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The Jamieson Collection #1
Rock and a Hard Place
Perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen, Jenny Han, and Susane Colasanti, Angie Stanton's swoon-worthy romance--about an ordinary girl and a young rock star--will keep readers on the edge of their seats . . . and leave them wanting more.
In an instant, Libby's life went from picture-perfect to a nightmare. After surviving a terrible car accident, Libby is abandoned by her father and left with her controlling aunt. A new town, a new school, no friends--Libby is utterly alone. But then she meets Peter.
The lead singer in a rock band with his brothers, Peter hates that his parents overly manage his life. Constantly surrounded by family, Peter just wants to get away. And when he meets Libby, he's finally found the one person who just wants to be with him, not the rock star.
But while Peter battles his family's growing interference in both his music and personal life, Libby struggles with her aunt, who turns nastier each day. And even though Libby and Peter desperately want to be together, their drastically different lives threaten to keep them apart forever.
In an instant, Libby's life went from picture-perfect to a nightmare. After surviving a terrible car accident, Libby is abandoned by her father and left with her controlling aunt. A new town, a new school, no friends--Libby is utterly alone. But then she meets Peter.
The lead singer in a rock band with his brothers, Peter hates that his parents overly manage his life. Constantly surrounded by family, Peter just wants to get away. And when he meets Libby, he's finally found the one person who just wants to be with him, not the rock star.
But while Peter battles his family's growing interference in both his music and personal life, Libby struggles with her aunt, who turns nastier each day. And even though Libby and Peter desperately want to be together, their drastically different lives threaten to keep them apart forever.
304 pages, Paperback
First published April 15, 2011
128 people are currently reading
9132 people want to read
About the author
Angie Stanton
32 books910 followersAngie Stanton is a life-long daydreamer who grew up with her hands on a book and her head in the clouds. As an adult, she’s put her talent to good use writing award winning contemporary fiction about life, love, and the adventures that follow.
Angie has a Journalism degree from the University of Wisconsin and is the best selling author of Waking in Time, If Ever, Rock and a Hard Place, Snapshot, Royally Lost, Under the Spotlight, Snowed Over, and Love ‘em or Leave ‘em.
Angie is a proud winner of a Midwest Book Award for Waking in Time.
Waking in Time is also a finalist in the National Readers Choice Awards as is her book If Ever and Love 'em or Leave 'em.
In her spare time, Angie sneaks off to New York City to enjoy the best entertainment experience on earth, Broadway. She is currently working on a series of Broadway-themed books, and is a contributing writer to BroadwayWorld.com.
Angie’s latest release is If Ever, a sexy, playful love story spanning from LA to New York and London.
For more information on Angie and her books, please visit:
www.angiestanton.com
Facebook.com/AngieStantonAuthor
Twitter: @angie_stanton
Instagram angiestanton_author.
Angie has a Journalism degree from the University of Wisconsin and is the best selling author of Waking in Time, If Ever, Rock and a Hard Place, Snapshot, Royally Lost, Under the Spotlight, Snowed Over, and Love ‘em or Leave ‘em.
Angie is a proud winner of a Midwest Book Award for Waking in Time.
Waking in Time is also a finalist in the National Readers Choice Awards as is her book If Ever and Love 'em or Leave 'em.
In her spare time, Angie sneaks off to New York City to enjoy the best entertainment experience on earth, Broadway. She is currently working on a series of Broadway-themed books, and is a contributing writer to BroadwayWorld.com.
Angie’s latest release is If Ever, a sexy, playful love story spanning from LA to New York and London.
For more information on Angie and her books, please visit:
www.angiestanton.com
Facebook.com/AngieStantonAuthor
Twitter: @angie_stanton
Instagram angiestanton_author.
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July 5, 2012Oh, this book, this book, this book. What can I say about this book? Surprisingly, I have a lot to say about this book considering I only read 4% of it. I hadn't meant to start reading it at all, but I hit "enter" on my Kindle instead of the over key while I was trying to sort titles into their designated folders, and up popped the first page. So I started reading aloud to my younger brother, who began cringing after only a few sentences. This girl, Libby, reads like every other emoriffic, depressed, "misunderstood outsider" douchebag girl who's supposed to be interesting because she's artistic and deep and awkward and lives in a shite house/area. Oh, throw in some scars and a dead parent or two, as well. Might as well. While you're at it, make it so she had to move away from her home and now she hates absolutely everything about where she lives. It's taking angst to a whole new irritating level because, on top of being an asshole, the girl doesn't have enough wattage in her brain to make a light bulb flicker. Seriously, I didn't like the girl at a measly %1, her odds of growing on me are slim. Especially after lines like this:
"Let's just say I live an unconventional life without all the modern trappings of society."
Yeah, OK.
Then you throw in some "teen heartthrob rockstar" Jonas Brothers wannabe who's all like
and these two idiots start having what I suppose is their estimation of a conversation, and I kinda wanted to blow my brains out. I might have, too, if not for the intervention of my older brother, who had shown up after only having missed the first page and began trying to give the book new titles. The first was Between Iraq and a Hard Place, the second, Hard-Boiled Love (the story of a boy obsessed with eggs and a girl, who writes an entire hit record about, you guessed it, hard-boiled love). Then he somehow turned the entire thing into a story about a girl who believes she's a dandelion, answering to the name Dandeliah. The only way I can explain how it got to that point is to tell you that some of this story is completely nonsensical. When Peter first sees Libby, the reader is treated to this:
"He wasn't supposed to notice her."
She's the only other person there besides his family. Like...what?!
Then, "She worked hard to blend in with her surroundings."
Thus, Dandeliah was born. We're thinking of writing an entire story about Dandeliah, her arch nemesis Clover, and Dandeliah's most faithful servant, Marigoldor. All I know for certain at this point is that Dandeliah will lure dumb, unsuspecting teen heartthrobs to her park, force them to "fertilize" her, then invade their bodies with her powerful roots, shredding them from the inside out, cackling maniacally and shouting loud but breathy phrases like, "Join my weed circus!" and "Welcome to my jungle club!"
So anyway, the story is complete rubbish. I don't have to read the whole book to know this, and I'm not about to try. Poor loner moron meets handsome rock god and it's instalove, both of them wanting to jam their pollinators into each other's mouths. I'm sure the entire thing will culminate into them being like, totally in love and stuff, but then like, it'll get to be too hard and stuff so they'll like, break up and shit. But then they'll be like, "I don't want to live without you!" and if we're lucky it'll be like Romeo and Juliet and they'll both die. But we won't get lucky. And I doubt they ever get lucky, either, so what's the point? Yeah, I said it. I'm tired of reading about these chaste, blushing, eye-fucking virgins. Anyway, the book will have a Happy Ever After. You know it will. And if by some seriously bizarre twist it doesn't, who cares?
"Maybe it will be someone mega famous like Celine Dion."
The family appeared to be on vacation and just happened to ride in a huge tour bus, but they didn't look wealthy. They wore blue jeans and t-shirts and argued." (Just what the fuck is that supposed to mean?)
"He held a portable sound system..." (You mean a boombox?)
"Geez, he talked too much." (This was after he greeted her and asked maybe two questions.)
"She didn't know exactly what guys in a band would look like, but not like these guys." (You see? Do you see what I'm talking about?)
"I've gotta go, but maybe later." (So...he doesn't have to go right now? He's not sure when he has to go? It might be later? She didn't ask him to do anything, he just says this.)
Libby: "So what's the name of your band?"
Peter: "You like to change the subject."
That is a really weird band name....
By the way, how would one "torpedo" a disc? I'm not sure it's possible. But I guess if I can believe in Dandeliah, I can believe in anything.
"Let's just say I live an unconventional life without all the modern trappings of society."
Yeah, OK.
Then you throw in some "teen heartthrob rockstar" Jonas Brothers wannabe who's all like
and these two idiots start having what I suppose is their estimation of a conversation, and I kinda wanted to blow my brains out. I might have, too, if not for the intervention of my older brother, who had shown up after only having missed the first page and began trying to give the book new titles. The first was Between Iraq and a Hard Place, the second, Hard-Boiled Love (the story of a boy obsessed with eggs and a girl, who writes an entire hit record about, you guessed it, hard-boiled love). Then he somehow turned the entire thing into a story about a girl who believes she's a dandelion, answering to the name Dandeliah. The only way I can explain how it got to that point is to tell you that some of this story is completely nonsensical. When Peter first sees Libby, the reader is treated to this:
"He wasn't supposed to notice her."
She's the only other person there besides his family. Like...what?!
Then, "She worked hard to blend in with her surroundings."
Thus, Dandeliah was born. We're thinking of writing an entire story about Dandeliah, her arch nemesis Clover, and Dandeliah's most faithful servant, Marigoldor. All I know for certain at this point is that Dandeliah will lure dumb, unsuspecting teen heartthrobs to her park, force them to "fertilize" her, then invade their bodies with her powerful roots, shredding them from the inside out, cackling maniacally and shouting loud but breathy phrases like, "Join my weed circus!" and "Welcome to my jungle club!"
So anyway, the story is complete rubbish. I don't have to read the whole book to know this, and I'm not about to try. Poor loner moron meets handsome rock god and it's instalove, both of them wanting to jam their pollinators into each other's mouths. I'm sure the entire thing will culminate into them being like, totally in love and stuff, but then like, it'll get to be too hard and stuff so they'll like, break up and shit. But then they'll be like, "I don't want to live without you!" and if we're lucky it'll be like Romeo and Juliet and they'll both die. But we won't get lucky. And I doubt they ever get lucky, either, so what's the point? Yeah, I said it. I'm tired of reading about these chaste, blushing, eye-fucking virgins. Anyway, the book will have a Happy Ever After. You know it will. And if by some seriously bizarre twist it doesn't, who cares?
"Maybe it will be someone mega famous like Celine Dion."
The family appeared to be on vacation and just happened to ride in a huge tour bus, but they didn't look wealthy. They wore blue jeans and t-shirts and argued." (Just what the fuck is that supposed to mean?)
"He held a portable sound system..." (You mean a boombox?)
"Geez, he talked too much." (This was after he greeted her and asked maybe two questions.)
"She didn't know exactly what guys in a band would look like, but not like these guys." (You see? Do you see what I'm talking about?)
"I've gotta go, but maybe later." (So...he doesn't have to go right now? He's not sure when he has to go? It might be later? She didn't ask him to do anything, he just says this.)
Libby: "So what's the name of your band?"
Peter: "You like to change the subject."
That is a really weird band name....
By the way, how would one "torpedo" a disc? I'm not sure it's possible. But I guess if I can believe in Dandeliah, I can believe in anything.
March 31, 2015
2.5 stars
This was a bit of a ‘Cinderella’ tale; poor girl with wicked aunt falls in love with handsome rock star. Someone interferes and they lose contact, and he then moves heaven and earth to find her again, with a questionnaire that only she can answer correctly. Very predictable and pretty dull unfortunately. Even the romance was too cheesy.
5 out of 10
This was a bit of a ‘Cinderella’ tale; poor girl with wicked aunt falls in love with handsome rock star. Someone interferes and they lose contact, and he then moves heaven and earth to find her again, with a questionnaire that only she can answer correctly. Very predictable and pretty dull unfortunately. Even the romance was too cheesy.
5 out of 10
September 14, 2013
I think I would have liked this book if Stanton hadn't gone overboard and made it way too complicated. She should have kept the story about Peter finding a girl who wasn't after him just for his money and fame. Or she should have focused on Libby's life, which was a pretty heartbreaking story. Bombarding readers with the whole story was too much at once, and I think it robbed each character from the full sympathy and emotional impact he/she would have received if his/her story would have stood on its own.
Aside from that, the story started a little too cliche and a bit cheesy. Some of the lines made me groan a bit, but it's a typical contemporary young adult romance. And Stanton wanted to portray Peter as the shy rock star who wanted so much more, but his first encounter with Libby (asking if the drawing wasn't of him or just his whole demeanor) would probably be more of what you would expect of Garrett or Adam. And even Libby has said Peter had a bit of arrogance and confidence - in the cute way of course. I mean, yeah, he's a rock star, but there were a number of instances that I just felt was out of character for someone like him.
And Libby. Her story breaks my heart. But I felt it was a bit too much. First of all, why did it take so long for Stanton to explain what happened to her family. Also, I understand being thrown into a situation where you have to live with a relative who just doesn't want you, but Stanton went a little overboard with Libby's aunt. Could Libby's situation happen? I don't doubt it, but all of the extra elements that Stanton throws in makes it really unbelievable - not in that it hasn't happened but it's too extreme. Throw in the rock star, and the story was too Cinderella-ish.
Overall, the story wasn't bad. It wasn't one of those stories that made me smile or cry from memorable lines or blew me away with giddiness or heartache. And it would have been great if I didn't feel like Stanton tried too hard to weigh us down and ended up making it way too complicated. Makes me you wonder what she has in stored for the sequel if she's already pulled all the tricks out of her hat.
Aside from that, the story started a little too cliche and a bit cheesy. Some of the lines made me groan a bit, but it's a typical contemporary young adult romance. And Stanton wanted to portray Peter as the shy rock star who wanted so much more, but his first encounter with Libby (asking if the drawing wasn't of him or just his whole demeanor) would probably be more of what you would expect of Garrett or Adam. And even Libby has said Peter had a bit of arrogance and confidence - in the cute way of course. I mean, yeah, he's a rock star, but there were a number of instances that I just felt was out of character for someone like him.
And Libby. Her story breaks my heart. But I felt it was a bit too much. First of all, why did it take so long for Stanton to explain what happened to her family. Also, I understand being thrown into a situation where you have to live with a relative who just doesn't want you, but Stanton went a little overboard with Libby's aunt. Could Libby's situation happen? I don't doubt it, but all of the extra elements that Stanton throws in makes it really unbelievable - not in that it hasn't happened but it's too extreme. Throw in the rock star, and the story was too Cinderella-ish.
Overall, the story wasn't bad. It wasn't one of those stories that made me smile or cry from memorable lines or blew me away with giddiness or heartache. And it would have been great if I didn't feel like Stanton tried too hard to weigh us down and ended up making it way too complicated. Makes me you wonder what she has in stored for the sequel if she's already pulled all the tricks out of her hat.
February 28, 2012
What are these books doing to me. This book is for all us silly girls who still believe in romance.
The easiest way to describe this book is using Disney fairy tales (Cinderella in first place). Now put that story in our time somewhere in America and you pretty much got it.
There is a girl and a boy, they meet totally accidentally and the rest is a legend.
The thing is it doesn't matter how much silly this story is, it will make you cry. And therefore, I recommend you to pick up this book, make yourself comfortable and enjoy.
The easiest way to describe this book is using Disney fairy tales (Cinderella in first place). Now put that story in our time somewhere in America and you pretty much got it.
There is a girl and a boy, they meet totally accidentally and the rest is a legend.
The thing is it doesn't matter how much silly this story is, it will make you cry. And therefore, I recommend you to pick up this book, make yourself comfortable and enjoy.
November 13, 2011
Wow, I started this book this morning, and could not put it down... I ended up finishing it in the same day. My husband asked me how it was, since I apparently barely looked up from the pages. My first response was that it was so so sweet... but then I started thinking about it, and this book is actually almost anything but. Though the story is overwrought with horrible occurrences that keep bringing our main character Libby down, I couldn't help but fall in love with it, and was an emotional train wreck while reading it ( even if it was only for 1 day).
Libby has lost everything, her family and any semblance of the normal and happy life she once had. She is now stuck with her verbally abusive and alcoholic aunt, who clearly hates her, and does everything she can to keep Libby away from anyone who might care about her. One day while at her favorite nature spot, she meets Peter, who's on a break from touring the country with his incredibly successful band, while they stopped to have a picnic. They hit it off immediately, and an incredibly sweet and loving relationship begins. I don't want to continue to give too much more of the plot away, but the young couple does encounter some major setbacks... especially Libby. Though through a series of events they are finally able to figure things out.
Be warned, this book is incredibly emotional. It's a hard look at the real situations that so many unfortunate young people are facing, and facing it with no one to help them. I think that's what hits so hard, though the story is fiction... Somewhere out there is a girl living through an extremely similar situation... but with no rockstar to come and save her.
This book is definitely worth a shot. Although it's not going to go on my can't wait to re-read shelf, as of right now I think it's climbing its way to being one of my favorites. Just be sure that before you begin, you have tissues ready and are prepared for the emotional journey you're about to begin.
Libby has lost everything, her family and any semblance of the normal and happy life she once had. She is now stuck with her verbally abusive and alcoholic aunt, who clearly hates her, and does everything she can to keep Libby away from anyone who might care about her. One day while at her favorite nature spot, she meets Peter, who's on a break from touring the country with his incredibly successful band, while they stopped to have a picnic. They hit it off immediately, and an incredibly sweet and loving relationship begins. I don't want to continue to give too much more of the plot away, but the young couple does encounter some major setbacks... especially Libby. Though through a series of events they are finally able to figure things out.
Be warned, this book is incredibly emotional. It's a hard look at the real situations that so many unfortunate young people are facing, and facing it with no one to help them. I think that's what hits so hard, though the story is fiction... Somewhere out there is a girl living through an extremely similar situation... but with no rockstar to come and save her.
This book is definitely worth a shot. Although it's not going to go on my can't wait to re-read shelf, as of right now I think it's climbing its way to being one of my favorites. Just be sure that before you begin, you have tissues ready and are prepared for the emotional journey you're about to begin.
April 5, 2012
Oh. My. Lord!!! This book is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!! I simply couldn't put it down.... So I didn't!! I started it at about 11pm and thought I would read a chapter or two before I went to bed. HA!!! I think I finally fell asleep sometime around 4am because I just couldn't get it out of my head. So here I am today after having 3 hours sleep last night and I still can't help the grin every time I think about it!! I'm so happy that I was home alone when I read it because there were times when I had the biggest grin on my face as I fell in love with this book and it's characters, and then there were times when I just couldn't stop the tears from flowing!!
Libby has a crappy life. And really, that is putting it mildly. As you read the book the layers of crappiness that have occurred and continue to occur in her life are revealed. And your heart can't help but ache for her!! But by the end of the book, she has grown so much it is amazing!! She becomes this incredibly strong woman! And I was so proud of her!!
And then we have Peter Jamieson!! The rock star!! Now we would all be lying if at some stage we've never dreamt of some huge rock star falling in love with us and being swept up in the romance of it. Well Libby never has. She's never heard of the band Jamieson and has no idea who Peter is. And that's one of the things Peter falls in love with. Peter's love for Libby was addictive!! I couldn't get enough of it!! But then his family and her circumstances rear their incredibly ugly heads and the two are torn apart. And it's during this time that we really see the depths of Peter's love and the lengths that he will go to to find Libby. His suffering broke me!!
But oh, how I loved the ending!!.... Alright, so I loved the whole book!! There is not one thing I could find fault with!!!
So, I think by now you may have guessed that I adored this book!! And I can guarantee that from this point on I will be picking up and reading anything that Angie Stanton writes!!
Libby has a crappy life. And really, that is putting it mildly. As you read the book the layers of crappiness that have occurred and continue to occur in her life are revealed. And your heart can't help but ache for her!! But by the end of the book, she has grown so much it is amazing!! She becomes this incredibly strong woman! And I was so proud of her!!
And then we have Peter Jamieson!! The rock star!! Now we would all be lying if at some stage we've never dreamt of some huge rock star falling in love with us and being swept up in the romance of it. Well Libby never has. She's never heard of the band Jamieson and has no idea who Peter is. And that's one of the things Peter falls in love with. Peter's love for Libby was addictive!! I couldn't get enough of it!! But then his family and her circumstances rear their incredibly ugly heads and the two are torn apart. And it's during this time that we really see the depths of Peter's love and the lengths that he will go to to find Libby. His suffering broke me!!
But oh, how I loved the ending!!.... Alright, so I loved the whole book!! There is not one thing I could find fault with!!!
So, I think by now you may have guessed that I adored this book!! And I can guarantee that from this point on I will be picking up and reading anything that Angie Stanton writes!!
October 6, 2011
4 of 5 stars
Yay! I'm done! And its awesome! I didn't think this would be really good. During the first parts I thought it would be a struggle read. Libby being the kind of girl who lack confidence due to a tragic past, becoming an outcast in school, and getting stuck with a psycho aunt and then meeting Peter, the popular good looking lead singer of the famous Jamieson band, which is a really nice guy who just wanted a little normalcy in life aside from screaming fans. With their situation like that I thought it would be a bit heavy dramatic. Which I don't like because I get too frustrated easily and I might end up not finishing the book. But thank goodness, it wasn't really like that. Though during the first parts, I spent reading it getting all worried and anxious. I was used to have heroines who were strong, no maybe not really strong but at least they kind of moved on easily, they make decisions for themselves, they don't make themselves an outcast and they have friends or a best friend. Which wasn't like Libby. She became weak because of some tragic accident in her past. She stayed on her grief for a long time and let other people decide what she has to do. Then she met Peter, which in some way had the opposite situation from her. But that made Peter exactly what she needed. As the story progress, Libby start to loosen from her griefs. Through Peter she lets herself be happy again and see a nice future.
What I really like about this story was how Libby let go of her griefs and finally decided to move on. How independently she took care and made decisions for herself despite all the things that had happened to her. Though things between her and Peter didn't work that easily but that actually made her strong. Another thing I like was how much Peter loved Libby. He was just so nice that when things went wrong its like you know how devastating it was for him. And so when things turned right you know he really does deserved it, you know they both deserved it. I love how everything turned out, how the ending happened. I didn't know I would like this novel so much. I recommend this one! Such a really good read. :)))
Yay! I'm done! And its awesome! I didn't think this would be really good. During the first parts I thought it would be a struggle read. Libby being the kind of girl who lack confidence due to a tragic past, becoming an outcast in school, and getting stuck with a psycho aunt and then meeting Peter, the popular good looking lead singer of the famous Jamieson band, which is a really nice guy who just wanted a little normalcy in life aside from screaming fans. With their situation like that I thought it would be a bit heavy dramatic. Which I don't like because I get too frustrated easily and I might end up not finishing the book. But thank goodness, it wasn't really like that. Though during the first parts, I spent reading it getting all worried and anxious. I was used to have heroines who were strong, no maybe not really strong but at least they kind of moved on easily, they make decisions for themselves, they don't make themselves an outcast and they have friends or a best friend. Which wasn't like Libby. She became weak because of some tragic accident in her past. She stayed on her grief for a long time and let other people decide what she has to do. Then she met Peter, which in some way had the opposite situation from her. But that made Peter exactly what she needed. As the story progress, Libby start to loosen from her griefs. Through Peter she lets herself be happy again and see a nice future.
What I really like about this story was how Libby let go of her griefs and finally decided to move on. How independently she took care and made decisions for herself despite all the things that had happened to her. Though things between her and Peter didn't work that easily but that actually made her strong. Another thing I like was how much Peter loved Libby. He was just so nice that when things went wrong its like you know how devastating it was for him. And so when things turned right you know he really does deserved it, you know they both deserved it. I love how everything turned out, how the ending happened. I didn't know I would like this novel so much. I recommend this one! Such a really good read. :)))
November 27, 2025
Once she had the perfect family but when a car accident takes the life of Libby's mother and sister her happy life is forever changed. Suffering from depression, Libby's father leaves her with an abusive and neglectful aunt. Her only solace is to escape to a local park and draw.
Peter is a lead singer in the new hot, “boy” band. When his motor-coach makes a recreational stop at a park his life is forever changed by the beautiful artist he meets. Surprised that she doesn't know who he is, he rallies in Libby's pure and honest opinion of him as a person and not as a rock star.
As Peter's family interferes and Libby's life gets more complicated the bond that they share will face the ultimate challenge.
This story did start out a little slow but then BAM! I was completely sucked in and didn't see it coming. The twist, turns and then the ultimate independence achieved by the characters was amazing.
This was a wonderfully romantic story. Heart felt emotions and heart wrenching circumstances had me crying, laughing and totally invested in this storyline. Rock and a Hard Place altogether WOW'd me, it was an utterly gripping story sure to enrapture the young adult HEA romance fan.
I received a copy of Rock and A Hard Place from HarperTeen in exchange for a honest review. This book is set for re-publication September 24, 2013.
Peter is a lead singer in the new hot, “boy” band. When his motor-coach makes a recreational stop at a park his life is forever changed by the beautiful artist he meets. Surprised that she doesn't know who he is, he rallies in Libby's pure and honest opinion of him as a person and not as a rock star.
As Peter's family interferes and Libby's life gets more complicated the bond that they share will face the ultimate challenge.
This story did start out a little slow but then BAM! I was completely sucked in and didn't see it coming. The twist, turns and then the ultimate independence achieved by the characters was amazing.
This was a wonderfully romantic story. Heart felt emotions and heart wrenching circumstances had me crying, laughing and totally invested in this storyline. Rock and a Hard Place altogether WOW'd me, it was an utterly gripping story sure to enrapture the young adult HEA romance fan.
I received a copy of Rock and A Hard Place from HarperTeen in exchange for a honest review. This book is set for re-publication September 24, 2013.
August 4, 2012
I guess when it comes to love I am one of those girls who still loves to hold the ideal world of romance, the stories that fall into the category of Cinderella. The ones that somebody big in the world could fall for us who well ... are plain of sorts , or like the hit TV Show was called The freaks and geeks of the world. I know it's fiction but whenever I read a tale like this , something always sparks in my mind of What If ? What if I met someone wonderful and who liked me for me , what type of life would I have offered to me if they were in a higher socio-economic bracket, if they were famous e.g rock star , rugby player, a socialite ? . I'm a girl who loves to dream the dream.
Rock and a Hard Place by Angie Stanton is similar to Breathe by Abbi Glines, in which a girl from a lower class status, a girl who has had it tougher than others, one who has to work to provide for themselves or their family, someone who is viewed as an outcast and dreams that one day they will break free of the life they are living and one day, just one day in the future they may be able to finally be free and go off and enjoy their lives, travel, go to college or as we call it in New Zealand ...university.
In Angie Stanton's book we meet Libby , she is a hard-worker, a shy girl , someone who finds it hard to fit in and trust those around her, she is someone whose life at home is far from easy. She is the type of girl who keeps herself guarded and puts up a front to hide her true self from the world. One day, out drawing and enjoying the peace and quiet she meets her Prince Charming in the form of Peter Jamieson , he is a rock star along with his two older brothers.
World famous, all the girls want him but it seems that the Cinderella - Libby has captured the heart of Peter. But of course like any Cinderella story, there is a sad middle when Peter's family thinking they are doing the right thing secretly breaks Libby's heart forcing her to retreat back to her shell and soon things get really bad for Libby at home which ends in her living in the system. Fast forward six months and now Libby has been living a life as somebody else, a new person from herself that she has created. All is flying under the radar until it seems her Prince Charming hasn't forgotten about her and is still searching for his Cinderella.
Will Libby be reunited with Peter or will her heart still be too raw to cope with seeing him again ?
A fantastic story that everyone should read , and if you are like me and enjoyed Breathe by Abbi Glines and love the tale of Cinderella , then this is definitely your cup of tea.
Rock and a Hard Place by Angie Stanton is similar to Breathe by Abbi Glines, in which a girl from a lower class status, a girl who has had it tougher than others, one who has to work to provide for themselves or their family, someone who is viewed as an outcast and dreams that one day they will break free of the life they are living and one day, just one day in the future they may be able to finally be free and go off and enjoy their lives, travel, go to college or as we call it in New Zealand ...university.
In Angie Stanton's book we meet Libby , she is a hard-worker, a shy girl , someone who finds it hard to fit in and trust those around her, she is someone whose life at home is far from easy. She is the type of girl who keeps herself guarded and puts up a front to hide her true self from the world. One day, out drawing and enjoying the peace and quiet she meets her Prince Charming in the form of Peter Jamieson , he is a rock star along with his two older brothers.
World famous, all the girls want him but it seems that the Cinderella - Libby has captured the heart of Peter. But of course like any Cinderella story, there is a sad middle when Peter's family thinking they are doing the right thing secretly breaks Libby's heart forcing her to retreat back to her shell and soon things get really bad for Libby at home which ends in her living in the system. Fast forward six months and now Libby has been living a life as somebody else, a new person from herself that she has created. All is flying under the radar until it seems her Prince Charming hasn't forgotten about her and is still searching for his Cinderella.
Will Libby be reunited with Peter or will her heart still be too raw to cope with seeing him again ?
A fantastic story that everyone should read , and if you are like me and enjoyed Breathe by Abbi Glines and love the tale of Cinderella , then this is definitely your cup of tea.
July 10, 2017
Brief summary
Libby has had a hard couple of years. She lives with her aunt who is always drunk and smoking and seems to hate her guts. Peter is a famous rock star who bumps into Libby at a nature preserve and it changes both of their lives.
Thoughts
Ok, so this is one of those reviews I don't want to write because I didn't really enjoy this book. There were a small number of scenes that were sweet, but that's about the best I can say for Rock and a Hard Place. The book was mostly from Libby and Peter's POV, but every once in a while we'd be reading from Peter's mom, or Aunt Marge, or the school counselor's (I can't remember her name) POV and the way it was done didn't flow well to me. This book had a BAD case of insta-love and while that doesn't always bother me (if it's done well), it drove me crazy here. There really wasn't much interaction between them before they were both claiming love. Oye.
To be honest, I didn't like the writing in about 95% of the book. Every time I'd read a good part I kept thinking how much better the book would be if the entire thing was written like that. I've read a decent number of rockstar/celebrity books lately and this one just isn't all that memorable to me. I actually had to scan back through the pages to remember Peter's name before I wrote this review, and I literally just finished the book. There was potential for a better book, but sadly this one fell flat for me.
Libby has had a hard couple of years. She lives with her aunt who is always drunk and smoking and seems to hate her guts. Peter is a famous rock star who bumps into Libby at a nature preserve and it changes both of their lives.
Thoughts
Ok, so this is one of those reviews I don't want to write because I didn't really enjoy this book. There were a small number of scenes that were sweet, but that's about the best I can say for Rock and a Hard Place. The book was mostly from Libby and Peter's POV, but every once in a while we'd be reading from Peter's mom, or Aunt Marge, or the school counselor's (I can't remember her name) POV and the way it was done didn't flow well to me. This book had a BAD case of insta-love and while that doesn't always bother me (if it's done well), it drove me crazy here. There really wasn't much interaction between them before they were both claiming love. Oye.
To be honest, I didn't like the writing in about 95% of the book. Every time I'd read a good part I kept thinking how much better the book would be if the entire thing was written like that. I've read a decent number of rockstar/celebrity books lately and this one just isn't all that memorable to me. I actually had to scan back through the pages to remember Peter's name before I wrote this review, and I literally just finished the book. There was potential for a better book, but sadly this one fell flat for me.
October 25, 2011
Been reading a lot of books on rock stars lately (well, what can I do I can’t help but love them…I know you guys are gonna agree with me on that one) and I would say this book is definitely one of my favorites as well.
Libby lived a sheltered life. Well, way too sheltered. She has no TV, no cell phone, no internet and lives far away from everyone from town. But then she meets Peter Jamieson a famous rock star (along with his brothers) without any idea of who he is. And immediately Peter was enthralled. He found serenity being with Libby and in turn Libby breaks her wall and some rules just to be with him.
This is not a simple story of a hot rock star meeting a simple girl falls in love with her and they live happily ever after. But rather this is more of a journey on how a boy falls deeply in love with a simple but complicated girl with a dark background and mostly all the people around them are against it. How to prove to other people that what they have is real. How they went against the odds, how they were separated from each other and the lengths they have to go through to find each other again (well Peter did most of the finding and damn, what he has to do to find Libby was quite amazing for a guy).
I fell in love (again) with Libby and Peter’s story. I felt how deep their love runs for each other. Though they were separated for a long time, they never gave up on their love (well, Peter never gave up on finding Libby again) and they hope in time they would find each other again.
This book is not only about finding your one true love but it is also a book on hope and believing in finding one’s happiness. A must read for everyone!!!
Libby lived a sheltered life. Well, way too sheltered. She has no TV, no cell phone, no internet and lives far away from everyone from town. But then she meets Peter Jamieson a famous rock star (along with his brothers) without any idea of who he is. And immediately Peter was enthralled. He found serenity being with Libby and in turn Libby breaks her wall and some rules just to be with him.
This is not a simple story of a hot rock star meeting a simple girl falls in love with her and they live happily ever after. But rather this is more of a journey on how a boy falls deeply in love with a simple but complicated girl with a dark background and mostly all the people around them are against it. How to prove to other people that what they have is real. How they went against the odds, how they were separated from each other and the lengths they have to go through to find each other again (well Peter did most of the finding and damn, what he has to do to find Libby was quite amazing for a guy).
I fell in love (again) with Libby and Peter’s story. I felt how deep their love runs for each other. Though they were separated for a long time, they never gave up on their love (well, Peter never gave up on finding Libby again) and they hope in time they would find each other again.
This book is not only about finding your one true love but it is also a book on hope and believing in finding one’s happiness. A must read for everyone!!!
March 5, 2021
Can't believe I read this book just in one day. But then again, it's not a really thick one. And of course, the writing was the biggest part of the reason why I didn't get bored at all, and just couldn't seem to put this book down until I finally knew the ending. And what a story it was. I cried so damn hard! It was safe to say I cried non-stop for almost one and half an hour. And I totally adored the love between Peter & Libby. And their story was just really heart-wrenching, but also so sweet at the same time. I loved Libby's character so much. She'd been through a lot, life'd knocked her down and then some more. But she got through it all in one piece-even with all the weakness she possessed- and she just didn't give up or lose herself. I cried so much for her lack of good luck, and of course for all the hardships that Libby & Peter went through. And Peter on the other hand was such a nice person, who even though was bounded by his parents and of course had his own weaknesses, but still didn't give up his love that easily. And I really admired him for that. You could probably guess what the one thing that I hated from this story was? Yeah...absolutely Garret! God, how much I hated him! He didn't even apologize properly to Peter. Oh, and the Dad? He needed another heart attack to wake him up a bit. I know that just sounded mean, but what parent could be so un-trusting to his own child? And not to mention sort of ruined his life? Damn! I surely thank God for my parents and their love for me right now.
August 28, 2011
Libby has been waiting for her father to return for a long time. He never has.
One day while waiting for her father, Libby sees a big bus arrive instead. As she sees the family get off the bus, Libby knows she will never have that again. Her family is gone. When one of the boys walks up to her and strikes a conversation, the last thing Libby expects is to actually fall for him. She does.
As Peter got off his tour bus with the rest of his family A.K.A. his band, he spots a girl. The last thing he expects is to find out she knows nothing about his band- never even heard of them. Peter finally realizes this is his chance for someone to meet him, the real him.
As they get to know each other, they begin to fall for one another. The thing is, their love would never work. Libby can’t be exposed to the world that Peter is, and Peter can’t just stop being famous. But fall in love, they do.
I enjoyed this book. Granted, this is a hard book to review- the story is just so complex. That is what keeps the reader interested, though. Is the drama, the hardships, and the strength is Libby and Peter’s love. You will not regret reading this book. It really helps you get a better perspective on life- in a totally non-boring way.
One day while waiting for her father, Libby sees a big bus arrive instead. As she sees the family get off the bus, Libby knows she will never have that again. Her family is gone. When one of the boys walks up to her and strikes a conversation, the last thing Libby expects is to actually fall for him. She does.
As Peter got off his tour bus with the rest of his family A.K.A. his band, he spots a girl. The last thing he expects is to find out she knows nothing about his band- never even heard of them. Peter finally realizes this is his chance for someone to meet him, the real him.
As they get to know each other, they begin to fall for one another. The thing is, their love would never work. Libby can’t be exposed to the world that Peter is, and Peter can’t just stop being famous. But fall in love, they do.
I enjoyed this book. Granted, this is a hard book to review- the story is just so complex. That is what keeps the reader interested, though. Is the drama, the hardships, and the strength is Libby and Peter’s love. You will not regret reading this book. It really helps you get a better perspective on life- in a totally non-boring way.
December 27, 2024
3 I opened this book thinking it was gonna be good. Starting right away I thought of it as cliche. There were some soft moments in it that were heartwarming but nothing that made me go over the top. The introduction between characters was rushed and a relationship developed much too quickly to be thought of as believable. Random set of circumstances she ended up in juvenile detention like center and was out in about 2 chapters. The story was very basic orphan/famous guy/ lovers can’t be together. One thing I am especially disappointed in is the lack of her father being toward the end of the story. He was like still missing and didn’t hear anything??? Would he see pictures and know it was his daughter?? Lastly, the ages were kind of concerning with a 2 year gap between a minor and an almost adult? Overall, the book was interesting and is a plot meant for middle schoolers with some mature themes that don’t mix well.
May 9, 2019
Meh. This book wasn't terrible, but the more I read, the less I liked it.
The whole plot is really unbelievable. Not just the whole "Girl meets popular rockstar" thing, but it seemed like almost anything bad that could happen to a character was piled onto Libby. Yeah, I know that people have been through as much as her, but it was a lot to take in within so few of pages and with the romance going on at the same time. It also was incredibly cheesy, lots of insta-love, and some of the characterization made zero sense to me.
It wasn't all bad, it was an interesting read at times, but it's easier to read if you suspend belief.
I won't be continuing this series.
The whole plot is really unbelievable. Not just the whole "Girl meets popular rockstar" thing, but it seemed like almost anything bad that could happen to a character was piled onto Libby. Yeah, I know that people have been through as much as her, but it was a lot to take in within so few of pages and with the romance going on at the same time. It also was incredibly cheesy, lots of insta-love, and some of the characterization made zero sense to me.
It wasn't all bad, it was an interesting read at times, but it's easier to read if you suspend belief.
I won't be continuing this series.
July 9, 2012
Awe! Loved this story!
I'm a huge fan of Rock Stars -
Reading this at a Young Adult level was great! I loved it!
We start off with Libby sitting at her favorite tree. Waiting for her dad that has been gone for over a year. He said he'd be back and she'd be ready when he did.
But instead of her dad, she saw a big bus pull into the park. At first she thought it would be someone famous or really rich. But when a few guys came out of the bus and started throwing the Frisbee around, and mom and dad came out with the food, she noticed it was just a typical family.
Keeping herself hidden by the tree, she watched the family be normal, and she longed for the normalcy that they shared.
When one of the guys, Peter let the Frisbee pass him and land next to her. He picked it up and tossed it back, but instead of going back to his game, he sat down next to her.
They struck up a conversation, where Libby had to admit she hadn't heard of the boy's band "Jamison" - she didn't have a radio, TV or Computer, or even a phone. She hated to admit it, but he didn't believe her.
When he finally did, they carried on their conversation until his brother told him it was time to eat. Libby realizing the time, ran back to her Aunt's farmhouse nearby - taking the long way around so Peter couldn't see where she lived.
She loved the fact that she met someone who wanted to talk to her. Someone who thought she mattered in her miserable life. But he was gone now, and what would the chances of meeting a rock star again? Slim.. right?
Hanging out in her favorite spot at the park, when she felt the shadow loom over her. She looked up and saw Peter there.
Luckily his mom loved the secluded Park that was close to the interstate.
The spent a couple of hours exploring the woods, and spending some time together. not realizing that Adam, Peter's brother was following them around.
Peter gave Libby a cell phone so he could keep in touch with her. She didn't want to take it, but she didn't want to lose communication with him either.
They spoke for weeks on the phone while he was on tour. He was able to meet up with her a couple of times. Falling in love with her. She was his sanity. His rock - and He was her reason to keep going.
This was really a cute story. I enjoyed it alot! Reading about famous rock stars in other books, I never really thought of how different a Teenage Rock Star traveling with his family would be :)
I'm a huge fan of Rock Stars -
Reading this at a Young Adult level was great! I loved it!
We start off with Libby sitting at her favorite tree. Waiting for her dad that has been gone for over a year. He said he'd be back and she'd be ready when he did.
But instead of her dad, she saw a big bus pull into the park. At first she thought it would be someone famous or really rich. But when a few guys came out of the bus and started throwing the Frisbee around, and mom and dad came out with the food, she noticed it was just a typical family.
Keeping herself hidden by the tree, she watched the family be normal, and she longed for the normalcy that they shared.
When one of the guys, Peter let the Frisbee pass him and land next to her. He picked it up and tossed it back, but instead of going back to his game, he sat down next to her.
They struck up a conversation, where Libby had to admit she hadn't heard of the boy's band "Jamison" - she didn't have a radio, TV or Computer, or even a phone. She hated to admit it, but he didn't believe her.
When he finally did, they carried on their conversation until his brother told him it was time to eat. Libby realizing the time, ran back to her Aunt's farmhouse nearby - taking the long way around so Peter couldn't see where she lived.
She loved the fact that she met someone who wanted to talk to her. Someone who thought she mattered in her miserable life. But he was gone now, and what would the chances of meeting a rock star again? Slim.. right?
Hanging out in her favorite spot at the park, when she felt the shadow loom over her. She looked up and saw Peter there.
Luckily his mom loved the secluded Park that was close to the interstate.
The spent a couple of hours exploring the woods, and spending some time together. not realizing that Adam, Peter's brother was following them around.
Peter gave Libby a cell phone so he could keep in touch with her. She didn't want to take it, but she didn't want to lose communication with him either.
They spoke for weeks on the phone while he was on tour. He was able to meet up with her a couple of times. Falling in love with her. She was his sanity. His rock - and He was her reason to keep going.
This was really a cute story. I enjoyed it alot! Reading about famous rock stars in other books, I never really thought of how different a Teenage Rock Star traveling with his family would be :)
February 12, 2015
Nop.
Tenía ganas de abandonarlo, pero me dije "Laura, no, dejá de abandonar! Seguilo, seguilo, seguilo!", soo.. Lo seguí, pero no me gustó.
Salvo el final, cuando dice The End XD
Y ¿por qué?
Porque estos chicos no me llegan. Peter, Peter está obsesionado con tener a esta chica que no conoce lo famoso que es y como es la primera se enamora y Libby, Libby vive tan asquerosamente en ese mugroso pueblo donde nadie es capaz de mover un dedo por esta chica, ni siquiera su consejera (que lo único que hace es denunciar y desaparecer ¬_¬ *que oportuno*) que ve a Peter como lo único bueno de su vida, y tiene razón, por eso se agarra tanto a él *sentimentalmente* (pero creo que al final ella sabe y YO sé que eso no era el amor que creyeron al principio, solo no quiere reconocerlo y sigue con la farsa, yo te conozco chiquita (?) XD )
Ni hablemos de la familia de Peter, Garreth grrr.. Adam meh, mamá y papá ¬_¬
Así pues que estos dos se aferran el uno al otro como si fuera una tabla de salvación, con mucho exageramiento de ambas parte =.=
Entonces, no funcionó. ¿Pudo haber sido algo bueno? No creo. Con mucha muchas ganas podría encontrar la forma en que esto hubiera sido pasable.
Lo único divertido de leer es cuando están separados, sufriendo en silencio. Aunque reconozco que me gusta la actitud que adopta Libby hacia el final. Lo de que realmente desee independizarse, pero habrá durado dos capítulos *tal vez uno*, porque luego él llega y le dice que ya lo tiene todo planeado para ella. Like... Nope. No en esta vida, muchacho.
Tenía ganas de abandonarlo, pero me dije "Laura, no, dejá de abandonar! Seguilo, seguilo, seguilo!", soo.. Lo seguí, pero no me gustó.
Salvo el final, cuando dice The End XD
Y ¿por qué?
Porque estos chicos no me llegan. Peter, Peter está obsesionado con tener a esta chica que no conoce lo famoso que es y como es la primera se enamora y Libby, Libby vive tan asquerosamente en ese mugroso pueblo donde nadie es capaz de mover un dedo por esta chica, ni siquiera su consejera (que lo único que hace es denunciar y desaparecer ¬_¬ *que oportuno*) que ve a Peter como lo único bueno de su vida, y tiene razón, por eso se agarra tanto a él *sentimentalmente* (pero creo que al final ella sabe y YO sé que eso no era el amor que creyeron al principio, solo no quiere reconocerlo y sigue con la farsa, yo te conozco chiquita (?) XD )
Ni hablemos de la familia de Peter, Garreth grrr.. Adam meh, mamá y papá ¬_¬
Así pues que estos dos se aferran el uno al otro como si fuera una tabla de salvación, con mucho exageramiento de ambas parte =.=
Entonces, no funcionó. ¿Pudo haber sido algo bueno? No creo. Con mucha muchas ganas podría encontrar la forma en que esto hubiera sido pasable.
Lo único divertido de leer es cuando están separados, sufriendo en silencio. Aunque reconozco que me gusta la actitud que adopta Libby hacia el final. Lo de que realmente desee independizarse, pero habrá durado dos capítulos *tal vez uno*, porque luego él llega y le dice que ya lo tiene todo planeado para ella. Like... Nope. No en esta vida, muchacho.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 25, 2011
I absolutely love Angie Stanton's Rock and a Hard Place! Libby is a sweet girl who has had so much sadness heaped on her head, it's unbelievable. When she meets the gorgeous, kind Peter at a nature retreat, it seems like the beginning of a loving teen romance. Except that Peter isn't just some nice guy...he's part of a mega-selling band, and his life is as far from an ordinary teen's as you can get. But somehow these two make so much sense. Neither one of them lives a 'normal' teen life; they both know pressure beyond normal pressure, and they both need someone to see past their circumstances and realize who they truly are beneath it all.
Of course, things can't be easy for them! (Sigh!) Just when their love gets rolling, circumstances rip the two apart, and they have to go to impossible lengths to find each other again. What I truly, absolutely loved is the ending. I will not ruin it, but let me just say that I was so proud of Libby and so amazed by how she had grown and strengthened by the end of this book. Please pick this book up and be on the lookout for Angie's next release! It sounds amazing!!
Of course, things can't be easy for them! (Sigh!) Just when their love gets rolling, circumstances rip the two apart, and they have to go to impossible lengths to find each other again. What I truly, absolutely loved is the ending. I will not ruin it, but let me just say that I was so proud of Libby and so amazed by how she had grown and strengthened by the end of this book. Please pick this book up and be on the lookout for Angie's next release! It sounds amazing!!
August 17, 2011
Geesh - this is where YA fiction and 35-year-olds have a hard time meeting. First of all, the story line was compelling. I really did want to see what happened to the characters.
That said, the writing was immature. It was third person, so there was no excuse since it wasn't in the voice of a particular character. As well, the story was really plot and "situation" driven, versus building character. I never really got a sense of the two main characters because the author was busy finding so many ways to keep them apart.
It's a catch-22; the plot needs to be compelling and gripping but without character development, it's like two cardboard figures moving through a scene. It just didn't mesh and the because the writing was so simplistic, it just made me feel like maybe I was too old for this kind of stuff.
Thing is, I love this kind of stuff. I've read a lot of YA fiction and this just felt really young and unrealistic and silly to me. But I still read it and wanted to see it through, so who knows what that means.
That said, the writing was immature. It was third person, so there was no excuse since it wasn't in the voice of a particular character. As well, the story was really plot and "situation" driven, versus building character. I never really got a sense of the two main characters because the author was busy finding so many ways to keep them apart.
It's a catch-22; the plot needs to be compelling and gripping but without character development, it's like two cardboard figures moving through a scene. It just didn't mesh and the because the writing was so simplistic, it just made me feel like maybe I was too old for this kind of stuff.
Thing is, I love this kind of stuff. I've read a lot of YA fiction and this just felt really young and unrealistic and silly to me. But I still read it and wanted to see it through, so who knows what that means.
February 12, 2013
Rock-N-Roll's Prince Charming arrives in his shiny tour bus to save the lovely young maiden from a life of gloom and doom. But before they can find their Happily-Ever-After, there are some rotten apples, a wicked witch, and some dark and deep rabbit holes to overcome. But in the end, the fairy godmothers lend helping hands, and there's a nearly perfect ending when the glass shoe fits.
This was a charming and fun-to-read (for the most part) contemporary romance. Several questions remained to be answered in the end making me wonder if maybe there might be sequel somewhere down the yellow brick road.
This is definitely a YA read and there is no offensive language or sexual content.
This was a charming and fun-to-read (for the most part) contemporary romance. Several questions remained to be answered in the end making me wonder if maybe there might be sequel somewhere down the yellow brick road.
This is definitely a YA read and there is no offensive language or sexual content.
February 3, 2021
This is such a touching novel about teenage love and the harsh reality that sometimes, life isn't all white picket fence. I love how the characters were created and put in the story. I can't and won't find fault..anyway, i am but a reader, not a critic. I think some would say that other scenes here are quite over the top (in a dramatic sense) but hey, to each his own. What scene did i like most? hmm.. i know it's quite morbid, but i like the scenes wherein they were torn apart.. and i looovee the scenes wherein the guy was doing everything for them to be with each other again. Honestly, the whole book is .. Unforgettable. =)
September 30, 2011
Really sweet book! Peter is no Kellan or Sinner - he's more Jonas Brothers kind of a guy, but you girls are going to love him.
February 18, 2020
3.5 stars
This book was better than I expected for a romance with a teen rock star, and I may end up reading other Jamieson brother novels (but then, it won't be the same two characters and story, so it's hard to say how that will go).
Libby is miserable--her mother and sister died, her depressed father dumped her with an aunt, the aunt is a nasty alcoholic who treats her poorly and all she has left going for her is working hard in school to graduate early and get out of there--but ideally with her dad, who she hopes will turn up any time. Peter meets her when his family stops at one of their favourite nature haunts while on tour, and--you guessed it--sparks fly right away. One of the reason I liked it is there was none of the things I dislike about romance genre in it. The other is that the story was well done for a y/a romance and it's not a clear path from beginning to end because (shocking, I know) things come up to thwart and discourage both of them. This is a romance novel, though, so this is a high rating for me.
This book was better than I expected for a romance with a teen rock star, and I may end up reading other Jamieson brother novels (but then, it won't be the same two characters and story, so it's hard to say how that will go).
Libby is miserable--her mother and sister died, her depressed father dumped her with an aunt, the aunt is a nasty alcoholic who treats her poorly and all she has left going for her is working hard in school to graduate early and get out of there--but ideally with her dad, who she hopes will turn up any time. Peter meets her when his family stops at one of their favourite nature haunts while on tour, and--you guessed it--sparks fly right away. One of the reason I liked it is there was none of the things I dislike about romance genre in it. The other is that the story was well done for a y/a romance and it's not a clear path from beginning to end because (shocking, I know) things come up to thwart and discourage both of them. This is a romance novel, though, so this is a high rating for me.
July 28, 2017
*2.5 estrellas*
Me pareció normal... esperaba que me gustara más pero no sé le faltó ... aunque tengo que decir que Peter me pareció muy lindo y dulce... muy perfecto para ser un adolescente famoso!!!
Quizás si lo hubiera leído hace unos años atrás me hubiera gustado más :/ pero de este genero YA, he leído mejores
Nota: un error que le vi... cuando le hacen la pregunta sobre la canción ella pone la respuesta correcta y luego cuando entra al concierto que escucha la canción se sorprende de que se la haya escrito a ella... y yo, osea como es esto? entonces, como respondió bien antes?
Me pareció normal... esperaba que me gustara más pero no sé le faltó ... aunque tengo que decir que Peter me pareció muy lindo y dulce... muy perfecto para ser un adolescente famoso!!!
Quizás si lo hubiera leído hace unos años atrás me hubiera gustado más :/ pero de este genero YA, he leído mejores
Nota: un error que le vi... cuando le hacen la pregunta sobre la canción ella pone la respuesta correcta y luego cuando entra al concierto que escucha la canción se sorprende de que se la haya escrito a ella... y yo, osea como es esto? entonces, como respondió bien antes?
dnf
November 1, 2024DNF @ 32% A little too sweet YA for me
March 30, 2021
Overdramatic, filled with instalove (the first kiss occurs at around the quarter mark), and it seemed like everything bad that could possibly happen to Libby did. I did like that she found the strength to take care of herself instead of depending on Pete though. I would have liked to see more of their romance and would have liked to see it develop over the course of the book. Their romance was mostly told and not shown, which made it seem like they had no chemistry.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 25, 2011
Author Angie Stanton had done it again! Fresh off her success with her novel "Love Em or Leave Em" comes her first YA novel, a beautifully told story about a lonely girl who meets teenage rock star. And rock this novel, Ms. Stanton has done! Libby is a lonely teenager living with her non-law abiding, evil aunt after her depressed father abandons her. Enter Peter, a famous teenage rock star. They meet, each wishing for just a small piece of the other's world. But Peter must tour and Libby gets taken from her aunt. Can these two find each other again, and if so, can this relationship work?
I fell in love with both Peter and Libby and cheered for each every second of the way. Ms. Stanton crafts each scene to keep the reader fully engaged, excited and rooting for a happy ending. What a sweet, refreshing romance!
I fell in love with both Peter and Libby and cheered for each every second of the way. Ms. Stanton crafts each scene to keep the reader fully engaged, excited and rooting for a happy ending. What a sweet, refreshing romance!
April 21, 2021
I was surprised how much I liked this book. It started out a teeny bit slow, but I got so involved that I read it in about 3 1/2 hours. I do not however, recommend reading how I did, on a treadmill at the gym because it's totally a tear-jerker. I had to pretend that I was really sweating so I could wipe away the tears that were welling up.
Loved the whole premise of Libby not knowing that Peter was a celebrity and their "dating". And I enjoyed that Libby and Peter's lives were so night and day different and how they made it work - or not. I like how things didn't always work out and they overcame some really difficult situations. Quite a bit of Libby's life was glossed over towards the end, but I enjoyed where the book ended up nonetheless.
Interesting story, great characters, looking forward to more from this author.
Loved the whole premise of Libby not knowing that Peter was a celebrity and their "dating". And I enjoyed that Libby and Peter's lives were so night and day different and how they made it work - or not. I like how things didn't always work out and they overcame some really difficult situations. Quite a bit of Libby's life was glossed over towards the end, but I enjoyed where the book ended up nonetheless.
Interesting story, great characters, looking forward to more from this author.
September 9, 2011
ROCK AND A HARD PLACE is adorable! Not only is it one of those stories that give you the warm fuzzies, but it's also quite emotional. At one point I had to put it down because I was sobbing.
Libby's life has been nothing short of horrific and heartbreaking. She meets this amazing stranger who turns out to be a famous rock star (unbeknownst to her). This poor girl, that everyone treats so horribly, has finally made a friend. Peter sees her and he cares for her. Aside from all of the awful things that happen to Libby, she gets to live out most girls' fantasy until it's all taken away. Emotions run high when Libby and Peter are torn apart.
I really liked this book. Great story and great characters. I look forward to reading more books by Angie Stanton.
Libby's life has been nothing short of horrific and heartbreaking. She meets this amazing stranger who turns out to be a famous rock star (unbeknownst to her). This poor girl, that everyone treats so horribly, has finally made a friend. Peter sees her and he cares for her. Aside from all of the awful things that happen to Libby, she gets to live out most girls' fantasy until it's all taken away. Emotions run high when Libby and Peter are torn apart.
I really liked this book. Great story and great characters. I look forward to reading more books by Angie Stanton.
August 31, 2013
What a wonderful surprise this book was! A lovely story about the lead singer of a rock band who meets this girl in a forest reserve park. They fell in like with each other, so Peter took any chance he could to meet up with her, until circumstances pulled them apart against their wishes. The anguish of their separation made me cry, Libby had such a hard time. I loved how everything was resolved towards their HEA, I'm so glad I found this book.
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