With The Other Black Girl meets The Devil Wears Prada vibes, author Amber Oliver gives readers an inside view into the music industry and the struggles of the protagonist, Billie Grand, as she attempts to make her mark.

Billie Grand works hard to establish herself and lands a job as an assistant at Lit Music Productions, a large music label. Ambitious and driven, she assimilates into the company’s culture to eventually represent emerging artists. Billie strives to balance her work demands with her mother’s need for support while keeping her boyfriend happy.

The novel is an engaging and immersive read, thanks to its lively descriptions of the New York music industry and relatable characters. I thank Random House and NetGalley for allowing me to write and review When the Music Hits.

This story upends the "must secure your dream job after higher education" pressure that a lot of people experience. Billie comes alive on the page as an achiever with a strong character background to empathize with her ambition. There is no such thing as a side character. Every character has a fulfilling arc. Lucas is a wonderfully and impactfully written male. The story also delves into the misguidance and greed of the music industry with purpose.

Hey, hey, my favorites 😀

Amber Oliver’s When the Music Hits is a compelling debut novel that explores the intersection of passion, identity, and the realities of the music industry. Set in New York City, the story follows Billie Grand, a young Black woman from the Bronx whose love for music becomes both her escape and her ambition. When she lands a coveted job as an A&R assistant at Lit Music Productions, Billie quickly realizes that the industry she idolized is not as glamorous as it seems.

Oliver does an excellent job of immersing readers in the highs and lows of the music business, from the thrill of discovering new talent to the racial and gender-based microaggressions Billie faces in a predominantly white workplace. The novel shines in its portrayal of Billie’s internal struggles—balancing personal ethics with career aspirations—and the relationships that shape her journey. Her discovery of an unsigned artist reignites her belief in authentic music but also forces her to confront the moral compromises required for success.

The writing is engaging, and Oliver’s experience in publishing adds a layer of authenticity to the behind-the-scenes look at the entertainment industry. However, some parts of the novel feel rushed, with certain character arcs and conflicts not fully explored. While the book offers a nostalgic nod to early 2000s music culture, some readers may find Billie’s development could have been deepened for a more satisfying emotional payoff.

Overall, When the Music Hits is a strong debut that will resonate with readers who appreciate coming-of-age stories set in fast-paced, high-stakes industries. It’s a thought-provoking read about staying true to oneself amid external pressures.

Rating: 4/5

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Great read! First read from this author. This book makes me want to read more from this author. Kept my attention and interest until the end.

This novel offers a compelling glimpse into the cutthroat world of the music industry. It follows Billie Grand as she navigates the highs and lows of her dream job at Lit Music Productions.

While Billie’s passion for music and her drive to uplift authentic voices is admirable, her character arc feels somewhat formulaic. The predictable workplace conflicts, including long hours and microaggressions, are handled with sincerity but lack the depth needed to make them feel truly impactful. The tension with her boyfriend and the pressure from her family add some stakes, though these relationships remain somewhat underdeveloped.

The novel shines most when exploring the music itself—the raw energy of the rising artist Billie discovers is palpable and provides a refreshing contrast to the corporate sheen of Lit. However, the story’s resolution feels rushed, and the office shake-up, while dramatic, is somewhat predictable.

Overall, this is an enjoyable but somewhat standard industry drama. While it offers fascinating insights into the music business and the personal costs of ambition, it ultimately doesn’t break new ground.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Amber Oliver’s *When the Music Hits* dives into the ups and downs of ambition, identity, and the not-so-glamorous side of the music industry. Set against the buzzing backdrop of New York’s music scene, it follows Billie Grand, a young woman from the Bronx whose love for music has always been her safe haven. She lands her dream job at Lit Music Productions, but quickly learns that the industry can be exploitative and full of gatekeeping.

Billie is an engaging character, juggling the cutthroat corporate world and the personal sacrifices that come with chasing her dreams. Oliver does an excellent job capturing the microaggressions and racial dynamics she deals with as she often feels like an outsider. The book sheds light on the contradictions in the music industry, where cultural appropriation thrives and real authenticity sometimes takes a backseat to profit. When Billie discovers an artist who truly represents her values, she faces a clash between her desire to support genuine talent and the harsh reality of corporate interests, leading to tough decisions.

What makes *When the Music Hits* so captivating is Oliver’s sharp and immersive writing. You really feel the tension between Billie’s dreams and the compromises she has to make. The relationships in her life—her skeptical boyfriend, her demanding mom, and colleagues who see her as both a valuable asset and a threat—add layers to her journey. This novel isn't just a peek behind the curtain of the music biz; it’s a commentary on who gets to shape culture and the costs involved. With a smart critique of power and privilege, *When the Music Hits* is both a cautionary tale and an inspiring piece for those trying to make their mark, solidifying Amber Oliver as a fresh voice in contemporary fiction that readers will want to follow.

This book gave me Brown Sugar meets The Devil Wears Prada vibes. Billie is a young recent graduate trying to get her foot in the within the music industry.

I loved the personal nostalgia of growing up in NY. The places she visited, the modes of transportation.

There could have been a bit more on Billie’s personal relationship with her boyfriend. That relationship could have been explored a bit more.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for this digital arc!

This novel is about the music industry and it takes place in New York City. Two of my peak interests from reading synopsis. I appreciate the authors build up of the characters and the complex relationship dynamics. I know this book is a work of fiction but there is a lot of real world stuff that takes place.

I will definitely read more from this author.

I love books that take place within the music industry and this one did not disappoint. We follow our main character, Billie as she navigates her personal life. Particularly her relationship with her mother that can be toxic at times. And also her career A&R rep as she discovers a new artist that has the potential to skyrocket to fame.

I loved the exploration of music and the struggle to make it in the industry while staying true to yourself. The writing captivated me immediately, and I loved getting lost in this story. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Not bad, I really appreciated the relationship building and learning more about music. Unfortunately there was SO much detail and description for every little thing that it slowed it down! I understand wanting to represent NYC but the detail felt a little excessive and took away from the book. I really did love Billie’s character though and how she navigated the music scene and her partner!

This was a great book! I love the way the story went, and I loved learning a bit more about n industry I am not quite familiar with. it was entertaining and it had some really deep moments! I Was a fan of this book!!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

The description provided for this book really peeked my interests, so I was very excited to received an eARC of When the Music Hits, by Amber Oliver. The author follows a recent college graduate, Billie, as she works hard to carve a lane out for herself in the music industry. I found the insight very interesting, painting the picture of how difficult it is to be successful in the music industry. Throughout the book, the author goes deep into Billie’s music influences, often setting the scene with heavy music descriptions. This is a unique angle but the struggle for me was that it felt like it slowed the story way down. I often found myself skipping over the mood-setting music explanations by halfway through the book. Maybe someone with a stronger background in the music scene would find that more interesting. Similarly, the dialogue was along the same lines for me. I found the dialogue to be distracting, at times, although I’m sure it’s reflective of the NYC culture of those neighborhoods. Billie has a complex relationship with her mother, and is forced to often sacrifice her relationship with her friends for her career. I loved that Billie eventually drew a line in the sand, with her mom, and that she began to receive recognition for all of her extra hours spent at her job.

Overall, the 2nd half of this book was really enjoyable for me. Once the story got moving, I liked the behind-the-scenes look at how an artist would sign with a record label. I would recommend this book to someone in the young-adult genre, with an interest in the music industry.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this eARC!

When the Music Hits is a debut novel that pulses with the rhythm of ambition, facing down fears and the unrelenting power of Black creatives. Set in the New York City music industry, the story follows Billie Grand, a young Black woman from the Bronx who lands her dream job at a major record label—only to find that success in this world comes at a steep cost.

Billie is an extremely relatable protagonist—driven, intelligent, and deeply loyal to her family, even when that loyalty is tested by financial strain and emotional exhaustion. Her journey toward setting healthier boundaries, particularly with her mother, is one of the novel’s most poignant arcs. Oliver captures the Bronx with a richness that feels lived-in, offering a portrayal that will make anyone from the borough swell with pride. The friendships Billie builds, especially with her colleague Nina, highlight the way Black women cultivate sisterhoods in the face of systemic challenges, turning professional spaces that can be isolating into communities of strength and activism.

Beyond its sharp critique of power, privilege, and the compromises demanded by the entertainment industry, When the Music Hits is also a love letter to Black artistry. Billie’s romance with Lucas, her boyfriend and fellow creative, is both swoonworthy and grounding—proof that love and art can serve as mutual sanctuaries in an exploitative world. The novel ultimately celebrates not just music, but the ways relationships—romantic, familial, and platonic shape us.

Oliver’s storytelling is both urgent and heartfelt, making When the Music Hits an unforgettable read that champions the Bronx, the healing power of music, and the unyielding pursuit of personal agency. A must-read for anyone who loves stories about finding your voice in a world that would rather silence you.

Lili has dreams of becoming an A& R rep. She went to college and even went on to get her MBA to push herself above the crowd. When she graduates and can't find a job in her coveted field, she ends up taking an assistant role at a major record label out of desperation. While working there, she discovers that there are some secrets her boss is keeping.
As she attempts to navigate her new role, she hasn't lost interest in music or discovering new talent. She partners up with someone at the label to put on a showcase for an undiscovered artist. In the midst of this, her relationship takes a toll due to some of the pressure and stress as her boyfriend has his own dreams and aspirations to pursue his talent with photography.
Overall the book was a decent read, but it read more like young adult in my opinion.
Thank you to #netgalley for this #arc.

The Devil Wears Prada, but in the music industry and with plenty of racism and microaggressions to go around. I found this book to be mildly entertaining, though at the end of the day pretty anticlimactic and certain parts felt rather unrealistic. What I did like was Billie's relationships with Nina and Lucas. These felt authentic - nuanced, sometimes complicated but real. However, many of the corporate aspects felt off to me (note: I'm not referring to the racism and microaggressions here at all.) For example, there is simply no way that Billie would have been able to pitch a new artist after just a few months of being an assistant, let alone be offered a promotion by someone she's never met. This part of the story would have been far more believable had she actually handed the artist over to Nina, and then used this as a launching point for a true mentorship with her - as it was actually presented to Nina by Billie to begin with. I loved their dynamic, and I loved the idea of the two of them making an unstoppable team that was able to show up their privileged white counterparts. I also really liked the quiet nuance the author demonstrates in how Black people, particularly women, are expected to behave and speak differently in the workplace than they do in more casual environments. In my opinion, the whole MHCP storyline was supposed to be the big reveal/climax but it wasn't all that interesting or shocking. I think more could have been done to build that tension up throughout the book instead of just having a few "isn't this weird" moments sprinked in. All in all, I think this *could* be a really good book with some work.

Having said all that, I'm electing to not post a public review or rating for this book because I actually don't think a lot of my critique is the author's fault, I believe it lies with the publisher and editor. First, there is way way way too much overuse of exposition throughout this book. I'm fine with getting the rundown of what people are wearing when it's relevant (like at Samirah's big performance) but not in every single scene, for every single person. And for the love of everything holy, I definitely do not need to know the color of every couch being sat on. Please help her refine her scene setups and background information, it would help so much in getting me, as the reader, to care about what is important and not get bogged into irrelevant details. Second, and very importantly, please provide better editing resources to your Black authors. I have read many ARCs in my time, and outside of an errant typo or a very minor inconsistency, they are usually close-to-final. On not one, not two but three separate occasions in this book, the name of a character randomly changed - usually in the same paragraph. In the most disturbing case, a very important side character is (I think) named Samirah. She is also referred to as Z (a nickname?,) MM and Mariah Monique. I assume at some p0int her name changed but Ctrl F was never used to make sure it was changed everywhere. And to be clear - it wasn't once or twice, it was throughout the book, sometimes multiple names in the same sentence. It is disappointing because I've never seen as egregious an editing error as this in any ARC, ever. I hope you can do better by this author. I intentionally left this as public feedback instead of private because it's important it be addressed before publication.

This book moved me. It gave me feelings. And in the current climate, and even before I feel it and I see it.
It is relevant and real. I felt engaged with the characters and could find myself feeling some of the emotions they were also going through. I am a fan of this book and I hope to see more from Amber Oliver. Thank you for allowing me a chance to read ahead.

4.5 stars, rounded up to 5.

I’m a 47-year-old white lesbian who loves punk and alternative. In other words, I’m far from the target audience for this book. However, I love music and am always open to learning something new, so I decided to join the MC, Billie, as she started working in the music industry.

I must read too much horror and thrillers because I kept expecting something to happen out of left field, lol. I’m happy it didn’t, though. Instead, I was drawn into Billie’s world. It didn’t matter to me that I wasn’t familiar with most of the artists she mentioned. The only thing that mattered was how much of her joy for music came across.

Billie and her two Black coworkers put up with so much crap from the predominantly white business. It sickened me to read about how their workplace valued white perspectives much more than anyone else’s. It also proved what I’ve known for a long time: The thing that’s ruining the music industry is the industry itself.

I’m honestly not sure what section this belongs to. General Fiction, maybe? But either way, it’s definitely worth reading, regardless of whether you’re familiar with the music genres listed or not (or the slang of the MCs).

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

The story flowed well and the characters were well developed. I recommend this book and look forward to more from this author.


****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****