Review: Gorgeous, poignant story about friendship and true love
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 20, 2014
4.5 stars!!ALWAYS is a beautifully-written, completely engaging story of two best friends who are devoted to each other, loyal and support each other through the ups and downs of fame and stardom. It is also a heart-wrenching story of true love and the perils of fame and excess.Although this is a standalone novel, all the characters are fascinating and I would love to read more about them! Justine and Dillon meet when she is the young lead singer in a local band on the fringes of making it. Dillon is a rock star, loaded with talent, sensitive, gorgeous and not immune to the temptations of life on the road. They bond instantly, he sees a huge takent in Justine and offers to mentor her and write songs for her. Her band is selected to go on tour with Dillon’s band and much friction, drinking, drugs and groupies ensue. Justine keeps her distance, thinking she is relegated to the friend zone.Always is a fantastic song about the brutal realities of the music business and the very unglamourous side of life on the road. Not everyone can survive the touring and rock-and-roll lifestyle unscathed and Ms. Weaver shows us that the business is not for the faint of heart. I was rooting for Dillon and Justine to admit their deep love for each other but their path is not an easy one. Dillon, once the more famous one, watches with pride as Justine’s star rises and his falls gradually almost into obscurity.This is a true romance story; yes, there’s plenty of sex, drugs and rock-and-roll, but the sex scenes are not graphic. The drugs use is not glossed over, however, and is heartbreaking at times. I absolutely loved this book and all of the characters. This is a story about true love, true friendship, and honesty. Ms. Weaver is an extremely talented writer and I am looking forward reading more of her books.