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gillianw's review
3 stars
Reviewed for Just Love
Best New Artist is a second-chance story about two country musicians who slowly re-kindle their old romance when one of them returns home after his music career implodes.
Whether or not you have a passing familiarity with Texas or country music, you could hardly miss the author’s fondness for both in this book. It reads like a love letter to all things country & western, with the music taking center stage.
Kasey “Tuff” Tuffman has just lit a fire and walked away from a music career he has spent years trying to build when he calls up ex-boyfriend, Jonah (Jo Jo) Littlejohn, looking for a quiet place to lay low and lick his wounds. While Jonah is happy to welcome him back, neither man is the same person they were ten years earlier when Jonah walked away from their relationship, unwilling to sit back and be Tuff’s dirty little secret. Both men have grown and changed in the intervening years, but making music together again proves that the old attraction is still there. All Tuff and Jo Jo need now, is time and patience to learn how to hit all the right notes again.
So, I’m not a huge fan of ‘trauma’ stories, especially ones that rely on the magic of love and sex to heal what clearly needs to be addressed by a therapist. In this case, Jonah was attacked by his boyfriend and left for dead. This has resulted in sleepless nights, an almost non-existent appetite, the inability to have an erection in front of another man, and tattooing almost his entire body to create a sort of armor or shell. And yet, it only takes the love of an ex-boyfriend and healing tones of country music to fix him. Nah. I’m not buying that. If you’re going to give your MC a backstory that includes a horrific attack, there is no shame in giving them the help they need. Yes, love and support is important but it won’t cure PTSD.
Unfortunately, this did impact my enjoyment of the story as a whole, which is a shame because there was a pretty good story here.
Tuff and Jo Jo are certainly likeable characters. I loved how gentle Tuff was with Jo Jo, and how he managed to tread the line between being protective but still letting him breathe. And the author certainly seems to know what she’s talking about in terms of country artists, popular songs, and even the details of what’s involved in laying down tracks at a recording studio. And if she got some things wrong, it didn’t seem glaring or obvious in any way.
Ultimately, I would have appreciated this story a whole lot more had the author not resorted to the sexual healing of Jo Jo. However, I did rather enjoy the parts that focused on the creating and playing of music, and if this is something that interests you – even if you’re not a country music fan – you may very well find this worth picking up.
I received an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review
Reviewed for Just Love
Best New Artist is a second-chance story about two country musicians who slowly re-kindle their old romance when one of them returns home after his music career implodes.
Whether or not you have a passing familiarity with Texas or country music, you could hardly miss the author’s fondness for both in this book. It reads like a love letter to all things country & western, with the music taking center stage.
Kasey “Tuff” Tuffman has just lit a fire and walked away from a music career he has spent years trying to build when he calls up ex-boyfriend, Jonah (Jo Jo) Littlejohn, looking for a quiet place to lay low and lick his wounds. While Jonah is happy to welcome him back, neither man is the same person they were ten years earlier when Jonah walked away from their relationship, unwilling to sit back and be Tuff’s dirty little secret. Both men have grown and changed in the intervening years, but making music together again proves that the old attraction is still there. All Tuff and Jo Jo need now, is time and patience to learn how to hit all the right notes again.
So, I’m not a huge fan of ‘trauma’ stories, especially ones that rely on the magic of love and sex to heal what clearly needs to be addressed by a therapist. In this case, Jonah was attacked by his boyfriend and left for dead. This has resulted in sleepless nights, an almost non-existent appetite, the inability to have an erection in front of another man, and tattooing almost his entire body to create a sort of armor or shell. And yet, it only takes the love of an ex-boyfriend and healing tones of country music to fix him. Nah. I’m not buying that. If you’re going to give your MC a backstory that includes a horrific attack, there is no shame in giving them the help they need. Yes, love and support is important but it won’t cure PTSD.
Unfortunately, this did impact my enjoyment of the story as a whole, which is a shame because there was a pretty good story here.
Tuff and Jo Jo are certainly likeable characters. I loved how gentle Tuff was with Jo Jo, and how he managed to tread the line between being protective but still letting him breathe. And the author certainly seems to know what she’s talking about in terms of country artists, popular songs, and even the details of what’s involved in laying down tracks at a recording studio. And if she got some things wrong, it didn’t seem glaring or obvious in any way.
Ultimately, I would have appreciated this story a whole lot more had the author not resorted to the sexual healing of Jo Jo. However, I did rather enjoy the parts that focused on the creating and playing of music, and if this is something that interests you – even if you’re not a country music fan – you may very well find this worth picking up.
I received an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review
the_novel_approach's review
4.0
Narration Rating 5 Stars ~
Kasey Tuffman is the hottest new thing in Nashville. After working hard to become the next “thing” on the country charts, he’s done it all, including winning best new artist of the year at the premier country music award show in the industry. Unfortunately, however, Kasey is tired of the game, the show, and not being who he needs to be in his heart to be a complete. So, he promptly tells off the audience in attendance and the national viewership also watching.
Kasey returns home to his family, but h realizes he has to move on if he’s going to put his life back together and decide what to do next. So, Kasey calls up his old friend Jonah Littlejohn to see if he can crash there for a bit. Jonah and Kasey share more than a past. They were once bandmates, toured together, and they were also lovers. But just as Kasey was reaching some notoriety, Jonah walked away from their burgeoning fame and Kasey’s bed.
The two men have each suffered trauma and tragedy, and they are unsure if they can be anything more to each other again, or if the past is too high a mountain to climb. They need to find a way to a new normal, see if the spark remains, and see what their future holds.
Brian Hutchinson’s voice is a perfect match for this title. At once tentative and forceful when Kasey and Jonah begin to reconnect, the expanse of emotion and action here is fully explored in the best way possible. From nosy and troublesome family, busy body friends, and a pack of hounds worthy of full animation, nothing is left behind here. Those familiar with BA Tortuga’s work know they will be in for a fun ride with believable obstacles and resolutions. Mixed with Hutchinson’s voice talent, they practically sing, which, for this story, is exactly what was needed.
This is a complete story, no waiting for sequels or book twos. The narrative is whole as is the narration. Buy this book for the good story of a love that once was, and may be again despite what life does to you. Buy the book because the narration for this story is spot-on and the accents and voices of every character are fully developed. Buy it if you love novels set in the southwest, have the addition of the music world, or if you like narrations that complement and improve the words the narrator has been given. Or, buy it because your ears and mind deserve a treat.
Reviewed by Mike for The Novel Approach
Kasey Tuffman is the hottest new thing in Nashville. After working hard to become the next “thing” on the country charts, he’s done it all, including winning best new artist of the year at the premier country music award show in the industry. Unfortunately, however, Kasey is tired of the game, the show, and not being who he needs to be in his heart to be a complete. So, he promptly tells off the audience in attendance and the national viewership also watching.
Kasey returns home to his family, but h realizes he has to move on if he’s going to put his life back together and decide what to do next. So, Kasey calls up his old friend Jonah Littlejohn to see if he can crash there for a bit. Jonah and Kasey share more than a past. They were once bandmates, toured together, and they were also lovers. But just as Kasey was reaching some notoriety, Jonah walked away from their burgeoning fame and Kasey’s bed.
The two men have each suffered trauma and tragedy, and they are unsure if they can be anything more to each other again, or if the past is too high a mountain to climb. They need to find a way to a new normal, see if the spark remains, and see what their future holds.
Brian Hutchinson’s voice is a perfect match for this title. At once tentative and forceful when Kasey and Jonah begin to reconnect, the expanse of emotion and action here is fully explored in the best way possible. From nosy and troublesome family, busy body friends, and a pack of hounds worthy of full animation, nothing is left behind here. Those familiar with BA Tortuga’s work know they will be in for a fun ride with believable obstacles and resolutions. Mixed with Hutchinson’s voice talent, they practically sing, which, for this story, is exactly what was needed.
This is a complete story, no waiting for sequels or book twos. The narrative is whole as is the narration. Buy this book for the good story of a love that once was, and may be again despite what life does to you. Buy the book because the narration for this story is spot-on and the accents and voices of every character are fully developed. Buy it if you love novels set in the southwest, have the addition of the music world, or if you like narrations that complement and improve the words the narrator has been given. Or, buy it because your ears and mind deserve a treat.
Reviewed by Mike for The Novel Approach
prgchrqltma's review
4.0
Characters: (former) big time Nashville singer, music producer and session musician
World Building: studio, playing, Red Dirt music
Plot: largely internal, one character opens back up after surviving abuse, they put together a relationship after a breakup long ago
Sex: medium
Read another: Yes
I could see these characters and their feelings so clearly. I would definitely read more by BA.
I received this book at Coastal Magic, where I also met the author.
World Building: studio, playing, Red Dirt music
Plot: largely internal, one character opens back up after surviving abuse, they put together a relationship after a breakup long ago
Sex: medium
Read another: Yes
I could see these characters and their feelings so clearly. I would definitely read more by BA.
I received this book at Coastal Magic, where I also met the author.
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