Review: 3.5 stars for a rock 'n roll romance (and a cat named The Great Catsby)
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 10, 2014
Let me just say that any book that has a cat named The Great Catsby must be okay reading. Right?Now, the fact that the cat’s owner seems a bit too dim-witted to have conjured up this name with any literary allusion is something we will overlook. Because the cat? Is named THE GREAT CATSBY.The rest of the book has a sort of nostalgic sweetness to it, along with some super hot headboard rockin’.Noah and Chloe had that one night together, after which their friendship took a slight hit. She wanted comfort, he wanted her, and despite the fact that she had a boyfriend and that she and Noah had been friends forever, they rocked the – er – tree house together.  Quite magnificently, in fact.But Chloe is nothing if not tentative and cautious when it comes to making any sort of romantic commitment. She has a boyfriend, but his gainful employment might just be of the illegal variety. And he isn’t very nice.Chloe and Noah’s friendship, though, is rock solid, and the scenes of the two of them together pre-romance are some of the strongest in the book. That isn’t to say that the romance is weak; it’s hot and exactly what New Adult lit is all about. But the core friendship is so nicely written that it helps overcome some of the novel’s weaknesses (the contrived problems that arise in the romance would be Exhibit A for weaknesses).As Noah’s career takes off, he’s able to bring Chloe along to document his travels. She gets to watch her best friend ascend to fame, if not quite fortune, pursuing something he loves to do. It’s a rough time for her, although her sunny disposition keeps most of the ill will at bay. The scenes with Noah’s struggles to be his own person in the face of a music industry fame machine are interesting and will make you look differently at those who win American Idol and its ilk.As for The Great Catsby … well, you need to read to find out about him.Published on CARPE LIBROS@carpelibros