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I *may* have sent Ashley an all caps text earlier this week that was all about my rereading achievement, as we are both making our way through  House of Earth and Blood (#1).  Don’t worry, there are no spoilers, as it was “JELLY PONIES” and a My Little Ponies gif.  Y’all, I forgot how amazing that scene is (shocking no one), but when there was mention of them, I knew what was coming, and it was glorious.  I hope you’re enjoying your (re)read / preparation for the next in the Crescent City series before we dig deep and make our predictions on Friday, February 11 at 7:30 pm CST.   Sign up here to get the link to join in the fun!  

I have a confession to make darling readers, (and it’s not Ashley’s Confessions this time!) going into this book, I didn’t know if I could do it again.  I didn’t know if I could read another second chance romance, another overly dramatic YA romance, another Persuasion retelling and not be completely cynical about it, not judge it unfairly.  I am excited to report that I was (mostly) pleasantly floored by Where the Rhythm Takes You by Sarah Dass.  I do think it helps that I read Ruin and Rising (yes, finally, and I did restart completely as it’d been so long) and a palate cleansing romance between last week’s title and this week’s.  All three of those aforementioned novels had me very much up in my feelings, which is where the (mostly) part of my being pleasantly floored comes into play.  The unpleasant parts were unpleasant because of the introspection Dass’s characters evoked in me, even though I’m 20 years older than our heroine.  That, dear readers, earns Dass a spot on my TBR list for her future titles, along with her gorgeous, lush descriptions of Tobago, and the amazing way she captures Reyna’s grief, along with her struggles to just be a 17-year-old trying to find herself and her way forward.  

Where the Rhythm Takes You follows Reyna the summer after she finishes high school.  Her only friend is preparing to leave to attend art school in London, and Reyna is preparing to take her place, or rather her mother’s place, running their family’s hotel.  She’s still coming to grips with her mother’s death two years ago when Aiden, her childhood friend, her first boyfriend, her ex, returns home for the first time since her mom got sick, along with his entourage, to spend several weeks at her hotel.  As one assumes, there’s a family connection between Reyna and Aiden’s group, through her brother in law, which makes for a fabulous group of Musgroves, and I adore the way the women are portrayed.  The Musgrove sisters start off as caricatures, but grow into three-dimensional supporting characters with struggles of their own (and no, I wouldn’t mind a follow-up focused on them, but I don’t see it happening).  Reyna’s sister isn’t the needy brat Anne Elliott’s is in the original, she’s trying to raise her family in her home, one she barely remembers.  When she was alive, Reyna’s mother was overbearing, and there is an Aunty of sorts who interferes now, as well as an intriguing cast of hotel staff members.  New pieces to the story were the way creativity and art are included an expression of self and how grief and lost love can play into a person’s ability or willingness, perhaps both, to participate in those expressions.  These new pieces have a glorious place in concert with the people pleasing struggle we were already expecting of our heroine as she strives to live up to everyone else’s expectations of her rather than considering what she actually wants for herself.  

While I adore the story and how it develops, reuniting this couple through forced proximity and a bit of fantastic drama, I didn’t love that they’re 17 and 19.  It made it all harder to swallow for me looking back at those ages thinking they don’t even know who they are yet, and that their brains aren’t fully developed yet (both things that would have caused me to roll my eyes and tune out at those ages).  I did however love the ending and the epilogue which do honor these young characters and the places they are in their lives.  

I’ve already shared that Where the Rhythm Takes You has earned Dass a spot on my TBR list for her future works.  This title earns an emphatic four stars from me.  It’s a story well told, clearly based on a classic, but turning the pieces into something new and brighter, with a fantastic sense of place and culture, including food, music, and scenery.  I’m excited to see what else Dass comes out with in the future.  

What’s a title that unexpectedly floored you?

~Nikki

Where the Rhythm Takes You is Sarah Dass’s debut novel and was published in May 2021. The native Tobagonian went through several Pitch Wars rounds with a different novel (a YA dystopian space odyssey) but finally got her chance to be mentored in 2017 with this novel about her home, pulling from her own high school experience. Dass is a graduate of the University of the West Indies and University College London and continues to work as an office administrator during the day as she writes at night. Besides writing, reading, thinking about writing, or taking walks with her dachshund, she loves lazy days at home or exploring new countries. 

I, like Nikki, was struggling with coming into another YA Persuasion retelling immediately after last week’s title. Thankfully, I had plenty of time to re-read two of my favorite romance novels, finish up one non-fiction dead tree title, and listen to an entire non-fiction audiobook on my way to Louisiana last week before reading the majority of Where the Rhythm Takes You. I’m so very glad I did that, because I was better prepared to ENJOY the crap out of this novel. I was SO into this book that I only have ONE highlight. This is very uncommon, most romance novels get at least 10 highlights. I was just reading and enjoying myself, taking sips of the tropical location and fully-formed characters. Even Reyna’s father, an important but not central character to the story, was more than a replica or two-dimensional caricature of the widowed Sir Walter Elliot. Oh, the father daughter relationship in this book. My only highlight happens at about 85% and is between Eli and Reyna – but I’m not going to spoil this book and tell you what it’s about!

My favorite thing was how the island sounds of Soca and Calypso music were mentioned in almost every chapter. It doesn’t hurt that our hero is part of a Grammy winning musical trio, DJ Bacchanal, to aid in the need for mentioning the islands’ musical history. Dass curated a list of eight songs to give readers a taste of what Reyna, Aiden, and the people of Trinidad and Tobago experience everyday. I got a true feeling that music is the beating heart of the islands from reading this YA novel, and I’m excited to share the Spotify Playlist I created using Dass’s list. If you enjoy the tunes, you’ll definitely enjoy the novel.

I’m giving Where the Rhythm Takes You a solid four star, exceeds expectations, rating. I’m also adding anything else Dass writes to my TBR, and it’s not just because here at Heart.Wants.Books Nikki’s TBR is our TBR. Sarah Dass’s writing is an experience I’d like to have again very soon. Her sophomore effort can’t arrive fast enough for me.

~Ashley

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