Roisin

by Jo Brodie

All-woman Rock band 'Fauld' is going from strength to strength. Led by bubbly Goth, Hazel Fauld and her supermodel sister Roisin, they are successfully building a fan-base and sensing the dawn of fame. They make their first record, and then supergroup 'Xeroed' ask them to be support act for a series of huge gigs. It's a wonderful opportunity, but dangerous stresses develop. The keyboard player is pregnant to the guitarist's husband. The drummer breaks up with her fiancé, the bass player. Friendships suffer such terrible misunderstandings that the band seems hell-bent on self-destruction. Everything they've built is threatened. So can 'Fauld' survive to reap the rewards they've worked for so hard?

Meanwhile, Hazel and her friend Aimee must design the world’s most terrifying dress. Her girlfriend Annie continues to recover. Her old school friend, Weird Brenda, wants Haze to model for a book on mischief spirits, and her precocious little sister Sofie has a play-group boyfriend. As ever the story takes place in a world of bittersweet humour and gloriously eccentric characters.

380 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 10, 2021

About the author

Whilst still missing darkest Wiltshire, Jo Brodie is now an accidental Mancunian, having never quite got round to leaving the city after studying at Manchester University. They write widely under various pen names, on topics that range from Roman and Victorian history to Rock music, and Jo has recently become a regular writer for feminist music Web site ‘Hera Says‘. Jo’s lesbian novels and shorter stories, which are collectively entitled ‘The Saltbury Chronicles’, centre on a diverse cast of characters from the mythical Wiltshire market town of Saltbury. They are love stories, but they are more than just escapism, often exploring serious LGBTQ, gender and other issues along the way. In private life, Jo is happily married with two cats. They play bass and guitar (very badly) and yearn to learn drums, if only the neighbours would understand!

The Saltbury books contain a character called Debbie Stewart, a true Rock guitar heroine. Debbie is not based on any particular real life guitarist. In fact Jo’s actual guitar heroine is a very different figure: Marissa Paternoster of the ‘Screaming Females’. Debbie, though, is who Jo wishes they could be – if only – and you can tell a lot about someone from who they would like to be.

Reviews

[Bigbear Woolliscroft · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well we all know that Haze lives her life in full techni-colour, so this book is no different. I love the way in which she sort of manages to fill her life with uni, part-time job, music and still gets time for her rekindled love-life. But it certainly stays complicated. :-)

It is great to see that Jo manages to bring back Haze's slightly sarcastic view of the world, now that she is no longer mourning Annie. Can't wait to see what happens next.

[Jo Brodie · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always with the Saltbury series, 'Roisin' is is a rattling good story. It's romantic, sometimes sad, sometimes funny and with a world of wonderfully vivid, often eccentric characters some of whom you really wish were your friends and some of whom you're very glad aren't!.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a big softie, by page 1 I was teary already, as page progressed and these amazing gals were being reintroduced I was full on crying of happiness ofc, for being reacquainted and being allowed to be part of their world again. How I missed their witty bits. These characters are very dense, that is, not as clueless idiots, even if sometimes some can be clueless as Hazel and I was [that last chapter caught me by surprise all right with Marty sketches], but as in complex, flawed, full of crazy emotions women, very human.

Anyway, we got to see more of my main love in this chronicles, HazelxAnnie, and their development as a couple and their woes. Also follow up with Roshi marriage debacle; I liked her plot thank you very much, even the angst, the pent-up 'feeling' got me worried for a moment, ofc, but the culmination of it made things all worth the wait and what a kitchen scene hahaha. Honestly I'd pay good money to see it on screen, even if a lil short sketch, cause that was funny and a big relief altogether.

Well, well, well, again I loved it, how couldn't I? Honestly, people! If these girls were real I'd be a groupie.

I don't think I read the chapters 9, 10 and 11 sneak peeks before [if I did thank the goodness for a shitty memory] and I can only say I'm definitely excited for what is to come. Well, when I'm not about when the topic is Saltbury? Can't wait to see the the Mums story and Tina POV again, she [and Carol] was most definitely missed, at least in greater doses.


P.S.:I love Amee relationship with Hazel's boobs, that's real love, guys! And oh my word! the vampire queen dress bit I imagined a whole 'nother world of people but that choice! I was having lunch and almost choked with Annie's realization haha