Single Sundays: Rhythm, Chord, Malykin by Mariana Zapata

Single Sundays: While this blog may be focused on reviewing book series as a whole, we can’t forget about the good ole’ standalone novel! On Sundays, I will review a novel that is considered to be a standalone novel. Here is this week’s offering:

Synopsis for Rhythm, Chord & Malykin (from Goodreads):

Twenty-six-year-old Gaby Barreto might be a lot of things (loyal, sarcastic, one of the guys and a pain in the butt depending on which family member you ask), but dumb isn’t one of them. When her twin brother invites her to go on tour as his band’s merch girl, she isn’t exactly screaming at the top of her lungs with joy. With no job opportunities pounding on her door, an ex-boyfriend she would still like to castrate, and no end in sight to moving out of her parents’ house in Dallas… it would be dumb to say no to the chance of a lifetime. Two bands, three continents, one tour. Spending the next ninety-plus days with three beloved idiots and eight complete strangers shouldn’t be a big deal, right? If only the singer of the headlining band didn’t have tattoos… a great personality… a fantastic body… and if he wasn’t so funny…. Let’s be Gaby never had a chance against Sacha Malykhin.

Author: Mariana Zapata
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Rockstar
Heat Rating: Warm
Point of View: First Person, Single
Publication Date: August 21, 2015
Source & Format: Public Library–Audiobook

Why I Picked it Up / My Expectations:

Although this book has been out for nearly a decade, my library just got the audiobook. I’ve only read Mariana Zapata’s The Wall of Winnipeg and Me before but I enjoyed her ability to write a slow burn romance and great characters. I love a good rockstar romance and it has been so long since I’ve read one that I was looking forward to this one!

The Plot:

I’d say this book was part coming of age with a very slow, slow burn romance along with some band hijinks thrown in. I can appreciate the lighter, less angsty tone this book subscribes to. But I think I needed some more obstacles to develop these characters further.

The Characters:

I have some mixed feelings on Gaby. I appreciate her overcoming her body insecurities and how that has been a challenge while being indirectly involved on the music scene where image is everything. When we first meet her, her life is in disarray and she’s a little lost. And I while I enjoyed watching her find joy in life, I wasn’t convinced that she found her true purpose by the end of this novel. And I’ve the synopsis didn’t state that she was 26, I would have put her at 22. She just lacked some maturity for me. I don’t need her to have her life together but her immaturity at times reminded me why she didn’t have it together.

The rest of the band mates are fun, but again, I felt like they were immature. I get that they are rockstars on tour so craziness is expected at times. But I could have used some depth.

The Romance:

Sasha is a sweet guy. I definitely got why these two would like each other. But they almost spent too long in the friendzone for me. I just need more heat and smolder between them.

My Audiobook Experience:

It was just ok. The guys all kinda sounded the same to me and the slightly higher pitched voice the narrator used just added to my perception that the characters were immature. It didn’t make Sasha very sexy to me.