PERFECT TUNES comes out in mid-April and I can already tell it’s going to be buzzed about.. Ultimately what ⁣sold me on this one was Stephanie Danler’s recommendation - I’ve come to the conclusion I’ll read basically anything she endorses. ⁣
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Sometimes the best way to go into a hyped up book is to stay away from reviews. I had no idea what the plot was going in and it was completely different than what I was expecting. I ended up really liking it and breezed through it in a few days.⁣
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Without giving anything away, it’s a coming of age story in NYC and the main character Laura is relatable, and despite not always being likable (particularly in the beginning), you can’t help but root for her throughout the stages of her life. ⁣
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I always like to give a few comparisons in my reviews, and for this one there were sections that reminded me a little of the short story CAT PERSON, and sections that felt similar to LAURA AND EMMA (though I personally liked Perfect Tunes a lot more.) ⁣
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Thanks Netgalley + Avid for the chance to review early! This review is posted on Goodreads and my instagram: @bookish_Molly

I loved this book! There were so many likable elements that were woven together in one story. Up and coming musicians, living through 9/11, single parent-hood, long lasting friendships, mental health, trying to make a living and home in NYC. I really liked the characters and enjoyed reading Laura's journey.

I thought the story was paced well. I will definitely be reading more from Emily Gould.

Abook about a young musician her life in New her world her family parenthood.The characters came alive a story that kept me involved the authors second book will be looking forward to her next novel#netgalley#avid readerpress

This book tells the story of Laura and her experience as a musician. When she has a baby, she struggles with deciding whether to follow her dream and tour or stay home and be a more present mother.

The description of the book sounded so good, and I tried really hard to love the book - but I just could not stay invested in the story line. I struggled to feel connected to the characters. I also did not like the abrupt ending.

In her second novel, Emily Gould writes about a young musician trying to navigate life in New York, tracing her life as she attempts to keep using her talents while simultaneously gaining some financial stability. Gould is so good at describing what the early 00s in New York City's Lower East Side it made me feel a little homesick for a place I hadn't really been, and the way Laura's story goes is refreshing. I'll read anything she writes.

Gould's book is a fascinating look at a bygone era in New York City, just before everything changed forever. It's a rumination on mothers and daughters, and the strange bonds that will forever make and break that unique relationship. It's an exploration of ambition, and creativity, and the sacrifices we all must make in pursuit of our dreams. And it's about love — for others, for ourselves, for the cities we live in and the lives with inhabit in all of their messy, mixed-up glory. I gobbled this one up at a breakneck speed. It was heartfelt and humorous and heavy and hopeful and absolutely worth a read.

(Unrelated to my enjoyment of the novel, and it's overall quality, there were lots of small inconsistencies that I hope will be fixed in the final book: Laura's apartment in the East Village is said to be on 3rd street between 1st and A, but it is described as a walk-up, probably an old tenement. But the only buildings that have existed on 3rd street between 1st and A since the 1960's are co-op buildings and housing projects; In a scene where Marie hurts her eye, a few pages later Gould writes that it was Kayla who hurt her eye; Laura is 24 when she has Marie and she says she's lived in New York for 4 years at that time, but she later tells Marie she was in New York "for about a week" at age 22; In one scene after an encounter with a young musician, Laura says she is 37 (which is accurate for the timeline) but only a few pages later she says she is 35.)

This book started out with a light, fun tale of a young girl struggling to make it in NYC. I love stories like that! However the plot got long, old, and drawn out. I really could not finish it as hard as I've tried.

I received an advanced copy from Netgalley. I like the idea of this story. I disliked Laura when she was young and love struck. It panned out and the characters fleshed out. I wanted her to succeed. She was truly her own worse enemy. I kept waiting for her to do it. I kept thinking something was up with her husband but that never came to light. I felt at loose ends when it was over. Like where is the last chapter.

Perfect Tunes paints a changing picture of life as the world shifts into the new millennium. While the story is familiar in ways, such as love found and love lost, it is nonetheless quite an engrossing read. Amid secrets of parentage and lives that change in ways not planned, nor anticipated, Perfect Tunes introduces us to Laura, a young and uniquely talented songwriter, with a dream “making it” in the music world.

New millennium or not, Perfect Tunes shows us how life, even during exciting new times, may provide pitfalls and disappointments that may prove challenging for the best of us. And that is true for Laura as she finds love with Dylan, a troubled musician. Ultimately, their turbulent relationship is fleeting, as Dylan dies, leaving a pregnant Laura behind to raise their daughter, Marie, alone.

Perfect tunes was an engrossing read for me. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.

I received this book free from Netgalley.

I found this book particularly difficult together into. The characters are flat and one-dimensional and the story felt like it had been done so many times before. There were some grammatical errors too, which was off-putting. Cannot recommend this book.

Sadly, I was unable to get into this book! Tried picking it up to read a few different times and only made it a few chapters in before I had to put it down for good. Read Emily Gould's previous book, Friendship, which I enjoyed but I wasn't able to sink my teeth into this one. Hoping it was a matter of not being in the right mindset for a read like this?

Really hard to stay involved in this book. Characters were not well developed and the plot well it just didn’t keep me interested.

This was perfectly competently plotted and executed, I just didn't care. I thought Laura was too passive to be interesting. I think I just wanted it to be a different book - maybe I wanted to read Juliet Naked again? I think I was expecting more of a story about Laura's music career, and not the actual story about the drudgery of parenting that I got.

This book shines on every level: sentence after sentence is beautiful and precise. The characters are complicated and sympathetic, the ideas are sweeping and profound, but are never too overt. It’s a rare novel that is as accomplished in its meaning as it is in its storytelling while also succeeding wildly on the language level as well! A novel to lose yourself in and then reflect upon again and again.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. The description sounded promising.........a novel about a female singer-songwriter, music, friendship, motherhood and love. At the core, the novel accurately portrays the sacrifices a mother has to make for the benefit of her child. Unfortunately the characters didn't have a lot of depth nor did the story line. There were too many events that were predictable. It was 3.25 for me.

An interesting story about love, ambition, motherhood and the sacrifices a woman makes to care for her child. Laura writes her first song when she is a young girl in Ohio. She doesn't know it's a perfect song but she knows music is an important part of herself. Life continues and Laura is living in New York with a roommate who introduces her to the music scene there.

The story is character driven with some great insights into how heartache and unexpected circumstances can change the course of a woman's life. The question is, how much control does Laura have over her life? Does she have the ability to nurture her talent for music or will she passively let life happen to her?

I received an Advanced Reader's Copy from Simon & Schuster through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are completely my own.
#PerfectTunes #NetGalley

Laura is a bright-eyed small-town young woman, a recent transplant in New York City determined to make her dreams come true as a musician. Her best friend Callie whom she grew up with in her hometown of Columbus, Ohio shares an apartment with Laura as they both work meaningless jobs in pursuit of becoming famous.
Laura meets Dylan, an up and coming rockstar in a band called The Clips. They become romantically involved, and soon Laura finds herself addicted to this guy. Dylan spends his time doing drugs and drinking when he’s not playing in the band. Laura gets an opportunity to open for his band and her college acquaintance Andrea who works for a music magazine wants to do a story on her. But then September 11, 2001, happens and New York is in chaos. This changes everything including her relationship with Dylan.

Laura finds out that she is pregnant. With the birth of her daughter, Marie, Laura finds it difficult to make ends meet. She starts teaching music classes for babies in yoga studios and toy stores instead of touring with the Clips. When Marie is 14, she is interested in learning more about her biological father and embarks on a trip to do so against her mother's wishes.

Although somewhat heavy with themes of alcohol and drug use, this novel had so much heart and honesty. The main character’s narrative was engaging and hard to put down as she details her struggles with trying to make her musician dreams come true and balancing her life as a single mom. I thoroughly enjoyed it and didn’t want it to end. The ending is left kind of open-ended which suited the novel in my opinion. The book also has mentions of mental health and some sexual content that I was okay with.

I did not complete this book. I thought it was a pointless story with very unlikable characters and totally unexplained plot lines. One chapter ends with a comment that something terrible happens and the reader is never told what it is. The main character overdid drugs, alcohol and sex. She definitely needs help. ..a very unappealing character. Pointless story line added to my annoyance with this book.