Book Review: Abby Road by Ophelia London

Abby Road by Ophelia London
Publisher: Entangled Publishing, LLC
eBook, 400 pages
Published: March 26, 2013
ISBN: 9781620612446



My Review:
Abby Road was a fun read for me. Well mostly fun, Abby's "road" to her HEA was rather rocky, but it was interesting to watch. I like books like this where the main character has to learn something. I don't mind that most of the romance is off-screen and the focus is on the one character. I think Abby Road is a very good book if you don't put labels on it like romance or chicklit and just read it to enjoy a great book.

First there is Abby. She's a pop star who's having trouble since her brother's death. She's not dealing with things and her shrink has decided it would be best if she took the summer off, so she heads off to Florida to spend the summer with her sister. Of course while there, she meets the handsome and wonderful Todd. They fall for each other and not much is written about this, but I don't have a problem with it. Todd is a great character himself, he seems to have secrets and character flaws as well, but together they seem to work at least as much as we see them and I believed they were falling for each other.

Then the story moves back to Abby in her life in pop and things go down hill for Abby and Todd and you get to the real meat of the story. This is where I really got into the story. Secondary characters came to life, Abby really started to shine and move forward. I'm not spoiling anything, but let's just say that things start to move fast and the book really comes together as Abby herself does.

I loved the look into her life as a pop star. I loved the secondary characters of the band. I really liked how Abby cared about other people sometimes to the detriment of herself. And I like how she grows and changes. I feel that Abby Road is an empowering book, as Abby learns to stand on her own two feet again. Yes things seem to jump forward at times, but I understood why and the fact that they did and the story didn't get bogged down in details made me enjoy it all the more.

There is a romance, there is a happy ending, there is character growth, there is a bad guy and there is a great plot. Abby Road had everything to keep me enthralled while reading for a few days and even while reading while waiting for ball practice to end. It's a fun heartfelt and interesting novel. A great springtime or beach read. So grab it and fall in love with Abby and her love of the Beatles just like I did.

My rating: 5.0/5.0

Be sure and check out my author interview and giveaway here.

About the Book:
Touted by the tabloids as the biggest rock star of our generation, Abigail Kelly is used to being in the spotlight. But beyond the glam of Hollywood, her world is falling apart. Still reeling from the death of her brother and wilting under the iron fist of Max, her manager, Abby banishes herself to the secluded beaches of Florida for the summer, thinking some anonymity and sunshine are just what she needs. What she finds, instead, is Todd, an ex-marine eager to embrace life after war. Together, Abby and Todd find the balance Abby’s life has been missing.

That is, until Max resurfaces, demanding Abby return to Los Angeles to record her band’s newest album. As the pressures of public appearances, paparazzi, and late-night recordings start to mount, Abby will have to risk everything or lose the life she always dreamed of.

Ophelia London’s Abby Road is a love letter to music—both the kind you cherish and the kind you create—as well as a beautiful love story that proves even when everyone in the world can recognize your face, the only people who matter are those who can see inside your heart.

About the Author (from Goodreads):
Ophelia London was born and raised among the redwood trees in beautiful northern California. Once she was fully educated, she decided to settle in Florida, but her car broke down in Texas and she's lived in Dallas ever since. A cupcake and treadmill aficionado (obviously those things are connected), she spends her time watching arthouse movies and impossibly trashy TV, while living vicariously through the characters in the books she writes. Ophelia is the author of PLAYING AT LOVE, SPEAKING OF LOVE... and ABBY ROAD. Visit her at http://ophelia-london.blogspot.com. But don't call when The Vampire Diaries is on.

 

***I received this book from the publisher for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any other way except receiving the book for free.  ***

Author Interview & Giveaway: Ophelia London (Abby Road)

  
Today I welcome Ophelia London, author of Abby Road, which I am currently reading and being delighted by with each page. Abby is adorable and her and Todd sizzle.  This is just the book I needed at the moment.  I will be posting my review either later tonight or tomorrow, but for now please grab your favorite cuppa and sit and learn a little more about Ophelia London and Abby Road. Then make sure you enter the tour giveaway!


What 3 things do you need in order to write?
My laptop. I gave up writing longhand ages ago. I’m all for modern technology.
Quiet. I don’t mind normal sounds of the world going on around me, but I can’t have the TV on
or music with lyrics. I do love having classical music playing, even the Gregorian Chants. (Cool
inspiration for writing romance, right?)
Order. I like to have the dishes put away and my inbox cleaned out. Sometimes that takes too
long and I write anyway. I’m a real rebel!

What's your favorite season?
Short answer: Spring. Long answer: It used to be summer, but since I’ve lived in Texas, and the
summers here are like living on the freaking sun, I’ve moved it up to spring. The springs here
are like the summers where I grew up in California. But in Texas we have blue bonnets. They’re
stunning.

If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
Oh, wow. There are so many places I’d like to travel. I’m all about the beach these days. Florida
is my favorite—Seaside specifically, where Abby Road takes place. But soon I’ll be knocking a
new place off my list and hitting Hawaii for my birthday. Next stop, hopefully, will be Santorini.
Who’s with me?

When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?
I’ve always been a storyteller, but I started taking writing classes in college, and then later in
grad school I had a really supportive professor. He wrote me my first “official” review…typed
and everything. I have it saved in a scrapbook. J

What's the first sentence of Abby Road?
How could there be no valet parking?
(Typing that still gives me chills!)

Tell us what is Abby Road about.
Abby Road is about a famous singer named Abigail Kelly. When the story opens, she’s been
working, touring and recording non-stop for five years. When there’s a break in her schedule, she
hops on a plane and runs away to the beach to lie around, decompress and basically hide from
the world. But her plans of solitude are blown to bits when she meets Todd, the hunky owner of
a surf shop.

Dish, who’s your favorite character?
I love Abby. I got really close to her while I was writing. She had to go through some pretty
heavy trials, and I learned to admire her strength. Todd is rather awesome, too. I’ve never met
anyone quite like him. Still searching….

How did you feel when you finished Abby Road?
I worked on Abby Road for a really long time, so the term “finish” didn’t cross my lips until the
final galley was sent to my editor. I have a little ritual I do whenever I accomplish something
writerly. I always play this song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w38zN_J8pNQ
I did that right after I sent in the final draft. After that, I think I slept for about a week, and I’m
sure cupcakes involved.

What made you choose to write about music and Hollywood?
They’re my two favorite things! I always knew I would tell a story about a singer. When I was
getting serious about writing, American Idol was huge and Taylor Swift had just exploded. Those
helped me frame the character of Abigail Kelly. On Idol, we get to know the contestants more
and more every week, and—from her songs—we all know what’s going on in Taylor’s life.
Even though Abby’s character is a famous rockstar, I worked really hard at making her relatable,
someone you would want in your living room every week.

For all of us impatient readers, what is up next for you?
I’ve got two books in the works. One is my first stab at the New Adult genera. The characters are
all at Stanford. I had to brush up on my proper grammar to write their dialogue, but I’m really in
love with the characters. I’m also working on book three in my Perfect Kisses series. It’s about a
military man. I mean, who doesn’t love a sexy soldier?

Thanks Ophelia!
Thank you! It was a pleasure being here today.

To follow the tour, click on the banner at the top of the post or go here.

About the book:

Touted by the tabloids as the biggest rock star of our generation, Abigail Kelly is used to being in the spotlight. But beyond the glam of Hollywood, her world is falling apart. Still reeling from the death of her brother and wilting under the iron fist of Max, her manager, Abby banishes herself to the secluded beaches of Florida for the summer, thinking some anonymity and sunshine are just what she needs. What she finds, instead, is Todd, an ex-marine eager to embrace life after war. Together, Abby and Todd find the balance Abby’s life has been missing.

That is, until Max resurfaces, demanding Abby return to Los Angeles to record her band’s newest album. As the pressures of public appearances, paparazzi, and late-night recordings start to mount, Abby will have to risk everything or lose the life she always dreamed of.

Ophelia London’s ABBY ROAD is a love letter to music—both the kind you cherish and the kind you create—as well as a beautiful love story that proves even when everyone in the world can recognize your face, the only people who matter are those who can see inside your heart.

About the Author (from Goodreads):
Ophelia London was born and raised among the redwood trees in beautiful northern California. Once she was fully educated, she decided to settle in Florida, but her car broke down in Texas and she's lived in Dallas ever since. A cupcake and treadmill aficionado (obviously those things are connected), she spends her time watching arthouse movies and impossibly trashy TV, while living vicariously through the characters in the books she writes. Ophelia is the author of PLAYING AT LOVE, SPEAKING OF LOVE... and ABBY ROAD. Visit her at http://ophelia-london.blogspot.com. But don't call when The Vampire Diaries is on.
Giveaway:



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