Thank you to Sarah Tomlinson, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for an eARC of The Last Days of the Midnight Ramblers!!

When I read this book I immediately got Daisy Jones and the Six vibes. I loved that book so I was super excited to read this one! Once I started reading, I realized it was a mix of Daisy Jones, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and a murder mystery. It was almost a bit too similar for my tastes, but I kept reading and I am glad I did.

I thought the premise of telling the story from the ghostwriter’s perspective was really unique. It gave us a more genuine perspective on the story. I did feel that her outside/personal story was a bit extraneous, but understood why it was included.

The twist at the end of the book (and not the one where they reveal who -if anyone was the murderer - caught me off guard which I really liked! The story took a unique turn and while I can see how some people thought it was out of the blue, I felt like it was actually on point for the characters.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys stories about Hollywood and fame in the sixties and seventies. It was fun to hear all the old celebrity references and antics.

3.5 out of five stars rounded up!

I had a hard time getting into this book. I think the repetitive nature of the book paired with it not having a lot to say left me not wanting to pick it up.

This took a while to get going for me but a few interesting revelations kept me invested enough to keep listening. The narrator was fantastic! I think if this was described more as a book about ghostwriting then I'd go into it with a much clearer idea of what to expect. Overall, I enjoyed it and the ending was very emotional and satisfying. The writing was beautiful and I enjoy Tomlinson's prose.

#AudiobookReview

Narration: The narrator had a nice smooth even tone & was impressive in her ability to interchange her accent btwn characters & genders, she was great

Mari is a ghost writer and has been called upon to help Anke Berben pen a memoir. Anke was a famous model & style icon in her own right, but also the former wife of famous rock group, The Midnight Ramblers, lead singer Mal, whose death has been shrouded in mystery all these years. Anke was also famously linked to 2 of the other bandmates, Dante & Jack, sharing a son with Dante. Anke is adamant that this be her story, the narrative she wants to share, but Mari is determined to uncover the truth behind Mal's death, what really happened that night all those years ago. As Mari spends the weekend with Anke & her son to hear about all the details of Anke's life, she begins to feel a kinship to the elegant woman and doubles down her efforts, she desperately wants to do this story justice. She knows she shouldn't cross certain boundaries but the temptation is too strong and now there's no turning back. What will she uncover and how far will Mari go to find out the truth?

This story had a lot of potential, but unfortunately fell flat for me. There was a lot of leading the reader, leading, leading and then no big revelatory moment to satisfy all the leading. Don't get me wrong, there were quiet revelations throughout the story but nothing shocking, nothing to justify all the build up. I thought there was too much emphasis placed on the mystery of Mal's death, especially since at the end of the day the truth didn't even matter. When it came down to it, I didn't feel like there was enough of a story here, it was all a tease, smoke and mirrors. We barely got a glimpse of the backstage rock star experience, which is what I thought the whole book would be about. The story was supposed to be peeling back the layers of fame but it barely skimmed the surface. On top of that, Mari was not the professional she should have been. It's beyond me why any of the band member let alone 2 of them would want her to write their stories. Unfortunately the book cover illicited more intrigue than the story itself contained

There’s something I know about my reading taste. If there is a book about a 60s, 70s fictional band you can guarantee I’m reading it and loving it. The Midnight Ramblers was a fictional band that was as famous for their backstage antics as well as their music. Now when two tell all memoirs are set to come out involving a death of one of their members, their ghost writer is caught in the middle. Of course, I got sucked into this story and I love a fictional story that reads real.

Thank you @macmillan.audio for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love the cover on this one, and picked it up because it says "Perfect for fans of Daisy Jones & The Six." I think this comparison does this book a disservice. I really wanted to love this one, but it ended up being just okay for me. I think it's because I went into it expecting a story that centered around the rise and fall of the band. or a focus on solving the mystery of Mal's death. Instead, the focus is really on the ghostwriter, and the band's history and the mystery of Mal's death take a back seat to the writing process.

If people pick this up wanting to read more about the ghostwriter and her struggle to make it as a writer, I think it will be much more enjoyable. She's in the position of getting a story from two different icons in the Midnight Ramblers history, and is working to find the truth and do them both justice. This book is much more about Mari than it is about the Ramblers.

I listened to this, and the narrator was really enjoyable to listen to and does a good job differentiating between all the characters.

I’m having such a hard time coming up with a review for this book. When I finished, the only word that came to mind was less of a word and more of a sound. And I quote, “meh.” That was the sum of my thoughts. It was fine. There was nothing necessarily bad about it. The writing was fine. The pacing was fine. The characters were at least somewhat interesting. The plot wasn’t what I was hoping for, but it wasn’t terrible. I just felt that the synopsis had so much potential, and that the ball was dropped. In a month, I won’t remember anything about The Last Days of the Midnight Ramblers.

I was so excited for this book. I love books about bands and music and the drama behind the songs. That’s what I got with Daisy Jones and The Six, and I adored every minute of it. And that’s what I was expecting from The Last Days of the Midnight Ramblers. Unfortunately, that’s not what I got.

This is billed as the story of a ghost writer helping two of the biggest personalities associated with the band as they decide to tell their stories, fifty years after tragedy changed the band forever. While that is technically true, the plot focussed for more on the ghost writer herself than the band, and that was the main source of my disappointment. I hate to draw unfair comparisons between this book and Daisy Jones and The Six, but that story was so centered on the band and the music that they made that you kind of forgot that the writer was even present. Here, the writer is the focus of her own story. I get it, ghost writers are people too, and they experience some wild and unique things in their job. I could definitely be interested in the story of a ghost writer, if I hadn’t been promised something else.

The mystery of what happened to one of the founding members of the band on that fateful night fifty years ago, and who might have been involved, is for sure at the heart of the story. But this was far more about Mari’s detective work than anything else. Mari, the ghost writer, was definitely the main character. Which I might have been able to forgive if I hadn’t found her wholly unlikeable. And, most disappointing of all, there was no music truly present. A song or sound might be mentioned in passing, but music didn’t just take a back seat in this story; it was in the trunk, or tied to the roof of the car. It was the least musical music book I’ve ever read.

The story being told here was, as I stated earlier, fine. It just wasn’t what I was led to expect. I don’t feel like reading it was a waste of my time, per se, but I couldn’t help but be disappointed. The Last Days of the Midnight Ramblers could have been a showstopper. Instead, it was the literary equivalent of attending a concert where the headliner never shows, and the opening act doesn’t suck, but isn’t great.

Based on the description, I thought this would be similar to Daisy Jones & the Six, but it is more of a murder mystery. Unlike Daisy Jones, this book didn't have any musical focus and was more of a washed up band as characters. There were not album names, song lyrics, etc to sell the fact that they were a band or even what genre of music they are. Parts of the book are very repetitive and didn't reveal anything new. There was minimal character development and felt like the book just dragged on.

Rock & roll memoirs are always fascinating. The perspective we rarely get is so he ghostwriter! This story follows the complicated life of icons and the ghostwriter trying to just make a buck. Their stories begin to intertwine and before the reader knows it, there is mystery, murder?, and so many rumors. I struggled to keep my attention on this book through the first half. It felt too similar to other recent works, but as the turmoil developed, I was more invested. What made me want to truly finish the book was the fact that the author is a ghostwriter and all of this could have actually happened to her…

The audiobook narrator, Helen Laser, did an excellent job giving each character their own voice, and accent. I was never lost in which character was talking throughout.

And one last thing, can we acknowledge how amazing this cover is?! Beautiful!

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and author Sarah Tomlinson for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A fictional modern historical fiction novel about Mari Hawthorn, a contemporary ghostwriter hired to write the memoir of Anke Berben, a model and fashion icon from the 1960s. Berben had romantic relationship with three members of the legendary band The Midnight Ramblers (an amazing band name) and was married to its lead singer when he died under mysterious circumstances in 1969. The insight into the process of ghostwriting and the relationship between writer and subject was fascinating. But: it was so overwrought. Mari's narration was constantly reminding the reader about how stressed she was about how little time she had with Anke, the challenge of finding her voice, writing a worthy book, and the implications for her personal and professional life was maddeningly redundant and overwrought. The last third of the book is absolutely unhinged (and not in a good way.) This novel lost its identity. Still, I'll take a novel that aims high and tries to do too much. It's an interesting debut. Overall, it was a fun book that would be fascinating to discuss, but its execution was underwhelming and bizarre.

This book was absolutely phenomenal! I highly recommend it for fellow music lovers who also enjoy mysteries with a side of drama.

Mari's father once worked as a band promoter and claimed to have a hand in booking gigs for the 1960's world renowned band, The Midnight Ramblers. Mari is hoping to land a gig for herself as a ghostwriter for a Rambler's memoir told by Anke who went from “Berlin shop girl to international IT girl.” She made a name for herself in the 60’s as a model, being the first to pose topless on a magazine cover. Now in her 70’s, she’s an earthy jewelry maker who is still a sleek “style starter”.

Despite the band making it huge 55 years ago, the world would love to hear from Anke. She was married to Mal, the lead singer, when he mysteriously drowned in 1969. As the remaining band members prepare for a new worldwide tour, Mari is both star struck yet struggling with her role as a ghostwriter. She questions how far she’s willing to go to uncover the truth about Mal’s death and whether or not she can trust Anke to be honest. She wonders where the line is between the writer and the storyteller.

The story is told from multiple perspectives which I felt helped move the story and plot along while keeping me super engaged! I listened to the audio version and the narrator does a wonderful job bringing the words to life. I especially loved the songs at the beginning and end of the book from The Midnight Ramblers. This is easily a 5-star read for me and one that I highly recommend. Fortunately it was released on February 13th so you don’t have to wait to grab a copy!

Wow! I'm not even sure where to start with this one.
So many feelings going on right now...in my head and in my heart...and that sums it all up!

Mari is a writer. She is trying desperately to make a name for herself, but seems to have a black cloud over her. Each time she thinks she has something, something goes wrong.

That is, until she meets up with Anke, an aging model, and the ex-wife of one of the most legendary band members/lead singers of all time. They seem to hit it off right away, but Mari is never really sure.
We are introduced to Anke's assistant, Odi, who also holds a special place in her heart. And, as the stories begin to fall all around Mari and start making a picture, more and more things also start to become less and less clear.

As time goes on and minds are changed, Mari then decides to meet with other band members to try to get more info to build on. what happens then is a total shock...

I don't want to give too much away, but this one was beautifully written. It brings you back to Hippies, and Flower Power, and psychedelic drugs, and brotherly love...
But then brings you right back to present day, as if in a dream.

BUT, it also strongly reinforces the powers of both Love and Family! Two things that are very strong in my book, and bear notice!

Strong vibes of Daisy Jones and the Six in this one, as far as the setting, music, etc...

4 1/2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 for me, rounded up to 5!

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for an ARC of the audiobook which was recently released on 2/13/24.

#TheLastDaysOfTheMidnightRamblers by #SarahTomlinson with terrific narration by #HelenLaser.

Feel free to like, follow and friend me on: Goodreads,
IG @ #BookReviews_with_emsr or
My Facebook Book Club @ Book Reviews With Elaine.

Thanks so much for reading!📚⭐️📖

This book didn’t hold my attention. While the premise is great, the story itself just did not hold my attention. I thought the narrator did a wonderful job.

Thank you for the chance to review this book!

The Last Days of the Midnight Ramblers, by Sarah Tomlinson, was a fun look back at the history of a fictional, Beatles-level band through the eyes of the ghostwriter hired to tell their story (who then stumbles into a mysterious murder). The narrator, Helen Laser, was fantastic. I think this was my first audiobook by her, and definitely won't be my last. I loved the novel's premise and industry gossip, and thoroughly enjoyed the story.

The Last Days of the Midnight Ramblers is about getting to the truth about a mysterious death, but isn't necessarily a mystery (it gets close, but not quite there). It's a book with musicians and characters connected to the music industry, but it isn't about making and performing music. It's about getting to the truth, then realizing the truth isn't the point.

Strong start, strong end, a little slow in the middle. Audiobook narrator is great.

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, for the advance audiobook.

I couldn’t read this quicker after seeing it compared to daisy jones and evelyn hugo! there were some aspects that I really enjoyed.

tropical setting- west coast in the 60s and present day

famous characters- ghostwriters, band mates and a legendary groupie

crazy plot- a ghostwriter writing a memoir for a famous band groupie. did I mention one of the band mates was also murdered?!

this didn’t quite live up to the hype of daisy jones but was a fun read nonetheless! there were lots of secrets and unreliable narrators, I didn’t know who to believe!

thank you to netgalley for the arc!

Read if you like:
🤘🏻Rock and Roll
🎶 Daisy Jones & the Six
👻 Ghost Writers
📖 Memoirs
🔎 Mysteries
🔺 Love Triangles
🐌 Slow Paced Stories

This story really intrigued me from its premise and it’s definitely a slow burn and character driven novel in the way the story is told.

The story telling is very reminiscent of TJR and felt like a blend between the way she told the stories of Daisy and Evelyn.

I loved the behind the scenes tell all vibes and juicy gossip feelings that the story delivered on and definitely is one to add to your tbr if you enjoy this type of story!

Thank you so much to the publisher for my ALC in exchange for my thoughts!

I love music and books about music always call my name.

There’s a mix of everything in this book, and the result is an addictive story about fame, love, murder, family drama and rock that you won’t be able to put down. A fantastic debut.

Thank you @flatiron_books and @macmillan.audio for this complimentary audiobook and gifted copy.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗗𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝗱𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗥𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀 releases today February 13, 2024.

While this book was described as something akin to Daisy Jones and the Six, it really wasn't. It was more of a low-key mystery with three Rock & Roll icons at the center.

Mari Hawthorn is a ghostwriter. She's been hired to write the memoir of Anke Berben, a super model and style icon, who was involved with three different men from the band The Midnight Ramblers. Underscoring the band's legacy is the death of its front man, Mal, who was also Anke's husband. While rumours abound about Mal's death, the band has been suspiciously silent. Mari wants to get to the heart of this mystery and has to use all of her feminine wiles, charms, and tricks to get anyone and everyone to open up to her.

I was pleasantly surprised by the story, and the ending. All of the players. Ody (Anke's son), Dante (her lover and the lead guitarist), and Sigrid (the band manager) were written with such different voices and personalities, and the audiobook really delivered on that front. I especially enjoyed the original Midnight Ramblers music from Joshua Grange.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: A ghost writer is hired to write the tell-all memoir of Anke Berben, an iconic model who had relationships with three members of The Midnight Ramblers, the most prolific rock band of the 1960s.
Thoughts: I loved the premise of this one - vibes of Daisy Jones and the Six and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo had me excited! Things I enjoyed: the behind the scenes aspects of ghost writing, the general vibes, and the drama. Things that could have been better: the pacing (as I struggled with the first 50% or so) and the motivations of the characters could have been made more clear so the reader could connect with them more. The audio narrator, Helen Laser, really did a fantastic job with the various accents she was tasked with and definitely made the story more enjoyable.
Read this if you like:
# 1960s rock 'n' roll vibes
lifestyles of the rich and famous
# LA
~ mocumentaries