Book Review: Sound Bites by Rachel K. Burke

Sound Bites

By Rachel K. Burke

Release Date: January 2012

Summary: Renee Evans has a knack for trouble. After walking in on her best friend and boyfriend in bed together, twenty-five year-old Renee flees sunny Los Angeles and her dream job as a music journalist and returns to her hometown of Boston – only to meet Dylan Cavallari, the mysterious, aspiring musician who lives in her apartment building. Dylan’s piercing gaze and womanizing demeanor make him exactly the type of guy that Renee should steer clear of – which is most likely the reason she falls for him. But when Renee’s troublesome ex comes back and threatens to drive her and Dylan apart, Renee is forced to face her past and save her relationship with Dylan before it's too late.

Sound Bites dramatizes what happens when Renee finds herself caught between a painful past and an uncertain future. Happiness turns out to be within her grasp, but it all depends on whether she can trust herself enough to make the right decisions. Sound Bites is a novel about love, friendship, betrayal, forgiveness, and the power of music to help you find your way.

Review: The first thing that drew me into this story was the cover. I am a total Converse girl, so I of course thought this cover was adorable. Then, I saw that this was a "Rock & Roll Love Story" and knew I had to be a part of this blog tour. A story about a girl who falls for a musician? When can I start??

Renee's story turned out to be funny, adorable, sweet, and just straight up enjoyable. Renee had walked in on her best friend and boyfriend together, so she moves back to where she's from to start fresh without remembering the betrayal of the two closest people in her life. 

I loved Renee's character from the beginning and how she slowly fell for Dylan, the quirky, often cocky musician from the floor above her. Despite her feelings for Dylan, Renee doesn't want to lose the friendship she's built with him, especially when it comes to his music. Renee has been helping Dylan finally get over his stage fright and share his talents with the world, and admitting her feelings could take him away from her. So Renee settles for the best friend position. 

Dylan's journey to success and Renee's struggle to deal with her feelings creates such a sweet story and I was so sad to see it end. Renee was just getting over losing the two most important people in her life when they betrayed her, so she couldn't bear losing someone else. But just staying friends is much harder than it sounds, especially with how devilishly charming Dylan can be. Those darn musicians!

Some parts were a bit predictable, but other than that this was a great story with really great characters. Not only did I like Renee and Dylan, but their friends and family were really interesting characters too. The side stories were also cute and there wasn't really ever a dull moment in the story. For a cute, fun story about love and music, Sound Bites is definitely a book to check out.