Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The only thing better than getting to read one of your most anticipated books of the year, is when your most anticipated book exceeds your expectations by miles.

Hot Wax bleeds cigarette smoke, hums like a crackling vinyl, purrs like a vintage car, and crashes through diners and dives with a rowdy rock band—all while dropping you straight into the wreckage of a stolen childhood.

It’s difficult to articulate exactly how incredible the prose, character work, and plot progression are—but just know, it’s so clear how much Rio trusts her readers with this story. She doesn’t give you a guided tour with obvious tropes and neon signs pointing to hidden meanings, but rather treats the reader as the copilot, not the passenger.

Sitting in the unexpected with these characters truly immersed me. I was not expecting quite literally any of the turns that the story took (compliment), and there were a handful of pearl-clutching moments as well. Like I have no more pearls to clutch.

I don’t smoke, but I (respectfully) need a cigarette after reading this masterpiece. If people can have a drunk smoke, I should be able to have a reflective “just finished Hot Wax do not disturb” cig. Just saying.

I highly recommend preordering this, if that wasn’t already clear. Nuanced art is so back!

(Booktok Review coming as well)

4.5

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Anyone who knows me knows that M.L. Rio’s debut novel, If We Were Villains is a book I rant and rave about even 4 years after I first picked it up. I was so thrilled to get an ARC for her next full-length novel after winning an ARC of Graveyard Shift from a Goodreads giveaway and I immediately set aside my current read to dive into Hot Wax.

This book is one of those stories that digs its dirty, gritty claws into you and just keeps digging until you think it can’t possibly reach deeper. And then, somehow, it does and rips out your stomach in the process. Rio’s prose is biting and painful and at times just as melty as the title promises. Going into this expecting something identical to her previous works does not do this book justice in the slightest. This book, like IWWV, is a slow unraveling of details and of characters and you’re forced to try and make sense of the dual-timeline story as Suzanne makes sense of her own life. The characters, as is a common thread in Rio’s work, are messy and complex and, yes, you will hate all of them at some point, as another review said. But is a book really fun if you love every single character all the time??? (For me, the answer is no.)

By the end, you can expect to be fully gutted, those claws finally coming out dirty and bloody. And I think the book even smiles in the face of that, in a “yes, that really just happened” kind of way. It’s delicious, it’s frightening, it’s just all around an addictive and sweaty time (which truly matches the electrifying energy of Gil and the Kills), and you have to be willing to embrace that part of it to really find the core of this book. This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and I’m so excited for it to be out in the world and on my bookshelf in a physical form.

God M.L. Rio is just one of those authors that I will constantly hype up no matter what they put out. I absolutely adored "If We Were Villains" and "Graveyard Shift", and this one is no different. Her characters are always so well developed, and the way that she comes up with books is mind blowing. I met her around a year and a half ago, and she is just a wonderful person. I think everyone should be reading her books, if they aren't already.

Thanks to University Press of Kentucky and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!
I love this author and the cover sealed the deal. I loved the music throughout the story. I never knew where the story was going.

4.25 stars!

Wow, that was a lot. I've never read a book like this, and I don't think it's perfect but it's definitely special in a gritty, sweat-soaked way.

At ten years old, Suzanne joins her father as he tours with his rock band and witnesses all of the remarkable intensity and gut-wrenching lows that life on the road has to offer. Many years later, outrunning her failed marriage, Suzanne takes to the road again with the remains of her now-passed father's belongings in a journey to come to terms with her past. I took my damn time with this, and I will say that it's quite slow for a good portion of the book. There's not really any active, tangible conflict until about the 2/3rds mark, so don't go into this look for something fast-paced. Having said this, this book is unrelentingly atmosphere, redolent with the scorching heat of the desert and the grime of the late-80s hard rock scene. Suzanne as a character kind of threw me for a loop in a good way, because she is inconsistent and complex in a way that feels very human. I really liked seeing her open up with Simon and Phoebe, and I wasn't a huge fan of the earlier timeline at first but once it picks up those chapters just hum with tension and ferocity.

I think it goes without saying that this is extremely different than If We Were Villains, but the intricacy, tension, and intensity are the same in a lot of ways. I'm curious to see where M. L. Rio goes from here, and you know damn well I'll be there to read it!

Thank you to M. L. Rio and Simon & Schuster for this ARC in exchange for my full, honest review!

Happy reading!

Everyone pop a record on the turntable, hit a little grass, and relax in your beanbag chair. It's time to go on a wild ride.

With Rio, you can expect her to set the perfect mood, making you feel her words deep in your bones and weaving a story that won’t fade with time. After finishing this tale, many of these impressions still hold true. While the story was captivating, it doesn't have the lasting impact of 'If We Were Villains.'

Initially, the story didn't impact me immediately, but it grew on me. I enjoyed reading about Suzanne's past and present—how she became who she is today and her experiences traveling with her rockstar father. It was intriguing, but there was one part that made me want to scream and throw the book across the room. Oh, trust me, you'll know it when you get there. It genuinely broke my heart. Sadly, such occurrences do happen in our world, and I wish we could change things.

Suzanne was a wild character and a tad bit confusing. Who I felt more for was her dad and her husband, Rob. Poor fellas. Although this was Suzanne's story to tell, I wish there had been more focus on her aging father and the consequences of her band’s rising popularity.

"Hot Wax" was a great read. If you love Rio, then you'll enjoy this book as well. It's definitely different from her other works, but it’s still one you'll love.

In true ML Rio fashion, I never knew where this book was going to take me. The music woven into the novel was powerful and executed very well, which can be hard to do without seeming gimmicky. I ended up making a playlist to use while I read the novel, which in turn added an extra level of symbolism to the chapter titles and emtions Rio was trying to invoke, much like the way Shakespear was utilized in If We Were Villains. ML Rio has proven again why she is an auto-buy author!

What a rock & roll story! M.L. Rio comes with a setting and atmosphere that sucks us right into this world, Suzanne's world. The book has dual timelines, alternating between her childhood and adulthood, including her own personal struggles and traumas. She is on hellish soul-searching journey to make sense of events that destroyed her as a child. I also feel it was giving a little Daisy Jones vibes too? But don't be fooled. Hot Wax is very much its own and grabs your attention then refuses to let go. It feels addictive and I enjoyed the story. Thank you Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC. Pick this one up when it publishes September 09, 2025!

Thank you to netgalley & the publishers for an eARC in exchange for an honest review

Hot Wax opens up like the gravely tone of a record starting. Our main character, Suzanne, is playing a record from both sides. Side A is her younger self on the road with her “famous” father. Side B is Suzanne, an adult running from her past and searching for answers.

Hot Wax is told in a series of flashbacks.
From her flashbacks we see that life on the road, especially at 11, is extremely dangerous and toxic. Her childhood is nothing short of normal. She experiences some harsh realities that traumatize her into adulthood.

In the present day she is picking up the pieces of her past, collecting memories from her late, rockstar father. Suzanne is ultimately a flawed character. She has low self worth and makes rash decisions trying to fit in with society’s expectations.
With the help of her found family, Simon and Phoebe, they embark on a roadtrip to help her escape her own thoughts and bad choices.

After reading If We Were Villains, I knew M.L. Rio’s next books would never be the same as the last. I can rely on her ability to transport the reader into the setting, build on character development throughout the plot, and leave you feeling satisfied by the ending.
Overall, this is a good character story full of friendship, love and heartbreak, and rock n’ roll.

3.5 stars
Hot Wax releases September 9th, 2025

Thank you to netgalley & the publishers for an eARC in exchange for an honest review

I wrote this so I'm a little biased but I'm leaving a five-star rating for the whole team who worked on this book because I'm very lucky to be collaborating with such terrific people and I'm pretty sure readers will feel the love and fire behind HOT WAX.

Well written, and made me feel like I was along for the ride on a cross country road trip with the band. That being said, I did feel like the pacing was a bit off and thought some of the “snapshot” chapters could have been cut entirely. But all in all an entertaining read that many will undoubtedly enjoy.