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!

"The Breakup Tour" by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka is a delightful and witty romantic comedy that takes readers on a journey of self-discovery and second chances. The novel follows high school sweethearts August and Ethan, now exes on a cross-country tour with a breakup reality show. Wibberley and Siegemund-Broka's writing is sharp, filled with humor and heart, as the characters confront their past and navigate the complexities of love and fame. The narrative unfolds with charm and authenticity, offering a fresh take on relationships and personal growth. "The Breakup Tour" is a fun and engaging read, perfect for fans of contemporary romance.

This was fun! It felt a lot like reading a happy ending for Taylor Swift. The characters were really well crafted and complex, and I'm always a sucker for second chance romance.

Thank you @NetGalley @PRHAudio @BerkleyPub @BerkleyRomance @Wibbs_Ink @Austins_B for an ARC of The Breakup Tour

Release: 1/23/24 – 4 Stars

Calling all Swifties! This adorable romance was definitely inspired by Tay Tay as you will quickly notice! I’m a huge Swiftie, so I was elated to get an advance listen.

I did find Riley just a tad self-absorbed, but Max was absolutely precious! Their entire relationship revolves around music, from the moment they met. This story of their second shot at a love story was very endearing.

The pacing was perfect & the authors really made me feel all the feels through their exceptional writing & descriptors. I don’t think I’ve ever read/listened to a book that was so incredibly descriptive, literally, every sentence. It was easy to know that they took great care & put a lot of thought into every single word of this book – kinda like Riley & her song-writing!

If you’re in the mood for an adorable romance, be sure to add this one to your TBR!

“Riley Wynn went from a promising singer-songwriter to a superstar overnight, thanks to her breakup song concept album & its unforgettable lead single. When Riley’s ex-husband claims the hit song is about him, she does something she hasn’t in ten years & calls Max Harcourt, her college boyfriend & 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 he dreamed of filled with music. When Riley asks him to go public as her songwriting muse, he agrees on one he’ll join her in her band on tour.

As they perform across the country, Max & Riley start to realize that while they hit some wrong notes in the past, their future could hold incredible things. And rekindled relationship will either last forever or go down in flames.”

#Romance #Music #NewAdult #Fiction #Adult #Audio #Audiobook #YA #Tour #Breakup #Concert #Love #TaylorSwift #FanFic #ARC #Review #January #2024 #EarlyReview #TheBreakupTour #TBR #AudioReview #Bookstagram #Booksta #Read #Books #Bibliophile #BookSlayer #Country #BooksofIG

This was one of my MOST anticipated books of 2024 and it didn't disappoint! I am OBSESSED with the purple cover and really enjoyed the second chance, dual POV, popstar romance that sees two college sweethearts reunited after Thea embarks on a new Breakup tour with the one who got away. Perfect for fans of Taylor Swift and great on audio narrated by my fav Brittany Pressley and Dan Bittner. By far my new fav by this husband and wife author duo. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

A little conflicted with this book. The author dedicates it to Taylor Swift and Swifties in the beginning. But it reads as if this was fan-fiction written about Taylor and the misogynistic comments see received in circa 2011...and like the author HATES her lmao.

I really wanted to love this one because I know it’s inspired by Taylor Swift (I also got some Kelsea Ballerini vibes) but it just missed a bit for me. I liked it overall but I didn’t love it.
The romance was tough to feel connected to because it’s a second chance romance but I feel like we didn’t get enough background about Riley and Max in the past to see why they should be together in the present. Riley wasn’t a super likable character to me. She was hard to relate to, and I get that she’s a mega-famous singer, but her character didn’t feel grounded or multi-faceted.
I really enjoyed the music and celebrity elements. I’m always down to read a book about fame, especially involving music artists so that part of this was right up my alley. I liked getting to follow along with Riley on tour and throughout her song-writing process.
This was a fast and easy read that made for a solid story, but it unfortunately didn’t live up to all of my hopes and dreams of the Taylor Swift romance that the marketing of this book promises.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka will be an auto-buy duo for me from here on out! Their writing and storytelling is always so solid.

I loved the giddy feelings and heartache of first love that were captured in this story, as well as the second chance at it all, The characters were easy to root for, and I think fans of popular culture will love this one.

I will say, I think there were too many 'lyrics' throughout, which may be a silly statement since the whole book was centered around her songwriting, but it took me out of it at some points. Overall, recommend!

This one was an absolute delight. Riley, the Queen of Breakups, was so relatable and I loved her Taylor Swift vibes. Max was so sweet and their chemistry was awesome. I want to hear their music in real life!

A beautiful love letter to the stories behind music and loves lost, this book is everything a hopeless romantic needs. Swoon-worthy yet heartbreaking in the best way, following Riley and Max’s relationship is truly a joy for the reader to behold.

The married author duo take their readers on an incredible adventure of intoxicating first loves and second chances filled with heartache and longing unlike anything I’ve read before.

I found myself tearing up at the beauty of the language used and fighting vigorously for the characters in other parts. What’s starts off seeming like a cliche love story is actually an emotional rollercoaster that anyone who has had their heartbroken can relate to.

I think this is going to be a hit in 2024 especially for all of the romance lovers needing a book with a couple they can root for.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishers for this Advanced Readers Copy of The Breakup Tour by Emily Wibberley!

**Review will be published on release day on my site and socials**

THERE WAS A LOT OF MUSIC.

And I totally get it, that’s the theme of the whole book. But dare I say, I felt like there were too many musically related things? I felt like every page was dedicated back to some song lyric Riley had written or how the day felt lyrical or about every little thing involving the tour. The whole vibe SCREAMED at you (and maybe that’s your thing??).

There were some solid second chance romance things though. I liked the bit of push and pull and there were tension filled moments too. I could truly feel the bond between them and that we’ll find out way back to each other-ness that I adored. Max was a lovable quiet guy who finally took the big shots he deserved.

Riley was a bit up and down for me. She frustrated me and I also saw her thought process. I think I was hoping for a turnaround about song writing in this book and not just one brief moment towards the end. The grand gesture deserves a star on its own though. I thought it was perfect, well placed and balanced for the story. Loved that so much!

Overall audience notes:
- Contemporary Romance
- Language: some strong
- Romance: 2 open door; low explicit
- Trigger/Content Warnings: mentions of divorce

3.5 stars rounded up.

I think this book is going to be one of those that's better as an audiobook. I felt like just about everything that happened was either a flashback or simply things our main characters were thinking about as they pondered their relationship and if they wanted to get back together or not. There were very few conversations and not a lot happening as the story sort of progressed. My very favorite scenes were those with both Riley and Max rather than all the time they spent apart.

Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for my complimentary e-arc of this book. All opinions here are my own.

I'm a fan of this pair of authors, generally, but this particular book is not their strongest. I appreciate the dual perspectives, but this was just such an internal story for both characters that it dragged. It was sweet and full of yearning, but unlike previous books with this theme of lost love rekindled it just didn't quite gel. Still enjoyable, and still looking forward to the next book from them!

Riley was catapulted to stardom seemingly overnight thanks to her breakup song album. When her ex-husband tries to lay claim to the number one single, Riley calls the real inspiration for the song, Max, her college sweetheart.

Max hasn’t spoken to Riley in ten years. He’s content with his life, so, when Riley shows up, asking him to go public as her muse, he agrees on the condition that he can join the band on tour.

As they perform together they start to realize that their future may be together.

I first read this writing duo in The Roughest Draft, and found I really enjoyed it. So, when I learned they had a new book coming out and it was loosely based on Taylor Swift, I knew I needed to read it. This book was cute. Second chance romance isn’t always my favorite, but in this case, it was really sweet. I think that it worked because the couple explored the reason that the original relationship failed and acknowledged how they were going to address it the second time around. Part of this was the character growth throughout the book, it was done nicely. It was a fun dynamic between the characters, and it was a great will they won’t they ride the entire time. As far as romance goes, this one definitely falls into the fluffy category, and I was in the right mood for it which was why it worked.

If you are looking for a sweet romance with bonus song lyrics, then check this one out.

Thank you to the publisher Berkley Publishing, @berkleypub, and Netgalley @netgalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I want to thank Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and give an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
When your true love is the world's most famous rockstar, how do you go on knowing you had your chance and blew it? When Riley and Max reconnect ten years after their break up, will sparks fly? Or will the second chance love be destroyed by fame created from heartbreak?
I love second chance love. This is the hook for me. I need to watch it grow and unfurl and give me hope for how it will end.. But this book, oh my, it had me guessing if that would even be a thing! I am not huge on unhappy endings so I will say this book really kept me on my toes to see how things would end up.
Riley, she's a force to be reckoned with. But she is also insecure about ever finding true love and having it last. Thus, her break up songs that make her a superstar. She's fierce and independent but at the same time has so much vulnerability to her. There were so many times I wanted to tell her, "snap out of it!" Why do you feel you are so undeserving of love? It was super frustrating to watch her just accept it! But I could see that was party of her character development to get to where she needed to be. And then there is Max. My goodness, I really loved his character. His loyalty was ridiculous. To the point of him being a little self-sabotaging. He was a great compliment to Riley, though. Of course this book could not exist without the fabulous side characters of Frank, Jess, Carrie, and Linda! They truly gave focus to the two main characters and helped them find themselves and each other.
The romance, ugh, so hot. Were there sexy scenes, yes. Would I call this one smut, no. While you had an idea of the things happening, they were not at all particularly graphic. But I kind of liked that for the sweetness it brought to the relationship of the characters.
This story was characters driven but also plot driven. I loved going on tour with the characters. Learning what it was like in the green rooms, on the tour buses, and backstage. It was an interesting look into what it was like to follow a rock star. It gave me a bit of a Daisy Jones and the Six vibe. But what sets it apart from that book is it's about a single singer rather than a rock group.
The pacing was perfect. I loved being on the road with Riley and Max. Going from city to city, watching the shows take place and seeing what happens between the main characters. It helped to set the tone and also showcase the characters as they grow.
If there is one thing I had some trouble with in this book it was how the authors chose to use music as the explanation for everything in the book. As someone with a musical background, it was easy for me to understand it and lick with it. But I feel like people who don't have any musical background might have some trouble connecting with it. But as a musician, I easily connected with how the characters used music as their muse.
Overall, I really loved this story. It definitely had me on my toes to see where the relationship would go. And it also caused me a bit of stress and panic with the hope it would all work out in the end. Did it? I guess you'll have to read to find out!

Full of all the T. Swift references that a Swiftie like myself will recognize, plus a fun plot of second chances - this one is a hit! Will absolutely recommend to those looking for a good romance with a musical twist.

4 Swiftie vibe stars

Do you love a second-chance love story with a music backdrop? This one might be just your concert ticket!

Riley Wynn (sounds like a rockstar name!) has made it big! She’s selling out arenas all over the U.S. Her latest album features 12 songs about her breakups. She’s recently divorced from a Hollywood star, and he’s got a song. Another ex is a famous singer, and they’ve actually written songs about each other! The hit song on the album is about her college flame, Max Harcourt. He might just be the one who got away.

Max and Riley were poised to make it big in Nashville, but Max pulled out, saying he needed to manage his family’s retirement home. Riley went on to stardom while Max played piano for the older clientele at the home.

As Riley tires of her ex-husband capitalizing on her songs, she thinks about bringing Max into the spotlight. Is Max finally ready, or will he stick with the comforts of what he knows? Will they reunite on tour or burn the bridges, ultimately creating more song content for Riley?

I liked the alternating points of view in this one and that it wasn’t a fluffy romance; there were definite hurdles to overcome and rooting power for this couple.

I seem to be reading a string of romances lately! This one gave me all the Taylor Swift vibes but wasn’t juvenile reading. I loved the music setting and the story. This is my first book by this author duo, and I would definitely read more from them.