As a huge Swiftie, I knew I needed this book. I enjoyed the behind the scenes of the tour and getting to know the characters. I would recommend The Breakup Tour to friends.

REVIEW FOR THE BREAKUP TOUR

3 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Pub/Berkley Romance for the gifted digital copy.

I wanted to love this story so much. When I read it was a Taylor Swift inspired romance about a singer who embarks on a tour for her latest album, The Breakup Album, I was sold. Unfortunately, the premise for me was about as strong as the story got.

I struggled finding the chemistry between the two MCs. As a second chance romance, I felt the stolen glances, the intimate knowledge of each other would suck me in, but I think the flourish of the writing overshadowed any innate chemistry there may have been. It was written, I believe, the way the author thought Taylor Swift would have written the book. This flourish is great for writing song lyrics, but for a book it led to more internal dialogue and indecision and second guessing and miscommunication than necessary. Ultimately, it was doing too much and trying too hard.

Riley could have been such a badass female character, and while the authors tried their hardest to portray her that way, she came across as insecure, vindictive, and lacked substance. The MMC Max came across as aloof, disinterested and uncompromising...all in the worst way. I found myself rooting against their reunion and, honestly? It felt a little like Max was as well.

However, even though this book wasn't for me, I can definitely see how some would love this story. It's a modern day second chance romance about the one who got away, and if you liked Emily and Austin's previous books (specifically The Roughest Draft) you will really enjoy this one.

DNF at 38%

I usually try to give a DNF a little bit more time but this one was so difficult from the start. I'm going to try and break this down into parts.

The Prose: Wibberley and Siegemund-Broka are fond of prose full of literary devices. They love a metaphor and some decorative adjectives to spice up their writing. In the past, I've been a huge fan of this. I think in titles like Do I Know You? and The Roughest Draft, stories with higher emotional intensity, this slightly dramatic flowery style works quite well. I felt like it matched the emotions of those stories and their themes. In The Breakup Tour, however, the style holds it back. Within the first few pages, the reader is inundated with over-the-top musical metaphors and similes. I always have a lot of trouble with rockstar/music stories where the songwriting process is too much on-page. More often than not, authors go over the top describing the song writing process in these really dramatic, almost religious, prophetic, miracle-like ways that make me roll my eyes and cringe the whole time. This was no exception. Something about the over-the-top dramatics of the first scene where Riley writes the hit song had me cringing and turning my kindle off. It was as if Wibberley and Siegemund-Broka saw the praise for their beautiful prose in books 1 and 2 and turned the dial up to eleven! And it wasn't good!

The characters: God, Riley was a fucking terrible person. LMFAO. I didn't even read more than 40% of this book and I knew she was insufferable. Let's recap shall we? She writes a song about her college ex boyfriend, Max. Her annoying ex-husband claims that the song is about him all across social media. She gets upset that he's stealing the attention from her. She finds Max, shows up at his place of employment unannounced, and then asks him to confess that the song is about him and throw himself into the public eye. He says no. She gets pissed. She finds out he hasn't even listened to her new album. She's furious .... wow.... what a.... likable main character... for this romance novel.... (side eye). Max decides to go on tour with her instead to save his family's care facility. The first night on tour, Riley meets a man at a bar and immediately starts assessing how she will use the interaction for a song... girl please... please just have a human interaction for once.... Max is no better! he was so bland!!! SO bland!!

The alleged Taylor Swift inspiration: No. Just No. I am defensive of Taylor as a swiftie of course but something about this was so fucking bizarre. Let's just recap the plot and assess how it could even possibly be related to Taylor Swift... Riley writes an entire album titled "The Breakup Album" in which every song is dedicated to a different ex-boyfriend of hers.... she then wants to confirm publicly that a specific song is about a specific ex.... she comes out in her old wedding dress on tour for the song about her ex-husband... huh? huh? in what fucking world?? In a world where Taylor Swift has repeatedly fought for decades to be seen as more than just 'the angry ex-girlfriend who will write a song about you', this author duo decides that it would be perfect to write an allegedly Taylor Swift-inspired romance where the celebrity lead writes a whole album that is solely about her ex-boyfriends and then go on a tour that is solely about the songs about these ex-boyfriends. What the fuck? This felt like the authors saw the song "Blank Space" and thought, 'hm.... the narrator of this song would make such a fun main character. And the swifties will love that!'.... as if Blank Space isn't entirely satirical of Taylor's constant backlash from the media.

AND THE KICKER!! The authors had the AUDACITY to dedicate this album to "evermore" OF ALL ALBUMS!!! THIS BOOK??? THE BREAKUP ALBUM AS A PARALLEL TO EVERMORE??? be so real with me.... the album with so much depth and emotion beyond relationships? Stop it...

Note to all authors: don’t write stories about Taylor Swift. you will inevitably fail to capture what her fans enjoy about her identity as a performer, and will end up producing a book that gives us all the ick :)

Riley Wynn is a famous singer songwriter who just put out The Breakup Record. One song about the breakup from each of her relationships.

Max was in love with Riley in college before she got famous when he would play piano and she would sing. But that was ten years ago. And while it’s impossible to ignore all news of Riley, Max does his best to do just that. He hasn’t listened to The Breakup Record, he doesn’t know if there’s a song about him. And then Riley shows up at his work.

I really enjoyed this book - loved how Taylor Swift inspired it felt. But I also found moments that felt like Miley Cyrus to me. And I kept pausing to go watch the 1997 live performance of Fleetwood Mac’s Silver Springs.

I didn’t love the conflict that happened at around 75% into the book and there were some parts that felt repetitive but overall I still really enjoyed this and highly recommend if the plot sounds good to you! Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the free ebook to review.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and to Let's Talk Books for the advanced reader copy and to PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

I was caught from the very first scene and could not stop listening. (who needs sleep?) This is my kind of celebrity romance. Riley is a rising star singer-songwriter. She has made her name writing breakup songs. After her divorce, she writes an entire album with breakup songs highlighting each of her previous relationships and goes on tour. And her college love, Max, joins her to be the keyboardist for his song.

I love second chance romance, and this was no exception. The writing was lyrical with amazing musical metaphors. I found myself re-reading and enjoying specific lines over and over. And I really appreciated the inclusion of the song lyrics for each of the most pivotal songs at the end of the book. I also loved the reference to Mary Oliver's poetry, especially as I have a book of hers on my nightstand right now.

Riley and Max played a bit young for their 30-year-old ages. But I found that kind of worked for their story and how their lives diverted and got stuck. And I really appreciated how they came together and an ending that felt authentic.

I especially recommend the audio format. Brittany Pressley is one of my all-time favorite narrators. Dan Bittner more than held his own. Together, it felt like sitting with friends telling me their love story.

Thank you to @netgalley @berkleypub and @berkleyromance for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to @prhaudio for a free download of the audiobook.

I just love these authors. They write fun stories that are enjoyable to get lost in. I liked the nod to Taylor Swift and her talent of writing chart topper break up songs. What really got my heart was the second chance romance along with the dreams of both main characters being fulfilled. The chemistry was amazing in both the past and the present. The lyrics? I would love to hear this album!

5 stars

#books #bookishlife #booklover #readingisfun #iowabookstagrammers #iowabookstagram #netgalley #berkleypub #berkleyromance #berkleybuddyreads #prhaudio #ltbreaderteam #berkelywritesstrongwomen #thebreakuptour #emilywibberley #austinsiegemundbroka

The Breakup Tour by Emily Wibberly and Austin Siegemund-Broka was a light and easy second-chance romance to read. It was also highly engaging, so I breezed right through, reading this book in a matter of days.

Written from the alternating perspectives of pop superstar Riley Wynn and her college boyfriend Max Harcourt, this book is a story of love, music and second chances.

Following Riley’s divorce, she writes and records the Break-Up album, 11 songs from 11 relationships. When her ex-husband tries to take credit for inspiring the albums biggest hit, Until You, Riley knows she must do something to set the record straight. In reality, the song is about her college boyfriend, Max. They were supposed to go on her first tour together, but he dropped out at the last minute and broke her heart. Now, Riley gives Max a second chance to come on tour with her and play Until You with her to create speculation that the song is about him. At first, Max refuses, but when his family’s business is in need of cash, he changes his mind. On the tour, their old feelings start to bubble up to the surface and it soon becomes clear they are going to try this again. Will they be able to make it work this time? Or will it all come crashing down like before?

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. The pace was perfect, the characters were lovely and the romance was sweet with just a hint of spice. I also love that this book was written by a real-life husband and wife and that it is dedicated to the one and only Taylor Swift.

After her recent divorce, Riley’s got nothing but heartbreak and lyrics to let it all out. When her ex-husband is convinced her hit song is about him, she revisits with her ex-college sweetheart Max. That was the one true heartbreak she had. With Max’s family’s retirement home struggling financially, Max decides to join Riley on her breakup tour as her keyboard player. After 10 years, could this be their second chance at love?

Oh my heart, this was a chaste and lyrical second chance romance between two college sweethearts. Their chemistry was amazing, loved their past and present, which developed their characters and engaged the story. The lyrics sprinkled in were excellent, too. Definitely enjoyed better than DO I KNOW YOU.

This one definitely is a big nod to Taylor Swift. While I enjoy her music, I wouldn't consider myself a Swiftie. I still devoured this one!

Riley is a superstar who has a history of writing song about the many mean who have broken her heart (sound familiar?). She's embarking on her "Break Up Tour".

She's still haunted by "the one that got away," her college sweetheart Max. They were supposed to head off on tour together, but he changed his mind and stayed behind to help run his family business. Something about his song for the tour doesn't feel quit right to her. So she goes to see him and tries to convince him to join her on tour and play piano on his song. Max's family business is struggling and the money from this tour could save it, so he agrees.

It's a bumpy ride as they share a tour bus every night and play this song together, both dealing with unresolved feelings. It's clear as a reader the love is still there. Can they resurrect it or is it water under the bridge?

Added bonus were Riley's mom, Carrie, and Frank, the tour bus driver.

Definitely a fun read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Pub for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This author duo does a nice job creating whole worlds with creative careers in their romances, and I enjoyed the way this book had a musician romance (my favorite) that's clearly an ode to Taylor Swift (it's in the dedication). Swoony music scenes, the grind of the road, the challenges of balancing fame and life.

This second chance romance was full of music, beautiful song lyrics, and heart, and I greatly enjoyed it!

Riley Wynn is a superstar songwriter. Her latest album is full of breakup songs about her famous exes, and she is off on a huge tour. When her ex, Max, decides to come on tour to play the piano during her performance of the song she wrote about him, long buried feelings begin to blossom.

This was clearly Taylor Swift inspired, and man did I love it! The concept was fun, particularly how each song was about an ex, and we got to meet several of the terrible exes in question. The song lyrics written throughout the book feel very Taylor-esque, and I really just wanted to hear these songs. (Note: On the audio, the song titles popped up as chapters after the epilogue and I really thought I was about to hear the songs and was so excited! It is just the actors reading the lyrics.)

Riley is most comfortable and most herself in the spotlight, while Max would really prefer to be behind the scenes. The two opposites struggle with finding a way to both get what they want and need out of a relationship and whether they could make each other happy. I imagine this is a true problem for anyone dating someone in the spotlight.

I loved the tropes here- celebrity dating, second chance romance, forced proximity. There is an abundance of musical metaphors that could definitely feel over the top, but I found them fitting to the story the authors were weaving.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Did I just read a Taylor Swift inspired romcom? Yes. Did it give me everything I needed? No. The beginning of this book got me so excited. It felt light hearted and exciting but as I kept reading, the similarities between Taylor Swift and the plot were just too close for comfort. It became too cheesy for me. There was no originality to the plot and it didn't do anything for me. I am not a huge Swiftie fan (sorry people), and the fact that this was so close to how her life actually was just kind of threw me off.

Riley Wynn is known for her breakup songs - every track on her latest album is about one of her exes. Riley is recently divorced and about to go on tour when he ex husband starts claiming the biggest hit on the album is about him - "Until You" is a breakup song, but it's also about not knowing what love really was until she met the person in the song, and it's definitely not her smarmy ex. So, Riley contacts the person the song is really about and asks if she can reveal it's about him.

Max knows he broke Riley's heart - it's part of the reason he refused to listen to her new album. One of the songs was about him, and he didn't want to know which one. Riley comes waltzing into the retirement home he owns and asks if she can tell the world "Until You" is about him - he agrees on the condition that he goes on tour with her. The retirement home is on the brink of being sold, and Max is determined to save it, so the money from the tour is his last hope.

I enjoyed the concept of this book so much, but I had an issue with two things:
1) Riley's insistence on making every hurt into a song and her refusal to see how someone could view that as her using them as fodder. It made her a bit unlikable.

2) The music-related figurative language. I understand the novel is about two musicians, but making every description music-related got boring very quickly.

I went into this knowing it was inspired by T-Swift, so I knew what I was getting into. It was a cute book and I can see this being a good RA for a Taylor Swift fan.

as I typically do, I went into this one blind, not realizing that this was basically a taylor swift fanfic 🤡 I am a clown once again … even though I am a huge swiftie, the country turned pop singer MC in this one gave the swiftie reputation and the songwriting gig a bad name

following riley, a pop star who hits it big overnight, and her college ex-boyfriend max, this story is centered around the second chance romance between the two when riley is forced to bring him on tour to prove that her songs are or are not written about him. and yes, to make this even more taylor swift coded, riley has twelve exes, and the public super sleuths to figure out which song is about whom 🫠

I think I would have appreciated this one more if it delved deeper into the concept of private life becoming public in the areas of celebrities and songwriting, similar to DAISY JONES AND THE SIX. instead, by putting all the focus on maintaining riley’s reputation (🐍🖤 for life) and the romance between her and max, it made the entire plot seem pretty juvenile

however, a younger audience would definitely eat this up! I could totally see myself in high school reading this!! the dialogue for me was just too cringey and insta-love for me…

a huge thank you to berkley and berkley romance for sending me this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! come snag this one this week!

rating: 3 stars
wine pairing: spanish cava sparkling wine

I dnf’ed this unfortunately. The dialogue is so cringe-y, and honestly I wish I knew this was essentially Taylor Swift fan-fic before I requested it. She is not my bag and this book is not for me.

The Breakup Tour by dynamic duo @wibbs_ink and @austins_b was a fun, Taylor Swift-inspired second-chance romance centered around overnight superstar Riley Wynn and her college ex, Max Harcourt.

When Riley hits it big with her album The Breakuo Record, based on 12 heartbreaks, the world falls in love with her and there’s no escaping her chart-topping hits. That’s unfortunate for her 12 exes, including her first love, Max, who the album’s most popular hit is all about.

But when Max’s family business, Harcourt Homes, falls on tough times, could Riley’s album and tour be exactly what they need to stay afloat? Or could there be even more at stake?

Though this book read a little young and just a tad too drawn out for me, it was an enjoyable ride! I loved learning not only about Riley and Max’s past, but also the stories behind some of Riley’s other relationships. Following her tour and her song-writing journey was fun, but I wish there’d been a couple more secondary characters to help give just a little more depth and development to Riley, Max, and their relationship. There was a lot of good material here, but I wanted just a little more. Overall, I enjoyed both reading and listening to this one 😍

If you’re a Taylor fan and a music appreciator, give this one a try! As a huge fan of this duo, I’m excited to see what’s up their sleeves next! Thank you to @netgalley @prhaudio @wibbs_ink @austins_b and @berkleypub @berkleyromance for my gifted galley and audio copy. This hits selves Jan, 23, so get those library holds and preorders in!

You know the story: she's an incredibly talented songwriter and singer, mega-famous, taking the entire world by storm, and that same world reduces her to the men she's dated and the subsequent breakups. "She's a serial dater." "Is there anyone she hasn't dated?!" "Love 'em and leave 'em, that's what she does."

Ugh.

THE BREAKUP TOUR by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka is a breath of fresh air, a story that reminds us that IT'S ABOUT HER, not the men! It follows Riley Wynn, songstress, who has just released a highly anticipated album that includes songs about 13 of her exes. Riley is newly divorced after a whirlwind relationship with an asshole actor, and he's publicly taking credit for being the man behind the album's most popular song, "Until You." Unfortunately for Riley, the song is actually about her college boyfriend, Max, who is Riley's one-that-got-away. You see, Max is an incredibly talented pianist, and he and Riley made beautiful music together, until it was time for them to leave for Nashville to pursue Riley's dream--one that Max didn't exactly share. At the last moment, Max backed out, because his own dreams lay in maintaining his family's retirement home, Harcourt Homes.

They didn't speak for ten years.

But, when the ex-husband once again makes Riley's hard work and talent about himself, Riley has had enough. She approaches Max with a "simple" request: she wants to tell the world who the song is actually about. Max initially declines, not wanting the level of fame that Riley has, but through a series of circumstances, Max counteroffers: he wants to come on tour with Riley, play "Until You" on stage with her, and let people draw their own conclusions.

What could go wrong?

This book has everything you want in a cartoon cover romance. You'll laugh. You'll cry. Emily and Austin have this incredible gift for making what seems like a lighthearted story into something with so many layers. The depth of the prose, of the characters' inner thoughts, was a pleasure to read.

This is absolutely a second chance romance, but at points it'll have you wanting to throw it across the room. The miscommunication that the characters go through repeatedly definitely leads you to want to shake them. Why can't you just SEE what's in front of you?!? It's not that deep! Only it is...it is that deep! Riley and Max struggle with forced proximity (tour bus life amirite?) and not only the longing they feel from the song of their love being left unfinished, but also their own insecurities and the mistrust that they have for each other. How could you have been so willing to leave? How did you give up on us so easily then?

THE BREAKUP TOUR was a very, very enjoyable read. Both Emily and Austin's individual talents shine through, and this is another book that proves just how well they work together. Emily's storytelling and Austin's prose always flow so well that it's impossible to tell who wrote what words--they just fit incredibly well. Max and Riley's internal monologues do get a bit lengthy at times, but isn't that the point? We're all over-thinkers, if you think about it. (See what I did there?) Once I reminded myself about that, their "wordiness" made so much more sense, and made both Riley and Max that much more lovable.

If you've ever considered yourself a Swiftie, you need to read this book!

This was soo cute! I loved it! Perfect for romance lovers and Taylor Swift fans! Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka's writing is hit and quirky fun and as always. A total delight to read.

Thank you Berkley for my early copy of The Break Up Tour! All thoughts are my own.

This was one of my most anticipated releases for 2024 and I was so excited to read it! I loved Do I Know You? by this author duo so I was so excited to see what they did with this Taylor Swift inspired Romance. Sadly, I liked it, didn’t love it. I felt like it was missing some crucial connection. Even though it’s a second chance romance, I would have liked to see the characters connect in a new way. I felt like there was very little dialogue. On the plus side, this book is romantic and really pulls at the heartstrings, so I think it’s perfect for fans of the Rom-Dram vs Rom Coms.

Synopsis:

“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 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.” —NetGalley

What I Liked:

The Premise—I’m a Swiftie since debut era, so I was HERE for this. Maybe I wanted more similarities to Taylor because I feel like they could have gone a step further but I thought it was such a fun idea.

The Strong Emotional Pull—These two authors know how to pull at the heartstrings. I think it’s a huge strength of theirs! This book felt like a heartache from page one.

The Writing—I really love their writing. It’s complex and full of feeling, the kind you don’t usually find in Romance novels. I love that they’re not afraid to “go there” instead of keeping things light and fun.

What Didn’t Work for Me:

Lack of Dialogue—But I would have appreciated a little lightness and a little fun. I felt like there was next to no dialogue between characters! A little banter would have been nice.

Disjointed Pacing—Things just did not flow for me and I had trouble wanting to keep reading.

Character Authenticity: 4/5 Spice Rating: 0/5 Overall Rating: 3.5/5

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance for an advanced copy of The BreakUp Tour. This was a cute one!

I'm always a sucker for a second chance love story, and I think Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka tell a second chance love story perfectly! The characters, the emotion, the SONGS...everything in this story was so good at evoking real feelings from the reader that I was hooked from the beginning. I also like that this story brings more than second chance love to the table; it also brings a second chance at doing what you were meant to do. I don't want to give away too many spoilers, but there are lots of second chances floating around throughout this book!

I think what kept me from rating this was five stars was the language...the writing was overly flowery and frilly at times, and I get what the authors were trying to connect (the song writing, songs, and the love story), but it was too much at times. I felt that it took away from the quality of the story in many scenes.

Otherwise, I loved this one, and I think all my fellow Swifties will love it too!

Rating: 4 Stars