Wow! I really enjoyed this book. It’s such a love letter to the rock/grunge era of the 90’s. Jane and Elijah were such a mess, but I adored them anyways. I honestly think this would make a great limited series a la Daisy Jones & The Six. I wish I could give the media and all the hateful people a middle finger for how they treated Jane. Misogyny is still so prevalent in today’s society.

Thanks as always to NetGalley for this ARC.

Thank you @Simon&Schuster and #NetGalley for the digital ARC of #TheLightningBottles. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Fictional band/music/origin stories have been popular for a few years now (Thank you TJR & Daisy Jones) and I tend to like them, especially when it's set during a time I've lived through with music and/or bands I appreciate. The Lightning Bottles is a great addition to this sub-genre.

The book centers on Jane, a music loving teen with a religiously strict mom who thinks her music is sinful. She finds connection with Elijah, a like-minded musician, in an on-line chat room. Jane decides to pursue her dream and escapes to Seattle where she moves in with Elijah's family. They eventually start their own band, get a record deal and become famous. But Jane and Elijah struggle with fame and their relationship starts crumbling. When Elijah disappears and is presumed dead, the fans dislike of Jane intensifies and she retreats from the spotlight, renting a house in the German countryside where her new neighbor is a Lightning Bottles fan with an interesting theory that Jane has to pursue.

Set in the 90's during the emergence of the Seattle music scene, this is a story about the impact and importance of music; about the relationships that define us; and about fame - it's glory and it's destructive power. As always with these books, it's fun to speculate on what real life artists the characters are based on (loosely or otherwise).

Ebook received for free through NetGalley

I absolutely loved this book while also finding it sad and I couldn’t put it down. So glad I came across it.

This was a delight to read for this 1990s teen with ties to Ontario. I really liked Daisy Jones and the Six but that felt like straight Fleetwood Mac cosplay. The characters in this book have shades and characteristics of real artists from the era but also stand alone as true fictional characters. The plot isn't groundbreaking but it is super charming.

3.0. Interesting story loosely based on some real life artists in contemporary music. Unique plot and pretty good character development. A little choppy as it continues to place the reader in different phases of the characters’ lives. Music, love, friendship, addiction, obsession, and loyalty are themes. Recommend.

My review is kind of spoliery, look away if you want to read this book.



I find it kind of funny that this book is dedicated to a lot of female rock icons and the main character is the most limp and washed out woman I've seen as a protagonist in a while. This book feels like it wants to be Daisy Jones and the Six, right down to a good samaritan saving the alcoholic character in a bar seconds from relapse, but it's not. Jane's entire personality is Elijah. At any moment she is considering his feelings above hers. The entire book is her trying to shoulder his addiction as she succumbs to hers. She has no one else in her life except Elijah. I guess you could say her manager, but it's only implied they have a friendship. None of that is shown. In fact, we don't even get to really examine Jane's life outside of Elijah. She spiraled into addiction, got better. Then, I don't know, moped around for a bit until Elijah decided to pop back in to her life. Then she takes him back, no questions asked? Your partner faked his death for five years and that doesn't even warrant a serious conversation? Therapy? Yikes girl!

This book is a quick read, and if you're mildly nostalgic for nineties music you might enjoy it? Or you like train wrecks?

Jane is alone and bereft since her husband Elijah went missing (presumed dead). When she ends up next door to a teen who is convinced she has seen recent art by Elijah, Jane doesn't believe it. Through flashbacks, we learn how this famous musical duo met and fell in love, and how they were parted. Can they ever be reunited? Soapy and satisfying, fans of romance will adore it.

I absolutely love this author and everything she writes. This book....I devoured like all of her others. Thank you so much for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and the book's publisher for giving me an ARC for an honest review.

I am not going to give a synopsis because several other reviewers have done it much better than I would.

I have struggled with writing this review for a few weeks. I loved reliving the amazing music of the '90s. I loved reading about different cities and a sweet friendship that became so much more. But, I just could not buy the hatred projected at Jane at every turn nor could I understand why the author would choose for Jane to never stand up for herself.

I was surprised that this was not a first book for the author. But, I liked the idea of the book enough that I will read another of Stapley's books.

I have been a fan of the 90s music scene books and where are they now type, this had a daisy jones and the six feel to it but it was completely its own story. the beginning was a bit slow and I put it down nd picked it back up a few times but once I got a bit further, I was able to finis the story, the ending was much faster and seemed a bit rushed but it was a good conclusion. If you enjoyed these types of 90s music books, I think you will enjoy The Lightening Bottles

When I first started, I wasn't sure that I would actually get into the story. I think I got confused a bit by the Hen piece, and to be frank, I wasn't liking her very much despite the things that she had to put up with. But as the book got going and we got more time with Hen and Jane, I warmed up to her and to Jane as well. The mystery is not so much a mystery as a treasure hunt through Jane's past and her turbulent rock and roll experience, but it was still so much fun to see where everything was going and how all the pieces fit together. You do have to suspend disbelief because some pieces of the puzzle seem to be so very coincidental and, given where they are and how they are presented, would probably not last as long as they apparently have. I am glad that we get one of the pieces solved with the revelation about Kim at the end, but it still doesn't quite explain the rest and their permanence.

That being said, it's not totally fantastical. And It was fun trying to place who some of the "fake" artists were in real life or based off of. Because this was an ARC, the acknowledgements were missing which is totally fine but I felt like it may have given away some of the overlaps and pieces that I missed, despite having grown up or through this period of rock history.

I suspect that this book will be compared to Daisy Jones and the Six, but the comparison isn't really fair. True, this is about a band's rise and fall of a fictional band, but it's not really the same. I will say that if you liked Daisy Jones, then you'll likely enjoy this one, but don't expect it to be the same. And that's good, because I hate books that get published just because they are similar to something that is popular. So many Hating Game wannabe books and they just don't have the same oomph. If you like a bit of rock and roll and a bit of mystery/adventure in your reads, this one will do the trick.

The Lightning Bottles is the story of the rise and fall of Jane and Elijah's grunge band, The Lightning Bottles. The couple meet as teenagers, fall in love, and begin making incredibly popular music. They live the rock and roll lifestyle. They supposedly write all their music and lyrics themselves. But as the story progresses, we learn of disturbing conflicts between them and their "friends", and between Jane and Elijah themselves. Hen is a teen from Germany and she may have clues to the mystery surrounding Elijah and The Lightning Bottles.

I enjoyed reading this book, but found it a tad predictable, especially with all the popular rock band novels that have recently been published. There was a thread that ran through the whole book that I had trouble believing. The book is "easy reading", and though it goes back and forth in time, it was not at all confusing, and I didn't feel the need to go back and reread anything for clarity.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Lightning Bottles.

Wow - I absolutely loved this. The 90s grunge and rock vibes were unparalleled and I loved the structure of the novel. We kept waiting to see what actually happened while slowly learning more about Jane and Eli's relationship. The Kurt/Courtney was strong here and there were times I wanted to fight someone on Jane's behalf because of the DISRESPECT she received as a woman in music, especially a woman in music who is partnered with a stud of a man.

The early chapters of Jane and Eli's letters had me kicking and screaming while also very clearly setting up little clues especially into Eli's psyche.
If you loved Daisy Jones and The Six you will love this book. It also reminded me of the Mark Wahlberg classic "Rockstar" with Jennifer Anniston. Who doesn't love a good rise and fall? 5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Net Galley and Simon and Schuster Publishing for an early copy of The Lightning Bottles by Marissa Stapley

The rise and fall of the Elijah and Jane story features a young man and a young woman hungry for music fame but unable to handle lives in the public eye. Tragically, their story is the story of many young rock musicians with drugs and alcohol, colleague jealousies and demanding fans leading to destruction. Author Marissa Stapley states in the foreward that real-life musicians led her to write this novel. It is not hard to see the Rolling Stones, Sinead O'Connor and perhaps something of a Lennon/Ono dynamic in the pages of The Lightning Bottles.

Jane Pyre (born Janet Rubiero) and Elijah Hart meet in a music chat box. Elijah is a member of an up-and-coming rock group and Jane is an aspiring songwriter and musician. Together they build a duo career with a meteoric rise followed by a resounding crash. When Elijah disappears, Jane cannot resign herself to the evidence that Elijah may have taken his own life.

Enter teenager Hen who had witnessed a scene between the duo at one of their concerts. In one of the far-fetched plot points, Jane ends up moving next door to Hen. When Hen relates the details of that fateful scene, Jane and Hen start out on a journey that leads them to street art indicating that Elijah may be alive.

The Lighning Bottles is very readable perhaps due to the negative aspects of stardom and the opportunity for redemption. Readers will hope that Jane and Elijah find each other again and start a different kind of life.

I enjoyed this book a lot. I enjoyed both timelines but wished we could have had more of the 1999 mystery timeline. While the ending felt a bit rushed, I did feel satisfied with the conclusion. This book is perfect for fans of the 2018 movie "A Star is Born" and Taylor Jenkins Reids' fictional celebrity universe.

An interesting look in to the world of rock star. It's a hard life that has more downs than ups but if you can weather everything you might be successful.

This book is part mystery, part rock-n-roll 90's grunge scene, and part love story. The story takes place in 1999 with flashbacks to the early 90's. It brought back memories of the times before cell phones and instant internet connections. In 1999, Hen is a lonely German girl that dreams of being a musician. She adores The Lightning Bottles and even has a secret piece of memorabilia. In 1989, Janet is a lonely Canadian girl that dreamt of rock n roll fame but runs an internet bulletin board about music. Janet becomes Jane Pyre and falls in love with Elijah from Seattle, because of course if you're going to write about the 90's music scene it has to be Seattle. But the book is not cliche. It takes the reader through the different timelines clearly and with purpose to each move. It's a heartbreaking story that I couldn't put down. I wanted to read about Jane and Elijah's success as The Lightning Bottles as much as I wanted to read about the mystery Hen and Jane try to solve about Elijah's disappearance. Thank you Marissa Stapley, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for the ARC.

Rounded up from 2.5 stars

The first part of "The Lightning Bottles," describing how teenagers Jane and Elijah connected, was delightful. But not delightful enough to make up for the layers of improbabilities and coincidences that ultimately make the book, for me, impossible to take seriously.

Maybe I'd have overlooked or waved off the overall preposterousness of the scavenger hunt that drives the plot if the supporting details had been more truthful. But detox and rehab, for instance, do not happen the way they do here. World-famous, chart-topping rock bands do not go on tour without roadies et al. Apparent nuisance lawsuits with no tangible evidence do not make it to court simply because one of the parties at the pre-trial conference gets emotional. (Okay, maybe they do—the justice system certainly seems screwed up enough for that to be true.)

And Jane and Elijah just seem to skim across the crests of the guilt, love, and redemption they natter on about. Author Marissa Stapley wants to delve deep into topics such as addiction, betrayal, and feminism, but she never approaches the troughs—unforgivable to me when discussing addiction in particular.

Thank you, NetGalley and Simon & Schuster, for providing me with an advanced copy is exchange for an honest review.

5 stars out of 5!

Wow, this was such a great book! I loved both Jane and Elijah and thought their love story was inspiring. This book really portrays the early 90s music scene and we get to see the highs and the lows. The plot takes us from the present back to the past which makes the book come together in the end. This is my first book by Marissa Stapley and I cannot wait to read more by her. I would highly recommend this book!

In The Lightning Bottles, we meet both Jane and Elijah. Jane meets Elijah on a chat room she created. They bond over music and continue to talk by writing letters to each other. Elijah is in Seattle and Jane in Ontario. One day, Jane leaves Canada and drives to Elijahs. Their relationship takes off and so does their music. They move to LA where they are discovered and quickly thrown into the spotlight. Their fame is instant but along the way they loose each other. Elijah goes missing in Iceland and is declared dead and Jane spirals until she finally gets help. She moves to Germany and mets her neighbor, Hen. She is a Lightning Bottles super fan and tells Jane she thinks Elijah is alive and leaving messages for Jane. The 2 explore these messages and try to figure out if Elijah is still alive.

Thank you Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I seriously loved this book! It brought together two of my great loves in life, music and books. The plot was smoothly written and well paced, and the characters were out of this world! I felt all of the emotions in the course of this story and thoroughly enjoyed it. What a wonderful story, it is definitely a new favorite!