I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I really liked this book. It seemed very relevant. It is the 90's and Jane is living with her very over protective mother who wants her to only play music in the church band. Jane is the moderator of a chat board and soon meets Elijah. They strike up a friendship and one day, Jane has had enough and leaves and goes to Elijah's home in Seattle.

They soon discover they make wonderful music together. Elijah's old bandmates are not so happy. Soon they become a huge success which takes its toll on them. To get out of the spotlight, Jane and Elijah got to Iceland for a vacation. Elijah goes missing and when his clothes and boat wash ashore is is assumed he is dead.

Fast forward to present day and Jane goes to a remote town in Germany to get away from it all. She meets Hen, the young girl from next door, who has a secret. Jane and Hen set off to figure what this secret means.

I loved the intersecting timelines and how a few people stay contestant in their lives. The story was well told and I felt connected the Jane.

4.5/5 stars

This was so beautiful and such a unique story. I absolutely loved Elijah and Jane and their serendipitous connection. For fans of Daisy Jones, those who love found family, and love the 90s music scene...this will be a big hit for you!

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The Lightning Bottles
Author: Marissa Stapley
Source: NetGalley
Publication Date: September 24, 2024

Happy Publication Day to author Marissa Stapley on releasing her novel, The Lightning Bottles. This story is set in the early 90’s rock world, and the two leading characters are singers and lovers Elijah and Jane. Their ascent into rock and roll superstardom is speedy, and Grammys abound even though they are fighting a lawsuit over one song’s copy-write. People don’t like Jane for apparently little reason other than she doesn’t smile enough. With success comes drugs, alcohol, bad behavior, and all the typical rock star expectations. In the end, Elijah disappears and five years later is feared dead until…Jane meets a super fan of The Lightning Bottles, and Hen, the fan, convinces Jane to search for Elijah. I had issues with the book: 1) I thought the story was a bit similar to Daisy Jones & The Six; (2) heavy misogynist undertones, but I also wasn’t a big fan of the Jane character 3) the chance that this odd girl, might have a clue to finding the missing & presumed dead mega rock star, Elijah was a stretch, and finally, (4) the fact that all I could think was this story was a wee bit too close to Kurt & Courtney. It was good, but it didn’t rock my world. Pardon the pun. @simonandschuster #TheLightningBottles @NetGalley #rockandroll #jealousy #fate #love #loss #fiction #namedropping #music #mystery
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I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for the opportunity to read this novel.
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FINALLY!!! A novel about the music industry that actually captured my attention from start to finish. I inhaled this book. The Lightning Bottles brought back so much 90's nostalgia. I needed this book, thank you Marissa Stapley! 🙌

AT first it took me a bit to get into the story and connect with the characters. However, a few chapters into the book, once I connected to Jane, I thoroughly ended up enjoying this!! Such a fantastic fiction book with great themes of feminism and the double standards female rockstars have faced throughout history. I loved how the author's note made it clear that this book was meant to reflect a lot of what the most famous rockstars of her time went through, the double standards, and just overall how difficult it was to be a woman at the time. I felt like there were a lot of similarities to Daisy Jones & the Six but in a way this was a darker story.

The Lightning Bottles follows Jane Pyre's journey around Europe, trying to piece together where the great love of her life disappeared to. You follow Jane and learn about her past, how she lived a very remote and sad life, how she found Elijah when she was younger, their tumultuous relationship, and how they became The Lightning Bottles, one of the most famous rock bands at the time. We get to explore the double standards of Jane being the primary writer for the band, the jealously that the men around her feel, especially in the industry, and the grace they give to Elijah when he is dealing with addiction and the struggles of fame.

This book is dark at times, most of the main characters struggle with addiction throughout the story, and are grieving people from their lives before becoming famous. Jane has to deal with a lot of this trauma on her own, which drives her further away from Elijah and further towards alcohol. I felt so much empathy for Jane and really became angry at the way that the world treated such a talented, caring woman.

I really loved the way the author weaved this story, making me feel connected to the characters and the underlying mystery! Definitely great for fans of DJ&TS and historical fiction! Thank you to Simon Books for providing me with this advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

I started this book with some trepidation. I was interested in the plot from what I knew in advance, but I also wondered if this was going to be just-another-rock-n-roll book. It is, and I was wrong, because this book is so much more than that. The setting is a perfect vehicle for the story that unfolds, and the characters leap off the pages in the capable hands of Marissa Stapley. I was engaged in this story of discovery all the way through, and you will be too.

Good glory, I so enjoyed THE LIGHTNING BOTTLES by Marissa Stapley. Her vivid depiction of the grunge ,music scene in Seattle and the nascent career of a duo finally going stratospheric successful when the beloved partner disappears without a trace, was a privileged view into an extraordinary world. I especially loved accompanying Jane Pyre on her quest to be left alone and forgotten and yet moving across the world lands her next door to a super fan claiming to have proof that Jane's soulmate and partner is not dead, propelling them on a road trip full of twists, turns, and fascinating misadventures. I deeply enjoyed inhabiting the world that Stapley created and living in the world of musicians and rabid fans. I received a copy of the book and these thoughts are my own, unbiased opinions.

The Lightning Bottles is a novel about a fictional alternative rock duo that finds both success and despair in the ’90s music era.

Before they were famous, Jane and Elijah were just two teenagers exchanging messages, letters, and phone calls in 1989, musing about life and music. Jane was an isolated girl in a strict Canadian household, while Elijah was a high school dropout playing music with his friends in Seattle. When they finally come together after Jane turns 18, their lives are more difficult than she imagined while dreaming alone in her room in Canada. She feels shut out of Elijah’s musical life by his bandmate, Kim, and is naive about the amount of drugs flowing through Seattle’s music scene in 1990. When tragedy strikes, they make a messy exit and head to Los Angeles to make music on their own, but they can’t completely leave behind Kim or Elijah’s issues with drugs.

They quickly find success with a powerful group of songs written by Jane, but misogyny in rock music is rampant, and they agree to let Elijah take credit for her work. Despite his demons, Elijah’s angelic voice paints him as a sensitive soul ready to be saved, while Jane is portrayed as his scowling and difficult guitarist. This reputation follows them across continents as they continue to tour in support of their albums, but the stress of fame and lawsuits by Elijah’s former bandmates, including Kim, spin them further into their separate addictions and away from each other.

Eventually, a desperate Elijah takes a rowboat out into the cold waters of Iceland and is never seen again. With her husband and musical partner presumed dead, Jane must face life without him and conquer her own demons. But five years later, a German teenager (Hen), living next door to her rented house, shows Jane a piece of her past that leads her to a series of graffiti street art memorializing her private life with Elijah. Jane starts to question if he’s really gone or if he’s been waiting for her to find him again.

The Lightning Bottles is a complicated love story set against the backdrop of the early ’90s music scene. It’s easy to imagine this band existing alongside actual bands of the time, and the author makes it feel real and authentic. I loved how she gave Jane a thoughtful and introverted personality, which could easily be misconstrued by the public as angry and controlling. The bare-bones depiction of their spiral into addiction is heartbreaking but realistic for the era and their chosen career. I really enjoyed this unique love story and look forward to reading more from Marissa Stapley.

In the early days of the internet, Janet (Jane) begins chatting with Elijah about music. They share the same bands, love the same music. In order to escape her extremely isolated life with her Born Again mother, Jane leaves her small Canadian town for Elijah’s Seattle home where they start making beautiful music together. While they share a beautiful love, ugliness finds its way in until one day, Elijah disappears. Five years later, Hen who lives in a small German town believes that Elijah is still alive and is leaving messages. But who will believe a girl who lives with a shut-in mother and has never been anywhere or done anything in her seventeen years in Marissa Stapley’s amazing The Lightning Bottles.

By now, you may know that my favorite genre is the music novel (Is that a genre unto itself? It should be.) followed by the twisty mystery. The Lightning Bottles has both. Marissa Stapley seems to love music as much as I do because her love shows up on the pages of this novel along with the palpable love between Jane and Elijah. And we fall in love with the characters, even Jane, perhaps more so Jane, because we know the reality the fans and critics don’t know. While Jane comes off as prickly, we know her backstory, we know her reality which makes us sympathize with her if not empathize. Jane writes music because it’s as necessary to her being as oxygen, food, water.

Along with an absolutely engrossing story, The Lightning Bottles comments on a music world in which strong defiant women are demonized, their talents perceived as lesser to their male counterparts or sometimes even usurped by men. (Of course, there are dozens of true-life tales of women creating while men claimed credit across all art forms; hopefully, relegated to history now–oh, who am I kidding? History is frequently–or wants to be–the present.)

While many music novels fall short of the mark, The Lightning Bottles never does. It’s a novel to savor up until the very end and leave you (me) wishing for more. And, obviously, filling up my tbr with all of Marissa Stapley’s previous works.

Many thanks to the publisher for sending me this spellbinding novel.

This novel is an almost alt version of the Kurt Cobain/Courtney Love story. (Hole is even mentioned a few times) Jane Pyre, along with her husband Elijah Hart, was part of the super-duo known as the Lightning Bottles back in the 90s when grunge and Seattle sound ruled. Drugs and alcohol and lawsuits brought the band to a head and Elijah ended up disappearing, presumed dead. Jane, after 5 year of misery, decides to move to Germany for peace and to be left alone. She has not faired well in the media and she's trying to lay low. However, her new neighbor is a super-fan named Hen who has a secrets she needs to share with Jane; Elijah may be alive and trying to clue Jane in!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this e-arc.*

I was interested in reading this book about two 1990s alternative music icons but it fell flat. I never connected with the characters and the plot was a bit far-fetched. Plus, Stapley didn't do a good job of making the 90's rock scene interesting.

This 90’s rock and roll story had many layers to it. It definitely brought to mind Daisy Jones and the Six vibes! It’s a love story with all the things you would think of happening in the 90’s rock and roll band era. The Lightning Bottles’ journey was one of love, loss, angst, music, and the nightlife.

I did really enjoy following the previous flashback years seeing Jane and Elijah’s journey of how they started from chatting online discussing their love of music to becoming so much more. It was interesting and felt very real reading about the struggles they faced being in the band, the band life and things I’m sure many rock bands faced and/or possibly still face today. While following their previous years journey together, it also felt like a little bit of a mystery following Jane in the present day as she seeks to find out what happened to missing love, Elijah. I loved her neighbor and superfan of The Lightning Bottles, Hen. I don’t know what I expected from this one, but I didn’t expect what I got from the story, but either way I liked it.

To me, this book read more like a young adult novel, which partially took away from my enjoyment based on my initial expectations. I think there’s a very specific audience for this read, and it will resonate most with those who have a deep love for the 80s-90s grunge scene. As a millennial who loves that era of music, I found that the book’s nostalgia only works if you’re into a very particular part of the grunge and rock world. While there are plenty of clear pop culture references, some of them might be lesser-known to wider audiences.

The teen angst in this book is through the roof, and it leans into a Romeo and Juliet vibe. Jane, the rebellious protagonist, is a young girl finding herself, pursuing a forbidden love, and diving into an adventure she never anticipated. After meeting Elijah online, she embarks on a journey into passion, heartbreak, stardom, and addiction. While I didn’t connect much with the characters themselves, I think the way the author captures the sacrifice that comes with celebrity, along with the dedication it takes to achieve, maintain, and fall from fame, is where the book succeeds most.

The character Hen, who is clearly meant as an homage to the fangirls of that time and the lingering effects of those power ballads, felt somewhat random to me. While her presence added to the nostalgia, her appearance in the story seemed out of place. Ultimately, I think it was the nostalgia and the depiction of the music industry’s depth that carried this book for me. If you’re not into that specific grunge music scene or don’t appreciate stories steeped in youthful rebellion, this book may not hit the mark. But for fans of that time period, it could offer a very different experience.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon&Schuster for the chance to read this digital arc.

This book was brilliant. Pure perfection.

I don’t want to say too much about it because it is a book you just need to experience.

You get two timelines. One is Jane and Elijah’s love story along with their rise to fame in their band called Lightning Bottles. It’s beautiful and heartbreaking. The second timeline is 5 years later. It’s about a girl named Hen who is a big Lightning Bottles fan. She has found a secret with no one to tell it too until Jane moves in next door.

This book is everything. The amount of grief and pain in this but also hope and resilience is incredible. There’s so many 90s alternative rock references and also the pitfalls of being a female musician. There’s so many sad examples of how fame can bring out the worst in people and not everyone survives it. It feels very nostalgic and like you’re reading about real people so it brings out even more emotion. I loved Jane and Elijah with all their flaws so so much. I was dying to see what would become of them.

I highly recommend this book if you enjoy books about music and the perils of fame.
5/5 stars, I loved it so much. I already want to reread it. Thank you Simon Books for a copy of this book.

The Lightning Bottles by Marissa Stapley is a gripping, nostalgic and very entertaining.
I just loved this book!
What is there not to love here? We have 90s rock n roll, a love story and unsolved mystery!
Yes please! The story is remarkably compelling; I did not want to put this one down.
Fast-paced, skillfully crafted and beautifully written, this book had me staying up late, and getting up early.
If you enjoyed Lucky, you’ll love her newest book!

Thank You NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

As a 90’s kid, the premise of this book immediately drew me in through my nostalgia for those simpler times. This book, however, quickly and shockingly reminded me that the rose colored glasses I’ve been wearing are exactly that. The Lightning Bottles brought me back to the angsty, dark part of the 90’s that you don’t see in the new trends making the decade “cool” again.

I was initially drawn to the setting, and stayed for the unforgettable story! Jane and her unlikely roadtrip buddy, Hen, embark on a road trip to solve the mysterious disappearance of Jane’s former boyfriend (lead singer of the 90’s band “The Lightning Bottles”), long presumed dead. What unfurls is an adventure full of mystery, heartbreak, and a beautiful ode to the rock ‘n’ roll music of the decade.

This novel is perfect for mystery lovers, music lovers, 90’s lovers, and everyone in between! I foresee myself rereading it, and I don’t do that often. A must-read!

Big thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the gifted ARC!

During the infancy of the internet, Jane finds community with others through a bulletin board about music. There she meets Elijah. They move from the internet to calls to letters. Though the bulletin board messages were my favorite! Then they meet and it’s lightning! Soaring with the Seattle music scene, they fall in love with each other and music. The story is at its heart a love story, but there is so much more added to the mix that the book is great for even those people who are not romance fans! I loved the character development and how everyone’s stories intertwined throughout the book. I loved the timely musical and cultural references. If anything, it was a love note to the times that Jane and Elijah were a part of the music scene! Definitely a story that will pull you out of your world and into theirs!

Thanks to Simon Books for my #gifted copy in addition to NetGalley access in exchange for my honest opinion. Funnily enough, I found a Canadian edition of the author’s previous release (and @reesebookclub pick) Lucky in the Little Free Library near the house where I was dogsitting this weekend. I will have to read Lucky soon, because I really enjoyed The Lightning Bottles!
If you’re a fan of music and musicians (especially behind the scenes type of stuff) and the early 90s Seattle grunge music scene, I think you will enjoy this one. The Lightning Bottles is kind of like Daisy Jones and the Six but updated for the early 90s with an underlying mystery tying the story together. I loved the references to real musicians and tried to determine who the fictional ones were supposed to represent. If you weren’t alive in the early 90s or don’t care much for that musical scene, I still think this can be enjoyed. The story is well written, and even though it hops back and forth in time and locations, it is clear what is happening when and where. I would go to set the book down and take a break but then I’d see when/where the next chapter was taking place and decide to keep reading - just one more chapter! I read this in a couple of long sessions this weekend, including staying up way too late to read as much as I could last night. Oops! The Lightning Bottles will be available tomorrow everywhere and I definitely think you should check it out!

You know those books that have you from the first page? The ones that you both can't put down but also don't want to end? Where the story and the characters captivate you? The Lightning Bottles by Marissa Stapley was just that book for me - and it is out in the world for all of us to bask in TODAY!

The Lightning Bottles - Elijah and Jane - were one of the great, though misunderstood, bands. Elijah's voice was the stuff of legends. But Jane was polarizing - easy to hate and to blame the mistakes on. And she became public enemy when Elijah disapeared and later was declared dead.

It's five years later, and Jane is still trying escape the public eye. She has moved to a farmhouse in Germany, hoping to live off the grid. Yet when the neighbor girl Hen shows up with a theory that Elijah is both alive and leaving clues through street art, she doesn't know what to think.

We learn about Elijah and Jane's past - their meeting, theeir rise to fame, how they fell in love, and ultimately fell in part - as Jane and Hen roadtrip throughout Europe. It is a raw, nuanced look at fame, addiction, how easy it is for those put on pedastals to fall. Not to mention the misogyny.

I loved this one. It felt unlike anything I've read before. Bravo, Marissa!!! Big thanks to my friends at NetGalley and Simon & Schuster who let me get my hands on this one early!! It is not to be missed

I sincerely enjoyed Stapley's previous book "Lucky" and so I went into this one excitedly. Unfortunately, this plot just didn't stick the landing with me.

I've never been into Rock & roll and this book read a lot like a VH1 Behind the scenes. Musicians who start off with good intentions, get caught up in stardom ,lose their way in drugs and alcohol and ultimately crash and burn. That's half of the book; the other half is one of those musicians, Jane, of the duo The Lightening Bottles and the neighbor she just met Hen, solving the mystery of what happened to the Lightening Bottles' other half, Elijah. Except it really isn't' a mystery to solve so much as hopping from one point to another in quick succession.

There is a ton of activity in this book to move the plot forward, as well as characters and relationships, but none of it really seems to sink in. By the end, I don't think you'll remember most of it.

Also thrown in is allegations of plagiarism from a previous bandmate. It takes up SO MUCH of the plot that you will be sick of it halfway through.

The ending is very sweet however. Very moving and restorative, almost unusually so considering most of the book.

If you've ever wanted a front row seat to the rise and fall of rockers - this book is for you. Otherwise, read "Lucky"

* Sincere thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an eARC of this book*