Book Review: Another Little Piece of My Heart

Another Little Piece of My Heart
by Tracey Martin
ebook, 304 pages
Published December 1st 2013 by Harlequin Teen
Source: NetGalley
Purchase Links: Amazon | Book Depository

Synopsis:

What if your devastating break-up became this summer’s hit single? In this rock-and-roll retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, music can either bring you together or tear you apart.

At her dying mother’s request, Claire dumps Jared, the only boy she’s ever loved. Left with a broken family and a broken heart, Claire is furious when she discovers that her biggest regret became Jared’s big break. While Jared is catapulted into rock-star status, another piece of Claire’s heart crumbles every time his song plays on the radio.

The summer after her senior year, it’s been months since the big break-up, and Claire is just trying to keep her head down and make it through a tense trip to the beach with her family. But when Jared shows up, and old feelings reignite, can Claire and Jared let go of the past? Or will they be stuck singing the same old refrain?

Review:

I am a huge fan of books about music especially if there are guitars in it. But what makes Another Little Piece of My Heart extra special for me is that it is a retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion. I haven’t actually read Persuasion yet but so far, I have enjoyed all its retellings that I have read and Tracey Martin’s take on Persuasion is not an exemption.

Claire and Jared’s relationship before was perfect - save for the fact that Claire’s parents are against Jared’s family’s economic status. They were kindred spirits and both truly loved each other. They had lots of fun and made music together and planned about their future together. I rooted for them the moment they met and so even though I knew where the plot would lead their relationship, I still shed tears when they broke up. What Claire did to Jared was probably wrong but at the same time, it was also understandable.

Fast forward to the present. I thought that Jared would turn into an asshole like what the summary makes him sound like but he didn’t. He has his own reasons for why he wrote the song about Claire even though it is full of lies. I was actually surprised that he was kind of ashamed of the song and other than being indifferent (but still privately hating on Claire), he still seemed like the same perfect boyfriend he once was. Claire on the other hand is more eager to make it big in the music industry. She practices much harder now with her bandmates. She doesn’t show it but Jared’s song has totally affected her. But still, I love that instead of letting it be a weakness, Claire somehow shaped it into strength and she uses it to propel her forward.

Claire also is a very likable character. Gods, I LOVE her. She’s independent, strong-willed, and sarcastic and her narration is such a delight to read. Her family is a very difficult one with a father that’s self-centered and conceited and a suck-up annoying little sister, April. But among the two, I enjoyed April more especially when they started getting along together and bonding over hating a common enemy. Honestly, you need to meet April. She’s incredibly annoying and I love her!

Claire and Jared are both genuine characters. They are not ones without flaws and they make mistakes that take them way too long to fix, but at the end of the day, they still managed to set everything back in their rightful places. The character development in this book is superb. I wanted the story to go on and on and on. But sadly, everything has to end and there was nothing I can do when I reached the final page. Tracey has created this beautiful piece and I cannot wait to read more of her works. Please, Tracey, write some more awesome books!

>>Click here to read the ALPoMH Bonus Scene!<<

Rating: 5/5 stars!

Disclosure: An e-galley was received from the publisher (Harlequin Teen via NetGalley) in exhange for an honest review. No compensation of any form was received for this post.