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Jojo Unplugged
2023 Winner for Best Romance -- National Indie Excellence Awards
The paparazzi can’t find her. Her agent can’t find her. Maybe love can.Pop superstar Jojo needs to disappear for a few weeks to finish writing songs for a new album and get some space from her controlling manager. Fortunately, when her trademark makeup and wigs come off, she’s practically invisible to reporters and fans. At a lakeside cabin in Vermont, she can work without distraction . . . until one evening when a father and daughter paddle their canoe up to her dock.
Indie rocker Matt Heston quit his music career ten years ago after the death of his wife, settling down to raise his daughter in a tiny Vermont town and waiting for the reporters to finally lose interest. And they did--until that pop star with the brash wigs
and makeup recorded a cover of his classic ballad “Sweet Side.” Now the press is back again and goading him for comments. Unfortunately, diplomacy isn’t his strength.
Matt’s talented daughter Gracie has musical dreams of her own—dreams Matt thinks are far too big for a twelve-year old. But she’s thrilled that the beautiful visitor in the lakeside cabin is full of encouragement, and even shares her taste in pop music.
Recommended for adults and young adults who enjoy sweet romance.
The paparazzi can’t find her. Her agent can’t find her. Maybe love can.Pop superstar Jojo needs to disappear for a few weeks to finish writing songs for a new album and get some space from her controlling manager. Fortunately, when her trademark makeup and wigs come off, she’s practically invisible to reporters and fans. At a lakeside cabin in Vermont, she can work without distraction . . . until one evening when a father and daughter paddle their canoe up to her dock.
Indie rocker Matt Heston quit his music career ten years ago after the death of his wife, settling down to raise his daughter in a tiny Vermont town and waiting for the reporters to finally lose interest. And they did--until that pop star with the brash wigs
and makeup recorded a cover of his classic ballad “Sweet Side.” Now the press is back again and goading him for comments. Unfortunately, diplomacy isn’t his strength.
Matt’s talented daughter Gracie has musical dreams of her own—dreams Matt thinks are far too big for a twelve-year old. But she’s thrilled that the beautiful visitor in the lakeside cabin is full of encouragement, and even shares her taste in pop music.
Recommended for adults and young adults who enjoy sweet romance.
- GenresRomance
338 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 10, 2023
2 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
About the author
Jamie Orr
2 books7 followersJamie is a dance teacher and author, which would be a huge surprise to his younger self.
The original plan was to follow his grandfather’s footsteps into the legal profession, but in college, Jamie’s path took an entrepreneurial turn, as he found himself selling T-shirts and bumper stickers from his dorm room. After graduation, he spent five summers wholesaling shirts and living out of the back of a truck as he worked the New Hampshire carnival circuit. He rounded out the seasons selling skiwear, which led to managing a hat and sweater shop in Aspen, CO.
On the side, Jamie had developed a passion for community theater since his early teens (acting, directing and set construction). With a dream of pursuing a career in film, he moved to Los Angeles in his late twenties, but again, life took an unexpected turn as he fell in love with dance—country, swing, ballroom and Latin and spent five years competing on the country dance circuit.
Except for a couple of high-speed internet projects for the New Hampshire Department of Economic Development, Jamie has spent most of the past 30 years teaching dance, including twelve years at his alma mater, Dartmouth College. Nowadays, he splits his time between dance classes, writing romance novels, and building the occasional piece of furniture in his wood shop. He lives with his wife in a small town in New Hampshire.
The original plan was to follow his grandfather’s footsteps into the legal profession, but in college, Jamie’s path took an entrepreneurial turn, as he found himself selling T-shirts and bumper stickers from his dorm room. After graduation, he spent five summers wholesaling shirts and living out of the back of a truck as he worked the New Hampshire carnival circuit. He rounded out the seasons selling skiwear, which led to managing a hat and sweater shop in Aspen, CO.
On the side, Jamie had developed a passion for community theater since his early teens (acting, directing and set construction). With a dream of pursuing a career in film, he moved to Los Angeles in his late twenties, but again, life took an unexpected turn as he fell in love with dance—country, swing, ballroom and Latin and spent five years competing on the country dance circuit.
Except for a couple of high-speed internet projects for the New Hampshire Department of Economic Development, Jamie has spent most of the past 30 years teaching dance, including twelve years at his alma mater, Dartmouth College. Nowadays, he splits his time between dance classes, writing romance novels, and building the occasional piece of furniture in his wood shop. He lives with his wife in a small town in New Hampshire.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 24, 2023
4.5 out of 5 stars
September 28, 2024
Jojo Unplugged—G/PG
Violence: no
Language: fewer than 30, including deity
Sex: no
How refreshing! I loved this! I do love a friends to lovers, and I enjoyed this old musician/new musician one so much. It was a break from the “jump in bed with, but wonder if he likes me” stuff that’s so prevalent today. Thanks for the breath of fresh air! (BTW, I’m a professional proofreader/copy editor and this indi-pub was very well done with fewer than 15 errors in a 332 page book—excellent!)
Violence: no
Language: fewer than 30, including deity
Sex: no
How refreshing! I loved this! I do love a friends to lovers, and I enjoyed this old musician/new musician one so much. It was a break from the “jump in bed with, but wonder if he likes me” stuff that’s so prevalent today. Thanks for the breath of fresh air! (BTW, I’m a professional proofreader/copy editor and this indi-pub was very well done with fewer than 15 errors in a 332 page book—excellent!)
November 13, 2025
I would definitely recommend this book! Although romance is not one of my preferred genres, it was a good read. Our “beach readers” bookclub members enjoyed it as well. I was surprised that the author is male. I liked his style of writing;the story has a great flow. It was a bit formulaic for my taste, but I did like that it steered clear of some gratuitous sex descriptions. When your life needs a break from chaos, pick up this book for a heartwarming distraction.
May 22, 2023
Great reading. Perfect amount of details for moments and characters.
May 16, 2024
This is the first romance I have read written by a man. I’ve seen the movies but never read the books. So, this sweet, clean love story is engaging and very well-written. I was taken aback at first by the celebrity trope but it was not overdone so I got over it.
I like kids so the inclusion of MMC’s daughter was a nice side story. Both main characters were appealing and the slow build of their friendship to relationship makes you wish we could all experience that too.
If you’re looking for a book with a plot and good vibes then I recommend JoJo Unplugged.
I like kids so the inclusion of MMC’s daughter was a nice side story. Both main characters were appealing and the slow build of their friendship to relationship makes you wish we could all experience that too.
If you’re looking for a book with a plot and good vibes then I recommend JoJo Unplugged.
November 19, 2025
We read this for our book club because the author lives locally. I don’t usually read romance but this was a cute book. Light and fluffy. Reminded me of a Hallmark movie.
March 5, 2024
I can hardly believe that this is Jamie Orr’s debut novel!
As a reader, I could be very hard to please. I don’t set out to dislike any books obviously as I regard reading as one of life’s greatest pleasure. But in today’s over published book market, more often than not I come across books that I wish could be slightly better written. Needless to say, in this frame of mind, I was a tad nervous to pick up Jojo Unplugged, knowing it to be a debut novel. I guess I found some reassurance from the cover that says it is the 2023 Winner for Best Romance - National Indie Excellence Awards. After devouring it within two days of starting, I can vouch that the award is very well deserved. It literally had me on page one and didn’t let me go until it ends. I’m a library book horder as I like to check out a bunch of library books at once just in case I don’t gel with a book, or two. I could flip through a few books until one finally “sticks” and demands my whole attention. Jojo Unplugged sticks and demands in the most delightful ways possible. It is fast paced and has a bunch of very relatable and likable characters with just a couple antagonist that readers like to hate. I became wholly invested with Jojo’s success and happiness very quickly and held my breath for her ultimate happy ending with just the right amount of anguish and anticipation. Read it! You won’t be disappointed if a light hearted no-smut romance is your thing.
As a reader, I could be very hard to please. I don’t set out to dislike any books obviously as I regard reading as one of life’s greatest pleasure. But in today’s over published book market, more often than not I come across books that I wish could be slightly better written. Needless to say, in this frame of mind, I was a tad nervous to pick up Jojo Unplugged, knowing it to be a debut novel. I guess I found some reassurance from the cover that says it is the 2023 Winner for Best Romance - National Indie Excellence Awards. After devouring it within two days of starting, I can vouch that the award is very well deserved. It literally had me on page one and didn’t let me go until it ends. I’m a library book horder as I like to check out a bunch of library books at once just in case I don’t gel with a book, or two. I could flip through a few books until one finally “sticks” and demands my whole attention. Jojo Unplugged sticks and demands in the most delightful ways possible. It is fast paced and has a bunch of very relatable and likable characters with just a couple antagonist that readers like to hate. I became wholly invested with Jojo’s success and happiness very quickly and held my breath for her ultimate happy ending with just the right amount of anguish and anticipation. Read it! You won’t be disappointed if a light hearted no-smut romance is your thing.
June 12, 2024
I enjoyed this story as an audiobook. This was a narrated by a single narrator, Talon David. Even though it was only one narrator, you can easily follow the voices and know who is talking. Taking was able to not only narrate Jojo’s voice but also a handful of accents, genders and even a child’s voice. I loved the flow and sound of this story.
This story was such a treat! This story is a dual pov romance. I loved Jojo’s personality and her bond with Leah. I loved that Leah and her family look out for Jojo and have her best interests at heart. I definitely was getting Hannah Montana vibes from Jojo and I am here for it! Gracie and Matt are a fun father-daughter duo. I loved the energy between these two and felt they had the typical dynamic I see between a single dad and his daughter.
The energy between these 3 was so fun and light. When the grown ups had their own problems I felt like they handled it like adults and I was so glad to see that. Definitely a must read (or listen) for any romance reader.
This story was such a treat! This story is a dual pov romance. I loved Jojo’s personality and her bond with Leah. I loved that Leah and her family look out for Jojo and have her best interests at heart. I definitely was getting Hannah Montana vibes from Jojo and I am here for it! Gracie and Matt are a fun father-daughter duo. I loved the energy between these two and felt they had the typical dynamic I see between a single dad and his daughter.
The energy between these 3 was so fun and light. When the grown ups had their own problems I felt like they handled it like adults and I was so glad to see that. Definitely a must read (or listen) for any romance reader.
May 22, 2023
I really enjoyed the pace at which the author laid out the story line. An easy page turner that keeps the reader engaged as the plot slowly unfolds to reveal itself. It's good to see traditional values of hard work, community, importance of family & friends, and doing what is right are all integral themes throughout. Overall very enjoyable and a must read if you are vacationing in Northern New England.
December 30, 2025
Things I loved
- Hannah Montana type celeb
- nyc gal who loves escaping to NH/VT (🙋🏻♀️）
- cute banter
- a peppy tween at the center of a love story to keep things fun and light
Overall, impressive indie author debut
- Hannah Montana type celeb
- nyc gal who loves escaping to NH/VT (🙋🏻♀️）
- cute banter
- a peppy tween at the center of a love story to keep things fun and light
Overall, impressive indie author debut
November 4, 2023
This book was beautiful! What a fun read! I loved every minute of it.
January 24, 2025
So well written. Great dialogue. Realistic. I listened to the Audible edition. A page turner for me. Couldn’t wait to find out what happened. Hope you write another book, Mr. Orr.
March 11, 2025
Very sweet book
February 18, 2026
This was a cute book! Really started to keep me on my toes near the end!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews