Songs In Ursa Major is a brilliant, escaping read partly based on the real life relationship of James Taylor and Joni Mitchell.

Firstly I think this author does a great job of capturing the era with all the freedom and changes that it brought. My parent’s hay day was the 70’s so I grew up on lots of stories, and music, from that time which the book reminded me of. I so enjoyed following all the characters through this book and living precariously through them. I felt like I was able to experience the era a bit through them which was great as the 70’s is the era I’d like to be able to time travel back to.

The characters were brilliant, realistic characters that I found it easy to warm to. I particularly liked Jane as I admired her confidence and her willingness to stand up for herself. The sexism she experiences in the music industry made me very cross and I wanted to applaud her when she made a stand against it. Her relationship with Jessie was wonderfully, dreamy to read about, come on we’ve all dreamed about dating a rock star, and I found it very interesting to watch it develop. I liked that the author wasn’t afraid to put some darker plot twists into the book which made the book seem more realistic but also stopped it from being too sugary sweet and just about the budding romance between the two main characters.

The books has a great pace to it and I quickly found myself drawn into the story. I liked the huge contrast between the hectic, wild music scenes and the more gentle life on the island which helped refocus the reader at times. There was always something happening to keep my attention and some very dramatic moments which moved the story in a complete different direction. The ending was perfect in my opinion and I especially liked how everything wasn’t tied up in a bow but instead left at a realistic place.

This is the author’s debut novel and I’m very excited to read more from her in the future. There is a Spotify playlist with the same name as the book available on Spotify which is perfect to listen to whilst reading.

Huge thanks to Jen Harlow for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.

What a lovely and inspirational book this is. As I understand it is very loosely based on the relationship between Joni Mitchell and James Taylor and is set in the late 1960’s with all the backdrop of that festival musical era.

The characters are well written and charismatic. I thoroughly enjoyed the rollercoaster relationship between artists Jane and Jesse and particularly loved the songwriting parts and the original lyrics written for the novel.

Descriptions of the era and the band themselves was the true hero of this novel. The passion with which the music and lyrics are depicted is almost magical. I equally loved and hated the main characters and at the end felt a huge amount of sympathy for them for the pain that their moment in the spotlight had caused them.

A good read and a great depiction of the musical era which is definitely worth a read and a great debut novel.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have just finished this and finally my reading mojo is back to where it was before. It wasn't me... it was what I've been reading!

This is a novel with a different subject matter. Not your usual love story of boy meet girl etc. but with so much more of a backdrop. It's primarily about the music business in the late '60s... about which I knew very little. This charts the rise of an unknown band/singer and her struggles with herself, her family background and her record company. Yes, of course a boy is involved too but that is dealt with almost as a side issue... despite being a central part of the novel.

On top of the great story line we're blessed with good writing. It flows well. I was finding myself wondering what was happening to Jane when I wasn't able to be reading. WWJD? (You'll understand that when you read the book!)

I suspect this one may live with me for a long time so it gets a rare 5 stars!

My thanks to HarperCollins Fiction for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Songs in Ursa Major’ by Emma Brodie in exchange for an honest review.

At the Bayleen Island Folk Festival in July 1969, singer song-writer Jane Quinn and her band, The Breakers, are invited to fill in on the main stage when something prevents the headline act, Jesse Reid, from performing.

With her bohemian style, long golden hair and exquisite voice soaring over the crowd - that night a star is born. Soon she and the band are on the road opening for Jesse and a powerful love affair begins between these two creative people. Jane especially pours her emotions into her writing though comes up against powerful men in the music industry that seek to define and control her.

‘Songs in Ursa Major’ is a musical romance that focuses on the USA music scene in the late 1960s-1970s and explores how the male dominated record studios were quite capable of making or breaking an artist.

Overall, I found this an assured debut that provided a peek behind the scenes during this exciting time in music. It was also a journey back in time for me. I felt that it was the kind of novel that was perfect for the summer.

I read a number of reviews that talks about "Daisy Jones and The Six". I loved Daisy Jones but they're very different books that set in the music world.
I loved Songs in Ursa Major as it's the portrait of an age and of a musical era. One of the game I played was trying to guess who could have been Jane and Jessie and I suppose they could be inspired by Jonie Mitchell and James Taylor.
I loved this story, it kept me reading late in the night turning pages as fast as I could.
Jane and Jessie are two well rounded and fascinating characters. I loved Jane's loud family, strong and relatable women.
There's plenty going on and the descriptions of music world and song writing are great.
It's gripping, highly entertaining and emotionally charged, strongly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Sorry - I struggled with this book. It just didn’t suit my taste in reading - but I’m sure others will enjoy .

This seemed an authentic read - a fictional account of the music scene in the late 60s/early 70s. I may not have been aware of it as a young child, but there seemed more than a degree of truth about this story. Talented, man of the moment Jesse Reid fails to show for the Bayleen Island festival, and local group The Breakers are called to perform on the main stage. Led by the extremely talented and string willed Jane Quinn they make a big impression and are called to support Jesse's band on tour. Jesse and Jane hit it off - can she reach through the shell he's built round himself to reach the broken man inside? Jane values Jesse's peaceful house with access to the piano, and Jesse craves Jane's loud, noisy family life. We go through band break ups, love affairs, drugs and real talent. There are quite a few triggers - drugs, mental health, institutions - but all are dealt with sensitively and as an integral part of the story. I really enjoyed this book.#netgalley #songsinursamajor

I struggled to get into this book and couldn't really engage with the characters. I don't think this book was for me. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me review this book.

Rising star Jesse Reid has to give up his slot at a festival after an accident , allowing Jane Quinn and the breakers. an amateur band a chance to shine
This book covers Jane’s career within a male oriented industry, plus an insight into the time, place, and culture of the late 60s /70s music scene including a very messy relationship with Jesse
Jane is a very strong character who fights her own battles, making an interesting story which engages the reader
I would recommend this book.
Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Collins and Emma Brodie for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review

A weak and underdeveloped attempt to ride Daisy Jones & The Six's coattails. I couldn't finish this and felt it was just going through the motions.

I’ve had a difficult few months. And a reading slump to boot.

As such, I have to DNF this book because I’m really struggling to get into it.
The writing is fantastic, and I wish that perhaps I was reading this in a year’s time.

Maybe one day I’ll pick it up again, but for now I’m going into self-care mode and setting it aside.

My apologies to all.

This was an interesting book set at the end of the 1960's and the beginning of the 70's and follows singer song writer Jane Quinn.

I found this book enjoyable as I love music and it just took me on a journey.

A great summer read. Quite a slow book but not difficult to read.

This is a book for long, hot summer days when you can let your imagination run and pretend you are a singer in the hey day of free love. Jane Quinn was a great character to follow and get to know. I thoroughly enjoyed every page and detail that Emma Brodie wove together and felt fully transported to the time and vibe of 1969 and beyond. I loved the concept of basing this on the real-life relationship of Joni Mitchell and James Taylor but felt that Brodie fully made it her own. Fantastic book.

Thank you for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this story it was so different to anything I have read before and it kept me hooked throughout. I loved the setting the music everything! Highly recommend and will be keeping a lookout for this author in the future.

Loved reading about Jane Quinn - a talented young woman facing some incredible challenges to share her music with her fans. The book features music, friendship, romance, family issues and strong women. Would love to see this turned into a film.

"Songs in Ursa Major" is absolutely my jam and really burrowed under my skin. Emma Brodie has given us a snapshot of a place, time and vibe - think Laurel Canyon in the late 60s/early 70s. The book coincides with the 50th anniversary of Joni Mitchell's "Blue" and the forthcoming release of "The Reprise Albums (1968-1971)". In fact, Jane and Jesse's relationship draws inspiration from that of Joni and James Taylor.

Hot guitar boys are my Achilles' heel. Hot guitar boys who are a bit broken are my downfall, so I loved the fiery passion between our star couple. But did their spark burn too brightly in the end? I highly recommend reading to find out! Themes also include mental health, addiction and the cycle of shame, family ties and creative freedom.

Brodie provides insight into the music industry, or certainly how it used to be - especially for women. I enjoyed the technical descriptions of the mechanics of song composition. As an added bonus, the author has compiled an accompanying playlist on Spotify and you can find it here:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3CCEKcagSpIOngdCJhdVjr?si=K_CMdDsTQ06CjRVItU_NUw&utm_source=copy-link&dl_branch=1

"Songs in Ursa Major" is the perfect book for summer. You know what else would be perfect for summer? "No Pain, No Jane'' t-shirts! If you know, you know. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am gutted that it's finished, so I shall reflect on the wisdom of Jane Quinn…

"When I'm sad, it's usually because I was happy first."

Set in the late 60s/early 70s, Songs in Ursa Major follows the breakout music career - and love story - of singersongwriter Jane Quinn. I thought she was an amazing protagonist that I was really rooting for throughout the book. Jane is headstrong, talented, and knows exactly what she wants, although sometimes her feelings get in the way.
The exploration of the music industry at the time was really interesting to read about and the book features a really varied plot which didn’t feel predictable at all. I am a sucker for a good love story and I was so invested in Jane’s relationship with Jesse. The relationships in the book were messy and real, and the inclusion of the song lyrics throughout really added to the emotions.
I really did enjoy reading about all the characters and I adored Jane’s family full of strong females. There were also some dreamy settings featured, including sunny California and Greece which makes it the perfect summer read.
I’ve already seen a few comparisons to Taylor Jenkins Reid, especially since Daisy Jones is also set in the music world, and I do think fans of hers will enjoy Songs in Ursa Major - but Brodie does have her own signature style.
I personally loved the writing and how she layered the different themes and developed the characters. There was so much more to this story than I expected from reading the blurb and I really did enjoy every second of reading it.
An amazing debut novel - I will definitely read whatever Emma Brodie writes next!

If you’re a fan of Taylor Jenkins-Reid then you should try this debut novel by Emma Brodie.

The novel follows the musical career of protagonist Jane Quinn. Jane is kickass and strong but she also has built a strong emotional wall which is stopping her from being truly honest with both herself and those she loves. Jane’s story puts an interesting spotlight on what it is like to be a female lead in a male dominated music industry. It also evaluates how the industry is now too focused on profit and commercialisation of a product rather than true musical talent and artistry.

Apparently Brodie based parts of the book on the real life love story between Joni Mitchell and James Taylor. Which was interesting as I know that Joni had a rocky start to her career and had a lot of support from record producer David Geffen which few artists would enjoy today. Like a TJR novel the love story is more adult in theme and shows that you should only stay with someone if it is also right for you.

It was one of those books that I kept on having to pick-up again as I wanted to know what would happen to Jane.

Thanks to @harpercollinsuk for gifting me advance ebook access.

I read this one after a Taylor Jenkins Reid book and - whilst it did have a similar tone - it wasn’t EXACTLY the same (so don’t let any “this is a similar/ the same book” reviews put you off from reading this one!).

This book is a good exploration of family, fame and figuring out the rock scene in the ‘60s and ‘70s. I wanted this to be a sweet romance but it wasn’t, it was a real one. Sometimes a romance is beautiful but it isn’t right, and that’s exactly what the ‘relationship’ between Jesse and Jane is. They’re not romantically compatible but what they are are two people trying their best to save each other.

I LOVE music and this book was full of it. Concerts, song creating, even behind the scenes..all got a look in. It was very interesting to read about this kind of thing, especially about a woman making it in a male industry. More of this in fiction please!

My only gripe was the fact that the ending was a bit anticlimactic

This is a brilliant debut novel which would be perfect for fans of Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid and Utopia Avenue by David Mitchell.

Set in the late 60s and early 70s, Brodie perfectly captures the music scene of the era, seen through the eyes of our protagonist Jane Quinn, a talented singer songwriter looking for her big break and a music deal for her band The Breakers. I really liked Jane as a character and felt her frustration as she encounters the sexism of the music industry at that time and struggles to be taken seriously and have her voice heard.

I admired Brodie's inclusion of lyrics for the songs written and performed by Jane and her love interest Jesse and these were crucial to getting inside the heads of these characters as music is their way of expressing themselves. I really liked the relationship between Jane and Jesse as it was believable, messy and complicated and didn't try to gloss over the difficulties and challenges they face together and separately.

The book has an interesting and varied cast of characters and a lot of threads to the plot which kept me engaged throughout. A really enjoyable read and an author I will be keeping an eye on for their next release.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for the ARC.