This was more than a 4 but less than a true 5 for me - but still something I wholeheartedly recommend. If you love music, you will love this book. This is being casted as a "Taylor Swift romance" but it's so much more than that, and don't let that scare you off. It's about music, love, sacrifice, and the way we see ourselves.

As interesting as Riley Wynn is as a character and as sweet and noble as Max is, the true love story in this book is between humanity and music. The lines about writing music, the way music makes us feel, the way it makes us create memories, find ways to connect with one another, and see things from another perspective. I loved every part of this book that was talking about their relationships to music, and how it makes us feel both recorded and live. This book will make you think of your favorite songs, the songs that break your heart, the ones that make you think of a time so clearly it's like you're back there. It's great.

The love story is a little...frustrating. Riley says everything through her music and her playing and Max refuses to say anything, ever. When his feelings finally come out it is beautiful, but it's more than just her extrovert energy that make Riley the more interesting character. I love that Max is ultimately someone happy with a simple life, and it makes them fit perfectly together. Being in his head as he examines his true wants and dreams is a nice change of pace from a lot of male leads, but listen here MFer TALK TO THE WOMAN.

I also loved that these characters are 30. This is Riley at her peak after a decade of hustle and hurt, and to see a true adult being successful was great.

There were some odd, unresolved subplots, and oof it hurt so bad when we learn the full story about Riley's most recent ex (too relatable.)

This is a love story within a love story, music, romance, second chances, and forgiveness.

So this was a pretty fast read and I am usually all for second chance romance but I had a hard time with Riley’s penchant for not fighting for her relationships since it makes such good material for songwriting since she is the breakup song queen. I really enjoyed Max’s POV and how he just wanted Riley to realize she needs to fight for them and their relationship if this was going to work not just keep taking the punches as fodder for her “art”. I did like that she finally decided to write a love song and that she realized that she doesn’t need to be in pain all the time to make good songs. I liked all the songwriting elements.
Thanks to Berkley and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

The Breakup Tour is a captivatingly written romance with prose too elegant to deny…I hated it.

Well, not the story. As I mentioned, the caliber of writing is far too sophisticated to argue, but poignantly so. Co-authors Wibberley and Siegemund-Broka are the dream team, their styles complimenting each other seamlessly. However, my thoughts wander to what they could achieve if they were to broaden their literary horizons. Their writing has too much depth to exist merely within contemporary romance. I want to see them soar as they test their strengths in the world of fantasy or even just a more tragically challenged romance. The lyricism in this novel was awkward, out of place, almost. The endless metaphors were daunting to the point that I was skimming potentially some of the most profound epiphanies. I would love to see them take on a story with a deeper thematic message. In this day and age, maybe they should dabble around in the dystopian genre. I say this all not to discredit their publications, but rather to point out that they harbor so much potential, and where they currently reside isn’t allowing readers to unabashedly appreciate the quality of their work.

I will say, though this was Taylor Swift inspired, and there were definitely underlying themes that proved as much, it wasn’t as unbearable as I expected it to be. I say this as a devoted Swiftie, by the way. In the age of the Eras tour and Swift’s dominating presence in every industry, I was worried that it would come across as selfish capitalism on the authors’ end, but it was almost endearing.

I say almost because of our female protagonist, Riley. Where do I even begin? She was indeed, as she feared, difficult to love. Much to her dismay, I also did end up resenting her. For most of the story, I could love her to a fault. I could acknowledge her characteristics were just the result of living a dream not many could achieve. They left her in a bubble none of us could pop. But as we progressed, it was clear that Riley’s tendencies bordered the line between self-absorbed and narcissism. Bless sweet little Max’s heart because I wouldn’t be caught within ten feet of a romantic relationship with Ms. Wynn. All of that to say, the theme of said novel is supposed to revolve around breaking these stereotypes surrounding women and their art. Instead, it did the opposite. It pained me to come to this conclusion, feeling a betrayal of my feminist ways, but it needs to be said. It breached into the territory of mockery.

Max, our leading male protagonist, was bland. I wanted to love him, but truly, the contentment between myself and his character was purely because he was the lesser of the two evils. While I will defend this man to Riley any day of the week, between you and me, he was a little weak. She might’ve been onto something when she called out his lack of commitment. Every time he spoke, it was just crickets. That man needs to stand up. Please speak your truth, king.

In the grand scheme of it, all Max did was sacrifice. He tried living her life whereas she never even attempted to try on his. There was no compromise on Riley’s end and as the old saying goes, it takes two to tango. I can confidently say that this is one marriage that will contribute to the increasing divorce rate in America. Stat. ASAP. That man was served no justice. It completely baffles me that the audience is supposed to believe that these two could last after not once, in their decade of romance, or lack there of, did they try to sustain any sort of relationship, romantic or otherwise. These two couldn’t do long distance if it was a block apart.

There was simply no chemistry between the two of them. Not an ounce of desire. There was palpable emotion, it just ended up being hatred, the opposite of what I’m searching for in a romance novel. I wasn’t rooting for the two of them. I was actually actively rooting against them. Bold take, but I’m starting to think we need to stigmatize smut again. There was no need for it in this particular narrative. It contributed nothing to the story outside of word count.

That being said, despite their two previous romances not being my cup of tea, I can confidently say that this…this is the one. Even amongst my critiques, there is still an underlying appreciation for their dedication. They gave us what so many other rockstar romances lack. We got the inside scoop. We weren’t a part of the audience, oh no. We were so much more. Like, the next time Max bails on a performance, put me in coach! We were immersed in a world of spotlights and setlists from the get-go.

As an avid Taylor Jenkins Reid lover (I know…call it the Taylor effect), this was making me reminisce, playing similar tunes to Daisy Jones and the Six and its sister novel The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.

While it may be time for me to part ways with this duo, I’ve no doubt that there’s a niche audience just waiting to devour this book.

Thank you to Berkley Romance for so kindly providing me with an ARC. All thoughts are my own and are in no way influenced by early access to this title.

This was a cute romance with a lot of heart. Riley and Max met when they were in college and fell hopelessly in love but fate had different plans for the couple. Max had to return home and give up his dreams for his family's business and while he loves it there, he regrets walking away from Riley everyday. Riley is the biggest country pop star, making her way onto airwaves with her famous break up ballads. When her ex husband claims her biggest hit is about him, she has no choice than to go try to convince her muse to let him allow her to tell the truth.
Max dreams of playing the piano for the crowds and when he presents Riley with the ultimatum of him playing that song with her, or not being able to tell anyone, she invites him on tour. Being close brings back old memories and feelings that neither of them had ever released. Will Riley be able to still be the pop star even if she gets her happily ever after? If she isn't known for break up ballads, what is she known for?
Both characters struggle with feeling like they are good enough for the other and there was a lot of emotion packed into the last few chapters. 3.5 stars rounded up because of the songs and lyrics at the end. I am a big fan of rockstar romances ACTUALLY having lyrics in them, so thank you!
Thanks to Berkley, the authors and Netgalley for an early copy.

Riley Wynn went from a promising singer-songwriter to a superstar overnight, thanks to her breakup song concept album and its unforgettable lead single. When Riley’s ex-husband claims the hit song is about him, she does something she hasn’t done in ten years and calls Max Harcourt, her college boyfriend and the real inspiration for the song of the summer. Max hasn’t spoken to Riley since their relationship ended. He’s content with managing the retirement home his family owns, but it’s not the life filled with music he dreamed of. When Riley asks him to go public as her songwriting muse, he agrees on one condition: he’ll join her band on tour. As they perform across the country, Max and Riley start to realize that while they hit some wrong notes in the past, their future could hold incredible things. And their rekindled relationship will either last forever or go down in flames.

I was captivated by this book! I couldn't put it down. A second chance romance between a pop star and the one that got away? I'm so here for it! Taylor Swift loosely inspires this romance, but it wasn't too cliche or spot-on Swiftie fan fic. I love the dual and non-linear perspectives on why Riley and Max didn't make it through the first time. Lastly, I really enjoyed the celebrity/non-celebrity dynamic. I loved that it was set on a big gradious tour and the extravagance it comes with.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review. This book releases 1/23!

Man, I'm disappointed in this book. It's no secret (you can tell by the blurb and marketing) that this book is inspired by Taylor Swift, so you'd think I'd be primed to love it -- but it was the exact opposite. It felt like it was fan fiction about the life of a real-life person, which just left me feeling weird and icky. I personally would feel really uncomfortable with this book if I were in Taylor's shoes.

I was so excited for The Breakup Tour, Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka's Taylor Swift-inspired romance, from the moment it was announced and am grateful for the early read of it! While not my favorite by this duo, I did fly through it and enjoyed it for the most part.

Max and Riley are tied together by music, from initial dating to their breakup to the way they're brought back together. The strong emotions are there from the moment they meet again, especially channeled through the breakup songs making Riley a star and reluctantly bringing Max into the spotlight. I really enjoyed the nuance of Max's journey back to his original path of pursuing music and realizing that he doesn't need what Riley has, as well as the pair navigating their differing feelings on life and love being written into music. And as a big Taylor Swift fan, the references and inspirations were satisfying but not overpowering, and I enjoyed the authors' take on stardom in the music world.

The writing is heavy on the music and songwriting influence, using so many references to describe the way the characters feel about each other and move through life. Some of it was really wonderful and gave the book a specific voice and flair, but at other times it felt overdone and like a stand-in for deeper character and relationship development between Riley and Max. However, the musical ties and gestures between the pair stand out and made the premise and grand gesture at the end really work for me. I just wish we'd seen a bit more of them in between the music.

I adore all things Wibbroka and all things Taylor Swift, so by all accounts, this should have been a knockout for me, however I had a harder time connecting with the characters and truly being drawn in - this was missing the magic I found in The Roughest Draft, but I will still read anything this duo writes!

3.5 stars

Wanted to love this but I didn’t 😭. It was fine! I preferred Max’s POV more than Riley’s which surprised me. I listened to this on audio thanks to PRHAudio, and the narration by Dan Bittner and Brittany Pressley was very good, definitely made this more enjoyable.

I really wanted to like this book but it was hard for me to pick up let alone finish. I’m sure if you are a big Taylor Swift fan you’ll love this one but it wasn’t for me sadly.

This writing duo can do no wrong in my eyes. Add a theme in which there's music and some subtle Taylor Swift vibes, and I was hooked. Riley Wynn visits boyfriends past through her songs, but there's just one guy who might not deserve to be on the ex list.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

While this wasn't my favorite of Emily and Austin's books, I did really enjoy this one. I loved the setting and backdrop of the music industry, I thought it was full of cool details and felt really realistic. I wish we had spent a little more time with the couple, it felt like we spent more time in their heads than with them together, but I did love the relationship between the two of them.

Unfortunately, this was a BIG DNF.

I was very excited for this book, but the prose and writing felt extremely try-hard. I feel like I should not have to slog through a romance novel! The writing felt purple, and it was hard to make it through the sentences and paragraphs due to the outrageous writing style. Maybe the authors were trying to lean into the singer-songwriter plot, but it just didn’t work.

Thanks for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

What to Expect:
🎤Taylor Swift fan fic vibes
🎤Dual POV
🎤Second Chance Romance

🫶🏽What I enjoyed
Though I wouldn’t consider myself to be a Swiftie, I did enjoy the storyline being inspired her, along with very subtle references to her song titles woven into the dialogue. I absolutely adored the grand gesture at the end!!! It’s officially a new favorite micro trope. I think this is a story true Swifties will enjoy.

🤷🏻‍♀️What didn’t work for me
I started out really liking this book. But then a lot of the story is spent in the characters’s heads and revolve around assumptions being made, rather than anything happening. The lack of communication was annoying and Riley was a bit self destructive (though maybe that was part of the whole being modeled after TS? 🤷🏻‍♀️—again, I am not a Swiftie). I would have liked to have seen more actual interactions between Riley and Max to build tension and see if after 10 years they still had a connection, instead of relying so much on how intense their relationship of the past was.

True rating is a 3.5, but rounding up to 4 because I really did enjoy the beginning and ending.

The Breakup Tour follows our girl, Riley Wynn who is a music superstar and she’s written an album full of amazing breakup songs. Of course, the biggest song on the album is “Until You” which is inspired by the one who got away: Max Harcourt but Riley’s other ex is claiming it’s about him.

To try to make things right, Riley tries to convince him to come forward and he declines at first until he agrees if he can go on tour with her. Desperate to right the narrative, Riley says yes and it truly feels like the sparks do not stop flying. No matter how much Riley and Max pretend, it’s clear their feelings haven’t ever gone away.

As Max and Riley get closer, we slowly uncover pieces of their past including what happened to cause their first breakup. In addition, these authors really dive into the other side of being a star like Riley and how things aren’t as great as imagined. Seeing them humanize Riley and share her thoughts on being a star was so refreshing and felt like getting a glimpse at Taylor Swift’s life behind the curtain.

While we don’t know Taylor Swift as a person, Riley Wynn feels like an homage to her without being a carbon copy. There were enough differences and tweaks that it felt removed enough. As someone who loves Taylor Swift, I adored this book and I adored the romance between Max and Riley.

If you’ve read this author duo before, you know how easy it is to fall into their stories. The Breakup Tour is no expectation and I couldn’t put it down once I started. I mean I’m already planning a Taylor Swift playlist for when I do my reread of this.

My only complaint was that the third-act-conflict felt a little on-the-nose. It felt like a rehash and incredibly dramatic. Maybe it was just me but I think I would have liked something a bit different or less predictable. Either way, The Breakup Tour was so much fun and is another hit from Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka.

Max Harcourt and Riley Wynn met in college and fell in love. Both were very good musicians which was one of the things that drew them together. But when Riley tried to convince Max to go with her to try to make it big in Nashville, Max decided that his role in his family's old folks home was more important to him than music. The two split and built their own lives.

Riley became famous for her music and her string of failed relationships which led her to become the queen of breakup songs. Max immersed himself in the family business and never could make a commitment to another woman.

Riley's latest album is a massive hit and the song she wrote about her and Max's relationship is all over the radio. With Harcourt Homes losing money and facing possible closure, Max has the idea of auditioning to go on Riley's tour to play their breakup song together which will let him earn the money he needs to keep the home open.

Neither Max or Riley have ever stopped loving each other but their life goals are radically different. Riley seems to go into relationships with the goal of writing a breakup song. She only feels real and alive when she is on the stage performing. Max needs to convince her that she's more than her stage persona and that love can be real and can last. It isn't always necessary to write a breakup song.

The story was infused with music and songwriting. The writing style was lyrical. I enjoyed that story but felt that Riley was a little too introspective and wondered if she could ever change enough to take a chance on a relationship that had a happy ending.

I can readily admit that I'm not a second chance romance girlie...

Honestly, this doesn't really feel like much of a romance....

Here we are following Riley Wynn, freshly divorced she had channeled all of the energy into her latest album. She's the kind of Pop Star that is known for having dated extensively she decides to do what the tabloids say she does best and pen an album full of breakup songs and go on tour. It's very cute I suppose.

Only there's a snag. Her ex husband is claiming credit for the runaway single from said album and our girl Riley isn't very happy about that.

Enter Max Harcourt, Riley's college beau and former bandmate. He's the real inspiration behind Until You. So before Riley goes on tour she approaches him at the retirement home that his parents run to ask if he'd be cool with her putting out a statement saying that he's the inspiration and not her lose ex husband. It's not something he thinks is a good idea, but when his parents tell him that they might need to sell the retirement home to fund their own retirement Max starts feeling bad that maybe he made the wrong choice a decade ago by deciding to stay and work there in place of going on the tour of Nashville that got Riley in the door of the music industry. So he comes up with a better plan, he'll go on tour with her and maybe her fans will start to put two and two together, wins for everyone...

Y'all the middle of this book is very mediocre. I was slightly invested in talk of the tour and the logistics and the brief scenes of Riley sort of working on new material... but honestly... it just didn't feel like I was reading a romance. We got a few memories of Riley and Max in the past, but no real reasoning for why they should be together in the present other than the fact their relationship in the past didn't have some explosive moment that ruined any chance of a future. To me as a reader it just felt like two people settling to be with each other because they were single and they were there....

I will say there are two scenes, of them working on new material, where I did feel the chemistry. It definitely felt more intimate than either of the sex scenes that are present.

Overall this was perfectly fine. I'm being lenient in terms of star rating because I think I do think you have to enjoy second chances to get everything out of this and so maybe it was never going to work regardless of my own usual enjoyment of pop star stories. It's also one of the few times I didn't care for the hero's perspective, Max just had very little to add to the story and I wouldn't have been upset if he had been omitted having read what he contributed.

The Breakup Tour by Emily Wibberly and Austin Siegemund-Broka
Publication Date- January 23rd
Publisher- Berkley Publishing Group
Overall Rating- 3 out of 5 stars

Review: Review copy given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This married author duo quickly became one that I pay attention to after their last release: “Do I Know You.” Before I tell you my thoughts about “The Breakup Tour,” you need to know that I LOVED, “Do I Know You.”

What worked: There is nothing more refreshing than a romance book written in 2023 (coming to a bookstore near you in 2024), that is not entirely smut. I would say this book is open door but it’s like a cracked open door. The intimacy came way later in the book at an appropriate time and I appreciated that. This is also for all the Taylor Swift fans out there, the main character is very clearly written to reflect her and her image. The dedication is “To the Swifties, and Miss Swift, for inspiration evermore.” I have seen some other reviews criticizing this aspect and saying that it was so obvious. Yes it was obvious, the authors themselves stated that’s the point of the book I mean T Swift is basically on the cover. I am indifferent to Taylor Swift and I thought that aspect of the book was fun. The troupes are: second chance, and forced proximity. It’s a light and fluffy read if that’s what you’re looking for.

What didn’t work: Unfortunately, I felt like more didn’t work than did. Even though my rating is a 3 out of 5, I would say my enjoyment was a 2 out of 5. I kept my rating at a 3 because I think it better reflects to others my recommendation level. I know for sure my rating has been impacted by the amount I loved “Do I Know You.” Now to what I didn’t like. This book would have been better told in alternating timelines between the past and the present. This couple dated for 9 months in college and is meeting again 10 years later. Their connection was hard to feel as a reader because we didn’t really get to know them as a couple and at times I felt like I hardly got to know them at all. If we had seen more scenes from the past and got to know them better as people, the rest of the story would have been more meaningful. They very quickly jump into the tour and start performing without any connecting scenes or conversation. My overall thought was “I feel like this book needed more time to cook.” It felt underdeveloped and rushed. On the outside, I really enjoyed the characters but I felt that the story was very surface level and lacked a lot of meaning and emotion. Now, for those of you who want a light read this could really work!

This book made me think of this question: do second chance books, books where there has previously been a break up, really need a third act break up scene?

I find traditionally published real person fanfiction very strange, but I do read it out of curiosity. I will hand it to this book for putting in a pretty good emotional arc with a satisfying resolution. I was expecting extremely lazy writing and it surprised me by having some heft. The ex-husband character was really flat, though. Where it fell really flat for me was the song lyrics! They just didn't work as songs for me, and the story really hinges on them.

I wanted to love this book so much! The premise was there and I love a great second chance romance. I think what took me out of the story was how obvious this was about Taylor Swift to the point that it felt like fan fiction.

The story was written great and I loved the inclusion of song writing. For someone like me who does not care about Taylor at all and honestly finds her distracting, I wish it was more discreet that she was the author's inspiration. If you're a huge Swiftie then I'm sure you will eat this book up and give it 5 stars!