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The Breakup Tour
Riley Wynn went from a promising singer-songwriter to a superstar overnight, thanks to her breakup song concept album and its unforgettable lead single. When Riley’s ex-husband claims the hit song is about him, she does something she hasn’t in ten years and calls Max Harcourt, her college boyfriend, and the real inspiration for the song of the summer.Max hasn’t spoken to Riley since their relationship ended. He’s content with managing the retirement home his family owns, but it’s not the life he dreamed of filled with music. When Riley asks him to go public as her song-writing muse, he agrees on one he’ll join her in her band on tour. As they perform across the country, Max and Riley start to realize that while they hit some wrong notes in the past, their future could hold incredible things. And their rekindled relationship will either last forever or go down in flames.From the authors of the The Roughest Draft and Do I Know You?, Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka bring a new romance all about second chances with The Breakup Tour.
326 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 23, 2024
416 people are currently reading
31453 people want to read
About the author
Austin Siegemund-Broka
16 books594 followersAustin Siegemund-Broka cowrites YA contemporary with Emily Wibberley. His debut with Wibberley, ALWAYS NEVER YOURS, publishes from Puffin/Speak in 2018.
A former journalist in the entertainment industry, where he covered the courts and, yes, met a couple celebrities, he graduated from Harvard in 2014 with a degree in English and a focus on Shakespeare. When he's not writing (or reading) YA, he enjoys combing every corner of contemporary music and watching Buffy with Emily.
He lives in Los Angeles.
A former journalist in the entertainment industry, where he covered the courts and, yes, met a couple celebrities, he graduated from Harvard in 2014 with a degree in English and a focus on Shakespeare. When he's not writing (or reading) YA, he enjoys combing every corner of contemporary music and watching Buffy with Emily.
He lives in Los Angeles.
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May 15, 2025
well, i accidentally read taylor swift fanfiction.
it did not go well.
this is partially due to the fact that i am no taylor swift fan. i know this is currently tantamount to committing domestic treason or to thumbs-downing videos of baby animals forming interspecies friendships, but i can explain. i'm not secretly a 29 year old man recording too-close tiktoks of himself ranting about how now he can't watch the big game on sundays without seeing her face. i have simply always been neutral, and now she is everywhere. that's fine.
it's also beside the point, because in spite of my fairly opinion-less take on her...even i think this book, which claims to be solidly pro on the topic, has a pretty unfair depiction of her whole deal.
it is very weird to profit off of the most famous person in the world in what you claim is a love letter to her by perpetuating the meanest stereotypes about her — that she profits off her breakups on purpose and wouldn't be famous without them.
i have a lot of criticisms, beginning with carbon emissions and ending with money chasing, but even i can't deny she's talented.
on top of that, this book is just bad. in some silly ways, such as:
- the liberally inserted very bad song lyrics
- the number of adjectives
- the moment when taylor-by-another-name escapes a crowd of rabid fans by (check notes) walking down the street and putting sunglasses on
- essentially-taylor insising wearing her full wedding dress onstage...every single show, because nothing says "ready to perform" like 20 pounds of tulle
- taylor-insert making our male main character do a fashion show to determine his new rock star look, ultimately deciding on (again let me check my notes) a "rakish bow tie" and "glasses" like a "lounge pianist." she skated straight past rock star to theater kid
- the idea that our love interest could just open his laptop and buy a ticket the day of the final show of a tour we've been repeatedly told is sold out
- imagine playing piano and asking the musician how they want it to sound and they go "like sunrise after sleepless nights." i'm putting in 2 weeks notice
it's also bad in some not as silly ways. this couple had less than no chemistry, to the point that i assumed we were still early in the book until i was flabbergasted by a surprise kiss and looked to see we were at the halfway mark. the only thing more surprising was the sex scene.
this is a second chance romance, and it seems like all of their love story is predicated on the idea that one time they had chemistry and that they share musical talent. but neither of those are on page so i don't know what we're doing here.
not to mention the writing. if you're into emotions described like "I snuff the rogue indignation" or "She endeavors to smile" or "inquisitive disappointment," this is the book for you.
so much of this book is just STRANGE. our love interest's tragic backstory is that his family's retirement home is closing. our heroine is dragging around her newly divorced mom on a pop concert tour she doesn't seem interested in. why were these choices made??? we spend so much time on these bizarre plot points and it's like...why put them in at all???
and i just can't stress enough how if your retirement community is failing, i don't see how dating taylor swift for the publicity is the best way to handle that. last i heard geriatrics weren't her primary demo. it's one thing to sell jerseys to teenage girls, quite another to try to convince them to put their grandparents into a home in the rural south. and the book just ends without resolution on this so who knows!
riley (read: taylor) is one of the least likable protagonists i've read in memory: completely selfish, fame-obsessed, describes "what she does" as "reaching everyone with her music," listening constantly to her own songs, inviting her ex husband to events "for inspiration," and unable to understand why everyone doesn't immediately kowtow to her in a scenario where basically everyone already does. i don't really know how to describe how unrealistic and unfeeling and borderline sociopathic this character is, but it certainly isn't a flattering portrayal of taylor swift!
so if this book isn't for her fans, and it isn't for her non-fans...who is it for?
bottom line: this is a money grab with no plan to get the money.
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
it did not go well.
this is partially due to the fact that i am no taylor swift fan. i know this is currently tantamount to committing domestic treason or to thumbs-downing videos of baby animals forming interspecies friendships, but i can explain. i'm not secretly a 29 year old man recording too-close tiktoks of himself ranting about how now he can't watch the big game on sundays without seeing her face. i have simply always been neutral, and now she is everywhere. that's fine.
it's also beside the point, because in spite of my fairly opinion-less take on her...even i think this book, which claims to be solidly pro on the topic, has a pretty unfair depiction of her whole deal.
it is very weird to profit off of the most famous person in the world in what you claim is a love letter to her by perpetuating the meanest stereotypes about her — that she profits off her breakups on purpose and wouldn't be famous without them.
i have a lot of criticisms, beginning with carbon emissions and ending with money chasing, but even i can't deny she's talented.
on top of that, this book is just bad. in some silly ways, such as:
- the liberally inserted very bad song lyrics
- the number of adjectives
- the moment when taylor-by-another-name escapes a crowd of rabid fans by (check notes) walking down the street and putting sunglasses on
- essentially-taylor insising wearing her full wedding dress onstage...every single show, because nothing says "ready to perform" like 20 pounds of tulle
- taylor-insert making our male main character do a fashion show to determine his new rock star look, ultimately deciding on (again let me check my notes) a "rakish bow tie" and "glasses" like a "lounge pianist." she skated straight past rock star to theater kid
- the idea that our love interest could just open his laptop and buy a ticket the day of the final show of a tour we've been repeatedly told is sold out
- imagine playing piano and asking the musician how they want it to sound and they go "like sunrise after sleepless nights." i'm putting in 2 weeks notice
it's also bad in some not as silly ways. this couple had less than no chemistry, to the point that i assumed we were still early in the book until i was flabbergasted by a surprise kiss and looked to see we were at the halfway mark. the only thing more surprising was the sex scene.
this is a second chance romance, and it seems like all of their love story is predicated on the idea that one time they had chemistry and that they share musical talent. but neither of those are on page so i don't know what we're doing here.
not to mention the writing. if you're into emotions described like "I snuff the rogue indignation" or "She endeavors to smile" or "inquisitive disappointment," this is the book for you.
so much of this book is just STRANGE. our love interest's tragic backstory is that his family's retirement home is closing. our heroine is dragging around her newly divorced mom on a pop concert tour she doesn't seem interested in. why were these choices made??? we spend so much time on these bizarre plot points and it's like...why put them in at all???
and i just can't stress enough how if your retirement community is failing, i don't see how dating taylor swift for the publicity is the best way to handle that. last i heard geriatrics weren't her primary demo. it's one thing to sell jerseys to teenage girls, quite another to try to convince them to put their grandparents into a home in the rural south. and the book just ends without resolution on this so who knows!
riley (read: taylor) is one of the least likable protagonists i've read in memory: completely selfish, fame-obsessed, describes "what she does" as "reaching everyone with her music," listening constantly to her own songs, inviting her ex husband to events "for inspiration," and unable to understand why everyone doesn't immediately kowtow to her in a scenario where basically everyone already does. i don't really know how to describe how unrealistic and unfeeling and borderline sociopathic this character is, but it certainly isn't a flattering portrayal of taylor swift!
so if this book isn't for her fans, and it isn't for her non-fans...who is it for?
bottom line: this is a money grab with no plan to get the money.
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
January 10, 2024
i wanted to DNF this after 50 pages and i think life is too short to read books you don’t enjoy but i got a lot of DMs wanting to know my thoughts and i was curious to see where it went. i have one million thoughts so let me try to organize them.
the premise:
riley (aka taylor swift) is fresh off a divorce but about to go on tour as the world’s biggest pop star sharing songs she meticulously wrote for each of her exes but when her ex-husband tries to claim the lead song is about him, she tracks down the ex it’s actually about and asks if she can publicly share it’s about him. he’s like nah. but then his family’s retirement home needs money so he’s like “i want to go on tour with you.” and then they just agree to go on tour within like two paragraphs???
the premise is super weird because she waltzes back to him like no time has transpired but also, throughout the story, she’s mad and holds resentment towards him for the relationship ending. the time jumps were super inconsistent
the romance:
i have never, in the 1,000+ romance books i’ve read in my life, been more shocked by a first kiss. why? because there was absolutely not one single IOTA of chemistry between the two leads. there was absolutely NO buildup of chemistry, tension, or romantic feelings between them. there were some weak reminiscences of their past but even those were far and few between. they have almost no significant one-on-one interactions before the kiss; it’s just plopped into the story as if the authors said “hmm… we’re 60% through with no movement on the romance front… let’s have them kiss.”
and then what’s crazier is once they are together, instead of getting scenes of them like getting back together and re-learning each other, it’s just time-jumps to insignificant and unromantic moments and then they’re away from each other?!?! why write a “romance” book if you’re not interested in actually writing romance. their relationship is not even the first subplot in this story, it is given no attention, detail, or effort. in the entire time they get together, there is not one date or hangout or anything between the two of them besides the time they’re getting it on. so it’s basically nothing, then a relationship we’re told about instead of shown, then forced angst and conflict, and happily ever after. it made no sense but i think riley has multiple personalities.
the characters:
riley’s character is basically musician robot + taylor swift anecdotes from the media added in as her internal thoughts with absolutely no added depth except some occasional bitchiness. but from making up songs in her head while mid-conversation with a stranger to *needing* to run to the studio to record when she’s crying and feels an ounce of emotion, she is a caricature of a character of a person. there was no character development, no depth, and no personality besides “date men, have heartbreak, write song.”
max is ???? i’ve never read a book where one of the main characters had no character traits. all i know is he has familial obligations and couldn’t commit to any other woman after their breakup. beyond that, there are genuinely no personality traits given to his character. is he introverted or extroverted? thoughtful? shy? funny? caring? anxious? ambitious? intelligent? let me know when you find out because i read the book and still don’t know.
the cringe factor:
the two leads are the people from your high school theatre program, band, or choir who made everything 100x more serious than it needed to be and acted like they were grammy-winning celebs in 11th grade.
“yet, with every note, she sang directly to the center of me, i was more convinced no one could ever hear what we heard could ever experience, how it sounded when the songs of separate hearts entwined into one.”
booooo. if you told me that was from a hallmark movie script, i would absolutely believe you. and nearly EVERY line is like that. so cheesy and cringey for no reason.
also, when their romance comes out of nowhere, she asks him “are we going down heartbreak road again?” …heartbreak road is the name of one of her songs. actually throw me off a cliff, how cheesy and high school musical.
the taylor swift plot:
this is a taylor swift romance written by people who maybe hate her? i know this author duo is loved for their previous works so i can’t speak to how this compares to the others but the taylor swift angle feels excruciatingly like it was written by a man or people who are not fans.
the magic of taylor swift is that she makes herself vulnerable through her songwriting and in her songs, shares experiences and feelings that mostly everyone can relate to.
this book basically rains all over that parade and though they add in an anecdote about how the media just thinks she’s a scorned woman, these authors then make riley’s internal dialogue match exactly that. everything’s calculated, manipulative, almost unfeeling - she wears her LITERAL wedding dress to sing her ex-husband’s song. riley admits in her internal dialogue that her heartbreak songs sell well so that’s why she writes them AND that she only does things because she knows she’ll be able to write a hit song about it. she also muses whether she’s “only good for breakup songs.” GIVE ME A FUCKING BREAKKKKK. this is such a weird, cheap, armchair psychologist take on taylor swift.
there’s even a point where her internal dialogue is that she’s too young to have had THIS much heartbreak. like, seriously? c’mon.
i’m not against books that are inspired, even heavily, by someone famous but at least do it with respect if you’re going to make the lead so obviously about one person.
one of her songs is “novembers” and another is “mr. maybe” 🤠
i could probably write a dissertation on this book but i’ve given it all the brain power i will ever give it.
tldr; i was infinitely more invested in the ten sentences they wrote about her mom and the bus driver.
the premise:
riley (aka taylor swift) is fresh off a divorce but about to go on tour as the world’s biggest pop star sharing songs she meticulously wrote for each of her exes but when her ex-husband tries to claim the lead song is about him, she tracks down the ex it’s actually about and asks if she can publicly share it’s about him. he’s like nah. but then his family’s retirement home needs money so he’s like “i want to go on tour with you.” and then they just agree to go on tour within like two paragraphs???
the premise is super weird because she waltzes back to him like no time has transpired but also, throughout the story, she’s mad and holds resentment towards him for the relationship ending. the time jumps were super inconsistent
the romance:
i have never, in the 1,000+ romance books i’ve read in my life, been more shocked by a first kiss. why? because there was absolutely not one single IOTA of chemistry between the two leads. there was absolutely NO buildup of chemistry, tension, or romantic feelings between them. there were some weak reminiscences of their past but even those were far and few between. they have almost no significant one-on-one interactions before the kiss; it’s just plopped into the story as if the authors said “hmm… we’re 60% through with no movement on the romance front… let’s have them kiss.”
and then what’s crazier is once they are together, instead of getting scenes of them like getting back together and re-learning each other, it’s just time-jumps to insignificant and unromantic moments and then they’re away from each other?!?! why write a “romance” book if you’re not interested in actually writing romance. their relationship is not even the first subplot in this story, it is given no attention, detail, or effort. in the entire time they get together, there is not one date or hangout or anything between the two of them besides the time they’re getting it on. so it’s basically nothing, then a relationship we’re told about instead of shown, then forced angst and conflict, and happily ever after. it made no sense but i think riley has multiple personalities.
the characters:
riley’s character is basically musician robot + taylor swift anecdotes from the media added in as her internal thoughts with absolutely no added depth except some occasional bitchiness. but from making up songs in her head while mid-conversation with a stranger to *needing* to run to the studio to record when she’s crying and feels an ounce of emotion, she is a caricature of a character of a person. there was no character development, no depth, and no personality besides “date men, have heartbreak, write song.”
max is ???? i’ve never read a book where one of the main characters had no character traits. all i know is he has familial obligations and couldn’t commit to any other woman after their breakup. beyond that, there are genuinely no personality traits given to his character. is he introverted or extroverted? thoughtful? shy? funny? caring? anxious? ambitious? intelligent? let me know when you find out because i read the book and still don’t know.
the cringe factor:
the two leads are the people from your high school theatre program, band, or choir who made everything 100x more serious than it needed to be and acted like they were grammy-winning celebs in 11th grade.
“yet, with every note, she sang directly to the center of me, i was more convinced no one could ever hear what we heard could ever experience, how it sounded when the songs of separate hearts entwined into one.”
booooo. if you told me that was from a hallmark movie script, i would absolutely believe you. and nearly EVERY line is like that. so cheesy and cringey for no reason.
also, when their romance comes out of nowhere, she asks him “are we going down heartbreak road again?” …heartbreak road is the name of one of her songs. actually throw me off a cliff, how cheesy and high school musical.
the taylor swift plot:
this is a taylor swift romance written by people who maybe hate her? i know this author duo is loved for their previous works so i can’t speak to how this compares to the others but the taylor swift angle feels excruciatingly like it was written by a man or people who are not fans.
the magic of taylor swift is that she makes herself vulnerable through her songwriting and in her songs, shares experiences and feelings that mostly everyone can relate to.
this book basically rains all over that parade and though they add in an anecdote about how the media just thinks she’s a scorned woman, these authors then make riley’s internal dialogue match exactly that. everything’s calculated, manipulative, almost unfeeling - she wears her LITERAL wedding dress to sing her ex-husband’s song. riley admits in her internal dialogue that her heartbreak songs sell well so that’s why she writes them AND that she only does things because she knows she’ll be able to write a hit song about it. she also muses whether she’s “only good for breakup songs.” GIVE ME A FUCKING BREAKKKKK. this is such a weird, cheap, armchair psychologist take on taylor swift.
there’s even a point where her internal dialogue is that she’s too young to have had THIS much heartbreak. like, seriously? c’mon.
i’m not against books that are inspired, even heavily, by someone famous but at least do it with respect if you’re going to make the lead so obviously about one person.
one of her songs is “novembers” and another is “mr. maybe” 🤠
i could probably write a dissertation on this book but i’ve given it all the brain power i will ever give it.
tldr; i was infinitely more invested in the ten sentences they wrote about her mom and the bus driver.
April 19, 2024
Hey Swifties, if you haven't already exhausted your vocal cords screaming Taylor's name during her earth-shattering, fantastic tour, I've got a sentimental second chance romance book recommendation for you that's packed with Easter eggs and clever references you'll easily catch. The author duo knows how to pluck the heartstrings to create another catchy, deeply emotional melody, weaving a story reminiscent of "Daisy Jones and the Six" meets "Notting Hill."
Our leading lady not only channels TS vibes but also brings to mind Riley Keough (I believe her Daisy Jones portrayal is etched into my heart), and coincidentally, her name is Riley Wynn. She's the queen of breakups, crafting unforgettable songs after each failed relationship, pouring her soul, tears, and heartbreak into her music. But the first cut always runs the deepest. She once loved a college beau, honing her poetry skills and dreaming of a musician's life touring the world together. He promised to be her partner in crime, only to back out at the last minute. She followed her own path to chase stardom and succeeded, yet she still carries a breakup song for him titled "Until You" – the very song her now-ex-husband tries to exploit, implying she wrote it for him.
Riley decides to reconnect with her former love, who has grown into a handsome man in his thirties, using his piano skills to entertain seniors at the family's retirement home he manages. His name is Max Harcourt.
Max can hardly believe his eyes as the girl he once loved with his whole heart stands before him, seeking his permission to reveal the true inspiration behind her most powerful breakup song – the same song he refused to listen to. A decade has passed since their breakup, during which he avoided her music, her concerts, and any contact, grappling with his own regrets, buried emotions, and denials.
Averse to the spotlight, Max ultimately decides to leverage his piano skills at Riley's concerts when her parents plan to sell their retirement home, and his sister questions his life choices. He proposes a condition: if she publicly reveals that "Until You" was written for him, he will join her on tour to perform the song together.
Riley accepts the offer, even though she knows it's a risky move that could reignite old flames. Being in close quarters, working together on tour, unlocks the memory box she had sealed shut for years, prompting her to revisit her own "what ifs." What if they hadn't broken up all those years ago? What if he had chosen to be with her?
The only aspect that irked me about the story is Max's stubbornness and Riley's tendency to sacrifice her own happiness, which hindered them from fully embracing their true feelings. While there were a few unnecessary angsty moments, overall, this is a heart-wrenching, poignant, and beautifully written second chance romance. Oh Taylor, here's hoping you also pen your own love song in the near future!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this wonderful book's digital review copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
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Our leading lady not only channels TS vibes but also brings to mind Riley Keough (I believe her Daisy Jones portrayal is etched into my heart), and coincidentally, her name is Riley Wynn. She's the queen of breakups, crafting unforgettable songs after each failed relationship, pouring her soul, tears, and heartbreak into her music. But the first cut always runs the deepest. She once loved a college beau, honing her poetry skills and dreaming of a musician's life touring the world together. He promised to be her partner in crime, only to back out at the last minute. She followed her own path to chase stardom and succeeded, yet she still carries a breakup song for him titled "Until You" – the very song her now-ex-husband tries to exploit, implying she wrote it for him.
Riley decides to reconnect with her former love, who has grown into a handsome man in his thirties, using his piano skills to entertain seniors at the family's retirement home he manages. His name is Max Harcourt.
Max can hardly believe his eyes as the girl he once loved with his whole heart stands before him, seeking his permission to reveal the true inspiration behind her most powerful breakup song – the same song he refused to listen to. A decade has passed since their breakup, during which he avoided her music, her concerts, and any contact, grappling with his own regrets, buried emotions, and denials.
Averse to the spotlight, Max ultimately decides to leverage his piano skills at Riley's concerts when her parents plan to sell their retirement home, and his sister questions his life choices. He proposes a condition: if she publicly reveals that "Until You" was written for him, he will join her on tour to perform the song together.
Riley accepts the offer, even though she knows it's a risky move that could reignite old flames. Being in close quarters, working together on tour, unlocks the memory box she had sealed shut for years, prompting her to revisit her own "what ifs." What if they hadn't broken up all those years ago? What if he had chosen to be with her?
The only aspect that irked me about the story is Max's stubbornness and Riley's tendency to sacrifice her own happiness, which hindered them from fully embracing their true feelings. While there were a few unnecessary angsty moments, overall, this is a heart-wrenching, poignant, and beautifully written second chance romance. Oh Taylor, here's hoping you also pen your own love song in the near future!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this wonderful book's digital review copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
medium blog
twitter<
January 9, 2024
i am truly heartbroken to say i hated this book. i am not one to write long rants about how much i dislike books but the more i think about this book, the angrier i get.
its one thing to say you're writing a taylor swift inspired book. its another thing to write an invasive, cheap copycat version of a REAL person's life in which you reduce this person to exactly the image the media has perpetuated for years that's she's been fighting against - a girl who strategically and purposefully capitalizes on her relationships and breakups to make money.
If you are going to market a book as being taylor swift inspired/for taylor swift fans, you're setting high expectations to begin with... but not only did this book not deliver, it felt like targeting swifties was solely a marketing scheme as the authors seemed to miss the mark entirely on why taylor, her career, her music, and her growth in recent years, taking ownership of her narrative is so impactful to young people and women everywhere. instead they created a fmc who is almost like a caricature of taylor if someone wanted to describe her based on generalized public perception as someone reduced entirely to their relationships/breakups for profit sake... like the authors were not taylor swift fans and based their fmc on a cheap version of who they thought taylor swift and why they thought swifties liked her but didn't actually attempt to understand which just pisses me off
First, starting with the writing. I have read these authors two previous adult romances and enjoyed them. But the writing in this book felt so cheesy in a bad way. like I love a cheesy romance book, don't get me wrong, but this sounded ridiculous. since they are both supposed to be musicians they were just trying wayyyy too hard to sound profound and deep and lyrical in every other sentence. every other sentence was some dumb musical metaphor to which no one would say or think so constantly. think like “her laughter plays chords on my heartstrings” and “she’s a symphony when you expect a solo” and “emotions crescendoing like a forbidden harmony” - this is all in just chapter one and it continues constantly throughout the whole book. this is why men shouldn’t be allowed to write romance books even under supervision tbh
Second, I did not feel like these characters any chemistry or personality. I could not tell you one thing about this man other than his dream of running an old folks home (???) i dont even remember his name. zero tension. zero chemistry. zero redeemable qualities imo
I could've dealt with these things because i'm easy to please but third, as a huge taylor swift fan, it just felt like a really cheap version of taylor’s music career and a cheap shot to reduce the “taylor inspired” fmc down to the fact that she’s known for her relationships and breakup songs but look now she’s found love and now it doesnt have to just be breakup songs, she can write love songs instead!!! I think the authors were trying to have the fmc "take control of her narrative" the way taylor swift has but they did this by having their fmc "fight back" by making an entire album where she advertises the fact that each song is about a different specific relationship in her life and she's embarking on "the breakup tour" which she purposefully sings about each of her exes one by one (this woman wears her WEDDING DRESS while performing the song she wrote about her shitty ex husband) instead of actually confronting the misogyny of the media villainizing a young woman dating normally in her 20s and channeling her emotions into her passion of music. It just felt like a very cheap and underdeveloped version of what taylor has done with taking ownership of her reputation and the narrative around her and her relationships and her music. maybe if they weren't marketing this book using taylor swift, this wouldn't have been as much as an issue but since they did, it feels like these two authors wrote a book entirely for the purpose of capitalizing on taylor's success and using her and her fans to sell more books. which makes me IRATE tbh. i hope taylor swift sues them Imao
its one thing to say you're writing a taylor swift inspired book. its another thing to write an invasive, cheap copycat version of a REAL person's life in which you reduce this person to exactly the image the media has perpetuated for years that's she's been fighting against - a girl who strategically and purposefully capitalizes on her relationships and breakups to make money.
If you are going to market a book as being taylor swift inspired/for taylor swift fans, you're setting high expectations to begin with... but not only did this book not deliver, it felt like targeting swifties was solely a marketing scheme as the authors seemed to miss the mark entirely on why taylor, her career, her music, and her growth in recent years, taking ownership of her narrative is so impactful to young people and women everywhere. instead they created a fmc who is almost like a caricature of taylor if someone wanted to describe her based on generalized public perception as someone reduced entirely to their relationships/breakups for profit sake... like the authors were not taylor swift fans and based their fmc on a cheap version of who they thought taylor swift and why they thought swifties liked her but didn't actually attempt to understand which just pisses me off
First, starting with the writing. I have read these authors two previous adult romances and enjoyed them. But the writing in this book felt so cheesy in a bad way. like I love a cheesy romance book, don't get me wrong, but this sounded ridiculous. since they are both supposed to be musicians they were just trying wayyyy too hard to sound profound and deep and lyrical in every other sentence. every other sentence was some dumb musical metaphor to which no one would say or think so constantly. think like “her laughter plays chords on my heartstrings” and “she’s a symphony when you expect a solo” and “emotions crescendoing like a forbidden harmony” - this is all in just chapter one and it continues constantly throughout the whole book. this is why men shouldn’t be allowed to write romance books even under supervision tbh
Second, I did not feel like these characters any chemistry or personality. I could not tell you one thing about this man other than his dream of running an old folks home (???) i dont even remember his name. zero tension. zero chemistry. zero redeemable qualities imo
I could've dealt with these things because i'm easy to please but third, as a huge taylor swift fan, it just felt like a really cheap version of taylor’s music career and a cheap shot to reduce the “taylor inspired” fmc down to the fact that she’s known for her relationships and breakup songs but look now she’s found love and now it doesnt have to just be breakup songs, she can write love songs instead!!! I think the authors were trying to have the fmc "take control of her narrative" the way taylor swift has but they did this by having their fmc "fight back" by making an entire album where she advertises the fact that each song is about a different specific relationship in her life and she's embarking on "the breakup tour" which she purposefully sings about each of her exes one by one (this woman wears her WEDDING DRESS while performing the song she wrote about her shitty ex husband) instead of actually confronting the misogyny of the media villainizing a young woman dating normally in her 20s and channeling her emotions into her passion of music. It just felt like a very cheap and underdeveloped version of what taylor has done with taking ownership of her reputation and the narrative around her and her relationships and her music. maybe if they weren't marketing this book using taylor swift, this wouldn't have been as much as an issue but since they did, it feels like these two authors wrote a book entirely for the purpose of capitalizing on taylor's success and using her and her fans to sell more books. which makes me IRATE tbh. i hope taylor swift sues them Imao
January 23, 2024
When I read that this story was dedicated to “Swifties” and inspired by “Ms. Swift” herself, I was a little worried as I am definitely NOT in the target demographic!
But, I should not have given it a second thought as our married co-authors Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka always write stories that resonate with me, and this was no exception!
After all, there probably isn’t anyone reading this who cannot relate to the pain of a broken heart. 💔
“THERE IS NOTHING LIKE THE SOUND OF HEARTBREAK “
Riley Wynn immersed herself in the deepest hurts of her life in search of inspiration and she has written her best work yet-11 songs-each memorializing a relationship in her past.
The only song she struggled with was the one about her college sweetheart, Max Harcourt. It was from long ago, before she was famous, so there is no public recognizability for him, unlike those about her many flings and her one short lived marriage.
But, she ended up including him, quite simply because she loved him most-despite the fact that it was their dream to tour together in search of a life in music until he decided at the last minute not to go.
Now it’s time for her “Break Up Tour”, perfect for America’s sweetheart, who is famous (or infamous) for her break up songs.
But, before she does, she has a favor to ask him-and his answer will change the course of their lives.
Told from the alternating perspectives of both Riley and Max, this thankfully isn’t another book about a music tour filled with sex, drugs and rock and roll. (though there is some sex 😉)
It’s a poetic love story about hearts breaking, souls searching, and hearts mending and it’s definitely for anyone who has ever loved! ❤️
An adorable book cover, and Lyrics are included at the end!
You can go on tour with Riley TODAY!
Now AVAILABLE
Thank You to Berkley for gifting me a copy which was provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!
But, I should not have given it a second thought as our married co-authors Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka always write stories that resonate with me, and this was no exception!
After all, there probably isn’t anyone reading this who cannot relate to the pain of a broken heart. 💔
“THERE IS NOTHING LIKE THE SOUND OF HEARTBREAK “
Riley Wynn immersed herself in the deepest hurts of her life in search of inspiration and she has written her best work yet-11 songs-each memorializing a relationship in her past.
The only song she struggled with was the one about her college sweetheart, Max Harcourt. It was from long ago, before she was famous, so there is no public recognizability for him, unlike those about her many flings and her one short lived marriage.
But, she ended up including him, quite simply because she loved him most-despite the fact that it was their dream to tour together in search of a life in music until he decided at the last minute not to go.
Now it’s time for her “Break Up Tour”, perfect for America’s sweetheart, who is famous (or infamous) for her break up songs.
But, before she does, she has a favor to ask him-and his answer will change the course of their lives.
Told from the alternating perspectives of both Riley and Max, this thankfully isn’t another book about a music tour filled with sex, drugs and rock and roll. (though there is some sex 😉)
It’s a poetic love story about hearts breaking, souls searching, and hearts mending and it’s definitely for anyone who has ever loved! ❤️
An adorable book cover, and Lyrics are included at the end!
You can go on tour with Riley TODAY!
Now AVAILABLE
Thank You to Berkley for gifting me a copy which was provided through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!
January 23, 2024
The acknowledgments say that one of their friends “wanted the Taylor Swift romance” so that’s how they came to write this book and I am pissed that apparently not a single person at Berkley (or even that friend that wanted this book) is a big enough Swiftie to realize what an incredible disservice this book is to Taylor Swift. I have gone to war for that woman both irl and online (and would do so 1000 times) so this book feels like a personal attack from start to finish. Full review to come 😤
FULL REVIEW ⬇️ ‼️ contains mild spoilers ‼️
1 ⭐️
Right off the bat, I wanna clear a few things up so I don’t get the “just another crazy Swiftie” label slapped on my forehead 😤 yes, Taylor Swift and her music are a huge part of my life and thus very important to me. There are Swifties that liked or will like this book, and I am genuinely happy for them. Everything I’m about to lay out are my opinions and impressions of that book, and I can get very passionate when I explain those types of things and my vocabulary reflects that sometimes (all the time), but nothing I am going to say is a personal attack against the authors OR anyone that enjoyed this book. I understand that at least one half of this author duo is a huge swiftie herself, so I KNOW she (and presumably her husband) didn’t go into this with the intention of shitting on Taylor, but at the end of the day there seems to be a major disconnect between the story arc they chose and what I hoped it would or wanted it to be.
I read The Roughest Draft last year (long before I even knew about the existence of this book) and didn’t like it at all, and A LOT of the things I didn’t like about that one, also caused grievances for me in The Breakup Tour. Miscommunication, an extremely bland MMC and, this is most important, trying to force the writing to come off as deep, lyrical, poetic, emotional, etc by using big words or metaphors that end up reading more like “internal word vomit.” These authors’ books have been marketed “for Emily Henry fans” in the past, and I don’t like comparing authors, because reading and emotions evoked by it are subjective to the reader, but what I can tell you is that for me, Emily Henry (amongst others) has an effortless way of making her books “deep, lyrical, poetic, emotional,” whereas the two books I have read by these authors just didn’t manage to do that. It has felt forced and unnatural both times, and it takes away from the reading experience for me.
Example 1: the word “incandescent” was used six times in the book. Generally, that might not seem like a lot for a book with 31 chapters, but given the fact that incandescent is the fancy, big word version for bright, it felt a bit much, and I picked up on it by the third time the word was used, so by the time it popped up for a sixth time I just rolled my eyes.
Example 2: circling back to the overuse of the word vomit-esque metaphors - Riley is on stage performing one of her songs and mentally goes into a three page inner monologue about the heartbreak this song makes her feel. I’m reading, and reading, and reading, and reading…. thinking to myself ok this whole entire concert must be finished by now? NOPE, upon finishing this inner monologue metaphor situation, we get to the FIRST CHORUS OF THE SONG????? Like it took me 3 minutes to read this entire part and we’re only 30 seconds into the song??? I don’t know how else to explain it, but it just didn’t feel very smooth. I guess to me, the length of the inner monologues didn’t make sense for the amount of time that passed in the plot ?
I could give at least 5 more examples, but this review is already longer than any review I’ve ever written, so please just take my word for it when I say that their writing simply doesn’t appeal to me.
We have arrived at what will be a breakdown of the disservice they did to Taylor Swift. I knew my Swiftie heart was in trouble before we even got to the 5% mark, when I realized that Riley specifically wrote an album with 12 breakup songs, for 12 exes, and she was following along online as her fans tried to piece together which song was about which ex. I just…. What ? And then she wants her ex boyfriend (the MMC love interest) to perform with her, because she’s pissed that her other ex (the villain) is trying to take credit for one of the songs as her inspiration, but it’s the wrong song, because he (the villain) has his own song, so he’s just trying to ride her coattails for the more popular breakup song (the MMC love interests song), and he’s (the villain) just an asshole, so she must lay out breadcrumbs for her fans by getting the ex the song is actually about (the MMC love interest) to perform with her so they piece together that the other ex (the villain) is just spewing bullshit online. Was this supposed to be one of the infamous Easter egg hunts Taylor likes to send us on? Because let me tell you, they’re not usually about her fucking ex boyfriends.
Oh and then, the good ex (the MMC love interest) has a convo about Riley with another other ex (chill, laidback dude) and he goes on and on about how “Riley does it for the drama, for the heartbreak, she’s so dramatic blablabla” and the MMC enters a spiral of “am I just another song to her does she even care about me” because on top of the ex (chill, laidback dude) saying that, there are COUNTLESS incidences of Riley giving off exactly those vibes.
So yes, Riley, let’s talk about her, shall we ? I will not beat around the bush, so please just file this under passionate book musings and excuse my language - Riley might have been one of THE most selfish, arrogant, bratty, ignorant and plain fucking annoying FMCs I have ever come across. From the get go, she self sabotages her relationship with Max (MMC love interest), because “without heartbreak there are no lyrics. I am destined for heartbreak but at least I’ll have my career. I will continue dating and getting my heart broken forever but at least I can write songs. And why is Max not into the idea of performing with me? DOES HE NOT REALIZE I POURED MY HEARTBREAK AND HEART AND SOUL INTO THIS SONG ? Why does he not understand that? And omg I dragged him to this Hollywood party that I know isn’t his scene but why is he just idling alone by the pool does he not realize THIS IS HOW MY LIFE IS” like idk girlie maybe be grateful he came to the party with you ?
I understand that all of those things about Riley specifically were supposed to be part of her character arc, with her realizing that she’s so much more than “just her heartbreak,” but in my eyes, all it did was feed into every stereotypical, “boy crazy” narrative the media has tried to spin about Taylor over the years, and that was, quite frankly, absolutely infuriating. Maybe, if this book didn’t have Taylor Swift all over it, from the fact that I blind requested the arc because the cover gave me Taylor vibes (that’s personal perception, fine), to it being DEDICATED TO TAYLOR SWIFT, to the acknowledgments saying “for xyz friend that “wanted the Taylor Swift romance”” I could’ve just written it and Riley off as a “not for me, unlikeable FMC.” … IF ONLY.
So, call me a crazy swiftie or don’t, but this was a big fat giant miss for me.
FULL REVIEW ⬇️ ‼️ contains mild spoilers ‼️
1 ⭐️
Right off the bat, I wanna clear a few things up so I don’t get the “just another crazy Swiftie” label slapped on my forehead 😤 yes, Taylor Swift and her music are a huge part of my life and thus very important to me. There are Swifties that liked or will like this book, and I am genuinely happy for them. Everything I’m about to lay out are my opinions and impressions of that book, and I can get very passionate when I explain those types of things and my vocabulary reflects that sometimes (all the time), but nothing I am going to say is a personal attack against the authors OR anyone that enjoyed this book. I understand that at least one half of this author duo is a huge swiftie herself, so I KNOW she (and presumably her husband) didn’t go into this with the intention of shitting on Taylor, but at the end of the day there seems to be a major disconnect between the story arc they chose and what I hoped it would or wanted it to be.
I read The Roughest Draft last year (long before I even knew about the existence of this book) and didn’t like it at all, and A LOT of the things I didn’t like about that one, also caused grievances for me in The Breakup Tour. Miscommunication, an extremely bland MMC and, this is most important, trying to force the writing to come off as deep, lyrical, poetic, emotional, etc by using big words or metaphors that end up reading more like “internal word vomit.” These authors’ books have been marketed “for Emily Henry fans” in the past, and I don’t like comparing authors, because reading and emotions evoked by it are subjective to the reader, but what I can tell you is that for me, Emily Henry (amongst others) has an effortless way of making her books “deep, lyrical, poetic, emotional,” whereas the two books I have read by these authors just didn’t manage to do that. It has felt forced and unnatural both times, and it takes away from the reading experience for me.
Example 1: the word “incandescent” was used six times in the book. Generally, that might not seem like a lot for a book with 31 chapters, but given the fact that incandescent is the fancy, big word version for bright, it felt a bit much, and I picked up on it by the third time the word was used, so by the time it popped up for a sixth time I just rolled my eyes.
Example 2: circling back to the overuse of the word vomit-esque metaphors - Riley is on stage performing one of her songs and mentally goes into a three page inner monologue about the heartbreak this song makes her feel. I’m reading, and reading, and reading, and reading…. thinking to myself ok this whole entire concert must be finished by now? NOPE, upon finishing this inner monologue metaphor situation, we get to the FIRST CHORUS OF THE SONG????? Like it took me 3 minutes to read this entire part and we’re only 30 seconds into the song??? I don’t know how else to explain it, but it just didn’t feel very smooth. I guess to me, the length of the inner monologues didn’t make sense for the amount of time that passed in the plot ?
I could give at least 5 more examples, but this review is already longer than any review I’ve ever written, so please just take my word for it when I say that their writing simply doesn’t appeal to me.
We have arrived at what will be a breakdown of the disservice they did to Taylor Swift. I knew my Swiftie heart was in trouble before we even got to the 5% mark, when I realized that Riley specifically wrote an album with 12 breakup songs, for 12 exes, and she was following along online as her fans tried to piece together which song was about which ex. I just…. What ? And then she wants her ex boyfriend (the MMC love interest) to perform with her, because she’s pissed that her other ex (the villain) is trying to take credit for one of the songs as her inspiration, but it’s the wrong song, because he (the villain) has his own song, so he’s just trying to ride her coattails for the more popular breakup song (the MMC love interests song), and he’s (the villain) just an asshole, so she must lay out breadcrumbs for her fans by getting the ex the song is actually about (the MMC love interest) to perform with her so they piece together that the other ex (the villain) is just spewing bullshit online. Was this supposed to be one of the infamous Easter egg hunts Taylor likes to send us on? Because let me tell you, they’re not usually about her fucking ex boyfriends.
Oh and then, the good ex (the MMC love interest) has a convo about Riley with another other ex (chill, laidback dude) and he goes on and on about how “Riley does it for the drama, for the heartbreak, she’s so dramatic blablabla” and the MMC enters a spiral of “am I just another song to her does she even care about me” because on top of the ex (chill, laidback dude) saying that, there are COUNTLESS incidences of Riley giving off exactly those vibes.
So yes, Riley, let’s talk about her, shall we ? I will not beat around the bush, so please just file this under passionate book musings and excuse my language - Riley might have been one of THE most selfish, arrogant, bratty, ignorant and plain fucking annoying FMCs I have ever come across. From the get go, she self sabotages her relationship with Max (MMC love interest), because “without heartbreak there are no lyrics. I am destined for heartbreak but at least I’ll have my career. I will continue dating and getting my heart broken forever but at least I can write songs. And why is Max not into the idea of performing with me? DOES HE NOT REALIZE I POURED MY HEARTBREAK AND HEART AND SOUL INTO THIS SONG ? Why does he not understand that? And omg I dragged him to this Hollywood party that I know isn’t his scene but why is he just idling alone by the pool does he not realize THIS IS HOW MY LIFE IS” like idk girlie maybe be grateful he came to the party with you ?
I understand that all of those things about Riley specifically were supposed to be part of her character arc, with her realizing that she’s so much more than “just her heartbreak,” but in my eyes, all it did was feed into every stereotypical, “boy crazy” narrative the media has tried to spin about Taylor over the years, and that was, quite frankly, absolutely infuriating. Maybe, if this book didn’t have Taylor Swift all over it, from the fact that I blind requested the arc because the cover gave me Taylor vibes (that’s personal perception, fine), to it being DEDICATED TO TAYLOR SWIFT, to the acknowledgments saying “for xyz friend that “wanted the Taylor Swift romance”” I could’ve just written it and Riley off as a “not for me, unlikeable FMC.” … IF ONLY.
So, call me a crazy swiftie or don’t, but this was a big fat giant miss for me.
January 26, 2024
HOT TAKE???? I LOVED THIS????
in my personal opinion EW/ASB are authors where you either love their book or hate it (for example, the same way you love or hate happy place) there really is no middle ground that ive ever noticed. they are very plot driven authors and i think that makes some people feel like the romance is pushed into the background, which is a totally valid point! thankfully i like the plot driven writing in my romances from certain authors so from time to time i love reading romance books that aren’t predominantly smut or where the main focus isnt entirely focused on the relationship building. i dont know if this makes sense at all but it does to me so im running with it 😂
i also want to say personally i did not see this as some rewriting of taylor swifts life, TO ME the FMCs comparisons to taylor and her life begin and end in this is a blonde woman who is famous for writing breakup songs and gets shit on by everyone for it but also has an amazing fan base who stick by her and love and adore her.
that being said there are probably HUNDRED of little nods to her, mainly being song titles or lyrics of hers transformed to fit into whatever dialogue or inner monologue is going on. and you know what? i LOVED them. i ate it up every single time i saw something.
i had a ton of fun listening to this. it was cute, i loved all of the side characters, i loved max and riley. there was the perfect amount of drama and i lowkey loved that for a hot minute i could not tell whether or not we were going to get a hea 😂
the only thing that made me stop and think seriously guys whats the issue is about 85% in when i thought “huh. why are they not going to try and make this work no matter what career paths they’re choosing bc BOTH OF THEM LIVE IN LA LOL????” so really thats the only part i thought was stupid.
all in all, i personally think that if going into this you 1) dont take it too seriously and 2) dont go into this thinking youre gonna get a taylor swift story and set it on some pedestal it has no business being on then youll enjoy it better lol.
if you want a very lovely more detailed review pls go check out my bb cara’s bc it is beautiful and she went way more in depth than i ever could!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
just got this arc and this is the first thing i see
“To the Swifties, and Miss Swift, for inspiration evermore”
ya ima eat this up
in my personal opinion EW/ASB are authors where you either love their book or hate it (for example, the same way you love or hate happy place) there really is no middle ground that ive ever noticed. they are very plot driven authors and i think that makes some people feel like the romance is pushed into the background, which is a totally valid point! thankfully i like the plot driven writing in my romances from certain authors so from time to time i love reading romance books that aren’t predominantly smut or where the main focus isnt entirely focused on the relationship building. i dont know if this makes sense at all but it does to me so im running with it 😂
i also want to say personally i did not see this as some rewriting of taylor swifts life, TO ME the FMCs comparisons to taylor and her life begin and end in this is a blonde woman who is famous for writing breakup songs and gets shit on by everyone for it but also has an amazing fan base who stick by her and love and adore her.
that being said there are probably HUNDRED of little nods to her, mainly being song titles or lyrics of hers transformed to fit into whatever dialogue or inner monologue is going on. and you know what? i LOVED them. i ate it up every single time i saw something.
i had a ton of fun listening to this. it was cute, i loved all of the side characters, i loved max and riley. there was the perfect amount of drama and i lowkey loved that for a hot minute i could not tell whether or not we were going to get a hea 😂
the only thing that made me stop and think seriously guys whats the issue is about 85% in when i thought “huh. why are they not going to try and make this work no matter what career paths they’re choosing bc BOTH OF THEM LIVE IN LA LOL????” so really thats the only part i thought was stupid.
all in all, i personally think that if going into this you 1) dont take it too seriously and 2) dont go into this thinking youre gonna get a taylor swift story and set it on some pedestal it has no business being on then youll enjoy it better lol.
if you want a very lovely more detailed review pls go check out my bb cara’s bc it is beautiful and she went way more in depth than i ever could!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
just got this arc and this is the first thing i see
“To the Swifties, and Miss Swift, for inspiration evermore”
ya ima eat this up
January 9, 2024
thank you netgalley and the publishers for a copy of the e-arc.
as a swiftie, when this was marketed as a Taylor Swift inspired second chance romance, i knew i wanted to read it. unfortunately, it didn’t end up working for me.
it seems that the marketing tactic was as far as the authors went to make genuine connections to Taylor’s fans. sure, you can tell that Riley is definitely Taylor-inspired, but in a way that any generic radio listener would understand. there is nothing specific or exciting about Riley’s character. it felt like the premise and her story was made just to sell copies instead of from genuine inspiration.
don’t get me started on Max. his entire character and storyline was so.. random? i wasn’t interested in hearing about the old folks home, he seemed to be over music but then simultaneously never stops thinking about it, and the way HE propositioned her for a job was just… weird? Taylor Swift would NEVER hire her broke hometown ex-boyfriend to parade around on tour as an accessory.
but my biggest personal issue with the story was the cheesy writing style. as the readers, we understand that the main characters are both musicians but the musical metaphors got pretty overdone by chapter 2.
i’ve heard from other readers that they enjoyed the authors’ previous works more, so i will have to give them another shot elsewhere because this was just okay, in my opinion. it missed the mark.
as a swiftie, when this was marketed as a Taylor Swift inspired second chance romance, i knew i wanted to read it. unfortunately, it didn’t end up working for me.
it seems that the marketing tactic was as far as the authors went to make genuine connections to Taylor’s fans. sure, you can tell that Riley is definitely Taylor-inspired, but in a way that any generic radio listener would understand. there is nothing specific or exciting about Riley’s character. it felt like the premise and her story was made just to sell copies instead of from genuine inspiration.
don’t get me started on Max. his entire character and storyline was so.. random? i wasn’t interested in hearing about the old folks home, he seemed to be over music but then simultaneously never stops thinking about it, and the way HE propositioned her for a job was just… weird? Taylor Swift would NEVER hire her broke hometown ex-boyfriend to parade around on tour as an accessory.
but my biggest personal issue with the story was the cheesy writing style. as the readers, we understand that the main characters are both musicians but the musical metaphors got pretty overdone by chapter 2.
i’ve heard from other readers that they enjoyed the authors’ previous works more, so i will have to give them another shot elsewhere because this was just okay, in my opinion. it missed the mark.
arcs
September 6, 2023This cover is giving Swiftie vibes and I’ll be taking no further comments at this time.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
April 19, 2024
4.25 stars
The Breakup Tour was one of those books I flew through. I started listening to it while running errands and kept my headphones in all day until I finished it. Maybe I’m just really looking forward to Taylor’s newest release but I enjoyed this one so much!
Riley is a musician known for her breakup songs… She is going on tour with an album full. Her most popular song is said to be about her recent ex-husband who is all about the fame, but it’s really about her college love, Max. She and Max haven’t spoken since their break-up but she comes to see him and they end up going on tour together. They’re just friends, but those sparks and feelings are still there…
I personally liked it much more than their last adult romance which I couldn’t get into. I found both Riley and Max likable and I loved the ending. I see a lot of meh reviews for this one, but I’m happy that it worked for me!
The Breakup Tour was one of those books I flew through. I started listening to it while running errands and kept my headphones in all day until I finished it. Maybe I’m just really looking forward to Taylor’s newest release but I enjoyed this one so much!
Riley is a musician known for her breakup songs… She is going on tour with an album full. Her most popular song is said to be about her recent ex-husband who is all about the fame, but it’s really about her college love, Max. She and Max haven’t spoken since their break-up but she comes to see him and they end up going on tour together. They’re just friends, but those sparks and feelings are still there…
I personally liked it much more than their last adult romance which I couldn’t get into. I found both Riley and Max likable and I loved the ending. I see a lot of meh reviews for this one, but I’m happy that it worked for me!
Audio book source: Libby
Story Rating: 4.25 stars
Narrators: Dan Bittner & Brittany Pressley
Narration Rating: 4.5 stars
Genre: Romance
Length: 9h 10m
January 7, 2024
This book is a definite read for Swifties. It's dual POV and I loved how both the main characters bonded and connected over music.
I also loved how you got to see the behind the scenes of touring, writing and just being a celebrity.
I didn't love it but I would recommend it esp if you love Taylor Swift!
I also loved how you got to see the behind the scenes of touring, writing and just being a celebrity.
I didn't love it but I would recommend it esp if you love Taylor Swift!
did-not-finish
April 9, 2024DNF @ ~15%. Not necessarily a DNF forever, but certainly a DNF for now
March 25, 2024
2🌟
0🌶
I did not really like this it was kinda boring and just felt like the author wanted to suck readers in with the Taylor Swift coded book. The romance fell flat and was really boring and honestly I cared more about her career than the romance.
➳ Plot
Basically Riley and Max broke up a long time ago because of their careers. Max needs money to keep his family business alive so he asks to perform with Riley. The more time they spend together the more they realize they missed each other.
➳Characters
Max - He's a family man and will do something if it will make his family happy. He thinks logically rather than with his heart.
Riley- A dreamer who is basically a temu version of Taylor Swift.
➳Writing
Nothing special about the writing it was pretty bland and didn't keep me super engaged.
0🌶
I did not really like this it was kinda boring and just felt like the author wanted to suck readers in with the Taylor Swift coded book. The romance fell flat and was really boring and honestly I cared more about her career than the romance.
➳ Plot
Basically Riley and Max broke up a long time ago because of their careers. Max needs money to keep his family business alive so he asks to perform with Riley. The more time they spend together the more they realize they missed each other.
➳Characters
Max - He's a family man and will do something if it will make his family happy. He thinks logically rather than with his heart.
Riley- A dreamer who is basically a temu version of Taylor Swift.
➳Writing
Nothing special about the writing it was pretty bland and didn't keep me super engaged.
January 22, 2024
My fellow Swifties…let me save you some time. I was stoked for a book that is Taylor Swift coded.
Unfortunately, I must say that I was hugely disappointed (and actually very frustrated) by this book.
To dedicate a book to Taylor but then further perpetuate many of the harmful misogynistic stereotypes and ideas around her seems thoroughly ironic. It’s dedicating a book to someone you don’t really understand or respect and then take massive liberties and assumptions about why people like her instead of actually diving in and exploring yourself.
If you’re going to write a book based on her it seems natural that you would read up on her, watch some interviews, etc. Instead, it almost seems like the authors took the highly publicized and patriarchal misogynistic view of Taylor and her songwriting and personal life and ran with that inauthentic cheapened version. It’s a misrepresentation of her and why she has such a dedicated fandom.
The character is made out to check the many boxes the public often tries to place Taylor in - manipulative, calculating, immature, over-emotional. Also the insinuation that her behavior is always tied how she can write a song about it and make a profit is also a very insincere and inaccurate take. The quote below sums up exactly what I think the book insinuates about Taylor and a quote from Taylor herself on how she feels when people talk about her career or life through that lens:
“People would act like it [songwriting] was a weapon I was using. Like a cheap dirty trick. Be careful, bro, she’ll write a song about you. Don’t stand near her. First of all, that’s not how it works. Second of all, find me a time when they say that about a male artist: Be careful, girl, he’ll use his experience with you to get — God forbid — inspiration to make art.”
-Taylor A. Swift
I know the book is inspired by Taylor Swift, but there wasn’t a whole lot of depth to the character they were trying to create. It felt like an emotionally immature caricature of a woman incapable of healthy emotional expression and stable relationships. The writing was also a bit clunky - it was like an attempt to mimic more complex lyrical writing (maybe channeling Taylor’s talent) but coming up short.
I was also disappointed by the lack of chemistry. It felt rushed and awkward and it wasn’t selling the relationship at all. It also felt like there were lots of missing pieces and I was sometimes confused by the lack of build up or explanation to big decisions/changes.
This book was ultimately a DNF for me for all the reasons listed above. And based on my conversations with others who read it all, there were no redemptive qualities even at the end. I’ve been told the authors have other books that are great but this was a massive miss for me.
Unfortunately, I must say that I was hugely disappointed (and actually very frustrated) by this book.
To dedicate a book to Taylor but then further perpetuate many of the harmful misogynistic stereotypes and ideas around her seems thoroughly ironic. It’s dedicating a book to someone you don’t really understand or respect and then take massive liberties and assumptions about why people like her instead of actually diving in and exploring yourself.
If you’re going to write a book based on her it seems natural that you would read up on her, watch some interviews, etc. Instead, it almost seems like the authors took the highly publicized and patriarchal misogynistic view of Taylor and her songwriting and personal life and ran with that inauthentic cheapened version. It’s a misrepresentation of her and why she has such a dedicated fandom.
The character is made out to check the many boxes the public often tries to place Taylor in - manipulative, calculating, immature, over-emotional. Also the insinuation that her behavior is always tied how she can write a song about it and make a profit is also a very insincere and inaccurate take. The quote below sums up exactly what I think the book insinuates about Taylor and a quote from Taylor herself on how she feels when people talk about her career or life through that lens:
“People would act like it [songwriting] was a weapon I was using. Like a cheap dirty trick. Be careful, bro, she’ll write a song about you. Don’t stand near her. First of all, that’s not how it works. Second of all, find me a time when they say that about a male artist: Be careful, girl, he’ll use his experience with you to get — God forbid — inspiration to make art.”
-Taylor A. Swift
I know the book is inspired by Taylor Swift, but there wasn’t a whole lot of depth to the character they were trying to create. It felt like an emotionally immature caricature of a woman incapable of healthy emotional expression and stable relationships. The writing was also a bit clunky - it was like an attempt to mimic more complex lyrical writing (maybe channeling Taylor’s talent) but coming up short.
I was also disappointed by the lack of chemistry. It felt rushed and awkward and it wasn’t selling the relationship at all. It also felt like there were lots of missing pieces and I was sometimes confused by the lack of build up or explanation to big decisions/changes.
This book was ultimately a DNF for me for all the reasons listed above. And based on my conversations with others who read it all, there were no redemptive qualities even at the end. I’ve been told the authors have other books that are great but this was a massive miss for me.
Read
January 14, 2024DNF at page 143 🫣🫣🫣🫣
This is just book is honestly just bad on all fronts. For a book where the authors claim they got inspiration from Taylor Swift (and also claim they love her), the way they write Riley makes it seem like they hate Taylor Swift. They could lead a smear campaign on TS and I would wholeheartedly believe it because of the horrible and damaging way they wrote the FMC.
Also, the MMC has the personality of a wet cardboard box and has literally nothing swoon-worthy about him. There was never a point in the 143 pages that I read that I believed him and Riley would ever work out or even have any romantic sparks.
Overall, this book was poorly written, oftentimes boring, and a surface level and horrible portrayal of Taylor Swift. If you loved this book, I’m sorry, but I cannot stand for TS slander and misrepresentation!
This is just book is honestly just bad on all fronts. For a book where the authors claim they got inspiration from Taylor Swift (and also claim they love her), the way they write Riley makes it seem like they hate Taylor Swift. They could lead a smear campaign on TS and I would wholeheartedly believe it because of the horrible and damaging way they wrote the FMC.
Also, the MMC has the personality of a wet cardboard box and has literally nothing swoon-worthy about him. There was never a point in the 143 pages that I read that I believed him and Riley would ever work out or even have any romantic sparks.
Overall, this book was poorly written, oftentimes boring, and a surface level and horrible portrayal of Taylor Swift. If you loved this book, I’m sorry, but I cannot stand for TS slander and misrepresentation!
March 27, 2024
I am not Taylow Swift's fan. I have respect for her, since she is very business savvy, but I am not her fan. The Breakup Tour is based on Taylor Swift's concerts, songs, and her fan dome. The writing of Miss Wibberley is like Taylor's lyrics. Dramatic, but missing the silver lining.
Moving on...
2 stars
Moving on...
2 stars
October 16, 2023
Dnf at 23%. I tried. I tried so hard to finish this book because this is one of my most anticipated book and I love almost all of the authors’ books but sadly, I just can’t connect with the characters. I can’t feel the chemistry between them. I find Riley annoying, the way she’s pursuing Max to go public as Riley’s songwriting muse to this famous song of hers, like she doesn’t care how it could affect Max’s life. How she’s mad that Max did not listen to her music at all. I feel like she has this everything-revolves-around-her energy and I don’t like it. Everything is not about you Riley *bombastic roll eye lol*. And lastly, I don’t feel comfortable that this is inspired by Taylor Swift. It feels invasive I don’t know why.
December 7, 2023
couldn't have made the taylor swift inspiration any less obvious i think
November 29, 2023
3.5⭐️
I really wanted to love this one because I know it’s inspired by Taylor Swift (I also got some Kelsea Ballerini vibes) but it just missed a bit for me. I liked it overall but I didn’t love it.
The romance was tough to feel connected to because it’s a second chance romance but I feel like we didn’t get enough background about Riley and Max in the past to see why they should be together in the present. Riley wasn’t a super likable character to me. She was hard to relate to, and I get that she’s a mega-famous singer, but her character didn’t feel grounded or multi-faceted.
I really enjoyed the music and celebrity elements. I’m always down to read a book about fame, especially involving music artists so that part of this was right up my alley. I liked getting to follow along with Riley on tour and throughout her song-writing process.
This was a fast and easy read that made for a solid story, but it unfortunately didn’t live up to all of my hopes and dreams of the Taylor Swift romance that the marketing of this book promises.
I really wanted to love this one because I know it’s inspired by Taylor Swift (I also got some Kelsea Ballerini vibes) but it just missed a bit for me. I liked it overall but I didn’t love it.
The romance was tough to feel connected to because it’s a second chance romance but I feel like we didn’t get enough background about Riley and Max in the past to see why they should be together in the present. Riley wasn’t a super likable character to me. She was hard to relate to, and I get that she’s a mega-famous singer, but her character didn’t feel grounded or multi-faceted.
I really enjoyed the music and celebrity elements. I’m always down to read a book about fame, especially involving music artists so that part of this was right up my alley. I liked getting to follow along with Riley on tour and throughout her song-writing process.
This was a fast and easy read that made for a solid story, but it unfortunately didn’t live up to all of my hopes and dreams of the Taylor Swift romance that the marketing of this book promises.
March 16, 2024
playlist 🎧: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1vF...
The Breakup Tour is a captivatingly written romance with prose too elegant to deny…I hated it.
The caliber of writing is far too sophisticated to argue, but poignantly so. Co-authors Wibberley and Siegemund-Broka are the dream team, their styles complimenting each other seamlessly. However, my thoughts wander to what they could achieve if they were to broaden their literary horizons. Their writing has too much depth to exist merely within contemporary romance. I want to see them soar as they test their strengths in the world of fantasy or even just a more tragically challenged romance. The lyricism in this novel was awkward, out of place, almost. The endless metaphors were daunting to the point that I was skimming potentially some of the most profound epiphanies. I would love to see them take on a story with a deeper thematic message. In this day and age, maybe they should dabble around in the dystopian genre. I say this all not to discredit their publications, but rather to point out that they harbor so much potential, and where they currently reside isn’t allowing readers to unabashedly appreciate the quality of their work.
I will say, this was very much Taylor Swift inspired, the underlying themes proving as much. In the age of the Eras tour and Swift’s dominating presence in every industry, I was worried that it would come across as selfish capitalism on the authors’ end, but it was almost endearing. *Note: notice how I do not deny this statement…*
I say almost because of our female protagonist, Riley. Where do I even begin? She was indeed, as she feared, difficult to love. Much to her dismay, I also did end up resenting her. For most of the story, I could love her to a fault. I could acknowledge her characteristics were just the result of living a dream not many could achieve. They left her in a bubble none of us could pop. But as we progressed, it was clear that Riley’s tendencies bordered the line between self-absorbed and narcissism. Bless sweet little Max’s heart because I wouldn’t be caught within ten feet of a romantic relationship with Ms. Wynn. All of that to say, the theme of said novel is supposed to revolve around breaking these stereotypes surrounding women and their art. Instead, it did the opposite. It pained me to come to this conclusion, feeling a betrayal of my feminist ways, but it needs to be said. It breached into the territory of mockery.
Max, our leading male protagonist, was bland. I wanted to love him, but truly, the contentment between myself and his character was purely because he was the lesser of the two evils. While I will defend this man to Riley any day of the week, between you and me, he was a little weak. She might’ve been onto something when she called out his lack of commitment. Every time he spoke, it was just crickets. That man needs to stand up. Please speak your truth, king.
In the grand scheme of it, all Max did was sacrifice. He tried living her life whereas she never even attempted to try on his. There was no compromise on Riley’s end and as the old saying goes, it takes two to tango. I can confidently say that this is one marriage that will contribute to the increasing divorce rate in America. Stat. ASAP. That man was served no justice. It completely baffles me that the audience is supposed to believe that these two could last after not once, in their decade of romance, or lack there of, did they try to sustain any sort of relationship, romantic or otherwise. These two couldn’t do long distance if it was a block apart.
There was simply no chemistry between the two of them. Not an ounce of desire. There was palpable emotion, it just ended up being hatred, the opposite of what I’m searching for in a romance novel. I wasn’t rooting for the two of them. I was actually actively rooting against them. Bold take, but I’m starting to think we need to stigmatize smut again. There was no need for it in this particular narrative. It contributed nothing to the story outside of word count.
Even amongst my critiques, there is still an underlying appreciation for their dedication. They gave us what so many other rockstar romances lack. We got the inside scoop. We weren’t a part of the audience, oh no. We were so much more. Like, the next time Max bails on a performance, put me in coach! We were immersed in a world of spotlights and setlists from the get-go.
As an avid Taylor Jenkins Reid lover (I know…call it the Taylor effect), this was making me reminisce, playing similar tunes to Daisy Jones and the Six and its sister novel The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.
While it may be time for me to part ways with this duo, I do not doubt that there’s a niche audience just waiting to devour this book. On that note, the more I, personally, think about this book, the more I hate it. So...cheers I guess.
Thank you to Berkley Romance for so kindly providing me with an ARC. All thoughts are my own and are in no way influenced by early access to this title.
The Breakup Tour is a captivatingly written romance with prose too elegant to deny…I hated it.
The caliber of writing is far too sophisticated to argue, but poignantly so. Co-authors Wibberley and Siegemund-Broka are the dream team, their styles complimenting each other seamlessly. However, my thoughts wander to what they could achieve if they were to broaden their literary horizons. Their writing has too much depth to exist merely within contemporary romance. I want to see them soar as they test their strengths in the world of fantasy or even just a more tragically challenged romance. The lyricism in this novel was awkward, out of place, almost. The endless metaphors were daunting to the point that I was skimming potentially some of the most profound epiphanies. I would love to see them take on a story with a deeper thematic message. In this day and age, maybe they should dabble around in the dystopian genre. I say this all not to discredit their publications, but rather to point out that they harbor so much potential, and where they currently reside isn’t allowing readers to unabashedly appreciate the quality of their work.
I will say, this was very much Taylor Swift inspired, the underlying themes proving as much. In the age of the Eras tour and Swift’s dominating presence in every industry, I was worried that it would come across as selfish capitalism on the authors’ end, but it was almost endearing. *Note: notice how I do not deny this statement…*
I say almost because of our female protagonist, Riley. Where do I even begin? She was indeed, as she feared, difficult to love. Much to her dismay, I also did end up resenting her. For most of the story, I could love her to a fault. I could acknowledge her characteristics were just the result of living a dream not many could achieve. They left her in a bubble none of us could pop. But as we progressed, it was clear that Riley’s tendencies bordered the line between self-absorbed and narcissism. Bless sweet little Max’s heart because I wouldn’t be caught within ten feet of a romantic relationship with Ms. Wynn. All of that to say, the theme of said novel is supposed to revolve around breaking these stereotypes surrounding women and their art. Instead, it did the opposite. It pained me to come to this conclusion, feeling a betrayal of my feminist ways, but it needs to be said. It breached into the territory of mockery.
Max, our leading male protagonist, was bland. I wanted to love him, but truly, the contentment between myself and his character was purely because he was the lesser of the two evils. While I will defend this man to Riley any day of the week, between you and me, he was a little weak. She might’ve been onto something when she called out his lack of commitment. Every time he spoke, it was just crickets. That man needs to stand up. Please speak your truth, king.
In the grand scheme of it, all Max did was sacrifice. He tried living her life whereas she never even attempted to try on his. There was no compromise on Riley’s end and as the old saying goes, it takes two to tango. I can confidently say that this is one marriage that will contribute to the increasing divorce rate in America. Stat. ASAP. That man was served no justice. It completely baffles me that the audience is supposed to believe that these two could last after not once, in their decade of romance, or lack there of, did they try to sustain any sort of relationship, romantic or otherwise. These two couldn’t do long distance if it was a block apart.
There was simply no chemistry between the two of them. Not an ounce of desire. There was palpable emotion, it just ended up being hatred, the opposite of what I’m searching for in a romance novel. I wasn’t rooting for the two of them. I was actually actively rooting against them. Bold take, but I’m starting to think we need to stigmatize smut again. There was no need for it in this particular narrative. It contributed nothing to the story outside of word count.
Even amongst my critiques, there is still an underlying appreciation for their dedication. They gave us what so many other rockstar romances lack. We got the inside scoop. We weren’t a part of the audience, oh no. We were so much more. Like, the next time Max bails on a performance, put me in coach! We were immersed in a world of spotlights and setlists from the get-go.
As an avid Taylor Jenkins Reid lover (I know…call it the Taylor effect), this was making me reminisce, playing similar tunes to Daisy Jones and the Six and its sister novel The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.
While it may be time for me to part ways with this duo, I do not doubt that there’s a niche audience just waiting to devour this book. On that note, the more I, personally, think about this book, the more I hate it. So...cheers I guess.
Thank you to Berkley Romance for so kindly providing me with an ARC. All thoughts are my own and are in no way influenced by early access to this title.
August 17, 2025
Pitched as a Taylor Swift-inspired romance about a singer whose breakout album is about all of her ex-boyfriends, including the one from college she never got over, and who is now joining her on tour.
February 21, 2024
update: after talking with a few friends we are lowering this rating 😀 I love me a good celebrity romance but maybe not when Taylor’s life story and trauma are the inspo LMAO
December 20, 2023
I can readily admit that I'm not a second chance romance girlie...
Honestly, this doesn't really feel like much of a romance....
Here we are following Riley Wynn, freshly divorced she had channeled all of the energy into her latest album. She's the kind of Pop Star that is known for having dated extensively she decides to do what the tabloids say she does best and pen an album full of breakup songs and go on tour. It's very cute I suppose.
Only there's a snag. Her ex husband is claiming credit for the runaway single from said album and our girl Riley isn't very happy about that.
Enter Max Harcourt, Riley's college beau and former bandmate. He's the real inspiration behind Until You. So before Riley goes on tour she approaches him at the retirement home that his parents run to ask if he'd be cool with her putting out a statement saying that he's the inspiration and not her lose ex husband. It's not something he thinks is a good idea, but when his parents tell him that they might need to sell the retirement home to fund their own retirement Max starts feeling bad that maybe he made the wrong choice a decade ago by deciding to stay and work there in place of going on the tour of Nashville that got Riley in the door of the music industry. So he comes up with a better plan, he'll go on tour with her and maybe her fans will start to put two and two together, wins for everyone...
Y'all the middle of this book is very mediocre. I was slightly invested in talk of the tour and the logistics and the brief scenes of Riley sort of working on new material... but honestly... it just didn't feel like I was reading a romance. We got a few memories of Riley and Max in the past, but no real reasoning for why they should be together in the present other than the fact their relationship in the past didn't have some explosive moment that ruined any chance of a future. To me as a reader it just felt like two people settling to be with each other because they were single and they were there....
I will say there are two scenes, of them working on new material, where I did feel the chemistry. It definitely felt more intimate than either of the sex scenes that are present.
Overall this was perfectly fine. I'm being lenient in terms of star rating because I think I do think you have to enjoy second chances to get everything out of this and so maybe it was never going to work regardless of my own usual enjoyment of pop star stories. It's also one of the few times I didn't care for the hero's perspective, Max just had very little to add to the story and I wouldn't have been upset if he had been omitted having read what he contributed.
Honestly, this doesn't really feel like much of a romance....
Here we are following Riley Wynn, freshly divorced she had channeled all of the energy into her latest album. She's the kind of Pop Star that is known for having dated extensively she decides to do what the tabloids say she does best and pen an album full of breakup songs and go on tour. It's very cute I suppose.
Only there's a snag. Her ex husband is claiming credit for the runaway single from said album and our girl Riley isn't very happy about that.
Enter Max Harcourt, Riley's college beau and former bandmate. He's the real inspiration behind Until You. So before Riley goes on tour she approaches him at the retirement home that his parents run to ask if he'd be cool with her putting out a statement saying that he's the inspiration and not her lose ex husband. It's not something he thinks is a good idea, but when his parents tell him that they might need to sell the retirement home to fund their own retirement Max starts feeling bad that maybe he made the wrong choice a decade ago by deciding to stay and work there in place of going on the tour of Nashville that got Riley in the door of the music industry. So he comes up with a better plan, he'll go on tour with her and maybe her fans will start to put two and two together, wins for everyone...
Y'all the middle of this book is very mediocre. I was slightly invested in talk of the tour and the logistics and the brief scenes of Riley sort of working on new material... but honestly... it just didn't feel like I was reading a romance. We got a few memories of Riley and Max in the past, but no real reasoning for why they should be together in the present other than the fact their relationship in the past didn't have some explosive moment that ruined any chance of a future. To me as a reader it just felt like two people settling to be with each other because they were single and they were there....
I will say there are two scenes, of them working on new material, where I did feel the chemistry. It definitely felt more intimate than either of the sex scenes that are present.
Overall this was perfectly fine. I'm being lenient in terms of star rating because I think I do think you have to enjoy second chances to get everything out of this and so maybe it was never going to work regardless of my own usual enjoyment of pop star stories. It's also one of the few times I didn't care for the hero's perspective, Max just had very little to add to the story and I wouldn't have been upset if he had been omitted having read what he contributed.
January 11, 2024
1.5/5 This genuinely took years off my life.
This feels like it was written by a man who opened a “how to sound poetic 101” book and also hates taylor swift. Skip it.
This feels like it was written by a man who opened a “how to sound poetic 101” book and also hates taylor swift. Skip it.
February 25, 2024
Freitag: gekauft
Samstag: angefangen
Sonntag: beendet
Für ziemlich gut befunden. Das perfekte Buch für alle Swifties. Außerdem: second chance. Ich liebs.
Gerne mehr davon!
💜
Samstag: angefangen
Sonntag: beendet
Für ziemlich gut befunden. Das perfekte Buch für alle Swifties. Außerdem: second chance. Ich liebs.
Gerne mehr davon!
💜
February 12, 2024
Dnf 65% in. I promised myself I wouldn’t read another adult romance by these authors but then they just had to do a Taylor inspired one. I wasn’t offended by the Taylor references or anything I was just bored. It was boring. Listening to Riley talk about herself and her breakups was infuriating. I do not care dude. Max was just a dude who forced himself onto her tour. So I will for real not be reading anything by this author duo anymore I swear.
June 11, 2023
i hope taylor swift sues them!
July 23, 2023
I was immediately attracted to this books cover art and plot. The description told me this was going to be a second chance at love; I like the idea of a then and now point of view when done right and I think duo did it quite well, not my favorite.
Overall I thought this was a good read, not great.
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Overall I thought this was a good read, not great.
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 24, 2024
4.25 - i think this book just took me out of my reading slump!
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