The Bellevue Boys: A Gen X Rock 'n' Roll Rom-Com from the MTV Era

by Bryan Cantrell

Before Spotify. Before smartphones.
There were garage bands, mixtapes, and one last summer before growing up.Tucson, 1989.
Adam has two becoming a rock god and surviving high school heartbreak.

Armed with a Fender Strat, a denim vest, and a killer Def Leppard mixtape, Adam and his misfit band—the Bellevue Boys—are convinced their big break is just around the corner.

But first they have to survive real life.

There’s a cheating ex-girlfriend, a summer job at a crumbling movie theater, a six-foot bong named The Bad Boy, and the looming reality that soon everyone will scatter for college, jobs, and whatever comes after teenage dreams.

The Bellevue Boys is a hilarious and heartfelt coming-of-age story for anyone who ever rewound their favorite cassette, argued about the best Van Halen lineup, or wondered if love was worth skipping band practice for.

Packed with Gen X nostalgia, loud guitars, and late-night misadventures, this summer novel captures that fleeting moment when everything feels possible—and growing up is the one gig nobody is ready to play.

Perfect for fans of Dazed and Confused, Almost Famous, and High Fidelity.

282 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 6, 2024

Reviews

[Dayna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was good kept my attention for sure. Back to a time when hair was big and bands rocked. Took me back to my own high school memories going to see battle of the bands on the weekends too!! The only thing I wish was that there was more about the future of the Bellvue boys at the end, what happened to them did they find new nand members? And that imo Bellvur boys sounds more like a boyband than a metal band. But I enjoyed this book ans would recommend for anyone who lived in or just loves metal music

[Dana Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute read

Not my usual style of book but, I did enjoy it. Could it be me reliving the 80s, maybe? The mention of the songs and musicians was pretty good as these were my choice of the music. Well second loves first being new romantic or new wave. But the genre good. Regarding the rom-com that's on the description I missed the comedy part???

[Allyssa Gaines · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m DNFing at 43%, I’m sorry. I appreciate the attempt, but this really just isn’t giving me the romcom I was hoping for. Also, as a side note, I’d caution the author on using so many song lyrics in the book.

[Shelly Goncz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an adorable, hilarious read! Thoroughly enjoyed all of the pop culture references laced throughout and the author sure knows how to build a scene.