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menshevixen's review against another edition
4.0
A sweet, funny coming-of-age story perfect for music fans. I especially enjoyed the frank, chatty love scenes, a great supporting cast with characters of different sexualities, and interpersonal drama beyond the coming-out frame.
bookish_notes's review against another edition
4.0
This is a fun tour band F/F romance. There's nothing too angsty in this story, so this was a refreshing read after I binged a particularly angsty series. I love when books are about musicians and about music in general. Absolutely love. So, I knew I was going to like this book from the beginning.
There's rock musician, Vix Vincent, the lead for a band named, well, Vix Vincent. Touring with her own band, making a name for herself, all of it has always been her dream. She's had this band since high school, and touring the road with her band is her life. It's everything she's every worked for. Then, right before the summer tour, a band mate, the fiddle player, got married and him and his partner got approved for adoption, so he wouldn't be touring with the band, leaving Vix trying to find a replacement. And fast.
The auditions weren't going well at all until Sawyer Bell walks in. She's classically trained on the violin and home for the summer from Julliard. Playing music is everything she's ever loved, but the rigorous competition at Julliard has whittled away the love she had for her instrument. She wants to find that love for playing again, and so she auditions for Vix's band. At first, Sawyer seems nothing like the type of person they're looking for. She's all cowboy boots and long flowing skirts, but she blows them all away with her skill and passion at the fiddle.
With all the members decided on, the band goes on tour. Traveling long hours on the road and doing laundry and showering at truck stops, all to play an opening 45 minutes set on stage can be hard. But Vix and the band love doing it. I love that we get to see the band members' passion for their music and seeing them interacting with other bands they meet on their tour.
We see the love that slowly burns between Vix and Sawyer on their travels across the United States. They met only once in high school, Vix a senior and Sawyer a freshman, but it was a passing moment and something that Sawyer remembers quite clearly. It's been more than a few years now with Sawyer a junior in college, but Sawyer still remembers how she felt about Vix Vincent.
I love the bickering humor between Vix, Sawyer, and the other band members, Jeff (Vix's ex-boyfriend), Connor, and Kit. There were times the guys totally rubbed me the wrong way with their comments about bisexuality, but Vix was there to correct them every time and set them in their place, so that was something at least.
Vix is bisexual and Sawyer is a lesbian. There are some moments where, I don't know, Vix being bisexual is the cause for tension between them and that kind of irritated me a bit? It's kind of the same issue I have with reading stories where bisexual characters wind up in an argument with their partner because somehow their relationship isn't "enough" because the character is assumed to want to be with someone else. That's really the biggest issue I have, I guess.
This isn't a book about fame or the band suddenly hitting it big as a plot point. It has a more realistic feel to it where it's just day-to-day interactions between band members and us traveling with them on their summer tour. I liked how we meet and hear about the characters for the next book (M/M) in this story and I'm looking forward to reading The Ballad of Whiskey Jax. The Love Song of Sawyer Bell is a pretty laid-back kind of story. There's no big drama really. Just a natural progression of events? I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it for readers looking for a fun and sexy F/F book to read!
***Thanks to Judith at Binge On Books/A Novel Takes PR for the ARC as part of a bookstagram tour***
There's rock musician, Vix Vincent, the lead for a band named, well, Vix Vincent. Touring with her own band, making a name for herself, all of it has always been her dream. She's had this band since high school, and touring the road with her band is her life. It's everything she's every worked for. Then, right before the summer tour, a band mate, the fiddle player, got married and him and his partner got approved for adoption, so he wouldn't be touring with the band, leaving Vix trying to find a replacement. And fast.
The auditions weren't going well at all until Sawyer Bell walks in. She's classically trained on the violin and home for the summer from Julliard. Playing music is everything she's ever loved, but the rigorous competition at Julliard has whittled away the love she had for her instrument. She wants to find that love for playing again, and so she auditions for Vix's band. At first, Sawyer seems nothing like the type of person they're looking for. She's all cowboy boots and long flowing skirts, but she blows them all away with her skill and passion at the fiddle.
With all the members decided on, the band goes on tour. Traveling long hours on the road and doing laundry and showering at truck stops, all to play an opening 45 minutes set on stage can be hard. But Vix and the band love doing it. I love that we get to see the band members' passion for their music and seeing them interacting with other bands they meet on their tour.
We see the love that slowly burns between Vix and Sawyer on their travels across the United States. They met only once in high school, Vix a senior and Sawyer a freshman, but it was a passing moment and something that Sawyer remembers quite clearly. It's been more than a few years now with Sawyer a junior in college, but Sawyer still remembers how she felt about Vix Vincent.
I love the bickering humor between Vix, Sawyer, and the other band members, Jeff (Vix's ex-boyfriend), Connor, and Kit. There were times the guys totally rubbed me the wrong way with their comments about bisexuality, but Vix was there to correct them every time and set them in their place, so that was something at least.
Vix is bisexual and Sawyer is a lesbian. There are some moments where, I don't know, Vix being bisexual is the cause for tension between them and that kind of irritated me a bit? It's kind of the same issue I have with reading stories where bisexual characters wind up in an argument with their partner because somehow their relationship isn't "enough" because the character is assumed to want to be with someone else. That's really the biggest issue I have, I guess.
This isn't a book about fame or the band suddenly hitting it big as a plot point. It has a more realistic feel to it where it's just day-to-day interactions between band members and us traveling with them on their summer tour. I liked how we meet and hear about the characters for the next book (M/M) in this story and I'm looking forward to reading The Ballad of Whiskey Jax. The Love Song of Sawyer Bell is a pretty laid-back kind of story. There's no big drama really. Just a natural progression of events? I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it for readers looking for a fun and sexy F/F book to read!
***Thanks to Judith at Binge On Books/A Novel Takes PR for the ARC as part of a bookstagram tour***
mostlyaudio47's review against another edition
3.0
My teenage self—awkward, clueless, and years away from coming out—would have loved this book.
leahkarge's review against another edition
4.0
Previously, I’d only read one of Avon Gale’s books, and I loved it, so I was really excited to get the chance to read something else she’d written. I was not disappointed! In fact, this is probably my favorite adult F/F novel right now.
Read the full review on my blog!
Read the full review on my blog!
cowmingo's review against another edition
4.0
I love a good band romance. The Love Song of Sawyer Bell is not your typical band romance. First of all, the two main characters are both female. Usually we get love 'em and leave 'em until they meet the one tales of redemption. Sawyer Bell starts out as a friendship that develops into so much more. Vix and Sawyer are the two leads here. Vix has been in a band forever and Sawyer is trying to figure out what life has to offer outside of her sheltered Julliard life. Taking place over the course of the band's tour, we watch as Vix and Sawyer become friends who make each other better people. That friendship takes a turn to romance one night and neither of the women is expecting it. What I loved about the relationship was the honest to god friendship these two women had and how they were both written as strong yet vulnerable people.
Another aspect of the story I loved was the commentary on society's expectations of women, especially bisexual women and women who like sex. Avon Gale is a completely new to me author and I want more. I really enjoyed this story and can't wait to see what's next.
*I received a copy of the book for free from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a review. Many many thanks.
Another aspect of the story I loved was the commentary on society's expectations of women, especially bisexual women and women who like sex. Avon Gale is a completely new to me author and I want more. I really enjoyed this story and can't wait to see what's next.
*I received a copy of the book for free from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a review. Many many thanks.
cleo_reads's review
3.0
Enjoyable ff, NA road trip / band tour romance. It’s really a love letter to creativity and the joy of creating music.
I had some issues with the pacing and some of the conflict seemed made-up. But I enjoyed it and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys NA about musicians.
I had some issues with the pacing and some of the conflict seemed made-up. But I enjoyed it and I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys NA about musicians.
letsgolesbians's review against another edition
4.0
Oh wow, I loved this book.
I love a well-written band/tour romance; Open Road Summer is one of my other favorites. Love Song was sweet and honest, with characters who felt like real people and conversations that also felt real. Sawyer has a little bit of self-discovery regarding her sexuality, but her bigger journey is trying to figure out if she should go back for her final year at Juilliard. Vix is happy in her sexuality, but is worried about her band and her happiness. They go from friends to FWB to falling in love and I loved it, and Sawyer’s inner monologues about everything she was thinking and feeling just felt so much like things that I (and other queer lady friends of mine) have had in the past. The book is incredibly sex-positive, plus an ace character is included in a conversation about queerness and someone at one point says there are more than two genders, there are multiple arguments about the dangers of biphobia (warning for that) and about stereotypes.
Sometimes I need a break from YA, and even though the characters in this were still younger than I am, the swearing and bluntness about sex and the honesty helped me connect to it more than I have to some younger f/f stories (which makes sense—as an adult, YA isn’t written for me). I’m really glad I bought this.
I love a well-written band/tour romance; Open Road Summer is one of my other favorites. Love Song was sweet and honest, with characters who felt like real people and conversations that also felt real. Sawyer has a little bit of self-discovery regarding her sexuality, but her bigger journey is trying to figure out if she should go back for her final year at Juilliard. Vix is happy in her sexuality, but is worried about her band and her happiness. They go from friends to FWB to falling in love and I loved it, and Sawyer’s inner monologues about everything she was thinking and feeling just felt so much like things that I (and other queer lady friends of mine) have had in the past. The book is incredibly sex-positive, plus an ace character is included in a conversation about queerness and someone at one point says there are more than two genders, there are multiple arguments about the dangers of biphobia (warning for that) and about stereotypes.
Sometimes I need a break from YA, and even though the characters in this were still younger than I am, the swearing and bluntness about sex and the honesty helped me connect to it more than I have to some younger f/f stories (which makes sense—as an adult, YA isn’t written for me). I’m really glad I bought this.
kaa's review against another edition
4.0
This was so lovely. Fabulous bi characters, a really sweet self-discovery narrative, and a story that felt like it could be about any of my favorite queer indie bands. The story addresses serious issues like sexism and bisexual stereotypes in a way that felt very authentic to me. The conflict was a bit over-dramatic and too dependent on lack of communication, but the underlying issues were real.
lbcecil's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you very much to Riptide Publishing for providing a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.
The Love Song of Sawyer Bell is an absolutely gorgeous novel that I couldn’t put down. This delightful book kept a smile on my face from start to finish and I could gush endlessly about it.
Almost immediately, I started shipping Vix and Sawyer. From their very first interaction, these girls have undeniable chemistry and Gale writes the development of their relationship – from friends to friends-with-benefits – perfectly. I also adored their little background history: they went to the same high school, but Vix was a few years older and Sawyer had had a crush on Vix for years. It was adorable.
What I love most about The Love Song of Sawyer Bell was how fun everything was, primarily Vix and Sawyer’s relationship. While there is a little angst, for a majority of the novel the two women are always joking and having fun, even during the middle of sex. It sends such a positive message to queer people everywhere: that our stories and our romances are not inherently tragic (as so many books and shows love to portray) – we can be happy and have fun too.
I really appreciated how realistic this novel was too. While the central of message of the book is that you should always follow your heart and no one else’s opinions, there was also plenty discussions of how sometimes the life you’ve always dreamed about just doesn’t work out, and that’s ok. Sawyer attends Julliard – the university she’s dreamed of going to since she was old enough to dream anything – and to her horror, she discovers she hates it there. She struggles so much confronting this, and deciding whether or not she should go back because she only has a year left, and this really struck a cord with me. So often the pervasive viewpoint in society is that you need to go to university if you want to be successful, and while university can be important for some people, it is not the be all and end all. It’s ok if you take a break from it, or leave permanently. Your life is not over – it’s a great message and one I wish more New Adult, and even YA, books promote.
The Love Song of Sawyer Bell is such a charming novel, and one I want more people to read. If you are a fan of Avon Gale’s works, I HIGHLY suggest you check out this gem. You won’t be disappointed.
The Love Song of Sawyer Bell is an absolutely gorgeous novel that I couldn’t put down. This delightful book kept a smile on my face from start to finish and I could gush endlessly about it.
Almost immediately, I started shipping Vix and Sawyer. From their very first interaction, these girls have undeniable chemistry and Gale writes the development of their relationship – from friends to friends-with-benefits – perfectly. I also adored their little background history: they went to the same high school, but Vix was a few years older and Sawyer had had a crush on Vix for years. It was adorable.
What I love most about The Love Song of Sawyer Bell was how fun everything was, primarily Vix and Sawyer’s relationship. While there is a little angst, for a majority of the novel the two women are always joking and having fun, even during the middle of sex. It sends such a positive message to queer people everywhere: that our stories and our romances are not inherently tragic (as so many books and shows love to portray) – we can be happy and have fun too.
I really appreciated how realistic this novel was too. While the central of message of the book is that you should always follow your heart and no one else’s opinions, there was also plenty discussions of how sometimes the life you’ve always dreamed about just doesn’t work out, and that’s ok. Sawyer attends Julliard – the university she’s dreamed of going to since she was old enough to dream anything – and to her horror, she discovers she hates it there. She struggles so much confronting this, and deciding whether or not she should go back because she only has a year left, and this really struck a cord with me. So often the pervasive viewpoint in society is that you need to go to university if you want to be successful, and while university can be important for some people, it is not the be all and end all. It’s ok if you take a break from it, or leave permanently. Your life is not over – it’s a great message and one I wish more New Adult, and even YA, books promote.
The Love Song of Sawyer Bell is such a charming novel, and one I want more people to read. If you are a fan of Avon Gale’s works, I HIGHLY suggest you check out this gem. You won’t be disappointed.
sapphicsolace's review
4.0
This book is being rereleased under a new publisher, it will be available again for purchase 17th June 2019. I still highly recommend it so be sure to check it out when it's available again!
Review also on my blog
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I received an arc from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
If you're a fan of music and romance, The Love Song of Sawyer Bell doesn't disappoint in either category. Almost the entire book is the tour Vix and Sawyer are on together and it's implemented into the story very well. They're both very musical characters and their passion for it brought a lot of personality to them and contributed to their romance. Before the events of the book, we find out Sawyer and Vix had one chance encounter in high school. This is something Vix forgot about but was something Sawyer remembered. For Sawyer, the encounter lead to her first crush.
Part of the book is Sawyer realising she's a lesbian and it is done extremely well. There was a little denial but also a lot of uncertainty. She'd had a boyfriend previously but not one she had romantic feelings for. When she joins Vix's band she soon realises she's a lesbian due to her feelings for Vix. Vix herself is bi and she's very proud of that, which was also great to see.
There was talk about sexism that existed in the music industry. Mostly how there's more respect for male musicians and how men get away with sleeping with fans while women wouldn't.
I loved both Vix and Sawyer. Sawyer was a little reserved at times but comes into her own. She attends Juilliard but is having doubts due to the stress of it. Vix is a very strong character, and it the type to make sure her voice is heard. But she also has some doubts and rarely shows herself to be vulnerable.
Overall, if you like music and romance, the book will bring you both with no short supply.
Review also on my blog
I received an arc from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
If you're a fan of music and romance, The Love Song of Sawyer Bell doesn't disappoint in either category. Almost the entire book is the tour Vix and Sawyer are on together and it's implemented into the story very well. They're both very musical characters and their passion for it brought a lot of personality to them and contributed to their romance. Before the events of the book, we find out Sawyer and Vix had one chance encounter in high school. This is something Vix forgot about but was something Sawyer remembered. For Sawyer, the encounter lead to her first crush.
Part of the book is Sawyer realising she's a lesbian and it is done extremely well. There was a little denial but also a lot of uncertainty. She'd had a boyfriend previously but not one she had romantic feelings for. When she joins Vix's band she soon realises she's a lesbian due to her feelings for Vix. Vix herself is bi and she's very proud of that, which was also great to see.
There was talk about sexism that existed in the music industry. Mostly how there's more respect for male musicians and how men get away with sleeping with fans while women wouldn't.
I loved both Vix and Sawyer. Sawyer was a little reserved at times but comes into her own. She attends Juilliard but is having doubts due to the stress of it. Vix is a very strong character, and it the type to make sure her voice is heard. But she also has some doubts and rarely shows herself to be vulnerable.
Overall, if you like music and romance, the book will bring you both with no short supply.