You know you're old when you read the blurb and think about Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands, Sarah and Bob Dylan.
That said I wasn't a huge fan of this novel as I couldn't care for the characters and the story fell flat.
Not my cup of tea
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Rolling Stone journalist Cecelia James lives and breathes music. Every song since her childhood captures a small piece of her heart. When things were good growing up, her dad Don lovingly shared his passion and record collection - when things were not so good Cecelia mourned the loss of her mother through melodies. For years Don has struggled to bring resistant Cecelia into the fold of his new family. Just before taking a romantic cruise with her longtime photographer boyfriend, Pete, she gets an unexpected lead on a story, her first byline. Making the hard choice to follow her instincts Cecelia criss crosses the country from Miami to Los Angeles on the hunt to track down mega rock star Eddie Vee who disappeared years ago leaving the world wondering who he wrote his hit love song for. Turns out Sara and Eddie’s early teen romance was a heartbreaking affair, innocent and pure but ultimately destroyed by over protective adults. She becomes obsessed with reuniting these lost loves. As Cecelia digs deeper into the past, she also discovers the truth about herself. Music, romance, family drama and a little bit of mystery - this novel really is a mixtape of love. Highly recommend this fabulous fall release!

The ending! Why oh why did you do that to me Rochelle!? This book was heart-stoppingly beautiful! I was transfixed, mesmerised, utterly absorbed by this tale of true love. You name it, I felt it, whilst reading. Gorgeously written and quite simply perfect. I can’t wait for it to hit shelves so people can share the love of it.

Thank you to @netgalley and @rochellebweinstein for providing this ARC


In this dual timeline novel, follow the love, loss and heartbreak of two couples as they try to find their way back to each other. Drawn to the lyrics of a popular song, Cecilia tries to reunite a singer with his muse as an assignment for Rolling Stone magazine,while also trying to save her own relationship. Along the way both couples find ways to overcome obstacles and find love again against all the odds.

This fictional novel based on the song "Hey There, Delilah" by the Plain White T's, was a treat for my music-loving heart. The dual timeline/POV was interwoven perfectly and I really rooted for both couples. I love the idea that the author turned the story of the song into basically a contemporary fairy tale.

Cecilia and Pete's story is so relatable. Cecilia's reluctance to commit based on her childhood trauma will resonate with anyone who has ever mistrusted their own validity in a relationship. And Pete's tenacity makes me just want to give him a big hug.

Eddie and Sara's story is as heartbreaking as it is uplifting. It truly exemplifies that "love conquers all" while shining a spotlight on prejudices that, while being depicted in the late 70s/early 80s, are unfortunately still prominent today.

I really enjoyed this book. The only complaint I have is that sometimes dialogue ran together making it a little hard to follow, but I can overlook that since the storyline was so compelling.

I was really excited about the premise of this book but ended up caring more about one of the side plots, Cecilia’s relationship with her father, than I did about the main storyline. It took me a really long time to care about anything. The fact that I was one of the few people who found the song “ Hey there, Delilah” cheesy didn’t help. Reading about it as this huge pinnacle of love songs made me cringe. I never bought Cecilia as a journalist and never understood her romantic relationship. The only time I really liked her was when she was interacting with her half sisters. This one just wasn’t for me.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly having a hard time finishing,

I absolutely love the concept but I can’t get the image of this being a Plain White T fanfic out of my mind. Adore the concept though!

“What You Do to Me” is Rochelle Weinstein’s latest effort and a great story for lovers of the music industry and for anyone who has wondered what could have been.

We all hear a certain song on the radio and wonder who the singer wrote that song for, right? Here, journalist Cecilia is determined to uncover the story behind the popular song, “What You Do to Me.” The song’s creator is Eddie Vee, and his muse is Sara. Hence, Weinstein’s novel alternates between their story and Cecilia’s.

Weinstein is a master at creating intriguing characters and putting them into lively situations. Sometimes, stories with dual timelines make me wish the writer chose one storyline over the other, but that was not the case here. As a writer, I can really relate to the poignancy and impact of certain songs.

Fun fact: “Hey There, Deliah,” which was the song that inspired Weinstein to write this book was a song I listened to constantly for the two years my boyfriend and I were long distance. Fortunately, our story has ended happily, which is what the reader will hope for Cecilia after reading this wonderful tale.

Four out of five stars.

Thank you the Rochelle Weinstein, NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel.

This book made me cry. All the emotions and then some. Told through multiple viewpoints and timelines we follow a Rolling Stone journalist as she tries to uncover the muse for a song and we follow that muse and singer.

I was often frustrated reading this story and sad. It was well written and the ideas behind it were very well done. I just wanted to shake some of the characters up a little bit. Couldn’t they see what was right in front of them?

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This book is being hyped everywhere- Bookkstagram, Twitter, FB groups, I liked the Jewish representation and I am a big music lover. The main character Cecelia (think Simon and Garfunkel) is a writer for Rolling Stone. This may have been my dream job in college as I wrote for the school paper entertainment section.

Some of the timeline was confusing and not as interesting as I hoped. I was drawn to this book because of the description, but I felt a bit misled? Knowing about the Delilah song which was an ultimate unrequited love song or maybe a little stalkerish, I was a little put off.

I never read TJR so I can't compare it to Daisy Jones and the Six.

Thanks to Netgalley for the complimentary E-ARC! I really enjoyed this! The characters were really cool and the setting was perfect. Love the cover too!

What You Do to Me follows journalist Cecilia James and her journey to uncover the meaning and mystery behind one of the world’s most popular love songs. Alternating between 1996 when Cecilia is beginning her career and digging into the life of rockstar Eddie Vee to to the years before when Eddie and his muse Sara meet one summer in Miami, you will be pulled into this musical love story about forbidden love, regret, forgiveness and second chances.

I loved all the musical elements to the story from Cecilia’s job at The Rolling Stones, to all the interviews, the songs that were used for chapter titles, and of course, all the references to Hey There Delilah. The Jewish representation was absolutely beautiful and relatable. I will say, I did not love Cecilia’s home life situation for a lot of the story because of her stubborness surrounding her father and his new family. However, it did allow for great character growth, and I did enjoy seeing Cecilia’s perspective surrounding her family shift by the end.

Read if you like:
-Star crossed lovers
-Jewish rep
-Music
-Journalist interviews
-Hey There Delilah (bc it’ll be on repeat in your head)
-Taylor Jenkins Ried books

Thank you Get Red PR for the ARC! Pub 10/17

3.5 stars rounded up. While I enjoyed this book, I didn’t love it in the way I thought I would. The concept of it was so intriguing. As an OG Swiftie, songwriting is something I deeply appreciate, and the idea of tracking down the inspiration to a massive hit song is fascinating. The parts of the book outside of that storyline brought it down a bit for me though.

Taking the Plain White T’s classic “Hey There Delilah” and creating an entire fictional world and story around it was brilliant. Also cool that Tom Higgenson from the band wrote the foreword endorsing the whole thing. Sara and Eddie’s story and Cecilia’s work in tracking them both down while it was being told was easily the best part of this book. Their story was so nuanced, tragic, beautiful, heartbreaking, and heartwarming all at once. Cecilia’s determination in telling the story, even as she knew she was getting too emotionally close it, was also wonderful.

Everything else going on in Cecilia’s life was where I struggled. I did for her as everything she thought she knew about her life unraveled. However, I had a hard time feeling an amount of sympathy for her that really stuck because of the way she took Pete for granted and how she treated her father and stepmother. I didn’t love all aspects of the conclusion when it came to her story, but I did liked that she matured and worked through her demons to happiness for the time it was given.

Unfortunately the format of the e-version is disjointed and taking away from the book itself. I don't want to rate the book negatively based upon a formatting issue, so I will leave a 5 star rating now and hold off on reviewing until I am able to access a finished copy.

“Cecelia planned to be a star. Not like her idol Stevie Nicks, but she’d find a way to inhabit Stevie’s world. And then she’d write about it.”

Cecelia James has always lived her life in music & lyrics. When she was young, this was the foundation of her relationship with her Dad. As an adult, this love leads her to a coveted job at Rolling Stone magazine and also echoes throughout her sometimes strained relationship with her boyfriend, Pete.

Cecelia so desperately wants to be a columnist, and has the chance at just that when she accidentally stumbles upon a woman who may be the mysterious muse behind the popular song “What You Do to Me” by The High Tides. This moment sets off a chain reaction of events in her own relationship, the relationship between her and her Father, and also sets the stage for the love story between Eddie Vee (the Rock Star) and Sarita (his Muse).

What You Do to Me is several love stories interwoven within each other - The fragile love between a Father & Daughter, the love between a Guy & Girl, the love between a budding Rock Star & his Muse, and a love for the beauty of music and the way it can evoke so many feelings.

Having grown up with my own Father being a drummer and being so into music, I completely identify with being enchanted by lyrics and not just hearing music, but feeling it in my soul. This book spoke to me in so many ways. It’s beautiful, magical, brilliant, and so many other things. It might just be one of the most amazing books I’ve ever read. I truly adored it!

So many thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for gifting me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

What You Do To Me is the first book that I read by the author, Rochelle B. Weinstein. This book wasn’t my normal go-to genre so I was a little hesitant to read it at first. But when I read the blurb, I was so intrigued that I wanted to read this book and see how the song, Hey There Delilah, by the Plain White T’s inspired this book. Tom Higgensen from the band wrote the foreword in this book and what he says is true, that if you liked the song then you will like this book. I wasn’t familiar with the details on the background of the song and why it was written, but I vaguely remembered that it was for a girl who was in a relationship so reading this book and learning more about the song and its muse was eye opening. Music is a huge part of my life and I loved how this book was filled with music, how it move and impacts lives.

This book is a standalone, contemporary romance about star-crossed lovers who were impacted by music and one song in particular, What You Do To Me, by the band High Tide. It loosely follows the lives of Sara Friedman and Eddie Santiago who are our star crossed lovers, but also features the complicated romance between Cecilia James and Pete Shepard. The book goes back and forth in time between the 1970’s and the 1990’s and some in the present times, 2023. It can get confusing with how quickly the chapters go back and forth, but it isn’t too bad. Having grown up in the 90’s, I don’t remember all of the references in this book during that time since I was so little, but I do remember the brief trip down memory lane and the music.

Music has always been a part of Cecilia James’s life and it’s because of her love for music that landed her as a journalist at one of the most iconic magazines in the country, Rolling Stone. While on her first solo assignment, she believes she has found the muse to one of the country’s biggest hits. And she does what every journalist would do and that is to find out more about the person who inspired a song that impacted not only her life, but countless others. But what she discovers is more than she expected to find and while she is trying to find a way to bring these two soulmates back together, she tries to figure out how to fix her own relationship. There is a lot more to this book than just this short recap, but I don’t want to give any of the details away and spoil this book for you.

Sara and Eddie’s love story is a heartwarming and heartbreaking one that ends in a happily ever after. But due to circumstances, they couldn’t be together until much later in life when a certain journalist enters their lives and reminds them of the love they once had for one another. That a love like theirs doesn’t fade away with time and distance and that life is short to not be with the one that you love and to live your life truly happy. Love wins in this book and it’s not always that I want that, but with everything that these two had gone through, they both deserve their happily ever after.

Cecilia and Pete’s love story is a complicated one and also ends in a happily ever after. But due to circumstances and Cecilia’s past, they break up and during the time that Cecilia was investigating the muse and finding out the happenings of Eddie Vee, she figures out why she is the way she is and what events in her childhood influenced that. Realizing that her view of her childhood is not actually what was really going on made her open her eyes to what she had forgotten over the years. Hoping that she isn’t too late to let Pete know what he means to her, she does the unthinkable and lays her heart on the line for him. Will he forgive her and take her back or will it be a little too late?

While this book was a little predictable, I enjoyed it. I lost my dad years ago and reading the conversations between Cecilia and her father brought tears to my eyes because I can see my dad doing to the similar things to the ones that I read in the book. It made me miss him and remember all the times he would introduce me to new music while singing and dancing with me in our living room. Music was a way we bonded and I love how I was reminded of that with this book.

Two of my favorite lines in the book are spoken by two characters in the book.
“Faith is seeing the light through the darkness.”

“No matter where life takes you girls, and I know it will be great places, don’t be scared. Look up. And I’ll be the star in every sky.”

As this was the first book I have read by the author, I am intrigued to read more books by her. I would recommend this book to any music lover especially those who loved the song, Hey There Delilah. I received an unedited copy of this book from Netgalley and this book doesn’t officially release until October 2023 and I am excited to see if there are any changes to the book and to see it out on shelves. Thank you for allowing me reading this book and I am voluntarily leaving my thoughts on it in this review.

loved this romance and finding love again. I loved that the two girls were dealing with family issues and trying to find their own way in life to college to writing the biggest story . loved the way that the time periods interacted. Really good romance and loved the different chapters with the songs

such a fun read! I really enjoyed the story line and the character development. I was kept engaged and wanting to know more about the characters and their journey. definitely will be recommending.

Rochelle B. Weinstein's "What You Do To Me" is an exquisitely woven novel that marries the power of music with the depth of love. The story follows journalist Cecilia James as she delves into the mystery of the muse behind a timeless rock song. As Cecilia works to uncover the truth, she discovers intertwined narratives of love, heartache, and separation, revolving around rock star Eddie Vee and his inspiration, Sara Friedman. Set against the backdrop of the '90s, the narrative takes readers on a nostalgic journey, resonating with emotions and vibrant melodies.

With impeccable storytelling, Weinstein crafts not just one, but two enchanting love stories, seamlessly blending romance, mystery, and suspense. The characters' poignant journeys unfold through the tapestry of music, resulting in a book that's impossible to put down. "What You Do To Me" resonates deeply with anyone who's ever felt the pull of a heartstring-tugging melody or been captivated by the allure of an unattainable star. Weinstein's novel is a tribute to the healing power of love, music, and the undying hope for second chances.

What You Do To Me is the story of a love song and of the triumph of the heart over the greatest of odds. Even for those who have written off love forever

It’s a cute concept but I feel the book was just overly long. I found myself speed reading the end to get it finished!

This book is beautiful and is going to blow up and be the next bit thing! There is absolutely no doubt about it in my mind.

First time trying Rochelle B. Weinstein and will definitely be purchasing her next book.