Good Morning, Love

by Ashley M. Coleman

For fans of Jasmine Guillory and Sophie Kinsella comes a disarmingly clever, witty debut novel following a songwriter whose professional and creative dreams become complicated when her world collides with a rising R&B pop star, who happens to be devastatingly attractive and charming....

Carlisa “Carli” Henton is a musician and songwriter hoping to follow in her father’s musical footsteps. But, biding her time until she makes it big in the music industry, she works as a junior account manager at a big-name media company to cover her New York City rent. Carli meticulously balances her work with her musical endeavors as a songwriter—until a chance meeting with rising star Tau Anderson sends her calculated world into a frenzy. Their worlds collide and quickly blur the strict lines Carli has drawn between her business and her personal life, throwing Carli’s reputation—and her burgeoning songwriting career—into question.

A smart, timely, energizing romance, Good Morning, Love shows us what the glamorous New York’s music scene is really like and takes us into the lives of a rising but somewhat troubled R&B star and a promising protégé who knows her job better than she knows herself.

With fresh and honest prose, Good Morning, Love examines the uncertainty of being a new professional looking to chase a dream while also trying to survive in a world that’s not always kind to ambitious women.

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

287 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 21, 2022

About the author

Ashley M. Coleman is a storyteller and community builder moonlighting as a writer and project manager. Whether she is working with music makers or writers from marginalized communities, creating safe gathering spaces and education for creatives is at the center of her world. Her freelance writing has been featured in ZORA Magazine, GRAMMY.com, and The Cut among others and covers culture, lifestyle, and personal narrative. Currently, she is working on her forthcoming novel with 37Ink Books, Good Morning Love. You can catch her co-hosting the EightyTwo NinetySix podcast with Gabrielle Hickmon, tweeting often, indulging in Hip Hop and R&B music, and laughing at her pit/boxer mix Coltrane.

Reviews

[Kezia Duah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Carli is ambitious and I like that I could see this as I read. Her life discloses what it’s like for women who are trying to pursue careers in music in the face of many barriers.

Tau Anderson gets quite a lot of book time. He wasn’t really presented in the best light when we first met, and unfortunately, I didn’t see anything to convince me he was not who I felt he was. Call it judgmental, but the author kept having the other characters talk about how he’s probably not a great guy, especially for Carli. When the characters kept doing this, I kept hoping Coleman will try to give us some sort of evidence that he really is different, at least different to understand why Carli makes certain decisions. Maybe this was meant to be not that serious and super light in that aspect, and I just ruined it.

Nevertheless, romance wasn’t the only thing in the book. There were other parts that I enjoyed like the parts where we delve more into Carli’s personal life.

[morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

2⭑ I really wanted to like this book, but it was a no for me. I found this book to be pretty slow and difficult to get through. I enjoyed the minority representation in the book, but that’s where the list of things I liked ends. The use of “lingo” is overdone and outdated, the main love interest was a generic alpha male who can’t take no for an answer, and the protagonist is not very intriguing. There are a lot of common themes in here— “He’s into me but I don’t want him”, “I have a dream but Im too scared to go for it”, and “She doesn’t want to date me so I will ruin her career” (side characters not love interest). I think these themes can be done well but I didn’t like them in this storyline. Also, I felt like there was something missing with the romance. It didn’t have much tension or build up— it was “Oh he’s hot and there’s sparks when I touch him” and that’s all. If you’re specifically looking for a romance relating to the music industry, you may like this book, since the premise of it is a couple in the music industry. But I would not recommend it to my friends.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book!

[Bam cooks the books · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3-3.5 stars

Carlisa Henton is a beautiful and talented young musician/songwriter working as a junior account manager at a big-name media company when she meets their new client, Tau Anderson, a hot R&B pop star. He pursues her relentlessly but her boss warns her that she will not tolerate any fraternization with clients. What's a girl to do?

This is a charming story with lots of insight into the NY music scene. I enjoyed meeting Carli and her friends in these pages. Light summer reading for fans of Jasmine Guillory.

I received an arc from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks for the opportunity to read a novel from a talented new author.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in NYC, this is a big-hearted debut that follows Afro-Latina, Carlisa "Carli" Henton as she pursues a career as a songwriter while also working a mid-level job in the music industry trying to pay the bills. When her path crosses professionally with mega-star Tau Anderson, Carli has to fight her feelings to try to keep things platonic. Full of sizzling chemistry and a diverse cast of characters, this book was great on audio and highly recommended for fans of Jasmine Guillory or Farrah Rochon. I'm definitely excited to see what the author writes next! Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance review copy!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5





Going into this one I thought it was a romance but I realized soon enough that it definitely leans more to just straight up fiction than a true romance novel. No big deal but I hate when my expectations are off so figured I would share that. This follows Carli, whose 9-5 job pays her bills but gets in the way of her real dream of being a songwriter. When she meets Tau, who is a rising star in the music industry, her life gets shaken up. My favorite part of this one was the behind the scenes look into the music industry in NYC and LA. I find that so interesting and thought it was showcased well here. It did have a bit of a slow start and I wasn’t fully invested until about halfway, but then my interest was piqued and I was into it. As I said before this was more fiction than romance and any romance there was was pretty tame and definitely felt like a secondary plot. The focus was more on Carli and her personal issues and while that was cool I think there was potential to do more with the romance. The ending was also super abrupt, I actually went back a chapter in the audio version because I was like, no way it just ended like that, right?? Speaking of the audio the narrator, Angel Pean gave a fantastic performance and I credit her with keeping me engaged. As a debut I would definitely read the author again, the writing was good and this was entertaining enough I just wish there was a bit more romance and closure in the end.

[Nakia · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. boring. When people worry about AI taking jobs from writers, I imagine this is the kind of writing they're referencing. No style whatsoever, lots of pop culture references and small details that add nothing to the story or set the scene.

Also a huge turn off: the main character declined to watch a movie because Larenz Tate was in it and is "a million years old". She opted to watch Lance Gross instead. They are literally five years apart lol This annoyed me so much. I am clearly too old to be reading this book LMAO It definitely needs to be labeled YA.

[maddison · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a hit and miss with me. Some parts I liked and some parts were kinda boring. It felt like a super slow paced book even though it’s not. Carli felt like she was all over the place. Actually everyone felt all over the place. Tau is that guy who won’t take no for an answer and it shows. But then again Carli didn’t know what she wanted with him. Tau felt special to her but then with Dylan she thinks something could be there but then he’s basically thrown to the side.

*thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*

[Preet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Morning, Love's synopsis caught my eye. I love stories featuring normal people like me and those who've attained fame and wealth. It's the adult version of the fairytales with princes and kings I loved as a kid, but with all the ugliness and pitfalls of adult life. 

I really like Carli. She's driven, focused, and grounded. She's seen what fame can do a family and knows while her passion is songwriting and that's what she wants to pursue, she really isn't looking for fame and what comes with it. She's great at her job and follows the rules. That's why it's so interesting to see how Tau Anderson shakes things up. Like Carli, I too just passed him off as someone just looking for a good time, but it became clear that wasn't the case. 

Besides their interactions, I love how the book shows how the industry works behind the scenes, and while it isn't glossed over, it's also not too gritty. As a reader of romances, I would say this is one, but it's also more fiction than romance or even women's fiction. 

I'm really impressed with Ashley M. Coleman's writing and story telling, and while I hope she writes more Carli and Tau, I am looking forward to reading more from her. 

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Paperbacks for allowing me to give my honest review of Good Morning, Love.

This books shows more than just about falling in love. It also shows that following your dreams and finding out what you really want can take you very far. it was great to see an Afro Latina working and striving in the music industry. She didn’t leave her friends behind when she made it. Many told Carli to stay away from Tau because of his status and his past and Carli learned to figure things out for herself. I loved how each “Chapter” was called a Track.

I do think that the book started off really slow for about 30% of the book and I think that Chapter 33 should have been considered as a Epilogue for an update.

Overall a good debut novel.

[ariana · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. Too many pop culture references, couldn’t figure out their was talking half of the time. Just all of the place. So many typos. This book had so much potential I’m so sad

[Vicky Again]

DNF @ 33%

Have to set this one aside for now -- I was looking for a comfort read, something bubbly and fun and romantic, but this was not quite that. It was a lot more angsty and a lot more reluctant, relationship-wise. The dynamic between the main characters just wasn't my cup of tea--I felt like Carli was very "not-like-other-girls" in the parts that I read (she disparages a lot of other girls as like MAC makeup girls) and I found Tau to be annoyingly pushy about pursuing Carli, despite her clear signals saying no.

I can absolutely imagine the story having potential to end in a happily ever after and the characters learning and growing from their beginning states, but I just don't have the patience at the moment to see it through. Not necessarily a bad book, but not for me.

[Jas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this story. Carli was cool. Favorite characters would be between her best friend and Red, tho. Overall, this is a pretty feel good story about someone learning to bet on themselves and their talents and of course finding love in the process. I really liked the added character depth towards the end as far as carving out her parents relationship... the why they were how they were and the impact that had on Carli. I did listen to the audiobook which did a really good job of keeping my attention even when the pacing was a little slow.

Favorite quote:

"Love wasn't this easy thing, there wasn't one bad guy but two people trying to manage each other's spirits and the harsh realities of life all at the same time."

[Fidelia (TheVicariousHeroine) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good Morning, Love is a story about Carli Henton, a junior account manager at a media company. Carli dreams of becoming a songwriter but once she meets superstar Tau Henderson they begin to blur the lines of business and pleasure.
After reading, I struggle to consider this book a romance. Unfortunately, I did not find Tau’s cocky demeanor endearing and it was difficult to root for Carli and Tau as a couple. The story does pick up about 30% of the way through and Carli quickly changes her mind about interacting with a client. However, this leads to her and Tau having to hide their relationship.
While this story's romance was not strong, I did appreciate Carli��s relationship with her friends and the diverse cast of characters. The author's knowledge of the music industry came across easily and the character’s passion for music was evident. Besides that, the characters did come across as a bit two-dimensional. I would recommend this for readers who enjoy music and the workings of the entertainment industry but not for a love story.

Thank you Simon & Schuster for the ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Briana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The music biz seems like a life of glitz and glamour, but what happens behind the scenes? In Good Morning Love, we meet Carli, a junior account manager at a huge entertainment firm working her behind off to pay the bills so she can do what she really loves: write music. One of her assigned artists, Tau Anderson, slowly draws her away from her cushy job and closer to her dream. The tension between choosing hopes and security grows as Carli makes her choices and faces the consequences.

This story starts off focusing on Carli, a young adult tired of her job, and trying to figure out how to balance work and live. It begins a bit slowly, building up Carli’s world and the music industry. We read as Carli shuffles between work, church, and squeezing in time at the studio. Coleman paints a great picture of Carli’s life, one that many people (especially other twenty-somethings) will relate to.

The book picks up the pace when Tau comes into the picture. Both Carli and the reader are thrust into Tau’s orbit. The book starts to read a little like a modern-day fairy tale. Carli starts to have her full potential realized and we’re all rooting for her. The events that transpire seem realistic, but not like real life. Things seem to fall in line perfectly, exactly when they needed to.

While Carli seems to be a pretty well developed, Tau is a little…interesting. We’re first introduced to a playboy rapper who seems like a flirt. As he and Carli become better acquainted, he opens up and we get to see a more dynamic Tau. Still, I kept getting caught up on Tau’s speech. I understand that he’s a rapper in the music industry and going to use slang and talk differently (which I like!), but it seemed inconsistent, so when he did throw in certain words, they were a bit jarring.

Good Morning Love definitely gained traction as the story moved on. We’re met with a mini love triangle, a family secret, celebrity meet and greets and so much more. While some of these events serve to move along the plot, a couple of the B stories seem unnecessary, and even weaken the story to an extent. Instead of fleshing out a particular event, the conflicts rise and fall within a couple of chapters. I gained interest in the story as it moved along, but the parts that I would’ve really wanted to dive into all stacked up near the end. Because of that, it felt like the story ended a little abruptly.

Although the title is Good Morning Love, I don’t really consider this to be the romance novel I thought it was going into the story. That expectation skewed my initial perception of the story. After realizing what it for what it was, more of a day in the life, contemporary fiction novel, I could enjoy it more. I liked seeing Carli get to grow and chase her talents. This story will resonate with music lovers, twenty somethings figuring out life, and the people who dare to dream big.

3.5 rounded to 4

I was provided an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[ReadnliftwithShar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay this was surprisingly good. I loved the chase from Tau and the way he shedded his bad boy image and showed Carli he was what she needed. It was a cute read.

[Allison · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is one of those scenarios where I hadn't read the blurb in quite some time when I picked up the book to start reading, meaning that I was more in the dark about where it was headed than I might have been. The will they/won't they vibe worked a little too well on me. I couldn't tell if the R&B star chasing after Carli was a scumbag or a love interest, in large part due to the conflicting cues that she gets from him. More on that later, but let's back up. Carli's an aspiring songwriter with a day job, trying to balance security with chasing her dreams in New York City. When her 9-5 (that definitely goes past 5 most nights) has her crossing paths with the famous Tau Anderson, she's wary of his aggressive flirting. He's got a reputation for running through women, and she has no illusions about men in the music industry-- the boundaries they'll cross and the way they'll take down women's careers if spurned. As they work together on an ad campaign and Tau starts DMing her on Twitter, jealousy outs the secret love Carli's long-term friend and collaborator has been harboring for her. Enter the love triangle.

There's a lot to like about Carli as a protagonist. She's dedicated to her job even if she doesn't want to be there long-term, she stands up for herself, and she makes music as often as she can. I appreciated the Afro-Latina representation in her character, but I've read reviews that the author's portrayal of Colombian culture may not be well-informed, so keep that in mind. The book discusses sexual harassment in the music industry. Be aware that there is an on-page assault that is interrupted. Through Carli's experiences, the book explores the extra burdens on women of ensuring their own personal safety and emotional well-being in addition to following their ambitions in music.

One thing I liked about the story is that a big part of the conflict isn't even romantic. The story deals with some important choices Carli must make in terms of who to pursue romantically (if anyone), how to move forward in her relationships with her parents, how to chase the career she wants, and how to accept new directions in her life even if they are unexpected and don't fit her plan. Instead of orchestrated drama, it feels like real-life inner turmoil surrounding a big turning point.

I did have a few concerns with the story. The first is about personal preference. There's a strong religious component concerning Carli's Christian identity and her church community. There's nothing wrong with it, but it's not my cup of tea, so know what you're getting into there. On a deeper level, I was bothered by Carli's fixation on weight and body image at the beginning of the book. She has a vision board of her dream body which she would supposedly only achieve if she tried harder, and she often perceives other women as skinny, even calling her best friend "skinny minnie" as a compliment. This mindset thankfully disappeared later in the novel, but not because of a shift in Carli's point of view. It just gets left behind in favor of other stress. Finally, the single POV means Tau didn't have to experience any seismic growth, and I would have preferred he did. Since he isn't a protagonist, his iffy behaviors that had me questioning his status at the beginning of the book also just fade away once Carli decides to give him a chance. He has plenty of positive qualities like an interest in social justice, loyalty to his friends, and a hidden thoughtful side, but when Carli reminds him that he hit on her even after she said "no" on professional grounds, touching her hair and reaching out to her on social media, it doesn't develop into further conversation. And that seems like a major missed opportunity. Also, he only takes action against Carli's harasser once he sees her being physically assaulted, not earlier when she shared her past experience with him, something that could be construed as a reaction based on his ego rather than Carli's safety. Carli even has a thought to that effect which she doesn't pursue further. Also, while the harasser is taken off their current project, there isn't a sense that Tau intends to take any broader stance against him by using his industry clout, something that would protect other women from a known serial sleazebag.

As a parting note, the happily ever after is present, as expected in the genre, but it feels a bit unfinished or open-ended. It's also closed door. Depending on what you like in a love story, that might impact your reading, as well. I wish I could recommend this book based on its positive attributes, but they were outweighed for me by red flags.

[Emily Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good Morning, Love
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Romance
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 6/21/22
Author: Ashley M. Coleman
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 288
Goodreads Rating: 3.36

TW ⚠️: Violence and Police Violence

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing a digital advanced readers copy of the book for me to read for my honest opinion.

Synopsis: Carlisa “Carli” Henton is a musician and songwriter hoping to follow in her father’s musical footsteps. But, biding her time until she makes it big in the music industry, she works as a junior account manager at a big-name media company to cover her New York City rent. Carli meticulously balances her work with her musical endeavors as a songwriter—until a chance meeting with rising star Tau Anderson sends her calculated world into a frenzy. Their worlds collide and quickly blur the strict lines Carli has drawn between her business and her personal life, throwing Carli’s reputation—and her burgeoning songwriting career—into question.

My Thoughts: This book started out slow, for the first third. The overall theme of the book, to follow your dreams, was my favorite part. It has a good message. I really loved how the author infused minority cultural representation into this book and the real issues they face daily. Not all of the characters were fully developed, however, Carli was, she had depth, strength, tenacity, and I just loved her. Overall, I enjoyed the author’s writing, it was complex, faced real life issues where change is needed, and just fit the book well. I love the introduction to the music industry and getting a glimpse into it. The book really needed an epilogue to tie up the story, it just felt like it was missing and your left thinking, ‘this is the end?’

[Gohar · Rating 3 out of 5]

3🌟

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This book was good. I found it really slow in the beginning and didn’t really get into it until about halfway. I really liked the life lessons this book taught about following your dreams and your heart. And how we have to make difficult choices sometimes in order to follow them. Oh and that people are snakes and you always need to be watching your back.

This story follows Carli, an aspiring songwriter who moves out to New York to pursue her dreams but has to work a serious job to make ends meet, which takes up a considerable amount of her time and puts a damper on her writing. She meets a pop star through her job, they hit it off. He helps her with her dreams… I can’t say they fall in love because I didn’t really connect with the characters and didn’t feel much of a connection between them either. I feel like maybe if it was written in dual POV, we could have felt more between the characters.

And the ending was a little anticlimactic… an epilogue about where she ended up and what she was doing and what happened with her and the love interest would have been nice. But I feel like it just… ended? I just felt like there was so much potential with little snippets of things mentioned in the book that ended up just being loose ends. The cultural and minority representation was great and the fact that the author addressed real life issues that occur daily and that need change was amazing. Overall I feel like it could have tied together a little bit differently but it wasn’t bad.

[Litsplaining · Rating 4 out of 5]

Check out my interview with Ashley M. Coleman on my blog! Link is below.

https://introvertinterruptedcom.wordp...

My full review came be found on my blog:

https://introvertinterruptedcom.wordp...

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Morning, Love by Ashley M. Coleman is a great contemporary fiction that is entertaining from beginning to end.

This book has a little bit of several genres mixed in together to give it a satisfying complexity and pace. Yes, there is a romance thread within it, but this book has so much more. It is a finding one’s self and place in life. It is finding out what makes you happy, and going for it. It is about taking the ultimate risk…putting yourself out there and going for it all or going broke.

That is what I enjoyed about this book and what the main character, Carli Henton, experiences. We get to follow along while she discovers herself, her inner desires, hopes, dreams, and finds her voice. I really enjoyed being able to right shotgun on the trip of a lifetime for Carli as she discovers the ups and downs of romance, the music industry, the darker aspects of what she thought she wants, and decides to take the road less traveled.

I really enjoyed the progression of the character, her imperfect but likable personality, her charm, and like all of her decisions or not, I can’t help but cheer her on and hope that she can succeed and find what she is looking for.

4/5 stars

Thank you NG and Simon & Schuster for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 8/3/22.

[Tsholonki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a smile on my face while reading most of this book, it's the type that made me want to associate it with tastes,emotions and smells, for example it feels warm, dipped in honey, very earthy, rich smells. Does that make sense? In my head, it does. I really enjoyed reading this book like I never got tired of it or felt overwhelmed, it was just a good, easy book which was filled with good moments. Like I didn't even know I needed this book until I was a few pages in and I couldn't put it down, I was drawn into this world of the music scenes of New York & L.A., the lifestyle, the people, it's just so vibey and we get taken on these music endeavours, we get to see Carli take charge and do what she wants also everything just aligns well so yeah.

Its always a good sign for me when an author has me reading the acknowledgement like it's part of the story like I have to know the names of the people who helped shape this book so good sis, did that.

[luvimoli · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this one... the afrolatina heroine, the music business context, etc. But it's slow and I agree with other reviews that the slang is abused. I'd also add that the romance lacks spark and the conflict loses wind as we trod along. But my biggest peeve was how the heroine's mother is supposed to be Colombian, but it seems the author didn't even bother to do a quick Google search and instead made her Mexican, using "mija" and calling tamales a "Colombian" dinner. In case I'm not being clear, Colombia and Mexico are two very different, far apart, countries. 🙄😒

[Leah M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rounded to 3.5 stars.

CONTENT WARNING: unwanted sexual attention, violence, mention of police violence

I had never heard about this book until a copy arrived in the mail one day. And I was super excited to read a book set in one of my favorite cities, immersed in the music industry, which I know literally nothing about.

This book shines in its diversity. Nearly every major character is a POC, and it was beautiful to see this. Carli herself is the daughter of a Black American and an Afro-Latina, and while there wasn’t a heavy religious element to the story, there is explicit discussion about how many singers got their start in church choirs, and the MC attends church regularly with her friend.

Carli is a relatively likable character, right from the start. She’s young, ambitious, focused, and driven, and that is a combination that basically sets her up to be successful at whatever she sets her mind to. While she keeps her private and professional life separate, by day she works for a successful music agent, and in her free time she writes songs and performs with her friends. And while she’s killing it at her job, she starts to realize that she has been putting off living her life in favor of hustling as hard as she can to make her dreams come true.

“Being onstage is a natural high a nonperformer may never understand. It’s a conversation between my guitar and me and the audience.”

When she encounters Tau, everything in her life gets turned upside down. I struggled with Tau’s character a little—he’s a known player, didn’t totally respect boundaries, and wouldn’t accept no for an answer. Not in a predatory way, but I couldn’t completely fault him for everything, since Carli wasn’t very firm in her boundaries. Either way, I didn’t fully get invested in the “romance,” and parts of it felt somewhat forced, especially in the beginning.

But I did love the connections between the characters—between Carli and her best friend Talia, Carli and her family, Tau and his family, and even Tau with his friends. I especially enjoyed the heavy and realistic NY vibes that came through loud and clear in this book, and even the slang felt fairly realistic. And one of my favorite parts of the story was getting to learn more about the music industry, from the inside as well as the outside. Like many other industries, it’s not just what you know, but also who you know, and this book was a cute, fluffy read with surprising depths at unexpected times.

[BookwormishMe · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars / This review will be posted on goodreads.com today.

Carli is a mid-twenties junior account exec at a marketing firm in New York City. The job pays the bills, but Carli is truly an aspiring songwriter. She’s working with friends on producing an album for Dylan, who has the makings of a star. Red is the engineer who knows how to put the music together. So when Carli isn’t running around behind her powerful boss Dawn, she’s hiding out in Red’s studio making beautiful music.

Then Tau comes along. Tau is a young, hot pop star who knows what he wants, and has the rep to go with it. Tau takes a liking to Carli. Carli’s boss notices and doesn’t fail to remind Carli that Tau is a client. There is no fraternizing between employees and clients. Carli does a fine job of telling Tau no, but Tau is pretty persistent.

As Carli’s musical career is taking off, and her marketing job as well, Carli has to make some tough choices about the direction she’s going to let her life go. While the marketing career has its perks and paycheck, the music is her heart and soul.

I enjoyed this one from start to finish. Carli is a woman who has hopes, dreams and aspirations and the fears to go along with them. Following her heart isn’t something that Carli always does, and Coleman gives her the room to test the waters and learn to trust herself. How I wish that I’d had something like that in my twenties!

This is truly a touching novel with a lot of heart and fun and the romance it needed. Loved it and would highly recommend it.

[Sennen Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

My beloved Elia sent me this book for my birthday last year and I have finally got round to reading it, and it was sooooo much fun!!! Great sense of place, great narrative voice - you like and root for Carli instantly, you want her to get everything she wants. I wasn’t crazy about Tau at first but he grew on me, and I do love a man who is clear about what he wants! Loved all the church stuff, and I especially loved the stuff with Carli’s parents. Didn’t quite love the ending, I wanted more!! But overall: an extremely fun and enjoyable book to read while sitting with a sleeping poorly twelve year old at a Quaker youth weekend away, which is how I read most of this.

[Ema · Rating 3 out of 5]

MAIN CHARACTERS QUITTING THEIR JOBS, HELL YEAH!

What I wanted from this book was a big blow up. I wanted Carli to struggle a little bit more. There are a lot of opportunities for things to go wrong, but they instead go pretty swimmingly for her. Which is great; I really liked Carli. But this is a book and when I'm reading books I like conflict to keep me entertained.

Love the music industry aspect and want more books about it but again, I wanted Carli to struggle. I wanted to see her really work for it.

[Erin (Brooklyn Book Fanatic) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really sure what I just read.

The lingo/slang and dialogue just don’t feel natural. Is this how anyone in the works talks? I don’t believe it. Made me cringe and feel super disconnected the whole time.

The plot and timing and attachment is all so weird. Felt a bit like a fever dream that just couldn’t get into.

Hinting at sex/spice but absolutely closed door/no details. Not really romantic overall either. Even at ending, she doesn’t really know what they’re doing but they live together? I don’t know.

[Alicia (PrettyBrownEyeReader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute romance set in the music industry. The main character, Carli works in marketing but her true desire is to be a musician/songwriter. Life is going good until she meets up and coming star, Tau.

I liked the premise of the novel and pacing. What I did not like was the name dropping and pop culture references. When someone reads this book in 5-10 years, the references will be cumbersome.

Thank you Simon and Schuster for an advanced copy of this book!

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good Morning, Love tells what it’s like behind the scenes in the music industry. I found this part of the story somewhat interesting. The story revolves around a young and upcoming songwriter trying to break into this scene. Her story was just ok for me. I’ve read a few novels recently that revolve around the music industry. This one did not engage me as much as the others I’ve read.

[Teonna Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Carli is passionate about songwriting and music and aspires to become a well known song writer in the music industry. In the meantime, she focuses on her role as an account manager at a New York media company. Enter Tau, a successful hip-hop/r&b artist who is determined to get to know Carli. However, Carli is not (fully) interested in getting to know Tau as this could jeopardize her job and reputation. As time passes, Carli has to confront and balance her relationship with Tau, increasing expectations at work, and her relationships with her friends and family. To add to this, Carli starts to question when she will go after her dreams of becoming a full time song writer.

I overall enjoyed all of the music references about artist, song writing, and musical compositions. I found the pace of this novel to be great, too.