Standing Room Only

by Eva Rice

Lydia works in a museum, dragging kids round the Long Before Man tour. Felix has never worked anywhere and spends his days dragging on cigarettes and writing songs for Moja, his beloved rock group. When they meet, they realise that all you need in common is to be following the same dream - and it's even better to be following it in a 1969 Jaguar 240! When Lydia offers to manage Moja, she finds four very different Justin, the bass player, is as aloof and stoned as the drummer; Nicky is sweet and impish. Gorgeous, temperamental lead singer Amber is determined to make Lydia's life as hard as possible. And then there's Felix who, for all his beauty and charm, is as paranoid and insecure as every struggling musician before him. It's a wild journey from the beginning of a dream to making it happen.

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit

Paperback

First published July 6, 2000

Reviews

[Lhushious Lucie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my...
This book started it all for me, it was my first rock star/group novel I read. I will be giving a full review when I log on my laptop...
Felix & Lydia! Phew! I even called my first daughter Lydia (originated from this book) I was so so mad when my husband wouldnt let me call our son Felix... Once he found out where Lydia came from lol!

This is book is terribly British, the guys are not all american big band members, I picture them as skinny jean toting, weed smoking, jaded by spending life on the bottom rung of the ladder in the 90's/2000 London music industry.
I would add skint to the list, but Felix the dangerously talented lead guitarist of Moja, is the son of a famous actress who has a fast paced A List lifestyle. No time for her boys back home.
The story starts as a flash back for Lydia, who retells us of how she was destined one muggy summer eve to meet her fate, and her future. Felix.
Moja is a struggling band who are getting tired of the same circuit they have been doing within the unrecognised circles of the music industry. we are lead into this family, sitting on the outside watching the story unfold.
There is Amber! the stunning lead to the band, the focus. Felix the dangerously gifted lead guitarist, with an aura about him that sucks u in. Justin the bass player, also boyfriend to Amber, and cute drummer Nicky, clean cut and cheeky.
This story takes us through the gritty under world of cramped, grimy London club scene, indifferent A&R guys who just don't seem to get it, as well as balance the dynamics of life in a band, friends and generally life on there way to stardom.
This is a realistic view of the record industry, no massive limos, million £££ contracts, hotel rooms. Its the story of a band, their friends and a kit piled into the back of a 69' Jaguar 240!

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I don't think this book will be memorable, it was a quick fun read. I loved the 1990's references!!

[Susanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have rarely found a bunch of characters who are just so painfully trendy, self-absorbed and unlikeable as the characters in this book. I was determined to finish it because I’m behind on my reading challenge for this year but oh my god it was awful.

I’d originally bought and read this book around 2001, when I was newly single and felt the need to read chick-lit, and I remember thinking it was on the lower end of average and just shoved it back on my bookshelf. Fast forward 18 years and I’m rereading a number of books before I donate them to charity, but I’m thinking do I really want to inflict this on someone with cancer? Are they not suffering enough?

The main character Lydia just has no real depth, her pairing with the mind-numbingly two-dimensional Felix is totally unbelievable, and every single character is an unlikable cliché. I honestly didn’t care if the band made it or not, if Lydia and Felix made it or indeed if any of the characters lived or died. I only cared about getting to the end of the book, which I have done, although that is several hours of my life I will never get back.

Don’t say you weren’t warned!

[ALM · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd give this 3.5 stars. It revolves around a band trying to get signed to a label in the 90's. A love story dominates the plot. The problem was there wasn't enough connection between the characters. We didn't see why he was so crazy for her. It mostly was why she was crazy about him. The drama of the band never really had a twist or turn either. I have read Lost Art and Misinterp by the same author and those were much better. I have read Lost Art multiple times. Perhaps this was either the author's first effort or the deadline came too quickly.

[Gabriela · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was truly dreadful. It's supposed to be set in "the nineties" (ten whole nondescript years) and yet there are no real cultural references except for a couple of songs (from the entire decade) that would allow you to place the book anywhere. Also, you never really get to see why the two main characters are so in love, since they had sex once and then Lydia, the girl, decided that she was going to "save" Felix. We never understand why she wants to save him, how they fell in love, or why they continue to be in love throughout the book. In fact, there is hardly any interaction at all between them, and it's mostly in the form of Felix being insecure of men who could be better looking than him, and she trying to be reassuring and telling him he's beautiful. Please.

I actually felt dirty from sticking with it til the end.

[Jannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

read this aaaages ago. things that stuck in my head:
Felixes colourful opulent house
Lydia & Felix semi drunk
Lydia & justin tense scene which for some reason forever left me thinking that the wrong people were couples. that Lydia & Justin had chemistry. even though only this scene had evidence to support that thought.
And the color pink..

[Anki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bookmooch

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

To me, this book mostly just lulls around. Yes, there's a lot of story, but i don't think it's really told in a way where there's a proper build-up.