Rhythm & Muse

by India Hill Brown

Rhythm & Muse has descriptive copy which is not yet available from the Publisher.

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary, Music, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Audiobook

256 pages, Paperback

First published May 30, 2023

Reviews

[Ms. Woc Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one took a little bit to get into because while it felt like the chapters were moving fast it didn't feel like the story was progressing that much until about the 40% mark. I feel like even though this was supposed to be a romance and Darren definitely talked about his dream girl, he spent more time in his head fantasizing about them being together than they actually spent together. The second half of the book was when we got more moments with them together but I still wasn't wholly convinced.

I loved the idea of this especially because their just aren't enough contemporary YA romances with Black boys out there especially with them as the main character. I also enjoyed seeing the depiction on page of a Black Christian family that regularly attends church. It's something very common within the Black community especially where the characters are down South but rare to see depicted in recent books. I liked the relationship Darren had with his family. I just need more from Delia's end and maybe it would've helped if we had her pov to see why she was interested in Darren. Because the parasocial aspect of him following her podcast meant he knew a lot more about her than she did him.

While I vibed with it more by the end I thought it was cute enough but not memorable enough for me to think about it long after reading.

[Shawnaci Schroeder · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 ⭐️

- Absolutely LOVED this book!! It was the cutest happy little fluffy cotton candy vibes type of book!! If you’re looking for an easy summer read, this is one you’ll really love!!
- I loved reading a book from the pov of a guy because you don’t see that often! The ending of the book was so sweet too. If you love Lynn Painter or Sarah Adams writing, you will LOVE this! It was giving Disney channel rom com happy cuteness.
- Love that this book talked about more than just the romance. There were themes of friendship, family, and learning how to love yourself and building you confidence! It was too cute

[Obsidian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please note that I received this via NetGalley. This did not affect my rating or review.

You all know at this point poems are my Kryptonite. The fact I chose a YA book which promised lyrics seems to just me wanting to have a bad reading experience. But I am glad I got this one. It was very good, loved the romance aspects of it. I won't lie though. I had to start skipping over the lyrics. I think if there was a beat I could have gotten into it more. But reading it I kept going, that doesn't sound right LOL.

"Rhythm & Muse" follows junior, Darren Johnson. Darren used to be a singer, until an unexplained (it does get eventually explained) incident has him swearing off singing forever. Now he finds himself daydreaming about his dream girl, Delia Dawson. Delia transferred to his high school last year, and Darren found himself liking her. But he turned to full daydreamer after Delia started a podcast that quickly became popular with him and their fellow high schoolers. Darren's best friend pushes him to finally tell Delia he is into her instead of living in his head. Darren refuses until Delia does a contest for her show's new theme song, and Darren finds himself writing lyrics to express how he feels. When Delia showcases the song, it becomes popular, but Darren still finds himself struggling with wanting to make things "real" with Delia.

I think it's been a while since I read a YA romance novel from a teen boy's perspective. Let alone one from a Black teen boy. I definitely enjoyed this one and Darren made me chuckle and groan throughout this one. Brown writes him so well he just feels real. Also showcasing his parents, his best friend, and sister throughout the story really worked too. I often get confused when I read YA books and the parents are missing in action.

I also really loved the character of Delia. Until Darren starts to get to know her better, you don't really know her that well outside of the podcasts. But the more that Darren starts to "know the real her" the more I loved. And the more I yelled at him to get a move on.

The writing and flow was great. You are rooting for Darren throughout. I loved the ending.

[Lee [Bibliophile Tings] · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Quill Tree Books and Epic Reads for sending me an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I didn't believe in the romance.

Darren was infatuated with Delia! There's no shame in infatuation but I never felt like their relationship deepened. Darren and Delia didn't interact very often, and when they did those moments didn't hint at budding romance.

Darren had a hybrid parasocial relationship with Delia. He regularly tuned in to her podcast, that's how he got to know her. From his perspective, I get why he'd jump at the chance for a relationship. But, there wasn't enough for me to understand why Delia would do the same.

I know that this is a Cyrano/Cinderella retelling, but Darren kept so much under wraps. For me, there were simply too many secrets. He wasn't 100% himself with anyone, not Delia, not his family, and not his friends. Ultimately, he came across as inauthentic.


──✒ pre review initial thoughts
Sadly, this just wasn't the book for me.

⸻ᥫ᭡
my blog!

[Lamaya ꨄ︎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun & cute story.🥹♥️ It reminded me of a disney rom com. There’s young Black love, first crushes, friendships, discovering self love and confidence, and so much more. This book is not being talked about enough. If you see this, please read!

[a.loversbookclub]

i enjoyed this it was a cute, easy to read slow burn (emphasis on SLOW) romance. my only complaint is that it was a single pov from the MMC and im not the biggest fan especially for a romance. i wish we got to read from dillie’s pov at least a few times. it felt a lil repetitive only reading from darren’s pov but overall i enjoyed it. its a bit church heavy but not overbearing. 3.5

[Carli · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for this sweet coming-of-age romance. Darren is in love with Delia, an outgoing girl at his school and church who has a popular podcast. Darren, a talented musician, hasn’t been singing the way he wants lately, and when he writes a song about Delia at the same time she announces a theme song contest for her podcast, his friend secretly submits it. The song is a hit, and the secret identity of the musician becomes a hot topic. In the meantime, Darren and Delia grow close, with Darren fearing the day she finds out he is the mystery singer, for fear of rejection. Super sweet, and even though the characters are juniors in high school, it is completely appropriate for middle school readers. Recommended for grades 7+.

[Shelves · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

The last 2 - 3 chapters were so cute.

Darren was so anxious but they didn't really call it that. He's an anxious (socially anxious) introvert. Cool to see because i don't think i've read many anxious boys in books. 
Quick read. Good read. 

[Lauren W. Roach · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story started off cute but got really irritating towards the end. Darren seems incredibly insecure and inauthentic, which is a good representation of wishy-washy teenaged behavior, but he had trouble with being honest with anyone in this story.

All of his waffling between being honest with what he loved and what he wanted and hiding out of fear of being ridiculed got ANNOYING. After a while I was rolling my eyes at him asking the same questions over and over again. He spent more time in his head than he did in reality.

Overall, it was a sweet, innocent love story between two teenagers, but the indecisive behavior got old super-fast.

[Jocelyn Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to EpicReads and NetGallery for the advanced reading copy for an honest review. If you are looking to read a young adult romance from a black male perspective than I would recommend. The book was easy to follow and a quick read. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This was the second young adult book I've read that included a black male as a romantic lead and it did not disappoint.

"Rhythm and Muse" follows Darren, an 11th grade high school singer focusing on making the right decisions for his life. The book opens with Darren making the decision not to sing again due to an unexplained event that left him questioning his talent. Things change when his crush, Delia holds a contest for a theme song for her podcast. Darren uses his talent to create the theme song and rediscover his love for singing also keeping it a mystery while he decides what is best at the moment. Darren takes you through every emotion as he decides every moment/decide for his passion and the contest. The book was really heartfelt, cute and sweet. Like I stated before, this is the second book I have read which had a black male as a romantic lead. It was good to read from a black male's perspective on romantic and love.

[Ebony Essence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened on Libby.

This was a really cute book and the writing was good. I enjoy YA but sometimes I have to remind myself that we were all once young. I just wanted Darren to go for it 😂. Seeing this young man have a crush and go through all the emotions made this feel real. Which also made him a lovable character. I think Aaron Goodson did an amazing job bringing Darren Johnson voice to life.

Adored Delia’s character. I love her podcast, what she stood for and overall energy through the book. As well with Darren and his singing. Loved how much he started loving it again. The reason he stopped is understandable. Some people love trying to tell someone what to do with their talents. When at the end of the day how it makes you feel is important. Only wish the timeline was moved up some so we got more time with them.

Favorites:
-The burger shop date.
-The youth church night. Good to see how much they love God and their community.
-Darren’s dad cooking.
-Love the friend group.
-The titles of the chapters.

[Christine Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Christian romance novel about young high school love and music.

Delia runs a podcast and Darren is bamboozled into submitting a song sung by him as the theme song for her podcast. High school romance ensues

I really had to push myself on this one. The Christianity took me by surprise but wasn’t forced at least so it wasn’t too rough to read. Although when they prayed in unison and “surprised” each other I did cringe since they literally go to church together LMAO childhood Christian indoctrination will do that to ya tho

Anyway, I did enjoy the music and R&B aspect! Many people aren’t fans of lyrics but I just read them as poetry and these flowed nicely!

This is a great middle grade early high school novel

[Danielle R · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of my favorite books of the year. Such a sweet storyline, colorful characters and an incredible payoff!

This was my first YA romance novel with a black male lead! Sometimes I don’t think female authors write men well, but this wasn’t the case in this book. I could definitely picture the young man she was writing about.

The main character reminded me of if Miles Morales never got his Spiderman powers — that is how I imagine he would be like. (1st movie Miles)

It was also so refreshing to see AA cultural colloquialisms that I recognized right away!

I need to mention the characters again — goodness! They were all so different but they played off of the main character (and each other) so well. I loved Darren’s mom and Mrs. Thompson SOOO much! 🥹

Dillie was so sweet, but I wanted to see her mature a bit throughout the story. Especially as it pertains to her faith and in living it out.

But all in all, I enjoyed this book!

It was like a warm hug and left me misty eyed and so happy for Darren. He grew right before my eyes and it was a fun ride the whole way there!

Great job, India! 🙌🏾

[diaryofacleanreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 stars

loved this book so much it reminded me of let it shine lol!! i listened to the audiobook (it was 5 hours) & was able to finish it by the end of my workday, so it felt like i was doing life alongside these characters. Darren was annoying at times just bc he was SUCH an overthinker like i genuinely have never heard or seen an overthinker so bad like him, but the end was so sweet & the ending felt neat, not rushed & natural.

SPICE: none!

LANGUAGE: none if there was some it was very very few words.

TROPES: friends to lovers, miscommunication trope, fairytale retelling, BIPOC ml & fl

[Teonna Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Day dreaming is a favorite pastime for Darren. In his daydreams, Darren imagines being with his longtime crush, Delia, and is free from criticisms and opinions of others. Yet, Darren is forced to make his daydreams a reality when his friends anonymously submit him singing for a theme song contest. The problem is this theme song contest is for his crushes podcast. Will Darren be able to overcome is hesitation to sing again and also pursue his crush?

I loved reading Rhythm & Muse. I appreciated reading a Black teen romance novel rooted in love, joy and positive relationships with friends and families.

[Chidimma Desiree · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very cute! A sweet reverse Cinderella story with two Black characters falling in love that I really enjoyed. The main character Darren was much used to self sabotage, but being a high schooler I could understand how he didn’t have the most self confidence. Delia and Darren were very cute together, and I wanted to shake Darren to make him finally admit to being the mystery singer but alas.

[Gemini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute

This was a quick and easy read. It was a little bit corny, but in a very wholesome way. Darren’s angst about singing in front of people led to him hiding his talent from his crush. It seemed so obvious to just tell her, but his hesitation served the overall storyline. His courtship with Delia was very sweet. Their chemistry was fun and lighthearted. I loved that they reached their happily ever after with no drama.

[Botho · Rating 4 out of 5]

Play "You Belong to Me" from the Disney Movie 'Let it Shine'. That is what the book gave. I loved it. The ending had me in tears it was so sweet 😭🤍 baby, you belongggg to meeee ~

And Ms. Brown ateeee with the last song!!

[Jenise · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sweetest YA romance.🥰
I LOVED the FMC Darren. He reminded me of a Darren I had a crush on in junior high.. LOL 🥰
This was so beautifully written, and a great book for preteens and teens.
I don't read a lot of YA, and I understand why some don't. This def read like a young adult book, but I honestly didn't mind it. It gave me nostalgic feels.

As a singer, the music elements gave me so much joy. I wish I could have hear Darren sing 🥰

My only critique was I wish this was a dual POV. Dillie was such a sweet FMC and I would have loved to hear her POV.

[Courtnee Gonzalez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute storyline!

[Marylyn Portia Mazarura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great read, perfect for getting you out of a Slump.....

[Dre · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a daydreamer falls for someone, it happens first in his head. Then, unfolds in a perfectly synchronized rhythm, if timed correctly. The only downside to this proverbial falling, is that the daydreamer may trip and fall with nothing substantial to catch him, if he doesn't wake up from his daydream. That's been the case for me and many other daydreamers I know. And I'm pretty sure Darren, our MC, can attest to this.

Rhythm and Muse by India Hill Brown introduces us to high-school overall good kid, Darren. Darren checks all the good-guy boxes and never colors outsides the lines. He thinks before he speaks or reacts, and often overthinks so much, he misses the opportunity to take action. But the thought of trying on a "love thing" with his crush Dillie D has him stepping outside his comfort zone in ways he wouldn't have imagined before.

Meet Delia, aka Dillie D, according to her podcast listeners. Delia is a free-spirited young woman who knows what she wants and doesn't hold her tongue when it comes to expressing those wants. She hosts a podcasts most teens & college students in the local area tune into each week without fail. But one thing that seems to elude her is that connection from a special someone, since her boyfriend broke her heart last year. Pouring all her time and energy into her podcast proves to be quite the distraction until she has the bright idea to run a contest for her listeners to find the perfect jingle for her show. This contest brings our MC Darren and Delia together in an unexpected way. Will Darren be able to get out of his head long enough to get the girl of his dreams? Will he seize the opportunities laid before him to be recognized for his talent? 👀

I rated this one 4 stars only because teenage angst stresses me out sometimes. I think Darren being in his head so much affected his connections tremendously, and it started to wear on me a bit. I wish I could have seen his relationships develop more organically, outside of his thoughts & fantasies. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the read.

Major thanks to Netgalley and Quill Tree Books for the eARC!

[Hannah Wiedmeyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not one for romances, but this was a fast-paced, fun and at times humorous read that I enjoyed throughout. The protagonists were engaging and has the overall feeling of encouraging others to follow their passions.

[Johneice · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cute! It reminded me of Let it Shine. ⭐️🎶

[Melissa Young · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really excited to read Rhythm & Muse because I love books about music. Unfortunately, I didn’t love this one. It was pretty lacklustre from start to finish and I basically only finished it because it was a very quick read.

I really didn’t like Darren, like at all. He was constantly judging people for their music tastes and would also have the meanest thoughts on people’s performances. This made him a huge hypocrite because the reason he stopped performing was because of the unsolicited opinions and mean comments he got after one performance. Now, I was a vocalist, I studied it at college and did god knows how many performances, trust me when I say people are never harsh about your signing to your face. Well unless you’re terrible, but apparently Darren has the best voice in the world, so it just doesn’t add up.

He was always weirdly obsessed with Delia. There’s having a crush on someone and then there’s crazy stalker level. Darren was very close to the second one. There was little to no development of their relationship and sorry *spoiler* but there was literally no reason for Delia to want to date him. If someone wants to date you because you won their podcast song competition, they probably don’t actually like you.

I’m assuming the author doesn’t know anything about recording music because they mentioned something about producing or mastering the track in an hour, which is not how it works. Unless they have the quickest producer in the world, but this was a bunch of teens in what I can only imagine is a crappy studio (they are very expensive to hire) so I don’t think that was the case.

It’s such a shame to say that I didn’t get on with Rhythm & Muse. It was one of my most anticipated reads but it fell completely flat. I was hoping to have some good points to talk about, but as soon as I began writing this review, I couldn’t think of any other than it being a fast read.

[Beyond the Pages with Eva K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick Summary: A YA romance triumph

My Review: Rhythm and Muse by India Hill Brown gets all the snaps and claps. It was a journey into self discovery and realization set to a R & B vibe.

About the Book: Shy guy, Darren Johnson, has had a longstanding crush on podcaster Delia Dawson for a while. He wanted to step to her, but he didn’t know how. When a recording of his voice is submitted for a contest, he feels outed in ways that make him feel uncomfortable. As a result, he has to deal with some past struggles and a few new challenges. What he ends up discovering is that trusting in himself and in his heart will never be wrong.

My Final Say: 🙌 This was a brilliant story. I loved everything about it. The whole scene - the tone, the talk, the conflict, the characters, the opportunities, the romance, the real life straight talk - it all worked.

Other: This could easily be rolled into a series. I would be one of the first in line to read it.

Rating: 5/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: YA
Re-read: Yes
Keeper: Yes
Favorites Shelf: Yes
Status: Clean
Level: ⭐️

Sincere appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher (Harper Collins Children’s Books, Quill Tree Books), and to NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to review this title. It was a pleasure to read such an incredible YA novel.

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute YA romance with cinderella vibes and many humorous moments. It was a really enjoyable read (and a great fantasy break for me personally.)

The story follows Darren who has turned his back on his passion and is all in his head. He has had a crush on Delia for OVER A YEAR, but will he finally ask her out? Will Cinderfella get his Queen charming?

I think a young audience in high school who want something light, romantic, and relatable will like this fast-paced story.

I did get annoyed at Darren because he always gets in his head and I kept screaming "DO SOMETHING!" I wish the progression of things happened a little faster because it was a constant "Will he, won't he?" hanging over our heads the whole time.

I loved all the side characters, especially, Darren's parents because they are so cute and funny. They remind me of my parents which I really liked.

Thank you so much, NetGalley for this ARC! Rhythm & Muse comes out on May 30th, 2023 :)

[Books + J = ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was pretty good!

Plot: The plot was good, there were no twists or random surprises which was slightly disappointing but I did really like the big finish! When Darren preformed, the crowd went wild and he and Dillie fell in love. It was just 🤌😁 !! There was some sense of a visible character arc which I liked as I've read some books recently with pretty poor writing. Darren's thought process clearly changed from the begining when he realized that real life was more interesting than the safe little daydreams he made up in his head. I liked how he changed and became a bit more confident, secure and willing to set boundaries in the end.

Characters: Well, I talked a little bit about characters previously so there's that. But aside from that I did quite like the characters. Darren pissed me off a bit from time to time when he made comments like "wow she's insecure? Oh my gosh I didn't know that was possible for a girl like her!" and "our faces moved closer together and I'm pretty sure were about to kiss but no! So as a dish drops in the distance and snaps me out of the moment i move my head away and even though she looks thoroughly disapointed i think I made the right decision. Could a girl like her ever really love me?" I think the author meant it in a charming, absolutely love struck way but it came across as a little bit annoying and unrealistic to me.
However, the other characters were super well written. We could see both a super confident side of Dillie and a side where she just wanted to ditch her regular podcast persona to be goofy and a little bit scared! Ten out of ten character. Her sister Tara? Super sweet, absolutley loved her and the way she regained some of her confidence as she sang at the lock-in. Darrens parents? Very well written, you could clearly see a difference in the way they talked compared to everyone else since they are older and less "hip? Is that what the kids say?" - direct quote from Darren's dad. Miles however, 🤮. Hated him. He is absolutely that douche-bag f-boy and I hated him.
Justin was okay, not much to say about him but Jerrod? He was the perfect bit of comedic releif that fit right in with the story.

Writing: The writing was good. The story didn't progress much at all in the begining and it wanst a fast moving book. Regardless, it wasn't hard for me to read or get through at all wich kind of suprised me as I usually find books like that boring. It was very much a slowburn. (No spice at all if anyone was wondering.)
I liked the language in the book and how you could see that some of the characters had differing vocabularies based on where their from and some of their past experiences. I also loved that we got to read the podcast transcript and that it was so belivelvale that i felt like i was acutally one of Dillies dedicated litseners. However there was some weird conjugation throughout the book that could have easily been fixed in editing. Aside from that, it was really good!!

Settings: Ten out of Ten! Very believable settings. The concept of "Show don't tell" came through quite a lot. The character's frequented certain places quite a bit more than others and we received more derail each time they showed up wich just made everything a lot more believable. You could see that they lived in a town where certain places clearly meant more than others! 😉


Overall, it was a good book.
Was there a few thing I personally didn't like? Yes, definitely.
Was most of the book fairly well written? Also yes.
Were the characters, the way they talked and acted quite good? Yes again.
Was it a cute slowburn fluff novel? Yep!
I would recomend it to friends or pretty much anyone who wants some cute, new YA meat for the summer. If youre into poetry or music of any kind, there's definitely few parts here you would THOUROUGHLY ENJOY. Or if you're into strong female characters who are a huge part of the book but not the lead or MC than you will also enjoy this quite a bit. At the end of the day this book was almost as sweet as Dillie's song! (The mastered version! 😉)

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central

Darren loves music, but in his junior year, he is pulling back a bit, since it doesn't seem to be a productive use of his time. He's dropped out of chorus and even his church choir, although his school counselor tells him he should stay with it if it gives him joy. What gives him the most joy is classmate Delia Dawson, who has a popular podcast, Dillie D. in the Place to Be. Since he thinks she is so fantastic, he gets tongue tied around her, although they do seem to share some interests and attend the same church. When she announces a contest for a theme song for her podcast, Darren makes one up, and when he is in a recording studio with his friend Justin and cousin Jerrod, he uses some of the time to record it. Of course, his friends send it in anonymously, and it gets a lot of attention, even being played on the radio by local DJs who note the local interest in it. Darren still doesn't want to tell Dillie how he feels, even though others are claiming that the song is theirs. Dillie seems to like it, and the two spend more and more time together. He almost asks her to the dance, and rumor has it that the mystery singer will reveal himself there, so he chickens out. Bouyed by his secret success, Darren rejoins chorus, and even sings a new song for Dillie at the dance. What are his chances of being number one on Dillie's charts?

This was a bit of a departure for Hill Brown, whose middle grade books The Forgotten Girl and The Girl in the Lake are horror novels with some history to them. It was great to see more of a middle grade sensibility applied to a young adult romance for several reasons. Young adult romances tend to be whinier and unhappier than middle grade ones, so I half expected Dillie to decide to hate Darren once she found out that he kept information from him. Also, YA often includes saltier language as well as alcohol drinking and more descriptive, interpersonal romantic encounters. These are fine for older students, but it was great to see a high school character in situations were younger students aren't necessarily going to learn any life lessons they have plenty of time for later!

Darren is a great character who is trying to balance his friendships, his future, and his family along with his overwhelming crush on Dillie. I loved his interactions with Justin, who is trying to push his friend a little bit, and Darren's parents were deliciously embarassing and in love. They were involved in what Darren was doing, but still in the background. Dillie is popular but truly interested in Darren, and they spend a lot of time together having coffee, hanging out, and texting, so they do have a real connection. A lot of young people's social lives depend heavily on church groups, so it was good to see that depicted.

Social media is well handled, with Clip Message being used as a Snap Chat alternative. It's a hard balance, since some social media does disappear. Using a made up platform can protect books from being outdated when things like MySpace disappear. Of course, for the average 14 year old, MySpace might as well be a fictional platform!

It's a bit harder to find romance books with male protagonists, although there are a growing number of YA and middle grade romances with gay male characters. It's even harder to find ones that don't spend half the book wallowing in a fight or misunderstaning. This reminded me a bit of Rigaud's Simone Breaks all the Rules, or Richardson's The Meet-Cute Project, since Darren and Dillie are friends, and treat each other as equals. I love that Hill Brown mentions that she saw a lack of stories with "a teenage, Black male protagonist" and wanted to write something joyful. Well done!

[Rich in Color is now on StoryGraph]

Review copy: ARC via publisher

Rhythm & Muse was a fun book that gripped me from the beginning. Darren is a “sweet cinnamon roll” of a guy (if I’m using that term correctly) and it was easy to fall in love with him. This is definitely a story that shows us that we often do not see our greatness the way others see it in us and that sometimes we stand in our own way. And of course, a sweet sweet romance.

One of the things that drew me to Darren was how much he was in his head. He tended to over-think everything and was very cautious before making decisions. And being in his head we fully understand that this habit of his comes from a place of self-consciousness and a bit of low self-esteem. Like many of us, he just couldn’t see the person others saw in him. He was a good kid, a giving friend, good natured and very likable, which he knew but didn’t fully believe it. That is what made him so relatable and his emotional journey so touching. Because his friends pushed him by submitting his song to the contest, the song ends up blowing up and Darren is able to see how people respond to his music and it slowly builds up his confidence. He learns what people think of him without knowing that it is him so he soon comes to understand the light that he has and the impact his friendship has on others. I actually loved his friendship with his boys because they were so honest with each other and very encouraging with each other. They pushed each other to be better but still messed with each other like friends do. It was very clear that Darren’s friends were only looking out for his best interests and wanted only the best for their friend.

Because Darren is such a sweet guy, the romance is also slow burning and sweet. Darren and Delia form a sweet friendship and their loves blossoms from it. It’s clear that Delia likes Darren but he just doesn’t see it. They have so many sweet swoon worthy moments where Darren is being his true authentic self as he relates to her. In his head, he comes up with large romantic gestures that completely fall apart in her presence and it’s his stumbling through his course correction that actually makes the gesture much more moving. As the story goes, you can’t help but root for them to be together, just like their friends do.

I really needed a feel good love story and Rhythm & Muse really hit in the right places. This is a fun summer read of friendship, romance, and finding one’s self worth.