"Party Like a Rockstar" by J.T. Harding is a wild ride through the music industry, offering an insider's look into the crazy, coincidental, hard-luck, and harmonious life of a songwriter. Harding's storytelling is as infectious as his hit songs, and you'll find yourself laughing, cringing, and cheering along with his rollercoaster journey. From chance encounters with rock legends to the gritty realities of the songwriting hustle, Harding lays it all bare with humor and honesty.

What sets this memoir apart is Harding's ability to weave his personal experiences into universal lessons about perseverance and passion. The book not only dives into the glamour of the music scene but also explores the grit behind the glamour—the late nights, the rejections, and the resilience it takes to make it. Whether you're a music buff or just a fan of a good underdog story, "Party Like a Rockstar" is a must-read. Harding's narrative is like a backstage pass to the soundtrack of his life, and you'll come away inspired to chase your dreams with a little more rock 'n' roll spirit.

I have to admit that when I began reading this book I did not know of this person. What I did know or remember was Tower Records shopping in their stores and especially the one in L.A. the more I got involved in the book I found that I may not know who this person is but I do know of the songs he mentioned writing or co-writing like “Smile” from Uncle Kracker, just one song. I found his stories and the journey he speaks about all fascinating and I could also relate to his experience of being adopted his story is different but so is everyone. This is an excellent book and one that is worth the read.

Even after seeing the title "Party Like a Rockstar" it didn't occur to me that this book was from the author of the song of the same title that our local radio station was absolutely OBSESSED with back when it came out.  Not until he started mentioning the lyrics he wrote out and I was singing along, did I make the connection.  I wasn't surprised when Connecticut was on the short list of states that was playing the song. I feel like they played it every hour back in 2008 or 2009!

This book is by J.T Harding, who I actually know as "JTX" or "The JT Experience".  His story was a very interesting one, he was adopted at birth and had dreams of being a rockstar.  He talks about touring with other bands, getting his chance on stage, making it big with his song and writing songs for other acts.  I was kind of surprised how many country hits he had written because those songs all seem like they'd be a lot different than the song of his I was familiar with.  He even talks about a song he wrote for the Jonas Brothers! 

This book was a fun one, a bit of a rollercoaster at times and one I didn't want to put down.  I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

Thank you to Twelve Books and NetGalley foran ARC of this book.

While I really enjoyed some of this book and his story, there were some parts of it that were a little long and boring. I thought this was just ok.

This was a fun read! I can relate to being adopted, and being happy with my parents, but curious about the 2 that brought me to life. I loved hearing about his childhood, and his journey into music. Worth reading!

I'm a Nashville, Country Music, fan. Party Like a Rockstar was a fun, interesting (ok, fabulous!) read.

JT Harding, successful singer/songwriter, tells an interesting tale, starting from his youth to his success, and it was a long, hard, crazy, interesting road.

Now, if you're a songwriter/singer looking for good advice, you'll find it toward the end of the book; all the elements that create a good song, writing with other artists, etc.

HOWEVER, what is useful, is the road journeyed to arrive at his number one hits (and one hit doesn't mean you've made it!). Grinding. Crazy jobs.

Halfway through the book, he finds out who his real father is...what a crazy story! It also makes one wonder...are traits somehow passed on biologically?

He name drops often, this adds to the book, but at times, it's a bit distracting, as if JT is bragging in a way. There are times the writing comes off as a bit egotistical - but he has so much enthusiasm and hands out many compliments to those in his orbit, that it doesn't really take away from the book. One thing that overshadowed the book were the overuse of analogies. Every other sentence seemed to use an analogy. I have a feeling that has to do with songwriting, it comes naturally, but less is more in longform writing.

Fun, engaging, fascinating. Lessons on grinding, winning, losing it all, grinding back. to success.

All in all, I'd give it 4.5 stars.

My one word review would be "meh"

I really wanted to love this book, especially as I like the subject matter, but how on earth did Harding take such a fascinating story and convert it to, unfortunately, just "blah blah"..

He did not manage to capture my imagination - honestly, this book was just boing.

Thank you NetGalley and Twelve Books, Twelve for the copy of this book. I really enjoyed the last part of the book with the stories of meeting and writing with country artists. I realized I knew of most of the songs and artists, and that was exciting. I always knew country music was full of songwriters for the ‘singers’ and it was fun hearing more about how that relationship works. I would have liked to read more about this period of his life instead of his childhood years. This was a solid three star read!