You can be soft, honey, you can be strong: GIRLS WITH BAD REPUTATIONS.

Girls with Bad Reputations by Xio Axelrod
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

So I received GIRLS WITH BAD REPUTATIONS as an ARC, didn't realize it was part of a series, read the first book, didn't love it (it was fine), and went into this one with low expectations. I did wind up liking the second book a bit more than the first, but it wasn't an all-time favorite.

In book two, we find the Lillys preparing to go on tour, gaining more popularity with every stop. While book one focuses on Toni, the second features Kayla, the group's drummer. Growing up under the watchful eye of her controlling mother, who demanded nothing short of perfection, music and drumming were Kayla's escape. On tour, she forms a fast friendship with their bus driver, Ty, who is escaping life in his own way. But the Lillys' fame threatens to upend both Kayla and Ty's lives.

Two issues here. One: instant love. Kayla and Ty fall head over heels after interacting about twice over two weeks. Please, form a deeper, more realistic connection before vowing your deep, undying love to one another.

Second: These two have their heads in the sand, or the clouds, or both, to the most frustrating degree. Who joins a band expecting to stay hidden and not noticed by the press? Oh I'm in this band, and I want to be successful but oh, no, I am getting famous, and this is a huge problem because my parents will know I'm in a band? Are we twelve, trying to skip school? Ridiculous. And Ty, while I liked him much more, makes some insane choices where he refuses to face reality and could have improved his quality of life YEARS earlier.

Luckily, issue number one mostly vanishes as the book progresses. Kayla and Ty are cute after a while, I will grudgingly admit. Two little bookworms, quiet and reserved; they definitely are made for each other. Ty has an adorable relationship with his Pop Pop, who has raised him (and seems to be magically wealthy...). And, truly, their ability to avoid reality means they are made for one another.

There's just so much going on here. Continuing drama with Candi, a former Lilly band-mate from book one. So many details about the music industry, touring/being on the road, and more. Sometimes it all just feels... too much. The emphasis on a rock band fronted by diverse women is awesome, though.

Overall, I liked each member of the Lillys enough to get drawn into the story. I just wish everything was a bit more plausible, with more time spent on character motivations and less on minute details.

I received a copy of this book from Negalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca in return for an unbiased review.

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She got eyes that cut you like a knife: THE GIRL WITH STARS IN HER EYES.

The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes by Xio Axelrod
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

An all too realistic story of a female rock band

The idea of an all-female rock band is great, and Xio Axelrod uses personal experience to infuse the story with lots of realistic tidbits and facts about the music scene. Unfortunately, the characters don't have that same realism and ability to resonate. Growing up, Toni Bennette (yeah, yeah, she's heard it all) had one love: music. But her best friend Seb Quick was a pretty close second, even if she kept her romantic feelings hidden. When Seb disappeared when they were both teens, it broke Toni's heart. She thought she moved on until Seb shows up again in Toni's life. Toni's on the verge of her big break, but she's not sure she wants it if Seb is involved.

I found this story to be good but not remarkable. The tale of The Lillys--the female rock band that Toni could potentially join--is an interesting one. Axelrod's in-depth exploration of the music industry is certainly accurate (it seemed) but sometimes too much. STARS often feels long and repetitive. It's hard to love the rekindled romance between Seb and Toni if you do not feel the strength of their original childhood connection or forgive Seb as easily as Toni does. The inability to quickly connect to those two made the book feel longer and less plausible.

Toni is so strong that it seems as if she could solve her own problems and have her own dreams. I easily tired of many manufactured dramas that could be quickly solved (just hire security, etc.). What's funny is that I was intrigued by each band member's story and wanted more. There was just a lot of drama and too much repetition to delve into what I truly wanted from the story.

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