top Ten Tuesday post in forever! But this week’s topic really caught my fancy since over the past year I’ve read some pretty good books and I’ve highlighted a lot of funny, memorable, truth-filled, and heart breaking quotes.
“Now they were as strangers; nay, worse than strangers, for they could never become acquainted. It was a perpetual estrangement.”
“You’re stronger than you believe. Don’t let your fear own you. Own yourself.”
“All major changes are like death. You can’t see to the other side until you are there.”
“All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does, and that is his.”
“It’s true, you know. In space, no one can hear you scream like a little girl.”
“I won’t say she was silly, but I think one of us was silly, and it wasn’t me!”
“If you have a best friend you can laugh with and a few good songs, you’re more than halfway there.”
“Would you rather be great at something you like, or just okay at something you love?”
“Mr. Moony presents his compliments to Professor Snape, and begs him to keep his abnormally large nose out of other people’s business.
“You who so plod amid serious things that you feel it shame to give yourself up even for a few short moments to mirth and joyousness in the land of Fancy; you who think that life hath not to do with innocent laughter that can harm no one; these pages are not for you.”
macarons & paperbacks 