REVIEW AND EXCERPT
The Songs of You and Me
(The Songs Series Book 1)
(The Songs Series Book 1)
by Mylissa Demeyere
The Songs of You and Me is the first book in The Songs Series by Mylissa Demeyere. You can read my review and an excerpt below. Make sure your grab your copy ON SALE for only $0.99 to 12 April.
Also available: The Songs That Brought Me Back (ON SALE for $0.99 12-15 April).
Description
A second chance at first love.
Jane Hartford fell head over heels for Jackson at the tender age of fifteen. She spent most of high school pining for him, until she realized he wasn’t going to see her as anything more than his baby sister’s best friend. Now she finds herself single with a daughter, a broken heart, and songs that remind her of a long lost love.
Jackson Wright is a man living with regret. His biggest one, never acting on his feelings for Jane. When he returns to Bellebrook, the town they grew up in, he literally runs into her and his world gets tossed upside down and sideways.
This time, Jackson isn’t willing to give up. With a meddling sister eager to push both of them together, he believes things might actually work out. That is, if they can overcome the heavy baggage they both carry. Follow Jackson and Jane as they revisit their past, figuring out what went wrong so long ago.
Will they learn they have the power to make things right in the present?
Book Video
Excerpt
Jane (15 years old)
“What was so funny back there?” He asked as his pen stalled.
“Huh?” I pretended not to know what he was talking about as I paged through the book in front of me.
“You know what I mean.” He pushed the subject a little harder.
“Oh, you know the effect you have on the female student body, Jackson. You don’t need me to spell it out for you.”
“Do I now?” He wagged his brows.
“Seriously, you know you’re the popular jock and you actually have half a brain. It’s a rare phenomenon as opposed to the others on the team that only have the looks but are so lacking in other areas.”
“Half a brain?” He looked genuinely insulted. Poor guy. I was sure he got enough of girls stroking his ego, he didn’t need me to help in that department.
“Yes, half a brain. Need I remind you, I’m a freshman helping out a senior with his English paper?”
His smug smile faltered, and his left eyebrow scrunched up. I guess I just took this guy down a notch or two. “I didn’t think so,” I continued. “You’re going to attract fans anywhere you go.”
“Are you a fan, Jane?”
I felt the color rise in my cheeks. His comment hit a little too close to home.
“You’re feeling pretty good about yourself right now, aren’t you? Do you want me to bring you a mirror and give you a moment alone?” I managed to divert the attention from me and set him straight.
“Never mind, I’m good. Let’s get to work.”
[Want more? Click below to read a longer excerpt.]
Praise for the Book
“A tender debut novel that will leave you remembering the sweet angst of first love. The Songs of You and Me is a charmer.” ~ Taylor Dean, author of I’m With You and Chasing Fireflies
“In this romantic debut about first love, second chances, Ms. DeMeyere weaves the past and present together in a way that brings the characters’ hearts to life as they heal from tragedies and struggle to move on in life. Sweet and heartwarming.” ~ Charissa Stastny, author of Between Hope and the Highway and the Rules out Romances Series
“A fun and enticing love story that combines the bitter with the sweet and keeps you laughing amidst the tears. You won’t want to miss this touching story that explores true love in all its depth and beauty.” ~ Aubrey, Amazon Reviewer
“The Songs of You and Me pulled me in from page one. The characters came to life and I felt as if I was part of their story. I stayed up night after night fascinated with their personal and individual challenges. Their obstacles were relatable and tugged at my heart. I couldn’t wait to finish and yet I didn’t want it to end. As I read the last page, I was ecstatic to see what would come next from Mylissa Demeyere.” ~ Jamie, Amazon Reviewer
My Review
By Lynda Dickson
Following her husband’s death, Jane returns to her home town to teach English at the local high school, prompted by her best friend Sarah, who is the vice-principal. Sarah’s brother Jackson has also just moved back to town to work on a building project at the school. Jane and Jackson have history, but the timing has never been quite right. Will these two get their second chance at love?
The story moves between the present day and the past (in italics) and is told from the points-of-view of Jane and Jackson (with one bit from Sarah’s POV). The writing is a bit plain and sometimes repetitive, with a few overused phrases, but the story is cute and the characters are likable.
In her “Word to the Reader” at the beginning of the book, the author states, “The whole idea for this book started out as a scene after listening to a song. Then I would listen to that song over and over and see more of the pieces fall into place. Soon, I had an entire playlist, with scenes mapped out, and a whole story ready to write.” I love that the chapter titles are hyperlinked to the songs on Spotify. However, I found it easier to make my own Spotify playlist. (The author has since made one herself - see below.) Because the book is set in two distinct times, the playlist would make more sense if the featured songs were from both eras (or, in the case of the flashbacks, at least songs that existed at the time).
There are a few editing issues: incorrect paragraphing in the dialogue; some awkward sentences; the Chapter 26 song link doesn’t work; Chapter 28 is in Sarah’s point of view, which is unnecessary and doesn’t fit in with the rest of the book; the Chapter 33 song link doesn’t link to the correct song. It also seems to take an unnecessarily long time to find out how Jane's husband David died.
These issues aside, this is an entertaining story that will have you rooting for two people who have each lost someone they love. Jackson’s ex-wife Ainsley features in the second book in this series.
Warnings: mild sexual references.
Some of My Favorite Lines
“I was a married woman. Just because my husband died didn’t make me available.”
“There’s more to life than just surviving.”
“He would end up breaking my heart, and he didn’t even know he was holding it in his hands.”
“If only there weren’t so many if only’s.”
“In my mind, this was still Jane Pierce, the girl I fell in love with all those years ago, not some dead man’s wife.”
Playlist
About the Author
Mylissa Demeyere was born in Belgium and resides in the beautiful city of Ghent. She lives in a somewhat organized home with her four beautiful children and the love of her life. If she isn’t working, she’s writing, running, reading, or enjoying time with her kids, who are growing up way too fast.
The Songs of You and Me is her debut novel, followed by the sequel The Songs That Brought Me Back.
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