Maddie is the good girl musician, she's classically trained and has big dreams for her music career. Those big dreams don't include playing guitar in front of everyone, joining Villain Complex for the TV reality show The Sound, or falling for the bad boy lead singer, Jared Cross. Jared is more than meets the eye and as Maddie finds herself in the music, she considers this life a real possibility. Jared is determined to win The Sound, he'll follow every guideline and advice given to him by the producers and the band's mentor. Maddie must decide if her new dream is worth it if it means she'd be giving up the guy she wants.

I thought I had attachment issues to the main characters in More Than Exes, but that was nothing compared to this. Maddie is incredibly well written, I don't think Elizabeth Briggs could have done a better job. She'll speak to every girl at that turning point in her life, to follow the rules or follow your dreams. She's beautiful, quirky, smart, and has an inner monologue that sounds just like mine did for a while. The relationship and how it plays out with Jared and Maddie is believable, very close to the kind you see on reality tv shows. They're a couple you both root for and kind of want to see separate, they're both impressive, standalone characters that bring a lot of good and bad into the story. While many people don't ever get an opportunity to be on reality tv, let alone as a musician, Briggs helps you understand the process, from playing music to interviews and how a night on the cutting block in front of thousands of people really feels. I am a reality tv fanatic and I could see every band, every mentor, and every musical performance in my mind. It's a solid storyline, with just enough background to help you understand everyone's role in the band, and twists that almost make you second-guess your predictions for the ending. I really enjoyed how the characters expressed themselves through songs, plus I liked looking up the songs and listening as I read.

While I loved More Than Music and I highly suggest you check it out, I must warn my readers of some of the cliches that seem to happen in every NA book. Whether it is from the transition from Young Adult or something else that does it, the romance portions often seem to have that same feeling of secrecy between couples. Maddie and Jared are easily a likable couple, Briggs explains the secrecy very well, but the storyline was flat for me. I wanted to believe the secrecy, but really, most of the scenes would be dead giveaways if they happened in real life. However, the overall plot is new, it is fun to read and the characters are incredibly relatable.

I am definitely going to be finishing the rest of the Chasing The Dream series. It's rare that I enjoy a series with changing protagonists, the main character is hard to nail once, let alone several times, but Elizabeth Briggs does it well. I wish I could see Villain Complex in concert, because they seem like my kind of band. Who doesn't love bad, nerdy boys? I also can't wait to see where the main characters from More Than Exes and More Than Music end up, because you know they'll be found in the rest of the series. There's some really positive writing in these books, just the right amount of New Adult angst, and a lot of pop culture references that help create the setting.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy in exchange for my review. ( )

This was an easy read i enjoyed it but it was nothing special it was just okay. ( )

"3.5 out of 5 stars! I LOVED all the characters in their band (Villain Complex), Maddie's best friends, and Jared's shirts! *hehee* They were all so fun and I liked how the novel built the storylines around them."

Read more of this review and TWO teasers here: http://frommetoyouvideophoto.blogspot.com/2014/05/made-grade-chasing-dream-serie... ( )

"3.5 out of 5 stars! I LOVED all the characters in their band (Villain Complex), Maddie's best friends, and Jared's shirts! *hehee* They were all so fun and I liked how the novel built the storylines around them."

Read more of this review and TWO teasers here: http://frommetoyouvideophoto.blogspot.com/2014/05/made-grade-chasing-dream-serie... ( )

A fun, American Idol style, romance that includes fangirl quips throughout. Although this book is part of a series, you can read it as a stand-alone novel. The NA contemporary romance is one part silly, one part sweet, and one part sexy. The MCs' passion for music as well as the dirty aspects of the music industry are described well. A good book for a quick and easy read. This author also wrote a romance novel set during Comic-Con (More than Comics) and these characters make an appearance.

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