Songs Unfinished by Holly Stratimore

Songs Unfinished
by Holly Stratimore
Pages: 264
Date: January 19 2015
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Series: None

Review
Rating: 5.0 out of 5.0
Read: April 12 2016
This is my first book by this author, and, unless something got misfiled somewhere, this is also the first book by this author.

I've read many stories involving people in the entertainment industry, which includes actors, musicians, dancers, novelists, and others (I could change it to 'creative industry' or some term like that, to include the gallery owners, and artists characters I've read). This book here contains two musicians as the co-leads (and a budding novelist side character).

Most of those books that I've read that involve the entertainment industry involve people who are: (a) comfortably established in their field interacting with people comfortably established in their field (that one book by Selina Rosen that I read, and loved, that others tended to be less enamored with, involved a famous/formerly successful musician and a successful actress (and musician); the 'attempting to restart their career, reluctantly' is something of a sub-genre of this 'entertainment industry' field); (b) comfortably established in their field characters interacting with those just starting out in the entertainment industry (which includes, as my example, Brayden's 'Waiting in the Wings'); (c) two characters who have been in the entertainment industry for a while, and neither have exactly comfortably established themselves yet (strangely, I've never read a book/story in this category, until now. Until this book. While it is true that Jaymi and Shawn are not at the same success point, it is true that neither is 'just starting out' nor 'comfortably established. Jaymi's band is regionally known, and just on the cusp of stardom (though they've been on the cusp before and, for personal family reasons, didn't make the transition to stardom; while Shawn's been in the business for 7 years and is still at the open mic stage of her career); (d) everyone involved is just starting out in the entertainment industry (oddly, while I'm somewhat sure I might have read something like this at some point, I do not specifically recall any story/book that falls into this category).

Characters
Jaymi Del Harmon is a musician and band member of 'Passion Fruit' (I could be wrong about the band name, though I know Passion is in the name). She is a college graduate, and the band itself formed while she was in college. Formed after she meet and set up an arrangement with one Nikki while at college. Nikki would help Jaymi become comfortable on stage, while Jaymi would help Nikki become better with the guitar. The two then went on to form the band that incorporated two further members (Kay being a friend of Nikki's, and . . . Brian? being Jaymi's cousin). All of this back-story occurred before start of the book. The band went west to find their fame and fortune (as in went to California). While there they bumped into Shawn Davies out at open mic gigs. But I'm way far down the plot section now so I'll move on. The band was on the cusp of success when two things happened at once (well, first: Jaymi's mother needed her because the mother had cancer; second: slightly after news of the need of Jaymi's need to return to the east coast, and possibly in reaction to it, Jaymi's long time girlfriend (who actually had been showing signs of distance before the cancer issue came up) was caught cheating (possibly on purpose). Jaymi returned to New Hampshire. The band, not wishing to give up on Jaymi, followed her back east. Jaymi spent time helping her mother. Then the mother died. Eventually, and I think this is two years later, the band started up again and as of the start of the book, are on the cusp of stardom. Again. At the very least, they have some regional celebrity status, and their songs are on regional independent radio stations.
Of Importance: the other band members, Devin (journalist and budding novelist - linked to Sara; friends with Jaymi) & Sara (...; linked to Devin; friends with Jaymi), Alice & Peter (old family friends of Jaymi's mother who allow Jaymi to live in the apartment over their horse barn when Jaymi returned east). Randi - through Nikki, as she's friends with Nikki & is a police officer).

Shawn Davies is a musician who has mostly failed in her attempts to have a live as a musician. Just after high school, Shawn headed west (as in to California). She was somewhat nervous and clumsy on stage, but a musician she bumped into at open mic gigs helped her gain some confidence. This musician being Jaymi. Shawn was out west without any support structure, and with very poor abilities to hold a job. Relatively quickly in the process she descended to a form of homelessness - using one-night stands to find a place to sleep at night; or sleeping in her car - more often using one-night stands. The book opens with Shawn fleeing California to head back home. She's fleeing homelessness, failure, and, the real reason for her flight, fleeing a brutal attack.
Of Importance: the ghost of her dead mother (not literally, figuratively), her basterd father, an old girlfriend from high school named Mel, a dead aunt.

Others: Others are of importance, but through their connections to the lead characters (both of whom have alternating points of view). I've mentioned several up above. There's two entities though, who become significant later in the story-line: Shawn's bitchy boss (once she actually finds a job back east), and Jaymi's stalker.

Plot
Everything I've mentioned above, for the most part, happened before the start of this book. The book opens with a woman fleeing a brutal attack. Grabbing all of her belongings, and heading from California back to New Hampshire. Along the way, for gas money, she basically performs on the street. If the takings are good, she'd stay for a week or so (no more than). If not, she'd hurry along the road. Eventually she arrived back in New Hampshire. Drives up to her aunt’s home. Sees a car in the driveway but can't seem to get a reaction from her aunt. While prowling around looking in the windows, a neighbor yells at Shawn (who I just notice I didn't yet mention in this paragraph as the woman fleeing California). Before he calls the cops, Shawn notes who she is and why she is there. Only to be informed that her aunt died the month before. Her one good connection to home has been severed. And she hadn't been in a good position to learn of this issue until just then.

So. She's hungry and tired and eventually will need to put gas in the gas tank. Reluctantly she turns towards her actual former home. She somewhat timidly knocks on the door. A man answers. Screams at her, asking why she is there. Shawn begs to stay the night. The man screams at her again then slams the door. Shawn dejectedly leaves her father's house, after making some comment about how the man still blames her for Shawn's mother's death. Gets back in her car. Drives. Seriously contemplates parking on some railroad tracks. Turns on the radio. Hears a familiar band on. And learns they are performing nearby. That band being the band Jaymi performs in. Shawn heads in that direction instead of towards the train tracks.

POV shifts to Jaymi. She's exiting the 'gig' and is in the process of attempting to start her truck and go home. But the engine only sputters. She looks around. Sees a car start to head her direction. She's vaguely nervous. Eventually she learns that the young women in the car will help her. And that she knows this woman - it's Shawn. Who she hasn't seen in about 2 years.

One thing leads to another and Jaymi offers the use of her guest room to Shawn until Shawn can find a job and get her own place. They somewhat nervously circle each other but the strings of their earlier friendship rejoin. Romance is not, yet, on either's minds. Jaymi can't have the complications and distractions of a romance right then and there, not right when the band is on the cusp of stardom. Shawn needs to re...um . . revive her life. Reform? Something like that.

Romance
Jaymi has certain feelings for Shawn that she knows she can't do anything about (because of her own need to devote time to her career; and because Shawn isn't in a great place at the moment, is vulnerable). Shawn has fancied Jaymi since she first meet her two years ago. But doesn't want to fall into the trap of 'using' her. She wants something more. But isn't in a good position to ask for more at the moment. So tries to keep things on the friendship level.

So - things are a slow burn. Yes, they become friends first (and/or rekindle the friendship); but both separately, and with a certain amount of awareness of the other's feelings, 'burn' for the other. They kind of fall into a pattern of one being in a vulnerable position, making a pass at the other, the other wanting to lean into this flirtation, this possible love making, but not wishing to take advantage, and pulling/pushing back. And yes, both find themselves in both roles - the vulnerable one making the pass; the one being flirted with who must be strong. First occasion, I think it's the first occasion, involves Jaymi being tipsy from wine and attempting to 'get with' Shawn. Another occasion finds Shawn being the tipsy one.

Overall
There are a lot of complications and 'issues' that pop up, but things flow rather well - nothing seems contrived (well, the stalker subplot bordered on almost falling into annoying territory, though skidded just short of that). Things flowed nicely. I don't mean their lives flowed smoothly, I mean the writing and plot seemed to flow nicely. No, their lives were not smooth. But bumpy.

Overall - a satisfying book by a writer who I had not read before. I'm not actually sure how I'd stumbled upon her - I just know that I had two disappointing books in a role (as in attempted to start reading them, and paused both) and saw this as a sample on my Kindle and read the sample. Then read the book.

Overall, to overuse a word, I'd give the book a rating of something approaching 5 out of 5 stars (maybe 4.75?)

April 12 2016